Three South Florida teens win honors from Disney

A warm Friends and Neighbors salute to the three South Florida youngsters have been selected to participate in the Disney Dreamers Academy with television personality and comedian Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine. Out of 5,000 applicants, the students were among the 100 selected for the innovative, once-in-a-lifetime, outside-the-classroom educational and mentoring program...

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Modern Family Stars Get Stuck in Crowded Elevator

No good deed goes unpunished. PICS: Candid Celeb Sightings While on their way to a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Kansas City on Friday night, three stars of ABC's hit sitcom Modern Family were trapped in a crowded elevator for almost an hour, ABC News reports.Julie Bowen, Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson took pictures together during the ordeal, which Ferguson posted...

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Debt trumps savings

Forget deleveraging: Nearly half of all American families carry a credit-card debt load that exceeds their stash of emergency cash.As 2013 unfolds, Americans are also feeling more insecure about their finances. Worries about job security, savings, debt and overall financial health are on the rise, according to new research by the personal finance website...

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When the latest layoff story is about you

It’s an odd feeling reading in the newspaper about losing your job. I didn’t learn about being fired in the newspaper but the story of losing my position was there. Why I lost my job (along with more than a dozen of my colleagues) was the lead story in the business section of The Miami Herald on Feb. 22. It even had a picture of me right next to the paragraph describing how...

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Attorney for dad of missing Hallandale Beach baby says evidence was damaged

The tiny bones recovered from a backyard grave have a story to tell: Are these the remains of Dontrell Melvin, a baby whose family didn’t report him missing for 18 months? And how was the baby killed?According to notes in the Hallandale Beach police lead investigator’s file, there was blunt force trauma to the child’s cranium after his death, likely caused during the search...

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Ellen DeGeneres Pens Open Letter to Supreme Court to Pass Prop 8 for Gay Marriage

With a touch of her trademark humor, Ellen DeGeneres tackles a very serious topic close to the talk show host's heart: gay marriage.In an open letter posted to her website, Ellen reaches out to members of the Supreme Court, who will soon decide the fate of same-sex couples who wish to wed.Pics: 'Amazing Race' Stars Cheer Up Bullied Gay Fan "Portia and I have been married for 4 years and they have...

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Business briefs

Bid for KingsThe NBA has received an official offer from 24 Hour Fitness founder Mark Mastrov and billionaire Ron Burkle to buy the Sacramento Kings and keep the team from moving to Seattle.Fraud queenA former Chicago lawyer, Donna Guerin, who participated in what authorities have called the largest tax fraud in history, has been sentenced in New York to...

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Jackson Health System -- in “the calm before the storm”

With the latest audit offering a new perspective, Jackson Health System’s long-troubled finances are looking better in some basic areas, but underlying problems linger and a precarious future lies ahead.After losing $419 million over three years, Jackson eked out an $8.2 million surplus in its fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, according to the audit released earlier this month,...

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’Les Mis’ touring company works out to stay in shape at Wilton Manors gym

Even if you’re a Broadway dancer in top shape, it’s not easy looking good and staying fit when you’re on the road with a show like Les Misérables."Touring is a difficult life because you’re constantly moving," said Trinity Wheeler, production stage manager for the Les Mis touring company, playing through Sunday at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami."It’s not like you can...

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The CW Says Goodbye to 90210

The CW's remake of the '90s hit show 90210 will reportedly end its five-year run in May.PICS: The High School Hotties of 90210According to Us Weekly, the show (starring AnnaLynne McCord, Shenae Grimes, Matt Lanter, Jessica Stroup and Jessica Lowndes) has been canceled due to meager ratings.The show has reportedly averaged 1.23 million viewers this season, being overshadowed by new hits The Vampire...

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New York’s clueless GOP

Ever since the American voter gave Mitt Romney a drubbing in the November election, the best minds in Republican circles have been debating how to revive the battered GOP brand. You might think this would be a special priority for New York City, where Romney captured just 18 percent of the vote. You might think in a sluggish economy, there’s an opening...

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Don’t get too personal on LinkedIn

Have you ever received a request to connect on LinkedIn from someone you didn’t know or couldn’t remember?A few weeks ago, Josh Turner encountered this situation. The online request to connect came from a businessman on the opposite coast of the United States. It came with a short introduction that ended with “Let’s go Blues!” a reference to Turner’s favorite hockey team...

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2006 report detailed problems with Havana Palms condos in Little Havana

In January 2006, executives at Montara Land V, LLC, hired a firm to do an analysis of the roof, structure, plumbing, and other conditions of an apartment complex in Little Havana that they wanted to convert to condominiums. This report, submitted to the state department that regulates conversions, concluded that the buildings, constructed in 1946, barely had five more years...

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Christina Applegate's Gorgeous Wedding Ring

Christina Applegate and longtime boyfriend Martyn Noble said 'I do' on Saturday and now we have a look at the actress' stunning sparkler.PICS: Most Memorable Celeb Weddings of All-Time The dazzling diamond ring by Neil Lane completed Applegate's wedding attire along with a gown by Maria Lucia Hohan.The event took place during a private ceremony at the couple's Los Angeles home. This marks Applegate's...

