MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS NEWS

'Did you enjoy having drinks on top of my brother's grave?' Sister of WTC victim lashes out at 9/11 memorial cocktail party guests

A surviving sister (not pictured) of Cantor Fitzgerald's Robert Shay (right), who perished in the attack, used Twitter to vent her anger over the booze-filled bash. Emotional family members of 9/11 victims (center) hold up Wednesday's Daily News front page. read full story »

Hamill: Snobby ghouls who partied at 9/11 Museum party have no common decency

Explosion shakes Urumqi in China’s volatile Xinjiang region killing 31 people and injuring more than 90

Chinese state media has reported an explosion near a public park in the capital of the volatile northwestern region of Xinjiang that has seen a number of recent violent attacks.

Georgia woman snatched puppy from yard, killed it in front of neighbors: report

Ryeeah Christine Hatcher of Douglasville was allegedly chased down and cornered with the stolen puppy in a bag Monday evening before doing the unthinkable, according to a report.

Men who were strangers before deadly Okla. tornado reunite on one-year anniversary

As he had one year ago, Max Broderick stepped into the life of Stephen Begay on Tuesday and reduced the Oklahoma man to tears.

New York boy dies after falling from sixth-floor window and landing on balcony

A 21-month-old Brooklyn boy died Wednesday after tumbling from a sixth-floor window and landing on a balcony three stories below, police said.

Chris Rock laughed off Seinfeld's plea to replace Letterman

Drunken Florida man threw lit fireworks at 7-year-old girl, 63-year-old woman, dogs: police

A drunken Florida man cackled as he threw lit fireworks at neighbors, including a 7-year-old girl, and their pets, then pretended an electronic cigarette was a gun as officers tried to detain him, cops said.

Chicago mom broke 3-year-old daughter’s bones while beating her to death: prosecutors

Maria Espinoza-Perez, 24, beat her toddler to death so badly that the girl’s blood splattered all over her teddy bear and bedding — then the woman called 911 to claim two burglars had done it, prosecutors say.

DEATH IN THE FAMILY: Twin brother and sister busted for fatal New Jersey hit-and-run

Robert and Jessica Springer, 25, of Washington Township, are accused of being in the Chevy Malibu that ran down Eddie Lee Warthen, 30, early Sunday in Paulsboro.

Father, son staged slain Alaska state troopers' bodies, indictment says

Court documents allege Nathanial and Arvin Kangas of Tanana, Alaska, placed the guns of state Trooper Gabe Rich and Sgt. Scott Johnson under their dead bodies before sneaking their pot plants out of the house.

Elin says she and Tiger Woods doing well post-divorce

'It said call 911, and I did': Woman escapes violent boyfriend by slipping note to gas station clerk

A gas station attendant in Washington state helped rescue a desperate woman from her violent boyfriend after the woman slipped him a note pleading for help.

SEE IT Man in Philadelphia tries to rob brothers at different 7-Eleven stores

A Philadelphia 7-Eleven clerk was prepared for a possible robber after his brother, who was working at another 7-Eleven location, was robbed earlier that morning and warned his sibling.

Arizona boy with muscular dystrophy gets wish to hike down Grand Canyon to the Colorado River

A 14-year-old boy who can't walk nonetheless made it 10 ragged miles to the floor of the Grand Canyon, where his fondest wish was granted: he got to sink his feet into the emerald waters of the Colorado River.

Michigan former pastor, professor pleads guilty to being a Peeping Tom

A defrocked Michigan pastor has made a courtroom confession. Jeremy Grinnell, 42, pleaded guilty to being a Peeping Tom in Kent County Circuit Court.

Swiss court rules Nazi salute isn’t always punishable as discrimination

A Nazi salute isn't illegal racial discrimination provided it's intended as a personal statement, Switzerland's top court ruled Wednesday.

Tres chic! Kim cuts a slim figure in black while in Paris

'Best of luck in finding some schmuck' to replace me: Calif. City Clerk who tweeted during meetings quits with vicious resignation email

Kim Lehmkuhl, 34, resigned from her post as city clerk in a scathing email accusing city council members of “misogynistic jokes” and “pathetic pandering” and sarcastically wishing them the best of luck.

