Bill to ban smoking on some public land advances

Cities and counties could bar smokers from beaches, parks, and other publicly owned outdoor areas under a proposal that passed an early Florida Senate test Thursday, despite concerns from restaurateurs.By unanimous vote, the Senate Regulated Industries Committee approved the measure (SB 258), which expands the state’s clear indoor air restrictions to more outdoor venues....

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B’klyn pol: ‘Pay’ ball!

ALBANY — As if sports fans don’t already pay enough to see their beloved Yankees, Knicks and Rangers.They’d have to dig a little deeper into their pockets to go to games under a bill a Brooklyn Democrat is promoting.State Assemblyman Nick Perry’s legislation authorizes the city to slap a 25-cent fee on every ticket to a sporting event worth more than $4,...

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National Hotel nears end of long renovation

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

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Sleek pizza cafe brightens tech park

Thea Goldman, no stranger to culinary pioneering, has put down roots in a neighborhood on the edge of Overtown dubbed the Health District thanks to an ambitious building project around the University of Miami’s Life Science & Technology Park.Thea’s Pizzeria and Café is modeled on Joey’s Café, the business she and now ex-husband Joey Goldman opened in Wynwood in 2008....

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Seth MacFarlane on Hosting Oscars

ET caught up with Seth MacFarlane before he takes the Oscar stage on Sunday, getting him to spill a few details as to what fans can expect from the broadcast and how far he will go in teasing the stars in attendance.RELATED: ET's Interactive Fan Oscar Ballot "I think everybody's fair game," MacFarlane said when asked about what the tone of the show will be."It does have to have a little bit of bite...

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Lead investigator in Pistorius case faces attempted murder charges in 2011 shooting: police

AFP/Getty ImagesDetective Hilton Botha, the lead investigator in the case against Olympian Oscar Pistorius, faces attempted murder charges in a 2011 shooting, police said.PRETORIA, South Africa — South African police say the lead investigator in the case against Olympian Oscar Pistorius faces attempted murder charges in an October 2011 shooting.Police Brig....

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

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

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Hialeah deploys license-tag-reading cameras in its fight on crime

The Hialeah Police Department is installing cameras at eight key intersections and equipping an undercover patrol with four high-definition cameras to snap photos of the license plates of thousands of vehicles a day — not to catch red-light runners but in a controversial attempt to stem the wave of robberies that has hit the city.The automatic cameras send immediate alerts...

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Foreign relations, Jersey-style

You know things are bad when you go to Afghanistan looking for relief.That’s what Sen. Bob Menendez did when he set off on a visit in the thick of headlines about FBI investigations, influence-peddling and hookers. Little could he have known that his host in Kabul — Afghan President Hamid Karzai — would use their meeting to chide the new chairman of the...

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Remote employees require care to feel like part of the team

Working from home, hundreds of miles away from your boss, may sound like a perk, but that’s not always the case.Ken Condren remembers the moment when he experienced the frustration his remote employees face. He was working from home, participating in a conference call and heard a side conversation going on, but had no idea what was being said. “I felt so out of the loop,”...

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