MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS EARLY BIRD

PICTURED: Smiling grandmother beheaded by Muslim convert in Oklahoma food factory they worked together at

Colleen Hufford, 54, was beheaded by Islamic convert Alton Nolen at her job. Now the family is asking for help with burial costs and a college fund for her granddaughter.

Patient at Dallas hospital isolated after signs of Ebola virus

DALLAS (AP) — A patient in a Dallas hospital is showing signs of the Ebola virus and is being kept in strict isolation with test results pending, hospital officials said Monday.

171-ton ship carrying 104 tourists and 5 crew members strikes rock in South Korea

A South Korean cruise ship ran aground off the southwestern coast Tuesday but all of the 109 people aboard the vessel have been rescued, coast guard officers said.

'My God! Why? Why? Why are you taking the car?' Bipolar teen attempts carjacking at Connecticut cemetary

An attempted carjacking at a Connecticut cemetery saw an 86-year-old passenger jump from the moving car, which then drove over several grave markers, scattered a large crowd gathered at a burial site and struck a girl before finally being stopped at an exit, police said.

SMACKDOWN! Kansas City Chiefs destroy Tom Brady, Patriots on Monday Night Football

Jamaal Charles proved he is back to full speed for the Kansas City Chiefs. Tom Brady is still stuck in neutral for the New England Patriots. Charles returned from an injury to score three touchdowns Monday night, Brady was picked off twice by the opportunistic Chiefs.

EGO EXPLOSION: Ariana has Out hotel cleared before her royal entrance

Gloria Allred accuses NFL of dragging feet in investigation of player accused of raping client

The NFL sent a letter to the security directors of all 32 of its teams this weekend asking for any information the clubs might have about a still unnamed player who allegedly committed rape on Sept. 20 and took the field the next day.

NYPD officer pleads innocent to drunken beating of woman after breaking into her apartment

Accused of going from hero to hoodlum in a single day, an NYPD cop has pleaded innocent to charges he drunkenly beat a woman after bursting into her apartment in his underwear.

EXCLUSIVE Building inspector is city’s top earner for overtime with $179K

A Department of Buildings inspector has graduated from prince to king of city overtime earners — racking up a whopping $179,099 in extra pay.

Fight between on-duty Philly cops leaves female police officer with two black eyes: report

The female officer was transported to a hospital for treatment after apparently punched in the face by a male officer during what started as an argument, NBC Philadelphia reported.

THIS JUST IN: Liz Cho and Josh Elliott get engaged

EXCLUSIVE Democrats accuse Rob Astorino of ‘pay-to-play’ in report

GOP gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino, the county executive in Westchester, received $907,669 in campaign donations from dozens of companies that got county contracts, according to a report to be released Tuesday.

Teen captures mesmerizing images from top of Park Ave. skyscraper

An Instagram account of a purported 17-year-old New Yorker has been filled with dreamy vistas from 432 Park Ave. and elsewhere.

ISIS releases third video of British hostage John Cantlie criticizing Obama for 'predictable military strategy'

ISIS has released a third video of British hostage John Cantlie, this one featuring the gaunt prisoner criticizing Obama's “predictable military strategy.”

NYPD gunfire kills stabbing suspect in one of two police-involved shootings on Monday

A man who had stabbed two people in a Brooklyn apartment was shot dead by cops on Monday night — one of two police-involved shootings in a span of less than two hours.

Wal-Mart to Morgan: You should've worn a seat belt in crash

Boston.com uses emoji for Massachusetts governor’s debate

A Boston news organization turned on the ;-o to make sense of a key political debate through emoticons. There will be a new Massachusetts governor come Nov. 4 and the first debate between five candidates Monday night was lively in every way, but especially on Twitter, where Boston.com translated the candidates’ remarks with emoji.

STAY-ROD! Daily News poll reveals Yankee fans actually want Alex Rodriguez back next season

One day after Derek Jeter retired from baseball, Yankee fans are ready to turn the page — in a big way. On the first day of the Daily News Keep ’Em/Dump ’Em poll, 59% of those who voted said they are ready to see Jeter go, while a shocking 29% are ready to welcome Alex Rodriguez back with open arms.

Texas dentist raped receptionist, caused her to grow unsightly body hair via testosterone gel: lawsuit

A former receptionist for a Texas dentist claims the "sadistic" doctor sexually assaulted her several times and threatened her to keep quiet or he would ruin her financially and take away her family.

Star pathologist testifies in defense of woman accused of killing autistic son

A star pathologist testifying for Gigi Jordan cast doubt Monday on the prosecution's scenario in which she administered a deadly cocktail of drugs to her 8-year-old autistic son.

New York

Coke-filled shoes, Chanel purse get Jamaican woman charged with smuggling at Kennedy Airport

A Jamaican national has been arrested for smuggling more than three pounds of cocaine inside a Chanel pocketbook and platform shoes in her luggage, authorities said Monday.

