Great-grandmother leads annual Miami-Dade, Monroe toy drive

Beginning in August, Bunchy Gertner puts aside her social life, her needs and even her great-grandchildren to head over to the “North Pole,” the place where she stores, wraps and distributes thousands of toys destined for foster care children in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.“This is top banana,” said Gertner referring to the nonstop volunteer work she has done for the past...

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Suicide bombers attack mobile phone firms in Nigeria

KANO, Nigeria (Reuters) – Two suicide car bombers attacked the offices of mobile phone operators India’s Airtel and South Africa’s MTN on Saturday in Nigeria’s northern city of Kano, killing themselves but no civilians, police said.Islamist sect Boko Haram has previously targeted phone firms, blowing up telephone masts and offices, saying the companies help the security forces catch its members.“The...

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Gal’s best laid plans thwarted

It just wasn’t her lucky night.A gorgeous swimsuit model who hoped to have sex before the Mayan-predicted apocalypse failed to seal the deal on “doomsday” eve.Niki Ghazian, 30, earlier this week had declared to The Post, “I don’t want to die on a dry spell!” and hoped to hook up with someone before the predicted hour of doom yesterday morning.But the sexy...

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Investors shuffling assets ahead of fiscal cliff

Some citizens aren’t waiting to find out if the White House and Republicans in Congress will be able to reach a last-minute deal to pull the country away from the “fiscal cliff.” They are selling securities while capital gains tax rates are still low or transferring millions into trusts for the benefit of children and grandchildren before estate tax laws become more stringent....

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Bay of Pigs invasion veterans mark 50 years since release

In the days before Christmas 50 years ago this weekend, 1,113 Bay of Pigs fighters captured by Fidel Castro’s forces and imprisoned for 20 months were finally released to a heroes’ welcome in Miami.The first planeload of POWs arrived at Homestead Air Force Base on Dec. 23, 1962. Gaunt and betrayed by the John F. Kennedy administration, members of the proud Brigade 2506 were...

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Jennifer Lawrence Fashion Time Warp

"It" girl Jennifer Lawrence is getting a lot of attention this year, and with good reason! The recent Golden Globe nominee has proven herself worthy of the big-screen hype thanks to the box office success of The Hunger Games and Silver Linings Playbook. On top of that, the beauteous bombshell has become a fashion-forward phenomenon.Related: Five Things You Don't Know About Jennifer LawrenceJoin...

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Storm brings heavy rain and wind to NYC, with regional travel delays expected

Dan GoodA storm system has brought rain and wind to the region, with travel delays expected across the northeast today.Better bring the umbrella.A storm system brought gusty wind and heavy rain to the northeast this morning, making for a messy New York City commute - and likely causing travel delays across the region.A scaffolding collapse shut down a section...

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Cuba lashes out against U.S. fines on foreign banks

The Cuban government Thursday denounced what it called the “unjust and illegal” multi-million dollar fines the U.S. government slapped on two foreign banks for violating Washington’s sanctions on the island. The U.S. actions show that its “ferocious persecution of financial and commercial transactions by Cuba and those with legitimate relations … has only changed but has...

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Sarasota man charged with child abuse after ‘hog-tied’ daughter, 11, dies

SARASOTA -- A 35-year-old Sarasota man has been charged with abusing his 11-year-old daughter, who died this week, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.Investigators have determined the girl was regularly “hog tied,” to a board on her bed with duct tape on her mouth, or tied up and put in a filthy family pool," according to authorities.Sarasota County paramedics...

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Nexus 4 ad touts Photo Sphere as the go-to app for avoiding holiday family photo headaches [video]

Title Post: Nexus 4 ad touts Photo Sphere as the go-to app for avoiding holiday family photo headaches [video]Rating: 100%based on 99998 ratings.5 user reviews.Author: Fluser SeoLinkThanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comm...

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Boehner dares Obama to reject a GOP tax hike on millionaires in 49-second address

WASHINGTON — In one of the most abrupt Capitol Hill press conferences ever, House Speaker John Boehner yesterday dared President Obama to ignore a Republican offer to raise taxes on millionaires and instead take a fiscal-cliff jump.“He can call upon the Senate Democrats to pass the legislation or he can be responsible for the largest tax increase...

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Survey shows better lending climate

Most Miami-Dade businesses believe they have easier access to borrowed money amid a slowly improving economy.That’s one result from a recent survey of executives by Miami’s Bilzin Sumberg law firm. The online survey of about 200 top executives was conducted during the second half of 2012. Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they thought the financing environment had improved...

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Teen shot to death on Lauderdale Lakes street in front of friend

A teenager was shot dead as he walked with a friend on a Lauderdale Lakes street.Cornelius Mitchell, 17, of Fort Lauderdale died at Broward Health Medical Center after being shot in the 4400 block of North State Road 7. Mitchell was walking Tuesday afternoon with friend Bravon Newsom, also 17, who was grazed by a bullet.According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Mitchell...

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Angelina Jolie to Direct Unbroken Film

Angelina Jolie is in final negotiations to direct her second film, Unbroken, based on the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympian-turned-World War II prisoner of war, according to Deadline. Video: Angelina Jolie Talks Kids, 'Blood and Honey' "I was so moved by Louie Zamperini's heroic story, I immediately began to fight for the opportunity to make this film," said The Oscar-winning actress in a statement....

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O, stop this apocalypse . . . now!

