Miami-Dade fugitive shot dead in Texas

The manhunt for escaped convict Alberto Morales ended early Saturday in a hail of gunfire as the fugitive was cornered by police and shot and killed in a small town in Texas.

Authorities said Morales, who had somehow slipped out of his handcuffs since escaping police Monday, lunged at the officers with wooden sticks, according to Texas authorities.

Morales, 41, had been on the run since overpowering a Miami-Dade police detective, stabbing him with his eyeglasses and disappearing from a Walmart in a Dallas suburb. Two Miami-Dade detectives had been escorting Morales, a violent sex offender, to a Las Vegas prison at the time of his escape to finish serving a 30-years-to-life prison term.

“Obviously, we are very relieved,’’ Miami-Dade Deputy Mayor Genaro “Chip” Iglesias said Saturday. “We are relieved that he will not be able to hurt anybody else.’’

The detective, Jaime Pardinas, survived but suffered a collapsed lung. He is recovering at a Dallas-area hospital.

Iglesias said he had just returned from Dallas about 1:30 a.m. Saturday when he got word Morales had been killed. He and Miami-Dade police Deputy Director Juan Perez flew to Dallas on Thursday. Hundreds of law enforcement officers, including about a dozen from Miami, had been hunting Morales for days.

Morales’ capture came shortly after midnight in the woods near a residential lakefront community in Grapevine, Texas, north of Dallas.

Police responding on a burglary call found that men’s clothing and jewelry had been taken and surrounded the area.

The neighborhood is just three miles from the Walmart where Morales was last seen, fleeing Miami-Dade police detectives about 11 p.m. Monday.

Morales, who was on Texas’ 10-most wanted list, was spotted in a wooded area where he brandished wooden sticks in an effort to elude police. Before he could attack, he was killed by members of the fugitive task force, said Grapevine police Sgt. Robert Eberling.

He did not immediately release details, saying that more information would become public later Saturday.

Morales, a schizophrenic with a long history of violence, was extradited to Miami four years ago from Las Vegas where he was in jail on charges of sexual assault. During the time he was in prison in Nevada, Miami police identified him as the rapist who had kidnapped and assaulted two women in Little Havana in 2003. He was convicted in Miami and sentenced to 10 years in prison, which he would have been required to serve if he was ever released by Nevada authorities. Miami-Dade was returning him to Nevada to serve out his term there.

Morales’ Nevada attorney, Marc Saggese said his client suffered a severe brain injury when he was hit in the head with a baseball bat when he was 17 and has heard voices ever since.

“He said that ever since that attack and subsequent surgeries he has struggling demons in his head,” Saggese told The Associated Press.

While in a jail medical ward, Morales mutilated his genitals and scrawled words in blood on the wall. He underwent a psychological examination by doctors at a Nevada state mental hospital in Sparks, but he was found competent to stand trial, the attorney said.

Two Miami-Dade detectives, Pardinas and David Carrero, were assigned to transport Morales via commercial plane on Monday. However, when the plane made a scheduled layover in Houston, Morales was kicked off because he had been causing a disturbance by banging his head against the seats in front and behind him.

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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 Kids

The 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 Responds to Jon Stewart Diss

Hugh told The Guardian in 2012 of being a dad, "I like my daughter very much. Fantastic. Has she changed my life? I'm not sure. Not yet. Not massively, no. But I'm absolutely thrilled to have had her, I really am. And I feel a better person."

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Playgrounds to honor Newtown massacre victims being built in communities recovering from Hurricane Sandy

TRENTON, NJ — The state's largest firefighter union is remembering the 26 victims of December's Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre in Connecticut by building a playground to honor each one in a community recovering from Superstorm Sandy.

New Jersey and New York will get 10 playgrounds each, and Connecticut will get six. Each playground will link the two tragedies with the shared name Sandy to create memorials for recovery and hope.

One of the playgrounds will honor 6-year-old Catherine Hubbard, who would stretch out her legs to reach up to the clouds after pushing off on her backyard tire swing and was hopping mad about leaving her beloved swing set behind when her family moved across Newtown, Conn., in October, two months before the mass shooting there.

AP

Noah Pozner

Catherine's mom, Jenny Hubbard, said the idea for the playgrounds felt right as soon as she heard it — a playground was the "perfect" memorial for a 6-year-old.

"I immediately could think of Catherine playing and swinging," she said Friday in a telephone interview. "I know that Catherine will be there and she will love that there are kids to play with on that playground. In a way, this is like us giving her back her swing set."

Bill Lavin, president of the Firefighters' Mutual Benevolent Association, a 5,000-member union spearheading the project, said each playground will reflect the personality of the child or teacher for whom it is named. Jack Pinto's will have a football theme because he was a New York Giants fan. Chase Kowalski's will have fitness stations because he competed in children's triathlons. Others, still in the early planning stages, may incorporate a victim's fondness for a particular color, activity or symbol.

Grace McDonald's playground will be decorated with peace signs, which she habitually drew on mirrors and windows when they fogged up. Grace's mom found the outline of one on a window at home shortly after she died and had the glass etched in pink and preserved.

Catherine's playground, to be built on New York's Staten Island, will have a tire swing and be near a beach because of her fondness for sea animals. Her 8-year-old brother, Fred, is the honorary project foreman; he'll be on site with a tool belt supervising as the playground is built by volunteer first responders and members of the community.

Lavin said he's reached out to all 26 families and has heard back from 14, all supportive. He's driven to Connecticut to meet with several families personally. After visiting Noah Pozner's family, he decided Noah's playground should be in New York in the Rockaway section of Queens, where his grandfather lives.

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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 and business brands.

During our finance panel, audience volunteers will be invited to explain their financing needs to the group. During our box-lunch session, they will be invited to pitch their business or personal brand to our coaches.

