Lawmakers heard the voters on Election Day: They say they’ll work together — at least for now

TALLAHASSEE -- They come from big cities and small towns across this sprawling state, and from vastly different backgrounds. Some are new and some are seasoned. Some Democrats. Even more Republicans.But members of the Florida Legislature heard largely the same message from voters on Election Day, and they agree on how that will influence their work in the upcoming legislative...

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HP says products may have been sold to Syria by others

(Reuters) – Hewlett Packard Co said in a letter made public on Friday that its products could have been delivered to Syria through resellers or distributors, but the world’s largest PC maker affirmed it did not sell directly to the country.The letter was a response to a request from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission‘s Office of Global Security Risk that asked whether HP’s products were sold...

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Larry Hagman Dies

Larry Hagman, best known for playing Dallas villain J.R. Ewing, died Friday morning from complications stemming from his recent battle with cancer.He was 81 years old.Video: Larry Hagman Talks 'Dallas', Cancer and Veganism "Larry was back in his beloved Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved most," his family said in a statement via The Dallas Morning News. "When he passed, he was surrounded...

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'Serial stickup man' cuffed in ice-cream, yogurt store robberies

The Fro-Yo bandit is on ice.Cops nabbed an alleged serial robber, who held-up at least 10 businesses throughout Brooklyn — including hitting the same Tasti-D-Lite in Park Slope three times, authorities said yesterday.Robert Coston, 47, was arrested Friday afternoon at the Linden Motor Inn in East New York Friday.Cops tracked down him down after getting...

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For Miami, new cruise ships a cause for celebration

Miami’s ship has come in. And it looks more like a fleet. The Carnival Breeze, which starts regular sailings from its new year-round home Saturday, will be joined Thursday by Oceania Cruises’ Riviera and Dec. 1 by Celebrity Reflection. All three launched earlier this year in Europe and make their U.S. debut in Miami. After a three-year dry stretch that saw no shiny new vessels...

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Small plane makes emergency landing in Southwest Ranches

A small, ultralight airplane made an emergency landing onto an open cow pasture in Southwest Ranches on Friday. No one was injured, Broward Sheriff’s Office reported, and the airplane did not suffer any significant damage.Two people were aboard the plane, said Dani Moschella, a BSO spokeswoman. An investigation into the cause of the emergency landing will be conducted by...

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Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi, Miley Cyrus Share Birthday Joy On Twitter

“Jersey Shore” star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi was celebrating her 25th birthday on Black Friday, but it wasn’t the shops that provided her with her favorite present.The reality star and new mom Tweeted that her baby boy — Lorenzo, who was born in August — was the most rewarding gift of all.PLAY IT NOW: The Jersey Shore Cast Makes A Plea To Help ‘Restore The Shore’“My favorite birthday gift,” she Tweeted,...

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Worn Out? Stars Step Out in Same Style

Kim Kardashian vs. Pink Who knew Kim Kardashian and Pink had similar tastes in formal wear? Kardashian was spotted wearing a purple-blue, floor-length Catherine Deane gown in Miami this past month, while Pink chose the same style for her red-carpet appearance at the 2012 American Music Awards. Who rocked the chic style best? ...

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Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 13,000 for first time since Election Day

Stocks rallied in an abbreviated session on Wall Street.The Dow Jones industrial average shot up 172 points to 13,009. That's the first close above 13,000 for the Dow since Election Day.The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 18 points to 1,409. The S&P also racked up its biggest weekly point gain of the year. The Nasdaq composite index climbed 40 to 2,966.Traders were encouraged by economic...

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For Miami, new ships a cause for celebration

Miami’s ship has come in. And it looks more like a fleet. The Carnival Breeze, which starts regular sailings from its new year-round home Saturday, will be joined Thursday by Oceania Cruises’ Riviera and Dec. 1 by Celebrity Reflection. All three launched earlier this year in Europe and make their U.S. debut in Miami. After a three-year dry stretch that saw no shiny new vessels...

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How stepdad held in 3 deaths slipped through cracks

When 6-year-old Julia Padrino showed up at Seminole Elementary with a visible wound on her left arm — explaining that her stepfather “bit me with his teeth” — police and child welfare administrators immediately investigated.“It hurt,” she said.Two months later, authorities concluded they had “no safety concern” about Julia and her younger siblings: By then, their stepfather...

