Hard road, cheap pay, for South Florida school bus drivers

If you think driving a car with a couple of children fussing and fidgeting in the back seat can be distracting, consider the plight of school bus drivers. They maneuver a bulky, boxy vehicle through busy streets while shouldering responsibility for dozens of otherwise unsupervised students. It’s a full-time job with irregular hours. The pay? Generally less than $20,000. ...

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Hugh Grant is a Dad Again

Hugh Grant confirmed Saturday that he is a dad again.PICS: Celebs and Their Cute KidsThe 52-year-old British actor tweeted, "In answer to some journos. Am thrilled my daughter now has a brother. Adore them both to an uncool degree. They have a fab mum."Hugh and actress Tinglan Hong welcomed a daughter named Tabitha in 2011. No word yet on what Tabitha's little brother is named.Related: Hugh Grant...

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Upstate fire department's squirrel hunt fundraiser draws ire

HOLLEY — A weekend squirrel-shooting contest in upstate New York is a sell-out, with all 1,000 tickets spoken for, organizers said, despite a push by animal rights groups and others to cancel the event.The 7th annual "Hazzard County Squirrel Slam" will raise money for the volunteer Holley Fire Department, the event sponsor.Prizes ranging from $50 to $200...

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Sign up for Feb. 21 Miami Herald Small Business Forum

Prepare your best pitch for the Miami Herald’s Small Business Forum, Feb. 21 at the south campus of our sponsor, Florida International University.In addition to how-to panels and inspirational stories from successful entrepreneurs, our annual small business forum will include interactive opportunities with experts to learn about financing options and polish your personal...

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Charlie Crist's wife loses custody of two teenage daughters

The ex-husband of former First Lady Carole Crist has been granted full custody of their two daughters, after alleging that she abandoned them and hasn’t returned messages in nearly two years.“She’s completely abandoned them,” Todd Rome said of his former wife of 14 years in a brief telephone interview Friday.He said Mrs. Crist, married for four years to former Gov. Charlie...

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Surprising Celebrity Relatives

Who knew Madonna and Lady Gaga were related?According to a celebrity genealogist, the two stars share more than pop icon status with each other—they're ninth cousins, once-removed!Pics--Adorable Tots: Celebs and Their Cute Kids! Interestingly enough, Mother Monster isn't the only celebrity to share a family tree with Madge. The legendary performer is also distantly related to singers Gwen Stefani...

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Victory for veteran thief: Jury deadlocks on Holocaust center break-in

Steven HirschMichael James, 53, (left) in court with his lawyer. James, accused of breaking into the Anne Frank Center, convinced a jury he just wanted to check out Holocaust artifacts.The trial of a career thief accused of burglarizing the Anne Frank Center ended in deadlock today, with nearly the entire jury believing that he could have gone inside the...

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South Florida trade shattered records in 2012

It was a golden year for international trade through the Miami Customs District in 2012, as South Florida’s airports and seaports handled a record $124.73 billion worth of trade and cracked into the nation’s Top 10 customs districts for the first time.But the Miami district’s top exports and imports were also golden. Since 2009, gold from countries such as Colombia, Mexico,...

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Dolphins take stadium pitch to Miami Gardens

The Miami Dolphins took their Sun Life Stadium renovations pitch on the road Thursday, highlighting support from a county commissioner and the mayor of Miami Gardens, the team’s hometown for 26 years.The politicians’ backing carries weight in the city that perhaps knows the Dolphins best.But that neighborly history also has made some people in Miami Gardens skeptical about...

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Nikita Black Badge Exclusive Promo

Nikita has long been one of the most dynamic and rewarding dramas on television. It's also consistently been one of the most underrated. But you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone that isn't coated in a thick layer of goosebumps after watching ETonline's exclusive new promo for the upcoming episodes! RELATED - TV's Saddest Death ScenesFeaturing first look footage from the next two all-new episodes,...

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Apology from bronzed pol who waited out Nemo in the Caribbean while residents suffered

The bungling Long Island politician who basked in the warmth of a Caribbean vacation while his constituents suffered through winter storm Nemo finally offered an apology yesterday.Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine said he regretted the comically inept response to the snow storm and shunted blame onto the town’s highway department.Superintendent Michael...

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American Airlines, US Airways announce merger

After a nearly yearlong courtship, the union became official Thursday: American Airlines and US Airways have formally announced plans to merge.An early morning announcement by the airlines confirmed reports widely circulated after boards of both companies approved the merger late Wednesday.The move brings stability to one of Miami-Dade County’s largest private employers more...

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Miami-Dade’s airport and seaport thriving, directors say

At PortMiami, the $1 billion port tunnel project that connects the mainland to Dodge Island is on time and on budget, several new cruise ships will soon call the port home, and the deep dredging at Government Cut means the port will soon be able to support the huge vessels that will cruise through the new Panama Canal. Miami International Airport, meanwhile, has undergone...

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Grammys Crasher: Are the Oscars Next?

Is the Grammy Crasher targeting the Oscars next? Should the Academy be concerned that the 24-year-old Ukrainian reporter will target Hollywood's biggest awards event? ET's Rob Marciano gets answers from Hollywood's newest prankster.PICS: Candid Grammy Moments "Adele is going to be there -- maybe I will sit next to her, I don't know," says Vitalii Sediuk, who managed to not only get through security...

