Residents return home after being evacuated due to hazmat incident

Several residents in a neighborhood near Fort Lauderdale were allowed back into their homes Saturday afternoon being after evacuated earlier in the day due a Hazmat incident, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.At about 10 a.m. the sheriff’s office received a call from a resident in the 250 block of Northwest 31 Avenue, who noticed chlorine inside a steel tank he had...

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Honduras removes its ambassador to Colombia amid party scandal

TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) – Honduras has removed its ambassador to Colombia amid reports his personal aide was involved in a wild party held at the embassy of Honduras in Bogota which, according to media, was attended by prostitutes and where cell phones and computers were stolen.Ambassador Carlos Rodriguez quit his post on Saturday, Honduras’ foreign ministry said in a release, after the government requested...

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Josh Brolin Arrested

Academy Award-nominated actor Josh Brolin rang in the New Year with perhaps a bit too much gusto, as ET can confirm that he was arrested for alleged public intoxication on New Year’s Day.Santa Monica, Calif. police tell ET that Brolin was arrested at 11:30 p.m. on January 1, 2013, but was released a few hours later with no further action being sought by the department.PICS: Hollywood's Most Memorable...

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Man hit, killed by car in Bronx

A man was killed today crossing a busy Bronx street when he was struck by a car.The unidentified 55-year-old man was crossing East Tremont Avenue near Mapes Avenue at around 1 p.m. when a 1995 Honda Accord hit the man. He was pronounced dead a short time later at St. Barnabus Hospital.The 31-year-old driver remained at the scene and was also taken to St....

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Needle reaches the inner groove for Spec’s

In the end, even the almighty Adele and Taylor Swift could not hold back the inevitable.Spec’s, one of the last great record stores, will close its flagship location in Coral Gables on U.S.1, thus joining once-favored chains like Virgin, Tower and Peaches, locally and abroad, that have withered from Internet shopping. With the closing, sometime in January after the merchandise...

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Beth Am kids learn about organic gardening

The students in Vicky Koller’s fourth grade class at Temple Beth Am Day School recently learned valuable lessons about plants, science and healthy eating at a visit to the 1,000-square-foot vegetable garden at Deering Bay Yacht & Country Club. Another group of Beth Am fourth graders helped start the garden in 2010, and students at the school continue to visit regularly,...

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Clearwire investor seeks to block sale to Sprint

(Reuters) – A large Clearwire Corp shareholder on Friday stepped up its campaign against the planned sale of the wireless service provider to its majority owner, Sprint Nextel Corp, saying it plans to ask the U.S. telecoms regulator to block the deal.Crest Financial’s general counsel also said on a call with reporters that it will ask the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to block Sprint’s plan...

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Jimmy Kimmel and Regis Philbin Prepare for GameDay

One of the most important football games of the season is quickly approaching, and die-hard Notre Dame fan Regis Philbin is letting his nerves get the better of him.Video: Regis Philbin Gives Advice to Michael Strahan It's a good thing Jimmy Kimmel knows just how to remedy Philbin's freakout. Watch a preview of the late night talk show host's attempt to calm his panicking pal in the player above.The...

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Former parole officer cops to kiddie porn charges

A onetime-senior state parole officer – who oversaw parole officers who supervised sex offenders – pleaded guilty on kiddie porn charges in Brooklyn federal court today, authorities said.James Leone, 50, was arrested at his Long Island home in September after federal law enforcement agents searched his computer and found graphic photos and videos of children...

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Former Marlins player Edgar Renteria sells Miami Beach home for $8.3 million

Former Marlins’ baseball player Edgar Renteria sold his sprawling Mediterranean-style Miami Beach home for $8,325,000, a record for Allison Island.The 7-bedroom, 7-1/2 bath home at 6633 Allison Road, was sold in an all-cash transaction to MG Brown Co. LLC, according to One Sotheby’s International Realty, which represented both the seller and buyer. The home, which boasts...

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Florida outsources inmate medical care

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Rick Scott’s administration announced Thursday the state has signed a contract with a Pennsylvania company, Wexford Health Sources, to outsource medical care to more than 15,000 inmates in several South Florida prisons.The Department of Corrections said it signed a deal to pay Wexford about $48 million a year, with a promised savings to state taxpayers...

