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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Rikers jail ‘imposter’ who moved inmates between cells busted: sources

A Yonkers man who snuck onto Rikers Island by allegedly impersonating a Department of Correction employee — and even moved inmates between cells — was busted yesterday, sources said.Matthew Matagrano, 36, was arrested at a Bronx courthouse last night when he showed up claiming to be a “correction investigator” and was recognized by correction officers,...

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Michelle Singletary: College scorecard didn’t pass our tests

With my 17-year-old daughter headed to college, I tried out the new college scorecard tool launched by the Obama administration following the president’s State of the Union address.I was not impressed. Some links didn’t work and certain information I wanted wasn’t there. Overall, the tool just didn’t add much value to help our family figure out which college would be the...

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Weather alert: South Florida temperatures dropping to 40s this weekend

Get ready for another South Florida chill.Temperatures are already on their way down and will reach the low to mid-40s in Miami-Dade by Sunday night. The wind chill will make it feel even colder — more like the upper 30s to lower 40s.“It’s a strong cold front for this time of year,” said meteorologist Barry Baxter, who added that the average for this time of year is about...

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Adorable Tots: Celebs and their Cute Kids!

Justin Guarini Justin Guarini shared his exciting baby news via Instagram. The American Idol alum, who was runner-up to Kelly Clarkson in the first season of the FOX show, posted a pic of his newborn, writing: "Asher, 7lbs 8oz of bliss." This is the second son for Guarini. Asher was born on Monday, Feb. 25. ...

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Michael Jordan hit with paternity suit for secret 16-year-old 'son'

"Taj" Reynolds and hoops star Michael Jordan.Hoops legend Michael Jordan is being sued by a woman claiming he's the father of her teen son, according to new report.Pamela Smith claims she became pregnant with Jordan's son after a 1995 tryst, TMZ reports.Her son Grant Pierce Jay Jordan Reynolds — aka Taj — was born in June 1996, the site says.In December,...

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Banah Sugar company says it will pay debts

Banah Sugar’s executive director, Yurek Vásquez, said the company will make payments to the more than 200 people and companies it owes money to, after the beginning of a reorganization process supervised by a federal court was revealed. “This is a reorganization that gives us time to pay our providers,” Vásquez said. “Our intention is to continue working with them, fulfill...

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Miami-Dade mayor says partnerships, technology will move county forward

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez will deliver his annual speech to the county Thursday, laying out his goals for revving up the local economy, promoting regional cooperation and improving a public transportation system that is, at best, inadequate.In a wide-ranging interview previewing his state-of-the-county speech, Gimenez told The Miami Herald that he is optimistic about...

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Flashback: Frankie Muniz's 'Agent Cody Banks' Interview in 2003

While his acting career has since been reduced to guest appearances on TV series and various independent films, Frankie Muniz was once one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood. We take you back to when he was at the height of the career.On this day in 2003, Muniz was doing press for his action film Agent Cody Banks, in which he played the titular character, co-starring alongside Hilary Duff and...

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Child fatally struck by tractor-trailer

A child was hit by a truck and killed this morning in East Harlem, authorities said.The 6-year-old boy was at the intersection of First Avenue and East 117th Street when the tractor trailer struck him, the FDNY said.He was rushed to Harlem Hospital in cardiac arrest but emergency workers were unable to save him.It was not immediately clear how the accident...

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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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Two charged with taking protected live sharks from the Keys

For the second time in weeks, federal prosecutors have ordered the arrest of people for illegally taking live sharks out of the Florida Keys.Two officials of Idaho Aquarium Inc. in Boise were indicted on federal charges of conspiracy and illegally purchasing four spotted eagle rays and two lemon sharks, all protected species and all from Keys waters.Ammon Covino, 39, president...

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Flashback: Pierce Brosnan Films 'GoldenEye' in Monte Carlo in 1995

"James Bond" has done wonders for the actors who've undertaken his character. After Timothy Dalton relinquished the role, Pierce Brosnan took on the MI6 agent for the film series' seventeenth film, GoldenEye. We take you back eighteen years ago, when Brosnan was filming his first Bond film.On this day in 1995, Brosnan was in the luxurious Monaco town of Monte Carlo to film a few scenes for GoldenEye,...

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LI man accused of filling up at gas stations, driving away without paying

Police say a Long Island man is accused of filling up at 16 gas stations, then driving away without paying.Suffolk County Police say that after four months of the free fill-ups, the SUV was found outside a gym in Bay Shore.Walter Amerbach of Smithtown was awaiting arraignment Wednesday on petit larceny charges.Information on his attorney was not immediately...

