Preservation board to decide on Herald building

The city of Miami’s historic preservation office has compiled a lengthy, detailed report that substantially bolsters the case for designation of The Miami Herald’s “monumental’’ bayfront building as a protected landmark based on both its architectural merits and its historic significance.

Somewhat unusually, the 40-page report by city preservation officer Megan McLaughlin, which is supplemented by 30 pages of bibliography, plans and photographs, carries no explicit recommendation to the city’s preservation board, which is scheduled to decide the matter on Monday.

But her analysis gathers extensive evidence that the building’s history, the influential executives and editors associated with it, and its fusion of Mid-Century Modern and tropical Miami Modern (MiMo) design meet several of the legal criteria for designation set out in the city’s preservation ordinance and federal guidelines. A building has to meet just one of eight criteria to merit designation.

A spokeswoman for the city’s historic preservation office said there is no obligation to make a recommendation and the city’s preservation board didn’t ask for one.

Supporters of designation, including officials at Dade Heritage Trust, the preservation group that has received sometimes withering criticism from business and civic leaders for requesting designation, said they felt vindicated by the report, even as they concede that persuading a board majority to support it remains an uphill battle.

“It’s important that an objective expert is saying basically the same thing we’ve been saying, particularly in an environment where there is so much pressure,’’ said DHT chief executive Becky Roper Matkov. “It’s very hard to refute. When you look at the building’s architecture and history, it’s so blatantly historic, what else can you say?’’

The report also rebuts key pieces of criticism of the designation effort leveled by opponents of designation, including architects and a prominent local preservation historian hired by Genting, the Malaysian casino operator that purchased the Herald property last year for $236 million with plans to build a massive destination resort on its 10 acres. The newspaper remains in the building rent-free until April, when it will move to suburban Doral.

Citing federal rules, McLaughlin concluded that the building dates to its construction in 1960 and 1961, and not to its formal dedication in 1963. That’s significant because it makes the building legally older than 50 years. Buildings newer than that must be “exceptionally significant’’ to merit designation under city regulations. Opponents of designation have claimed the building does not qualify because it’s several months short of 50 years if dated from its ’63 opening.

The property also has a “minimal’’ baywalk at the rear but there is room to expand it, the report indicates. The building is considerably set back from the edge of Biscayne Bay, between 68 feet at the widest point and 23 feet at its narrowest, the report says. That’s comparable to what many new buildings provide, thanks in part to variances granted by the city, and could blunt criticism that the Herald building “blocks’’ public access to the bay.

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Buzzmakers: A Royal Pregnancy & Demi's Wild Night

What had ET readers buzzing this week?

1. Prince William & Kate Middleton Expecting a Baby

After much speculation and anticipation over the past year, the royal palace has confirmed that Prince William and Kate Middleton are expecting their first child.

An official statement issued Monday announcing the news reads: "The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news."

The statement added that Kate was admitted to a London hospital on Monday to be treated for hyperemesis gravidarum, a more severe form of the nausea and vomiting that normally accompanies the early stages of pregnancy. The Palace said that William traveled with Kate to the hospital in a private car, not by ambulance, and he was spending time at his wife's side.

The statement adds: "Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter."

The couple's first child will be third in line to the British throne.

2. Gisele Bunchen, Tom Brady Welcome Baby

Gisele Bundchen and husband Tom Brady received a special gift this holiday season, a baby daughter!

The Brazilian supermodel, 32, confirmed on her Facebook page that she and the New England Patriots player, 35, welcomed their second child together, Vivian Lake, on Wednesday night.

"We feel so lucky to have been able to experience the miracle of birth once again and are forever grateful for the opportunity to be the parents of another little angel," she said of her newborn daughter.

Included in the post was an adorable photo of Gisele tenderly holding little Vivian's hand in her own. This is the third child for Brady, who has a 2-year-old son, Benjamin, with Gisele, and a 5-year-old son, John, with actress Bridget Moynahan. Ben turns three on Saturday.

3. Demi Moore's Bizarre, Star-Studded Night Out

Demi Moore may have been enjoying herself too much on Wednesday night as some peculiar party pics have surfaced of the 50-year-old actress.

Joined by Lenny Kravitz and George Clooney's gal Stacy Keibler in a VIP section, Moore showed up to the Chanel Beachside Barbecue held at Soho Beach House in Miami, FL wearing a little gray jumper and looking to have a good time.

Photos of her cuddling up to Kravitz, 48, while using her hair to cover up her face (or is she eating her hair?) are making the rounds as well as shots of her dancing recklessly. Though the pics are sure to have many questioning her state of mind at the party, the actress was only seen with the energy drink Red Bull.

4. 2013 Grammy Nominations: fun. Scores Big

The countdown to music's biggest night has begun!

Live from Nashville, Tennessee LL Cool J and Taylor Swift emceed the Grammy Nominations concert featuring performances by fun., Hunter Hayes, Maroon 5, Luke Bryan, Ne-Yo and LL Cool J, Janelle Monae, and Dierks Bentley.

Click here for the list of announced nominees!

5. Angelina Jolie to Quit Acting

Does this mean the end of the Tomb Raider franchise? Angelina Jolie revealed on Monday that she plans to bid adieu to acting.

"I have enjoyed being an actress," Jolie, 37, told Britain's Channel 4 News. "I am so grateful to the job and I have had great experiences and I have even be able to tell stories and be a part of stories that mattered and I have done things for fun, but..."

The mother-of-six gave her reasons for quitting her trade, adding, "I will do some films and I am so fortunate to have the job, it's a really lucky profession to be a part of and I enjoy it. But if it went away tomorrow I would be very happy to be home with the children. I wake up in the morning as a mum and I turn on the news like everybody else and I see what's happening and I want to be part of the world in a positive way."

Jolie is currently an ambassador for the U.N. and has been visiting and working with refugees for years now.

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Two teens who fell into East River saved by cops

Cops courageously rescued two teens yesterday after they fell into the East River in East Harlem, authorities said.

The 17-year-old pals were hanging out with friends who may have been drinking at the edge of the river near East 111th Street about 12:45 p.m., cops said.

