Sinkhole that swallowed Tampa man in bedroom grows deeper

APJeff Bush's family and friends hug outside of the house where a sinkhole swallowed Bush in his bedroom.SEFFNER, Fla. — Engineers worked gingerly Saturday morning to find out more about a slowly growing sinkhole that swallowed a Florida man in his bedroom, believing the entire house could eventually succumb to the unstable ground.Jeff Bush, 37, was in...

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Coca-Cola paid CEO $21.6 million for 2012

REUTERSCoca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent at Davos in JanuaryCoca-Cola Co. gave Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent a pay package worth $21.6 million last year, as the world's biggest beverage maker navigated shifting drinking habits in the US and sold more of its drinks overseas.The compensation is up from the $21.2 million Kent received in 2011, according to an Associated...

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Space artifacts including Apollo 11 log entry to be auctioned off in NY

A sale of space artifacts, including the so-called Space Magna Carta, is coming to New York.The Bonhams sale will be held March 25.The 1975 certificate has a pre-sale estimate of $60,000 to $100,000. It marks the first successful docking of America's Apollo and the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz.The text, in Russian and English, advocates peace and cooperation.The...

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Pistorius' reps say substance found in his bedroom is Testis compositum, an herbal remedy to help with muscle recovery

JOHANNESBURG — Oscar Pistorius' representatives have named the substance found in his bedroom after the shooting death of his girlfriend as Testis compositum and said Wednesday it is an herbal remedy used "in aid of muscle recovery."A product called Testis compositum is also marketed as a sexual enhancer, good for lack of stamina. Some online retailers...

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SI's GOP chief calls it quits

The leader of Staten Island’s powerful Republican Party abruptly announced his resignation today – a surprise move that could hurt the GOP’s chances to win the mayoralty, sources said.GOP chairman Bob Scamardella cited disagreements with some of the borough’s Republican elected officials – particularly Councilman James Oddo – as reason for his decision...

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The Onion apologizes for offensive tweet about 9-year-old Best Actress nominee

The Onion is apologizing for calling the 9-year-old star of "Beasts of the Southern Wild" a vulgar and offensive name on Twitter.During Sunday’s Academy Awards broadcast, the official Onion Twitter account posted a harsh message about Quvenzhané Wallis that has the Twitterverse up in arms. “Everyone else seems afraid to say it, but that Quvenzhané Wallis...

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Man nearly hacks wife to death with meat cleaver

A meat cleaver-wielding maniac attacked his wife in front of two firefighters who had been trying to break up their fight, officials said.The man and woman were loudly arguing in front of Fong’s Trading at 74 Canal St. at 10:24 a.m. when two of New York’s Bravest -- stationed across the street at Engine Company 9, Ladder Company 6 -- saw the dispute and...

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Gerard Depardieu gets Russian home address

REUTERSGerard Depardieu shows off his passport with residency permit today.MOSCOW — French actor Gerard Depardieu has a new permanent address in Russia.Depardieu had sought Russian citizenship as part of his battle against a proposed super tax on millionaires in France. President Vladimir Putin granted him a Russian passport last month, and on Saturday...

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Boeing proposes revamping 787's lithium ion batteries so short-circuiting that could lead to fire won't spread

WASHINGTON — Boeing is proposing a long-term fix for the 787 Dreamliner's troubled batteries that will keep them grounded until April at the earliest, congressional officials said Friday.A Boeing Commercial Airplanes team led by CEO Ray Conner was scheduled to present the plan in a meeting Friday with Michael Huerta, head of the Federal Aviation Administration....

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Passenger traffic at NY metro area's airports neared all-time high in 2012

NEWARK — Passenger traffic at the New York area's four commercial airports increased in 2012 despite closures caused by Superstorm Sandy.The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says traffic at Newark Liberty, La Guardia, John F. Kennedy and Stewart airports rose by 3.3 percent last year compared to 2011.More than 109 million travelers used the four...

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Developer says American Airlines using 'act of war' claim to fend off 9/11 negligence suit

Developer Larry Silverstein is accusing American Airlines of trying to have it both ways over whether or not the Sept. 11 terror attacks were an "act of war."In court papers filed this morning, Silverstein says the airline and its insurers "repeatedly and explicitly promised Congress, regulators and the American people that they would not use act of war...

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CBS anchor Morrison denies choking wife, apologizes for yelling at Conn. cops

Douglas HealeyWCBS morning anchor Rob Morrison, of Darien Conn., enters Stamford Superior Court today.Longtime New York anchorman Rob Morrison appeared at Connecticut courthouse today to begin facing charges that he choked his fellow-journalist wife, Ashley, at their tony Darien home — then threatened her in front of cops.Morrison, 44, adamantly denied...

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MTA, workers' union contract negotiations stalled for past 3 months

The MTA and its largest workers’ union haven’t been to the bargaining table in over three months, with each side blaming the other for the breakdown in talks. The 35,000-member strong Transport Workers Union Local 100 — which has been without a contract for over a year — claims the MTA has refused to negotiate since ex-chairman Joseph Lhota quit to run...

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Latest 'Die Hard' takes top spot at weekend box office

LOS ANGELES — Bruce Willis remains a die-hard at the box office.Willis' action sequel "A Good Day to Die Hard" debuted as the weekend's top draw with a $25 million debut from Friday to Sunday. The 20th Century Fox release raised its domestic total to $33.2 million since opening Thursday for Valentine's Day to get a jump on the long President's Day weekend.The previous weekend's No. 1 movie, Universal's...

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Playgrounds to honor Newtown massacre victims being built in communities recovering from Hurricane Sandy

TRENTON, NJ — The state's largest firefighter union is remembering the 26 victims of December's Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre in Connecticut by building a playground to honor each one in a community recovering from Superstorm Sandy.New Jersey and New York will get 10 playgrounds each, and Connecticut will get six. Each playground will link...

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Month-long school bus strike could end as soon as tonight: sources

The embattled school bus drivers’ union could call off its month-long strike as early as tonight — during a member-wide conference call with top union officials, sources said.Amid several significant setbacks, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1181 President Michael Cordiello is expected to tell the 9,000 striking bus drivers, matrons and mechanics...

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3 NYers plead guilty in Nazi reparation case

Three people have pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to participating in a scheme that defrauded a Holocaust reparations organization of more than $57 million.Prosecutors said Moysey and Dora Kucher and Genrikh Kolontyrskiy pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to defraud programs administered by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against...

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John Thomas Financial CEO Belesis facing disciplinary action

Tommy Belesis, the founder of Wall Street brokerage firm John Thomas Financial, is facing disciplinary action from the industry’s watchdog. Belesis disclosed today that he has received a so-called Wells Notice from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the brokerage industry’s self-regulatory body. The notice, which was sent to Belesis on Jan....

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Career thief accused of burglarizing Anne Frank Center claims he wanted to look at exhibits

Burglar? Try Holocaust aficionado. A career thief charged with burglarizing the Anne Frank Center last winter is insisting to a Manhattan jury that he had just gone inside because he wanted to look at the exhibits.Michael James, 53 -- who has 30 theft and drug sale arrests on his rap -- is accused of swiping the executive director's wallet after sneaking...

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Doctor slapped with 55-count indictment for allegedly selling pain killers to drug dealers

A doctor was slapped with a 55-count indictment today on charges he allegedly sold prescriptions of oxycodone and other highly addictive pain killers to drug dealers from his Manhattan and Rockland County offices, state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced.The indictment also charges Dr. David Brizer with illegally possessing controlled substances...

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