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Coral Gables native Martin Zweig, Wall Street wiz, dies in Florida

A decade before he foresaw the 1987 stock market crash, Coral Gables native Marty Zweig was already considered a Wall Street wizard.Renown business journalist Dan Dorfman called him “the country’s hottest investment adviser” in 1981, his picture appeared on the cover of Money Magazine in 1982, and he was frequent guest on the PBS financial show Wall Street Week.He wrote...

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Weather alert: South Florida to heat up before weekend cool-down

In typical South Florida style, this week’s weather promises to be an experiment in extremes.Temperatures on Tuesday will reach near-record highs at 85 degrees, only to plummet 10 degrees on Wednesday. The dip will continue into the weekend, with lows forecast in the 40s.There is a slight chance of showers on Tuesday and a 50 percent chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms...

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Audrey Hepburn Galaxy Commercial

Dearly departed Audrey Hepburn is the latest celebrity to be resurrected by the ad industry so she can star in a new commercial.In the spot for Galaxy (a British chocolate brand), Hepburn is sightseeing in Italy when her tour bus gets delayed. Luckily she stops across from a handsome stranger as her version of Moon River begins to play. What happens from there is classic Hepburn, but how did the ad...

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Senate to vote on moving ahead on Hagel nod

WASHINGTON — A deeply divided Senate is moving toward a vote on President Obama's contentious choice of Chuck Hagel to head the Defense Department, with the former Republican senator on track to win confirmation after a protracted political fight.Twelve days after Republicans stalled the nomination, the Senate was slated to vote Tuesday on proceeding with...

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Univision bumps NBC into fifth place

A failing NBC has left Univision the fourth most popular network in the United States — at least for now.The latest ratings from the February “sweeps” race — a milestone moment for network ratings in the television business — had NBC fall behind its Spanish-language rival. The Doral-based network finished the sweeps period with a viewership that amounted to 1.5 percent of...

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At least one wounded in Miami shooting

Miami police detectives Monday morning are on the scene of a shooting that wounded at least one person.Police have cordoned off the area of Northwest Avenue at 43rd street as they investigate.Still visible on the street: a bloody rag next to the tire of a Ford sports utility vehicle. This bulletin will be updated as more information becomes available. ...

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Vanity Fair 2013 Oscars Party: Michael Douglas Flatters Catherine Zeta-Jones

Amid the many festivities of Sunday's Academy Awards was a performance by Catherine Zeta-Jones from Chicago, the musical that won her an Oscar a decade ago. Her husband, Michael Douglas, dazzled her with compliments for the impressive number."I can't believe it was ten years ago," the Wall Street actor said on the red carpet of the Vanity Fair after-party. "She looks as beautiful...and just amazing....

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Israel, US successfully test anti-missile system

JERUSALEM — Israel and the US on Monday carried out a successful test of the next-generation Arrow 3 missile defense system, for the first time sending an interceptor into outer space, where it could destroy missiles fired from Iran.The Arrow 3 is part of a multilayered system that Israel is developing to protect against a range of missile threats, from...

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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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Miami Dolphins hopeful on stadium referendum date

The Miami Dolphins are hopeful the Miami-Dade County Commission will approve a May 14 date for a referendum on the $400 rehabilitation of their stadium, time enough to get South Florida in play for Super Bowl 50, a Dolphins spokesman said Saturday.Spokesman Ric Katz said the language of the proposed referendum has yet to be decided, and ultimately the commission decides the...

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Crowds gather for Pope Benedict XVI's final Sunday blessing

Getty ImagesPope Benedict XVI delivers his last Angelus Blessing from the window of his private apartment to tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square Sunday.VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI gave his pontificate's final Sunday blessing from his studio window to the cheers of tens of thousands of people packing St. Peter's Square, but sought...

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Restaurant royalty and SoBe style

For Miami restaurateurs, this is Showtime.With dozens of top chefs — Bobby Flay, Todd English, Daniel Boloud and Masaharu Morimoto among the list — in town for the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, the pressure is on everywhere, from Michy’s to the new Catch Miami. The goal: Show everyone from around the country that Miami’s food scene has arrived on the national stage.Chef...

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Miami police union challenges officer’s firing for fatal shooting

The Fraternal Order of Police filed a lawsuit against the city of Miami on Friday, asserting that an officer who fatally shot an unarmed motorist in 2011 was improperly fired from the police department.Officer Reynaldo Goyos shot and killed Travis McNeil as he sat in a car at a Little Haiti intersection. It was one of a string of seven deadly shootings of black men in the...

