MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS EARLY BIRD NEWS

EXCLUSIVE SNAKE ON A PLANE: Prosecutors want maximum sentence for sicko who rubbed lotion on sleeping woman aboard jet

Prosecutors are urging a judge to slam the Staten Island sicko.

BREAKING Delta Airlines grounds all departing flights due to widespread systems outage

Delta Airlines grounded all flights awaiting departure from airports internationally due to “network issues,” the airline said Monday.

Tractor-trailer crash spills Budweiser beer on Brooklyn highway, driver seriously injured

The crash seriously injured the truck’s driver, who had been going east on the Gowanus Expressway near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway exit at around 4 a.m., fire officials said.

California college student shot dead while playing Pokémon Go in San Francisco park

The armed assailant watched San Joaquin Delta College student-athlete Calvin Riley from afar as he and his friend played the popular game in the Aquatic Park near Fisherman’s Wharf at around 10 p.m.

'I FEEL FREE': Courtney Stodden shaves hair following miscarriage

LOVETT There's a reason Preet Bharara may feel pressure to finish politician investigations

With time running out on Preet Bharara's term, many in New York's legal circles are bracing for a frenzy of activity from his office.

Registered sex offender — once accused of murder — charged in fatal stabbing near Staten Island Ferry terminal

A registered sex offender accused of murder nearly two decades ago has been charged with stabbing a man to death in Staten Island.

Teen slashed in face, robbed while trying to buy sneakers in Harlem

The victim met with his attacker at about 5:45 p.m. The encounter soon turned bloody — the suspect sliced the teen’s left cheek and forehead, took $50 and ran off.

Donnie Wahlberg shares tribute to slain jogger Karina Vetrano

EXCLUSIVE Ex-Bloomberg consultant Bradley Tusk starts anti-de Blasio campaign, dubbed 'NYC Deserves Better'

Bradley Tusk wanted to end his contract with the billionaire ex-mayor start his crusade against de Blasio.

Disney World building boulder wall around lake where 2-year-old was dragged into water by alligator

Workers are building a stone wall around a Walt Disney World lake where an alligator killed a toddler earlier this summer.

Japan's Emperor Akihito hints at abdicating throne in rare TV address

The Japanese emperor has expressed concern about his ability to carry out his duties fully as he ages.

Israel moves to deport, bar activists calling for boycott

Israel said it will seek to deport or bar the entry of activists calling for a boycott against the country.

Secrets of the hard-partying '86 Giants: Sex, drugs, trips with mobsters

Russian beauty accused of stealing expensive watches from sleeping suitors claims they merely lost them

Yulia Sedunova claimed the men just lost their expensive bling.

ONE BUSH FOR TRUMP: George P. Bush — son of Jeb — urges Texas GOP leaders to support The Donald

A member of the Bush family is going rogue — for the Donald.

Bloody Sunday as man, 23, shot dead at house party, four others wounded in shootings in Brooklyn and Queens

A 23-year-old man was shot to death at a Brooklyn house party — one of five people blasted in three separate shootings Sunday in the city.

Oscar Pistorius denies he attempted suicide after being treated for cuts on wrist

Pistorius is serving a six-year sentence in a South African jail for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Justin Bieber’s father appears to joke about singer’s nude photos

Deadly blast kills 42 people at Pakistani hospital in Quetta

A powerful bomb killed 42 people at a government-run hospital in the Pakistani city of Quetta.

Pope Francis: 'Unacceptable' that so many civilians dying in Syria's civil war

Pope Francis says civilian victims of Syria’s civil war are paying the price for the “the lack of desire for peace by the powerful.”

Two professors, one American and one Australian, abducted at gunpoint at American University of Afghanistan

Kidnappers in Afghanistan have abducted two professors, one American and one Australian, according to reports.

TRUMP'S NEW LOW: The Donald has less black voter support than David Duke, a former KKK leader

Donald Trump’s numbers among black voters are so low, he’s doing worse than a former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard.

Ricci Martin, son of legend Dean Martin, dead at 62

Staten Island Trump supporter’s giant sign honoring the GOP candidate goes up in flames

The owner believes the blaze was an arson attack on his property.

ISIS claims one of its 'soldiers' carried out Belgian machete attack wounding two policewomen

ISIS claimed responsibility for a weekend machete attack wounding two policewomen in Belgium.

Outgoing NYPD Commissioner Bratton wishes he could have improved city’s racial divide before his resignation

Bill Bratton wishes he was able to ease the city’s racial tensions during his second tour in One Police Plaza.

Uber slammed in lawsuit over accessibility by Brooklyn woman who uses wheelchair

The woman who uses a motorized wheelchair calls the service linking to accessible yellow and green taxis “a paltry smokescreen.”

Autos

Toyota profits fall, Ford recalls 830,000 cars, and more

We've also got the latest on zero emission developments by Nissan, a cool new transit system in China, and more in today's Daily Drive-Thru.

REVIEW The 2017 Cadillac XT5 is better, but is it good enough?

A fresh face and some new moves are enough to bring the SRX successor into the modern age, but can this Cadillac challenge the Germans?

BUYER'S GUIDE How to lease a car in 7 easy steps

Leasing is a good way to drive a better car than you might otherwise be able to afford. But it’s not all sunshine, puppies, and chocolate.

REVIEW First Drive: 2017 Buick LaCrosse targets a modern generation

As Buick vies for younger buyers, a sedan might not be the key to success, but the redesigned 2017 LaCrosse is better than expected.

PHOTOS 2017 Buick Lacrosse is a svelte offering from a formerly stodgy brand

The Buick renaissance finally gets its Mona Lisa.

REVIEW Short Report: Ignore the 2017 Audi A4 at your own expense

With the redesigned 2017 A4, Audi channels Aristotle in that the whole of this excellent luxury sedan is greater than the sum of its parts.

New York

EXCLUSIVE Judge denies Brooklyn facility owner's bid to pay elderly residents to leave

A judge has barred the owner of an assisted-living facility from using a developer’s deposit to pay off elderly residents to move out.

De Blasio hits the streets in Queens, the Bronx to introduce incoming NYPD Commissioner Jimmy O’Neill

Mayor de Blasio introduced Jimmy O'Neill to New Yorkers at Queens' Ecuadorian Parade and along the Orchard Beach boardwalk in the Bronx.

Exclusive Summer programs empower Success Academy charter school students

A Bronx student stared intently at his computer screen while he powered up his self-made video game stick figure with superhuman abilities.

Exclusive Single Shepherd program flooded with over 1,000 applicants to aid troubled NYC school districts

More than 1,000 would-be school counselors and social workers are vying for 130 spots.

Dragon Boat Festival brings rowers together in Queens

Families barbecued and threw Frisbees as boats powered by 20 people rowing in unison glided across the water.

LATEST FROM AROUND NEW YORK

NYC school crossing guard union pushes hiring effort

As the city looks to hire up to 120 school crossing guards, the union representing those workers is hosting a hiring hall.

Moped-riding 80-year-old man fatally struck by car in Brooklyn

The man was riding down Fulton St. in Brooklyn.

Correction officer attacked by Rikers inmate days after city touted increased safety behind bars

Inmate Matthew Whittington, 26, allegedly attacked the unnamed officer as he attempted to retrieve the detainee's meal tray inside the West Facility on Rikers Island.