Survey shows better lending climate

Most Miami-Dade businesses believe they have easier access to borrowed money amid a slowly improving economy.That’s one result from a recent survey of executives by Miami’s Bilzin Sumberg law firm. The online survey of about 200 top executives was conducted during the second half of 2012. Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they thought the financing environment had improved...

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New poll: Many Florida voters say they wouldn’t re-elect Scott as governor

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Rick Scott continues to suffer from poor approval ratings despite an improving economy and lowering unemployment, and a majority of voters say they wouldn’t vote to re-elect him, a new poll shows.The poll found, among other things, that many voters are crediting the Obama administration with an improving economy, rather than Scott. A Quinnipiac University...

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Facebook CEO Zuckerberg donating $500M in stock

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he is donating nearly $ 500 million in stock to a Silicon Valley charity with the aim of funding health and education issues.Zuckerberg donated 18 million Facebook shares, valued at $ 498.8 million based on their Tuesday closing price. The beneficiary is the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, a nonprofit that works with donors to allocate their...

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Killer Joe Exclusive Clip

When Matthew McConaughey first read the script for Killer Joe, he was at a loss for words. "I didn't get any of the humor," he says in ETonline's exclusive clip off the DVD's bonus features. RELATED - McConaughey Opens Up About Shocking Weight LossMcConaughey was so perplexed by the script, he nearly passed on the project. "It took me a couple days to shake that off," the actor says, adding that he...

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MTA approves sweeping fare, toll hikes

Angel ChevresttThe MTA has approved a sweeping fare and toll hike, including a raise in the price of a monthly MetroCard from $104 to $112.The MTA's board – including Chairman Joe Lhota, who will step down on Friday in order to run for mayor -- approved sweeping fare and toll hikes at their monthly board meeting this morning that will raise the price of...

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Stone-crab season suffers in the Keys

Despite rocketing prices for stone-crab claws, many Florida Keys commercial fishermen have nearly given up on the season only 2 months old."We may see record prices but also record pain," said Gary Graves, general manager of Keys Fisheries in Marathon. "Prices don't mean anything if you can't catch anything."Harvests since shortly after the season opening Oct. 15 have been...

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Miami owner of mental health chain pleads guilty to stealing millions from Medicare

Kept behind bars because of fears he might flee to Cuba, Armando “Manny” Gonzalez has pleaded guilty to stealing tens of millions of dollars from Medicare by fraudulently billing the taxpayer-funded program through a mental health chain in Miami and North Carolina.Gonzalez, 50, a convicted cocaine trafficker who joined the Medicare rackets in the mid-2000 era, had opened...

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Smurfs 2 Trailer

The Smurfs are back and this time, Smurfette is getting into a bit of trouble.Kidnapped by Vladamir (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) after he learns she has a secret spell that can turn the evil sorcerer's newest creation, the Naughties, into real Smurfs, Smurfette (Katy Perry) is coerced into becoming bad. It's up to her Smurf and human friends to rescue her before it's too late.Also starring Neil Patrick...

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Woman shot dead while calling 911 in apparent Colorado murder-suicide

DENVER — Four people were found dead Tuesday in Colorado after a woman called police to report a shooting and was apparently shot to death while she was on the phone.Weld County sheriff's spokesman Tim Schwartz says dispatchers heard the woman who called 911 scream "No, no, no," and then heard a gunshot. Schwartz says a man grabbed the phone and said he...

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Dick's stores suspend sales of certain rifles

PITTSBURGH (AP) – A sporting goods chain says it's suspending sales of modern rifles nationwide because of the school shooting in Connecticut. Dick's Sporting Goods also says it's removing all guns from display at its store closest to Newtown, where the massacre took place. Authorities say a gunman killed 26 people, mostly children, with a military-style rifle at Sandy Hook...

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