The boys were horsing around and hanging onto the outside of the railing on the promenade along the river's edge when one boy lost his grip and fell into the freezing water, cops said.

His buddy tried to help, but wound up falling in after him, cops said.

The other kids called 911 for help.

Sgt. Joseph Hartnett

Officer Helder Santos

Sgt. Joseph Hartnett and Officer Helder Santos arrived to find Christopher Arriago and his friend Diego Perez clinging to wooden pylons, which were sticking out of the icy waters, police said.

They grabbed Arriaga from the river but had a harder time reaching Perez, who didn’t want to let go of the pylon at first and was suffering from hypothermia, police said.

So two other officers, Siddiqua Withers and Leonardo Munoz, held on to Hartnett and Santos by their belts and legs as they dangled over the river to reach Perez.

The daring move gave the two cops the extra reach they needed to pluck Perez from the fast-moving river waters, police said.

Both kids were taken to Harlem Hospital, where they were listed in stable condition.

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Events showcase Miami’s growth as tech center

One by one, representatives from six startup companies walked onto the wooden stage and presented their products or services to a full house of about 200 investors, mentors, and other supporters Thursday at Incubate Miami’s DemoDay in the loft-like Grand Central in downtown Miami. With a large screen behind them projecting their graphs and charts, they set out to persuade the funders in the room to part with some of their green and support the tech community.

Just 24 hours later, from an elaborate “dojo stage,” a drummer warmed up the crowd of several hundred before a “Council of Elders” entered the ring to share wisdom as the all-day free event opened. Called TekFight, part education, part inspiration, and part entertainment, the tournament-style program challenged entrepreneurs to earn points to “belt up” throughout the day to meet with the “masters” of the tech community.

The two events, which kicked off Innovate MIA week, couldn’t be more different. But in their own ways, like a one-two punch, they exuded the spirit and energy growing in the startup community.

One of the goals of the TekFight event was to introduce young entrepreneurs and students to the tech community, because not everyone has found it yet and it’s hard to know where to start, said Saif Ishoof, the executive director of City Year Miami who co-founded TekFight as a personal project. And throughout the event, he and co-founder Jose Antonio Hernandez-Solaun, as well as Binsen J. Gonzalez and Jeff Goudie, wanted to find creative, engaging ways to offer participants access to some of the community’s most successful leaders.

That would include Alberto Dosal, chairman of CompuQuip Technologies; Albert Santalo, founder and CEO of CareCloud; Jorge Plasencia, chairman and CEO of Republica; Jaret Davis, co-managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig; and more than two dozen other business and community leaders who shared their war stories and offered advice. Throughout the day, the event was live-streamed on the Web, a TekFight app created by local entrepreneur and UM student Tyler McIntyre kept everyone involved in the tournament and tweets were flying — with #TekFight trending No. 1 in the Miami area for parts of the day. “Next time Art Basel will know not to try to compete with TekFight,” Ishoof quipped.

‘Miami is a hotbed’

After a pair of Chinese dragons danced through the audience, Andre J. Gudger, director for the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Small Business Programs, entered the ring. “I’ve never experienced an event like this,” Gudger remarked. “Miami is a hotbed for technology but nobody knew it.”

Gudger shared humorous stories and practical advice on ways to get technology ideas heard at the highest levels of the federal government. “Every federal agency has a director over small business — find out who they are,” he said. He has had plenty of experience in the private sector: Gudger, who wrote his first computer program on his neighbor’s computer at the age of 12, took one of his former companies from one to 1,300 employees.

There were several rounds that pitted an entrepreneur against an investor, such as Richard Grundy, of the tech startup Flomio, vs. Jonathan Kislak, of Antares Capital, who asked Grundy, “why should I give you money?”

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Police search for man who exposed himself to young girls in Southwest Miami-Dade

Miami-Dade Police are looking for a man wanted for lewd and lascivious exposure, investigators said Thursday.

“We’re working a couple of cases in the area where a gentleman seen in the sketch is exposing himself to children,” one detective told a concerned parent.

Yanitza Delgado was driving in the area of Southwest 80th St. and 154th Ave. Thursday when police approached her car.

“I think it’s very disgusting,” Delgado said. “I have a 12-year-old daughter. and then I have a 7-year-old. And I really think this is disgusting.”

Cops handed out a sketch and description of the man they said has been exposing himself to young girls in the vicinity of Southwest 72nd and 80th Streets from Southwest 142nd to 154th Avenues.

A 16-year-old girl walking in the neighborhood where cops were handing out flyers said she was a victim.

“I was walking, with my friend over here, and then he passes by, and he’s like ‘Oh, come here.’ And we’re like, ‘what?’ And he’s like, ‘you know where 152nd is?’ We’re like, ‘no.’ But we’re very distant. And when I look down, I see he has his pants down,” the girl said. She did not wish to be identified. “He just drove away laughing. We were very scared.”

Police provided two different sketched to the media, but only one sketch was used on the flyer.

Because they’re dealing with multiple victims, descriptions of the man vary, police said.

Police believe they’re looking for a Hispanic male between 20 and 30 years old.

They said he has short, black hair, brown eyes, and may or may not have a goatee.

It’s a vague description, but they’re hoping handing out fliers will generate some leads.

“I’m so worried,” parent Ana Escobar said. “You know, because, my two daughters they train in that tennis courts right there.”

Investigators said they started receiving reports of lewd and lascivious exposure back in March.

The victim who spoke to CBS 4 News said she saw the man last year but never reported it to cops.

Thursday, she told them her story. She said she hopes it leads to an arrest.

“I’m very glad ’cause at least we can get justice with this man,” the girl said.

Police said the man may be driving a Silver Toyota Corolla sedan or a similar vehicle.

If you think you recognize the suspect, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at (305) 471-TIPS (8477) or visit  www.crimestoppers.com and select “Give a Tip.” You can also send a text message to 274637. Enter CSMD followed by the tip information and press send.

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Oscars Flashback: Amy Adams 2006

It's a benchmark in every actress' career to receive her first award nomination. Whether she loves or loathes awards show and what they represent, it's always a reassuring boost to know that the industry appreciates one's work. In 2006, Amy Adams reached that benchmark as she fittingly stood in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard.

