Playing the butt-kicking, arrow-shooting hero of “The Hunger Games” has certainly paid off! Jennifer Lawrence, known to fans as Katniss Everdeen, flaunts her toned bikini bod while surfing in Hawaii. The star, 22, was taking a break ahead of filming for the franchise’s sequel, “Catching Fire.”
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Jennifer Lawrence
12:30 AM, Dadeland Mall All retail stores were expected to open at midnight. But as of 12:30 a.m., neither the Apple store nor jewelry stores Tous or Mayors were open. Nearly 150 people were waiting outside of Apple.
According to Guest Services, stores that were not open by midnight would be fined.
Meanwhile, the rest of the mall buzzed with eager families and couples. Many shoppers were already sporting bags from Macy's, Victoria’s Secret, Express and Abercrombie & Fitch.
12:06 AM, Dadeland Mall Dadeland Mall officially opened at 12 a.m., and by 12:06 a.m. a group of young girls were already walking out of the mall with Victoria’s Secret bags in hand.
As the doors opened at Abercrombie & Fitch, people shouted to get in. Some yelled "Hallelujah" as others tried to push their way through.
Friday, midnight, Sawgrass Mills After a moderate start, the pace picked up at Sawgrass Mills. By midnight the mall was packed. Human traffic jams made walking through corridors challenging. Parking lot spaces were gone by 11 p.m., and people were being sent to the BB&T center and shuttled over to the mall. Food courts were doing brisk business as shoppers grabbed a quick bite to refuel.
10:30 PM, Sawgrass Mills If you timed it right you could walk into BrandsMart less than an hour after opening with no waiting.
"It was good compared to last year," said Carrie Ebenks, 36, of Pembroke Pines. "They moved much faster."
Ebenks and her sister Bonny Bush arrived about 8:30 p.m. and were inside before 9:30 p.m., only 30 minutes after the store opened. But they still missed out on the 40-inch TV for $147. They settled for a 32-inch for $247.
10:22 PM, Dolphin Mall The line to the Michael Kors store was 120 people long. The deal: 20 percent off the whole purchase, with some merchandise already marked down 40 percent. So the typical $250 purse would sell for... $120.
"Aren't you glad wallets don't cost this much?" nutrition manager Robert Sherman said to a reporter from his spot near the front of the line. It took him an hour to get there.
His wife, Lorie, was there to pick out her first Kors purse. "This is her Christmas present," Sherman said. Then the attendant parted the plastic guard rail and the Shermans slipped inside.
9:45 PM, Coral Gables At the Sears in Coral Gabes near Miracle Mile, which opened at 8 p.m., shoppers got an early start on the deals. And in most cases, they were there to buy a bigger, better TV.
Shoppers began arriving at around noon at the store to get a ticket for the early entry DoorBuster deals. Among them was Graciela Nodarse, 40, of Miami, and her teenage son, Mike, who were there for the advertised 50-inch HDTV for $299.
They had arrived at the store at around 5 p.m., landed a ticket, scurried inside and purchased the TV.
By 9 p.m., they were in the merchandise pick-up area waiting for their names to be called, along with other shoppers who came for the early deals.
"The wait wasn't so bad," Nodarse said. "I think if we had gone to an electronics store we would still be in line until midnight. Here, once we got in it was easy."
9:35 PM, Sawgrass Mills Craig Karpe arrived at Target at Sawgrass at 6 p.m. to get the 32-inch television for $147. He was one of the first 20 people in line. Target opened at 9 p.m., and he was done in just over 30 minutes.
"I give Target a lot of.credit; it was really organized," said Karpe, 46, of Tamarac. "The TVs were already in carts down the aisles for you to grab and go."
Thursday is Thanksgiving. Here is a list of what’s open and closed for the holiday on Thursday and Friday.
Federal offices: Closed Thursday
State offices: Closed Thursday and Friday
Miami-Dade and Broward county offices: Closed Thursday and Friday
Miami-Dade and Broward courts: Closed Thursday and Friday
Public schools: Closed Thursday and Friday
Post offices: Closed Thursday
Stock markets: Closed Thursday, closing early Friday
Banks: Closed Thursday
Tri-Rail: Will run a weekend schedule Thursday
Miami-Dade and Broward transit: Will run a Sunday schedule on Thursday
Garbage collection: Normal schedule in most cities
Malls: Closed Thursday, many opening very early Friday
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – A senior Vatican cardinal tweeted in Latin on Wednesday to urge people to attend the inauguration of, you guessed it, the Holy’s See’s new Academy for Latin Studies.
