What’s open and closed in South Florida on New Year’s Day

Tuesday is the first day of the new year. Here is a list of what’s closed for the day. Federal offices: Closed. State offices: Closed. Miami-Dade, Broward county offices: Closed.Miami-Dade and Broward courts: Closed. Public schools: Closed. Post offices: Closed. Stock markets: Closed. Banks: Closed. Tri-Rail: Will run on a weekend schedule.Miami-Dade and...

Read More..

Angry Birds, YouTube among top apps of 2012

TORONTO (Reuters) – Angry Birds, Instagram and Facebook continued to be among the most downloaded apps of the year but rising stars also earned coveted spots on smartphones and tablets.This year consumers spent on average two hours each day using mobile applications, an increase of 35 percent over last year, according to analytics firm Flurry. The number is expected to continue growing in 2013.“2012...

Read More..

Billie Joe Armstrong Reveals Green Day Tour Post-Rehab

After entering rehab in September, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong thanked his fans for their support and revealed some exciting news on Sunday, Dec. 30.The musician wrote on Instagram that he was grateful "for all the love [and] support you've showed for the past few months.""Believe me, it hasn't gone unnoticed and I'm eternally grateful to have such an amazing set of friends and family....

Read More..

Jackson family members won't be prosecuted in fight with Michael's kids: report

None of the Jackson family members will be prosecuted over their violent scuffle in July outside the home of family matriarch Katherine Jackson, according to an online report.The case is now closed because no one from the Jackson family would speak to cops, according to TMZ. Singer Janet Jackson allegedly slapped her teenage niece Paris and called...

Read More..

Tribune to leave bankruptcy after 4 years

CHICAGO -- Tribune Co., which owns the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, announced it is emerging after more than four years of bankruptcy. Tribune said late Sunday the reorganized media company begins Monday with new ownership – the senior creditors – and a new board of directors: Bruce Karsh, Ken Liang, Peter Murphy, Ross Levinsohn, Craig A. Jacobson, Peter Liguori, and Eddy...

Read More..

Manhunt continues for Miami man suspected of killing ex-girlfriend

Miami police detectives on Sunday were still looking for the man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend outside a Little Havana drugstore Friday afternoon.Investigators said Ifrain Quintana is armed and extremely dangerous. Quintana is believed to be driving a 2001 Blue Ford Explorer with a Florida tag.Quintana is wanted for questioning in the daylight shooting of Ariadna...

Read More..

Microsoft Surface trampled at the bottom of the tablet pile this Christmas

While it does have drawbacks just like anything else, Microsoft’s (MSFT) Surface is a great slate for those looking for a fresh new take on the modern tablet. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like very many people were looking for a fresh new take on the modern tablet this holiday season. In a recent note to investors, R.W. Baird analyst William Power recounted recent conversations had at retailers...

Read More..

Golden Globes Flashback: Alec Baldwin 2007

Alec Baldwin was known as a film actor until undertaking debatably the best role of his career on television as "Jack Donaghy" on 30 Rock. After decades in the industry, he experienced immediate, tangible success through the show and was stunned by it all.While he had previously been nominated for awards, including both Oscar and Golden Globes nominations for his 2003 film The Cooler, Baldwin had...

Read More..

Couple arrested after cops found explosive powder in Village apartment

A pregnant woman and her boyfriend were arrested after cops found an explosive white powder in their Greenwich Village apartment yesterday, police sources said. Morgan Gliedman, 27, was wanted for credit card theft when investigators discovered a white explosive powder and a loaded shotgun inside her apartment on Ninth Street, between Sixth and Seventh...

Read More..

Week brings startup launches, social media advice for 2013

Jared Kleinert, a South Florida entrepreneur, plans to soon launch Synergist, a platform that allow social entrepreneurs to meet potential co-founders online, collaborate and crowdfund their new projects. He also just launched AliveNDead, a blog about risk-taking, and he interns for a Silicon Valley startup. And when he’s not doing all that, he’s going to class — he’s a...

Read More..

Port strike for east and gulf coasts averted for 30 days, talks continue

A looming longshoremen’s strike set for midnight Saturday, which threatened havoc at 15 ports along the eastern seaboard and Gulf Coast, has been averted for at least a month. The two sides, the International Longshoreman’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, announced Friday morning they would continue to negotiate after a couple of days of tense mediation. After...

Read More..

Matching Celebrity Couples

Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart Hollywood couples love to step out in a similar fashion, and in some cases, their styles morph together. Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart have done just that, but these two are certainly not the only ones. Check out these his and hers outfits, and decide for yourself which star couple is the best dressed in Hollywood. ...

Read More..

