MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS EARLY BIRD NEWS

EXCLUSIVE 'Judge Blockhead' overheard by juror trashing 'stupid' discrimination case between owners of Italian restaurant and Bangladeshi food worker

A Brooklyn judge had to eat his words after a juror overheard him trash a discrimination case as a “stupid little trial,” the Daily News has learned. Federal Judge Frederic Block, notorious for shooting from the lip, was offering his opinion to another jurist in a nonpublic hallway behind the courtroom on Wednesday when he trashed a lawsuit.

HIV positive teacher uses Grindr for teen hookup: cops

An HIV positive music teacher was charged with sexual assault after he was caught sneaking out of the Texas home of a 15-year-old boy.

Body of missing Appalachian State University student found near North Carolina campus: police

Anna Smith was last seen on campus on Sept 2. Police in Boone believe the body belongs to the 18-year-old history major.

Cancer doctor accused of poisoning lover goes to trial

A Houston cancer doctor accused of lacing her lover's coffee with poison goes to trial Monday. Prosecutors claim Dr. Ana Maria Gonzalez-Angulo, 43, a breast cancer oncologist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, tried to kill her colleague and lover by spiking his coffee with ethylene glycol, the main ingredient in antifreeze.

Hurricane Odile, packing 125 mph winds, makes landfall in Mexico

Residents and tourists hunkered down in shelters and hotel conference rooms overnight as a powerful and sprawling Hurricane Odile made landfall on the southern Baja California peninsula.

THREE-PEAT! Miss New York takes home Miss America crown

NOT SO SUPER: Queens man picks fight with Spider-Man, Batman in Times Square

Thomas Rorke, 22, of Queens was busted in Times Square late Saturday after apparently picking a fight with two men dressed as Spider-Man and Batman, witnesses said.

EXCLUSIVE Cuomo to Republican challenger Rob Astorino: Show us your tax returns

Gov. Cuomo’s campaign is calling on Republican opponent Rob Astorino to release his tax returns. In a memo obtained by the Daily News, the Cuomo campaign says Astorino has never publicly released his returns despite having entered the race six months ago and having served as Westchester County executive for five years.

Lovett: Albany Democrats may not favor Mayor de Blasio's push for city control of rent regulations

Mayor de Blasio's push for the state to relinquish control of rent regulations to the city could face major roadblocks next year — even if he is successful helping his fellow Democrats win full control of the state Senate.

Ray Rice considering lawsuit against NFL, citing 'double jeopardy': report

Former Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice is mulling socking the NFL with a lawsuit after the league bounced him for punching out his then-fiancée. Relatives of the reviled running back disclosed Sunday that Rice and his now-wife, Janay Palmer, have discussed taking legal action against pro football — citing “double jeopardy” for being punished twice for the same offense, sources told the Baltimore Sun.

Kanye refused to rap until wheelchair-bound fan stood up

Pope Francis marries 20 couples — including pairs who were living together and a bride who is already a mom — at the Vatican

Forty “I do’s” — or “Si” in Italian — were pronounced in St. Peter’s Basilica Sunday as Pope Francis married 20 couples, with one bride already a mother.

Ohio officials beg pastor, strip club owner to end years-long feud

Officials are pleading for a pastor and an Ohio strip club owner to stop weekly protesting of each other’s establishments over a years-long feud.

California nudist camp accused of stealing water during historic drought

Officials in Northern California are accusing a nudist resort of stealing water during the state’s historic drought.

New Zealand says it will release documents to deny allegations nation spied on its citizens

New Zealand said it will declassify intelligence service documents to disprove claims his government engaged in mass surveillance of its citizens.

‘Orange’ writer comes out as gay, files for divorce and dates show star

‘Amber Alert’ for Tulsa boy was just a ploy so police would track down stolen SUV: cops

An Oklahoma car thief is still on the loose, but the vehicle's owner was jailed Sunday after police said he called in an Amber Alert so authorities would put extra resources into tracking down his SUV.

Raissman: Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice scandals make up and ugly week for NFL

It’s a shame it took Ray Rice slugging his wife, and Adrian Peterson using a tree branch to beat, bloody and bruise his 4-year old son, to get network pregame shows’ attention so they would focus on serious issues.