“Hodie una cum Ivano Dionigi novam aperiemus academiam pontificiam latinitatis a Benedicto conditam, hora XVII, via Conciliationis V,” was the tweet by Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi.
The approximate translation: “Today at 5 p.m., along with Ivano Dionigi, we will open the new Pontifical Academy for Latin Studies founded by Benedict. Via della Conciliazione, 5.”
It was not the first tweet in Latin – an Italian professor has been doing it for some time – but evidently Ravasi wanted to seize the day, or “carpe diem”.
The pope earlier this month announced that he had instituted the Pontifical Academy for Latin Studies, placing it under the auspices of the Vatican’s ministry for culture.
Dionigi, a Latin scholar who is rector of Bologna University – widely recognized to be the world’s oldest – is the academy’s first president.
The pope started the academy to promote the study and use of Latin in the Roman Catholic Church and beyond.
When instituting the academy, the pope said Latin, which is still the official language of the universal Church, was the subject of renewed interest around the world and the academy was mandated to encourage further growth.
(Reporting By Paolo Biondi and Philip Pullella)
Social Media News Headlines – Yahoo! News
A fund set up to support Brooklyn's recovery from Hurricane Sandy has awarded its first round of grants totaling $250,000 to 26 neighborhood organizations.
Launched by the Brooklyn Community Foundation with support from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, the Brooklyn Recovery Fund raised $1.5 million in less than three weeks, with support from a variety of donors – including $300,000 in founding contributions from Barclays Center, Brooklyn Nets and Forest City Ratner – as well as other corporations, foundations and hundreds of individual contributions.
The 26 community nonprofits getting the grants serve neighborhoods most affected by the storm, such as Brighton Beach, Canarsie, Coney Island, DUMBO, Gerritsen Beach, Red Hook and Williamsburg.
These first-round grants focus on basic services – providing emergency food, home visits to seniors and the disabled, cash assistance, benefits counseling, volunteer coordination, making spaces usable for services, and similar high priority activities. This follows an earlier $25,000 grant to Gerritsen Beach Cares, which is using its grant to coordinate work by local electricians to expedite the restoration power to high priority occupied homes in which seniors, the disabled and families with small children live.
"The suffering in the aftermath of the storm demanded that we act strongly and swiftly to raise money and get it out to local nonprofit organizations who immediately stepped forward to help residents of their communities with food, shelter, supplies, clean-up, health care, and warmth," said Marilyn Gelber, president of the Brooklyn Community Foundation.
“People across Brooklyn have opened their wallets since the storm, and now that money is making a difference in so many coastal communities across the borough,” said Carlo Scissura, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.
Don’t want to brave the Black Friday craziness? You can get a head start on your holiday shopping, snag some deals and support local merchants by participating in Small Business Saturday.
Nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is focused on promoting small business owners nationwide. Since it was started in 2010 by American Express, the promotional effort has grown into a national movement involving thousands of businesses, chambers of commerce and economic development organizations. According to American Express, last year more than 100 million people nationwide participated.
“The one thing businesses have told us over and over again is that they need more customers. So we thought it would be great to create a day in the holiday weekend that focuses just on the small business and shopping locally in communities around the country,” said Mary Ann Fitzmaurice Reilly, senior vice president at American Express Open.. “That’s how Small Business Saturday got its start.”
Organizations such as the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce and Coral Gables Chamber have turned Small Business Saturday into a communitywide event.
“We decided to participate because in Coral Gables we support our small businesses,” said Mark Trowbridge, president and CEO of the chamber that is participating for the second year. “Coral Gables is an economic engine and our small businesses help to drive that engine.”
American Express cardholders who sign up at shopsmall.com will get a $25 credit on their bill if they make a purchase from a participating business on Small Business Saturday. Participating businesses get free marketing support from American Express via a toolkit on its website.
On Saturday, the Coral Gables Chamber, along with American Express, the Village of Merrick Park and Books & Books will host a day of activities, including a $100 Startup Competition, inspired by the best-selling book by Chris Guillebeau. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to bring their most innovative ideas for a business that can be launched with just $100 (register at http://100dollarstartup.co). Finalists will pitch their startup ideas to the public at the 4 p.m. event, held at Books & Books in Coral Gables; a panel of judges will select the winners.
More than 30 Coral Gables merchants will take part in the day; many will feature discounts. At Klara Chavarria Contemporary Art, for instance, patrons can take advantage of free delivery and installation of any artwork purchased Saturday.
