Police investigating ‘suspicious’ death of elderly woman in Miami home

Police are investigating details surrounding the death of an elderly woman found inside her home near midtown Miami.Shortly after 4 p.m. Friday, Miami Police officers went to the home of Carmen Diaz, 78, whose adult son decided to visit her after not hearing from her in a few days, according to a news release. When he arrived, he found Diaz dead inside her home of 50 years...

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Twitter, Washington Post targeted by hackers

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Social media giant Twitter is among the latest U.S. companies to acknowledge that it is among a growing list of victims of Internet security attacks, saying that hackers may have gained access to information on 250,000 of its more than 200 million active users. And now, The Washington Post is joining the chorus, saying that it discovered that it was the target of a sophisticated...

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Buzzmakers: SAG Winners Pics and Nicole Kidman Explains Jimmy Kimmel Lap Dance

What had ET readers buzzing this week?1. PICS: SAG Winners with their Statues! Some of Hollywood's biggest stars gathered Sunday night to honor acting achievements at the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Anne Hathaway -- winner of the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for Les Misérables -- kicks off our gallery of the stars accepting their handsome statuettes!Click...

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Etch A Sketch creator has died

BRYAN, Ohio — An Ohio toy maker says the inventor of the Etch A Sketch, the famous red toy that generations of children drew on, shook up and started over, has died in France.The Ohio Art Co. based in Bryan in northwest Ohio says 86-year-old Andre Cassagnes died Jan. 16 in a Paris suburb. The cause wasn't disclosed Saturday.Ohio Art president Larry Killgallon...

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Miami Beach hotels seek more political clout

When Miami Beach wanted local hotels to scale-back their popular rooftop parties and bars, Alexander Tachmes fought back. An attorney who has represented Beach hotels on a myriad of issues, he “cobbled” together a group of his hotelier clients and went before the city commission to ask them to curb the proposed rules. The hotels won. It was a learning...

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Two men found shot to death, dog fatally wounded inside car on Miami street

An early morning shooting in Model City left two men dead and a puppy fatally wounded.The shooting happened about 1:15 a.m. Friday at Northwest 41st Street and 13th Avenue, Miami police spokeswoman Kenia Reyes said. After responding to a 911 call about shots heard in the area, officers found a Buick Lacrosse "completely riddled with bullet holes" and two men in their 20s...

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This Week’s Social Media Power Rankings: The Return of Swatch

The social media sphere is an increasingly noisy place, especially for brands. But hiding somewhere in the static are strong signals from companies reaching their customers in innovative ways. The Social Business Index from the Dachis Group provides a (free) real-time ranking of more than 30,000 global brands based on their social performance. Every week we’re taking a tally...

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TVs Most Social Shows

For years, TV networks have asserted that Nielsen ratings are an inaccurate way to determine a show's popularity. Their case hold more water now that a significant percent of audiences time-shift their viewing (via DVR or online streaming services like iTunes or Hulu). As a side-effect of that, many networks have combated dwindling ratings by trumpeting their social metrics and declaring themselves...

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Clinton formally resigns as secretary of state

Getty ImagesSecretary of State Hillary Clinton waves goodbye after delivering her farewell address to the staff with Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Tomas Nides, left, and Deputy Secretary of State William Burns in the C Street lobby of the State Department today.WASHINGTON — Hillary Rodham Clinton formally resigned Friday as America's...

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Mompreneur jumps into the ‘Shark Tank’

It all started with a 4 a.m. email nearly a year ago: “Do you think a baby bib could change the world? I do...”Then Susie Taylor included a link to her website, bibbitec.com, and off it went to Shark Tank, the popular ABC television show where entrepreneurs pitch their companies to investors on the show — and by extension, 7 million viewers.Four months later, as the “mompreneur”...

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Another Miami police officer criminally charged with extortion

A Miami police officer who recently resigned while under investigation surrendered to authorities Thursday on criminal charges stemming from an FBI investigation. He became the second officer charged with involvement in an alleged protection racket for a sports-betting ring operating out of a Liberty City barbershop.Harold James, an eight-year veteran, is charged with two...

