Miami Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones running for reelection

Eight years have passed since Michelle Spence-Jones was elected to the Miami City Commission.She isn’t willing to leave just yet.Spence-Jones — who was charged with bribery and grand theft in 2009, suspended from office, acquitted and reinstated to her post — is seeking reelection, she announced Friday. She represents District 5, which includes Overtown, Little Haiti and...

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4 tips for creating a successful Twitter parody account

The guy behind @GowanusDolphin learned his lesson the hard wayA chorus of Twitter elite got really angry on Friday when an opportunistic user decided to register @GowanusDolphin, a horrible account that premised itself on a dolphin trapped in New York‘s murky Gowanus Canal. Not sure how I feel about parody account @gowanusdolphin. Poor guy. Don’t find funny at all.SEE MORE: Connecticut...

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Report: J.J. Abrams to Direct New 'Star Wars' Movie

Disney/ Andrew H. Walker/ Getty ImagesThe Force is with J.J. Abrams. The prolific producer/director has agreed to direct the next installment of the Star Wars franchise, confirms Walt Disney Studios.Pics: Must-See Movies of 2013"I've consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller," said George Lucas of Abrams in an official statement. "He's an ideal choice to direct the new...

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27 die in Egypt riot after soccer violence verdict

CAIRO — Angry relatives and residents rampaged through an Egyptian port city Saturday in rioting that killed at least 27 people after a judge sentenced nearly two dozen soccer fans to death for involvement in deadly violence after a game last year.The unrest was the latest in a bout of violence that has left a total of 38 people dead in two days, including...

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Fed aims for a 6.5% jobless rate

Six and a half percent unemployment in America would mean almost 2.1 million more people working than today. At the rate the country has been creating new jobs each month, it would take more than a year to find work for that many people.Keep 6.5 percent in mind this week when the Federal Reserve meets Tuesday and Wednesday to talk about its efforts to push interest rates...

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Broward contractor accused of accepting bribe for Florida Keys roadwork

A Pompano Beach contractor has been charged by federal authorities with bribery for accepting money to steer a state Department of Transportation contract to a subcontractor working on traffic signals in the Florida Keys, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.Ron Capobianco Jr., 40, is charged with committing bribery in connection with programs receiving federal funds. If convicted,...

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Al Shabaab says enemies closed its Twitter account

MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Al Shabaab on Friday said its Christian enemies had closed its Twitter account, which the Somali militant group used to parade hostages, mock rivals and claim responsibility for bombings and assassinations.The group’s official Twitter account, which has thousands of followers, was offline on Friday with a message saying “Sorry, that user is suspended”.It was not immediately clear...

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Adorable Tots: Celebs and their Cute Kids!

Isla Fisher January 25, 2013 Isla Fisher took her two adorable daughters with Sacha Baron Cohen, Olive, 5, and Elula, 2, to lunch at Terroni restaurant in Los Angeles on January 23, 2013. ALSO IN THIS GALLERY: ...

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Hasbro to cut 10 percent of workforce after fourth-quarter revenue misses expectations

Toy maker Hasbro said Friday that its fourth-quarter revenue failed to meet expectations because of weaker-than-expected demand over the holidays. It plans to cut about 10 percent of its workforce and consolidate facilities to reduce expenses.The stock dropped more than 4 percent in morning trading.Pawtucket, R.I.-based Hasbro, whose brands include Monopoly...

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Lennar design accommodates multigenerational families

In some cases, it may be Grandma moving in with the family. Other times, it may be a recent college graduate returning to the nest. For all sorts of reasons — financial, medical, personal — a rising number of Americans are moving into extended family households.Spotting a niche in the growing trend, Lennar Corp. has launched a new concept tailor-made for multigenerational...

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Jury deliberating fate of caretaker in Rilya Wilson murder case

Jurors on Thursday morning began deliberating in the Rilya Wilson murder case.Twelve jurors will decide whether caretaker Geralyn Graham is guilty of killing the 4-year-old foster child, then telling a slew of lies to cover-up the child’s demise.Graham, 67, is charged with aggravated child abuse, kidnapping and first degree murder. She faces life in prison. Jurors retired...