Frustrated Bronx NYCHA tenants take city to court seeking repairs to aging, dilapidated apartments

The only way to fix this is to take you to court. That’s the message being aimed at the city by more than two dozen frustrated tenants at an aging Bronx public housing project.

FDNY EMS captain accused of oral sex with kids in California waives extradition

A sicko city Emergency Medical Service captain who was busted on a warrant accusing him of sexually abusing two children in Los Angeles waived extradition Monday, officials said.

LATEST FROM AROUND NEW YORK

Police union chief wants New York to adopt no-settle policy to stop 'quick buck' civil lawsuits

Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch calls on the city's top lawyer and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton to stop settling 'meritless civil lawsuits' against cops in the letter dated Aug. 13 and released Monday.

12-year-old New Jersey youth football player dies 5 days after collapsing during practice

Jeremiah (Lil'J) Pierce, 12, was participating in drills Tuesday for his Salem squad when he collapsed, assistant coach Cody Loatman told the South Jersey Times.

Neil Diamond rocks Brooklyn HS with surprise show

De Blasio to expand 'living wage' law to cover thousands more workers

Mayor de Blasio is set to sign an executive order Tuesday to expand the city’s “living wage” promise to thousands more workers — and remove certain exemptions to the legislation that initially created it.

Federal Aviation Administration reviewing practices after Chicago air traffic control chaos

The Federal Aviation Administration is reviewing security practices and how it deals with unexpected incidents throughout its air traffic control facilities following last week's fire at a Chicago-area air traffic facility, agency administrator Michael Huerta said Monday.

Genovese mobster nicknamed ‘Uncle Patty’ sentenced to 30 months in prison for loan sharking

A reputed capo in the Genovese mob family was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison for loan sharking.

Protesters in Hong Kong set Wednesday deadline for demands

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s embattled police defended their use of tear gas but softened their tactics Monday after forceful attempts to quell pro-democracy protests drew tens of thousands more people into the streets in an unprecedented show of civil disobedience.

Derek, Hannah take a coffee break

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sits down with President Obama

WASHINGTON — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi rode a wave of popular support Monday to the White House, where he kicked off a two-day visit with President Obama.

Three U.S. officials gave warnings on the growing danger posed by ISIS

Not everybody in the U.S. government was blind to the threat posed by the Islamic State. A day after President Obama admitted U.S. intelligence “underestimated” the sinister strength of ISIS, ABC News produced three examples Monday of where officials sounded the alarm.

White powder found at Ronald Reagan Library in California deemed unknown but 'non-toxic': authorities

An employee at the Ronald Reagan Library was exposed to an "unknown white powdery substance" after opening a letter sent to the facility Monday afternoon.

Benjamin Netanyahu to United Nations: ISIS and Hamas 'branches of the same poisonous tree'

"Israel's soldiers deserve not condemnation, but admiration, admiration from decent people everywhere," Netanyahu told the United Nations Monday in New York.

Sports

Mehta: Geno Smith over Mike Vick could ultimately doom Rex Ryan

Rex Ryan has cheated professional death before, but his refusal to bench Geno Smith for Mike Vick this week might signal the beginning of the end for the face of Woody Johnson’s franchise for the past five years.

Eli to Geno: If they're yelling at you, you probably deserve it

Whatever fans are yelling at Geno Smith these days, Eli Manning has probably heard it before. And there may have been a time in his now-distant past where he was tempted to tell the fans off, too.

METS KEEP 'EM DUMP 'EM! Let us know who should remain in Queens and who should just hit the road in 2015

Daniel Murphy? Terry Collins? Matt Harvey? David Wright? Now that the Mets season is officially over, step in to GM Sandy Alderson's chair and tell us who stays and who goes for next season.

Myers' 10 things from Week 4

It was much too premature to say Eli Manning was on the downside of his career and was bad fit for Ben McAdoo's West Coast offense after just two weeks.

Bondy: Power of juice seems lost on Joe Girardi

Poor, naive Joe Girardi. The guy won 84 games with a club that gave up 31 more runs than it scored; one that finished 20th in batting average and 22nd in RBI, and was doomed from the moment Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman allowed Robinson Cano to go swing his bat 3,000 miles away from the Bronx.

YANKEES KEEP 'EM DUMP 'EM! Tell us who should stay in the Bronx and who should follow Jeter out the door

The Captain is gone and there is no coming back. But who else could and should leave the Yankees before 2015? Step in to Brian Cashman's chair and tell us who stays and who goes!

The Captain in headlines! Vote for your favorite Derek Jeter Back Page

The Daily News editors have selected a few of our favorite back pages featuring the retiring Yankees captain. Check out our ballot below and vote for your favorite.

Ten moments from Derek Jeter's career that will last a lifetime

Since 1996, Derek Jeter has been building a Hall of Fame résumé with consistent excellence, helping the Yankees to five World Series championships and seven American League pennants. But while Jeter’s career numbers are impressive in their entirely, the shortstop has created his legacy with a series of memorable moments that will last forever.