Speaker to discuss the Jews of Zimbabwe

You are invited to hear Modreck Zvakavapano Maeresera and Tudor Parfitt, as they lecture on "The Lamba Jews of Zimbabwe" at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Jewish Museum of Florida, 301 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach. You will want to attend this event; Maeresera is a leader in the Lemba Jewish community in Zimbaabwe. He coordinates a program of Jewish cyber-learning, studying...

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Hugh Grant is a Dad Again

Hugh Grant confirmed Saturday that he is a dad again.PICS: Celebs and Their Cute KidsThe 52-year-old British actor tweeted, "In answer to some journos. Am thrilled my daughter now has a brother. Adore them both to an uncool degree. They have a fab mum."Hugh and actress Tinglan Hong welcomed a daughter named Tabitha in 2011. No word yet on what Tabitha's little brother is named.Related: Hugh Grant...

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‘Private’ life of Ed

When Edward I. Koch was just a lanky 19-year-old Army draftee from The Bronx marching off to World War II, his mother, Joyce, handed him a gift. It was a new, leather-bound, gold-leafed diary in which she inscribed: “God bless you, my son.” Private Koch dutifully filled that diary during his days in basic training at Camp Croft, SC, in 1943. He would go...

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NBA’s best player (LeBron James) isn’t best-paid

HOUSTON -- When LeBron James walks onto the court for Houston’s NBA All-Star Game Sunday, he’ll do so as the undisputed king of his sport.Named the league’s most valuable player three times in the past four years, James is once again dominating the NBA and most likely headed for his fourth MVP award — two fewer than Michael Jordan — with presumably a long career still ahead.But...

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Joe Martinez says he’ll challenge Joe Garcia

Joe Martinez, the former Miami-Dade Commission chairman who lost his bid to become county mayor last year, said Friday that he intends to run against U.S. Rep. Joe Garcia in 2014.“I’m meeting with different people and feeling them out, seeing what the level of support will be there,” Martinez told The Miami Herald shortly after announcing his intentions on Facebook. He wants...

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'Escape from Planet Earth' Interview

Jessica Alba, Rob Corddry, William Shatner, Sofía Vergara and George Lopez are among the all-star voice cast creating laughs in the fast-paced, animated comedy-adventure Escape from Planet Earth, and they tell ET's Brooke Anderson that it's the perfect film for the whole family.Pics: 13 Must-See Movies of 2013 In theaters now, the out-of-this-world 3D comedy is told from the alien point of view, following...

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Magnolia is house of mouse

Cheese wasn’t good enough for these rodents.The city Health Department shut down Magnolia Bakery’s flagship West Village location because of an infestation of mice, authorities said yesterday.The popular cupcake shop, which gained fame after it was featured on “Sex and the City,” was shuttered Thursday after mouse holes and droppings were found.“It...

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Sign up for Feb. 21 Miami Herald Small Business Forum

Prepare your best pitch for the Miami Herald’s Small Business Forum, Feb. 21 at the south campus of our sponsor, Florida International University.In addition to how-to panels and inspirational stories from successful entrepreneurs, our annual small business forum will include interactive opportunities with experts to learn about financing options and polish your personal...

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Miami-Dade packed for weekend of events

Lured by sailboats and megayachts, urban street art and Romero Britto — and, of course, the lack of snow — thousands of visitors are expected to pour into Miami-Dade this holiday weekend.The activities started Thursday morning with the opening day of the 72nd annual Progressive Miami International Boat Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center and the Yacht & Brokerage...

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Simon Baker Gets Star on Walk of Fame

Today was a very special Valentine's Day for Simon Baker, as he received the 2, 490th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.PICS: Candid Celeb Sightings "It's about inspiration -- not for me, but for anyone else," said Baker when asked what the honor meant to him. "Nine out of ten people might walk across that star and not know who my name is, but someone might come along and it might inspire them."As...

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Meteorite falls in Russia

MOSCOW — Russian officials say a meteorite has fallen in the Chelyabinsk region some 930 miles east of Moscow.A spokesman for the Russian Interior Ministry, Vadim Kolesnikov, said the Friday morning fall caused a blast that broke windows.There were no immediate confirmed reports of injuries, but Russian news agencies cited unnamed sources as saying several...

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Jewish liturgical music festival continues through Sunday

The Fifth International Festival of New Jewish Liturgical Music is being celebrated in Miami through Sunday. It will feature new works from composers from throughout the United States, Canada, Israel and the United Kingdom. The music reflects a diverse range of musical styles and traditions.The six-day festival is presented by Shalshelet: The Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical...

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Artists You Should Know: Emeli Sande

British recording artist and songwriter Emeli Sandé is already making waves in the UK and hopes to become the latest in a growing list of British musicians that have taken over the world in recent times. Her debut album Our Version of Events is the UK's biggest selling album of 2012 and with her lyrically rich songs powered by an incredible voice, I have no doubt she is the next Global superstar....