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Samsung’s iPad mini rival, the Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet, revealed in leaked images

While Samsung (005930) has had tremendous success over the past year with its Galaxy brand of smartphones, the company hasn’t been able to generated the same amount of buzz for its Galaxy tablet line just yet. But now SamMobile points us to the first leaked pictures of Samsung’s new Galaxy Note 8.0 that the company hopes will become its flagship tablet in 2013. The pictures, posted on Italian website...

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Lance Armstrong Sued Over Book Claims Following Confession

Trouble is still finding Lance Armstrong as two men who bought the cyclist's book prior to his doping confession to Oprah Winfrey are suing Armstrong, saying they "would not have purchased the books had they known the true facts concerning Armstrong’s misconduct and his admitted involvement in a sports doping scandal."A Republican political consultant in Sacramento, Rob Stutzman, and a professional...

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Trial begins for 2 in shooting of NYPD officer

Slain cop Peter FigoskiTwo men accused of shooting a New York City police officer to death in a botched Brooklyn robbery are on trial for murder.Lamont Pride and Michael Velez have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of longtime NYPD officer Peter Figoski. Their trial began Thursday.Two others will be tried later. A fifth has pleaded...

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Miami Dolphins slam Norman Braman, Marlins Park deal

The Miami Dolphins ramped up their public campaign for a tax-funded stadium renovation this week, buying full-page ads against their top critic and trying to distance the plan from the unpopular Marlins deal.The team bought an ad in Tuesday’s Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald knocking auto magnate Norman Braman’s criticism of the Sun Life Stadium deal, which would have Florida...

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Judge refuses to throw out charges in Miami-Dade absentee ballot case

A Miami-Dade judge ruled Wednesday he will not throw out Miami-Dade County’s ordinance governing the collection of absentee ballots.Circuit Judge Milton Hirsch said Sergio Robaina, who is accused of illegally collecting absentee ballots for elderly voters, cannot claim his constitutional rights were violated because of the 2011 ordinance outlawing possession of more than...

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Google Earnings Reveal Beginnings of a Facebook Problem on Search Revenue

Google beat Wall Street expectations with its fourth-quarter revenues of $ 14.42 billion, but the value of its ads continue to decline, an especially tricky problem with the company’s new search competition from Facebook. Google’s average cost-per-click decreased 6 percent from one year ago, meaning each ad it runs on its biggest business has less value than it did a year ago, continuing a fairly...

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Adam Levine Saturday Night Live Promos

Is Adam Levine being held hostage by Saturday Night Live star Bobby Moynihan?In the promos for this weekend's NBC sketch show, The Voice judge, 33, is seen tied to a chair and being forced to agree with the SNL funny guy and his sub-par singing voice.Other promos include a "The More You Know" spoof about a "sober uncle," and two other jokes about Levine's singing show. RELATED: Jennifer Lawrence's...

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New WTC security chief says it will 'take a community to protect this complex'

The new chief of security at the 16-acre World Trade Center is a veteran of the Secret Service who was responsible for internal White House safety. The Port Authority hired Long Island native Doug Farber to run the system that will soon protect the nation’s top terror target.“It’s not without its challenges for sure,” Farber, 38, said in an interview, just...

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Miami Dolphins slam Norman Braman, Marlins Park deal

The Miami Dolphins ramped up their public campaign for a tax-funded stadium renovation this week, buying full-page ads against their top critic and trying to distance the plan from the unpopular Marlins deal.The team bought an ad in Tuesday’s Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald knocking auto magnate Norman Braman’s criticism of the Sun Life Stadium deal, which would have Florida...

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Some AT&T customers experienced U-verse outages in South Florida

Some AT&T customers in South Florida and in other U.S. markets were without their U-verse service Monday night and into Tuesday morning.Sheri Felipe, who works at her Hollywood home as a graphic designer, said her Internet service went out about 9:30 p.m. Monday and did not return until about 8 a.m. Tuesday.“It’s working – for now,” she said about 10:15 a.m. Tuesday....

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Canada wants RIM organic growth, may have to review handset sale

OTTAWA (Reuters) – The Canadian government wants BlackBerry maker Research in Motion to continue to be a global leader and grow organically, and Ottawa may have to review a future sale of its handset business, Industry Minister Christian Paradis said on Tuesday.“We hope to see RIM remain a global leader and player, and make sure it grows organically,” Paradis told Reuters by phone from Germany, where...