In 2005, Adams appeared in the comedy-drama Junebug, which pulled in a modest $3 million at the box office and was generally unknown to the masses; however it was known to the critics, and well liked by them as well.

VIDEO: SAGs Flashback '98: Jolie Experiences the Reward

Adams was the recipient of most of the film's nominations for her supporting role as a woman who gives birth to a stillborn, whom she had planned to name "Junebug." On the red carpet for her first Oscars, Adams says she's stunned.

"I don't dream this big," she says, awed. "This is Technicolor, folks. This is crazy."

Her applauded performance would only receive a nomination that year and no tears of joy were patted with the tissues in Adams' clutch.

VIDEO: Oscars Flashback '94: Spielberg Wins His First

While her fate at the Oscars that year has proven replicated on each of her three succeeding nominations, the most recent of which was for The Fighter, an Oscar may be in line for her this year.

The 38-year-old actress had three movies premiere this year (Trouble with the Curve, On the Road, The Master) and recently received a Hollywood Film Festival Award for her work.

Those tissues may get some use this year.

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$100K in jewelry stolen from Calif. Rep. Issa home

VISTA, Calif. — San Diego County authorities say $100,000 worth of jewelry has been stolen in a burglary at the home of California U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa.

U-T San Diego says more than 50 items, including watches, rings, earrings and bracelets, were taken from the Vista home on Nov. 29. No arrests have been made.

An Issa spokesman says the pieces were irreplaceable family heirlooms.

The Republican who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is one of the wealthiest members of Congress. He made his fortune with a company that produces car alarms and other auto security products.

AP

House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa

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New equity options exchange owned by Miami company starts trading on Friday

MIAX Options Exchange, a new fully electronic, equity options trading exchange, said it will begin trading on Friday.

MIAX Options Exchange is based in Princeton, N.J., but its parent company is Miami International Holdings. While MIAX’s executive offices, technology development center and national operations center are based in Princeton, additional executive offices, and a multi-purpose training, meeting and conference center will be located in Miami, the company said.

MIAX Options Exchange’s trading platform has been developed in-house and designed for the functional and performance demands of derivatives trading, the company said.

INA PAIVA CORDLE

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State lawmakers cautious about projected $437 million budget surplus

TALLAHASSEE --
Initial, positive indications about Florida’s budget for the coming fiscal year could be overtaken by events if the Florida Supreme Court strikes down changes to state employees or the nation plunges over the fiscal cliff, the state’s top economist warned Wednesday.

Speaking to the first meeting of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Amy Baker — coordinator of the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research — told lawmakers that the current projection of a $436.8 million budget surplus could still change.

"I think the message is that this is not a large cushion," Baker said. "It could evaporate on you if economic circumstances turn against us."

Lawmakers have long watched a decision in the case challenging a 2011 law that required employees to contribute 3 percent of their income to their retirement funds, along with other changes. It could cost the state around $2 billion if the Supreme Court strikes down the law.

A Leon County circuit court judge voided the changes for employees hired before July 1, 2011; justices seemed hesitant about upholding that ruling at oral arguments earlier this year.

But Baker said the so-called "fiscal cliff," a package of federal spending cuts and tax increases set to take effect on Jan. 1 unless Congress and President Barack Obama can reach agreement, also looms large.

If there is a long delay in reaching a deal — one that stretches past January and into March — it could cost the state as much as $375 million, Baker said, comparing it to the debt-ceiling fight in August 2011 that dragged down the state economy.

Even if there is an agreement, it is likely to include some measures that will reduce estimated state income by hundreds of millions of dollars, Baker said.

"There is no likelihood that Florida will escape from the final decision with no changes to our budget," Baker said.

The uncertainty has pushed lawmakers who are optimistic about the numbers to nonetheless urge caution. Senate Appropriations Chairman Joe Negron, R-Stuart, told the committee that he wanted to boost the budget stabilization fund, one of the state’s reserves, to $1.5 billion. That’s at least $500 million over where the fund is projected to be, Negron said.

After the meeting, Negron told reporters that might be as much as the Legislature can do.

"You can never have too much in a reserve, but realistically I think $1.5 billion is a reasonable target to shoot for," he said.

Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, said the situation should send a message to advocates for various state agencies in the audience.

"They need to be on notice that there is a lot of uncertainty out there and that this budget if these two things come to fruition is going to be very, very difficult to put together," Thrasher said. "And I think either one of them could devastating to us."

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Jessica Biel on the Best Part of Being a Newlywed

With people still buzzing about Hitchcock star Jessica Biel's October wedding to Justin Timberlake, Jessica's revealing to Elle magazine the best part of being a newlywed, her buzzed-about pink wedding dress and Justin's unexpected domestic side.

On what it means to be married, Jessica says it's all about now having a constant companion.

"It means always having someone there to open the pickle jar…to share the ups and downs with, have adventures with. Someone to go swimming naked with. That kind of thing … Honeymooning is the best thing about being a newlywed. I wish I could honeymoon forever," she says.

Pics: Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel's Most Romantic Moments

Jessica's unique pink Giambattista Valli wedding dress was one of the most-talked about aspects of the A-list couple's romantic Italian ceremony, and she reveals her inspiration behind the choice.

"I wanted the dress to be very romantic and feminine and a shape that I very rarely wear. I have never been crazy about all-white wedding dresses, for me at least," she dishes. "[Giambattista Valli] had created that same fabric in a fuchsia-and-pink combination for a dress in a previous collection, and I asked him if he could create that same pattern in a white combination, and he suggested pink. It was a bit of a leap of faith at the time, but it turned out better than I could have ever imagined. [Putting it on], I felt like I had made the right choice. I felt elegant. And it moved like a dream."

And what's one thing people don't know about her multi-talented husband?

According to Jessica, he makes a mean pie.

"He bakes pies. He’s Southern, so he's got all this influence from his grandma. He does a three-layer pie…and blueberry crunch cake, which is pretty unbelievable," she surprisingly reveals. "It doesn't happen all that often, thank God. Otherwise, it would be a big problem."

Related: First Photo -- Justin & Jessica's Wedding!

