MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: EARLY BIRD NEWS

HOLLYWOOD GONE COMMUNIST

'He was the greatest friend you could ever imagine': Billy Crystal honors Robin Williams with emotional tribute — SEE THE VIDEO

The Emmy Awards’ tribute to Robin Williams was no laughing matter. In the most moving moment on television’s biggest night, the industry tapped Williams’ longtime pal Billy Crystal to pay tribute to the late actor who started his career on the medium.

HEAR IT Audio recording allegedly captures moment Michael Brown was shot

A new audio recording surfaced Monday night that allegedly indicates the police officer who shot Michael Brown paused briefly in the middle of unleashing a barrage of at least 10 bullets.

HEROIC PLAY: USC CB Josh Shaw jumps out second-floor balcony to save 7-year-old nephew from drowning

Southern California senior cornerback Josh Shaw injured both ankles after leaping from a second-story balcony to save his 7-year-old nephew, Carter, from drowning in a pool.

Disturbed female soldier dies after she shoots herself in apparent suicide attempt at Fort Lee in Virginia

An unhinged female soldier died after she barricaded herself in an office at Fort Lee in Virginia and shot herself in the head on Monday, officials said.

Joran Van der Sloot, prime suspect in Natalee Holloway disappearance, threatens to kill prison warden

The newly-married Dutch killer has been moved to a different facility in a remote area of Peru, officials say. He is serving 28 years in prison for murdering 21-year-old Peruvian business student Stephany Flores four years ago.

PHOTOS Sophia & January sizzle on Emmy red carpet

Wis. sheriff’s deputy, forced by ALS to retire, guns down wife, sister-in-law, then attempts suicide: police

A veteran Wisconsin sheriff’s deputy forced to retire after being stricken with ALS allegedly gunned down his wife and her sister before attempting suicide Friday at his suburban Madison home.

Car bomb explodes in eastern Baghdad, kills at least 11

A parked car bomb exploded on Tuesday in a busy Shiite area in eastern Baghdad, killing at least 11 people, officials said, the latest in a series of attacks to shake the Iraqi capital as the Shiite-led government struggles to dislodge Sunni militants from areas in the country's west and north.

Bondy: Venus Williams fights off pesky bee and opponent at U.S. Open

Watching from the player’s box, David Witt was counting the minutes, the rallies, the toll that this hot afternoon inside Ashe Stadium must be taking on his fragile player, Venus Williams.

Hamill: Enough with protests and rhetoric — it’s time for justice in the cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner

Now that the marches and protests are over, it’s time to bring the Eric Garner and Michael Brown cases into courtrooms.

TWERK OUT! Miley in as guest for final 'Chelsea Lately'

Former FBI director Louis Freeh airlifted to hospital after Vermont car crash

Former FBI director Louis Freeh was airlifted to a hospital Monday after a single-car crash in Vermont, authorities said.

Canadian man missing for 37 years following barn fire found living in Oklahoma under new name

Ronald Stan, who was 32 when he went missing following a barn fire in September 1977, was recently discovered living under the name of Jeff Walton, Ontario Provincial Police told CTVNews.

‘I’m dying:’ Doomed Michigan jogger begged for life after two Cane Corsos attacked

A jogger bitten at least eight times by two massive Cane Corso dogs knew he was doomed, screaming and begging for his life as he bled out on a rural Michigan road.

WATCH Malaysia Airlines passenger confronts flight attendant creep after alleged sex assault on flight

Laura Bushney, 26, claims 54-year-old Mohd Rosli Bin Ab Karim sat next to her and put his hands down her pants on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Paris earlier this month, the Channel 7 show reported.

NEVER, EVER, EVER! 'Downton Abbey' exec nixes Taylor cameo

Brooklyn Public Library launches service for personal suggestions from staff

The Brooklyn Public Library quietly launched a service earlier this month to provide readers with personalized recommendations.

Man with 100-pound scrotum prepares for surgery

There's a happy update to the story of Dan Maurer, the man with the 100-pound scrotum: He's getting surgery to remove the mass on his groin this Thursday.

Air passengers fight over reclining seat forces unscheduled landing

Airline passengers have come to expect a tiny escape from the confined space of today’s packed planes: the ability to recline their seat a few inches.

Alabama couple repeatedly raped underage relative in bid to get her pregnant, take baby: prosecutor

An Alabama couple who wanted a baby repeatedly sexually assaulted an underage girl in hopes she’d get pregnant and give them the infant, authorities said Monday.

