Obama nominating Kerry for secretary of state

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Friday will nominate Sen. John Kerry as his next secretary of state, a senior administration official said, making the first move in a sweeping overhaul of his national security team heading into a second term.If confirmed, Kerry would take the helm at the State Department from outgoing Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, who...

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Cuba lashes out against U.S. fines on foreign banks

The Cuban government Thursday denounced what it called the “unjust and illegal” multi-million dollar fines the U.S. government slapped on two foreign banks for violating Washington’s sanctions on the island. The U.S. actions show that its “ferocious persecution of financial and commercial transactions by Cuba and those with legitimate relations … has only changed but has...

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Florida schools buy emergency toilets for extended lockdowns

TRINITY -- The Seven Spring Middle School eighth-graders warily eyed the white plastic bucket.Is it for carrying cleaning supplies? Moving mulch?Then they noticed the black plastic seat on top. Their eyebrows raised, their noses crinkled, as it dawned on them that this was a portable toilet, designed for use during emergency lockdowns in classrooms without restrooms. ...

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Backstreet Boys As Long As You Love Me Its Christmas Time Again Late Night

The Backstreet Boys were on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to promote their new Christmas song on December 19, and while you can watch that below, you're going to want to start with the video up top. Trust me. VIDEO FLASHBACK - BSB Hits The Grammys in 1999That's because the Late Night web-exclusive performance is of BSB rocking out to The Roots' take on As Long As You Love Me. Yes, that's right. And...

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Sales of previously occupied US homes jump to highest level in three years

WASHINGTON — US sales of previously occupied homes jumped to their highest level in three years last month, bolstered by steady job gains and record-low mortgage rates.The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that sales rose 5.9 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.04 million in November. That's up from 4.76 million in October.Previously...

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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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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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