Black Friday in South Florida: Dispatches from the front of the line




















7 AM Aventura Mall Some customers from China rushed into Abercrombie — and stopped in shock upon seeing a shirtless man greeting customers.

“We don’t do this in China,” said Sherry Guo, 29, as her friends giggled.

5:45 AM Aventura Mall Macy’s was open but the entrance to the mall from the department store was closed. The mall opens at 6. Customers could not get into the Mall from Macy’s before 6 and had to walk outside to one of the mall entrances. An employee and a security guard said that was a mistake. Cars started backing up on the mall perimeter road, but plenty of parking spaces were still available. Around the corner from the mall, three Aventura police cars, lights flashing, were stationed next to a sign warning drivers to wear a seatbelt or face a ticket.





3:20 AM Dadeland Mall Most shoppers are standing in line for coffee at Starbucks, eating Bourbon chicken from Kelly’s Cajun Grill, munching on a pretzel from Auntie Anne’s or taking a cat nap. Those leaving are carrying bags from Macy’s, the Disney Store,

Bath and Body Works, and Victoria’s Secret.

Maria Prado, the mall manager, said she is "very impressed" with the Black Friday turnout.

"This is a critical day for retail," Prado said, of Kendall. "We are in this business to cater to what shoppers want."

2 AM, Dadeland Mall The mall is still packed with people. Many of them are gathered in the Disney Store, Victoria’s Secret, Bath and Body Works and Macy’s. The Apple store, which had a line of nearly 150 shoppers waiting for the door to open at midnight, now only has a line of about 25 shoppers. Instead of opening at midnight, Apple is opening at 6 a.m.

At Victoria’s Secret, the security guard fell asleep standing while nearly 100 shoppers were making purchases. Husbands and infants slept outside of the store on brown couches.

12:30 AM, Dadeland Mall All retail stores were expected to open at midnight. But as of 12:30 a.m., neither the Apple store nor jewelry stores Tous or Mayors were open. Nearly 150 people were waiting outside of Apple.

According to Guest Services, stores that were not open by midnight would be fined.

Meanwhile, the rest of the mall buzzed with eager families and couples. Many shoppers were already sporting bags from Macy’s, Victoria’s Secret, Express and Abercrombie & Fitch.

12:06 AM, Dadeland Mall Dadeland Mall officially opened at 12 a.m., and by 12:06 a.m. a group of young girls were already walking out of the mall with Victoria’s Secret bags in hand.

As the doors opened at Abercrombie & Fitch, people shouted to get in. Some yelled "Hallelujah" as others tried to push their way through.

Friday, midnight, Sawgrass Mills After a moderate start, the pace picked up at Sawgrass Mills. By midnight the mall was packed. Human traffic jams made walking through corridors challenging. Parking lot spaces were gone by 11 p.m., and people were being sent to the BB&T center and shuttled over to the mall. Food courts were doing brisk business as shoppers grabbed a quick bite to refuel.

11:45 PM, Dolphin Mall, Gaspar Ferreiro headed to the mall Thanksgiving night to shop, and to sell. Waiting in line at the Swaroski jewelry store, the Georgia resident had a promotion of his own to offer. A sign hand-written in marker and hanging from a string on his back read: “FOR SALE WII DELUXE FOR $465.”





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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: Closed Thursday

Stock markets: Closed Thursday, closing early Friday

Banks: Closed Thursday

Tri-Rail: Will run a weekend schedule Thursday

Miami-Dade and Broward transit: Will run a Sunday schedule on Thursday

Garbage collection: Normal schedule in most cities

Malls: Closed Thursday, many opening very early Friday





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NY judge orders Argentina to immediately pay foreign debts, including money owed to hedgie Singer








BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentina has finally run out of wiggle room in a billion-dollar showdown over foreign debts unpaid since the country's world-record default a decade ago, and the stakes couldn't be higher for President Cristina Fernandez.

Late Wednesday night, a federal Court of Appeals judge in New York ordered Argentina to pay immediately and in full everything it owes to the so-called "vulture funds" she blames for much of her country's troubles. That adds up to $1.3 billion, due by Dec. 15.

The judge also barred Argentina from paying other bondholders until it satisfies this judgment, putting the president's back against the wall: If she doesn't reverse her longstanding position and pay up, she risks triggering another historic Argentine debt default, this time totaling more than $20 billion.




"It is hardly an injustice to have legal rulings which, at long last, mean that Argentina must pay the debts which it owes. After 10 years of litigation, this is a just result," US District Judge Thomas Griesa said.

Argentina's government did not immediately respond to Griesa's orders, delivered just before the US Thanksgiving holiday, which has closed bond markets in New York.

