'Drunk' driver in fatal Queensboro Bridge crash faces up to 25 years in jail after turning down plea deal

A man who turned down a six-month plea deal after cops said he drunkenly drove his car off a Queensboro Bridge ramp -- killing a pedestrian and destroying two businesses – now faces up to 25 years in jail .

Grant Riddell, 38, was indicted on drunk driving, vehicular manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and vehicular assault charges in the March 28, 2011 incident -- the first of two deadly car crashes off of the newly named Ed Koch Bridge.

Riddell’s car flew off the bridge's exit ramp and slammed into Anthony Buscemi walking on the sidewalk below. His attorney entered a "not guilty" plea today.

Ellis Kaplan

Grant Riddell in court in August

The 68-year-old Buscemi was pronounced dead at a local hospital and Riddell, a DJ who also goes by the name Kiwi, lost his left arm.

The fatal crash also destroyed two businesses on Queens Plaza South, Villa De Beaute and Espinal's Caribbean Restaurant, the owners have a pending $1 million lawsuit against the city for the "poor construction" of the ramp – and Riddell.

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Regulators agree to give FPL four-year rate deal

TALLAHASSEE The Public Service Commission on Thursday agreed to award Florida Power & Light a $358 million base rate request that includes a series of rate increases over four years and rejected a call from the public counsel that the company scale back its rates.

After a morning hearing discussing the nuts and bolts of a proposed settlement, the five-member commission appears on track to vote 4-1 to modify the settlement agreement presented by the company, and allow FPL to received guaranteed profits of between 9.5 to 11.5 percent through 2016.

The settlement is less than the $543 million the company originally sought in its first settlement offer, but the profit level – which would guarantee a midpoint return on equity of 10.5 percent – is higher than the 10 percent the PSC staff recommended in a draft recommendation.

Commissioner Eduardo Balbis, who supported giving the company the 10.5 percent return on equity, expressed interest in demanding that the company also make a concession to collect at least $10 million less from consumers in other areas. No other commissioners would agree

FPL, a regulated monopoly with 4.6 million customers in Florida, is currently making profits at about 11 percent, the most allowed under current law. But the company’s rate agreement ends in January and it has asked the PSC to allow it to collect more money from customers to pay back the costs of the Cape Canaveral power plant, scheduled to go into service in June.

The company has scheduled two other power plants to go online in 2014 and 2016 and has joined with its largest power users to offer up a settlement that will allow it the flexibility to raise its rates for those plants without PSC oversight, and the expensive and contested rate case that would come with it.

The decision by the PSC to approve much of the settlement effectively shuts down the argument of the Office of Public Counsel, the state agency that represents customers in rate cases. The public counsel has vigorously opposed the settlement deal and instead has argued that the company is making about $253 million more than it should and wants the PSC to lower FPL's rate of return and charge customers less money.

The PSC decision Thursday marks the first time the PSC has moved forward on a rate settlement without the public counsel’s consent.

J.R. Kelly, the state’s chief public counsel, told the Herald/Times that a ruling in favor of the proposed settlement could work against the public in future cases because it would give an incentive for utility companies in the future to do as FPL did and circumvent his office.

FPL side-stepped the public counsel when it entered into its agreement with Florida Industrial Power Users Group, the South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association and the Federal Executive Agencies and announced the settlement just as the company’s rate case was scheduled to begin in August.

The groups represent about a half of one percent of FPL’s 4.6 million customers but use nearly half of all the electricity generated. Under the deal, they would get lower rates than regular residential customers.

This is also the first major rate case decided by this commission for FPL, the states’s largest utility, since the legislature unseated four members of the previous commission when it rejected most of a $1 billion rate increase request in 2009.

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Crime Watch: Be careful when giving to charities

Many of our neighbors in South Florida have fallen on hard times, and there are many organizations trying to help those with great needs such as food, school supplies, clothing and toys now for the holidays.

Well, we all need to be extra careful to make sure we are dealing with real charitable organizations and not phony solicitations, and many of you asked what to look for.