Those who prefer just to listen will be treated to a keynote address by Alberto Perlman, co-founder of the global fitness craze Zumba. Panels include success stories from the local entrepreneurs who founded Sedano’s, Jennifer’s Homemade and ReStockIt.com; finance tips from experts in small business loans, venture capital, angel investments and traditional bank loans; and insiders in the burgeoning South Florida tech start-up scene.

Plus, it’s a real bargain. $25 includes the half-day seminar, continental breakfast and a box lunch.

Register here.

Program

8 a.m.

Registration and continental breakfast, provided by Bill Hansen Catering

8:30 a.m. Welcome

Host: David Suarez, president and CEO, Interactive Training Solutions, LLC

•  Jerry Haar, PhD, associate dean & director, FIU Eugenio Pino and Family Global

Entrepreneurship Center

•  Alice Horn, executive director, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE South Florida)

•  Jane Wooldridge, Business editor, The Miami Herald

Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge Overview:

•  Nancy Dahlberg, Business Plan Challenge coordinator, The Miami Herald

8:45 a.m. Session I – Success Stories

Moderator: Jerry Haar, PhD, associate dean & director, FIU Eugenio Pino and Family Global

Entrepreneurship Center

Speakers:

•  Jennifer Behar, founder, Jennifer’s Homemade

•  Matt Kuttler, co-president of ReStockIt.com

•  Javier Herrán, chief marketing officer, Sedano’s Supermarkets

10 a.m. Session II – All about Tech

Moderator: Jane Wooldridge, Business editor, The Miami Herald

Speakers

•  Susan Amat, founder, Launch Pad Tech

•  Nancy Borkowski, executive director, Health Management Programs, Chapman Graduate School of

Business, Florida International University

•  Chris Fleck, vice president of mobility solutions at Citrix and a director of the South Florida Tech Alliance

•  Charles Irizarry, co-founder and director of product architecture, Rokk3r Labs

11:15 a.m. Keynote

Speaker: Alberto Perlman, CEO and co-founder of Zumba® Fitness

Introduction: Jane Wooldridge, business editor, The Miami Herald

11:45 a.m. Session III – Show me the money: Financing your small business

An interactive session featuring audience volunteers who will be invited to make a short investment pitch before a panel, including experts in microlending, SBA loans, traditional bank loans, venture capital and angel investing. Audience volunteers should come prepared with a two-minute presentation that includes details about current backing, how much money they are seeking and a brief synosis of ow that money would be used.

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Grassroots Festival brings cultural diversity to Virginia Key

At the Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance, don’t ask where you can find the VIP tent. This isn’t Art Basel.

Rather, Grassroots, a four-day festival starting Thursday at Virginia Key Beach Park, is designed to showcase musical and cultural diversity. The second annual event presents an array of reggae and world music bands, including Rusted Root, Suenalo, MC Yogi, Donna the Buffalo, Spam Allstars, Johnny Dread, Locos Por Juana and others. There will also be children’s events, art projects, food, massage and yoga tents and a parade.

“Reggae music, like the blues, it is part of a fabric that makes up most of other genres. The healthy things that uplift your spirit and that is what Grassroots is about,” said Ian Lewis from Inner Circle, one of the headliner acts on the bill.

“We also love the idea of artists and musicians being on the same level of the attendees. We don’t have big VIP areas or walls or fences. We want the experience to be just as fun and educational for everyone who is a part of it. We all eat together, play together, dance together, and therefore learn together,” adds Sara Waters, from Shakori Hills, one of the event’s sponsors.

But beyond the music, the site itself was chosen to reflect its history and potential.

At one point, 60-plus years ago, this area of Virginia Key was declared Miami-Dade County’s “Colored Only” beach. Now owned by the city of Miami, the beach withstood attempts at commercial development and the 82-acre park is now preserved and overseen by the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust. The park contains nature trails, recreational facilities and museum structures.

“You can see the stages, the ocean and the Miami skyline all at once. Plus, it is a nice spot for camping, enjoying nature and having enough space to put on a large festival. But, when we got deeper into planning the event, we realized just what a special place it is,” said Waters. “We think that it’s a perfect place to celebrate our diversity and beauty as human beings, all getting along and enjoying the beauty of nature, art, music, and dance together. It is our mission overall, but it is emphasized by the history of this site as one of separation, and now we want to be a part the opposite movement, of bringing everyone together.”

Lewis, 59, formed Inner Circle with his brother Roger in 1968 when both were teenagers in Kingston, Jamaica. The reggae group broke up in 1980 after lead singer Jacob Miller died in a car accident but a reformation in the mid-80s led to Inner Circle’s most popular stateside song, Bad Boys. That 1987 single served as the theme song for Fox’s long-running Cops series. The up-tempo tune will likely make its appearance at Grassroots, but it’s just one link in the Inner City’s musical chain.

“It is found over time that songs, the melodies and the different scales all put you at a sort of peace. When you take a bath you play music, everyone is walking around with headphones all the time, it is essential for life. The essence of it is the music is a strong part of the dialogue of life,” said Lewis.

Waters picks up the beat.

“We want people to say, ‘Oh, you can do that with a banjo?’ or ‘I’ve never even seen one of those instruments,’ or ‘This isn’t what I normally listen to, but wow, it’s really great.’ We want to draw people into the festival with a taste of the music that they might already know or be familiar with, but we want them to leave inspired to find out more about new bands and genres they never knew existed,” she said.

Proceeds after expenses will go to the Virginia Key Beach Trust, Zen Village, Community Arts and Culture Inc, and Moksha Family Arts Collective.

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Katy Perry Engaged to John Mayer?

Katy Perry has sparked rumors that she'll be walking down the aisle once again after stepping out on Valentine's Day with beau John Mayer wearing a new sparkler on her wedding ring finger.

Though the 28-year-old pop star's rep had "no comment" for ET on an engagement, Perry and Mayer were all smiles as they left Vicenti restaurant in Brentwood, Calif. on Feb. 14, Perry wearing a red-stoned ring.