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Michelle Obama The History of Mom Dancing on Late Night

Jimmy Fallon may have gotten The President to Slow Jam the News, but I think getting The First Lady to present A History of Mom Dancing may end up being The Late Night host's greatest accomplishment, yet! PHOTOS - Michelle Obama's Best FashionsThe routine, in celebration of her Get Up campaign, features Michelle Obama re-creating some of history's greatest mom moves, like The Sprinkler, The Raise...

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North Korea warns US commander in South Korea of 'miserable destruction' if US goes ahead with drills

PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea warned the top American commander in South Korea on Saturday of "miserable destruction" if the U.S. military presses ahead with routine joint drills with South Korea set to begin next month.Pak Rim Su, chief of North Korea's military delegation to the truce village of Panmunjom inside the Demilitarized Zone, sent the...

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South Florida hospitals could lose $368 million from sequestration

A detailed survey shows that South Florida hospitals could lose $368 million over 10 years in federal budget cuts starting next Friday, if the sequestration program kicks in as scheduled.The Florida Hospital Association, using data from the American Hospital Association, estimates that over the next decade, sequestration would cause Miami-Dade hospitals to lose $223.9 million...

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Marquee Memories

John Travolta set his boogie shoes strolling in Saturday Night Fever at Miami’s The Omni 6. Angie Dickinson shared her shower with us as she Dressed to Kill at the Concord on Bird Road and 114th Avenue. The revelation, “Luke, I am your father,” had you gripping your plush, gold seat at the Dadeland Twin movie theater as The Empire Strikes Back revealed its shocker.Plus,...

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78-year-old man dies after Brooklyn fire

Police say a 78-year-old man has been pronounced dead after he was found in a Brooklyn residential fire.The NYPD says the man suffered "severe body trauma."The fire marshal is investigating the cause of the blaze.The FDNY says the fire was reported around 3:15 a.m. Friday on Ross Street near Wythe Avenue.It was on the 12th floor of a 13-story building.Two...

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National Hotel nears end of long renovation

A panel of frosted glass puts everything in perspective for Delphine Dray as she oversees a years-long, multi-million dollar renovation project at the National Hotel on Miami Beach.“Chez Claude and Simone,” says the piece of glass stationed between the lobby and restaurant, a reference to Dray’s parents, who bought the hotel in 2007. “Every time I am exhausted and I pass...

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30 puppies die in fire at Miami pet shop

A fire that swept through a Miami pet shop has killed 30 puppies.The blaze broke out at about 10 p.m. Wednesday night in a strip shopping center in the 3200 block of Northwest 37th Avenue. The fire started at Fancy Beads and damaged several stores under the same roof.Thirty English bulldogs died of smoke inhalation at Beverly Hills Puppies. In addition,...

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Bradley Cooper on Awards Success of 'Silver Linings Playbook'

Oscar Sunday is fast approaching and gold statuettes are on the horizon for the film industry's finest. As Bradley Cooper and his Silver Linings Playbook cohorts got together before the big show, he reflected on the film's remarkable critical acclaim that may soon result in Oscars.After being nominated for four Golden Globes and four SAG Awards, which resulted in two awards that both went to Jennifer...

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Ja Rule set to leave upstate prison in gun case, will head straight into federal custody in tax case

ALBANY — Platinum-selling rapper Ja Rule was set to leave an upstate prison on Thursday after serving most of his two-year sentence for illegal gun possession but head straight into federal custody in a tax case.The rapper, who had been in protective custody at the Mid-State Correctional Facility because of his celebrity, has some time remaining on a 28-month...

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Caribbean cell phone company asks South Florida relatives to buy minutes for family back home

An Irish billionaire’s telecommunications company, which has revolutionized cell phone usage in some of the world’s poorest countries, is bringing it’s latest marketing pitch to South Florida.Digicel is tapping into South Florida’s close ties to Haiti and Jamaica in a campaign that asks families stateside to send minutes home.Irish billionaire Denis O’Brien has staked a claim...

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Election reform, bridge repairs top Miami-Dade Commission agenda

Miami-Dade commissioners are expected Wednesday to urge the state legislature to allow Election Day voters to drop off their absentee ballots at their local precincts, and ask the mayor to identify funding to repair and upgrade the county’s 203 bridges. Returning absentee ballots to local precincts was one of 13 recommendations in a report by an Election Advisory Group that...

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