Think you could be a Twitter Stalker or Russian Spy Catcher? Military's odd spy jobs revealed

If you grew up idolizing James Bond, Jason Bourne or Ethan Hunt but you're not all that interested in indiscriminate violence, worry not because there are still top secret jobs out there that you might be perfect for.From tracking down Russian spies like Anna Chapman to cleaning toilets you can't tell your friends about, here are some of the oddest spy...

Read More..

Port strike for east and gulf coasts averted for 30 days, talks continue

A looming longshoremen’s strike set for midnight Saturday, which threatened havoc at 15 ports along the eastern seaboard and Gulf Coast, has been averted for at least a month. The two sides, the International Longshoreman’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, announced Friday morning they would continue to negotiate after a couple of days of tense mediation. After...

Read More..

Crime Watch: New computer for Christmas? Use it safely

Last week I received several emails from readers who wanted me to write again about computer safety since many got a computer for Christmas. Therefore, I pulled some information from one of our crime prevention partners, The National Crime Prevention Council, and here are tips you need to take seriously whether you are a senior or a parent:• Use anti-virus software and...

Read More..

Police using Twitter to offer virtual ridealongs

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Riding side by side as a police officer answers a call for help or investigates a brutal crime during a ridealong gives citizens an up close look at the gritty and sometimes dangerous situations officers can experience on the job.But a new approach to informing the public about what officers do is taking hold at police departments across the United States and Canada 7/8— one...

Read More..

Autopsy: Fire-ambush gunman shot self, not hit by police

State police say an autopsy shows the gunman who lured two New York firefighters to their deaths died of a self-inflicted shot to the head and wasn't hit by return fire from a police officer.A positive identification of the body found in 62-year-old gunman William Spengler's burned house hasn't been made yet. Police believe it was his sister.Troopers say...

Read More..

Deadline to apply for free foreclosure case reviews is Monday

Florida residents who believe they suffered from shoddy foreclosure practices have through Monday to apply for a free case review that could net them up to $125,000 if wrongdoing is found.The program, which is overseen by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, began in November 2011 with an estimated 4 million eligibility letters mailed nationwide.As of late September,...

Read More..

Outdoorsy fun for the New Year’s holiday

So, as Miss Ella once sang, What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?Many of you, of course, will ring in 2013 with champagne and dancing at one of the clubs in Miami Beach or downtown Miami — and many of these same people will wake up with a hangover Tuesday only to wonder why they spent $2,000 to be in the same space as R&B/hip-hop act Drake and a DJ at the Fontainebleau...

Read More..

Ouch, Charlie! YouTube Sensation Kids Talk Christmas Toys

The infamous “Charlie Bit My Finger” video has surpassed half a billion views on YouTube — not bad for a 56-second clip of a one-year-old kid biting his older brother’s finger.Charlie and Harry, now six and eight, returned to the web earlier this year with a new series through Viral Studios. The mini-episodes focus on the boys and their younger brother, Jasper, as they talk about toys, viral videos...

Read More..

Adorable Tots: Celebs and their Cute Kids!

Neil Patrick Harris Neil Patrick Harris posted a slew of pics of his adorable family on Dec. 25, 2012, including this one of Harper. The How I Met Your Mother star tweeted: "Ms. Harper likes Mr. Potato Head's fashion sense. She is quite the looker, but I think it's a bit shortsighted." ...

Read More..

Whale beached in Queens, crews race to rescue ahead of low tide

Ellis KaplanRescue crews are in a race against the clock after a whale beached itself this morning in Queens.A resident reported the stranded sea mammal just before 9 a.m., a security staffer for the Breezy Cooperative told The Post.The 50-foot-long whale is believed to be a female humpback whale. Point Breeze firefighters are using a water pump to keep...

Read More..

Case-Shiller: Home prices up 8.5 percent in South Florida in October over last year

Home prices in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties were up 8.5 percent in October from the same time last year, an increase that put them in fifth place for the highest annual gain on the Standard&Poor’s/Case-Shiller Home Price Index.The index, released Wednesday morning, showed South Florida losing some ground in October from September, with prices dropping less...

Read More..

Memorial set for Ex-Florida governor candidate

A memorial service for Bill McBride, the Florida Democrat who defeated Janet Reno for the party’s gubernatorial nomination in 2002 but lost to Republican Gov. Jeb Bush, will be held later this week in Tampa. The service is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday at the Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church. McBride suffered a fatal heart attack Saturday while visiting with family in Mount Airy,...

Read More..

Bo Obama Interrupts Michelle Obama Reading Twas The Night Before Christmas

Last night, Michelle Obama prepared to read 'Twas The Night Before Christmas to the patients at Children's National Medical Center in Washington D.C. and The First Family's dog Bo wanted to get a good seat. The best seat, in fact. PHOTOS - The Sweetest Moments Between Michelle and Barack!As Michelle sat down beneath the ornate Christmas tree, Bo hopped up on her lap as if there weren't hundreds of...

Read More..