Let’s look at some of the techniques once again that are questionable — and in some cases, illegal. Prize offers: Potential donors are told that they have won a contest and are eligible for a prize — usually worthless — if they make a donation to a charity.

Chain letters: Unsolicited appeals, usually in the form of e-mails, ask potential donors not only to contribute to an organization but also to forward the e-mail to friends and family members.

Like- sounding names: Fraudulent charities take names that are very similar to those of high-profile charities that are known and trusted by the public.

Another scam that is very prevalent in our community during this time is that they will come to your door selling magazine or gift items in the name of a school or charity for the holidays . First of all, don’t let anyone in your house who is selling anything. Sometimes these people will come with small children, so that you assume it’s safe to let them in. Well unfortunately, some of these little kids cute as a button, will ask to use the restroom while they are in your home, they then go into the bedroom to take whatever they can put in their pockets. You don’t even notice it until they have left your home. So please again don’t let anyone into your home. If they refuse to leave, call the police and give the best description you can.

Here are ways you can prevent being a victim of charity fraud:

• Ask how your money will be used, such as what percentage will go to the actual programs versus the administrative and fundraising cost.

• Request written information that gives the full name, address and phone numbers of the organization, as well as a description of the programs it supports.

• Check out any charity you don’t know with the local charity registration office, Better Business Bureau or a charity watchdog group such as www.charitywatch.org, www.give.org, or www.guidestar.org.

• Don’t be fooled by a name that closely resembles the name of a respected and well-known charity.

• Ask for the charity’s tax-exempt letter indicating its IRS status. You can’t claim a tax-deductible donation if the charity does not have one.

• Never give cash. Make your contribution by check payable to the full name of the charity once you are certain it’s a charitable organization.

• Don’t give out your Social Security number. A charity does not need it in order for you to claim a tax deduction.

• Charity-related fraud should be reported to local law enforcement or the local postmaster. Complaints can also be filed online with the Better Business Bureau at www.bbb.org.

We all want to be helpful, but we need to make sure that we are helping those that truly are helping.

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Facebook revises privacy controls in effort to make them more accessible, comprehensible

SAN FRANCISCO – Facebook is trying to make its privacy controls easier to find and understand in an effort to turn the world’s largest social network into a more discreet place.

The fine-tuning announced Wednesday will include several revisions that will start rolling out to Facebook Inc.‘s more than 1 billion users in the next few weeks.

The biggest change will be a new “privacy shortcuts” section that will appear as a tiny lock on the right-hand side at the top of people’s news feeds. This feature offers a drop-down box where users will be able to get answers to common questions such as “Who can see my stuff?”

Other updates will include a tool that will enable individuals to review all the publicly available pictures identifying them on Facebook.

Social Media News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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New 'G.I. Joe' Trailer: Channing Tatum & Dwayne Johnson Retaliate

The President of the United States has the world on edge with a super-destructive weapon at the touch of a button, but something's not right: Is the Commander-in-Chief real, or an impostor? It's up to Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis and the G.I. Joe team to save the world – and look ultra-cool doing it. Watch the brand-new G.I. Joe: Retaliation trailer featuring new Channing Tatum footage!

Video: Dwayne Johnson Talks 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation'

"Drive it like you stole it," shouts Tatum before getting ribbed by Johnson to get a new catchphrase.

Video: ET Exclusive: 'G.I. Joe 2' Set Visit

Blasting into theaters March 29, G.I. Joe: Retaliation finds the Joes not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra, but forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence. D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, Jonathan Pryce and Ray Stevenson round out the cast.

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Cops find getaway car used in brazen Midtown hit

The NYPD have found the getaway car linked to the execution-style slaying of a Los Angeles man in broad daylight in midtown Manhattan, cops told The Post.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Wednesday that the car has been found in Queens after police questioned the couple who rented the car early this morning.

Investigators told The Post don't believe the couple was driving it — but they are looking at the possibility they may have loaned it to someone who then used it in the crime.

