Gov. Rick Scott pushes “Finish in Four” tuition plan to save college students money

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Rick Scott’s push to keep tuition low includes a new twist submitted with his budget for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1. The governor’s idea: tuition should be the same when students graduate as when they start.Scott has offered legislation that would hold tuition steady for four years for students entering a state university this fall or...

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FTC issues guidelines for mobile applications

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Trade Commission has issued a wide-reaching set of new guidelines for makers of mobile platforms and developers of applications for mobile telephones and tablets to safeguard users’ privacy.The non-binding guidelines, published in a report on Friday, include the recommendation that companies should obtain consumers’ consent before including location tracking in software...

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Buzzmakers: SAG Winners Pics and Nicole Kidman Explains Jimmy Kimmel Lap Dance

What had ET readers buzzing this week?1. PICS: SAG Winners with their Statues! Some of Hollywood's biggest stars gathered Sunday night to honor acting achievements at the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Anne Hathaway -- winner of the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for Les Misérables -- kicks off our gallery of the stars accepting their handsome statuettes!Click...

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Turkey: US Embassy bomber had been imprisoned on terror charge — but was released after hunger strike

ANKARA, Turkey — The suicide bomber who struck the U.S. Embassy in Ankara spent several years in prison on terrorism charges but was released on probation after being diagnosed with a hunger strike-related brain disorder, officials said Saturday.The bomber, identified as 40-year-old leftist militant Ecevit Sanli, killed himself and a Turkish security guard...

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Hollywood cardiologist’s ties with St. Jude sales rep raises red flags

Mark Sabbota, a Hollywood cardiologist, regularly implants $5,000 pacemakers in patients at Memorial hospitals in South Broward — generating, last year alone, more than a half-million dollars in sales for a manufacturer called St. Jude Medical. Sabbota, public records show, also happens to be partners with a St. Jude sales rep in two corporations that run frozen yogurt shops....

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In Dominican Republic, eye doctor linked to Sen. Menendez known for philanthropy, thirst for celebrity

SANTO DOMINGO -- Dr. Salomon Melgen arrives at galas here in a blue Mercedes-Benz, his four bodyguards in tow. He rarely goes unnoticed. The stout 58-year-old ophthalmologist is a regular on the society pages, where he is almost always pictured with important politicians. Late last year he made national headlines for performing free eye surgery on a 28-year-old woman who...

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Hackers target Twitter, access about 250,000 user accounts

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Anonymous hackers have targeted Twitter this week and gained access to roughly 250,000 user accounts though only “limited information” such as email addresses was compromised, the microblog said on Friday.Twitter has already reset passwords for affected users, and will notify them soon, it said in a blog post. The cyberattacks come days after the New York Times and the Wall...

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Next ET: 2013's Oscar Class Photo

Jennifer Lawrence beams in the official 2013 Oscars portrait.See George Clooney, Anne Hathaway and more nominees in the annual photo on Monday's ET.Pics: The Fierce Fashions of the 2012 Oscars Plus, Bachelor Sean Lowe shirtless in the shower!Check your local listin...

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Ratepayers in for a shock if Cuomo closes Indian Point plants

Ratepayers would be zapped more than $800 million to keep New York juiced up if Gov. Cuomo succeeds in closing the controversial Indian Point nukes, two big players in the electricity business said.Figuring that Con Ed’s three million Westchester and New York City customers use about half of Indian Point’s output, the proposals would cost each ratepayer...

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Healthcare experts see bumpy road ahead: “Shift happens”

The healthcare industry in South Florida, like the rest of the country, faces huge challenges in the year ahead as major federal reforms kick in, experts told about 700 people at a University of Miami conference on Friday.“We are at a critical time in health policy,” said Mark McClellan, former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “There are going to be...

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Kids to vacate nursing home where 2 died

A Miami Gardens nursing home linked to the deaths of two youngsters is closing its 60-bed children’s unit, the epicenter of a bitter dispute over Florida’s system of care for profoundly sick and disabled children.About a week ago, Golden Glades Nursing & Rehabilitation Center informed state health administrators of its plan to shut down the harshly criticized pediatric...

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Online bingo shows its worth at Rank

LONDON (Reuters) – It may lack the noisy camaraderie of a trip to the bingo hall, but the online version of the numbers game has proved more profitable for Britain‘s Rank Group than the original.The merits of the online business were further emphasized when Rank said a snowy January had cost it 3 million pounds ($ 4.7 million) in revenue as Britons opted not to venture out to its bingo halls and casinos.Operating...