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Apple loses a U.S. appeals bid in Samsung patent fight

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court on Thursday rejected Apple Inc‘s request to revive its bid for a sales ban on Samsung‘s Galaxy Nexus smartphone, dashing the iPhone maker’s attempt to recover crucial leverage in the global patent wars.Apple had asked the full Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., to revisit a decision in October by a three-judge panel of the same court....

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Seth Rogen & Paul Rudd Get Creative Juices Stiffled in Samsung Super Bowl Ad

Some advertisers are trotting out teasers this week for commercials they'll pay millions to air during this Sunday's Super Bowl. We've got a sneak peek of a Samsung ad that attempts to tap into the creative talents of Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd, but the two actors get censored due to rules that prohibit the use of "Super Bowl" and the team names!Mr. Show's Bob Odenkirk also appears in the ad -- which...

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Authorities: Teen wounded in Ga. school shooting

ATLANTA — An Atlanta fire official says a 14-year-old has been shot in the head at a middle school and has been taken to a hospital.Atlanta Fire Cpt. Marian McDaniel also says a teacher suffered minor cuts and bruises but was treated on the scene at Price Middle School. Earlier, a police spokesman said he was headed to the school about 2 miles south of...

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Healing gardens: Horticulture therapy takes root in South Florida

Allspice and heirloom roses scent the garden where Robert Bornstein starts his work day at his home, tending plants meant not for show but for healing."We have 35 years of scientific documentation to tell us we were meant to be with nature,” says Bornstein, potting an Everglades tomato that his seniors with limited mobility can grow indoors. “I need at least ten minutes in...

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The Z10 is a good first step, but BlackBerry still has to fix its app problem

BlackBerry, a.k.a., the Company Formerly Known as RIM, made good with its first two BlackBerry 10 smartphones on Wednesday. While the new devices are far from perfect, they will at the very least make long-suffering BlackBerry fans very happy and should provide a needed boost to a company in desperate need of growth. That said, BlackBerry still has a major problem that it will have to fix if it ever...

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Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook Off Exclusive Clip

The competition on Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off is heating up, and in this exclusive clip from the hit Food Network show, Sister Act star Kathy Najimy is definitely feeling the pressure -- and possibly succumbs to it."I'm feeling very nervous about the Béchamel Sauce because I've never done it for 100 people before," Najimy says, while quickly whipping up the famous white sauce. "The scary...

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Ex-Sen. Huntley pleads guilty to mail fraud

Former New York state Senator Shirley Huntley pleaded guilty today to mail fraud charges after admitting to embezzling more than $87,000 in taxpayer funds earmarked for a non-profit. The Queens Democrat said that she used funds from a charitable non-profit education organization to buy personal items and benefit family members.The embattled ex-legislator...

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Mercantil Commercebank boosts its earnings

Merantil Commercebank, based in Coral Gables, on Wednesday reported a net profit of $10.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2012, up from $7.7 million reported for the same quarter of 2011. The bank earned $31.8 million for the full year of 2012, nearly double the $16.2 million it earned in 2011. The bank said its positive results primarily reflect strong growth in loans...

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Study: Medicaid expansion may save state money

Florida would save money over the next decade — not lose billions as Gov. Rick Scott has argued — by accepting Medicaid expansion under federal healthcare reforms, according to a detailed economic study.Miami-Dade legislators and healthcare industry leaders, getting together on Monday, heard about the report by Georgetown University — the most positive yet on a highly debated...

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Apple announces iPad with double storage capacity

(Reuters) – Apple Inc said on Tuesday that it will sell a version of its iPad tablet computer with 128 gigabytes of storage, which is twice the capacity of its existing models.Apple, which has sold more than 120 million iPads so far, said that the new iPad will go on sale February 5, in black or white, for a suggested retail price of $ 799 for the iPad with just Wi-Fi model, and $ 929 for the version...

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The San Francisco 49ers Take a Pop Culture Quiz

ET's Rocsi Diaz got up close and personal with the San Francisco 49ers in New Orleans Tuesday during Media Day, where they're gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday. But though all their energy will be focused on winning the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy, how much do the 49ers know about this year's halftime performer, the one and only Beyonce?Pics: Inside Beyonce's Super Bowl Rehearsals! Ranging from...