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Vornado ceo out, roth in

Michael Fascitelli, the dynamic chief executive officer of Vornado Realty Trust, is stepping down to “take a break” from the company after four year atop the firm.Chairman Steve Roth, who served as CEO for 20 years until Fascitelli took over in 2009, will step back into the chief executive role.Both moves take effect on Apr. 16 and Roth said he expects...

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Would-be convention center developers make pitches to Miami Beach residents

Developers on Wednesday presented Miami Beach residents with competing ideas for what the city’s Convention Center could look like after an overhaul. It was the public’s first glimpse of what could become of the 52-acre site. Two heavy-hitting teams are competing for the project, which could cost up to $1 billion.Both teams – Portman-CMC and South Beach ACE – stressed that...

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Broward commisioner withdraws pit bull ban proposal

Pit bull lovers came out in force on Tuesday to oppose a county commissioner’s effort to get the breed banned in Broward County.After hearing dozens make emotional pleas, County Commissioner Barbara Sharief agreed to withdraw her proposal for a ban and work with experts to help keep neighborhoods safe from all dangerous dogs.Read the full story at Sun-Sentinel.com. ...

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Rihanna Obtains Restraining Order From Obsessed Fan

Fearing for her safety, Rihanna has filed for and been granted a restraining order from an obsessed fan.Pics: 10 of Rihanna's Sexiest & Most Scandalous Shots The singer obtained a temporary order against Steveland Barrow, 31, on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. According to paperwork acquired by ET, Barrow broke into a residence adjacent to Rihanna's (believing it was hers) where he "removed...

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Bond brawl

It’s not quite Bush v. Gore 2.0, but the two legal protagonists of that epic showdown before the Supreme Court will be back at it today.Lawyers Ted Olsen and David Boies will appear before a Manhattan US appeals court to argue over how $1.44 billion in Argentina debt should be paid.Olsen represents billionaire hedge fund magnate Paul Singer, who claims...

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Don’t get too personal on LinkedIn

Have you ever received a request to connect on LinkedIn from someone you didn’t know or couldn’t remember?A few weeks ago, Josh Turner encountered this situation. The online request to connect came from a businessman on the opposite coast of the United States. It came with a short introduction that ended with “Let’s go Blues!” a reference to Turner’s favorite hockey team...

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Is this really the end of Cuba’s Castro brothers? Exiles say not so fast

On the streets of Miami, the announcement of a possible end to the Castro brothers’ rule was met with uncharacteristic silence Monday — no clanging of pots and pans in Little Havana and Hialeah. No loud pronouncements on Spanish-language radio, either, about the news that President Raúl Castro planned to retire in 2018 and had named an heir apparent. “There’s like, a little...

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Joe Zee Names His Best and Worst Dressed Star at the Oscars

Who topped our list this year?From Charlize Theron's white-hot Dior Couture gown to Jessica Chastain's nearly nude Armani Privé creation, Elle contributor Joe Zee counts down his top five best red carpet looks from the Oscars.Pics: The 15 Best Oscar Dresses of All Time Watch the video to find out who made the grade! Plus, Joe announces his pick for worst-dressed star from Sunday's ceremo...

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The devious diva

Talk to the dial tone, Martha.The CEO of Macy’s said he was so shocked when Martha Stewart phoned him to admit she had cut a secret deal with JCPenney that he hung up on her.“I don’t remember hanging up on anyone in my life,” Lundgren testified yesterday in a Manhattan Supreme Court trial over Stewart’s Penney pact, which she cut despite a preexisting licensing...

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Miami medicine goes digital

About 10 years ago, Dr. Fleur Sack quit her practice as a family physician to become a hospital department head. Spurring her decision was the need to switch from paper records to electronic ones to keep her private practice profitable. “At that time, it would have cost about $50,000,” Dr. Sack recalled. “It was too expensive and it was too overwhelming.” But times and technologies...

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Archbishop Wenski leads 90-mile motorcycle run

After a blessing, motorcycles roared their engines and drove out of St. Richard Catholic Church in Palmetto Bay to participate in the first Motorcycle Poker Run organized by the Archdiocese of Miami. Heading the bikers: Archbishop Thomas Wenski wearing a biker’s leather jacket and riding his black Harley-Davidson Street Glide motorcycle. “Bikers are people that are accustomed...

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COUPLES ALERT! Date Night Pics at the Oscars

COUPLES ALERT: Date Night Pics at the Oscars From expecting parents Channing Tatum & Jenna Dewan to Hollywood power couple Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban, Sunday's Oscars red carpet was full of well-suited celebrities! Click the pics to check out the hottest pairs on the red carpet! ...

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Total Kimfestation

You can run, but you can’t hide — from Kim Kardashian, that is. She’s everywhere, famous for being a professional celebrity who’s never really “done” anything to speak of.It’s a falling Star — and not because of media cross-currents eating away circulation — but because it keeps chronicling the likes of KK as an anointed queen of pop culture. Even the checkout-aisle...

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Miami medicine goes digital

About 10 years ago, Dr. Fleur Sack quit her practice as a family physician to become a hospital department head. Spurring her decision was the need to switch from paper records to electronic ones to keep her private practice profitable. “At that time, it would have cost about $50,000,” Dr. Sack recalled. “It was too expensive and it was too overwhelming.” But times and technologies...

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