Argentina's president and economy minister insisted earlier this week that they won't pay a single dollar to the plaintiffs, and said they would appeal to the US Supreme Court. But the judge gave Fernandez no room to maneuver, lifting his stay and ordering that the money be put in an escrow account for the plaintiffs to collect.

"These threats of defiance cannot go by unheeded," the judge wrote. "The less time Argentina is given to devise means for evasion, the more assurance there is against such evasion."

If Fernandez refuses, the judge said that the Bank of New York, which processes Argentina's bond payments, will find itself in violation if it doesn't hold up payments to all other bondholders.

That remedy sent jitters through the legal departments of the most powerful financial institutions in the United States.

The US Federal Reserve and the Clearing House, a trade group representing the world's largest commercial banks, told the judge to make sure his order won't affect the US funds-transfer system, which automatically moves an average of $2.6 trillion a day in half a million transfers among more than 7,000 banks.

The entire system depends on transfers being "immediate, final and irrevocable" when processed. Requiring intermediaries to identify, stop and divert payments according to court orders "would impede the use of rapid electronic funds transfers in commerce by causing delays and driving up costs," the trade group said.










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Black Friday is creeping into Thanksgiving evening




















Marling Sequeira has her Thanksgiving all planned: turkey, trimmings and pumpkin pie at her boyfriend’s in Miami, then a moonlit drive to Walmart to snag a 72-inch Samsung TV on sale for $800.

“It’s more exciting at midnight,” said Sequeira, 22, a medical assistant who is moving into a new Brickell-area apartment with her boyfriend on Friday. “Besides that, the specials are more convenient.”

All over South Florida on Thursday, bargain-hungry shoppers will be gobbling down their Thanksgiving meals with an eye on heading to the mall.





Thursday is becoming the new Black Thursday, as the old-fashioned kickoff day of the holiday, Black Friday, creeps into Thanksgiving dessert.

“Retailers are now commercializing Thanksgiving, giving the opportunity to the consumer who doesn’t want to watch 12 hours of football,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail analyst at the NPD Group, a consumer and retail market research firm based in Port Washington, N.Y.

The stores’ goal, he said, is to compete more vigorously with online sites for those valuable early holiday dollars.

And retailers have learned that if they open their doors and offer deals, shoppers will come. Last year those who extended their hours saw sales rise up to 22 percent for the Black Friday weekend, while those retailers that did not lost up to 8 percent, Cohen said.

The result: this year, more than ever, shopping is seeping into Thanksgiving festivities.

Kmart is opening at 6 a.m. and Bass Pro Shops at 8 a.m. on Thursday. Sears and Toys”R”Us are opening at 8 p.m. Target is opening at 9 p.m. Loads of stores, including Macy’s, The Gap, Old Navy and Best Buy are opening at midnight. Best Buy is promising deals on such items as TVs, laptop computers, digital cameras and more.

Walmart is open 24 hours, so it will stay open all day on Thanksgiving, with specials offered at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Thursday and 5 a.m. on Friday.

“Whether you want to stay up late on Thursday night or get up early on Friday, at Walmart we have a Black Friday event for you,” said spokesman Steve Restivo. Walmart is offering price guarantees to shoppers who are inside a store between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., on three hot-selling items, an Apple iPad2, an Emerson 32-inch LCD TV and an LG Blu-ray player.

In South Florida, even entire malls will open on Thanksgiving. Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater and Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise will be first, each opening at 9 p.m., and staying open until 10 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., respectively, on Black Friday.

Dadeland Mall and Miami International Mall will open at midnight Thursday.

“We’re very excited to open at midnight and give our shoppers a head start to the holiday season,” said Sara Valega, director of marketing for Miami International Mall, which will stay open until 11 p.m. on Friday.

Nationwide, 17 percent of consumers, or 41 million people are expected to shop on Thanksgiving, according to the latest consumer holiday tracking survey, released Tuesday by The International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs.

With stores opening earlier and earlier, and some retailers launching pre-Thanksgiving sales, the retail industry has officially crossed the traditional Black Friday barrier — with no end in sight, said Kimberly Taylor, associate professor of marketing at Florida International University.





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Arsht Center flood repairs top $4 million




















The cost of fixing the damage caused by flooding at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts earlier this year has crept up to $4.35 million, though county officials say that could still go up as the final bill is tallied.

County commissioners authorized up to $5 million for repairs at the county-owned center, which is run by the Performing Arts Center Trust.

In a memo, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the major construction work needed for the repairs was finished in time for the center’s new season to start in October.
The total cost is offset by a partial payment of $250,000 to the trust for a business income interruption insurance claim; the memo said efforts are being made to get more money from insurers. And a forensic engineer is finishing an investigation into what caused the extensive flooding, which Gimenez said could prompt additional action by the county and trust.