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Silver ‘cleared’ in Gropez case

A new report “exonerates” Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver of any wrongdoing in regard to the sexual-harassment allegations against Assemblyman Vito Lopez. According to Silver’s spokesman, the report indicates that the speaker will be cleared of any legal misconduct in the ongoing investigation.“As we have said throughout, we are confident that the commission...

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Start-Up City: Miami panelists discuss building tech hub

A day-long forum led by Richard Florida explored ways to build an innovation hub in South Florida.Can Miami become one of the great cities of innovation?Richard Florida, an urban-affairs expert and now a South Florida resident much of the year, brought in an all-star lineup of national and local thought leaders Wednesday to explore how to build a robust technology community...

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Thirst for power? Or just thirst? Sen. Marco Rubio’s weird, viral dry-mouth moment

Sen. Marco Rubio was cruising along in his rebuttal to the president’s State of the Union speech Tuesday night when he couldn’t take it any longer.The small bottle of Poland Spring water was irresistible. Eyes fixed on the camera, the Florida Republican interrupted his own speech to take a live swig.It quenched his thirst, but sent Twitter ablaze. The small, live on-camera...

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Oscar Nominees Before They Were Famous

As hard as it may be to believe, Oscar nominees Bradley Cooper, Ben Affleck, Jessica Chastain, Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence were once fresh-faced actors itching for their big break in the biz.Pics: Star Sightings! Click the video to see the five stars (before they became famous) in their very first on-screen rol...

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Obama’s Rx is a liberal dose

WASHINGTON — President Obama confronted Congress withso his plan for a second term in last night’s State of the Union Address — demanding action on a laundry list of progressive policies that culminated with a fiery appeal for votes on tough gun-control laws.Emboldened by his re-election, Obama showed little sign of compromise in pushing an ambitious agenda...

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A close look at compact megazoom cameras

The lenses get longer, but the bodies get smaller. Pretty amazing. These four cameras offer wide-angle lenses with long zooms, giving you a lot of shooting flexibility, but without the bulk of larger dSLR-style megazooms. Canon PowerShot SX260 HS Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent) The good: Shooting modes are for every type of photographer, casual to...

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Miami-Dade investigating police-involved shooting in Florida City

A manhunt was underway Monday night for suspects following a police-involved shooting in Florida City.Details were sketchy but Miami-Dade police officers appear to have exchange gunfire with one or more suspects at a home on the 300 block of Northwest Eighth Avenue.No officers were injured. One person may have been wounded by the gunfire that broke out around 8:45 p.m. ...

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Bachelor Recap Sean's Sister Provides Perspective on Tierra

Apparently there is one girl whose words have weight enough to sway The Bachelor from his affections for Tierra, and that's his sister Shay.One week prior to the all-important hometown dates, Sean flies his sister to St. Croix to help him work out his feelings for the remaining six. Harking back to her sage, sisterly advice before he embarked on his Bachelor adventure, Shay tells Sean not to "end...

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Cops pop gun-toting teen after rooftop firefight

Cops shot an armed teenager and apprehended another man after a gunfight erupted on a Brooklyn rooftop last night, sources said.Police said a 16-year-old male opened fire on a Brownsville rooftop at 10:13 last night. When the officers returned fire they shot him three times. The teenager was shot once in each arm and once in the leg.“They were just shooting...

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Green cards for sale at a South Beach hotel: Competition is on for EB5 investment visas

If David Hart gets his way, South Beach’s 42-room Astor Hotel will be on a hiring spree this year as it adds concierge service, a roof-top pool, an all-night diner, spa and private-car service available 24 hours a day. New hires will be crucial to Hart’s business plan, since foreign investors have agreed to pay about $50,000 for each job created by the Art Deco boutique....

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With millions at stake, tutoring lobby goes into action

Second of two partsEvery year for nearly a decade, private tutoring companies have made millions in Florida because the federal government required school districts to hire them.That was in danger of changing last February, when the state won freedom from mandated private instruction for poor children in the state's worst schools. But the tutoring industry...

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LL Cool J Talks Grammys After Whitney Houston

What a difference a year brings.PICS: Best Dressed at the Grammys The 2012 Grammy Awards took on a somber mood, as the music business and the world grappled with the loss an icon -- Whitney Houston. LL Cool J, who hosted last year, returned to emcee the event on Sunday where he told ET's Nancy O'Dell and Rob Marciano how this year's event will differ."Last year was a different thing -- that was sad,"...

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Zuma chooses Midtown for openers

Zuma — the jet-setting Japanese restaurant popular with celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jay-Z and Beyoncé — is landing in Manhattan.The London-based chain designed by Noriyoshi Muramatsu’s Studio Glitt will open an outpost early next year at 261 Madison Ave., between 38th and 39th streets, in a sprawling two-story space with double height ceilings.In...

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Green cards for sale at a South Beach hotel: Competition is on for EB5 investment visas

If David Hart gets his way, South Beach’s 42-room Astor Hotel will be on a hiring spree this year as it adds concierge service, a roof-top pool, an all-night diner, spa and private-car service available 24 hours a day. New hires will be crucial to Hart’s business plan, since foreign investors have agreed to pay about $50,000 for each job created by the Art Deco boutique....

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