MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS NEWS

Donohue: Governor Cuomo must stop LIRR strike by telling MTA to take boards' contract terms

Disgraced Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez sued by lawyer over $380,000 in unpaid legal fees

Veteran sports attorney David Cornwell's law firm Gordon & Rees filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court in Manhattan that says the disgraced superstar still owes it more than $380,000 for the work it did on his failed bid to overturn his steroid suspension.

Suspect in attack in Benghazi, Libya, is found dead: report

A man suspected of being involved in the deadly 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, has been found dead, CNN reported on Monday.

Ex-Duane Reade aide stole oxycodone pills: authorities

An ex-Duane Reade worker suspected of stealing 32,302 oxycodone pills at the chain’s Union Square pharmacy has been indicted on drug-trafficking charges, authorities said.

France marks 100th anniversary of World War I in Bastille Day festivities

PARIS — Soldiers carrying the flags of 76 countries marched Monday down the Champs-Elysees in Paris, as France’s traditional Bastille Day military parade commemorated the centenary of World War I.

REVIEW: 'Sharknado 2' lacks serious bite

Train derailment in Moscow kills 10, injures at least 106: officials

Several cars left the track in the tunnel after a power surge triggered an alarm, which caused the train to stop abruptly.

Cousin of Aaron Hernandez will plead guilty to criminal contempt after refusing to testify before grand jury

Tanya Singleton, of Bristol, Connecticut, had pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say she was granted immunity but declined to testify.

Raissman: Derek Jeter farewell tour will save YES ratings

Joe Girardi once said he is not managing a farewell tour. By the time September rolls around, he might not have a choice. In his final year, it is fitting that Derek Jeter, at the age of 40, would be called on to carry the Yankees through the rest of the season.

SEE IT Girl, 3, wakes up during her own funeral in the Philippines after being declared 'clinically dead'

Startling video shows a 3-year-old girl waking up in a coffin during her funeral in the Philippines on Sunday.

EXCLUSIVE: RFK Jr. and Chery expected to tie the knot despite socialite's alleged affair

U.S. senators want Iran to 'come clean' on any weapon plans in nuke program

Two influential U.S. senators have asked fellow lawmakers to support demands that Iran accept tough conditions in nuclear talks, including at least two decades of inspections, before Congress would agree to ease sanctions.

Top Internet companies push for net neutrality ahead of FCC comment deadline

Major internet companies are urging the Federal Communications Commission Monday to restrict the ability of Internet providers to charge for faster delivery of Web traffic front content providers such as Netflix, as the FCC’S first public comment deadline on net neutrality looms Tuesday.

Sen. Rand Paul: If Gov. Rick Perry insists I’m ‘ignoring ISIS,’ I’ll ignore his opinions

“Governor Perry writes a fictionalized account of my foreign policy so mischaracterizing my views that I wonder if he’s even really read any of my policy papers,” Paul wrote in a Monday Politico editorial.

Soccer star Mario Götze parties with model girlfriend, pal Rihanna following World Cup win

IT'S GONE! Yoenis Cespedes wins second straight HR Derby

Todd Frazier gave it his best shot in Monday's Home Run Derby, but the pride of Toms River, N.J. came up short as Oakland's Yoenis Cespedes won his second consecutive title in the event with a convincing 9-1 victory in the final round.

Trayvon Martin friend, who was outed as illiterate during George Zimmerman trial, turns life around

One year after being outed as illiterate in the George Zimmerman murder trial, Trayvon Martin's friend Rachel Jeantel is a changed woman after graduating from high school.

Female pedestrian struck and killed on Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn: NYPD sources

A woman was fatally struck by at least one car along Flatbush Avenue as a driving rain pelted Brooklyn on Monday night, police sources said.

New York

Staten Island man receives high school ring he lost in 1972 from person who found it in Greece

A Staten Island man received his old high school ring that was stolen on his wedding day in 1972 after a Greek man discovered it in his father’s possessions.

Citigroup to pay $182M to New York State in settlement

ALBANY — Citigroup agreed to pay $182 million to the state as part of a $7 billion settlement of a federal investigation into its handling of risky subprime mortgages.

Teen killed in Brooklyn shooting; cops are searching for gunman

A well-liked teen girl who was riddled with bullets on a Brooklyn street has died — and police believe they know who the gunman is, police said Monday,

As tensions escalate in the Middle East, Cuomo says New York stands 'shoulder-to-shoulder' with Israel

Cuomo, who his reportedly mulling trips to Israel and other international destinations in the coming months, issued a statement Monday saying the people of New York “stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Israel.”

De Blasio strongly backs Israel, says it's his job as head of city with world's biggest Jewish population

Standing up for Israel is not only the right thing to do, it's also a huge part of his job as the mayor of New York City, Mayor de Blasio said on Monday.

LATEST FROM AROUND NEW YORK

Car-hailing app Lyft won't launch in NYC yet

Lawyers for ride-sharing app Lyft and regulators clashed in court on Monday — but both sides agreed the distinctive pink-mustache-wearing cars are going nowhere for now.

Ex-City Councilman Daniel Halloran called own scheme to buy mayoral candidate 'scary,' says informant in corruption trial

Former City Councilman Daniel Halloran was so impressed by his own scheme to buy a mayoral candidate, he called the plot “scary,” a witness said Monday in his corruption trial. Moses (Mark) Stern, the wire-wearing informant who helped the FBI snare Halloran, recalled part of a conversation the two had last year.

Cuomo administration pushing to sell off an empty building in Clinton Hill to a nonprofit chosen behind closed doors

The Cuomo administration wants to sell a long-vacant building in Clinton Hill to a nonprofit seeking to convert the space into a mix of affordable apartments and social services for seniors and veterans, along with some commercial and retail space.

