MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS NEWS

Missing Malaysia Airlines jet probe turns to pilots as it is revealed captain had ties to opposition leader jailed before takeoff

Press and investigators swamped the homes of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 pilots Fariq Abdul Hamid (inset left) and Captain Zaharie Shah (inset right). Shah was revealed to be a devout follower of Malaysia's political opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, who was jailed for sodomy just hours before takeoff. read full story »

EXCLUSIVE NYPD cop accuses 300-pound boss sergeant of groping her and calling her his 'work p----' in front of other officers

Officer Ann Cardenas, 29, alleges Sgt. David John groped her and grinded against her body while making grunting sounds and calling her “work p----.”

Body of California woman, 22, found in NYC motel; 2 other bodies also found elsewhere

Police are investigating how a 22-year-old California woman’s body wound up in a Queens motel early Saturday — one of three people found dead in the borough in less than 24 hours.

‘Sex and the City’ actress celebrates parks saved from NYU

Cynthia Nixon joined elected officials Saturday to celebrate a court decision that saved three Greenwich Village parks from being razed by New York University.

Malaysia Airlines jet newest entry to weird missing aircraft list

How rare is it for a big aircraft to just disappear? Not as rare as you might think. Since the 1940s, more than a dozen commercial, military and transport planes have vanished.

Relatives of missing Malaysia Airlines passengers are still holding onto hope

One week after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared, relatives of the 239 people aboard still believe in the unbelievable: Their loved ones are somehow alive.

Amber Alert issued for four missing California children

An Amber Alert was issued early Saturday morning for four children believed to have been abducted by their own parents.

Comedian, late-night fixture David Brenner dead at 78

Man once told he will only live to 40, celebrates 70 years with sickle cell disease

Doctors once told Richard Mitchell he wouldn’t live past age 40. This week, he blew out the candles on his 70th birthday cake.

Lupica: Phil Jackson hiring buys James Dolan some time as Knicks fans fume

For now, it apparently will cost only $50 million or $60 million or whatever Phil Jackson is going to make off the Knicks to neutralize the protest some Knicks fans were planning.

Quizno's bankruptcy yanks chain’s future into question

The now-troubled sandwich chain - known for its oven-toasted subs - filed for pre-packaged bankruptcy protection Friday, citing tough competition in the fast food arena.

Long Island teen stabs younger brother, 14, multiple times with kitchen knife

The attack happened Friday at a Williston Park home. Nassau County police say 18-year-old Ruben Renderos told his 14-year-old brother that he wanted to kill himself.

Ukraine crisis: Crimea to vote in Russia referendum

Pro-Russian leaders in Crimea made final preparations on Saturday for a referendum widely expected to transfer control of the Black Sea region from Ukraine to Moscow, despite an outcry and threat of sanctions from the West.

Pet Chihuahua swallowed by python in Australian kennel

A dog owner who went to get her pet Chihuahua from its kennel found a bloated eight-foot python instead - with the poor pooch's leash dangling from its mouth.

English man's penis chopped off and thrown away in revenge attack: cops

Cops in England closed a main highway to search for a man's penis after it was chopped off in a gruesome revenge attack and thrown away along the road.

Alabama woman reported missing found alive in trash compactor

Police in a Birmingham, Ala. suburb said they are looking into the strange case of a missing woman who was found alive in a trash compactor on Friday.

Long Island teen stabs younger brother, 14, multiple times

A Long Island teen has been charged with attempted murder after stabbing his younger brother multiple times with a kitchen knife , cops said. The attack happened Friday at a Williston Park home. Nassau County police say 18-year-old Ruben Renderos told his 14-year-old brother that he wanted to kill himself.

Frenchman’s nose saves him in suicide bid

A Frenchman who shot himself in an attempted suicide bid was saved by his sinuses. The 47-year-old miraculously survived after the bullet lodged in his nose. He was even able to drive himself to hospital to have the bullet removed, reports The Local.

Comedian, late-night fixture David Brenner dead at 78

China's Twitter-like messaging service Weibo files for $500M U.S. IPO

Twitter-like messaging service Weibo Corp filed on Friday to raise $500 million via a U.S. initial public offering, as Chinese companies flock to the American market in record numbers.

Kendall Jenner flashes her Calvin Klein undies

Russian state media pushes propaganda war in Ukraine crisis

This is Ukraine today, at least as seen by most Russian news media: the government is run by anti-Semitic fascists, people killed in protests were shot by opposition snipers and the West is behind it all.

Tom didn't see this coming: New study says Myspace is among most popular sites to solicit sex

The report released by the Urban Institute Wednesday paints Myspace as one of the more popular sites used to solicit sex, with its online services allegedly masking the illegal activity.

Lupica: Revisiting Phil Jackson's glorious past doesn't mask MSG's present

James L. Dolan has been wrong about everything else since becoming the big boss of basketball at Madison Square Garden. Maybe he will be right about Phil Jackson.

Search continues for missing California teen two years after cheerleader's disappearance

Sierra LaMar disappeared on the morning of March 16, 2012 near Morgan Hill, Calif., while walking to the school bus stop, and hasn't been seen or heard from since.

