MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS EARLY BIRD NEWS

'ENTITLED' TO A ROYAL SHARE: Prince's self-proclaimed niece, grandniece to make joint claim against musician's multimillion-dollar estate, say they're legal heirs

Brianna Nelson, 31, and Victoria Nelson, 11, are the daughter and granddaughter of Duane Nelson, the reported half-brother of Prince who died in 2011.

ALPHA DELTA WHY?? Alabama sorority makes T-shirt featuring black man eating watermelon, people picking cotton

A sorority at Samford University has come under fire for the offensive image on its t-shirt design.

'YOU GOTTA CALL 911, I’VE BEEN STABBED': Teen knifed in the back, nearly killed by gang members in Queens park

Joel Alvarez, 18, of Jackson Heights had been playing basketball with two friends in Travers Park not far from his home, when about 10 men, all dressed in black, came at him.

QUIT STALLING ON RESTROOMS FOR ALL! Advocates push for safer, 'more inclusive' co-ed bathrooms

They want to flush single-sex bathrooms down the toilet.

Advocates for child-sex abuse victims optimistic Child Victims Act will pass, allow them their day in court

A leading organization for victims' rights thinks a change to the statute of limitations could finally happen.

'IT WASN’T EXPERIMENTATION': Spice Girl Mel B opens up on 5-year romance with woman

'WHAT HAPPENED TO HEATHER MEADOWS': Woman, 29, dies after procedure at Fla. plastic surgery clinic, community left with questions

A 29-year-old woman who traveled to South Florida for cosmetic surgery died after her procedure Thursday, police said.

Tinder reminds users to be ‘vigilant’ about dates after man kidnapped and beat Kansas sorority sister

In a statement, Tinder said it’s “shocked and saddened” by the case. It said the suspect has been removed from the platform.

ITTY-BITTY BOOZE BANDIT: Flight attendant stole 1,500 airplane bottles of liquor, sold them online at $1 each

The Shelby County district attorney’s office said Friday that 28-year-old Rachel Trevor has been indicted on charges including theft, unlawful sale of alcohol and unauthorized transportation of alcohol.

'Walking Dead' stars aiding of car crash victims may have revealed spoiler

'I FEEL LIKE IT'S BEING COVERED UP': Navy's account of SEAL trainee's death called into question

The death of a Navy SEAL trainee was a drowning caused by an instructor who pushed him too far during a tough drill.

Police searching for Columbia University student Nayla Kidd, missing for more than a week

Nayla Kidd, a sophomore in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, was last seen on campus May 5, shortly before finals were to begin, officials said.

Citi Bike offers freebies to riders rebalancing the system

To qualify, riders must be willing to take bikes from crowded stations to empty ones.

Pfizer blocks use of its drugs in lethal injections

Pfizer Inc. has taken steps to ensure that none of its products are used in lethal injections, one of the largest U.S. drugmakers said.

Melissa Rivers finds out what mom Joan's last words were due to lawsuit

ASSAULT AT BATTERY: Bogus ticket pusher arrested in Financial District park for attack

Cops arrested a 21-year-old man they said attacked a man who wouldn’t buy a ticket from him in Battery Park.

Speeding California Amtrak train loaded with passengers slams into pickup, killing three men

The train carrying 205 passengers was traveling at up to 80 mph. The two passengers were thrown from the work truck.

New Hampshire man arrested for shooting two Manchester cops, leaving city on edge

Ian MacPherson was arrested early Friday after a three-hour pursuit that left Manchester, the state’s largest city, on edge for hours more.

Former upstate corrections officer finally sentenced for raping, psychologically torturing wife in 2012

A former guard convicted in 2012 for raping his wife was finally sentenced Friday and is headed back to his old stomping grounds.

PROFESSOR EXES: James McAvoy, wife Anne-Marie Duff to divorce after 9 years

GETT SOME: Uber rival Gett cuts commission to lure ride-hailing app giant’s drivers

Gett is prepared to roll out a new fare system, which will be more driver-friendly than its larger rival.

WATCHES OVER HIS FLOCK: Heroic German shepherd bitten three times by rattlesnake while saving 7-year-old girl in Florida

A heroic German shepherd withstood three venomous bites from a rattlesnake as he protected a 7-year-old girl in Florida.

Former Phillips Exeter admissions officer charged with sexually assaulting prospective student in 1973

A former employee of Phillips Exeter was charged Friday with sexually assaulting a prospective student in 1973.

‘Free Hugs Guy’ arrested for punching tourist who didn’t pay him previously socked woman who didn’t want a hug

The "Free Hugs Guy" who punched a tourist Thursday had punched another woman in April, officials said.

Tyson Beckford flaunts arsenal of guns on Twitter

Bronx man who beat 2-month-old nephew to death gets 18 years in prison

A brutal Bronx creep who beat a 2-month-old boy to death because the infant wouldn’t stop crying was sentenced to 18 years in prison Friday.

'JUST THANKFUL TO HAVE HER BACK': Tenn. girl Carlie Trent back at home after abduction as police weigh additional charges against kidnapper

Kidnapped Tennessee girl Carlie Trent remains in hospital after abduction as authorities consider more charges against Gary Simpson.

Former wrestler Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka shouldn’t be tried for killing his girlfriend because repeated hits to head have left him a ‘shell of a man’

Snuka, 72, was charged with murder and involuntary manslaughter last year in the 1983 death of 23-year-old Nancy Argentino.

Defiant Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio held in contempt of court in racial profiling case

The ruling marked one of the biggest legal defeats in the six-term career of Arpaio, who is known for cracking down on illegal immigration.

Autos

Auto sales keep climbing, Audi is going electric, and more

We've also got news on Nissan taking control of Mitsubishi, Japanese auto market shifts and more in today's Daily Drive-Thru.

SEE IT BUMPER-TO-BUMPER: This traffic jam experiment will make you angry

There is nothing quite like a little science experiment that shows just how avoidable some traffic jams could be.

Dodge: 100 years of performance and innovation

More than 100 years after the Dodge brothers first started making cars, author Matt DeLorenzo explores the storied automaker in his new book: "Dodge: 100 Years."