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Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is Good, But No iPad Killer [REVIEW]

Unboxing the Kindle Fire HD 8.9Click here to view this gallery.[More from Mashable: Apple Now Owns the iMessage Name] Amazon expands its tablet sights with the bigger, more powerful Kindle Fire HD 8.9. Can it compete against Apple‘s iPad?If there’s one company that deserves credit for reigniting the iPad competitor market,...

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Gabriel Aubry and Olivier Martinez Involved in Brawl

Halle Berry's ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry and her fiancé Olivier Martinez were involved in a Thanksgiving altercation that turned physical, with Aubry having to be transported by ambulance to the hospital due to injuries, ET confirms.Cops responded to a 9-1-1 call at 10 a.m. at Berry's house, and according to police sources, the fight broke out when Aubry was dropping off his daughter with Berry, Nahla,...

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Late delivery: postcard sent during WWII arrives at NY home

ELMIRA, NY — A postcard mailed nearly 70 years ago has finally arrived at the former upstate New York home of the couple who sent it.The postcard was sent July 4, 1943, from Rockford, Ill., to sisters Pauline and Theresa Leisenring in Elmira.Their brother, George Leisenring, was stationed at Rockford's Medical Center Barracks at Camp Grant, an Army post...

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Black Friday in South Florida: Dispatches from the front of the line

8:01 PM, Kendall Big LED television sets for as little as $147 brought Yamilet Guerra to the BrandsMart in Kendall at 10 a.m. Thursday.She didn't mind forgoing a turkey dinner."A 60-inch TV for $647 is a good deal, " Guerra, 18, of Miami, said of her planned purchase.   Joining her in line at 10 a.m. were Uglis Boscan, 45, and Juan Romero, 40, both...

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Vet who contracted Hep C wins malpractice suit against VA hospital

A failure by Miami Veterans Affairs Medical Center staff to properly clean colonoscopy equipment likely infected a patient with hepatitis C, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan awarded U.S. Air Force veteran Robert Metzler and his wife a combined $1.25 million in their medical malpractice case against the United States government. Metzler,...

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Some gifts fall into the love-it-later category

NEW YORK (AP) — Have you ever said “thank you” through clenched teeth? The gift in that nicely wrapped box was so not what you wanted: comfy clothes instead of designer duds, or a kitchen gadget instead of a shiny piece of jewelry.Sometimes, though, the best gifts are the ones you use, and, frankly, most of us probably wear hoodies more than haute couture. With...

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Thanksgiving with the Stars

When it comes to the holidays, your favorite celebs are just like everyone else -- they just want to hang out with family and loved ones.From Britney Spears to Ben Affleck, find out how the stars will spend their Turkey Day this year!Plus, we break down the holiday season's must-see movies on the next ...

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Cops hunting suspect wanted for B'klyn rape

A sicko stalked a young woman, followed her into her Williamsburg apartment building and raped her, police said today.The suspect followed the victim into her Kent Ave. apartment building at around 5:45 am Saturday and raped her, police said.The suspect is described as 6’0" tall and 190 pounds, cops said. The New York City Police Department is seeking the public's assistance identifying...

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Small Business Saturday: the anti-Black Friday

Don’t want to brave the Black Friday craziness? You can get a head start on your holiday shopping, snag some deals and support local merchants by participating in Small Business Saturday.Nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is focused on promoting small business owners nationwide. Since it was started in 2010 by American Express, the promotional...

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Former foster children give thanks for Casa Valentina

Every holiday season for the last six years, Lynn Hausmann hosts a Thanksgiving gathering for Casa Valentina, the residential and life skills program for youth aging out of foster care.It’s what you do, she says, for the people you love.“It’s simple — we are family,” says Hausmann, a member of the organization’s board of directors. “This is about opening your heart and home.”...