Upstate NY madman left chilling suicide note before torching town and luring firefighters to death

William H. Spengler Jr.A homicidal maniac -- bent to “do what I like doing best: killing people" -- left a chilling suicide note before torching his neighborhood and murdering two firefighters, police said today.Ex-con William Spengler Jr., a loser mama’s boy who once spent 17 years in prison for beating his grandmother to death, penned a murderous three-page...

Read More..

Miami: We’re still busiest cruise port

Florida’s ports are steaming bow-to-bow in the race to be the world’s businest cruise ship port. Though some publications have reported Port Canaveral in the lead with 3,761,056 million for its fiscal year ending Sept. 30, PortMiami officials Monday said they had hosted 3,774,452 passengers during the same period, putting it slightly ahead. Fort Lauderdale’s PortEverglades...

Read More..

Bomb squad checking “suspicious object” found in MIA luggage

The Miami-Dade Police Department’s specialized bomb squad was checking out a “suspicious” item in a carry-on bag at checkpoint J in the South Terminal of Miami International Airport late Monday morning. Airport Director Jose Abreu said the security checkpoint and all nearby ticket counters have been evacuated, and passengers rushing to travel for Christmas are being rerouted...

Read More..

British retailers start online sales early

LONDON (Reuters) – British retailers have brought forward their Christmas clearance sales online in the hope that shoppers will log on to buy bargains and offset lackluster spending in stores.Marks & Spencer launched its sale online at midday on Monday, it said on its website, while department store John Lewis said it would cut online prices when its stores close at 1700 GMT. Debenhams has already...

Read More..

Mariah Carey All I Want For Christmas Is You Covers

While never an underperformer, it's safe to say that Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You became infinitely more popular following it's rousing inclusion in 2003's Love Actually. PHOTOS - Sexy Celebrity SantasSince Olivia Olson smashed the song in Richard Curtis' new holiday classic, it's been covered everywhere from Glee to the Today show -- even Mariah herself has re-released a version...

Read More..

Gunman dead after killing 2 firefighters, 3 others wounded at scene of blaze near Rochester

ReutersA fire burns on Lake Road after a suspect shot four firefighters responding to the blaze in Webster.A sadistic gunman killed two firefighters and wounded three other first responders in western New York this morning after setting a blaze to lure victims into shooting range, officials said.The murderer traded gunfire with cops and was eventually killed...

Read More..

Lawyer takes child-support practice on the road

Her clients know her as “the child support lady with the cool truck.”Chantale Suttle thinks that’s a pretty good description of her and her months-old business, DADvocacy. For almost 20 years, she’s dealt with child support issues. In law school at the University of Miami, she interned in the child support office, and she went on to handle child support issues as a prosecutor,...

Read More..

Two customers killed in grocery store hold-up in Palm Beach

Two customers at a grocery store in Delray Beach were shot and killed Sunday morning when two men burst in and began spraying bullets from semi-automatic handguns at employees and customers, police said. One of the homicide victims was found dead at Community Market, 945 W. Atlantic Ave., in Palm Beach and the other died 90 minutes later at Delray Medical Center, according...

Read More..

Buzzmakers: New X Factor and Miss Universe Winners

What had ET readers buzzing this week?1. 'The X Factor' Crowns A Winner!And the $5 million recording contract goes to…Tate Stevens! The 37-year-old country crooner beat out runner-up 13-year-old Carly Rose Sonenclar for the top prize Thursday night. 35 million votes were cast Wednesday to determine victory for L.A. Reid's mentee.Near tears, the Raymore, Missouri native thanked his fans for their overwhelming...

Read More..

WATCH: NRA claims public wants armed guards in every school

WASHINGTON — The National Rifle Association on Sunday forcefully stuck to its call for placing armed police officers and security guards in every school as the best way to avoid shootings such as the recent massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the largest gun rights lobbying organization, said the NRA would push Congress...

Read More..

Time’s up for holiday shopping procrastinators

Last minute shoppers like Josette Tyne are in luck this year.With a long weekend before Christmas, retailers want to make it easier for procrastinators to finish their gift buying. Macy’s for the first time is keeping all its stores open around the clock from Friday until Sunday at midnight. Toys “R” Us and Walmart Supercenters will be open non-stop until Christmas Eve.Even...

Read More..

On Saturday, Bay of Pigs invasion veterans mark 50 years since their 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...

Read More..

Analysis: Apple’s swoon exposes risk lurking in mutual funds

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The nearly 28 percent decline in shares of Apple Inc since mid-September isn’t just painful to individual shareholders. It’s also being felt by investors who chased hot mutual funds that loaded up on Apple as the stock raced to a record $ 705 per share.Apple makes up 10 percent or more of assets in 117 out of the 1,119 funds that own its shares, according to data from Lipper,...

Read More..