State scraps plan to have private vendors make license tags

TALLAHASSEE -- Backing away from a possible court fight, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles announced Friday that it will halt its attempt to bid license tag services to private vendors.Tax collectors — who distribute state tags — and two manufacturing groups tried to block the change by lobbying elected officials and filing legal action against...

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How They Pulled Off 'The Impossible'

The true story of the devastating 2004 tsunami that consumed the coast of Phuket, Thailand -- and how one family survived it -- is reenacted by Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor in The Impossible. Watch the video to go behind the scenes...Video: Tsunami Survivor Petra Nemcova Reacts to Latest Disaster in JapanIn theaters December 21, The Impossible finds Naomi as Maria and Ewan as her husband Henry, who...

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LAPD apologizes to Notorious B.I.G.'s family after failing to warn them about autopsy release

APNotorious B.I.G. was shot to death in 1997.LOS ANGELES — Police detectives apologized to the family of Notorious B.I.G. for failing to warn them about the planned release of his autopsy report more than 15 years after he died in a drive-by shooting, the Los Angeles Police Department said Saturday.The detectives had intended to notify the rapper's family,...

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Events showcase Miami’s growth as tech center

One by one, representatives from six startup companies walked onto the wooden stage and presented their products or services to a full house of about 200 investors, mentors, and other supporters Thursday at Incubate Miami’s DemoDay in the loft-like Grand Central in downtown Miami. With a large screen behind them projecting their graphs and charts, they set out to persuade...

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Preservation board to decide on Herald building

The city of Miami’s historic preservation office has compiled a lengthy, detailed report that substantially bolsters the case for designation of The Miami Herald’s “monumental’’ bayfront building as a protected landmark based on both its architectural merits and its historic significance.Somewhat unusually, the 40-page report by city preservation officer Megan McLaughlin,...

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T-Mobile to Offer Cheapest iPhone 5 in 2013

T-Mobile, the smallest of the “big four” wireless carries in the United States, already offers the country’s cheapest iPhone service — if you have an unlocked iPhone. And according to Engadget’s Brad Molen, more than a million unlocked iPhones are on T-Mobile‘s network already.Now, T-Mobile has announced that it will “add Apple products to its portfolio in the coming year,” according to parent company...

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‘Bidder’ up for hostess

Who said no one is interested in buying all of bankrupt Hostess Brands?A 59-year-old Massachusetts accountant has submitted a “bid” for the maker of Twinkies, Ho Hos and Wonder Bread — offering to buy the operation in a letter written to CEO Gregory Rayburn and the judge who will oversee the bankruptcy auction.“I’ve been looking for a business to buy for...

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Events showcase Miami’s growth as tech center

One by one, representatives from six startup companies walked onto the wooden stage and presented their products or services to a full house of about 200 investors, mentors, and other supporters Thursday at Incubate Miami’s DemoDay in the loft-like Grand Central in downtown Miami. With a large screen behind them projecting their graphs and charts, they set out to persuade...

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Driver of fatal MIA bus crash that killed two offers his “deepest sympathy.”

The driver behind the wheel of a bus that rammed into an overpass at Miami International Airport — killing two passengers and leaving many more injured — expressed his sympathies Thursday to those affected, while a group of survivors began speaking with a lawyer.On Thursday, a relative sent out a short statement in Spanish from driver Ramon Ferreiro. In it, Ferreiro extended...

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New equity options exchange owned by Miami company starts trading on Friday

MIAX Options Exchange, a new fully electronic, equity options trading exchange, said it will begin trading on Friday.MIAX Options Exchange is based in Princeton, N.J., but its parent company is Miami International Holdings. While MIAX’s executive offices, technology development center and national operations center are based in Princeton, additional executive offices, and...

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To win in 2014, Florida Democrats must build on momentum

Democrats just concluded their most successful Florida election cycle in more than three decades, not just delivering the state to President Barack Obama and re-electing Sen. Bill Nelson, but also picking up state House, state Senate, and Congressional seats.But don’t get cocky, Florida Democrats. In many respects, 2014 is more important for the vitality of the party than...

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Casio’s new G-Shock smartwatch can display alerts from your iPhone [video]

Since the Dick Tracy cartoon days, every gadget nerd’s dream has been to have a smartwatch. And while smartphones have largely made the need for wearing wristwatches unnecessary, companies continue to search for ways to connect watches and smartphones. Casio’s GB6900AA G-Shock is the latest smartwatch that connects to Apple (AAPL) iPhone 4S and iPhone 5. Using Bluetooth 4.0, the watch can provide...

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Dancing with the Stars Partners Reunite on Big Screen

Dancing with the Stars pro Karina Smirnoff is joining her Season 12 partner Ralph Macchio in a new movie, Us Weekly reports.RELATED: Ralph Macchio Gets 'Happily Divorced'According to the news source, the 34-year-old dancer plays a woman who becomes the object of a 10-year-old boy's fascination when he sees her dancing in a neighboring house."It is a dream come true to have this opportunity in working...

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Schools boss $$ scold

Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott warned of deep cuts for teaching staff, music, art and sports programs and larger class sizes if an agreement isn’t reached with the union on a new teacher-evaluation system. Gov. Cuomo has said the city’s new guidelines must be in place by Jan. 17, but Walcott says he is moving up the deadline to Dec. 21. If talks fail,...

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Innovate MIA puts spotlight on startup community

If you think the next week is all about art, you may be surprised to learn there are also six entrepreneurship events vying for your time.And that is all by design. In much the way that Art Basel helped put Miami’s arts community on the international map, organizers of the first Innovate MIA hope their weeklong grouping of events will shine a light on the city’s growing tech...