New York

De Blasio says New York must advocate for Israel because the nation doesn’t have ‘enough friends’

As mayor of the city with the largest concentration of Jews in the world, Mayor de Blasio says he has a special responsibility to the state of Israel.

Classes start early for at least 75 city charter schools

School started Monday for at least 75 city charter schools that enroll about 25,000 kids in all grades and across all five boroughs, according to the pro-charter advocacy group Families for Excellent Schools.

SEE IT Virginia boy finds 10,000-year-old arrowhead on Jersey Shore beach

Noah Cordle, 10, of Springfield, made the rare find when he was in the ocean at Beach Haven. He plans to donate the item used by Native Americans for fishing and hunting to a museum.

Family, friends of kidnapped N.Y. Amish sisters to replace Good Samaritan family's burned garage

An Amish community in upstate New York is rallying to rebuild a man's burned-out garage as a thanks for bringing two kidnapped girls home after he found them cowering on his front porch earlier this month.

LATEST FROM AROUND NEW YORK

Man breaks into ex-girlfriend's Brooklyn apartment, rapes her: police

Defying a court order of protection, a 25-year-old man broke into his ex-girlfriend’s Brooklyn apartment by climbing through a window and then raped her, cops said Monday.

Queens companies go head to head to protect NYC from future storms

Corona-based Parcor Materials and NYC Daylighting in Rockaway are among the 27 finalists competing for a slice of the $30 million purse being distributed later this year by the city’s Economic Development Corp.

Mayor de Blasio sees potential lawsuits in $42M deal to boost pay for school bus workers

The city did the right thing when it awarded $42 million to school bus companies to boost workers’ pay — but it still might get sued, Mayor de Blasio said Monday.

Model allegedly stole fish oil, chocolate from Whole Foods

OPINION As a global wave rises, here's how de Blasio can help New Yorkers stay afloat

Siegel: In hindsight, the rise of the Williamsburg hipster two decades ago was the first swell of a money tsunami that’s washed away many not securely rooted in their neighborhoods through their own wealth or a wealth transfer in the form of affordable housing. Now the tsunami is drowning the hipsters, too.

S&P 500 exceeds 2,000 mark for first time ever, but for a moment

The stock market hit a new milestone Monday. For a little while, at least.

Jeff Zucker signals that CNN layoffs may be ahead

The next breaking news story at CNN could be layoffs.

India to free five men held in rape, murder of two girls found hanging from tree due to lack of evidence

Authorities Monday blamed a lack of evidence connecting the men to the suspected gang-rape and murder of the two young cousins, ages 14 and 15, whose bodies were found hanging from a mango tree in May.

Lawyers for Rick Perry ask judge to dismiss charges

Attorneys for indicted Republican Texas Gov. Rick Perry asked a judge Monday to dismiss felony charges alleging he abused his power with a veto.

African doctor treated with experimental Ebola drug dies as British medical worker comes down with killer virus

The first British patient has been flown home after becoming infected in Sierra Leone. Meanwhile, Japan said it may be able to offer treatment help.

Georgia teen arrested in shooting 13-year-old to death as he slept in bed: police

Malik Davis, 17, turned himself into police Monday after eighth grader Nizzear Rodriguez was found dead in his Carrollton bedroom Sunday morning just hours after celebrating his 13th birthday, WXIA reported.

Hamas political chief asks White House to step up in Gaza: ‘This is the real holocaust’

The political leader of Hamas is calling for the White House to step in and end “the holocaust” he alleges Israeli forces have carried out against Palestinians.

Great white shark evacuates Massachusetts beach for several hours

The 15-foot shark evacuated hundreds of bathers along Duxbury's coast for approximately two hours Monday after it was spotted swimming approximately 54 to 100 yards from shore.

Oops! Wanted man found after posting Ice Bucket Challenge video on Facebook

An act for charity landed a wanted man back in prison. Jesean Morris' Ice Bucket Challenge that he posted on his Facebook page led to a “friend" on Facebook tipping police off to where he lived.

98-year-old wants spy conviction vacated

A 98-year-old woman was back in Manhattan Federal Court on Monday for the first time since she was convicted there more than 60 years ago on a rap related to Soviet espionage. Miriam Moskowitz wants her conviction for conspiracy to obstruct justice overturned after newly unsealed records show the government suppressed evidence in the Red Scare-era atomic-spying case that could have cleared her.