Gillibrand: Congress could investigate NFL's handling of Ray Rice domestic violence debacle

Congress could convene official hearings over the NFL's botched handling of the Ray Rice debacle, a prominent New York Democrat said Sunday.

Parkgoers get stuck on rides during power outage at Six Flags Great Adventure

A power outage at a New Jersey amusement park left some patrons briefly stuck on rides, but no injuries were reported.

ISIS makes $3M a day from oil smuggling, theft, human trafficking: experts

WASHINGTON — Islamic State militants, who once relied on wealthy Persian Gulf donors for money, have become a self-sustaining financial juggernaut, earning more than $3 million a day from oil smuggling, human trafficking, theft and extortion, according to U.S. intelligence officials and private experts.

100 young Americans — many young Midwestern women — have joined up with jihadists

About 100 Americans have joined up with militants in the Middle East — including about 40 from Minneapolis — recruited by jihadists who use a variety of social media, including Twitter and Facebook, to spread their monstrous propaganda.

Alan Henning, captured Brit shown at the end of gruesome ISIS video, was trying to help Syrian refugees when kidnapped

Alan Henning was threatened at the end of a video released Saturday that appears to show the execution of fellow Brit David Haines.

OPINION President Obama has finally taken charge of the fight against ISIS, but he faces another battle in winning the faith of the American people.

This time the victim was British aid worker David Haines. The next time and the next and the next, who knows? What’s clear is that the United States is engaged in leading the civilized world in a long war.

Family of David Haines, British aid worker beheaded by ISIS, says he ‘helped whoever needed help’

David Haines, the British aid worker who was beheaded by Islamic State savages, dedicated his life to helping civilians in war zones, his grieving family said Sunday.

Cameron says Britain must have 'iron determination' in fight against ISIS in wake of beheading of aid worker

As the nation of England mourns the despicable beheading of its citizen David Haines by an Islamic terrorist organization its Prime Minister delivered a powerful speech Sunday.

New York

Innocent woman badly hurt leaping from ‘illegal’ dollar van in Queens, cops say

A 22-year-old woman was gravely injured when she jumped from a dollar van fleeing police in Queens on Sunday night, authorities said.

Donohue: A sneak peek inside the MTA's $1.4B Fulton Center

Standing at Fulton St. and Broadway one recent morning, a gentleman tilted his head back and looked up at the bright blue sky above him in lower Manhattan. “So what?”

Schumer to introduce bill banning 10 flame retardants from kids' products

Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the chemicals commonly found in pajamas, changing-table pads, crib mattresses and upholstered furniture can cause cancer and developmental delays — and aren't even effective at stopping products from catching fire.

LATEST FROM AROUND NEW YORK

Two years after Sandy, R train service set to return Monday between Brooklyn and Manhattan

R train service between Brooklyn and Manhattan was poised to return ahead of schedule on Monday morning after a complete post-Hurricane Sandy overhaul.

EXCLUSIVE Brooklyn center for disabled adults mistreated blacks, Hispanics, made one man dress up like Michael Jackson: suit

This adult day care center is seriously off the wall — heaven for its Russian clients and a separate hell for those who are black and Hispanic.

NFL recap: Bears rally late; RGIII done for season

WHO WILL HIT THE JACKPOT? New York officials face tough decision about where casinos should go — to struggling areas, or those with more potential gamblers

The debate is most prominent in the Catskills and Hudson Valley area, where Catskills backers see casinos as a much-needed boost to the struggling economy but fear the state Gaming Commission will choose to award licenses in Orange County, where gambling would likely generate more money.

Florida convicted murderer dares judge to give him death penalty 'because I'm innocent'

James Herard, 25, was convicted in two 2008 murders committed during a violent string of Dunkin' Donuts robberies.

OPINION Being Elmo: A constitutional right

Kaminski: You don’t need a license to beg in New York. But a proposed law would require you to get one if you beg while hiding your face with a costume, makeup or mask.

Yacht of love! Brangelina celebrate honeymoon at sea

Stranded kayaker saved by swimming firefighter in S.I.

A swimming firefighter saved a kayaker who was taking on water off the coast of Staten Island Sunday afternoon, police said. Mike Brody, 43, responded with Ladder Co. 76 to a call of a stranded kayaker in Prince’s Bay on the south coast of Staten Island shortly before 5 p.m., a Fire Department source said.