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On shared stage, Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan take steps toward 2016

WASHINGTON -- Just days after he was sworn in, Sen. Marco Rubio was trying to knock down speculation."This is the one job that I wanted. I wanted to be a U.S. senator, not a vice presidential candidate, not a presidential candidate," he told a radio interviewer in January 2011. "I didn’t run to use it as a stepping-stone."But Tuesday night at the Mayflower Renaissance Hotel,...

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Adorable Tots: Celebs and their Cute Kids!

Mariah Carey & Nick Cannon "Monroe's in paradise," posted Mariah Carey along with an adorable snap of her daughter lounging in a room full of Hello Kitty toys as her twin brother Moroccan looks on. "Roc doesn't share the fascination lol," she remarked. ...

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Mad about NoMad

Lois Weiss BETWEEN THE BRICKS The Madison Belvedere has been sold to Invesco for a client of the firm for about $300 million. The 50-story tower with 404 residential apartments at 10 E. 29th St. was developed by Rose Associates in 1998. The building, by Fifth Avenue and Madison Square Park, was quietly marketed by Woody Heller’s...

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iPad’sdominance limits apps for other tablets

Q. When are companies going to start writing applications for tablet computers other than the iPad? I own a Pandigital tablet, and when I try to download apps, I’m told they’re either for the iPad or iPhone. LeRoy Hilton, Oro Valley, Ariz. You can expect more apps for non-Apple tablet computers when those devices gain more market share. How soon, or if,...

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Son of slain Miami Gardens car wash owner: ‘He put his own life before someone else’

When Dameion Peart got the phone call from his uncle, he didn’t believe it. He drove to his father’s Miami Gardens car wash to see for himself. He hoped the news wouldn’t be too bad, or maybe the shooting happened someplace else.He pulled up, saw flashing lights and police tape, and knew it was true.His father, Errold Peart, had been trying to protect a customer Sunday afternoon...

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$120 tablet that runs both Android and Linux to launch in early 2013

For anyone who has ever used his or her Android tablet and wished that it could double as a desktop-style device, PengPod has a product just for you. Ars Technica reports that the new PengPod tablet, which runs both Android and Linux, has met its crowd-sourced fundraising goals and will so on sale in January for $ 120 a 7-inch model and $ 185 for a 10-inch model. According to Ars, the tablet...

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First Look at TLC's Neat Freaks

Think you're a neat freak? Meet Alfreta.Video-'Crazy Obsession': The $150K Love Doll Collection The self-confessed germophobe not only spends the majority of her day scrubbing her home with gallons of bleach (as well as public bathrooms and friend's houses when she gets the chance), she utilizes her favorite cleanser to sanitize her meals before eating.Check out a sneak peek in the player above!Neat...

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It’s nip and tuck for the Gray Lady - again

Once again the specter of newsroom layoffs is hanging over the Gray Lady.“The advertising climate remains volatile and we don’t see this changing in the near future,” said New York Times Publisher and Chairman Arthur “Pinch” Sulzberger, Jr. The company said it was looking for 30 volunteers from its non-unionized management ranks to take early retirement...

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The business behind the artist: Miami’s art gallery scene still evolving

This week, thousands of art collectors, museum trustees, artists, journalists and hipsters from around the globe will arrive for the phenomenon known as Art Basel Miami Beach. The centerpiece of the week: works shown at the convention center by more than 260 of the world’s top galleries.Only two of those are from Miami.While Art Basel has helped transform the city’s reputation...

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Miami-Dade proposes spending $1.5 billion over 15 years to cure sewer system woes

Six months into negotiations with federal regulators over Miami-Dade’s aging sewer system, the county has come up with a $1.5 billion, 15-year plan to rebuild pipes, pumps and sewage treatment plants that in some cases are almost 100 years old. County leaders devised the proposal in an attempt to fend off a federal lawsuit, and potentially millions of dollars in fines, for...

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Chris Brown Returns To Twitter, Instragrams Photo Of Scantily Clad Rihanna

Breezy’s back with a bang.Chris Brown has returned to Twitter, after deleting his account last Sunday following an expletive-laced online fight with comedian Jenny Johnson.PLAY IT NOW: Rihanna Discusses Her Fashion Sense & TattoosWhile the “Don’t Wake Me Up” singer still boasts 7.7 million followers, he has yet to grace the Twittersphere with a post since reactivating his account on Saturday.However,...

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Dennis Quaid Officially Files for Divorce From Wife Kimberly

Despite an attempt to salvage their rocky marriage in April, actor Dennis Quaid has officially filed for divorce from his wife of eight years, Kimberly Quaid. Related: Dennis Quaid's Wife Files for Divorce In court filings obtained by ET dated November 30, Quaid blames "irreconcilable differences" for the pair's split, listing their date of separation as October 1, 2012. Joint legal and physical...

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SI man busted in wife slay

A man who suspected that his wife of 20 years had cheated on him allegedly bludgeoned her to death with a baseball bat yesterday — as their two teenage children frantically called 911 from another room of the family’s Staten Island house.Gregory Surinaga, 45, described by neighbors as an FDNY mechanic, allegedly choked and beat Jodi Surinaga, 42, in their...

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The business behind the artist: Miami’s art gallery scene still evolving

This week, thousands of art collectors, museum trustees, artists, journalists and hipsters from around the globe will arrive for the phenomenon known as Art Basel Miami Beach. The centerpiece of the week: works shown at the convention center by more than 260 of the world’s top galleries.Only two of those are from Miami.While Art Basel has helped transform the city’s reputation...

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