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6 takeaways from Google’s antitrust settlement with US regulators

Google Inc. has settled an U.S. antitrust probe that largely leaves its search practices alone. In a major win for Google, the Federal Trade Commission unanimously concluded that there is not enough evidence to support complaints from rivals that the company shows unfair bias in its search results toward its own products.Below are six of the biggest takeaways from the decision announced Thursday:—...

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Connie Britton Emmys 2011 Flashback

Connie Britton had some fun with ET, who complimented her on her glowing appearance, and absolutely shimmering... clavicle?"Yes, my clavicle always shimmers, and I wake up looking like this."For those who haven't brushed up on human anatomy, the clavicle is the same thing as the collarbone. And Britton was absolutely rocking it in her sleeveless dress.See Also: Stars React To Their Golden Globe Nominations The...

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City audit shows faulty receipts filed by education officials to Bronx pizzeria

Their story stretched more than the mozzarella.Education bureaucrats submitted apparently faulty receipts to justify hundreds of dollars of expenses at a Bronx pizzeria and other food purchases made by public schools, an audit found.City Comptroller John Liu asked city investigators to look into the potentially fraudulent proof submitted after the fact...

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New York real estate investor expands Lincoln Road presence

A New York real estate investment fund continued to expand its presence on Lincoln Road last month, purchasing three storefronts on the prime retail street.Thor Equities said Thursday that it closed last month on the purchase of 663, 665, and 667 Lincoln Road. The company declined to reveal the purchase price for the 5,000 square feet of retail space. Tenants include Pizza...

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Miami Police sergeant faces drug-trafficking trial in secretive federal case

The U.S. government’s sensitive case against a Miami police sergeant charged with planting cocaine on a suspect and stealing drugs and money from dealers will begin Thursday with jury selection, and possibly opening statements. Although federal criminal cases routinely lack transparency before trial, the prosecution of Raul Iglesias has been particularly secretive because...

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HTC rumored to debut flagship ‘M7′ smartphone at CES

HTC (2498) will reportedly unveil a new flagship smartphone code-named “M7″ at the Consumer Electronics Show next week. The rumor comes to us from XDA-Developers forum member “Football,” who reported accurate information about unreleased HTC devices in the past. The phone is believed to the be the successor to the One X and could be equipped with a 4.7-inch...

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Julianne Hough Reveals Horrific Childhood Abuse

Though Julianne Hough is known for her bubbly personality, it turns out not everything in her life has been so charmed.Julianne covers Cosmopolitan's February issue, where she reveals she suffered mental and physical abuse while living in London as a young girl in order to pursue her dancing career. She attended the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Arts on a five-year scholarship, along with her...

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Cop shoots man near Brooklyn Technical High School after he lunged at him with scissors

Police shot and seriously wounded a 40-year-old man who charged at him with scissors in a building across the street from Brooklyn Technical HS in Fort Greene, according to authorities and sources.The gunfire broke out just before 3:22 p.m. inside the apartment building 48 Fort Greene Place, between Lafayette and DeKalb avenues, authorities said.Law-enforcement...

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Portion of Macy’s Flagler Street property sold

In a deal that could have implications for the future of Downtown Miami’s anchor retail tenant, a New York real estate investment firm paid $15.5 million to acquire about 60 percent of the property that now houses Macy’s Flagler Street store.The acquisition by Aetna Realty Group includes the 48,000-square-feet of land that was first leased to R.W. Burdine back in 1917 for...

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Possible future Israeli ambassador holds two countries in his heart

In Israel, he’s already known as “Bibi’s Brain:’’ Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu’s master strategist.But Ron Dermer, 42-year-old Miami Beach native, now Israeli citizen — the son of one Miami Beach mayor and brother of another — could soon add an official title to his resume: Mr. Ambassador.Dermer is reportedly Netanyahu’s choice for Israeli ambassador to the United...

