State budget surplus will spur intense debate on what to fund

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Rick Scott this week will send the Legislature a proposed budget that’s a blueprint for spending and a road map to his re-election campaign — complete with potholes.For the first time in three years, a slow but steady economic recovery means Scott will have more tax money to spend — not less. But Scott, who ran as a small-government conservative, has rankled...

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Exclusive PIC: 2013 SAG Awards Seating Chart GigaPan Photo

Where the stars will be sitting at this year’s SAGs?You don't have to wait until Sunday to see which celebs will be seated together! ET has your first look at the 2013 SAG Awards seating chart. Pics: The 10 Best SAG Awards Dresses of All Time Explore our exclusive interactive GigaPan (high-res panoramic photo) below! Related: Pick The Winners with ET's SAG Awards Ballot! Don't miss the 19th Annual...

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Bloomberg giving $350 million to alma mater John Hopkins; he's first to donate more than $1B to single US university

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is giving $350 million to alma mater Johns Hopkins University, pushing his lifetime giving to the private Baltimore university past $1 billion, the university said today.University officials believe Bloomberg, who earned his fortune creating the global financial services firm Bloomberg LP, is now the first person to give more than...

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Fed aims for a 6.5% jobless rate

Six and a half percent unemployment in America would mean almost 2.1 million more people working than today. At the rate the country has been creating new jobs each month, it would take more than a year to find work for that many people.Keep 6.5 percent in mind this week when the Federal Reserve meets Tuesday and Wednesday to talk about its efforts to push interest rates...

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Appeals court again upholds power of Miami’s Civilian Investigative Panel

An appeals court has struck down a police officer’s challenge to the validity of Miami’s Civilian Investigative Panel — the second time the panel has withstood a legal challenge from police officers in the past five years. Police Lt. Freddy D’Agastino and the Fraternal Order of Police filed a lawsuit arguing that the civilian panel, which reviews citizen complaints against...

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BlackRock to buy $80 million Twitter stake: source

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management company, has taken an $ 80 million stake in Twitter Inc, a person with knowledge of the deal said Friday.The six-year old social media company will not raise new capital as part of the private deal that values the firm at more than $ 9 billion. BlackRock will buy shares directly from early Twitter employees seeking to liquidate...

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Matt Damon Takeover of Jimmy Kimmel Live Took Nine Years To Happen

Last night's epic takeover of Jimmy Kimmel Live! by jilted guest Matt Damon was so  chock-full of celebrity guests that it should come as no surprise the star-studded skit took nearly a decade to come to fruition.Fresh from receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Friday morning, the host with the most gave ET's Brooke Anderson the inside scoop into Damon's invasion.Pics: 'Movie 43' and...

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Caught: Suspect who escaped during bathroom break nabbed in Bronx

They finally flushed out this fugitive!A murder suspect who escaped from a Brooklyn police precinct yesterday by asking a cop for a bathroom break was captured today by cops hiding out in a friend’s Bronx apartment, the NYPD said.Brandon Santana, 24, was apprehended at 3:15 p.m. at 3930 Third Avenue by NYPD officers and the Regional Fugitive Task Force,...

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Economist: Euro crisis could erupt again this year

DAVOS, Switzerland -- Is the euro crisis over? A leading U.S. economist says not by a long shot. Even as the head of the European Central Bank talked Friday of “positive contagion” in the markets and predicted an economic recovery for the recession-hit eurozone later this year, economist Barry Eichengreen warned that the debt crisis that has shaken Europe to its core could...

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Miami Dolphins assemble familiar faces for lobbying team, many with ties to Mayor Carlos Gimenez

The Miami Dolphins’ lobbying team looks like a reunion of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez’s campaign brain trust.To push for a $400-million stadium renovation funded in part with tax dollars, the Dolphins have enlisted three key figures from Gimenez’s recent election races: Marcelo Llorente, Brian Goldmeier and Jesse Manzano-Plaza. Llorente, who became a frequent presence...

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Beyond Google Fiber: Google looks to create its own experimental wireless network

Look out, wireless carriers: Google (GOOG) may have its eye on shaking up your business as well. The Wall Street Journal reports that Google “is trying to create an experimental wireless network covering its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters” that “could portend the creation of dense and superfast Google wireless networks in other locations that would allow people to connect to the Web using their...