RELATED: Mayer Talks Past & Present Romances

Mayer recently commented to CBS' Sunday Morning about his relationship with the musician, calling it "very human." "I don't feel like I'm in a celebrity relationship," the singer/songwriter told Anthony Mason. "For the first time in my life I don't feel like I'm in a celebrity relationship. I really don't. I'm not in a high profile, I know it's high profile. It's hard to explain."

When asked about marriage, Mayer answered, "Of course. I mean, I'm still the kid from Connecticut. That's what you do."

Katy was previously married to funnyman Russell Brand, but the two announced their separation in Dec. 2011.

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NJ Sen. Lautenberg says he's 'not announcing a retirement,' but won't seek sixth term

PATERSON, NJ — A day after announcing he would not seek a sixth term, Democratic US Sen. Frank Lautenberg said he will spend his last two years in office fighting for the same causes he always has, including tougher gun control laws.

"I am not announcing a retirement," Lautenberg said in a speech in his hometown of Paterson. "I am announcing today I will be continuing on my mission to do the right thing wherever I can."

Lautenberg, at 89 the oldest member of the Senate, made no mention of any Democrat who he might like to succeed him.

His revelation Thursday he would not seek re-election in 2014 cleared the way for Newark Mayor Cory Booker to accelerate his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat. Booker's announcement in December that he intended to run for the seat had angered Lautenberg, who had wanted the Democratic mayor to hold off until he decided his plans.

AP

Sen. Frank Lautenberg with his wife in Paterson, NJ today.

Lautenberg also did not say why he decided to retire when his term ends in 2015. He joked at least twice about possibly staying on. "Too late to change my mind?" he asked with a smile.

Asked after his speech who he would like to see take his seat in the Senate, he joked: "Well I'd like to have my wife do it, but she's busy."

Asked why he decided to call it quits in 2015, he said: "Nothing. I think the time with family. My children, my daughters, my grandchildren live all over the country and I want to spend more time with them."

On the issues he will focus on, the liberal Democrat cited gun control first. "We are tired of assaults on our children," he said.

Early public opinion polls had showed Booker as a strong favorite over the incumbent to keep the seat in Democratic hands, but Booker's nascent campaign had been largely on hold until Lautenberg made a decision. Other Democrats, including Rep. Frank Pallone, are also mulling runs.

No Republican has publicly expressed interest in the seat, but a spokesman for the national party viewed Gov. Chris Christie's success in New Jersey as "a hopeful sign" for the GOP's chances even though New Jersey voters haven't sent a Republican to the Senate in 40 years.

Booker created a federal fundraising account allowing him to raise money for the campaign. In doing so, the two-term mayor of New Jersey's largest city dashed hopes that he would challenge Christie in a race for governor that would have pitted two rising national stars against one another.

Though Booker's relationship with Lautenberg has been nettlesome, he issued a statement praising the senator.

"Sen. Frank Lautenberg has been a champion for the people of New Jersey for decades and his legacy of service will improve the lives of all Americans for years to come," Booker said.

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In Key West, women earn more than men

Key West is one of just four cities in the United States where the median income for women exceeds that of men, according to new data released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The American Community Survey, which goes beyond population figures and analyzes comparative social, economic and educational data, found that nationwide, men older than 16 working full-time and year-round earn an average of $47,233.

The same group of women on average earns around 78 percent of that, $37,199.

But it's different in Key West; Sebring, Fla.,; Madera, Calif.; and Fort Payne, Ala., according to survey data from 2011, the most recent figures released.

In the Southernmost City, women on average earn $33,956 while men earn $31,716.

Tiffany Horton, director of sales at the Ocean Key Resort and Spa and formerly the revenue manager for the Marriot Beachside, pointed to Key West's hospitality-driven economy as an explanation.

"I think it's a great area of success for women because of their compassion and their motherly instinct," she said. "In hospitality, sales and the hotel industry, you have to relate to so many different people and understand different personalities and work with them."

In Sebring, total earnings for both groups are slightly less but women still out-earn men, taking in an average of $28,677 compared to $27,094.

Jodi Weinhofer, executive director of the Lodging Association of the Florida Keys and Key West, noted there are many high-level female executives and managers in Key West's hospitality industry, as well as numerous female guesthouse owners.

"I do think the hospitality industry is somewhat blind to men and women," she said. "In hospitality, it doesn't matter who you are. Across the board, it's all about performance."

Catherine Hill, director of research for the American Association of University Women, said of the comparative pay levels, "The big issue is what type of industries you have in that city."

"Every industry has its own drivers in terms of where you see higher wages, lower wages, more equality, and food service or hospitality is one of those," she said. "There's also such a thing as a culture. In some communities, you see a much more level playing field."

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Crime Watch: Steer clear of these latest email scams

Today I want to share with you some interesting scam emails shared by readers. We truly need to be super-careful and not open or respond to any of them.

I personally got the one from Kabul and had to laugh because this was a new one for me. I am not showing the email address, but trust me it looked very official especially when I do have friends that are stationed in Kabul. Here is the email I got:

Subj: Greetings from Kabul.. ... .

Hello,

I am CPT. Greg Hooper an officer of the U.S Army presently serving with the 395th CSSB peace keeping forces in Afghanistan. You may not know me but i really need your help as i have some very important packages to ship to you for safekeeping until i return back home to the USA.

I will explain in details only if you meet my conditions. Thanks for your prayers & support as we hope to return in one piece!!

CPT. Greg Hooper.

The second email I want to share came from a read who had some very good suggestions and its really worth sharing, since he had a personal experience with the email. Here is what he had to say:

Dear Carmen:

Thank you for your article in The Miami Herald on Jan. 6, 2013, titled "Two email scams you shouldn’t fall for." I haven’t seen the second one you mentioned yet, but I’ve received the first one several times over the last two or three years. It’s amazing how many of my friends and acquaintances have been robbed overseas in the last few years!

