MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS EARLY BiRD NEWS

EARLY BIRD

EXCLUSIVE 'Criminal mastermind still inexcusably running for public office': L.I. pol accused by own law firm of stealing $2M through fraudulent billing

David Denenberg, a Nassau County legislator who’s running for the Senate as a Democrat, created an elaborate narrative to justify years of fake bills, according to a lawsuit the firm Davidoff Hutcher & Citron says it will file Tuesday.

Bronx man suing over 20-year sentence for crime he didn't commit dies of asthma attack before trial

A wrongly convicted Bronx man who was released after 23 years in prison died just before his $124 million lawsuit was supposed to go to trial.

Algerian militants threaten to kill French hostage

Three days after France joined the war against ISIS by carrying out airstrikes in Iraq, a French mountain guide in Algeria was kidnapped Sunday and his captors have threatened to behead him unless France halts its latest actions against the Islamic militants.

Israelis kill 2 suspects in June teen slayings that led to Gaza war

Israeli forces stormed a West Bank hideout early on Tuesday and killed two Palestinians suspected in the fatal abduction of three Israeli teens in June, one of the incidents that ultimately sparked the Gaza war this summer, an Israeli military spokesman said.

Jets fall to Bears as Geno Smith throws two costly interceptions

Sometimes Geno Smith hurts the Jets with inaccurate passes. Sometimes he does it with bad decisions. On Monday night, he sabotaged his own team with both.

TUESDAY TUNES: Gaga, J-Hud lead charge of releases

STILL ON THE LAM: Suspected cop killer planned 'extensively' to ambush police barracks; FBI has placed him on Most Wanted list

A self-taught survivalist wanted in the murder of a Pennsylvania state trooper allegedly planned his depraved plot for months — maybe even years.

Lie detector clears Georgia mom in toddler’s ‘hot car’ death: attorney

The mother of a Georgia toddler who was left in a hot car to die removed any doubt about her role in the tragedy when she passed a lie detector test, her attorney announced Monday.

MORE TRAGEDY FOR RUTGERS: Student killed by bear while hiking in nature preserve — first such incident since 1852

Darsh Patel, 22, a senior at the college, was hiking with friends at the Apshawa Preserve in Passaic County when they saw the bear.

Jealous beau bashed to death man in gym who invited girlfriend for motorcycle ride: district attorney

Diego Galindo, 43, allegedly invited Kenneth Osako's girlfriend for a ride two days before Osako bashed him the head at a Bally Total Fitness with an 18-inch steel bar, prosecutors said.

Billy Connolly: Williams 'tried to say goodbye to me'

Myers: NFL bungling overshadow's Ray Rice's actions

Roger Goodell is fighting to keep his job, Steve Bisciotti is defending the integrity of the Ravens organization and NFL security is being portrayed as the Three Stooges.

EXCLUSIVE CUNY enrollment hits all-time high this fall as officials cite affordability

Roughly 274,031 students are enrolled at CUNY schools for the fall, an all-time high that represents an increase of more than 40% from 2000, when 195,000 students signed up for fall classes, university officials said.

Innocent man who spent 13 years in prison after wrongly accused of rape, robbery sues city

He cleared his name — and now he wants the city to pay for the 13 years he spent locked up for a crime he didn't commit.

FOUND: Body of Wisconsin woman missing for nearly 4 years located after accused murderer shows cops spot of shallow grave

The recovery of 22-year-old Stephanie Low's remains comes after Kristopher (Spider) Torgerson led detectives to a national park last week where he revealed her shallow grave, said police.

Kris Jenner files for divorce from hubby Bruce after 11-month separation

Hamill: In one week, three vital lives are lost in this unpredictable thing called life

As the dying season of fall begins, we need to cherish every moment of life. Three people in the news this week would treasure even one more living breath.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES Montana man boasts about running over wolves, post pics of alleged snuff job on Facebook

Wildlife officials in Montana are investigating an "anti-wolf" crusader who bragged on Facebook about running down two wolves in his van and included what appeared to be pictures of one of the animals lying dead in the road.

NY State officials monitoring schools' efforts to stop bullying

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Education Commissioner John King are checking with school districts around the state to make sure they follow the Dignity for All Students Act of 2010, which requires all public schools to talk a series of steps to prevent bullying.

FOLLOW THE MONEY TRAIL: New group seeks to reveal ISIS' financial backers

A new group aims to hit the brutal Islamic State fanatics where it hurts — the pocketbook.

New York

Tribute to Yogi Berra, Elston Howard painted on Yankee Stadium area eatery

A mural of Yankee great Yogi Berra now adorns the side of the Yankee Tavern, the watering hole where the Pinstripes’ legendary catcher, manager and amateur philosopher often stopped in for a snack during his career.

Patients at Brooklyn's Interfaith Hospital emergency room wait more than two hours before seeing a doctor

The average emergency patient at the Bedford-Stuyvesant hospital waited 125 minutes before seeing a doctor in 2013, state records show.

Queen Letizia of Spain visits Manhattan school with Chancellor Carmen Fariña

Spain’s glamorous Queen Letizia was all smiles as she dropped by Manhattan's Public School 103 with city schools boss Carmen Fariña Monday.

