A decade after little girl vanished, Rilya Wilson’s foster mom faces trial

For Rilya Wilson’s birthday on Sept. 29, 2005, members of the Joseph Caleb Center’s Head Start program shared a sheet cake with white frosting and pink flowers in an auditorium filled with pink balloons. They blew out nine candles — one for every year that had passed since the pigtailed girl’s birth.A year later, the date passed with no celebration. The hostess of the unusual...

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15 Cheesy Christmas Music Videos on YouTube

1. “Last Christmas” – Wham!What would a cheesy Christmas music video roundup be without George Michael — and his mullet, covered by a furry, snow-covered hood? If you like this video, just wait until you see the a cappella Norwegian version.Click here to view this gallery.[More from Mashable: 10 Adorable Animals Feeding Other Animals [VIDEOS]]Now that the turkey has been picked apart and you’ve survived...

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Larry Hagman Dies

Larry Hagman, best known for playing Dallas villain J.R. Ewing, died Friday morning from complications stemming from his recent battle with cancer.He was 81 years old.Video: Larry Hagman Talks 'Dallas', Cancer and Veganism "Larry was back in his beloved Dallas, re-enacting the iconic role he loved most," his family said in a statement via The Dallas Morning News. "When he passed, he was surrounded...

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Holiday cheer for retailers

If retailers’ Black Friday success is any indication, cash registers will jingle all the way to Christmas — in what may well be the biggest shopping season in years, analysts said yesterday.Bargain hunters jammed stores and malls right after their Thanksgiving meals, it seemed. “It was huge,” said Britt Beemer, chairman of America’s Research Group, which...

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Is the electric car dying again?

A second administration of President Barack Obama will be forced to revisit the issue of subsidies for renewable energy and, with it, those for electric vehicles. Despite the millions of dollars spent on government incentives, marketing and promotion, sales of fully electric cars are well below projected targets. Investment in vehicle charging infrastructure also has fallen...

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West Miami-Dade hit-and-run driver convicted, awaiting sentencing

Almost four years after a hit-and-run driver killed her 11-year-old daughter, Adonay Rosete will enter the holiday season with some semblance of closure.That’s because a jury this month convicted the driver of two felonies in the death of 11-year-old Ashley Nicole Valdes, who was struck in January 2009 in West Kendall after a bus driver dropped her off on the wrong side of...

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Research In Motion shares climb

TORONTO (AP) — Shares of Research in Motion Ltd. Jumped nearly 14 percent Friday as investors seemingly grew more optimistic about a February launch of the Canadian company’s much-delayed BlackBerry 10 smartphones.RIM will release the latest version of its smartphone “not too long” after a Jan. 30 launch event, Kristian Tear, the company’s chief operating officer, has said.The new phones are seen...

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Apollo hits the books

Private-equity firm Apollo Global Management in the next few days will be announcing a deal to buy McGraw-Hill’s education business, The Post has learned.The price is expected to be between $2 billion and $3 billion, sources said.McGraw-Hill in December 2011 said it was splitting its business in two — one focused on financial markets, including Standard...

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‘App economy’ potential sizzles

Raymond Gonzalez, a Florida International University senior, is developing an iPhone application called Pet Finder that will allow users to browse the dogs and cats at the local animal shelter or request an animal for adoption. He is also part of a team creating mobile apps that track bank failures, issue alerts about earthquakes and organize homework assignments.It’s a...

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Shoppers flood South Florida stores on Thanksgiving for Black Friday deals

GeGe Williams joined 18 family members Thursday for a sprawling Thanksgiving feast of turkey, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, seafood rice, stuffing and banana pudding.They had to eat quickly. It was 11 a.m., and they wanted to get in line to shop.“Half of us went to Walmart and half of us came here,” Williams, a fast-food cashier from Miami, said shortly before 6 p.m....

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Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is Good, But No iPad Killer [REVIEW]

Unboxing the Kindle Fire HD 8.9Click here to view this gallery.[More from Mashable: Apple Now Owns the iMessage Name] Amazon expands its tablet sights with the bigger, more powerful Kindle Fire HD 8.9. Can it compete against Apple‘s iPad?If there’s one company that deserves credit for reigniting the iPad competitor market,...

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Gabriel Aubry and Olivier Martinez Involved in Brawl

Halle Berry's ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry and her fiancé Olivier Martinez were involved in a Thanksgiving altercation that turned physical, with Aubry having to be transported by ambulance to the hospital due to injuries, ET confirms.Cops responded to a 9-1-1 call at 10 a.m. at Berry's house, and according to police sources, the fight broke out when Aubry was dropping off his daughter with Berry, Nahla,...

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BMG hits right note with mystery partner

Bertelsmann’s music-publishing joint venture, BMG Rights, is close to securing a financial partner to replace private-equity giant KKR, The Post has learned.The new backer is said to be a major financial company with the ability to help bring Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe’s dream of expansion to life, sources said.BMG Rights, which owns the rights to 1 million...

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Shoppers flood South Florida stores on Thanksgiving for Black Friday deals

GeGe Williams joined 18 family members Thursday for a sprawling Thanksgiving feast of turkey, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, seafood rice, stuffing and banana pudding.They had to eat quickly. It was 11 a.m., and they wanted to get in line to shop.“Half of us went to Walmart and half of us came here,” Williams, a fast-food cashier from Miami, said shortly before 6 p.m....