I’m writing because I thought there was one element to the scam that I thought important to be emphasized, and, if you ever decide to re-publicize the information, I’d suggest including it. Sometimes, when I’ve received those e-mails, they are not only from someone I know, but the email address in the "FROM" line is identical to the email address of the friend who is supposedly writing to me. This instantly leads a person to trust that the email is legitimate. And, since a quick "reply to" will allow the recipient to verify that it’s true, it’s easy to fall for it.

However, when you hit "reply to", the e-mail address to which the message will be sent is NOT the same as the one from which it appeared to have been sent. The address changes — very, very subtly.

For example, I could receive a message from a friend at "FRIEND101@gmail.com", but, when I hit "reply to", the message will be sent to "FRIEMD101@gmail.com" (the "N" was subtly changed to a "M") or "FRlEND101@gmail.com" (the capital "I" has been changed to a lower-case "L"). So if I sent an email to the person using "reply to", asking "is this true?!?", I would likely receive a message back from the scammer verifying it’s fictitious validity.

Thanks for listening and for aiming to protect the public!

Jeff Rothkopf

Folks, like I always say the Internet is a wonderful form of communication, but it brings its dangers, therefore we all must be vigilant and astute when using it.

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The Notebook Junket with Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams

Can you imagine a more romantic movie to watch on Valentine's Day than The Notebook? Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams play a young and tempestuous pairing of James Garner and Gena Rowlands in the bittersweet, enduring drama that has grown to be modern classic, and ET was with the young stars back in 2004 as they talked about their auditions – and real love in Ryan's life!

Pics: Star Sightings

Following the breakout success of Mean Girls, Rachel revealed whether or not she was ready for fame. Meanwhile, Ryan talked about how, after an exhaustive search for a female lead, Rachel walked in and just killed it during her audition. He also talked about fellow Mouseketeer Britney Spears' audition for the coveted role – and asksed our ET interviewer, "Do you know any nice girls?"!

Related: Ryan Gosling Calls His Abs 'Pets'

Based on the Nicholas Sparks novel and directed by Nick Cassavetes, The Notebook is told in flashbacks, framed by a present-day elderly couple (Garner and Rowlands) at a nursing home who are reliving their past. A tale of two young people (Gosling and McAdams) from opposite sides of the tracks -- who are tragically torn apart and later reunited but forced to choose between class order and true love -- the film is a story of lost chances and a testament to the power of enduring love.

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Baldwin 'stalker' rejects no-jail plea deal in harassment case

The perky French Canadian model accused of stalking Alec Baldwin is saying "Non!" -- for now -- to the Manhattan DA's no-jail offer, insisting she will not jump through all of the prosecutorial "hoops" being required of her.

"There are some hoops that they want my client to jump through, that we're trying to resolve," the defense lawyer for pretty, blonde Genevieve Sabourin explained after the deal got tabled during a Manhattan Criminal Court appearance today.

Asked if Baldwin is holding up, "I have no idea. He's not speaking to me," the lawyer said. He declined to characterize whether the hold-up plea conditions concerned Sabourin admitting wrongdoing or agreeing to treatment or community service.

Steven Hirsch

Genevieve Sabourin rejected a no-jail plea deal today after she allegedly stalked actor Alec Baldwin.

"I don't want to discuss them right now," said the lawyer, Rick Pasacreta, "but there are some hoops that I take issue with."

The lawyer said that discussions with prosecutors are continuing in good faith, and may well wind up with Sabourin having no criminal record.

"Ultimately we're hoping that if it's successful we will end up with the charges being dismissed at some point," the lawyer said.

"Nothing that is insurmountable" he said of the offending "hoops."

Asked if she was disappointed to be leaving Manhattan Criminal Court without a deal in place, Sabourin told reporters, "I'm disappointed to have even have been arrested on day one. I should have never been arrested I have never done anything wrong!"

Sabourin was arrested in April 2012, after sending Baldwin a series of emails and text messages in which she told him she loved him, wanted to have his baby, and needed cash. Sabourin allegedly freaked out Baldwin's then soon-to-be wife, Hilaria, by turning up at Baldwin's Manhattan apartment; Sabourin was arrested at Lincoln Center, having turned up in the audience of an event Baldwin was appearing in.

She was arrested a second time, last November, for allegedly violating an order of protection by continuing to Tweet about Hilaria, Baldwin, and "my INJUSTICE," and having notifications of the Tweets forwarded to Hilaria's Twitter name and account.

Earlier this week, Baldwin and his wife announced they were expecting a baby.

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American Airlines, US Airways announce merger

After a nearly yearlong courtship, the union became official Thursday: American Airlines and US Airways have formally announced plans to merge.

An early morning announcement by the airlines confirmed reports widely circulated after boards of both companies approved the merger late Wednesday.

The move brings stability to one of Miami-Dade County’s largest private employers more than a year after the airline and its parent company filed for bankruptcy protection, leaving the fate of thousands of employees — and the largest carrier at Miami International Airport — in question.

According to the Thursday announcement, the deal was approved unanimously by the boards of both companies, creating the world’s biggest airline with implied market value of nearly $11 billion, based on the Wednesday closing price of US Airways stock. The airline will have close to 100,000 employees, 1,500 aircraft, $38.7 billion in combined revenue.

The deal must be approved by American’s bankruptcy judge and antitrust regulators, but no major hurdles are expected. The process is expected to take about six months, according to a letter sent to employees Thursday by American CEO Tom Horton.

Travelers won’t notice immediate changes. The new airline will be called American Airlines. It likely will be months before the frequent-flier programs are merged, and possibly years before the two airlines are fully combined. The new airline will be a member of the oneWorld airlines frequent flier alliance.

And for Miami travelers, it’s unlikely that much will change at any point. American and regional carrier American Eagle handled 68 percent of traffic at the airport last year, while US Airways accounted for just 2 percent. American boasts 328 flights to 114 destinations from Miami.

“We don’t expect any substantial changes at MIA if the merger occurs because our traffic is largely driven by the strength of the Miami market and not the airlines serving it,” said airport spokesman Greg Chin.