NY Rep. Michael Grimm kept cell phone registered to FBI alter ego 'Mikey Suits' after joining Congress

Rep. Michael Grimm, who posed as a stockbroker named Michael (Mikey Suits) Garabaldi while working undercover for the FBI, kept his wise-guy alter ego even after entering Congress, documents show.

Supreme Court halts execution of Missouri inmate with rare medical condition

The Supreme Court has put off the execution of a Missouri inmate with a rare medical condition who challenged the state’s refusal to disclose the source of its lethal injection drug.

California man kidnapped ex-girlfriend's 3-year-old child after threatening babysitter with bat: police

A 22-year-old California man broke into his ex-girlfriend's house armed with a baseball bat and kidnapped her 3-year-old child from the babysitter before taking off in his car, police said.

HEAR IT Nun's frantic 911 call with dispatcher confused about address results in delayed FDNY response

A recording released to the Daily News Wednesday captures a 911 dispatcher grilling a frantic nun in a burning convent about her location — apparently delaying the FDNY’s response by more than two minutes.

Hugh Jackman talks Wolverine, nude scene in Daily News live chat

American Airlines finally gives pay raises to contract workers

Some 275 American Airlines contract workers have finally received their $1-an-hour raises.

Tour bus companies agree to $19 million settlement in lawsuit

Bus companies that operate most of New York City’s iconic hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tours have agreed to settle a group of class action lawsuits brought by tourists, court papers show.

Beef recall for E.coli expands across U.S.

After 1.8 million pounds of ground beef were recalled Monday for potential E.coli presence, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service expanded the recall to include restaurant distributors across the country.

HEAR IT: Calif. baseball coach suspended for rant against high schoolers

A high school baseball coach in southern California has been suspended after a recording capturing him screaming and cursing at his team for nearly 20 minutes after a recent loss surfaced.

FBI could consider revising zero-tolerance drug policy

The FBI may be open to revising its zero-tolerance policy on marijuana use, the agency's director said this week.

'I'm proud to have it': Mark opens up finally earning high school diploma

Police union ad slams de Blasio for trying to band horse carriages

The head of the police sergeants union launched a radio ad Wednesday that criticized Mayor de Blasio for trying to ban the iconic horse carriage industry — which brings in tourism and creates jobs — while telling cops there’s no money to give them raises.

More firefighters sent to battle Ariz. wildfire

Fifteen extra Hotshot crews were sent to Oak Creek Canyon to help tame a wildfire burning in the Arizona gorge. The wildfire started Tuesday and has forced about 100 homes and businesses to evacuate.

Saeed Abedini’s family members claim they saw pastor yanked from hospital bed, beaten, and taken back to prison

The American pastor was receiving treatment for injuries he reportedly received from guards and fellow inmates at Rajai Shahr prison, but was abruptly removed and taken back to jail.

Ex-teacher of the year at Georgia high school arrested on child cruelty charges

A former high school teacher of the year has been charged with cruelty to children in Social Circle, Ga., about 45 miles east of Atlanta.

Democrats will participate in House Benghazi probe: Pelosi

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., affirmed she will fill the five Democratic spots on the panel that was established earlier this month over Democratic objections.

Mass. men arrested while acting out robbery scene at convenience store.

A man waved a gun in the clerk's frightened face. Another man wielded a baseball bat. Inside a Massachusetts gas station, an armed robbery was going down.Or so thought a passerby, who hurriedly dialed 911.

Michigan suburb fines teen $200 for cursing

A teenager in Brighton said he was fined $200 after a police officer heard him say, 'This is f----ng bull---t.' Colin Andersen, 19, fought the disorderly conduct ticket in court, but lost the case and had to pay up.

Bus strike paralyzes Brazil’s biggest city as World Cup looms

Bus drivers in SIao Paulo went on strike for a second day on Wednesday, snarling transit and leaving hundreds of thousands stranded in South America’s largest city less than a month before it hosts the opening World Cup soccer match.

Elderly Texas woman gets voter ID after struggle with state law

A frail 92-year-old woman had been the latest victim of new voter identification laws sweeping across the U.S.

Chris Christie slashes pension contributions as budget problems add to Bridgegate woes

As New Jersey's fiscal outlook worsens, Gov. Chris Christie is fighting to ensure that a traffic scandal is the worst of his political problems as he eyes a 2016 presidential campaign.

Marine's body found after fall from aircraft

The body of an Illinois marine who plummeted out of an aircraft during a training mission was found in a North Carolina forest Tuesday.