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Taylor Swift Harry Styles New Years Eve Kiss

Taylor Swift and Harry Styles had equally amazing 2012's, and they kissed good-bye to the preceding 365 days together in Times Square last night.After singing on ABC's New Year's Rocking Eve, Swift and Styles braved the crowds to watch the ball drop. And to the hordes of fans who'd gathered to count down to midnight, "Haylor's" ensuing smooch ended up being more captivating than all the twinkling...

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Fiscal cliff deal, approved by Senate, runs into opposition in House

WASHINGTON – A Senate-passed bill to keep the country from going off the fiscal cliff ran into trouble in the House today, as Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor came out against the deal."I do not support the bill,” Cantor said as he left a closed closed-door meeting of Republicans about the deal negotiated between Vice President Biden and Senate Minority...

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Housing, jobs key to lifting S&P toward record

NEW YORK -- With it appearing that Washington lawmakers are working their way past the “fiscal cliff,” many analysts say that the outlook for stocks in 2013 is good, as a recovering housing market and an improving jobs outlook helps the economy maintain a slow, but steady recovery. Reasonable returns in 2013 would send the S&P 500 toward, and possibly past, its record...

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Disbarred Miami lawyer charged with selling guns stolen from Iraq’s Hussein family

Federal prosecutors in New Jersey have charged a disbarred Miami-area lawyer and three other people with hatching a scheme to sell a cache of stolen guns that once belonged to the family of the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.Prosecutors say David Ryan, 48, a one-time personal injury lawyer from Pinecrest, obtained at least seven guns that had been smuggled out of Iraq...

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Ban on demanding Facebook passwords among new 2013 state laws

CHICAGO (Reuters) – Employers in California and Illinois will be prohibited from demanding access to workers’ password-protected social networking accounts and teachers in Oregon will be required to report suspected student bullies thanks to new laws taking effect in 2013.In all, more than 400 measures were enacted at the state level during 2012 and will become law in the new year, according to the...

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Somber farewell for man pushed to his death in subway

Friends of the hardworking, humble immigrant shoved to his death last week in front of the 7 train by a Muslim-hating madwoman today gathered for an emotional farewell in Queens at the Coppola-Migliore funeral home in Flushing.Sunando Sen, 36, was remember as a man of “quiet strength” by Lorcan Otway, a lawyer and longtime friend, who noted that Sen years...

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Florida colleges a bargain, says Kiplinger

Though Florida’s in-state tuition costs more than double what it did only a decade ago, many of the state’s public universities are still a good value, according to the latest annual “Best Values in Public Colleges” list compiled by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. Florida schools have long fared well in the magazine’s rankings, with this year being no exception. Six of Florida’s...

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As 500th anniversary nears, cities vie for title of Ponce de Leon’s landing spot

ST. AUGUSTINE -- — Where did that most ambitious conquistador, Juan Ponce de Leon, wade ashore five centuries ago and name his prize "La Florida?" Inquiring minds all over our state would like to know, the sooner the better, for planning purposes.With the big day approaching — the anniversary arrives on April 3, 2013 — what east-coast beach city gets to shoot off the fireworks?...

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Skyfall Passes One Billion Mark at Box Office

Skyfall is not only the highest grossing Bond film of all-time, it has just become the 14th film ever to earn more than one billion dollars at the box office. RELATED - 12 Best Movies of 2012 The 23rd Bond film crossed this milestone on December 30, with Sony vice chairman Jeff Blake saying, "To see a film connect with audiences is always gratifying, but the success of this film is nothing short...

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MetroNorth train hits car, halting Connecticut service

REDDING, Conn. — Metro North train service has been suspended on the Danbury line following a train accident involving a car. A Metro North spokesman said the train struck a car in Redding on Sunday afternoon. The train had no passengers and there was no information about whether there were injuries involving the car. Bus service will ferry passengers between...

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Week brings startup launches, social media advice for 2013

Jared Kleinert, a South Florida entrepreneur, plans to soon launch Synergist, a platform that allow social entrepreneurs to meet potential co-founders online, collaborate and crowdfund their new projects. He also just launched AliveNDead, a blog about risk-taking, and he interns for a Silicon Valley startup. And when he’s not doing all that, he’s going to class — he’s a...

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