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JFK airport staffer allowed Kanye West and Kim Kardashian to sneak past security checkpoints

VLNY / Sharky / Splash NewsKim Kardashian and Kanye West.Celebrity lovebirds Kanye West and Kim Kardashian forced an airplane full of travelers to wait for takeoff at JFK after an airline employee allowed them to bypass security screening, sources told The Post.The stars -- who were running late for an American Airlines flight – were ushered around a security...

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Now owned by top executives, Cruise Planners on course toward continued growth

With a background in travel and present-day focus on raising her two small children, Lori Jahner set out to find work she enjoyed that would give her the flexibility she needed.The 33-year-old from Aurora, Colo. decided on Cruise Planners — American Express Travel, a home-based travel agent network headquartered in Coral Springs. “They have so much training to offer, ongoing...

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MIA director to unveil Airport City project at annual speech

The futuristic plan for Miami International Airport envisions newly arrived visitors checking in at a four-star hotel to relax at a pool, corporate executives hopping onto a people mover to meet at a business center minutes away, and locals crossing the street from the terminal to pick up Fido at the pet spa.And the airport wouldn’t pay a cent to build any of it.Instead,...

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Lady Gaga Postpones Shows Due to Injury

Lady Gaga announced on Tuesday that she has had to cancel four upcoming shows due to a severe inflammation of joints that has left her unable to walk.PICS: Candid Celeb Sightings Through a series of Twitter messages, Mother Monster revealed that she's been hiding the "show injury and chronic pain" from her staff "for sometime now," but now her condition has worsened."I didn't want to disappoint my...

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WATCH: Cops punch, kick Queens teen in drug arrest

A Queens teen got a brutal beatdown by a group of NYPD police officers during a stop outside the Flushing YMCA, dramatic video released today shows.The Jan. 8 attack — which was captured on a witness’ cell phone — begins about 12:38 p.m. with two cops fighting to restrain Queens resident Robert Jackson, 19, on the ground while yelling “put your hands behind...

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Romance and the executive woman: When it comes to love, leave work mode at the office

While on a blind date, Alexandra Arguelles found herself behaving as if she were interviewing a candidate for a job. “I caught myself asking him question after question and trying to control everything.” Afterward, she says she felt as if she had been at a business dinner.“It’s not easy for me to be laid back,” says Arguelles, a 42-year-old sales executive at a travel IT...

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First Lady Michelle Obama invites 102-year-old North Miami woman to State of Union speech

WASHINGTON -- At age 102, it's possible Desaline Victor is the oldest guest ever to attend a State of the Union address.But the North Miami woman, known as "Granny" among the city’s Haitian community, was chosen less for her age than what she signifies.As a naturalized U.S. citizen who waited for more than three hours to cast her ballot on Nov. 6, Victor, says the White House...

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13-year-old who opened fire on crowd of people arraigned

The geeky 13-year-old named "Elmo" charged with opening fire into a crowd of people in East Harlem was arraigned today on attempted murder charges.Elmo Williams had allegedly pulled a 9 mm pistol and tried to shoot a rival 14-year-old in front of Jefferson Houses just after school let out on Thursday. Manhattan Family Court Judge Stewart Weinstein ordered...

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Green cards for sale at a South Beach hotel: Competition is on for EB5 investment visas

If David Hart gets his way, South Beach’s 42-room Astor Hotel will be on a hiring spree this year as it adds concierge service, a roof-top pool, an all-night diner, spa and private-car service available 24 hours a day. New hires will be crucial to Hart’s business plan, since foreign investors have agreed to pay about $50,000 for each job created by the Art Deco boutique....

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Tawdry allegations may emerge in criminal trial of former Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer

TALLAHASSEE -- They headed for Marsh Harbour Airport in the Bahamas, most of them on private planes owned by billionaire Harry Sargeant III, then the finance chairman of the Florida Republican Party.The weekend trip began on Friday Jan. 11, 2008, for a select group of Floridians —maybe 20 or so — who helped raise money for a constitutional amendment that would increase homestead...

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3 Killed Filming Discovery Channel Production

Three people were killed Sunday morning in a helicopter crash during a production shoot for a Discovery Channel reality show.The crash occurred about 3:40 a.m. in an open field in the town of Acton outside Los Angeles, Deadline reports. The three victims were thrown from the helicopter and pronounced dead at the scene.PICS: Star SightingsIn a statement to Deadline, the Discovery Channel confirmed...

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Houseboat man found dead under dock in Brooklyn

The body of an elderly man who lived on a houseboat was found floating under a dock today in Brooklyn, authorities said.The 74-year-old man’s boat was docked in the Plumb Beach Channel off of Ebony Court in Gerritsen Beach when he he was spotted in the water around 12:35 p.m., cops said.He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police do not suspect any criminality...

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Green cards for sale at a South Beach hotel: Competition is on for EB5 investment visas

If David Hart gets his way, South Beach’s 42-room Astor Hotel will be on a hiring spree this year as it adds concierge service, a roof-top pool, an all-night diner, spa and private-car service available 24 hours a day. New hires will be crucial to Hart’s business plan, since foreign investors have agreed to pay about $50,000 for each job created by the Art Deco boutique....

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