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ANTM Winner Lisa D'Amato on Her Freak Accident

America's Next Top Model winner Lisa D'Amato faced a possible career-ending injury when she crushed her face after a nasty fall. Now, D'Amato is recovering nicely from her freak accident and telling ET what happened.PICS: America's Next Top Model Hall of Fame!While enjoying some down time on the set of an independent movie in Colorado earlier this month, D'Amato was doing handstands and flips with...

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Man convicted in murder of pregnant ex-girlfriend

A Queens man was convicted today for the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend and her toddler. Jimmy Humphrey was found guilty of strangling Linda Anderson to death and setting her lifeless body on fire. The fire ultimately killed her 2-year-old son, Aiden Hayes, as he searched for his mother through the smoke in their St. Albans apartment. "I'm not happy...

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Mompreneur jumps into the ‘Shark Tank’

It all started with a 4 a.m. email nearly a year ago: “Do you think a baby bib could change the world? I do...”Then Susie Taylor included a link to her website, bibbitec.com, and off it went to Shark Tank, the popular ABC television show where entrepreneurs pitch their companies to investors on the show — and by extension, 7 million viewers.Four months later, as the “mompreneur”...

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House proposes closing slush funds, raising contribution limits

TALLAHASSEE -- Florida House leaders unveiled what they hope will be behavior-changing campaign finance reform Wednesday, phasing out candidate-controlled political committees and ushering in stricter reporting deadlines, more contribution accountability and campaign contribution caps of $10,000 per election.“It’s a way to start the conversation,” said House Speaker Will...

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Rape trial of teenaged football players to be open to public: Ohio judge

(Reuters) – The controversial trial of two high school football players accused of raping a classmate will remain open to the public and will not be relocated to another town, an Ohio judge ruled on Wednesday.Prosecutors and an attorney representing the accuser had sought a closed trial, arguing that public access to the juvenile trial would subject the accuser to unwanted publicity and make potential...

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Lindsay Lohan's Dad Michael Welcomes Baby

Following Lindsay Lohan's court hearing today, where she officially named Mark Heller her new attorney, Lindsay welcomed a new baby brother.PICS: Candid Star SightingsAccording to Us Weekly, Lindsay's dad Michael Lohan, 52, and his girlfriend Kate Major had their first child together at a Florida hospital.The baby -- a boy named Landon Major Lohan -- reportedly weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces.A rep told...

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Colombo underboss gets 63 months in jail

The underboss of the Colombo crime family was sentenced to 63 months in prison today on mob racketeering charges.Benjamin “The Claw” Castellazzo, 75, will also have to pay $400,000 in restitution and serve three years probation. The wiseguy - who's the second highest-ranking member of the Colombos - began his 55 year-long criminal career in 1958.Castellazzo...

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Mompreneur jumps into the ‘Shark Tank’

It all started with a 4 a.m. email nearly a year ago: “Do you think a baby bib could change the world? I do...”Then Susie Taylor included a link to her website, bibbitec.com, and off it went to Shark Tank, the popular ABC television show where entrepreneurs pitch their companies to investors on the show — and by extension, 7 million viewers.Four months later, as the “mompreneur”...

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Rick Ross raps about ducking hail of bullets

Rapper Rick Ross was keeping a low profile Tuesday, one day after his brush with bullets on the streets of Fort Lauderdale.Though he has yet to comment on the incident, the self-proclaimed “Boss,” did what he does best: He rapped about the incident. “I can’t believe I’m alive,” he said, dropping a rhyme about his near-death experience into a recording by a fellow rapper,...

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BlackBerry 10 said to be inadequate for helping RIM overcome its ‘demons’

After hitting a seven-year low of $ 6.22 this past summer, shares of Research in Motion (RIMM) have rebounded and climbed more than 100% in the past six months. The company that was previously written off by Wall Street investors has seen a significant boost in recent months as anticipation grows for its BlackBerry 10 operating system. But while a number of analysts have voiced their support for RIM,...

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Kerry Washington Fashion Flashback

Kerry Washington, where have you been all our lives?Fresh from a fabulously fashionable Django Unchained press tour, the 35-year-old beauty continues her fashion reign throughout awards season and seems to show no signs of stopping.Pics: Kerry Washington's Stunning 'Django' Looks Join us as we look back at Kerry's evolving style through the yea...