American has said for more than a year that its long-term plan calls for increasing departures at key hubs, including Miami, by 20 percent. That pledge has already started to materialize; in recent months, the airline has added new service to Asuncion, Paraguay and Roatán, Honduras.

During its bankruptcy restructuring, about 400 American employees lost jobs, leaving American and its regional carrier, American Eagle, with 9,894 employees in Miami-Dade County and 43 in Fort Lauderdale. US Airways has few employees in the area.

“It really isn’t going to affect Miami in a very major way anytime soon,” said Michael Boyd, an aviation consultant in Evergreen, Colo. “Only because US Airways isn’t a big player in South Florida.”

At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, American and US Airways combined would still only be the fifth-largest airline after Southwest, Spirit, JetBlue and Delta, a spokesman said. The two airlines have little overlap in routes from Fort Lauderdale.

Despite the lack of major changes, Boyd said the merger would be a good development for Miami.

“It should be positive for the employees and it should be positive for the communities that the airlines serve,” he said.

Robert Herbst, an independent airline analyst and consultant, said US Airways will add a “significant amount” of destinations in the Northeast, including Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

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Mystery shrouds failure of Internet video link between Pakistani hotel, Miami terrorism trial

The mystery of who pulled the plug on the Internet connection linking witnesses testifying in Pakistan to a Miami terrorism trial remained unsolved Wednesday, stalling the high-profile proceeding until next Tuesday as the defense scrambles for an alternate solution.

A defense attorney for Miami imam Hafiz Khan, standing trial on charges of financially supporting the Pakistani Taliban, told a federal judge by phone that the Pakistan government’s foreign and interior ministries did not even know that the live video feed was cut off to Miami Tuesday morning.

A federal prosecutor said his office contacted an FBI legal attache in Islamabad, and the official checked in with several Pakistani government agencies and the staff at the hotel where the testimony was taken earlier this week. No one had a clue about the mysterious shutdown -- whether it was a technical glitch or the secret work of the Pakistan government.

Prosecutor John Shipley accused defense attorney Khurrum Wahid of trying to orchestrate the live testimony at the Serena Hotel in Islamabad “under the radar screen” of the Pakistan government -- an accusation strongly denied by Wahid.

U.S. District Judge Robert Scola, clearly exasperated by the high-tech failure 8,000 miles away, gave Wahid an ultimatum that must be met by Friday. Wahid could take the testimony of 10 remaining witnesses in a third country, such as a United Arab Emirate, as long as he could obtain travel visas for them and resume the depositions by next Tuesday. If not, the judge said, Wahid must abandon his alternate plan and return home over the holiday weekend to resume his defense in Miami.

“One way or the other, that’s the last accommodation I’m making,” Scola told Wahid by phone Wednesday morning.

A moment later, the judge told the 12 jurors: “We still don’t have any transmission from Pakistan. We are trying to make alternate arrangements.”

Perhaps the most befuddled in the bunch: Khan, 77, who is standing trial on charges of sending thousands of dollars to the Taliban terrorist organization, sworn enemies of the U.S. and Pakistan governments. Khan was the leader of the Flagler Mosque, 7350 NW Third St.

Despite safety concerns, the judge had allowed Khan’s defense attorney to travel to Pakistan to take live testimony from 11 witnesses so the defendant could receive a fair trial. Prosecutors opposed allowing the testimony, and refused to make the trip.

Everything seemed to be going well until about 11:20 a.m., or 9:20 p.m. Tuesday in Islamabad. The flat-screen televisions and video monitors in front of the judge, lawyers and jurors in Miami suddenly lost the signal and flashed “disconnected.”

Wahid explained to the judge by phone Tuesday that there was “absolutely no problem” until a prosecutor in Miami mentioned the name of the Serena Hotel, where the testimony was being taken, during cross-examination. He noted the hotel staff said “there were some intelligence operatives in the business center here, and they were taking pictures of us and our witnesses.”

Added Wahid: “I’ve been told by the hotel staff that it’s from outside the building and that ... the IP [Internet] address has been blacklisted by the Interior Ministry, I’m sorry, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.”

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Making the Wonderful World of 'Oz the Great and Powerful'

Oz The Great and Powerful lands in theaters on March 8, and director Sam Raimi's epic, magical return to L. Frank Baum's beloved fantasy land features a dazzling cornucopia of costumes, set creations and makeup effects unlike anything moviegoers have seen before. Go behind the scenes to see how the filmmakers put it all together…

Pics: Stars without Makeup

Disney's fantastical adventure stars James Franco as Oscar Diggs, a small-time circus magician and flimflam man with dubious ethics. Hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he first thinks he’s hit the jackpot -- until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting.

Video: Watch the 'Oz' Trailer!

Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil and put his own magical talents to the test to transform himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz, but a better man as well.

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Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson's love letters to be released on Valentine's Day

AUSTIN, Texas — The entire collection of nearly 100 love letters written between Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson during their 2½-month courtship in 1934 is being made available to the public for the first time beginning on Valentine's Day.

The letters at the LBJ Presidential Library at the University of Texas show an impatient Johnson, then a 26-year-old congressional aide, eager to marry 21-year-old Claudia Alta Taylor. She was known as "Bird," was a recent graduate of the university, and the future president had asked her to marry him a day after they met in September 1934. She wrote she loved him but "don't know how everlastingly."

AP

An archivist handles some of the love letters exchanged between Lyndon Johnson, then a 26-year-old congressional aide, and Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor, then 21, at the LBJ Presidential Library at the University of Texas.

They would tie the knot 10 weeks later in San Antonio and were married for 39 years. LBJ died 1973, Lady Bird in 2007.

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Carnival Triumph out of commission through mid-April due to fire

As tugs continue to pull the fire-disabled Carnival Triumph to land, Carnival Cruise Lines said it has canceled another 12 sailings aboard the stricken vessel.