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The Wanted I Found You Music Video

After a couple of tantalizing sneak peaks, the wait is finally over -- The Wanted just premiered the official, full-length video for I Found You, off their upcoming album Third Strike.The Wanted boys -- Max George, Nathan Sykes, Tom Parker, Jay McGuiness and Siva Kaneswaran -- are in fine form in their latest offering, where they cause some serious fan pandemonium worthy of The Beatles era.Video:...

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Hasidic counselor Nechemya Weberman gets 103 years in child sex-abuse case

Gregory P. MangoNechemya Weberman.Nechemya Weberman, the prominent Hasidic counselor convicted of sexually abusing a young girl, was sentenced today to 103 years in prison for his heinous crimes.Weberman is now doomed to die behind bars for his years-long abuse of a now-18-year-old woman. She was only 12 when the abuse began.The kiddie-sex fiend was found...

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Series for Miami’s emerging art collectors begins Thursday

For art enthusiasts interested in bring their interest home, Miami’s Bakehouse Art Complex is hosting a lecture series for emerging collectors. The first panel, slated for Thursday at 6 p.m., features arists and curators who will talk about fine tuning your taste and learning to make informed decisions. The second session, Feb. 7, is oriented to the mechanics of purchasing....

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Cuban exile mother of inaugural poet Richard Blanco now in spotlight

At first, Geysa Blanco thought her son was kidding. "He said, ‘Mom, I have news for you,’ " Blanco said, recalling the telephone call from her son a few weeks ago. "Between English and Spanish, he told me that they had chosen him to write and read a poem at the presidential inauguration,” she said. But Richard Blanco, a child of exiles who was raised...

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An Appointment With Kim Dotcom

Paul Spain is the host of the weekly NZ Tech Podcast, one of New Zealand’s leading locally produced podcasts and often appears on TV and video as a commentator on consumer and business technology topics.AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND — It’s been said that Kim Dotcom is a villain. Many, particularly those in the film industry and law enforcement, believe it. To others, he is a hero standing up for the rights...

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Sheryl Crow The Voice Season Four Guest Mentor Exclusive

Dynamic Duo Contestants on The Voice have always benefited from double the A-list advice given the superstars their mentors bring into the rehearsal studio, and season four will be no exception as ETonline can exclusively reveal Blake Shelton has tapped the services of Sheryl Crow!FIRST LOOK - Usher & Shakira...

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Obama speech sets stage for looming policy fights

AFP/Getty ImagesPeople attend the 57th Presidential Inauguration today.WASHINGTON — President Obama has prepared a second inaugural address that broadly lays out his vision for the country's future, setting the stage for looming debates over taxes, guns, immigration and other issues while leaving the details for another day.The speech, slated right after...

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Three-generation family businesses share their secrets of success

In 2009, when Larry Zinn took over as sales manager for the Infiniti dealership that his father owned, he had a great idea: retrain the sales staff in a team approach and offer customers complimentary add-on services for the first year.Some salesmen who were used to selling the same way for decades up and quit. But that didn’t deter Larry from insisting a new sales culture...

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Condoleezza Rice takes job as CBS contributor

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has joined CBS as a contributor. Her new job was announced Sunday morning during Face the Nation by host Bob Schieffer. Rice, 58, is the 66th Secretary of State under President George W. Bush and the first female African-American to hold the post. Before joining the Bush Administration, she was a professor of...

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Google says Wall Street estimates need adjusting

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Google Inc issued a rare advisory to Wall Street on Friday that analyst estimates for its fourth quarter financial results are flawed.The world’s No.1 search engine, which reports its quarterly results on Tuesday, said most analysts have not adjusted their estimates to reflect the pending $ 2.35 billion sale of the Motorola Home business.The business must be presented separately...

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VP Joe Biden sworn in for second term

AFP/Getty ImagesVice President Joe Biden, with his wife Jill Biden, holding the Biden family Bible, shakes hands with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor after taking the oath of office at the Naval Observatory.WASHINGTON — Formally embarking on a second term, Vice President Joe Biden took the oath of office Sunday, surrounded by family and friends in...

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Investors await word from Apple

No company today elicits such devotion and dedication among its customers and shareholders like Apple. The fervor felt by Apple fans for its products, its leaders and its business underscore the company’s technological eco-centric strategy. While that loyalty has made for rich rewards over the long term, it will mean very little to a myopic stock market when Apple reports...

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