Elle's January issue hits newsstands December 18.

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Mayor Bloomberg says NYC working on being better prepared for extreme weather like Sandy

The city will work on upgrading building codes and evacuation-zone maps, hardening power and transportation networks and making sure hospitals are better prepared for extreme weather after Superstorm Sandy, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Thursday.

As a start, utility Consolidated Edison has agreed to spend $250 million to get its electrical, steam and gas systems in shape to withstand a Category 2 hurricane, Bloomberg said. City officials, meanwhile, will work on more comprehensive plans to help Sandy-ravaged areas recover and prepare the city for future weather disasters. That will include examining the pros and cons of building berms, dunes, levees and other coast-protection structures, Bloomberg said, though he remains cool to the idea of massive sea walls.

"Let me be clear: We are not going to abandon the waterfront," the mayor said in a speech Thursday at a meeting sponsored by the Regional Plan Association and the League of Conservation Voters. But "we have to build smarter and stronger and more sustainable."

The city is still focused on recovering from the Oct. 29 storm, but officials have started to think about preparing for natural disasters, in light of the prospect of more extreme weather and higher seas because of global warming, Bloomberg said. He has long been outspoken about the risks of climate change, teaming up at times on environmental and anti-global-warming initiatives with former Vice President Al Gore, who praised Bloomberg's efforts before his speech Thursday.

While Gore said Sandy "was related to climate change," Bloomberg was less explicit in drawing a connection.

"Whether or not one storm is related to climate change or is not, we have to manage for risks," he said, noting that severe storms, rainfalls and heat waves in recent years show "that the dangers from extreme weather are already here."

Before Sandy, the city had already made and touted its efforts to prepare for climate change and storms, through measures ranging from studying coast-protection strategies to changing construction laws. But Sandy's storm surge, a modern record, flooded beyond the area officials had expected and made it clear that utilities, hospitals, and transit systems need to be prepared for worse inundation than they were.

Bloomberg says officials also will revisit its construction laws, particularly height restrictions that could discourage people from elevating their homes.

And he has instructed economic development and planning officials to assess what it will take to make power grids, transportation networks and hospitals able to handle a Category 2 hurricane, record-breaking heat wave or other natural disaster.

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Art Basel brings full rooms, high rates to Miami Beach hotels

Hotels in Miami-Dade are full this week — of guests, art and events.

In some cases, they’re even being taken over. See: Lords South Beach at 1120 Collins Avenue, which has been turned from a sunny hotel into an intimidating, super-sized, crowd-interacting black dog.

“At night, when it’s talking, it’s so funny to watch people walk by and do the double take,” said Brian Gorman, the hotel’s founder.

The installation by Desi Santiago, formally called Perrier Presents: The Black Lords at Lords South Beach, shows how local hotels have embraced the week surrounding Art Basel Miami Beach as more than an opportunity to fill rooms.

Though they do that as well.

George Cozonis, general manager of W South Beach, said many guests have been staying at the hotel for Art Basel week since it opened in 2009.

“And they know what their favorite room is and they have gotten to know the staff, so one of the things they do before they leave is say, ‘I’d like to get the same room for next year,’ ” he said. “Many of our bookings happen during or right after [Art Basel]. By July, everything is booked.”

By midweek, only a few rooms remained for Saturday night with weeknights sold out at rates that started at $1,209 and topped out at $9,500 a night.

Hotels countywide are reporting about 90 percent occupancy, according to a preliminary survey by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. That’s a slight increase from last year’s 89 percent occupancy.

Nicholas Christopher, president and owner of official Art Basel travel agency Turon Travel, said rates in general are slightly higher than last year. He said most of the visitors are booked through Friday or Saturday, so some availability (and lower prices) could return by the weekend.

The hotels getting the most buzz are recently relaunched properties such as the SLS and James Royal Palm, he said. Both properties say they are sold out, with average rates over $1,000 a night at SLS and rooms going for $700-$3,500 at the James Royal Palm, which opened in early November.

The 87-room Gale South Beach & Regent Hotel cut it even closer, opening Tuesday.

“We knew we were going to be on schedule,” said Jared Galbut, managing principal of Menin Hotels, which also includes the sold-out Shelborne, Sanctuary and Bentley hotels. “We knew we had reservations; we made it clear to the contractor that it’s not an option to not be open.”

Opening-week prices at the hotel range from $500 to $800, Galbut said, about $150 more than what will be normal for the season.

At the other end of the price spectrum, Freehand Miami, an upscale hostel at 2727 Indian Creek Drive that opened this week, is also sold out with prices that start around $50 to $75 a night per person. Andrew Zobler, CEO of Freehand owner Sydell Group, said many guests are members of the press and artists.

“It’s really perfect for something like Basel where there’s so much going on,” he said. “They’re coming down for three days and probably sleeping four hours a night.”

Like many other properties, the hostel is hosting events every night, presenting almost unlimited options for out-of-towners after the art fairs close.

Mandarin Oriental, Miami on Brickell Key debuts an exhibition of contemporary Asian art in the lobby Thursday night. The Gale South Beach is hosting some events that don’t start until midnight.

At Dream South Beach, 1111 Collins Avenue, rock and jazz photography from the Morrison Hotel Gallery will be featured at the hotel, which also hosts events Thursday and Friday.

Brendan McNamara, senior vice president of brand development for Dream Hotels, said it’s important for lifestyle hotels to embrace major happenings like Art Basel and join the creative buzz. He praised the installation at the nearby Lords South Beach as well as a project called “Plane Text,” featuring a plane trailing messages, put on by Delano owner Morgans Hotel Group.

“It’s almost less competitive and it becomes this love fest of art,” he said.

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HOLIDAY LIGHTS

It’s that time of year to decorate your home and tell us how wonderful it looks!

We’re seeking all entries for our annual Holiday Lights showcase. Tell us about your home, your decorations and where you live. Send this information to Lidia at ltzdinkova@gmail.com. by Monday, Dec. 10 or to Joan Chrissos, Holiday Lights, Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, Fl., 33132. Please include a daytime phone number.

We will feature the homes in Neigbors on Sunday, Dec. 16.