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Elizabeth Taylor Biopic 'Liz and Dick' Cast on Lindsay Lohan

The hyped Lifetime movie Liz & Dick on the lives of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton will make its debut this weekend. While the hype surrounding the film is mainly generated by the recent tribulations of the actress who portrays Taylor, her co-stars reveal that her portrayal in the media may not be justified by her true persona.

"I adore her. She's just so talented and she really is a genuinely wonderful person," said Theresa Russell, who plays Taylor's sister Sara in the film. "She's actually a very sweet person."


PICS: Lindsay Lohan's 'Liz & Dick' Birthday Party

All of Lohan's co-stars attested to her kindness towards them despite the reported incidents in Lohan's life that transpired during the film's production. Andy Hirsch, who plays Taylor's fourth husband, musician Eddie Fisher, shared his sympathies with Lohan for the paparazzi stalking she is subjected to.

"Lindsay was really kind to me," he said. "I really had a wonderful experience working with her. I don't know that everybody realizes what she deals with every day. We were going to take some stills one night and she's like, 'Well, we can't go out back because there's paparazzi right behind that truck,' and that's something that she's aware of every second of her life."


VIDEO: Lindsay Lohan Faces A Lot of Hate in 'Liz & Dick'

As the frenzy over the ongoing drama in Lohan's personal life spilled onto the set, paparazzi were constantly encompassing the set and went to extreme lengths to snap a shot of her as Taylor. The mayhem was present from the first day of production, as David Hunt (Ifor Jenkins, Burton's brother) recounted.

"The first morning, the very first shot on the first day we shot in Marina del Rey, I walked onto set with Lindsay and my wife texted me...and she says, your on Daily Mail online (British tabloid)," Hunt revealed. "There were paparazzi in the trees a hundred yards away. It took about five minutes before it was [everywhere]. It started from there and it took off."


RELATED: Lindsay Lohan Went Method For 'Liz & Dick'

Producer Larry A. Thompson admitted that Lohan brought on-set distractions to the film but claimed those distractions eventually led to a more authentic finished product. He also revealed that the 26-year-old actress' acting abilities were a bit rusty during the frontend of production.

"She was coming out of a period of her life where she hadn't worked a lot," he said. "I think it took her a week or so to get her legs, to get up to her level, and once she did, she soared."


Liz & Dick
airs Sunday (Nov. 25) at 9 p.m. on Lifetime.

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Fewer people seek unemployment benefits last week, but figure elevated by Sandy








WASHINGTON — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply to a seasonally adjusted 410,000 last week, though the figure was elevated for the second straight week by Superstorm Sandy.

The Labor Department says applications dropped 41,000 from the previous week, when the storm drove applications to their highest level in 18 months. The four week average, a less volatile measure, rose 9,500 to 396,250.

Sandy could distort the data for another week, department officials say. The storm caused nearly 44,000 people in New York and 31,000 in New Jersey to seek unemployment aid two weeks ago, the latest state data available.



Before the storm, applications fluctuated between 360,000 and 390,000 for most of this year. At the same time, the unemployment rate fell from 8.3 percent to 7.9 percent.










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Hottest tech products of fall 2012




















Every year we roll out our fall list of the products getting the most attention from readers, and every year it ends up being a list dominated by phones. But not this year. No, this time you guys are spicing things up with a surprising mix of products. Here’s what’s getting your attention right now.

Sony Vaio Tap 20

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)





The good: By slapping a battery inside a 20-inch touch-screen all-in-one, the company has given birth to a new PC category with great potential in tech-savvy homes.

The bad: The touch screen has some frustrating drag, and Sony made a few missteps among some otherwise reasonable sacrifices for portability and price.

The cost: $999.99

The bottom line: A compelling experiment in tablet-desktop hybridization, the Sony Vaio Tap 20 is a great fit for home tech enthusiasts willing to try something new.

Toshiba Portege Z935-P300

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)

The good: This Toshiba product has very good features, performance and battery life for its price and is very thin and very light.

The bad: The keyboard may be too small for some users and the laptop doesn’t feel particularly sturdy, especially the lid and display.

The cost: $779.99 to $876

The bottom line: The Toshiba Portege Z935-P300 is an excellent ultrabook value if you can overlook its few design shortcomings.

Apple iPad Mini

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: The ultrathin and light design makes it seem far more intimate and booklike than the larger iPad, and its cameras, storage capacities, optional LTE antenna and general functionality offer a full iPad experience. The screen’s dimensions elegantly display larger-format magazines and apps.

The bad: It costs too much, especially considering the lower resolution of its 7.9-inch display, which isn’t a Retina Display. The A5 processor isn’t as robust as the one in the fourth-gen iPad and iPhone 5. Typing on the smaller screen is not quite as comfy.