Tuesday night, the company’s president and CEO, Gerry Cahill, said only the Feb. 11 and Feb. 16 Caribbean voyages had been axed. But Wednesday afternoon, the Miami-based cruise operator said the Feb. 21 through April 13 sailings were also being canceled.

Parent company Carnival Corp. estimated that the financial hit from the canceled trips and repair costs would be eight to 10 cents per share, or $64-$80 million, for the first half of 2013.

Carnival said guests whose trips have been canceled will get a full refund of their cruise fare, non-refundable transportation costs, pre-paid shore excursions, tips, government fees and taxes. They will also be entitled to a 25 percent discount on three- to five-day cruises or 15 percent discount for six- to seven-day sailings.

The 2,758-passenger ship, which launched in 1999, is based in Galveston, where it sails four- and five-day trips to the Caribbean.

Triumph departed Thursday with 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew. It was scheduled to return to port early Monday after a weekend stop in Cozumel, but fire broke out Sunday morning in the engine room. The cause of the blaze, which was put out by automatic systems, is still not known.

The ship lost propulsion and had to rely on emergency generator power, leaving passengers with a limited number of working bathrooms and no air conditioning. Guests have reported long lines for food and said they were forced to use bags as toilets.

“No one here from Carnival is happy about the conditions on board the ship and we obviously are very, very sorry about what’s taken place,” Cahill said Tuesday night at a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Doral. “There’s no question that conditions on board the ship are very challenging. I can assure you that everyone on board in the Carnival team and everyone shoreside is doing everything they can to make our guests as comfortable as possible.”

Two tugs are towing the ship to Mobile, Ala. Carnival has lined up more than 1,500 hotel rooms in Mobile and New Orleans and chartered more than 20 flights to get passengers back to Houston. Bus service directly to Houston and Galveston will also be provided.

In a similar case, the Carnival Splendor was set adrift in the Pacific in November 2010 after an explosion in a diesel generator. It was out of service for about three months; the company estimated the loss at $56 million.

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Chinese New Year rings in at St. Thomas University

A Chinese Lunar New Year celebration was held at St. Thomas University on Sunday, Feb. 10, in Miami Gardens. The free event was open to the public and also featured an ancestral-veneration ceremony, lion dances and a reception.

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Faith Hill Becomes a Brace Face

Faith Hill has been rocking a new accessory that garnered lots of attention when she hit the Grammy Awards red carpet on Sunday. The country crooner stepped out wearing clear braces, which led us to ask: What was wrong with her teeth in the first place?

Never mentioning that she's been wearing veneers for decades, Hill, 45, explained the mouth metal to radio station KNIX at the Country Music Awards, saying, "I had braces as a kid. I forgot to wear my retainer."

She added jokingly, "Kids, wear your retainer!"

RELATED PICS: What supermodel also had dental work?

Hill and her husband Tim McGraw, 45, were both presenters at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night. Hill paired her brace face with a stunning black J. Mendel gown.

What do you think of Hill's braces? Does she need them?

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Mom tells Dr. Phil son saw shooting of standoff suspect in bunker

MIDLAND CITY, Ala. — The mother of an Alabama boy held hostage in an underground bunker for days says her son witnessed officers fatally shoot his kidnapper.

Jennifer Kirkland's comments about her son, Ethan, came in an interview with Dr. Phil McGraw for the "Dr. Phil Show." It's set to be aired Wednesday; a clip already is posted online.

Kirkland says her son saw officers shoot the gunman identified as 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes of Midland City.

The FBI says agents wearing combat gear entered Dykes' bunker on the sixth day of the standoff in southeast Alabama. He was shot multiple times.

Reuters

Authorities secure the residence of Jimmy Lee Dykes where a five-year-old boy was rescued after being held hostage for almost one week in an underground bunker.

Authorities say Dykes shot and killed Ethan's school bus driver before grabbing him.

Ethan wasn't physically injured.

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U.S. Century to OK details of new deal

U.S. Century Bank is expected to sign off on Monday on its letter of intent — the framework for a plan to recapitalize the bank.

Under the deal, a local group of investors, led by Jimmy Tate of Tate Capital and Sergio Rok of Rok Enterprises, will bring in fresh capital and wipe out the Doral bank’s bad loans, while allowing it to operate independently.

The investor group is expected to inject $50 million in capital into the bank, becoming majority owners. In addition, the group will pay about $90 million to buy certain loans, including all $98 million of U.S. Century’s non-performing loans, said U.S. Century President and Chief Executive Carlos J. Dávila. The deal would also provide for a negotiated amount to be paid to the federal government to repay U.S. Century’s $50.2 million in TARP funds.

A definitive agreement, based on the letter of intent, is expected next month. Pending shareholder and regulatory approval, the deal could be completed by mid-year, Dávila said.

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Carnival ship fire quickly extinguished as ship wallows in Gulf awaiting tug

The Carnival Triumph, a Galveston, Texas-based passenger cruise ship with the theme “Great Cities Around the World,” might have been better off sitting at port, as a court initially ordered.

As of Monday morning the 14-year old ship was going nowhere, operating on emergency generator power after a fire Sunday in one of the diesel generators killed its propulsion. The fire was quickly put out by an automatic fire extinguishing system, and none of the 4,229 passengers or crew are said to be in any danger

All were waiting patiently as a giant tug boat trudged toward the Triumph, now operating under generator power, with the intention of hauling the 100,000 ton, 893-foot vessel to the nearest port in Progreso, Mexico. It is expected in port some time Wednesday afternoon. Carnival Cruise Lines headquarters are in Miami-Dade.

“The cause of the fire is still to be determined,” said Carnival spokesman Vance Guliksen. In a brief news release, Guliksen said “there were no casualties to guests or crew.”

He said all passengers will be flown back to the United States and will be fully refunded.. Carnival said it will cover any additional transportation expenses. Passengers will also receive a free future cruise.