New York investigators are examining three phones carried by Brandon Lincoln Woodard when he flew to New York on Sunday.

The NYPD yesterday released a dramatic series of surveillance photos that show a killer about to gun down his unsuspecting target on a busy Midtown street.

Woodard, 31, had just checked out of the swank 6 Columbus hotel near Columbus Circle when he was followed by the assassin on West 58th Street and killed near Seventh Avenue Monday afternoon.

The assassin escaped in the now-found getaway car.

Earlier on that fateful day, the law student appeared nervous as he had what turned out to be his final breakfast, at the La Parisienne diner.

“He ate breakfast at the counter but he was always looking over his shoulder,” said cashier Dimitrios Drimalitis, 61. “He looked scared and afraid of something.”

1. A silver Lincoln MKX sedan pulls up along West 58th Street and parks in an open spot near Seventh Avenue. Wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, the hit man (circled) exits through the passenger door, looks around and paces back and forth next to the sedan. He's 20 minutes early and his victim, Brandon Woodward, 31, is still checking out of the swanky 6 Columbus hotel.

2. The killer pulls his sweat-shirt hood over his head. At about 1:15 p.m., Woodward walks east on the north side of West 58th Street and crosses Broadway. He checks his smartphone, as if looking for directions, and passes right next to his assassin, who is waiting for an opportunity to strike.

3. Woodward turns around and walks west. He glances over his shoulder at the hooded man but seems not to recognize the killer and keeps going. The assassin approaches from behind, pulls a gun and blasts Woodward at close range with a single 9mm shot to the head. The 31-year-old father crumples to the ground. The shooter enters the Lincoln sedan and is whisked away by his getaway driver.

Woodard returned to his hotel and then left at 1:15 p.m., possibly lured away by the killer and drawn into a trap, Kelly said.

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The first wave of Windows 8 PCs

We’ve been benchmarking and field-testing new Windows 8 systems, including all-in-one desktops, traditional clamshell laptops and convertible laptops with displays that flip or twist around to form tabletlike devices.

Dell XPS One 27

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: Boasts the highest-display resolution among Windows 8 all-in-ones, and at an aggressive price.

The bad: A new adjustable display support arm is welcome, but stops short of reclining a full 90 degrees.

The cost: $1,999.99 to $2,099

The bottom line: Updated with a touch screen, a new stand and up-to-date components, the Dell XPS One 27 leads the inaugural class of Windows 8 PCs.

HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)

The good: An attractive ultrabook with a respectable mix of components for its price, a responsive touch screen and a backlit keyboard.

The bad: It isn’t very configurable, so you can’t make it too much more powerful than it already is. It’s on the heavy side for an “ultrabook” (if you consider 4.5 pounds heavy). Its touch pad is jumpy at default settings.

The cost: $799.99 to $974.98

The bottom line: The HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 is a good gateway to the Windows 8 experience with a responsive touch screen in a traditional laptop body.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)

The good: Looks as good as any 13-inch ultrabook, with the added attraction of a 360-degree screen and a laptop body that can fold into a tent, stand or slate.

The bad: Tablet mode leaves the keyboard exposed, and the Yoga 13 costs more than standard ultrabooks with similar components.

The cost: $1,099

The bottom line: The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 is a convertible touch-screen laptop/tablet that most importantly doesn’t compromise the traditional laptop experience.

Microsoft Surface RT

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)

The good: Interface is innovative, elegant, powerful, and versatile. The tablet feels strong and well-built, includes Office 2013 and offers rich video and music services. Its keyboard cover accessories are the best ways to type on a tablet, period.

The bad: The tablet has sluggish performance, its Windows Store is a ghost town, Metro requires some practice to get the hang of and the desktop interface feels clunky and useless.

The cost: $499 to $599

The bottom line: If you’re an early adopter willing to forget everything you know about navigating a computer, the Surface tablet could replace your laptop. Everyone else: wait for more apps.

