MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS EARLY BIRD NEWS

EXCLUSIVE PLANE IDIOTS: Airlines settle $6M lawsuit in death of Bronx woman who was 'too fat' to fly

Vilma Soltesz, 56, died in Hungary after she was denied several flights back to the United States by different airlines to get medical help.

Good Samaritan finds missing autistic child, 6, naked and shivering after boy wanders from his house and into Calif. homeless camp

Sergio Zepeda spent nearly 24 hours trekking through the hills of San Jose while police, friends and family searched for him.

Two Brooklyn women tired of 'white people moving into the area' force tenants out at gunpoint, then squat in apartment

Two women were arrested after they robbed and then intimidated three tenants out of their Brooklyn apartment — and the crime was partly motivated by race and class resentment, law enforcement sources said.

READ IT Hawks owner selling team after implying in email that white fans were more valuable than black ones

Atlanta Hawks co-owner Bruce Levenson said Sunday he is selling his controlling interest in the team, in part due to an inflammatory email he said he wrote in an attempt “to bridge Atlanta’s racial sports divide.”

Raissman: NY Jets Chris Ivory coasts into end zone, irks announcer Phil Simms

The NFL’s ever-expanding rap sheet, which contains the names of many players and at least one owner, makes certain on-field transgressions seem minor by comparison.

THAT' S AMORE: Clooney, Amal to tie the knot in Venice

Man drowns while rescuing 4-year-old boy who fell in Hudson River

A 40-year-old man drowned while helping to save a 4-year-old boy who had fallen into the Hudson River in Yonkers on Sunday night, police said.

Woman gives IV to girl, 14, with alcohol poisoning instead of calling 911: cops

A 37-year-old Idaho woman was determined not to stop a teen drinking party even after she thought a 14-year-old girl passed out due to alcohol poisoning.

Tattooed bank robber caught with $2,700 in cash down his pants: police

Shawn Canfield, 25, was caught by Merced Police officers while stuffing the loot down his pants only a few blocks away from the targeted Chase Bank on Saturday afternoon.

Does Mitt Romney think he’d be a better president than Obama, Hillary Clinton? ‘NO QUESTION’

Mitt Romney needed only two words to dispel any doubt over whether he'd be a better commander-in-chief than President Obama. "No question," he said, when asked on "Fox News Sunday."

NAKED ANGELS: New book even sexier side of Lily, Gisele & Heidi

Sen. Chuck Schumer seeks law to improve rail safety

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer wants to overhaul federal rail safety laws to reduce the number of accidents, derailments and serious service disruptions.

Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy, who built Atlanta chicken restaurant chain on good service, dies at 93

The founder of Chick-fil-A, a man known as much for his religious bearing as his entrepreneurial spirit, died Monday. S. Truett Cathy was an Atlanta-area businessman who grew a secret chicken sandwich recipe into an empire of 1,800 restaurants in 40 states.

PICTURED Maine lobstermen catch two extremely rare albino lobsters in one week

The two Maine lobstermen were caught off guard when they trapped two ultra-rare albino lobsters within days of each other.

Ceasefire truce in peril after Ukrainian forces clash with pro-Russian rebels

.Shelling and other clashes between government forces and Russian-backed separatists threw the ceasefire agreement in eastern Ukraine into deepening peril Sunday, two days after it took hold.

73-year-old man becomes oldest to swim the English Channel

A 73-year-old has become the oldest person to swim the English Channel. Heart surgeon Otto Thaning said he wanted to show what older are people are capable of if they keep themselves healthy.

PHOTOS NFL RECAP: Broncos hold off Colts; Vikings trounce Rams

Palestinian teen who was shot at protest in Israeli has died

The father of a Palestinian youth wounded during a demonstration in Jerusalem a week ago says his son has died of his wounds.

Former NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly inks deal for memoir to take on critics

New York’s former top cop Raymond Kelly will take on his critics in a memoir detailing how the NYPD thwarted terrorism and made historic reductions in crime during his tenure.

Respiratory virus sends hundreds of children in Colorado, Missouri to the hospital

A respiratory virus may be to blame for the hospitalization of hundreds of children across the Midwest, officials said.

Biden touts improving economy despite declining job growth

Vice President Biden crowed Saturday that the economy is improving — even though only 142,000 positions were generated in July, the fewest in the past eight months.

Obama to outline plan to take on ISIS in national speech Wednesday

President Obama on Sunday doubled down on his pledge to combat ISIS, telling Americans that he would outline his strategy to take on the bloodthirsty jihadist group in a nationally televised speech Wednesday.

On 'Derek Jeter Day' in Bronx, Captain thanks the fans

Yankee fans made their pilgrimage to the Bronx, young and old, to celebrate the man who had given them a lifetime of thrills over the last 20 years.

MADDEN After Derek Jeter says goodbye, there is still so much to play for

Everywhere you looked, with everyone you listened to as the Yankees staged their own celebration of Derek Jeter, the refrain was the same: It was the end of an era and we will never see his like again.

Dave Winfield, Cal Ripken Jr. say Derek Jeter is nothing short of great

In the summer of 2020, Dave Winfield and Cal Ripken Jr. figure to be welcoming Derek Jeter into their exclusive club in Cooperstown, but the two Hall of Famers made the trip to the Bronx Sunday to honor the retiring Captain.

Andy Pettitte a no-show but Yankees great Mariano Rivera delivers

Andy Pettitte was elk hunting on a family trip, so he was the only member of the Core Four not at the Stadium Sunday to honor the last member of that exclusive club who’s still playing, Derek Jeter.