As of 11 a.m. Tuesday another Carnival ship, the Carnival Elation, was on the scene transferring food and beverages.

According to Carnival, some basic auxiliary power has been restored, cabin toilets are working on part of the ship and some elevators are operational. The dining areas are serving hot coffee and limited hot food.

The $420 million Triumph made news early last year after the family of a German tourist killed in the Costa Concordia disaster in the Mediterranean filed a $10 million lawsuit against Carnival. A judge found the family had standing, and ordered the ship held at port in Galveston. The court later allowed the ship to move between ports until a hearing takes place.

The lawsuit contends that Carnival Cruise Lines is the corporate parent of the Costa Concordia.

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The Backstreet Boys Get Their Own Documentary

Who doesn't want to know the inside story of one of the biggest boy bands in pop culture history?

It's just been confirmed that director Stephen Kijak -- who directed documentaries Stones In Exile and Scott Walker -- is directing a film about the Backstreet Boys' journey from child stars to global sensations, which is being billed as a "tell-all project about all five original members of the band."

Video: NKOTB Takes the Boy Band Quiz

BSB confirmed the news in a statement.

"We always wanted to make a film and now is the ideal time. With Kevin back, the fact that we are masters of our own destiny, a new album in the works and our 20th anniversary -- it all adds up to being the right time to share our story," they said.

Just don't expect a fluffy feel-good film.

"What drew me to this project is their [Backstreet Boys] openness and willingness to push themselves into uncomfortable places, to be vulnerable and honest and to be really trusting of the filmmaking team to steer them in the right direction," Kijak said. "BSB is getting real and it has been exciting to work with them as they explore their past and start to look towards their futures."

Video: Backstreet Resurrects a Classic

Kijak aims to finish the film this fall.

In the mean time, BSB fans can catch them at one of their shows on The Package Tour, which is also bringing back New Kids on the Block, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men.

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'Spidey' claims self-defense after allegedly hitting woman in Times Square

A Times Square Spider-Man claimed he was acting in self-defense when he slugged a woman who refused to tip him him yesterday.

Philip Williams, 35-year-old Williamsburg resident, was released without having to post bail this morning after he was charged with assault and harassment.

Williams had posed for pictures with the 44-year-old woman's kids but didn't receive a tip, according to prosecutors.

"Sorry I don't have any [money]," the woman said, according to prosecutors. Williams responded "You're crap," the DA said.

The women then made a snowball and beaned Williams, his defense lawyer and prosecutor agreed.

Steven Hirsch

Philip Williams in court today.

Defense lawyer Rachel Black insisted this was clearly a case of self-defense.

"The complaining witness made contact with my client," she said.

Prosecutors said Williams has a rap sheet that includes a grand larceny and and retail fraud bust when he was 17 and living in Michigan.

Black didn't dispute the DA's claim, but told the Manhattan judge that Williams made all court appearances in that matter.

Cops showed up yesterday near 141 W. 43rd St. after the 3 p.m. and stopped the victim's husband from possibly hurting Williams, law enforcement sources and witnesses said.

“A woman came to me and said, ‘What did you do to me, you f--ker?’ ” said another Times Square Spidey, who wouldn’t give his name.

“Her husband came over and said it was a different Spider-Man. They went over to the other one and started fighting.”

Witnesses said the woman’s husband pounded the offending Spider-Man with a backpack before cops arrived to bust Spidey.

This unwanted attention has other Times Square cartoon characters worried about their livelihood.

“Getting arrested isn’t good for any of us,” said Times Square worker Christian, who dresses as Big Bird. “It makes us all look bad.”

The incident casts another mark on the city’s costumed busker community.

A man wearing an Elmo costume was arrested last September for disorderly conduct after spouting anti-Semitic rants in Central Park. Another man — dressed as video-game hero Mario — was arrested in December and charged with forcible touching after allegedly groping a woman.

Additional reporting by David K. Li

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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.

The Miami immigration lawyer specializes in arranging visas for wealthy foreign citizens under a special program that trades green cards for investment dollars. Businesses get the money and must use it to boost payroll. The minimum investment is $500,000 to add at least 10 jobs to the economy. That puts the pressure on Hart and his partners at the Astor to beef up payroll dramatically, with plans to take a hotel with roughly 20 employees to one with as many as 100 workers.

“My primary responsibility is to make something happen here over the next two years that will create the jobs we need,’’ Hart said a few steps away from a nearly empty restaurant on a recent weekday morning. “It’s all going to be transformed.”

Though established in the 1990s, the “EB5” visas soared in popularity during the recession as developers sought foreign cash to replace dried-up credit markets in the United States.

Chinese investors dominate the transactions, accounting for about 65 percent of the nearly 9,000 EB5 visas granted since 2006. South Korea finishes a distant second at 12 percent and the United Kingdom holds the third-place slot at 3 percent. If Latin America and the Caribbean were one country, they would rank No. 4 on the list, with 231 EB5 visas granted, or about 3 percent of the total.

Competition has gotten stiffer for the deep-pocketed foreign investors willing to pay for green cards. The University of Miami’s bio-science research park near the Jackson hospital system raised $20 million from 40 foreign investors under the EB5 program, most of them from Asia. The money went into the park’s first building; visa brokers are waiting to see if the second building will proceed so they can offer a new pool of potential green-card sales.

In Hollywood, the stalled $131 million Margaritaville resort had hoped to raise about $75 million from EB5 investors before ditching that plan last year to pursue more traditional financing. A retail complex by developer Jeff Berkowitz in Coral Gables also launched a program to raise $50 million in EB5 money for the project, Gables Station. Hart worked with other EB5 investors to back pizza restaurants in Miami and South Beach. A limestone mine in Martin County also was backed by EB5 dollars.

This year, the city of Miami itself is expected to get into the business by setting up an EB5 program to raise foreign cash for a range of city businesses and developments. The first would be the tallest building in the city — developer Tibor Hollo’s planned 85-story apartment tower, the Panorama, in downtown Miami.