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Pink Girl on Fire Acoustic Performance

With her album tearing up the charts, her singles dominating radio and a looming tour that is destined to sell out instantaneously given the sensational show she always stages, you could say Pink is on fire right now.

VIDEO - Behind the Scenes of Pink's Covergirl Shoot

Actually, you'd have to say that because Pink tackled Alicia Keys' Girl on Fire when she stopped by BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge on December 5.

VIDEO - The Empire State Building Honors Alicia's Fire

And while her live performances and music videos are always eye-catching, focusing solely on Pink's voice reminds you why she's been blazing up the industry since 2000.

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LI man shoots girlfriend in fight over zombies: cops

Police say an argument over the TV show "The Walking Dead" led a man to shoot his girlfriend in the back.

Jared Gurman of Williston Park, on Long Island, was ordered held without bail Tuesday. He is charged with attempted murder.

Police say Gurman fired one shot from a .22 caliber rifle. Officers say the bullet pierced the unidentified woman's lung and diaphragm and shattered her ribs.

Gurman took her to a hospital.

Police said the two were arguing about the show that features zombies in a post-apocalyptic world.

Gurman's attorney tells Newsday the rifle went off accidentally.

Jared Gurman

The attorney, Edward L. Lieberman, declined to comment about specifics of the argument.

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iPad’sdominance limits apps for other tablets

Q. When are companies going to start writing applications for tablet computers other than the iPad? I own a Pandigital tablet, and when I try to download apps, I’m told they’re either for the iPad or iPhone.

LeRoy Hilton,

Oro Valley, Ariz.

You can expect more apps for non-Apple tablet computers when those devices gain more market share. How soon, or if, that will happen is anyone’s guess.

People who write apps are motivated by the revenue they’re likely to get. They can maximize that revenue by focusing on the tablet computer that is owned by the largest number of people.

Right now, the best opportunity for app writers is the iPad, which in the first three months of 2012 accounted for 68 percent of the 17.4 million tablet computers sold worldwide, according to market research firm IDC. The iPad’s chief competitors, in order of market share, are tablets made by Samsung, Amazon, Lenovo and Barnes & Noble. Pandigital is further down the list.Q. I recently bought a Kindle Fire tablet computer, and I’m disappointed that it cannot be read in the sunshine as other Kindle devices can. Is there anything I can do to make the screen more readable outdoors, such as buying an anti-glare screen protector?

Mary Jo Ready,

Shoreview, Minn.

An anti-glare protector won’t help. The issue is that your Kindle Fire’s LCD, or liquid crystal display, screen is lit from inside, but isn’t bright enough to compete with sunlight. Your only outdoor options are to raise the screen brightness and find some shade. A video that explains how to adjust screen brightness can be found on Amazon’s help pages, at http://www.tinyurl.com/7289vlo. Q. My Windows task bar was always at the bottom of my screen, but the other day it went to the top for some reason. How can I get it back to the bottom of the screen?

Kathleen Gignac,

Bartow, Fla.

The task bar can be dragged to a new location using your mouse. Left-click a blank space on the task bar and, while holding down the mouse button, drag the bar to the bottom of the screen.

You can skip this manual process if you are using Windows XP or Windows Vista. Just go to http://www.tinyurl.com/c7qwp8 and click the automatic “fix it” button. That will return the task bar to its default position at the bottom of the screen.

If you have problems with either of these techniques, the task bar may have become “locked” in its current position. There are directions on the same Web page that explain how to “unlock” the tool bar’s location so it can be moved.

Contact Steve Alexander at Tech Q&A, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn. 55488-0002; e-mail steve.j.alexander@gmail.com.

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Son of slain Miami Gardens car wash owner: ‘He put his own life before someone else’

When Dameion Peart got the phone call from his uncle, he didn’t believe it. He drove to his father’s Miami Gardens car wash to see for himself. He hoped the news wouldn’t be too bad, or maybe the shooting happened someplace else.

He pulled up, saw flashing lights and police tape, and knew it was true.

His father, Errold Peart, had been trying to protect a customer Sunday afternoon from armed robbers at the car wash he ran at Northwest 191st Street and First Place.

The robbers turned their gun on Peart, killing him.

“He put his own life before someone else,” his son said.

Now, Peart’s family began the unexpected task of planning a memorial. He was five days away from his 60th birthday.

He won’t get to see his daughter, Mishka Peart, 23, graduate from the University of Miami’s medical school.

“It’s just sad,” Dameion Peart said. “It was unnecessary.”

When the community heard of the shooting, they started dropping by the scene. They were the ones who lived nearby, longtime customers and friends, each with their own tale of how his father had helped them through the years.

They talked about the times Peart, 59, didn’t charge for carwashes to people short on money. They told Dameion Peart, 32, how his father would give money to people who needed help paying for water and electricity, never asking for the money back.

They shared stories about people who couldn’t get jobs because they had convictions — until Peart gave them work.

One of the younger employees told him it was Errold Peart who convinced her to go back to school.

“He was a very good, kindhearted person and a good father at the same time,” Dameion Peart said. “The community where his business is located, he really helped them out here.”

Errold Peart hailed from Jamaica, where he played cricket and worked at one point at a school for problem children, his son said. He eventually came to the United States, where he continued to play cricket for the USA national team.

Peart represented the USA in five matches at the 1990 International Cricket Council Trophy in the Netherlands, where the batsman was the team’s leading scorer, ESPN reported. The USA made it through the first round that year before losing in the second, according to ESPN.

At first, Peart worked with an airline, his son said, but later decided to open his own business.

He started the car wash more than a decade ago, his son said. He chose the location because it was near a busy stretch of U.S. 441 and near Florida’s Turnpike, the Palmetto Expressway and Interstate 95.

“It was like a landmark,” Dameion Peart said. “Everyone knew him.”

But Peart worried about safety.

“He didn’t like guns. But every year, around this time, for the past three years he got held up at gunpoint and people tried to rob him,” Dameion Peart said. “The last time they even followed him home.”

So Errold Peart got a concealed weapons permit.

On Sunday afternoon, he noticed a pair of young men trying to rob a customer. Errold Peart went out to try and stop it, his son said, only to be shot himself.