VIDEO Derek Jeter keeps it short during thank you speech

Never one for many words, especially when there is a game to play, the Yankee Captain did what he always does on his special day: he kept it brief.

How Derek Jeter befriended young fan who lost her pilot father on 9/11

More than just about anything in life, Brielle Saracini wanted to be at Derek Jeter Day. After all that he has done — very quietly — for her and her family over these last 13 years, how could she miss his day?

Michael Jordan likes way Derek Jeter handled heat

Michael Jordan knows a thing or two about winning, so he hasn’t been the slightest bit surprised to see Derek Jeter join him on the short list of this generation’s most successful professional athletes.

Bondy: 'Derek Jeter Day' marks end of era for Bleacher Creatures

Tina Lewis benevolent queen of the Bleacher Creatures, brought extra tissues to the ballpark for everyone else, just in case things got too emotional.

New York

NYPD even more alert for terror during busy season that includes U.S. open, U.N. meeting and 9/11 ceremonies

This is the most demanding time of the year for the NYPD, its top counterterrorism official said Sunday.

‘Experience matters’: Gov. Cuomo says Tim Wu is not qualified for lieutenant governor position

Gov. Cuomo took a swipe at his running mate’s challenger for inexperience while on the campaign trail Sunday, as his primary opponents made stops at some of his big-money donors’ offices.

NY Lt. Gov. hopeful Tim Wu: 'I wouldn't mind killing the Independence Party'

"The Independence Party -- that would be a worthy thing to try to destroy, Wu said in a radio appearance Sunday while talking about third-party ballot lines.

LATEST FROM AROUND NEW YORK

On one-year anniversary of Bridgegate episode, New Jersey Gov. Christie appears back to normal

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie appears to have largely moved past the lane-closing scandal that rocked his administration and threatened to derail his political career one year later.

Mayor de Blasio wants to take control of rent regulation from state lawmakers

The de Blasio administration hopes to take control of rent regulation from Albany — a dream that may come true if the Democrats win control of the state Senate in November.

Wild Miley goes topless to Fashion Week after party

Lovett: Assemblyman Joseph Morelle calls for apology from GOP leaders in car-bugging

ALBANY — A top state Assemblyman is demanding an apology from Republican leaders for having a private eye attach a tracking device on the car of a Long Island Democrat — and wants to know if anyone else is under surveillance.

Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khameini had 'routine' prostate surgery

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has undergone successful prostate surgery in Tehran, the country’s official news agency said Monday.

Penn. nurse sentenced to prison for giving teen daughter abortion pills

A Pennsylvania mother has been sentenced up to 18 months in prison for giving her pregnant teen daughter abortion pills. Jennifer Ann Whalen, 39, pleaded guilty in August to violating state law that requires doctors to perform abortions.

GOV'S SNUB: Zephyr Teachout brushed off from Andrew Cuomo in AWKWARD encounter during Labor Day Parade

Democratic challenger Zephyr Teachout got within arm’s length of Gov. Cuomo on Saturday, but all she got was a cold shoulder.

Swedish politician slammed for supporting video by KKK leader

A female politician running for Swedish parliament is under fire for praising former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Dayana Jadarian posted a video on her Facebook page in July.

Bendy Beyonce shows off bikini bod in Instagram snap

PEY DAY: Manning tosses 3 TDs in Broncos win over Colts

Manning sure didn’t need Wes Welker in this heart-pounding opener. He threw three touchdown passes to tight end Julius Thomas in the first half and the Denver Broncos held on to beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-24 on Sunday night.

Driver, 80, hits & kills man crossing street in Brooklyn

An octogenarian driver struck and killed a 30-year-old man as he crossed a Brooklyn street Sunday morning, police said.

Only 2 on plane that crashed near Jamaica: official

A Coast Guard spokeswoman said that Rochester developer Larry Glazer and his wife, Jane, both 68, were the only people aboard the single-engine plane that crashed Friday. Jamaican crews were still searching for the plane Sunday.

Meteorite punches crater in Nicaragua near airport

MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaragua's government said Sunday that a mysterious boom heard overnight in the capital was made by a small meteorite that left a crater in a wooded area near Managua's airport.

'LONG LIVE 54': Staten Island football team dedicates season-opening win to lineman who died during practice on Labor Day

Playing for the first time since a junior defensive lineman Miles Kirkland-Thomas died after running sprints during a hot practice last week, the Curtis HS football team beat Fort Hamilton, 12-6, on Saturday in front of an emotional crowd — including family members of their fallen teammate — on a steamy day on Staten Island.

Diane tells David to 'be kind and respect' entire staff in closed-door meeting

'Anarchy' star Charlie Hunnam fantasizing about a zombie apocalypse

Sports

Royals spoil Jeter's day, K.C. tops Yankees 2-0

The Stadium was a happy place early Sunday afternoon as the Yankees feted their captain, celebrating his remarkable career with “Derek Jeter Day.”

Eli Manning and Giants hope for MoTown hit

They are not contenders, and they're in line for a second straight season of mediocrity. They've missed the playoffs four out of the last five years, and that out-of-nowhere Super Bowl run of 2011 was an aberration.

Cowboys routed in Dallas by Colin Kaepernick, 49ers

Colin Kaepernick threw two touchdown passes to Vernon Davis, one right after the first of three interceptions by Tony Romo, and the San Francisco 49ers opened the season with a 28-17 win over the sloppy Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Bondy: U.S. Open final is no match for Serena Williams

Serena Williams defeated Serena Williams on Sunday, 6-3, 6-3, for her 18th major and sixth U.S. Open title — because, really, there was nobody across the net inside Ashe Stadium. If that is a bit disrespectful toward Caroline Wozniacki, it is not necessarily meant to be.