The cost: $329.99 to $549.99

The bottom line: If you want the full, polished Apple tablet experience in a smaller package, the iPad Mini is worth the premium price. Otherwise, good alternatives are available for less money.

Apple iPhone 5

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: The iPhone 5 adds everything we wanted in the iPhone 4S: 4G LTE, a longer, larger screen, free turn-by-turn navigation, and a faster A6 processor. Plus, its top-to-bottom redesign is sharp, slim, and featherlight.

The bad: Apple Maps feels unfinished and buggy; Sprint and Verizon models can’t use voice and data simultaneously; the smaller connector renders current accessories unusable without an adapter; there’s no NFC; and the screen size pales in comparison with jumbo Android models.

The cost: $199.99

The bottom line: The iPhone 5 completely rebuilds the iPhone on a framework of new features and design, addressing its major previous shortcomings. It’s absolutely the best iPhone to date, and it easily secures its place in the top tier of the smartphone universe.





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Kendall man confesses to suffocating, raping wife and 8-year-old daughter, police say




















A Kendall man confessed to suffocating his wife and raping her 8-year-old daughter inside a West Miami-Dade home, police say.

Alberto Sierra, 28, was charged early Tuesday with the murder of Gladys Machado and her two young daughters, whose bodies were found inside the bedroom closet of a home last week. Machado was also raped, according to an arrest report.

The shocking details cap a furious police investigation into a brutal killing that shocked South Florida. He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of sexual battery.





Sierra, a convicted felon who was long the main focus of the investigation, confessed after hours of questioning Monday night. Also on Monday, detectives found Machado’s missing car near the Kendall apartment where Sierra was staying with his mother.

According to an arrest report, Sierra accompanied Machado and her daughters to the Mall of the Americas in West Miami-Dade. The on-again-off-again couple began to argue and Sierra, armed with a knife, stabbed her.

Then, he drove the three to the Flagami-area home where the family had lived up until recently. The home was vacant because the couple had split.

According to police, Sierra put the daughters in an adjacent bedroom and suffocated Machado in the master bedroom, then raping her. Then, Miami-Dade police said, Sierra called the oldest daughter to the master bedroom, raping and suffocating her.

Then, police say, Sierra went to the other bedroom and suffocated the youngest daughter as she slept.

The bodies were not found until Tuesday afternoon. A woman who rents an efficiency in the home found Machado and Julia and Daniela Padrino, ages 8 and 4, laid out inside a closet.

A convicted felon with a long rap sheet, Sierra walked into the Kendall substation last Wednesday. After homicide detectives questioned him for several hours, he was allowed to leave. His criminal history includes convictions for drugs and weapons.

But armed with forensic evidence, Miami-Dade homicide detectives called him in for questioning Monday and he confessed.

Machado has a violent past. Back in 2010, Machado told police he bit her arm during a heated argument. Investigators later found him with 79 grams of Ecstasy, a stolen 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol and ammo.

After he was sentenced to one year of probation, he and Machado were married in October 2011.

That same month, Sierra was also investigated by the state’s child welfare agency after Julia told a teacher that her stepdad had bitten her on the arm.

The girls’ biological father asked for sole custody of the children, but the Department of Children and Families closed out its investigation when Sierra was again arrested in November on charges of possessing a firearm by a convicted felon. At the time, he was living with Machado at the same Flagami-area house where she was later found dead.

Officers seized a rifle, a shotgun and ammo. His probation was also revoked and Sierra later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 364 days in a Miami-Dade jail.

In June, Sierra was released from a Miami-Dade jail and had returned to living with Machado. It is not known when the two separated.





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Smash Season 2 Trailer

Fade in on a girl, with a hunger for fame and a face and a name to remember.

The premise remains the same, but for Smash's second season, another girl is getting thrown into the mix as Karen and Ivy will also be matching wits with Veronica Moore, a two-time Tony winner, played by Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson.

RELATED - Smash Stages Will & Grace Reunion

J. Hud is not the only new face taking the stage for season two, as Smash is getting a major injection of Broadway talent with Newsies star Jeremy Jordan, Jesse L. Martin and Daphne Rubin-Vega (both of Rent fame) and Liza Minnelli all joining the show with varying degrees of permanence.

PHOTO - Ivy's New Gig, Revealed?

This first look video reveals that while Bombshell is very much alive, Ivy has become persona non grata with the players since Karen demolished Don't Forget Me in the closing minutes of season one. But with a million shows in NYC, Ivy won't have to look to far for work ... although she can't seem let go of Marilyn Monroe.

Smash season two premieres February 5 at 9 p.m. on NBC.

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