Jurors convict former NYPD detective in fatal Bronx DWI

Jurors today convicted a former NYPD detective of manslaughter for mowing down a Bronx grandmother three years ago, but let him slide on a more serious charge because they thought evidence he was driving drunk was tainted.Kevin Spellman, 45, faces 5 to 15 years in prison on the second-degree manslaughter charge, but he’d faced 25 years had he been convicted...

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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...

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Fla. university leaders want to avoid tuition hike

TALLAHASSEE -- The presidents of Florida’s state universities have an offer for the Legislature: Give us $118 million and we won’t raise tuition.“What we’re asking for this year is a significant investment from the state, tied to specific goals to universities,” said University of West Florida President Judy Bense during Wednesday’s news conference. “With an investment provided...

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25 top-rated Facebook games from 2012

Games can be both a welcome and an annoying diversion on Facebook, the world’s most popular online social network. This year, Facebook crossed a big milestone — reaching 1 billion active users. Game companies such as “FarmVille” creator Zynga Inc. and Rovio Entertainment Ltd. of “Angry Birds” fame seek to tap into that vast base of users to gain more players for their games.This week, Facebook Inc....

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Worn Out? Stars Step Out in Same Style

Kristin Cavallari vs. Dania Ramirez The Hills star Kristin Cavallari sported this festive red skater dress at the Chinese Laundry launch party for her new shoe collection in NYC Tuesday night, though Dania Ramirez beat her to the punch -- she stepped out in the same memorable dress (which she chose to pair with a black belt) at Variety's Power of Women event back in...

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Unidentified skeleton found on Jamaica Bay island

Skeletal remains that appear to belong to a teenage girl were discovered on an uninhabited island in Jamaica Bay, authorities said.A boater passing the Canarsie Pol, across from Canarsie Pier around 4:45 p.m., Tuesday spotted the bones and notified police, sources said.Fog, darkness and choppy waters prevented the NYPD Harbor Patrol from investigating the...

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Innovate MIA puts spotlight on startup community

If you think the next week is all about art, you may be surprised to learn there are also six entrepreneurship events vying for your time.And that is all by design. In much the way that Art Basel helped put Miami’s arts community on the international map, organizers of the first Innovate MIA hope their weeklong grouping of events will shine a light on the city’s growing tech...

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Miami-Dade Commission postpones Jackson Health System decision

Miami-Dade County Commissioners postponed Tuesday voting on a resolution concerning the future shape of the governing board of the Jackson Health System.Commissioner Rebeca Sosa asked for the delay and no one opposed the move.In October, the commission voted 6-5 to make permanent a seven-member Jackson board, selected by a nominating committee of nine persons, five of whom...

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Stars Return to Middle-earth for 'The Hobbit'

Are you ready to return to Middle-earth? Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is coming to theaters and IMAX everywhere in 3D on December 14, and the extensive cast of Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, Orcs and Wizards features a pleasant mixture of new and returning faces to new, first installment of the growing, six-movie franchise.Video: An Unexpected Journey to the NZ 'Hobbit' Premiere "It's...

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Two more former LIRR workers cop to disability pension scam

They're hopping off the gravy train.Two more LIRR retirees pleaded guilty today to scamming disability pensions -- and promised to pay back all the money they stole by faking career-killing injuries.Former conductor James Reiser, 59, also cut a deal to cooperate with the feds in a bid to stay out of the slammer, admitting in court that he schemed with an...

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