Michael Goodwin This is why we have a president. The question is whether the president we have will rise to the challenge.Barack Obama gave an eloquent, heartfelt address at Sunday’s memorial service in Newtown, Conn. He said privately that the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School made Friday “the worst day” of his tenure. The pain...

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iOS apps you need right now

If you’ve just gotten an iPhone 5 or an iPad Mini, you’re going to want to play with it. And if you’re looking for apps to try out on your new iOS device, these old and new favorites are perfect — not to mention cheap or free. PHOTOTOASTER Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 (Outstanding) The good: PhotoToaster is one of the best ways to add effects to your images,...

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Miami-Dade court program helps young inmates change their lives

It was a graduation without pomp and circumstance. There was marching in combat boots. No gowns.The remarks by Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Beth Bloom were full of the hallmarks common at any graduation. She spoke of goals and achievement and of the opportunity. But were it not for the “I’m Ready” program, many of Monday’s graduates would not be anticipating...

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$35 Raspberry Pi computer gets its own app store

Title Post: $35 Raspberry Pi computer gets its own app storeRating: 100%based on 99998 ratings.5 user reviews.Author: Fluser SeoLinkThanks for visiting the blog, If any criticism and suggestions please leave a comm...

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YouTube Announces Top 10 Videos of 2012

YouTube has just released their top 10 videos of 2012 along with one dazzling video bound to become a viral sensation in its own right.Watch the clip to see the Rewind YouTube Style video featuring the website's biggest stars acting out a parody of Gangnam Style and Call Me Maybe. The video was shot at the new YouTube Space in Los Angeles, a place for YouTube creators to come learn, collaborate, and...

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NBC reporter kidnapped in Syria, released unharmed after 5 days

Richard Engel, NBC’s award-winning chief foreign correspondent, was kidnapped in war-torn Syria and held for five days before being released unharmed, the network announced today.The network said early today that Engel and his crew had been kidnapped by "an unknown group," but that are currently out of the country.A Turkish media report yesterday that Engel...

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American Airlines adds new agreements, flights in South America

In a nod to the importance of Latin America for its business, American Airlines on Monday announced new codeshare agreements with airlines in the region as well as new routes.American has agreed to codeshare with TAM Airlines, based in Sao Paulo, and LAN Colombia, both part of LATAM Airlines Group.The airline also said that it will add new routes in late 2013 between Miami...

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Provisional ballots spike, but Florida elections supervisors say they’re not needed

TALLAHASSEE -- It’s the most unreliable way to vote, a last resort in which half of the ballots are disqualified. Created by Congress a decade ago, the provisional ballot was intended as a final attempt to preserve the right to vote for someone whose eligibility is in doubt. Florida saw a surge in such ballots in 2012 even though turnout was nearly the same as four years...

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Google could emerge unscathed from federal web search probe – WSJ

(Reuters) – Google may not face any major repercussions from the Federal Trade Commission‘s (FTC) two-year-old anti-trust investigation into its web search business, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.The FTC might drop the investigation sometime this week based on voluntary changes Google will make to its search practices, rather than making the company sign...

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Newtown plans victims' burials as school's future debated

REUTERSA woman and a child pray over candles outside Saint Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church a day after a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut Saturday.NEWTOWN, Conn. — A grieving Connecticut town braced itself Monday to bury the first two of the 20 small victims of an elementary school gunman and debated when classes could...

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Five years after the recession, a slow recovery plods on

Five years ago this month, the Great Recession began. Which leads to this question: How much longer until South Florida can erase the damage?Officially, the recession ended in June 2009. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the national economy began contracting in December 2007 and did not grow again for 19 months. Using taxable sales figures, it’s probably...

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7-year-old in critical condition after accident

Police were investigating an accident involving a 7-year-old who was struck by a vehicle in a Lauderhill neighborhood late Saturday, Lauderhill Police spokesman Rick Rocco said. The vehicle and its driver, who has not yet been identified, remained on scene after the incident near the intersection of Northwest 27th Court and 56th Avenue.The child was transported to Broward...

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Facebook unveils new privacy controls

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc began rolling out a variety of new privacy controls on Wednesday, the company’s latest effort to address user concerns about who can see their personal information on the world’s largest social network.New tools introduced on Wednesday will make it easier for Facebook’s members to quickly determine who can view the photos, comments and other information about...

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Riveting Details Emerge from CT School Rampage

As morning turned to afternoon on Friday, further details continued to emerge from Newtown, CT, a tight-knit community shaken by a massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School that took the lives of innocent students and teachers, in addition to the gunman, reportedly identified as Adam Lanza.RELATED: President Fights Tears as He Addresses NationAs President Barack Obama touched on in his tear-jerking...

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Insider rips the lid off ‘Idol’

More withering than Simon Cowell, crazier than Paula Abdul — it’s the novel that will have Hollywood on a witch hunt. Who is anonymously exposing the secrets of “American Idol”?“Elimination Night,” a new novel by a nameless author with “firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of a top TV talent show,” is a thinly-veiled, scathing tell-all of the 10th...

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Miami in spotlight at AVCC, other entrepreneurship events

Entrepreneurs from around the world took the stage during this packed week of entrepreneurship events in Miami: Florida International University’s Americas Venture Capital Conference (known as AVCC), HackDay, Wayra’s Global DemoDay and Endeavor’s International Selection Panel.The events, all part of the first Innovate MIA week, also put the spotlight on Miami as it continues...

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