The free toolkit has proven an invaluable resource to business people like Michael Nucci, the marketing associate for Fort Lauderdale-based Bluewater Books and Charts, which sells nautical books to recreational cruisers. “We decided to participate last year and again this year because we thought it would give us an advantage on the sale season,” said Nucci, who will be offering a 15 percent discount on most items he sells on Small Business Saturday. “We got started and used the toolkit to get free posters made and to send out e-mail and social media promotions to attract customers. It’s a great thing for small businesses in this economy.”
In Kendall, the Recycled Closet, a consignment shop for teens, is offering 20 percent off its already discounted clothing. “I’m so glad to see American Express and communities around the nation working to help by dedicating a day to the small business owner,” said owner Jennifer Kaloti.
In Miami Beach, small businesses are embracing Small Business Saturday, said Ana Cecilia Velasco, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce. “As we are a tourist destination and get heavy traffic specifically for shopping during this time, it is a natural for us to highlight the event. Small Business Saturday makes sense to us as well because Miami Beach is known for its boutique shops.”
To survive the craziness of the season, consumers may want to treat themselves, too. At Pure Therapy, in the W Hotel on South Beach, customers get a $25 gift card with purchases of $100 or more and items from local designers will be 10 percent off on Saturday. In Bal Harbour, Gee Beauty, one of the only independently owned small businesses in the Bal Harbour Shops, will treat customers to a complimentary Gee Beauty Brow shaping with a purchase of $100 or more.
Every holiday season for the last six years, Lynn Hausmann hosts a Thanksgiving gathering for Casa Valentina, the residential and life skills program for youth aging out of foster care.
It’s what you do, she says, for the people you love.
“It’s simple — we are family,” says Hausmann, a member of the organization’s board of directors. “This is about opening your heart and home.”
So on Tuesday, more than two dozen current and former Casa residents and staff gathered around a U-shaped table by the pool of Hausmann’s Coconut Grove condo for the annual celebration.
They started the meal by giving thanks.
For health. And knowledge. And life. And, for Casa Valentina, the program designed to help youth transition from foster care to independence starting at age 18 by providing affordable housing and support and teaching meaningful everyday lessons such as how to balance a checkbook or navigate college admissions, even basic parenting skills.
“Casa Valentina took a chance on me,” says Cliff Innocent, 21, who joined the program last year. Now a student at Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center, Innocent is studying to become a chef. “I always knew I wanted to go to school, but it is Casa that has encouraged me to stay in school and do my best in school.”
The program started in 2006 as a way to help young women leaving Miami-Dade County’s foster care system, so many of them woefully unprepared for the next chapter. The program helped them earn high school diplomas and GEDS, enroll in college and find employment. About 60 young women have participated.
Last year, the organization partnered with other social agencies to create two more tracks for young men and mothers with young children.
This year, there are 22 residents, including 11 young women, seven young men and four mothers.
Participants receive a fully-furnished apartment near public transportation, case management, academic and career counseling and help with accessing healthcare. The program is financed through funding from The Children’s Trust, The Miami Foundation and private donations.
Participants must be in school, which qualifies them for the Florida’s Road to Independence Scholarships, a $1,000 monthly stipend open to former foster children who are passing their classes. The money is used for rent and other expenses.
The celebration started out as a potluck with the staff and some of the clients bringing a dish. It was held on the balcony of Hausmann’s fourth-floor condo. Last year, with the addition of the young men and mothers, they outgrew the space. This year, they moved it poolside.
“I got very involved with the young ladies, checking on them, helping them move into their places, helping them with school, taking them to Big Lots,” Hausmann said. “And then the holiday season came around and I started thinking, where would they go? Some of them don’t have family.”
During this year’s dinner, the residents were also introduced to the new executive director, Deborah Korge, who begins next month.
Katlin Brown joined the program two years ago with dreams of becoming a chef. Now, she is a student at Miami-Dade College graduating in May with a degree in culinary arts. She has plans to eventually open a soul food restaurant, “with an international twist.” She thanks Casa Valentina for much of her success.
“They helped me with so many things that I would not have been able to do myself,” says Brown, 21, who lives in a studio apartment in the Roads section of Miami. “They helped me with school and tutoring. They helped me get my driver’s license. They were a shoulder to cry on too. They taught me how to be a grown-up.”
Lindsay Lohan is opening up about the now-infamous cancellation of her pre-arranged sit down with Barbara Walters.