De Blasio: LIRR strike may not derail my European vacation

De Blasio, who is scheduled to leave for Italy on Friday, said he has seen the contingency plan for dealing with the strike and has been in contact with Gov. Cuomo.

FINDING HOPE: How creative radiation treatment at New York-Presbyterian saved her life — while she was pregnant

Timmy Sternberg's first birthday party in June was a low-key celebration — just his parents, his three big brothers, and a homemade cake in the family’s Washington Heights apartment.

Cutting-edge treatment at Montefiore's Headache Center helps journalist battle years-long migraine misery

First came the nausea. Then the crushing head pain. At its worst, Grace Gold’s migraines were happening 15 days a month, causing unrelenting suffering from the time she was 14 years old.

Former pro soccer player battles concussion syndrome with the help of doctors at NYU Langone Medical Center

The concussion symposium was coming to a close when a 20-something woman stood up to ask a final question.

Practice makes perfect for surgeons using high-tech simulators to save lives at Brooklyn's Maimonides Medical Center

Death seemed preferable to surgery when Aleksandra Gelfand learned she had a bulging aneurysm. “I say, ‘Never,’” Gelfand told the News. “I live 75 years. That's it."

ONE MOTHER'S TRIUMPH: Mt. Sinai helps 'older' moms see pregnancy through to success

No more midnight movies or dancing til dawn. But first-time mom Karen Moulding doesn’t mind. She waited a very long time to have a baby.

Docs at St. Francis Hospital's cardiac canter held working mom's heart in their hands after she suffered a ruptured aorta

One day she was a hard-charging editor for Scholastic — commuting to Manhattan, juggling career, family and being supermom to her two young sons. The next day, Tara Funk was at death’s door.

Erin replaces Pam Oliver on Fox's top NFL broadcast

Fund for Cassidy Strong, Houston-area massacre survivor, nears $300K raised

They’re staying by her side. More than 5,500 people have donated almost $300,000 to an online fund setup for Houston-area massacre survivor Cassidy Stay.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl returns to Army duty at Texas base

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl returned to regular Army duty on Monday for the first time since he left his unit in Afghanistan and spent five years in captivity.

Witch doctor on trial for selling stones without a permit, says they're art

A witch doctor who routinely lands in handcuffs for selling stones in Union Square without a license is on trial again for misdemeanor unlicensed vending .

Deadbeat dad busted for hiding heroin inside baby's diaper while cops questioned him in shoplifting incident

Cops claim they stopped 25-year-old Michael Penn, as he was carrying his 8-month-old son and with his 5-year-old daughter, in New Castle on Tuesday.

Pistorius breaks his silence on Twitter with series of inspirational messages and quote from Holocaust survivor as he awaits verdict in murder trial

It was the first time the 27-year-old posted anything on social media since Feb. 14 — the one-year anniversary of Steenkamp’s death.

Bethenny hits back after posing in daughter's, 4, PJs

'It was the happiest we've ever seen him': 5-year-old fighting leukemia plays Godzilla in short film thanks to Make-A-Wish

Maddex had a roaring-good time playing Godzilla in a 5-minute-film called "Madzilla" thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation last week, reported the Chicago Tribune.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney violates Federal Aviation Administration by using drone at his wedding

WASHINGTON - New York Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney's wedding last month had it all — celebrities, fireworks and even a small drone used to shoot a spectacular wedding video.

TSA security fees will more than double, forcing fliers to pay more per flight

The TSA's security fee is set to more than double on July 21, leading to costlier tickets. Fliers will pay more per leg and face charges for long layovers.

Citigroup agrees to pay $7B to settle federal probe into subprime mortgages that helped bring financial crisis

Citigroup announced Monday that it will pay roughly $7 billion to settle a federal investigation into risky subprime mortgages, the type that helped bring on the financial crisis.

Ukraine military plane carrying around 20 people shot down by rocket along Russian border

A Ukrainian military transport plane was shot down Monday along the country’s eastern border with Russia, the defense minister said.

Sports

Harper: On final Star stage, expect Derek Jeter to be Captain Classic

In a new ESPN commercial, Bryce Harper can’t hold back tears while watching “Field of Dreams’’ in an editing room, causing his famous eye-black to smear.

49ers say goodbye to Candlestick

Joe Montana, Jerry Rice and Steve Young close out Candlestick park with flag football game against NFL legends

Fisher: With Melo back in mix, Knicks are playoff team

Now that Carmelo Anthony has decided to return to the Knicks, Derek Fisher can envision a nightly lineup that will feature a perennial All-Star player he has referred to as “one of the best in the NBA."

Lefty only drank the 'good stuff' from Claret Jug

Phil Mickelson has handed back the claret jug. He spent a year putting "good stuff" into it, most notably, a 1990 Romanee-Conti burgundy supplied by a friend.

PHOTOS: Relive the greatest moments from the World Cup

Whether it's Robin van Persie's header or Tim Cahill's volley strike, this World Cup has not lacked for quality.

LATEST NEWS: Bondy: Ten things we learned from this World Cup; German soccer star Mario Götze parties with model girlfriend, Rihanna; World Cup final sets new records on Twitter, Facebook; Adidas pays $1.3 BILLION in Manchester United jersey deal; Germany parties hard after winning World Cup; View All

Carefree Beyonce, little Blue Ivy have summertime fun

First-person account: My days living under constant threats, warning sirens in Tel Aviv

Debra Kamin, an American writer based in Israel, writes that while her experiences may pale in comparison to others, constantly waiting for the next warning to run for her life is very real and very scary.