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Casper Smart Talks Jennifer Lopez Romance

It appears the romance between Jennifer Lopez and her dancer/choreographer beau Casper Smart is still going strong.ET caught up with the twosome during the European leg of Lopez's Dance Again World Tour as the lovebirds prepped for a show in Istanbul, Turkey. Side-by-side, the performers have been traveling the globe since mid-June.Related: J.Lo Shoots Down Engagement Rumors "You want people around...

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Cops questioning person of interest in Brooklyn shopkeeper slays

Cops are questioning a person of interest in the serial killings of three Brooklyn shopkeepers, law enforcement sources told the Post.The mustachioed man seen carrying a duffel bag near the scene of the latest killing in Flatbush is being interviewed by investigators at the 67th precinct, the sources said.The unidentified man was seen near the scene of...

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Dear daughter, let me give you some career advice ...

My daughter, a high school junior, wants to be a teacher. That doesn’t sit well with my husband, who worries about the state of education and the job outlook. He and I regularly debate whether we should encourage her to pursue this interest, or strongly steer her in another direction.Today, coaching our kids about career paths is complicated. Many of my reporter and editor...

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Detectives again question husband of Miami-Dade slain woman

Miami-Dade detectives on Monday evening were again questioning the estranged husband of a woman found murdered along with her two young daughters inside a bedroom closet.Investigators also found Gladys Machado’s missing car near the Kendall home of husband, Alberto Luis Sierra, 28.Machado was last seen the night of Nov. 10, when she and her daughters left her grandmother’s...

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Stars Party Gangnam Style Backstage at AMAs

BET's Rocsi Diaz acted as a special correspondent for ET at the American Music Awards on Sunday, getting up close and personal with the stars backstage, who were all big fans of Korean pop star Psy.PICS: The Fierce & Fabulous Styles of the 2012 AMAsWhile Psy performed his hit song Gangnam Style, Rocsi used her Nokia Lumia 920 to capture the scene backstage where even Carrie Underwood was dancing...

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Madonna selling Central Park West apartment for $23.5M

The Material Girl’s apartment is up for sale for $23.5 million.Madonna’s co-op at 41 Central Park West – along 64th Street – was placed on the buying block today, the Post has learned. It’s a duplex on the fifth and sixth floors that contains more than 6,000 square feet -- with nearly 110 feet of windows facing Central Park. The exclusive pad comes with...

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Growing middle class feeds spirits business in Latin America

Diageo executive Randy Millian is proud of the fact that eight out of every 12 times someone pours a standard or premium whiskey in the Latin American and Caribbean region, they’re drinking one of his company’s brands.That kind of dominance is why the spirits giant is bullish on its future in Latin America, which recently has been the fastest growing region for Diageo worldwide....

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Catholic church in Miami sends storm supplies to Cuba

The first plane filled with supplies for Hurricane Sandy victims in Cuba will take off on Monday from Miami, the Archdiocese of Miami announced. Before slamming the Northeast, the hurricane battered Santiago de Cuba in the southeastern section of the island, leaving many homeless. At a 9 a.m. Monday news conference at Miami International Airport, Archbishop Thomas Wenski...

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Breaking Dawn Part 2 Wins Box Office

Breaking Dawn: Part 2 took in a staggering $141.3 million for its debut, the eighth biggest opening weekend of all time.Video: Nikki Reed Duets with Hubby for 'Twilight' Song The final installment of the Twilight Saga series eclipsed its runner-up Skyfall by nearly a hundred million dollars. The latest Bond film earned $41.5 million in its second weekend in the U.S..Lincoln, starring Oscar-winner...

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Oil prices rise little as Gaza fighting continues

Oil futures prices rose slightly in electronic trading Sunday night with the market apparently unaffected by fighting between Israel and Hamas. In early trading, January benchmark crude futures rose less than 1 percent, by 60 to 70 cents per barrel, over Friday’s close of $86.92. Brent crude, used to price many international varieties of oil, rose about...

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Panama Canal’s $5 billion makeover could be boon for South Florida

PANAMA CITY, Panama -- Huge yellow dump trucks resemble Tonka toys in a sand pile as they haul tons of rust-colored dirt and basalt rock from a 56-foot gash in the earth that will become a new access channel in the $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal.The trucks keep rumbling up muddy terraced slopes as a quick-moving storm blurs the horizon. The rain chases away workers...

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