The men ran away, leaving behind the customer and a bleeding Peart.

Miami Gardens Police still were looking for the suspects on Monday.

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

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Bronx man found dead with severe head trauma after nabes report 'foul odor': cops

An older man was found dead yesterday under mysterious circumstances in The Bronx, authorities said.

The 62-year-old victim was discovered around 10:40 p.m. after someone made a 911 call of a foul odor coming from the Davidson Avenue home, cops said.

Emergency workers responded and found the victim inside. He appears to have suffered from severe trauma to the head, police said.

It is not clear how long the man had been there or what might have happened, cops said. There was no sign of forced entry to the home, police sources said.

The cause of death is pending an autopsy by the city’s medical examiner, police said.

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AutoNation acquires six dealerships in Texas, adds 1,000 employees

Fort Lauderdale-based AutoNation, the country’s largest retailer of cars and light trucks, on Tuesday said it has agreed to acquire six large auto retail stores in Texas with annual revenues of about $575 million.

Mike Jackson, AutoNation’s chairman and CEO, said in a television interview that the deal “is probably the largest in over a decade” in the auto retailing business.

AutoNation has seen its unit sales increase steadily during the country’s slow economic recovery, and the new acquisitions are a sign that the giant auto retailer expects continued growth. “You want to know what I’m thinking, look at what I do,” Jackson said on CNBC’s Squawk Box program.

He also announced that his company’s November new unit sales totaled 22,571 units, up 21 percent over the same month last year.

The sale price of the acquisitions was not announced. An AutoNation spokesperson said that the sellers did not want to reveal this information. In the past, the sales price of dealerships has been around three to five times annual revenues, according to industry estimates.

The acquisitions, which are expected to sell around 14,000 new and used vehicles in 2012, will add about 1,000 employees to AutoNation’s payroll, which stood at 19,400 at the end of 2011.

AutoNation is buying five stores from Boardwalk Auto Group in the Dallas area with annual sales of about $375 million. The five are three Volkswagen stores and one each for Audi and Porsche. Boardwalk Porsche ranked among the top ten in new vehicle sales for the brand thus far this year. Boardwalk, founded by Scott K. Ginsburg, the main shareholder, will continue to own and operate several other luxury car dealerships.

In Houston, AutoNation is acquiring Spring Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram from the current owners, Alfred Flores and Bruce Glascock. Spring is the highest volume Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram dealer in the Texas market and the fourth largest in the United States.

The deals are expected to close by the end of the year.

The purchase of these new stores will give AutoNation a total of 227 stores. Upon completion of the deals, the company will own and operate 50 new car franchises in Texas.

AutoNation’s most recent acquisition was in early 2011, when it bought a Toyota dealership in Fort Myers with annual sales of $135 million. It largest recent purchase prior to Tuesday was a Mercedes-Benz store in Pompano Beach, which had annual revenues of $230 million.

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Miami Commissioner Spence-Jones sues state attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, Mayor Regalado

Battle-scarred Miami City Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones has launched a legal offensive against Mayor Tomas Regalado and Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, accusing them of plotting to destroy her political career when Rundle twice charged the commissioner with political corruption.

In a federal lawsuit filed Monday, Spence-Jones’ lawyers accuse Fernandez Rundle, lead prosecutor Richard Scruggs and a state attorney’s

investigator of fabricating evidence and misleading key witnesses — including developer Armando Codina and former County

Commissioner Barbara Carey-Shuler — to back up their ultimately unsuccessful criminal cases.

Spence-Jones was acquitted in one case. The charges were dropped in the second prosecution.

The suit claims that Fernandez Rundle’s goal amounted to a “shocking, nefarious scheme” to remove Spence-Jones from the city commission from 2009-11 as a favor for the state attorney’s ally, Regalado, so that Spence-Jones, his nemesis, could be replaced by another politician to represent Miami’s black community in District 5.

The lawsuit asserts that Fernandez Rundle and her office “manufactured false evidence, hid and withheld exculpatory evidence, intimidated and

manipulated witnesses, defamed Spence-Jones, and repeatedly attempted to manipulate the political process, in a corrupt attempt to remove,

arrest, imprison, and forever ruin a dedicated Miami public servant.”

And when Spence-Jones prevailed in both cases, “Fernandez Rundle and her team covered up their own wrongdoing, recklessly and falsely accusing [the city commissioner] and her well-respected defense counsel of yet more crimes, to the entire world,” the 105-page suit asserts.

Spence-Jones’ racketeering-styled suit claims the defendants violated her civil rights.She is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Her suit was filed by Coral Gables lawyer Ray Taseff and the New York law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady, which also represents the former North Carolina lacrosse players who are suing a now-disbarred district attorney in a notorious failed rape case.

Spence-Jones’ counterattack fuels the legal and political drama that has dominated her life almost since her election to the city

commission in 2005. She has endured at least six separate criminal investigations, ethics and campaign violations, a grand jury

indictment, a fight in civil court to retain her seat and the successful defense at her bribery trial.

Spence-Jones represents Overtown, Liberty City and Little Haiti. She was arrested for the first time in November 2009, charged with grand

theft stemming from her days as a city aide.

The investigation centered on $75,000 in grants from the Miami-Dade Action Plan Trust, or MMAP, a quasi-county agency that administers

grants to community groups. In September 2004, Barbara Carey-Shuler, then-chairwoman of the county commission, directed the agency to award

$25,000 grants to three groups.

One grant went to the Rev. Gaston Smith, Spence-Jones’ pastor, who later paid her a $8,000 “consulting” fee. Smith later was convicted of

stealing the money.

Carey-Shuler, in a letter, later asked MMAP to re-direct the other $50,000 to Spence-Jones’ family company. Carey-Shuler initially told

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Howard Stern to Return to 'America's Got Talent'

NBC announced on Monday that Howard Stern will return as a judge for a second season of America's Got Talent.

The 58-year-old outspoken radio host teamed up with fellow judges Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel during his first season with the hit variety/talent show, which has been on the air since 2006.