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What’s open and closed for Thanksgiving

Thursday is Thanksgiving. Here is a list of what’s open and closed for the holiday on Thursday and Friday. Federal offices: Closed Thursday State offices: Closed Thursday and Friday Miami-Dade and Broward county offices: Closed Thursday and Friday Miami-Dade and Broward courts: Closed Thursday and Friday Public schools: Closed Thursday and Friday Post offices:...

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Exclusive: TV networks start seven-day ratings push with advertisers

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – U.S. television broadcast networks are taking the first steps to persuade advertisers to pay for commercial viewership that occurs up to seven days after a program airs, a shift that would provide a new revenue stream to help combat ratings erosion.The networks argue that the rising popularity of digital video recorders is pushing...

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Just sold!

ManhattanGRAMERCY $815,00044 Gramercy Park NorthOne-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 850 square feet, with foyer, windowed kitchen, dining area and two walk-in closets; building features elevator operator, laundry and live-in super. Maintenance $1,545, 43 percent tax-deductible. Asking price $850,000, on market four weeks. Brokers: Lucy Kuhn, Douglas Elliman and...

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Small Business Saturday: the anti-Black Friday

Don’t want to brave the Black Friday craziness? You can get a head start on your holiday shopping, snag some deals and support local merchants by participating in Small Business Saturday.Nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is focused on promoting small business owners nationwide. Since it was started in 2010 by American Express, the promotional...

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Former foster children give thanks for Casa Valentina

Every holiday season for the last six years, Lynn Hausmann hosts a Thanksgiving gathering for Casa Valentina, the residential and life skills program for youth aging out of foster care.It’s what you do, she says, for the people you love.“It’s simple — we are family,” says Hausmann, a member of the organization’s board of directors. “This is about opening your heart and home.”...

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Eric Stonestreet Wasn’t Drunk, He Swears

We realize there’s only so much time one can spend in a day watching new trailers, viral video clips, and shaky cell phone footage of people arguing on live television. This is why every day The Atlantic Wire highlights the videos that truly earn your five minutes (or less) of attention. Today:RELATED: What Happens When You Sing ‘All Night Long’ All Night...

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Bargain bin

The discount on Best Buy’s stock keeps getting deeper.Shares of the struggling electronics chain tumbled 13 percent yesterday, hitting their lowest levels in a decade as the retailer swung to a loss on a steeper-than-expected sales decline.The stock drop, which left Best Buy shares down 49 percent on the year at $11.96, likely cut the price for a leveraged...

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Dear daughter, let me give you some career advice ...

My daughter, a high school junior, wants to be a teacher. That doesn’t sit well with my husband, who worries about the state of education and the job outlook. He and I regularly debate whether we should encourage her to pursue this interest, or strongly steer her in another direction.Today, coaching our kids about career paths is complicated. Many of my reporter and editor...

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In humbler times for state House Republicans, Will Weatherford sets a more moderate tone

TALLAHASSEE -- Few state institutions bear a more distinct imprint of recent Republican hegemony than the Florida House of Representatives.It launched the political career of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who served as its speaker four years ago. Its members have passed some of the most conservative bills in the nation. And since 2006, it has nurtured the career of Will Weatherford...

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Rob Schneider Welcomes Baby Girl

Rob Schneider and wife Patricia welcomed a baby girl last week.RELATED: Rob Schneider Gets MarriedMiranda Scarlett Schneider was born at 5 lbs., 13 oz. and 18-inches long, according to People."Mommy and Baby [are] happy and healthy!" Rob, 49, tweeted on Friday. According to the comedian's timeline, Miranda was born after 19 hours of labor.Rob and Patricia, a TV producer, tied the knot last year. This...

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Dead co. talking

You thought you could kill a Twinkie that easy?Bankrupt Hostess Brands and its striking bakers stopped the death clock attached to the 82-year-old company by agreeing to a mediation session today.The one-day chatfest between the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread and its 6,000-strong bakers union comes at the urging of Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain.Drain...

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Growing middle class feeds spirits business in Latin America

Diageo executive Randy Millian is proud of the fact that eight out of every 12 times someone pours a standard or premium whiskey in the Latin American and Caribbean region, they’re drinking one of his company’s brands.That kind of dominance is why the spirits giant is bullish on its future in Latin America, which recently has been the fastest growing region for Diageo worldwide....

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New House speaker faces post-election challenges

TALLAHASSEE -- Few state institutions bear a more distinct imprint of recent Republican hegemony than the Florida House of Representatives.It launched the political career of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who served as its speaker four years ago. Its members have passed some of the most conservative bills in the nation. And since 2006, it has nurtured the career of Will Weatherford...

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Justin Bieber Wins Big at American Music Awardss

Justin Bieber gave an emotional thank you to his mom, Pattie Mallette, who stood on stage with the pop star as he accepted Artist of the Year, his third award of the evening, at the culmination of the 40th annual American Music Awards Sunday in Los Angeles. The Biebs, who brought his mother along as his date for the show, took home the first and the last award of the night, (Favorite Pop/Rock...

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