With a construction cost of about $700 million, Miami’s debut EB5 venture hopes to raise about $100 million from foreign investors, said Laura Reiff, the Greenberg Traurig lawyer in Virginia working with Miami on the EB5 effort. “This is a marquis project,’’ she said.

The arrangement is a novel one for Miami, with the city planning to help a private developer raise funds overseas for a new high-rise. And it would allow Hollo and future participants to tout the city of Miami’s endorsement when competing with other Miami-area projects for EB5 dollars. “We will have the benefit of the brand of the city of Miami,’’ said Mikki Canton, the $6,000-a-month city consultant heading Miami’s EB5 effort. “A lot of these others are privately owned and they won’t have that brand.”

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Two Fantasy 5 tickets sold in Broward take $92,069 jackpot

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Three tickets, two purchased in Broward County, matched all five Fantasy 5 numbers to collect a jackpot worth $92,069.38 each, the Florida Lottery said Sunday.

The winning tickets were bought in Plantation and Tamarac and in Homosassa, lottery officials said.

The numbers drawn Saturday night were 1-3-16-18-25

The 463 tickets matching four numbers won $96 each.

There was no Florida Lotto winner. The jackpot is now $16 million for Wednesday’s drawing.

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Chris Brown Car Collision

ET has learned that Chris Brown was involved in a solo, non-injury traffic collision in Beverly Hills at noon today, blaming the paparazzi for losing control of his Porsche and colliding with a wall.

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A statement from Lieutenant Lincoln Hoshino of the Beverly Hills police details the incident: "On February 9, 2013 at approximately 12:03 p.m., entertainer Chris Brown was involved in a solo, non-injury traffic collision in the 600 Block Bedford Drive/Camden Drive alley. Mr. Brown was the driver of the vehicle and collided with a wall. Brown stated that he was being chased by paparazzi causing him to lose control of his vehicle. Brown's Black Porsche was towed from the scene at his request."

Related: Rihanna Accompanies Chris Brown to Court

Earlier this week, Brown visited an L.A. courthouse with girlfriend Rihanna on to oppose a motion to revoke his probation stemming from his 2009 assault on Rihanna. Prosecutors claim Brown did not show sufficient evidence that he completed his required community labor sentence. 

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Man slips off platform, hit by NJ Transit train

RED BANK, NJ — New Jersey Transit says a man suffered a broken leg when he slipped off a train station platform and was struck by a train.

The accident occurred around 6:15 a.m. Sunday in Red Bank.

NJ Transit spokesman John D'Urso Jr. says the man apparently slipped and fell on to the tracks. He was soon hit by North Jersey Coast Line train No. 7208.

No passengers or crew members aboard the northbound train were injured in the accident. The passengers were soon transferred to another train to complete their journey.

The injured man's name was not released. He was being treated at a hospital, but further details on his injuries were not disclosed.

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Mega mansion frenzy: Buyer snaps up Pat Riley’s $16M home to level it, rebuild

Miami Heat President Pat Riley sold his spectacular bayfront mansion in gated Gables Estates for $16.8 million last March.

The 12,856-square-foot Mediterranean-style dream house at 180 Arvida Parkway has a theater, wine cellar, library, and a sprawling pool with waterfalls and an aqua bar.

But that’s all coming down.

Turns out the lure was the lot: a rare fingertip of prime land, nearly two acres, jutting into the turquoise waters of Biscayne Bay.

In December, the buyer — listed as 180 Arvida LLC represented by Miami attorney Mark Hasner — presented the city of Coral Gables with plans to tear down the home, built in 1991, and erect an even grander estate along the 900 linear feet of bayfront.

“Most people would move in and be perfectly happy, but clients are looking for perfection — really good stuff,” said Jorge Uribe, a senior vice president at One Sotheby’s International Realty, who wasn’t involved but sold an even bigger trophy property last year: a $39.4 million estate at 14 Indian Creek Dr., in Indian Creek Village, dubbed “Miami’s Billionaire Bunker” by Forbes magazine.

“The trend in the last several years is a demand for very high-quality product. People are looking for really good locations, really good materials, and they’re willing to pay for it,” Uribe said.

Miami’s ultra-luxury market is on fire. Prices for the fanciest single-family homes and condominiums have soared to levels never before seen in the area, fueled by strong foreign demand and renewed interest from New Yorkers and others in the Northeast.

With Miami’s global image burnished by Art Basel Miami Beach and the debut of other cultural and entertainment venues, the city is emerging as an even greater magnet for the world’s super-rich.

In January, a penthouse at the Setai Resort & Residences on Miami Beach fetched $27 million, a new high for a Miami-Dade condominium. “Every building we do business in is at its highest price of all time,” said Mark Zilbert, president of Zilbert International Realty, which represented the buyer in the Setai deal.

Last August, a sleek, new home, built on spec at 3 Indian Creek Dr., sold for $47 million, a record high for a Miami-Dade residence. The buyer, whose identity has not been revealed, is Russian.

“People are realizing how valuable the bay waterfront is,” said Oren Alexander, co-founder of the Alexander Group at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, who co-listed the 3 Indian Creek property with The Jills team at Coldwell Banker and represented the buyer for the home. His father, Shlomy Alexander, developed the property with partner Felix Cohen.

Shlomy Alexander is working on two more extravagant spec homes — one at 30 Indian Creek Dr. and a second that is set to break ground shortly at 252 Bal Bay Dr. in Bal Harbour, his son said. Plans envision a tropical modern-style project that fuses the indoors and outdoors — a concept popular in Brazil.

The elder Alexander recently traveled to Italy to shop for exclusive stone for the projects, said the son.

“It’s really trending to the ultra-luxury. All sorts of exotic materials — exotic woods, exotic marbles, exotic stones,” said Sean Murphy, an executive vice president at Coastal Construction, a major builder of luxury hotels and condominiums that also has erected some of the most extravagant mansions in the region. “Everything is so exotic.”

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