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Next ET: Beyonce Flashback Friday

From talented toddler to Queen Bey, ET is looking back at Beyonce's rise to fame!Pics: Beyonce's Candid & Personal Photo Album Also on Friday, we preview the new reality show exposing the ugly side of Beverly Hills shrinks. Plus, our Rocsi Diaz looks back at the best red carpet looks of the week.Check your local listin...

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Bronx detectives snare 14 in gun sales investigation

These Bronx detectives don’t have supernatural powers — but two operations, including one called Ghostbusters, took down fourteen people in a gun sales investigation today, authorities said.Ringleader Reinaldo Romero, 27, who gave the operation its name because of his alias ‘Caspa,’ and other crooks affiliated with him allegedly sold 55 guns to undercovers—including...

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A made-for-TV drama plays out in Spanish-language television dispute

One of the best-known talk programs on local Spanish-language television has been cancelled and its host is out of a job — the result of a made-for-TV drama unfolding in the South Florida Hispanic media industry.Hosted by popular journalist María Elvira Salazar, the María Elvira show was launched only three months ago on GenTV (WGEN-Channel 8), now an affiliate of MundoFox...

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Miami conclave to help map the next 50 years for Southeast Florida

On a Google map, the long stretch of Florida coastline from deep South Miami-Dade County to Sebastian Inlet appears a seamless mass of urban development jammed between a thin border of sand on one side and wetlands and farmland on the other.But zoom in and it’s soon sliced up by lines both real and imaginary: roadways, highways, railways, waterways and the boundaries of numerous,...

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Meet the New Contestants of The Amazing Race

Meet the 11 new teams that will be competing on the 22nd installment of The Amazing Race, premiering Sunday, February 17 at 8/7c on CBS.RELATED: Amazing Race Stars Cheer Up Bullied Gay FanFirst up is the young, athletic couple, John and Jessica, from Huntington Beach, California, who have been dating for four years. These two lovebirds only considered joining the program after a little prodding from...

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Columbia grads file $16M sex suit

Two Columbia University graduate students claim a pair of lecherous former instructors ruined their career prospects by retaliating against the women for reporting their sexual advances.In their $16 million Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit, filed today, the women also fault the Ivy League school and its deans for failing to address their complaints. The...

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Miami Dolphins slam Norman Braman, Marlins Park deal

The Miami Dolphins ramped up their public campaign for a tax-funded stadium renovation this week, buying full-page ads against their top critic and trying to distance the plan from the unpopular Marlins deal.The team bought an ad in Tuesday’s Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald knocking auto magnate Norman Braman’s criticism of the Sun Life Stadium deal, which would have Florida...

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Broward schools superintendent earns high marks

The honeymoon may be long over, but Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie still boasts the solid support of the majority of the Broward School Board — with six board members rating Runcie “highly effective” during his latest semi-annual performance review. Broward’s remaining three school board members gave Runcie an “effective” grade — including School Board member...

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Google’s fourth quarter results shine after ad rate decline slows

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Revenue from Google Inc’s core Internet business outpaced many analysts’ expectations during the crucial holiday quarter and advertising rates fell less than in previous periods, pushing its shares up more than 4 percent.The world’s largest Internet search company introduced new product listings during the fourth quarter – typically its strongest – and also benefited from...

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Sheryl Crow on Lance Armstrong Doping Confession to Oprah Winfrey

Sheryl Crow (who will be advising Blake Shelton on The Voice this season) opened up to Nancy O'Dell on the set of the singing competition over the weekend, commenting on Lance Armstrong's doping confession.RELATED: Shelton Taps Sheryl For The Voice"I think that honesty is always the best bet and that the truth will set you free," said Crow, who caught "bits and pieces" of her ex-fiance's interview...

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Weberman victim's impact statement

Thank you, Honorable Justice Ingram for your role during this trial (and beyond.) A very special thank you to Assistant DA Kevin O’Donnell for your endless hard work and sleepless nights throughout the trial in order to see justice served.Standing here, I think back to those years throughout my ordeal when I suffered great psychological damage and fell...