VIDEO: Howard Stern Weighs in on Idol Judges' Exit

"Howard Stern's towering presence and opinions on last season's show as a new judge made a dramatic impact and added a sharper edge to the fascinating developments on stage," said Paul Telegdy, president of NBC's alternative and late-night programming.

Auditions for the new season of America's Got Talent will be held in the coming weeks in cities across the country. 

VIDEO: Howard Stern Proclaims Himself 'America's Judge'

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Tennis ref accused of husband's murder knew 'justice would be served' after charges dropped

The tennis ref, once accused of murder, said she always knew “justice would be served” and now plans to get back to court -- the one with nets, not prosecutors.

Lois Goodman, 70, told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she’s delighted Los Angeles prosecutors dropped their murder case against her, in connection to the death of husband Alan Goodman, 80, in April at their California home.

Watch More News Videos at ABC | 2012 Presidential Election

She was arrested on Aug. 21 in New York, when she arrived in town to work as a line judge at the US Open.

"I was so happy. Elated. I can't tell you," Goodman said. "It came earlier than I thought it would, but I always knew, somehow, justice would be served, and my name would be cleared."

Goodman has steadfastly maintained her innocence. A judge threw out the case on Friday at the behest of prosecutors. Her defense lawyer Robert Sheahen thanked the Los Angeles DA.

"The prosecutors did a great thing here," he said. "DAs don't stand up to the police department. They don't dismiss these cases. For these prosecutors to dismiss this case, they did a good thing.

"They dismissed it; more power to them. I give them all of the professional credit in the world. It got out of hand. The prosecutors corrected it."

Cops busted Goodman, accusing her bludgeoning Alan Goodman with a coffee mug and then stabbing him with the broken pieces.

The tennis ref theorized her husband suffered a horrible fall and then crawled back into bed.

"I wasn't there. Poor thing … I beat myself up all the time,” she said. “If I had been at home, I could have helped him. But I wasn't. It's just hard for me to realize that he's gone, I miss him.”

The grandmother said she wants to return to the game she loves.

"I want to go back to work," Goodman said. "I miss my friends and being on the court, and my friends said, 'I've already got you booked on four tournaments that I'm running, so clear your calendar.' "

Not surprisingly, Goodman said she relishes her time in sunshine and open air, after 24 terrible hours locked up at Rikers Island following her New York arrest.

"[Rikers] was horrible," she said. "Dark and dingy, and it was depressing. Terrible, in the cell for 23 hours out of 24. [It was] hard, I couldn't believe it."

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The business behind the artist: Miami’s art gallery scene still evolving

This week, thousands of art collectors, museum trustees, artists, journalists and hipsters from around the globe will arrive for the phenomenon known as Art Basel Miami Beach. The centerpiece of the week: works shown at the convention center by more than 260 of the world’s top galleries.

Only two of those are from Miami.

While Art Basel has helped transform the city’s reputation from beach-and-party scene to arts destination in the years since its 2002 Miami Beach debut, the region’s gallery identity is still coming into its own.

“Certainly Miami as an art town registers mightily because of the foundations, the collectors who have done an extraordinary job,” said Linda Blumberg, executive director of the Art Dealers Association of America. “I think there’s a definite international awareness there. But the gallery scene probably has a bit of a ways to go. That doesn’t mean it’s not really fascinating and interesting.”

The gallery business, especially where newer artists are concerned, is a game of risk, faith and passion. Once a gallery takes on an artist who shows promise, they become an evangelist on their behalf, showing their work in-house and at fairs, presenting it to museums and curators and potential collectors and bearing the cost of that promotion.

For contemporary artists, most galleries take work on consignment, meaning they get a cut of as much as 50 percent when works sell. While local art galleries have been growing in number and popularity in the last several years — just try to find parking during the monthly art walk in Miami’s hot Wynwood neighborhood — even some of the area’s top art dealers say that while business overall is good, they struggle in the local marketplace.

“Our problem is that we have to do lots of art fairs in order to connect with the market that we need to connect with to sell the work that we have,” said Fredric Snitzer, a Miami-Dade gallery owner for 35 years. “The better the work is, the harder it is to sell in Miami. And that ain’t good.”

A handful of serious collectors call Miami home and store their own collections in Miami, including the Braman, Rubell, Margulies and de la Cruz families. But outside a relatively small local group, many gallerists say, their clients come from other parts of the country and world.

And some gallerists point out the troubling reality that even the powerhouse Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin could not stay open in Miami for more than a few years.

“The fact that big galleries have not been able to sustain their business models in South Florida tells you we’re obviously not at this high established point,” said gallery owner David Castillo. “It’s not like we’ve arrived, let’s sit back and watch Hauser & Wirth open down the street.”

Still, Miami’s gallery business has come a long way since the early 1970s, when a few dealers on Bay Harbor Island’s Kane Concourse were selling high-end pieces but the local scene was hardly embraced.

Virginia Miller, who owns ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries in Coral Gables, first opened in 1974 to showcase Florida artists, though her focus soon added an international scope. She and other longtime observers credit several factors for Miami’s transformation, including the community’s diversity, the establishment of important museums, the Art Miami fair that started 23 years ago, the presence of major collections and, of course, Art Basel Miami Beach.

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Two dead after bus overpass crash at Miami International Airport

What began as a day of prayer and fellowship turned into a surreal scene of stunned, bloodied passengers and twisted metal.

There was the sickening sound of crunching metal early Saturday as a busload of Jehovah’s Witnesses was low-bridged by a concrete overpass at Miami International Airport, peeling back the top of the vehicle “like a can of sardines.”

Airport workers running to the scene found shocked passengers thrown into the aisle or trapped in their seats by the wreckage.

Riders in the front rows were crushed — two of them killed, others seriously injured.

The driver of the bus, 47-year-old Ramon Ferreiro, took a wrong turn off LeJeune Road, entering the airport by mistake, then rolled past multiple yellow signs warning tall vehicles. He drove on, approaching an overpass whose sign said “8ft-6in”. The driver either didn’t see it, couldn’t read it, or realized it too late.

The bus stood 11 feet tall.

“The last thing he should have done is to keep going,” said Greg Chin, airport spokesman. “That goes against all logic.”

