Joe Martinez says he’ll challenge Joe Garcia

Joe Martinez, the former Miami-Dade Commission chairman who lost his bid to become county mayor last year, said Friday that he intends to run against U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia in 2014.“I’m meeting with different people and feeling them out, seeing what the level of support will be there,” Martinez told The Miami Herald shortly after announcing his intentions on Facebook. He wants...

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Oscars Flashback: Drew Barrymore 1983

Considering that Drew Barrymore turns 38 today, it's fascinating to think that she attended her first Oscars thirty years ago. At the 1983 Oscars, the charming, young actress is adorable as ever as she is interviewed on the red carpet.Although she had won a Young Artist Award for best actress for her performance in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Barrymore didn't receive a nomination for an individual...

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Pope Benedict said in August strength was diminishing; Vatican says conclave to elect next pope might start before March 15

BERLIN — Pope Benedict XVI said last August that his strength was diminishing and "not much more" could be expected from him as pontiff, according to a German journalist who interviewed him for a 2010 book in which Benedict said popes should in some circumstances consider resigning.Journalist Peter Seewald recalled in an article for German weekly Focus...

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Sign up for Feb. 21 Miami Herald Small Business Forum

Prepare your best pitch for the Miami Herald’s Small Business Forum, Feb. 21 at the south campus of our sponsor, Florida International University.In addition to how-to panels and inspirational stories from successful entrepreneurs, our annual small business forum will include interactive opportunities with experts to learn about financing options and polish your personal...

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Little Havana families stuck in crumbling condos

The owners of condominiums in the Havana Palms complex in Little Havana feel as if they are living aboard the Titanic. Everything is sinking.“We’re afraid to walk in our own living rooms, to step into the bathroom, to gain weight, because our floors sink deeper every day,” said Mario Pineda, 53.At the peak of the real estate bubble, between 2006 and 2009, about 20 neighbors...

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Kate Gosselin, Kendra Wilkinson to Wife Swap

Kate Gosselin will take on the life of a former Playboy bunny! The mother-of-eight is set to appear with Kendra Wilkinson on Celebrity Wife Swap where the two will live a day in the other's shoes.The reality stars will be the first to appear on ABC's new show, airing Feb. 26.Gosselin, 37, will live with Wilkinson's former NFL husband Hank Baskett and their son Hank, 3, while Wilkinson, 27, will learn...

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Funeral is held for SI mom killed in Turkey

A New Yorker killed while vacationing alone in Turkey is being remembered as a good-hearted and joyful person.A funeral was being held Friday on Staten Island for Sarai Sierra, a mother of two.The service began with a prayer and "Amazing Grace" played by pipers from the transit system. Sierra's husband is a bus driver.Her body was found Feb. 2 in Istanbul,...

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In Key West, women earn more than men

Key West is one of just four cities in the United States where the median income for women exceeds that of men, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.The American Community Survey, which goes beyond population figures and analyzes comparative social, economic and educational data, found that nationwide, men older than 16 working full-time and year-round...

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Feds catch convicted Miami lawyer-banker on lam for 27 years in Mexico

Back in the 1980s, Miami lawyer Manuel Lopez-Castro was convicted of racketeering charges for helping a marijuana ring flush with cash buy a majority interest in Sunshine State Bank during the heyday of drug trafficking and money laundering in South Florida. But rather than surrender to start his 27-year prison sentence in early 1986, Lopez-Castro fled to Mexico and eventually...

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Justin Timberlake Suit and Tie Music Video David Fincher

A week after Justin Timberlake dropped the lyric video for Suit & Tie, he's released the full music video -- directed by David Fincher! VIDEO - Watch Justin Perform New Songs"Here it is ... All pressed up in black and white," he Tweeted along with the link to the B&W video that features JT rocking the old school mic right. LISTEN - Which Justin Released The Better Song?He's also rocking some...

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Jury takes 17 minutes to convict former limo owner of killing baby mama

It took a Manhattan jury only a lightning-fast 17 minutes yesterday to convict a former limo owner from Orlando, Fla. of shooting his baby mama dead as she slept in her Jefferson Houses bedroom in 2009.Edward Demirdjian, 57, slaughtered pretty Sherra Morgenstern so he could keep custody of their toddler daughter and cash in on a $250,000 insurance policy,...

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American Airlines, US Airways announce merger

After a nearly yearlong courtship, the union became official Thursday: American Airlines and US Airways have formally announced plans to merge.An early morning announcement by the airlines confirmed reports widely circulated after boards of both companies approved the merger late Wednesday.The move brings stability to one of Miami-Dade County’s largest private employers more...

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Key West’s ‘Scrub Club’ reportedly scrubbing debit cards of adult-entertainment clients

Key West has a long-held reputation as an anything-goes party town that tolerates -- and in many cases facilitates -- an array of bawdy pastimes.A stroll down Duval Street yields strip clubs, clothing-optional bars and establishments catering to alternative lifestyles. But the Adult Entertainment Club, formerly and colloquially known as the Scrub Club, at 1221 Duval is different.In...

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Stars Without Makeup!

Kate Upton Two-time Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl Kate Upton proved she looks just as amazing without any makeup, as she made her way through JFK Airport in New York City. ...