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WATCH: American surfing legend breaks world record by surfing 100 foot wave

EPASurfer Garrett McNamara catches what is believed to be the largest wave ever surfed, off the coast of Nazare, Portugal.Appearing as a speck on a mountain of water, American big wave surfing legend Garrett McNamara caught an estimated 100 foot wave off the coast of Nazare, Portugal, yesterday. If the size of the wave is confirmed McNamara will have broken...

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ReStockIt.com acquired by Acme Paper & Supply Co.

ReStockIt.com, a Davie-based ecommerce supplier for small-to-medium sized businesses, has been purchased by Acme Paper & Supply Co., a Baltimore-based distributor of packaging, supplies and equipment for janitorial, foodservices, manufacturing and retail industries.ReStockIt.com was founded in 2004 by David Redlich and Matt Kuttler. From 2008 to 2011, the company nearly...

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Miami Heat’s LeBron James at White House event: ‘Mama, I made it!’

Out of uniform and looking dapper, Miami Heat players were honored Monday at the White House by President Barack Obama, a basketball fan who gushed over the play of team stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.In the packed East Room of the White House just before 2 p.m., Obama recapped the team’s road to victory in last year’s NBA championship, as 25 players, Coach...

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Crucial, long-overdue BlackBerry makeover arrives

TORONTO (AP) — The maker of the BlackBerry smartphone is promising a speedy browser, a superb typing experience and the ability to keep work and personal identities separate on the same phone, the fruit of a crucial, long-overdue makeover for the Canadian company.Thorsten Heins, chief executive of Research In Motion Ltd., will reveal the first phone with the new BlackBerry 10 system in New York on...

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Natalie Zea Talks The Following

Last week The Following terrified over 10 million viewers with its pilot episode, but you best believe me when I say that you ain't seen nothing yet!Not only does tonight's second episode begin to shine a light on my favorite storyline, but it deepens every character's backstory and reveals previously unseen connections. Like with Claire Matthews and Ryan Hardy, whose hinted at history comes into...

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48-year-old man found dead with bag over head in Hamilton Heights

A 48-year-old Hamilton Heights man was found dead in his apartment this morning -- tied up with a bag over his head, law-enforcement sources said.The victim’s home attendant found him inside the Manhattan pad on Hamilton Place near West 142 Street at 10:20 a.m., cops said. The dead man's name has not been released pending proper family notification, cops...

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Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge opens for entries

Entrepreneurs, please don’t let the name of our contest scare you.As we launch our 15th annual Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge today, we are putting out our annual call for entries. But we aren’t looking for long, laboriously detailed business plans. Quite the contrary.More and more, today’s investors in very early stage companies want to see a succinct presentation...

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ING Miami Marathon winner Luis Carlos Rivero Gonzalez inspired by father’s murder

Guatemala’s Luis Carlos Rivero Gonzalez has been a professional runner for more than two years — mainly at distances of ten to 21 kilometers – but he had never raced 26.2 miles until Sunday’s ING Miami Marathon. Toeing the front of the starting line with about a dozen elite marathoners from Africa, South America, Europe and the U.S., the 26-year-old law student ran away...

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Exclusive: JJ Abrams Confirms Bradley Cooper in Talks For Lance Armstrong Biopic

Shortly after Bradley Cooper expressed interest (publicly) in portraying disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong in J.J. Abrams'upcoming biopic about the athlete, the producer/director confirmed to ET exclusively that he is indeed in talks with Cooper for the role. Pics: Stars Take On Real-Life Roles When asked about Cooper's interest in tackling the part backstage at the Producers Guild Awards in Los Angeles,...

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Weekend death toll in Egyptian riots rises to 40

APEgyptians pray during a mass funeral in Port Said today.PORT SAID, Egypt — Clashes flared anew in the turbulent Egyptian city of Port Said on Sunday, killing at least three more people as a mass funeral was held for most of the 37 people who died during intense riots in the city a day earlier.The three were killed when police exchanged fire with gunmen...

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Miami Lakes company growing its brand of skin care products

For decades, Vivant Skin Care has formulated creams, serums, cleansers and tonics to treat such dermatological conditions as acne, aging and hyperpigmentation.Family owned and linked to Dr. James E. Fulton, who co-developed the anti-aging formula Retin-A, the company built its reputation with medically tested therapies aimed at improving skin.Now, like a complexion that has...

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