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FBI investigating Miami cops in bookmaking case

At least a half-dozen Miami Police officers have been targeted by the FBI for their alleged roles in providing protection for a Liberty City sports gambling operation that was uncovered more than a year ago, according to authorities familiar with the case.

At least one Miami officer has been relieved of duty in connection with the investigation into the bookmaking business, which has been shut down, authorities said.

The initial probe by the FBI, which has been assisted by the police department, evolved into a broader investigation involving some of the officers. Arrests of at least six Miami officers — and possibly more — are expected as early as January, according to authorities.

The Miami Police Department did not return calls for comment. Both the police department and city attorney’s office refused to provide The Miami Herald with requested information on the number of police officers recently relieved of duty.

Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado said he did not know details of the investigation. But he tried to cast it in a positive light.

“To me, this investigation is not a black eye to the city or the police department. It’s a good thing. It means we’re moving forward with a better police force,” Regalado told The Miami Herald.

“In a police force as big as this one, some officers will do the wrong thing. But it is good to invite investigation. It shows that the police force wants to move forward and get rid of the bad apples.”

The Liberty City gambling house investigation began more than a year ago when Miami police, under then-Chief Miguel Exposito, told the FBI what it had learned. Surveillance, in an unincorporated area of Liberty City, led to the spotting of a Miami officer who allegedly showed up regularly to protect the illicit business.

The Miami Police Department, with roughly 1,100 sworn officers, has seen numerous officers suspended and ultimately fired in recent years because of their involvement in criminal activity, from ripping off drugs and money from dealers to fencing contraband such as stolen Bluetooth headsets.

The police department’s morale has been low of late, but not necessarily because of the criminal investigations. The police union has been battling the city over pay raises, health benefits and pension obligations for three straight years, though it did reach a recent agreement on salary hikes for next year.

Unrelated to the Miami police probe, the FBI is also investigating a handful of officers in other law-enforcement departments around Miami-Dade County in connection with identity-theft and tax-refund scams.

The officers are suspected of swiping personal identity information, such as Social Security numbers and dates of birth, to file fraudulent tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service — a crime that has penetrated all aspects of society, including hospitals.

South Florida is considered one of the nation’s hardest-hit regions for ID theft and tax fraud, according to the Department of Treasury.

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Notorious patent troll hits RIM with new lawsuit, seeks BlackBerry sales ban

Well-known patent troll Wi-LAN has filed a new lawsuit against BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIMM) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Wi-LAN, which describes itself as “a leading intellectual property licensing company,” claims RIM’s BlackBerry smartphones infringe U.S. Patent No. 6,260,168, owned by Wi-LAN, which relates to Bluetooth implementation. The lawsuit covers multiple BlackBerry handsets including Bold, Torch, Pearl and Storm models, Reuters reports. Wi-LAN is reportedly seeking unspecified damages and is looking to ban sales of RIM’s infringing BlackBerry phones in the United States.

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Gadgets News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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The Secret to Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon's Marriage

Award-winning actress Kyra Sedgwick has been married to Kevin Bacon for 24 years in what's shaping up to be of the most enduring and beloved relationships in Hollywood, and in the latest issue of Good Housekeeping, The Closer star dishes on what keeps the two so committed to one another.

"I don't know how he does it, but he always makes me feel like I'm the most beautiful woman in the room – the only girl in the room," she says about Bacon. "He says 'Honey, you look beautiful. You are sexy!' Always, always, always!"

Video: Pop Culture Rewind -- On the Set of 1983's 'Footloose'

The pair married in 1988, and are clearly still smitten with one another.

"He is so honorable. He is so ethically true. He has high moral standards, and he doesn't lie and he doesn't cheat – and I find that sexy!," Kyra says. "I am constantly in awe of Kevin's levelheadedness and his lack of 'crazy.' "

Video: Kyra Sedgwick Puts a Close on 'The Closer'

The longtime pair, who met on the set of PBS' American Playhouse series, have two children together -- Travis, 23, and Sosie, 20.

About having a "second honeymoon" now that their kids have left the nest, Kyra jokes, "There's a lot more walking around the house naked."

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