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11 injured in Harlem bus accident

A car crashed head-on with a stopped MTA bus this morning after it collided with another car -- injuring 11 people, authorities said.The M10 bus was at a bus stop at 6:45 a.m. on Broadway and West 135th Street when an SUV came at the bus head on, the MTA said.A livery cab was heading north down Broadway and when it tried to make a U-turn it clipped an SUV,...

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Marriott skyscraper coming to old Miami Arena site?

Is a massive new skyscraper coming to the site of the old Miami Arena?Two of the city’s top real estate blogs caused a stir Tuesday when they shared an architect’s video rendering of a huge tower called the Marriott at MWC. The video posted on YouTube by Nichols Brosch’s Igor Reyes was a computer-generated aerial shot of a potential mixed-use complex superimposed on the site....

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Woman gets 55 years in Rilya Wilson foster-child abuse case

Geralyn Graham was sentenced to 55 years in prison Tuesday in the Rilya Wilson kidnapping ad abuse case.The Kendall woman, 67, was convicted by jury last month in a case that roiled Florida’s child welfare agency, which was supposed to monitor the child. The body of Rilya, who was 4 years old when she vanished, has never been found.Graham got 30 years for kidnapping and 25...

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Elijah Wood Maniac Trailer

When I chatted with Elijah Wood last July, the actor excitedly spoke about the Maniac re-imagining he was fronting and now you can see the fruits of his murderous labor in this just released red band (ie: violent) trailer.The film casts Wood as Frank, the owner of a mannequin shop develops a dangerous obsession with a young artist, and adopts a unique perspective on the traditional slasher. Literally. RELATED...

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Man mines Mars

NASA's Mars Curiosity next to the tiny hole it drilled in the surface of the red planet. The hole, drilled in the white area near the bottom of the photo above is 1.6 centimeters across and 2 centimeters deep.For the first time ever human beings have drilled into a planet other than Earth, and you can see the fruits of that labor in an amazing panoramic shot from NASA's Mars Curiosity rover.On Feb....

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U.S. Century to OK details of new deal

U.S. Century Bank is expected to sign off on Monday on its letter of intent — the framework for a plan to recapitalize the bank.Under the deal, a local group of investors, led by Jimmy Tate of Tate Capital and Sergio Rok of Rok Enterprises, will bring in fresh capital and wipe out the Doral bank’s bad loans, while allowing it to operate independently.The investor group is...

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Former state GOP chairman Jim Greer pleads guilty to theft

ORLANDO -- Former Florida GOP chairman Jim Greer pleaded guilty Monday morning to four charges of grand theft, avoiding trial in a case that could have potentially embarrassed former Gov. Charlie Crist and much of the state’s Republican elite.Greer stood next to his lawyer Damon Chase a little before 10:30 a.m. and entered four separate guilty pleas as part of a last-minute...

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Kerry Washington Channing Tatum Independent Spirit Awards Presenters Exclusive

Given their host (Joel McHale, Rainn Wilson, Seth Rogen, John Waters, Andy Samberg) and nominee track record, The Film Independent Spirit Awards have long been one of my favorite award shows -- and don't even get me started on the sublime singing! RELATED - Who's Presenting at The OscarsThis year's ceremony is set to be their most star-studded to date. Not only are Jennifer Lawrence, Matthew McConaughey,...

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Giants player Diehl pleads guilty to drunk driving after smashing into 2 parked cars last summer

Ellis KaplanDavid Diehl pleaded guilty today to driving while drunk after watching a soccer match in the city last summer.A boozy NFL offensive lineman pleaded guilty this morning to drunk driving after a soccer match last summer. David Diehl, 31, dodged up to a year in jail when he admitted to a Queens judge that he drove a black BMW into two parked cars...

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Green cards for sale at a South Beach hotel: Competition is on for EB5 investment visas

If David Hart gets his way, South Beach’s 42-room Astor Hotel will be on a hiring spree this year as it adds concierge service, a roof-top pool, an all-night diner, spa and private-car service available 24 hours a day. New hires will be crucial to Hart’s business plan, since foreign investors have agreed to pay about $50,000 for each job created by the Art Deco boutique....

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Miami-Dade mayor disappointed at Major League Baseball over All-Star Game

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez was swept into office in part because of his opposition to the public financing for the Marlins’ new baseball stadium.But that doesn’t mean he was happy when Major League Baseball awarded the 2015 All-Star Game to Cincinnati. Marlins President David Samson said last year he hoped to host the game, continuing a streak of All-Star games at new...

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Chris Brown Car Collision

ET has learned that Chris Brown was involved in a solo, non-injury traffic collision in Beverly Hills at noon today, blaming the paparazzi for losing control of his Porsche and colliding with a wall. Pics: Remembering Whitney Houston A statement from Lieutenant Lincoln Hoshino of the Beverly Hills police details the incident: "On February 9, 2013 at approximately 12:03 p.m., entertainer Chris Brown...

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Man killed inside no-tell motel in Queens

A man was killed inside of a no-tell motel yesterday in Queens, authorities said.Joseph Benzinger, 54, was discovered by an employee of the Crown Motor Inn off Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst at 11:30 p.m. laying on the floor in one of the rooms, police said.It was not immediately known how the Middle Village man died, police said. The city’s medical examiner...

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