The actress stopped by for an interview with Tonight Show host Jay Leno on Tuesday, who pressed Lohan on the drama surrounding herself and the veteran news woman.
Related: Walters on Lohan: 'She Has A Lot of Problems'
"It's all good. I spoke to all the people that she works with," she said, assuring that although she didn't speak with Walters herself, there was no ill will between the two. "The timing wasn't right right now."
Tonight's interview with Leno was a sore spot for Walters, who expressed her "disappointment" at being cancelled on during an airing of The View earlier this month.
"I think to go on Jay Leno and be adorable and amusing, there's still all the problems," Walters said. "It would have been a wonderful interview. She could have set a lot of things straight. I think [my interview] could have helped her."
Related: Lindsay Lohan Went Method For Liz Taylor Role
Everything aside, Lohan insisted that "when it's right" Walters will be the first person she sits down with for an in-depth interview.
Unlucky 7
UBS trader Kweku Adoboli was sentenced iin London to seven years in jail for gambling away $2.3 billion of the Swiss bank's money in Britain's biggest-ever fraud.
Sales Fitch
Billionaire Ken Griffin’s Citadel bought a 6.3 percent stake in Abercrombie & Fitch, adding to increased interest in the teen retailer by hedge funds in the past three months.
Coca-coffee
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, the maker of Keurig K-Cups and brewers, named Coca-Cola.’s Brian Kelley as CEO to succeed Lawrence J. Blanford, who is retiring.
Stanford
Two former accounting executives, Gilbert Lopez and Mark Kuhrt were found guilty of helping Texas financier R. Allen Stanford hide a Ponzi scheme that bilked investors of $7 billion.
Groupon
Groupon shares rose 8.5 percent after the $8 billion hedge fund Tiger Global Management said it acquired a 9.9 percent stake in the daily deal site.
Every year we roll out our fall list of the products getting the most attention from readers, and every year it ends up being a list dominated by phones. But not this year. No, this time you guys are spicing things up with a surprising mix of products. Here’s what’s getting your attention right now.
Sony Vaio Tap 20
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)
The good: By slapping a battery inside a 20-inch touch-screen all-in-one, the company has given birth to a new PC category with great potential in tech-savvy homes.
The bad: The touch screen has some frustrating drag, and Sony made a few missteps among some otherwise reasonable sacrifices for portability and price.
The cost: $999.99
The bottom line: A compelling experiment in tablet-desktop hybridization, the Sony Vaio Tap 20 is a great fit for home tech enthusiasts willing to try something new.
Toshiba Portege Z935-P300
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 (Very good)
The good: This Toshiba product has very good features, performance and battery life for its price and is very thin and very light.
The bad: The keyboard may be too small for some users and the laptop doesn’t feel particularly sturdy, especially the lid and display.
The cost: $779.99 to $876
The bottom line: The Toshiba Portege Z935-P300 is an excellent ultrabook value if you can overlook its few design shortcomings.
Apple iPad Mini
Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The ultrathin and light design makes it seem far more intimate and booklike than the larger iPad, and its cameras, storage capacities, optional LTE antenna and general functionality offer a full iPad experience. The screen’s dimensions elegantly display larger-format magazines and apps.
The bad: It costs too much, especially considering the lower resolution of its 7.9-inch display, which isn’t a Retina Display. The A5 processor isn’t as robust as the one in the fourth-gen iPad and iPhone 5. Typing on the smaller screen is not quite as comfy.
The cost: $329.99 to $549.99
The bottom line: If you want the full, polished Apple tablet experience in a smaller package, the iPad Mini is worth the premium price. Otherwise, good alternatives are available for less money.
Apple iPhone 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5 (Excellent)
The good: The iPhone 5 adds everything we wanted in the iPhone 4S: 4G LTE, a longer, larger screen, free turn-by-turn navigation, and a faster A6 processor. Plus, its top-to-bottom redesign is sharp, slim, and featherlight.
The bad: Apple Maps feels unfinished and buggy; Sprint and Verizon models can’t use voice and data simultaneously; the smaller connector renders current accessories unusable without an adapter; there’s no NFC; and the screen size pales in comparison with jumbo Android models.
The cost: $199.99
The bottom line: The iPhone 5 completely rebuilds the iPhone on a framework of new features and design, addressing its major previous shortcomings. It’s absolutely the best iPhone to date, and it easily secures its place in the top tier of the smartphone universe.
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