MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS EARLY BIRD NEWS

'WE WERE ALL SHOCKED AND UPSET': Standard hotel denies Navy officer in uniform access to lounge during Fleet Week over dress code

Manhattan’s swanky Standard hotel has issued an apology after a Navy officer wearing her iconic white uniform was turned away.

Woman shot and killed by man in car outside Resorts World Casino in Queens: cops

A woman walking in the parking lot of the Resorts World Casino in Queens was shot and killed by a male suspect who remains at large, police said.

Texas homecoming queen and student council president swept to her death by flash floods after prom

Alyssa Ramirez, 18, was driving to Devine from San Antonio when she was stranded in high water, dialing for help before she was overwhelmed, relatives told local news stations.

Arizona woman blares siren of friend’s police car at Jack-in-the-Box drive-thru, arrested for DUI

Elizabeth Jean Moore is accused of driving the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office vehicle to a Jack-in-the-Box burger joint in Chandler on Nov. 2, 2014, ABC15 reported.

Diana Ross goes ALL OUT for daughter's wedding

Calif. teen shot and killed as he fooled around testing bulletproof vest: report

Miguel Henry Martinez, 19, was allegedly gunned down by 21-year-old Elijah Lambert (pictured) on the American River Bike Trail near Bannister Park in Fair Oaks on Friday night, KXTV reported.

Police hunt Bronx thugs who beat man with baseball bat, stabbed him multiple times

A gang of five assailants after a piece of jewelry beat a stranger with a baseball bat and stabbed him several times.

Idaho man’s wife restrained him while her brother hacked him to death with hatchet during Las Vegas trip: police

Officers found the as-yet-unidentified Idaho man dead with multiple traumatic wounds at around 2:30 a.m. Monday near Buffalo Drive and Eldora Ave., according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

Jessa Duggar’s father-in-law comes to Josh's defense

New Jersey man with Lassa fever dies in U.S. after Liberia trip through JFK

A New Jersey man died Monday evening after been diagnosed with Lassa fever — a frightening infectious disease from West Africa that is rarely seen in the United States, a federal health official said.

Florida rip currents drown three Sunday, hundreds rescued from ocean within 24 hours

Warnings of dangerous and life-threatening rip currents along a 72-mile stretch of shoreline appeared to do little to deter swimmers Monday.

Malaysia Airlines to cut thousands of jobs while preparing for restructuring and new name: report

Thousands of jobs from the money-losing Malaysia Airlines could vanish in the next week as the troubled travel company tries to take off with a new name and a $1.66 billion restructuring.

Long Island woman injured in hit-and-run boat crash in Suffolk County: police

Danielle Virgilio, 29, of Farmingdale got hurt when the 23-foot Sea Ray boat slammed into a bank of rocks at the entrance to the Patchogue River at about 9:20 p.m., according to Suffolk County police.

Can you guess what Drew Barrymore's 'worst nightmare' is?

Autopsy completed on child found dead as mother pushed him on swing

Law enforcement officials say an autopsy has been completed on a child who was found dead in a Maryland park swing as his mother pushed him, but the cause of death remains under investigation.

EXCLUSIVE TWU Local 100 ad slams Bill de Blasio over Vision Zero plan that has resulted in arrest of six bus drivers

The head of MTA transit union has road rage for Mayor Bill de Blasio over a street safety program that has put bus drivers in cuffs.

Texas lifeguards discover package of Mexican cartel’s drugs worth $3.5M on Galveston beach, cops say

Lifeguards discovered the 66-pound bundle on Monday while patrolling the Galveston shoreline, police said.

Teen impaled with PITCHFORK during fight in Idaho church garden: police

The greenery grudge got going as several juveniles were working at the Vineyard Christian Church Saturday afternoon, the Idaho Statesman reported.

New York

EXCLUSIVE Parents should have more say in city schools, says Public Advocate Letitia James

City parents need more say in public schools, Public Advocate Letitia James argues in a report obtained by the Daily News.

HAMILL As the Memorial Day festivities come and go, it’s important to remember what the day is really for

On Sunday morning, I was reminded what Memorial Day meant in a Facebook post from my sister Kathleen.

De Blasio speaks about father’s WWII service during in Memorial Day speech at Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum

Joining military leaders Monday at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, de Blasio recalled that his father fought in World War II and lost part of a leg in the Battle of Okinawa.

8-year-old boy clinging to life after being struck in Queens, 2nd child hit during holiday weekend: police

A boy, 8, was critically injured while crossing a street in Queens on Monday, the second child hit during the holiday weekend, police said.