The American way? ‘Pure American’ billboard in Chicago shows assault rifle next to apple pie and baseball mitt

That's what plenty of bewildered motorists heading east on Interstate 55 through Chicago have been thinking after seeing a brash billboard that suggests firearms are central to the nation's identity.

Nation’s most wanted domestic terrorism suspect in California bombings may be in Hawaii: FBI

Daniel Andreas San Diego, 36, a suspected animal rights extremist wanted in the bombing of two San Francisco-area buildings in 2003, is believed to be hiding out on Big Island, the FBI said Wednesday.

Amanda Seyfried accidentally sneaks knife on plane

Cops seek man who tried to kidnap Queens boy, 11

A creep tried to kidnap a 11-year-old Queens boy, cops said Saturday. The boy had just gotten out of school Friday and was waiting to be picked up outside Kissena Corridor Park on 45th Ave. and Colden St. in Flushing when a stranger pulled up in a dark-blue four-door sedan at 2:35 p.m., cops said.

Number of U.S. millionaires hits a new record, study says

The number of American households with a net worth of $1 million or above has hit a new record: 9.6 million, a surge of more than 600,000 from 2012, according to a new study from Spectrem Group.

Tweet to kill! Man threatened to shoot someone in exchange for 100 retweets: cops

Cops arrested a bozo who posted on Twitter that if he got 100 retweets he’d “shoot someone walking” along with photos of a rifle trained on Los Angeles street ended up in handcuffs.

Kim Kardashian looks red hot in short mini dress

Man’s face restored after crash using 3D printing technology

Stephen Power of Cardiff, Wales, recently underwent surgery to restore his facial features with 3D-printed implants after an accident left him disfigured.

'An act of utterly horrendous cruelty': Woman who cooked pet kitten in microwave sentenced to 14 months in jail

A British sicko who killed her cat by cooking it in the microwave has been jailed. Laura Cunliffe will spend the next 14 months behind bars after confessing to the 'horrendous' and 'horrific' crime.

Former fire commissioner blasts FDNY for racism, homophobia in Connecticut

Thomas Von Essen, who served as FDNY commish under Mayor Rudy Giuliani from 1996 to 2001, revealed the racism, 'gay-bashing, anti-Semitism and sexism' within the department to an audience in Stamford.

Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield get cozy on L.A. streets

St. Patrick's Day weather could bring cold, snow

Revelers hoping to take part in St. Patrick's Day festivities in the city will have to again brave piercing cold and possible snow flurries, in a winter that refuses to relinquish its grip on New York.

Brazilian soccer star in prison for ordering murder of ex-girlfriend signs deal to play with soccer team and will be ALLOWED TO LEAVE JAIL to play games

Bruno Fernandes de Souza, the 28-year-old who admitted to having model Eliza Samudio killed, has controversially signed a contract to play with a Campeonato Mineiro league team.

Former Senator Scott Brown looking to run again in New Hampshire

After his defeat in Massachusetts, former Sen. Scott Brown is heading to New Hampshire to win his way back to office by challenging Democrat Sen. Jeanne Shaheen.

Illinois man chains himself to Tollway Oasis where he was conceived to protest demolition

An Illinois man reportedly chained himself to the doors of a Tollway Oasis that will always be in his heart to protest its planned demolition on Sunday.

PLAY BALL! Wife of Angels pitcher sizzles in Maxim

Nashville nonprofit collects fake limbs for amputees in Ghana

Five people HACKED to death after knife fight in China

Just don’t look down! Kate stuns at Express show

Ariz. man 'felt like killing' 12-year-old half brother: report

Exec claims co-workers frequently talked about oral sex, simulated sex

Sports

End Zone: For Wichita State's Cleanthony Early, a long road from Bronx to perfection

In four collegiate seasons, he won 30 or more games each year, proving his mettle from the Missouri Valley Conference to the Atlanta Final Four. Through it all, the bus rides and the flights, the losses and the 34 consecutive wins, Early, always on edge, considered his mother “my motor, my love, my everything."

Weiss: Cooley, Friars club deserving of roast with Big East title win

Providence College basketball has traditionally belonged to the older generation. The Friars had a tradition of iconic coaches such as Joe Mullaney and the late Dave Gavitt and a litany of great players such as Lenny Wilkens, Johnny Egan, Jim Hadnot, Vinnie Ernst, John Thompson, Ray Flynn and the great Jimmy Walker, who all made their reputations at the Catholic college on the Hill during their glory years in the ’50s, ’60s and early ’70s.

Madden: The thin line between Barry Bonds and Pete Rose

One can only imagine what Pete Rose must have been thinking last week seeing convicted felon Barry Bonds, an arrogant, surly “anti-ambassador” of baseball his entire career, back in uniform for the San Francisco Giants as a special spring training instructor.

Myers: March Madness! NFL free agency makes for wild times

The NFL fought unrestricted free agency for so long and finally surrendered 21 years ago to settle a lawsuit brought by the players to bring labor peace. Now the NFL embraces free agency, building it up into an entertaining event when billionaires can pay extraordinary amounts of money to millionaires, and fans can argue winners and losers.