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Celeb promoter says Bieber fragrance deal stinks

A celebrity promoter says his endorsement deal for a Justin Bieber fragrance really stinks. Lawrence Rudolph, owner of California-based Total Arts and Entertainment Marketing and Britney Spears' manager, fumed that Give Back Brands stiffed him $5 million on his cut for the Bieber hookup, according to court documents. Rudolph was promised a 6 percent take...

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Marlins hire new PR firm

Maybe a new slogan will help?The Miami Marlins on Tuesday announced the hiring of a new public relations firm to help with the team’s battered image on the heels of jettisoning star players and renewed backlash against tax dollars used to build the team’s new baseball park. Miami’s Jeffrey Group won the account. The company replaces RBB and founding partner Bruce Rubin, a...

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Lauderhill police investigating homicide; searching for suspect

Lauderhill police Monday night were investigating an apparent homicide.Details were sketchy, but police said just before 9 p.m. a man was shot and killed on the 2800 block of Northwest 55th Avenue.The victim was dead at the scene. K-9 units were in the area searching for a possible suspect and a public information officer is now at the scene. This story...

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Yahoo revenue rises on search advertising

(Reuters) – Yahoo Inc posted a 4 percent gain in net revenue to $ 1.22 billion in the fourth quarter, when an increase in search advertising sales offset weakness in the Web portal’s display ad business.The company forecast net revenue — which excludes fees shared with partner websites — of $ 1.07 billion to $ 1.1 billion in the current quarter, trailing the $ 1.1 billion that Wall Street analysts...

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Rowan Blanchard Cast as Cory and Topanga's Daughter in Boys Meets World Spin Off

World, meet Cory and Topanga's daughter Riley!Rowan Blanchard, 11, has been cast in the title role of the upcoming Boy Meets World spin-off, Girl Meets World, confirms Entertainment Weekly.Pics: Top 10 TV Spin-Offs The young actress, who has been featured in Spy Kids: All the Time in World and The Back-up Plan, was just chosen for the coveted part following a nationwide search, says Michael Jacobs,...

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Father 'proud' of son who stood up to alleged molester

I'm proud of him, the dad testified today of a brave nine-year-old boy who stood up to an alleged sex-molesting school aide at the Upper West Side's PS 87 last year.The boy had taken the stand Friday to describe the alleged abuse at the hands of aide Gregory Atkins, 56, angrily confronting the defense attorney during cross examination by shouting, "Stop...

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Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge opens for entries

Entrepreneurs, please don’t let the name of our contest scare you.As we launch our 15th annual Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge today, we are putting out our annual call for entries. But we aren’t looking for long, laboriously detailed business plans. Quite the contrary.More and more, today’s investors in very early stage companies want to see a succinct presentation...

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Free-market conservative leads Gov. Rick Scott’s jobs agency

TALLAHASSEE -- The Department of Economic Opportunity is one of the most critical agencies in Gov. Rick Scott’s administration, and it has run through four directors — two permanent, two interim — since it launched 16 months ago.After the fleeting tenures of three bureaucrats and a banker, Scott’s handpicked director, Jesse Panuccio, began his term as the agency’s fifth director...

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Apple will reportedly launch its fifth-generation iPad in October

Although previous reports indicated that Apple (AAPL) would release its fifth-generation iPad alongside a new iPad mini with Retina display in March, a new report from Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge, claims the newest iPad will be announced in October instead. Horwitz said that he “had the opportunity to inspect a supposedly accurate — and seriously intriguing — physical model of the completely...

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PICS: Winners of the 2013 SAG Awards

PICS: Winners of the 2013 SAG Awards Some of Hollywood's biggest stars gathered Sunday night to honor acting achievements at the 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Anne Hathaway -- winner of the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for Les Misérables -- kicks off our gallery of...

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Schools safety agent shot in Brooklyn; he's expected to survive

An off-duty school-safety agent was shot in the chest in Brooklyn tonight, sources said.A masked man walked up to the city worker around 5:46 p.m. as the victim sat alone in his black Infiniti at 256 East 51st St. near Clarkson Avenue in East Flatbush and blasted him once, sources said.The wounded man was rushed to Kings County Hospital. His condition was...

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Miami Lakes company growing its brand of skin care products

For decades, Vivant Skin Care has formulated creams, serums, cleansers and tonics to treat such dermatological conditions as acne, aging and hyperpigmentation.Family owned and linked to Dr. James E. Fulton, who co-developed the anti-aging formula Retin-A, the company built its reputation with medically tested therapies aimed at improving skin.Now, like a complexion that has...

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