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Miami Dolphins slam Norman Braman, Marlins Park deal

The Miami Dolphins ramped up their public campaign for a tax-funded stadium renovation this week, buying full-page ads against their top critic and trying to distance the plan from the unpopular Marlins deal.The team bought an ad in Tuesday’s Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald knocking auto magnate Norman Braman’s criticism of the Sun Life Stadium deal, which would have Florida...

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An inauguration with a Cuban touch

Both men shared a stage Monday with President Barack Obama for his second inauguration. Both spoke before hundreds of thousands of people on the National Mall and millions more online and on television. And both have proud ties to Miami’s Cuban community.The child of Cuban exiles who was raised in Miami, Richard Blanco recited his poem, “One Today,” before a frigid but festive...

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Sony to sell new Xperia tablet in Japan: Nikkei

(Reuters) – Sony Corp’s Sony Mobile Communications Inc said it will sell the new version of its Xperia tablet in Japan this spring, the Nikkei reported, citing Kyodo News.The Xperia Tablet Z, whose price has not been announced, has a 10.1-inch display, is 6.9 mm thin and weighs 495 grams, according to the company’s website.Rival Google Inc’s Nexus 10 tablet is 8.9 mm thick, while Apple Inc’s iPad...

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Diane Lane Fashion Flashback

With classic good looks, killer style and a body that puts women half her age to shame, Diane Lane, 42,  just seems to get better with age.Join us as we look back at Diane's most stunning red carpet looks over the years!Related: Who Are The Most Desirable Women of 201...

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Cops looking to ID gal accused of snatching handbag from Dream Hotel

A pretty blonde club-goer is accused of swiping a handbag from the swanky Dream Hotel in December then used it at a nearby bodega – and now police are asking the public to help identify her.The incident occurred at the hotel’s Electric Room nightclub on West 16 Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues around 3:30 a.m. on December 28, cops said. The purse...

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Series for Miami’s emerging art collectors begins Thursday

For art enthusiasts interested in bring their interest home, Miami’s Bakehouse Art Complex is hosting a lecture series for emerging collectors. The first panel, slated for Thursday at 6 p.m., features arists and curators who will talk about fine tuning your taste and learning to make informed decisions. The second session, Feb. 7, is oriented to the mechanics of purchasing....

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Police continue hunt after man set afire Christmas night

Miami-Dade police are searching for a group of people they believe are connected to a man being set on fire Christmas night. The attack happened about a half hour before midnight on Dec. 25, according to police. Darrell Brackett, 44, had gone to a gas station at 4700 NW 27th Ave. after his van ran out of gas.But, soon after he bought a small amount of gasoline, witnesses...

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BlackBerry Z10 confirmed for Verizon in new leak

Another day, another handful of BlackBerry 10 leaks to enjoy as the tech world waits for the new platform’s January 30th unveiling. Twitter user “evleaks,” who has a solid track record of leaking accurate details and images of unreleased smartphones, published a purported screenshot from Verizon Wireless (VZ) on Friday. The document confirms some details we already know — RIM’s (RIMM) first full-touch...

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Mama Wins Arnold Schwarzenegger Flops at Box Office

Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Last Stand came in last place on the box office Top 10 list over the weekend.RELATED: New on Blu-ray & DVDThe action flick struggled through its debut, pulling in $6.3 million, as audiences couldn't get enough of Jessica Chastain -- the star of Mama and Zero Dark Thirty.Jessica's films came in at first and second as Mama garnered $28.1 million and Zero Dark Thirty $17.6...

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Man critically hurt in Brooklyn lab fire

A man was left in cardiac arrest and two firefighters injured after a raging inferno erupted at a Brooklyn medical lab, fire officials said. The fire started on the third floor of the four-story building at 2:03 p.m. on the corner of Utrecht Avenue near 52 Street in Borough Park, sources said. The critically injured man, who was found inside the burning...

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Investors await word from Apple

No company today elicits such devotion and dedication among its customers and shareholders like Apple. The fervor felt by Apple fans for its products, its leaders and its business underscore the company’s technological eco-centric strategy. While that loyalty has made for rich rewards over the long term, it will mean very little to a myopic stock market when Apple reports...

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