California bus crash kills 4 passengers

BLYTHE, Calif. — A passenger bus flipped onto its side and slid down an embankment after a jackknifed big rig spilled steel pipes across Interstate 10 in Southern California, leaving 4 people dead and several more seriously injured, authorities said.

Kathy Lee & Hoda C'mon Robin! Using an awards show to win back Paula is cheesy

Russia says troops pulling back from Ukraine border

Russia said on Wednesday that troops deployed for exercises near the Ukrainian border had now dismantled equipment and were moving to train stations and airfields for return to their permanent bases, but NATO said it saw no sign of a pullout.

'I will not stand for it:' Obama speaks out on misconduct at VA hospitals

President Obama declared his outraged at allegations of misconduct at VA hospitals. Obama met with Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki in the Oval Office.

FILM REVIEW Jackman, J-Law shine in 'X Men: Days of Future Past'

Hillary Clinton selects ABC News for book launch

ABC News has been anointed to kick off the June festivities for Hillary Clinton's book launch. The former secretary of state will sit down with Diane Sawyer on June 9 about her upcoming memoir "Hard Choices."

Florida woman recalls harrowing pit bull attack, rescue

A Florida woman says she was mauled by several pit bulls during a bike ride on Saturday afternoon.

EBay: users' personal information stolen

E-commerce company eBay Inc said a database was compromised in a hacking attack between late February and early March, and clients' non-financial information was stolen.

Two Brooklyn boys face charges after putting rat poison in teacher's water bottle, causing her to fall ill: cops

The schoolboys at Public School 315 on Glenwood Road in Flatbush, ages 9 and 12, were charged Tuesday with reckless endangerment and assault.

SEE THE PHOTOS POOL PARTY: Cast of 'Pretty Little Liars' suit up for summer

NYPD: Gunman fatally shoots 45-year-old outside P.S. 112 in the Bronx Wednesday morning

A man was shot and killed outside of P.S. 112 in the Bronx not long after the start of classes on Wednesday morning, officials said.

Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak sentenced to three years in jail for embezzlement

A Cairo court on Wednesday convicted ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak of embezzlement, sentencing him to three years in prison.

U.S. military heads to Nigeria to help rescue 300 kidnapped schoolgirls

President Obama notified Congress in a letter Wednesday that 80 military personnel are joining the international hunt for the missing girls in the largely lawless African nation.

Substitute teacher fired for asking fourth-graders for relationship advice

There’s no substitute for love. Substitute teacher Cassandre Fiering, 45, was fired by the city after asking fourth-grade students in the Bronx for dating advice, investigators say.

Rita Ora and Adidas team up for new sportswear line

Hero cat, boy she saved from dog attack throw first pitches at Calif. baseball game

Selena Gomez takes the 'power back' with bikini photo

Houston man sues stripper 'ex-girlfriend' who kept 'Harry Potter' DVDs after break-up

Sports

Madden: Donnie, Dodgers aren’t on money

For a guy whose $216 million ballclub was wallowing just a couple of games over the .500 mark, with the second-most errors in the National League and coming off a game in which two of his players forgot how many outs there were in the inning, and another one, third baseman Juan Uribe, hurt his hamstring, Don Mattingly still found reasons to smile Wednesday night.

Indiana's George has concussion, status unclear

Indiana’s Paul George has a concussion, and it’s unclear when he will return to practice or whether he will play Saturday night against Miami.

Dodger star Puig returns to rookie form, minus miscues (most of them)

Yasiel Puig, the Dodgers’ phenom, got under David Wright’s fly ball in the third inning on Tuesday night and squeezed it in his glove. The inning was over, but only he didn’t know it. Expecting Eric Young Jr. to break from second base, Puig came up gunning for third.

Rangers coach calls for ‘unconditional love’ from Blueshirts fans

For the Rangers to bring the Stanley Cup home, they need the Garden to feel like one. If New York really is Rangerstown, as the franchise’s marketing department calls it, then the town square was either silent or mostly unsatisfied this season with a team that is now two wins away from its first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1994.

Autos

General Motors recalls 2.4 million more vehicles

Another day, another recall from General Motors. At least that's the way it seems as the automaker reviews safety issues across its line-up of cars and trucks in the wake of a mishandled recall of millions of older small cars.