Ferreiro, whose driver’s seat was lower than those of the passengers, was not injured.

One passenger, 86-year-old Miami resident Serfin Castillo, was killed on impact, and all 31 others were taken by ambulance to local hospitals. Thirteen ended up at Jackson Memorial’s Ryder Trauma Center, where one of them, 56-year-old Francisco Urana of Miami, died shortly after arriving.

Three remained in critical condition Saturday night, and three had been released.

Luis Jimenez, 72, got a few stitches on his lip and hurt his hand. He said the group left the Sweetwater Kingdom Hall about 7 a.m., bound for West Palm Beach.

“I was sitting in the back when it happened,” Jimenez said. “We were on our way to an assembly and lost a brother today. I’m very sad.”

Delvis Lazo, 15, a neighbor and member of the same congregation, described Castillo as a “nice, old man.” He often saw Castillo at religious gatherings, and their families have known each other for more than 15 years.

The last time Lazo saw him was about two months ago, as he prepped for a talk before his congregation.

“He gave me a thumbs up, told me that everything was going to be all right,” he said.

The bus, one of three traveling to the Spanish-language general assembly on Saturday, had been contracted by the congregation, which has fewer than 150 members.

According to public records, the bus belongs to Miami Bus Service Corporation, a Miami company owned by Mayling and Alberto Hernandez that offers regularly scheduled service between South Florida and Gainesville, often used by University of Florida students. At the home address listed for the company and the owners, Mayling Hernandez told The Miami Herald that passenger safety is her primary concern.

“At this time I’m worried about the driver and the families of the victims. I’m praying for them,” she said. “My job is to worry about the safety of the passengers who are our clients. What we do requires a lot of responsibility. I didn’t know the passengers but that doesn’t mean I’m not suffering.”

Neighbor Armando Bacigalupi described the owners as “caring people” and said he had seen buses park briefly in front of the house.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the company has two drivers for its three passenger motor coaches.

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Bachelorette Ashley Hebert and JP Rosenbaum are Married

Ashley Hebert is a bachelorette no more!

The 28-year-old dentist and her construction manager fiancé J.P. Rosenbaum, 35, walked down the aisle on Saturday in Pasadena, California, reports People Magazine.

The ceremony, officiated by Bachelor and Bachelorette host Chris Harrison, was attended by familiar faces from the series including Ali Fedotowsky, Emily Maynard, and Jason and Molly Mesnick.

Video: 'Bachelorette' Ashley Hebert and Fiance J.P.'s Passionate PDA

Ashley and J.P.'s exchanging of vows will be televised December 16 on a two-hour special on ABC.

The season seven sweeties will be the second Bachelorette couple ever to televise their walk down the aisle, following in the footsteps of Trista and Ryan Sutter, who married in December 2003.

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Staten Island man in police custody after wife beaten to death

A Staten Island man was taken into custody after his wife was brutally beaten to death, police said.

It was not immediately clear what led to the fatal beating in the family's home on Beechwood Place around 2:25 a.m. this morning, police said.

Cops found 42-year-old Jodi Surinaga unconscious and unresponsive after one of the couple's two children inside the home called 911, sources said.

The mother suffered blunt force trauma to the head, according to police. EMS pronounced the victim dead at the scene.

Investigators did not immediately say whether the children witnessed the horrific crime.

Seth Gottfried

The scene of this morning's fatal beating in Staten Island

Cops took the victim's 45-year-old husband into custody.

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Boat Show may block Miami’s 2016 Super Bowl bid

This winter, the biggest NFL match-up in South Florida might be Super Bowl versus Boat Show.

As South Florida readies a bid for the 2016 Super Bowl, it must contend with a major potential conflict on the tourism calendar. The National Football League may move the Super Bowl to Presidents’ Day weekend, already home to the five-day Miami International Boat Show since the 1940s.

It’s a significant enough conflict that, in the past, local tourism officials have declined to pursue a Super Bowl if it fell on boat show weekend. But this time around they may have no choice. For the first time, the NFL is requiring that potential host cities agree to a Presidents’ Day weekend Super Bowl if they want to pursue the big game at all, said two people who have seen the NFL request for Super Bowl bids.

The NFL “invited South Florida [to bid] knowing there was going to be an issue with Presidents’ Day weekend and the boat show,” said Nicki Grossman, Broward’s tourism director. “In the past, South Florida has not responded to a Super Bowl date that included Presidents’ Day weekend. This package is different.”

South Florida vies with New Orleans as the top Super Bowl host, with government and tourism leaders touting the game as both a boon to the economy and a publicity bonanza. But the notion of accommodating both Super Bowl and boat show — not to mention a major arts festival in Coconut Grove — strikes some top tourism officials as a bad idea.

“There is not sufficient hotel inventory available in Miami that weekend to host a Super Bowl,” said William Talbert, president of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We have taken a close look at that weekend, and it’s not physically possible in Miami to host Super Bowl during the Presidents’ Day weekend because of the boat show and the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. The hotel inventory is all being used for these two great events.”

His comments are at odds with the region’s top Super Bowl organizer and reflect the burden that the boat show may be to South Florida’s Super Bowl hopes for 2016 and 2017. The NFL invited Miami and San Francisco to bid for the 2016 Super Bowl by April 1, with the loser vying with Houston for the 2017 game. Talbert said the bid package states both decisions will be made in May.

For now, South Florida’s Super Bowl organizers face a largely hypothetical challenge, because the current NFL schedule has the Super Bowl occurring two weeks before Presidents’ Day weekend. The bid requirements for the ’16 and ’17 Super Bowls include three consecutive weekends as possibilities for the game, with the latest falling on the Presidents’ Day holiday.

Still, possible logistical hurdles may combine with political obstacles if the Miami Dolphins resume their push for a tax-funded renovation of Sun Life Stadium, the Super Bowl’s South Florida home.

Last year, the Dolphins proposed that Broward and Miami-Dade counties subsidize a $225 million renovation at Sun Life as a way to keep the region competitive for Super Bowls and other large events. The renovation includes a partial roof that would prevent the kind of drenching Super Bowl spectators suffered in 2007 when a rare February downpour hit Miami Gardens.

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