'DO YOU KNOW WHO THE F---I AM?': Queens newspaper publisher arrested after spat with neighbor

A Queens newspaper publisher was arrested Thursday after an altercation with her neighbor led her to drive her car into a tree on his lawn, police said Monday.

102 people arrested or summoned in Flood Wall Street protest in Lower Manhattan

A couple thousand protesters crowded downtown Monday morning for Flood Wall Street — a demonstration meant to highlight the role organizers say big business plays in fueling the climate crisis.

LATEST FROM AROUND NEW YORK

NBA All-Star Game at MSG will include activities for 500,000 children

For a half-million city children, this winter’s NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden will be nothing but net.

Castle Hill residents losing sleep over Days Inn

Days Inn is keeping them up nights. So say the fuming Castle Hill residents who have been losing sleep over a three-story, 60-room lodge being built off the Bruckner Expressway, which they fear could become the borough’s next hotsheets motel.

Australian ‘Horse Whisperer’ Guy McLean joins Daily News' Carriage Horse campaign

World-renowned Australian horseman Guy McLean gave his stamp of approval to the New York City's carriage horses after watching the gentle giants at work in Central Park this weekend.

Arab Bank liable for terror attacks in Israel on 300 Americans, Brooklyn jury finds

In a historic verdict, a Brooklyn federal civil jury on Monday found Arab Bank liable for 24 terrorist attacks that killed or wounded nearly 300 U.S. citizens in Israel.

Miss America hazed pledges at Hofstra sorority: report

12-year-old boy shot in leg near his bus stop in Brooklyn

Levon Gilliam Jr. was hit in the left leg on Lott Ave. near Osborne St. in Brownsville about 4:45 p.m., police said. He was taken to Kings County Hospital and was listed in stable condition, police said.

Obama administration to crack down on companies that are avoiding U.S. taxes

The Obama administration will make it tougher for Big Business to avoid taxes by appearing to, presto, turn into foreign companies.

Lois Lerner, former IRS official at center of scandal, breaks silence

Lois Lerner, the former IRS official at the center of the political scandal that has enveloped the tax agency, has finally broken her silence.

Paula pulls plug on News interview calling her racist past off-limits

Georgia court reporters accused of stealing $485K from court

Betty Peterson, 73, Kimberly Probst, 50, and Tammy Stine, 55, are accused of bilking more than $485,000 from the Cherokee County court by misformatting thousands of pricey-paged documents since at least 2006.

Iraq official: 40 soldiers killed, 68 captured after fighting with ISIS

BAGHDAD — A senior Iraqi commander in the western Anbar province says at least 40 soldiers were killed in recent suicide bombings carried out by Islamic State militants and another 68 have been captured.

Swedish man's 'sexsomnia' defense gets rape conviction overturned

A Swedish appeals court overturned a rape conviction for 26-year-old Mikael Halvarsson who claimed he suffered from "sexsomnia."

Sports

Derek Jeter drives in three runs in win over Orioles

Derek Jeter isn't going out without a fight. The Captain helped the Yankees cling to their miniscule postseason hopes, driving in three runs Monday night in a 5-0 win over the Orioles in front of 35,614 at Yankee Stadium.

MLB convenes committee to shorten games

Major League Baseball announced Monday that outgoing commissioner Bud Selig has discussed improving the pace of baseball games with a new committee that will study the issue and look to make improvements for the 2015 season and beyond.

Bondy: Out of uniform, tough to say which Captain will sail

Derek Jeter has found his swing again, just in time to lay the bat down. You could see it again on Monday; remember that old, elegant form, as he cranked a double down the left-field line in the fifth inning, knocking in his second and third runs of the game.

At Ryder Cup, Europeans could see close shave with Americans

European captain Paul McGinley didn’t shy away from the favorites’ role at this week’s Ryder Cup. As the week opened with the arrival of the teams, some chipping and putting and a joint press conference with the captains, McGinley admitted what a few of his predecessors wouldn’t.

Baby North clings to mom Kim K. as they leave LAX

Little League coach dies after being hit in head with ball during batting practice in Long Island

A Little League coach was killed Saturday when he was nailed in the head by a line drive as he tossed batting practice for his son’s team, Suffolk County authorities said.

Man stabs construction boss — also an orthodox Jewish liaison to the NYPD — in pay dispute: police

Andriy Komynar, 20, knifed Yakov Pfieffer, 36, three times in the neck as the two argued at a work site on Montague St. near Clinton St. in Brooklyn Heights about 1:10 p.m. Monday, police said.

Zimmerman admits to carrying semi-automatic handgun

George Zimmerman enjoyed himself at a Florida firearms expo on Saturday, but admitted to carrying a semi-automatic handgun around with him — as a precaution.

'Mighty Ducks’ cast reunite 20 years after hit flick

Afghan National Army officers who disappeared from Cape Cod nabbed trying to cross into Canada

Three Afghanistan National Army officers who disappeared during a training exercise on Cape Cod have been found attempting to cross into Canada near Niagara falls.

Columbine High School placed on lockout because of a 'threat'

Columbine High School was placed on lockout Monday, the school district said.

Ebola lockdown leads to discovery of 130 new cases

Sierra Leone recorded 130 new cases of Ebola during a three-day lockdown and is awaiting test results for 39 suspected cases, said Stephen Gaojia, head of the Ebola Emergency Operations Centre, on Monday.