LATEST FROM AROUND NEW YORK

EXCLUSIVE State lawmaker blasts Bill de Blasio for delaying pension bill

A state lawmaker is blasting Mayor de Blasio for holding up a bill that boosts pension benefits for injured cops and firefighters.

Three hit, one dead in separate Brooklyn shootings: cops

Three men were shot, one fatally, in two unrelated attacks in Brooklyn as the holiday weekend rolled to a close Monday night, police said.

Jurors in Etan Patz trial honor him on anniversary of his 1979 disappearance

The jurors from the Etan Patz trial spent part of their Memorial Day at the SoHo site where prosecutors say the little boy was killed 36 years ago to the day.

WHO’S THAT GIRL? This model barely recognizable in a throwback pic

SEE IT Drone crashes into crowd at Memorial Day parade in Marblehead, Mass.

A drone hovering over a Memorial Day parade in Marblehead, Mass., struck a building and fell on two spectators below on Monday.

Bike stolen after child shows up at Alabama Walmart to get prize for taking training wheels off, but cops buy him new one

An Alabama boy who showed up at Walmart to pick up a prize for riding his bicycle without training wheels had it stolen from the store's parking lot, Hueytown Police said.

Justice Department, Cleveland agree to settlement for civil rights abuses by police department: report

The U.S. Justice Department and the city of Cleveland are close to announcing a settlement for documented excessive force and civil rights abuses by the city’s police department, a federal official said.

Shrinking violets! Hilton sisters demure as bridesmaids

Chicago teen racks up $1 million in medical costs after swallowing screws, needles, other objects: ‘He’s literally eating the jail’

Lamont Cathey started swallowing tacks and different pieces of jail, leading to 24 hospitalizations and surgeries to remove items he ate.

Saudi mourners pour into streets to attend mass funeral for victims of Shiite mosque suicide bombing

Tens of thousands of mourners poured into the streets in eastern Saudi Arabia on Monday to attend a mass funeral for victims of last week’s suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque.

Victim of Bronx hit-and-run, 7, has long recovery ahead after sprint for ice cream ends in disaster

A 7-year-old girl who was struck by a hit-and-run driver in the Bronx is fighting to recover, her family told The News.

Sports

Rockets avoid sweep, beat Warriors in Game 4 to stay alive

James Harden scored a playoff career-high 45 points and the Houston Rockets led from start to finish to avoid elimination in the Western Conference finals with a 128-115 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 on Monday night.

Ducks top Blackhawks in overtime to take Game 5, 3-2 lead

Matt Beleskey scored 45 seconds into overtime, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 on Monday night in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Bondy: Rangers need to turn away from slogan for Game 6

Here’s the thing about sports team slogans, often invented by an overly-ambitious marketing department in search of ticket buyers and a coherent narrative arc: The slogans tend to backfire. And when they do, well, it can be a bit embarrassing.

Tom Brady's DeflateGate appeal won't be heard by deadline

Two people familiar with the situation tell The Associated Press that Tom Brady’s appeal of his four-game suspension for his role in the deflated footballs scandal won’t be heard by Wednesday’s 10-day deadline. Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity Monday because no date for the appeal has been set.

Autos

New York’s classic cabs: Checker and DeSoto taxis roll again

A mechanic’s dream come true: Porsche 918 Spyder recalled

Porsche’s ultra-exotic hybrid supercar is issued with a global recall to fix a problematic wiring harness.

Photos Taxi memories: Classic shots of New York City's yellow cabs

As the Taxi of Tomorrow prepares to launch on the streets of New York, take a look back at the history of the yellow taxi in the Big Apple.

Daily News Video

NOOKIE FROM COOKIE: Taraji P. Henson twerks the night away!

SEE IT South African rhino loses horns in poacher attack, but survives

Poachers in South Africa had darted the rhino with a tranquilizer and hacked off her horns while she was sedated, leaving the animal with a horrific wound covering much of her face.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sentenced, gets 8 months added to 6-year prison term

Ex-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was sentenced Monday to eight months in prison for unlawfully accepting money from a U.S. supporter.

Chinese senior living facility fire kills 38 in Henan province

The fire broke out Monday night in an apartment building being used as a privately run rest home in the city of Pingdingshan in Henan province, according to a statement from the work safety administration.

Sofia Vergara’s butt to Lucy Liu’s selfie — SEE celebrities’ latest photos!

Malaysian human traffickers' camps had 139 suspected graves, barbed-wire cages

Malaysian authorities say a cluster of abandoned jungle camps used by human traffickers contained 139 suspected graves as well as barbed-wire pens likely used to cage migrants.