South Florida “dreamers” gather for information, maybe some financial aid

Carmen cleans Miami houses for $200 a week. So she turned up as early as she could Saturday at Miami Dade College to ask for the $465 grant that would pay for the application to legalize her undocumented daughter’s immigration status.

“This is a blessing,” the Peru-born Carmen said as she waited nervously, green application folder in hand, to chat with one of the immigration rights activists manning desks around the MDC classroom.

A coalition of activist groups hosting the session Saturday was taking the first applications from low-income migrants for the $465 grants – the cost of applying for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for undocumented youths.

The volunteers were also, as they have been doing at 14 to 15 clinics since August, providing legal advice to youths and parents dealing with a sometimes confusing process of filing the DACA applications to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“We work hard so they can have a future,” said Sandra Leyes, an Argentine who arrived in 2000 on a tourist visa with her then 3-year-old son. Gian is now a high school freshman with hopes of becoming a doctor with a specialty in sports medicine.

Leyes said she and Gian were at the clinic to make sure his application was correct and avoid having to pay an immigration lawyer for counsel, but they did not need the $465.

But Carmen said she definitely needs the money because her income barely covers costs. Her daughter Marianne is a senior in high school – top 10 percent of her class – and wants to be an architect.

Colombia-born dishwasher José said it would take his family months to save up the money for his son’s DACA application — if no one gets sick because they have no health insurance. Like others at the sessions, he asked that his last name not be published for fear of repercussions.

Immigrant rights activist Gaby Pacheco said the coalition sponsoring the clinics is hoping to provide the $465 grants to least 50 low-income youths. The groups already have received a $10,000 gift from the Fragomen law firm in Coral Gables.

Most of the DACA applicants seen at the South Florida clinics have been from Latin America, but one came from South Africa and another said he was a Roma – a gypsy – whose father might have been born in Bulgaria.

Youths at the clinic Saturday seemed to prefer to speak in English, jelled their hair in the latest style, wore tight jeans and hoodies and played with smart phones and portable game consoles. Their parents preferred to speak Spanish.

Manning the DACA information and application desks during Saturday’s session at the MDC InterAmerican campus on 27th Avenue and Southwest Eighth Street were law students from Florida International University, the University of Miami and St. Thomas University.

An immigration attorney reviewed the completed DACA applications, and then sent the youths and families to the Ecuador-born Pacheco if they wanted to apply for the $465 grants.

The volunteers have seen about 30 potential applicants at each of the clinics for undocumented youths held all around South Florida since August and completed applications with about 75 percent of them, Pacheco added.

The volunteers also are taking a survey in the hopes of explaining why the number of undocumented youths applying for DACA is far below the estimates of how many would apply.

Estimates of the number of undocumented youths in Florida alone range from 85,000 to 160,000. But the latest U.S. government report showed 19,336 individuals have requested DACA in the state.

Jose Machado, a leader of the group Students Working for Equal Rights (SWER), has said his own study showed the top reason for the gap is the $465 cost of the application to DHS.

Some fears of deportations may also linger, said Juan Carlos Gomez, head of the Carlos A. Costa Immigration and Human Rights Clinic at the FIU law school. And perhaps some have been waiting for the politics of immigration reform to settle down.

Republican presidential candidates promised tough anti-immigration policies if elected, Gomez noted. And now Republicans and Democrats in Congress have been talking about different immigration reforms.

Among the groups sponsoring the clinic and grant projects are SWER, Gomez’ clinic at FIU, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, and DREAMERs’ Moms. Their next clinic will be from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on March 2 at the FIU law school, 11200 S.W. Eighth St.

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Double Take Celebrity Lookalikes

Alice Eve and Brooklyn Decker

ETonline has found the lookalikes to the stars and, as it turns out,
it's their Hollywood peers. Click the pics and let us know if you think
these celebs bear a resemblance to one another.

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Upper East Siders boo Christine Quinn over waste transfer station support at mayoral forum

They trashed her!

Upper East Siders opposed to the construction of a waste transfer station in their neighborhood booed City Council Speaker Christine Quinn at a mayoral forum today for her continued support of a controversial project that would send garbage trucks rumbling throughout posh area streets.

“I am not changing my position on the [marine transfer station],” Quinn declared to the crowd inside the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens on E. 93rd Street.

In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, new concerns have emerged about the E. 91st site, which is now classified as a flood zone, but Quinn said structural changes would be made to prevent any storm damage.

Warzer Jaff

Christine Quinn at today's mayoral forum

Immediately, the crowd jeered and heckled.

“Why have you never visited the site?” one person demanded.

Quinn did manage to raise a stink — about the jeers.

“Hang on — if you want an answer you have to listen,” she barked. “You can scream and yell. You could throw soft things after, but you have got to let me answer if I listen to your question with attention.”

She said that the five borough plan, which she supported in 2006 and of which the East Side station is a part, is meant to take the burden off of low income neighborhoods which traditionally get saddled with the stinky facilities. Part of the city scheme — the Gansevoort Street recycling center — sits in her own district, she noted.

“I can’t stand up in this neighborhood and say your neighborhood takes something if mine does not take one.”

Still, the heckling continued.

“Don’t expect us to vote for you!”

“That’s fine,” Quinn snapped.

Meanwhile, City Council Comptroller John Liu, who has previously supported the plan, flipped his position at the forum because of Hurricane Sandy-related issues.

“It doesn’t make sense to proceed while turning a blind eye to that simple fact,” he said.

Former City Comptroller Bill Thompson and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who voted in favor of the 2006 plan, said concerns over flooding left them both on the fence, and said they both planned to visit the site. The forum was sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney.

cgiove@nypost.com

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South Florida hospitals could lose $368 million from sequestration

A detailed survey shows that South Florida hospitals could lose $368 million over 10 years in federal budget cuts starting next Friday, if the sequestration program kicks in as scheduled.

The Florida Hospital Association, using data from the American Hospital Association, estimates that over the next decade, sequestration would cause Miami-Dade hospitals to lose $223.9 million and Broward facilities $144.4 million under the Congress-mandated budget cuts that hit virtually all federal programs unless Republicans and Democrats can work out a compromise.

The New York Times and other national news organizations are reporting that sequestration, unlike the New Year’s fiscal cliff, seems virtually certain to take place.

The law requires across-the-board spending cuts in domestic and defense programs, with certain exceptions. Because healthcare represents more than one in five dollars of the federal budget, it will be a huge target for cuts.

For hospitals and doctors, the major impact will be felt in Medicare cuts, which according to the budget law are limited to 2 percent of Medicare payments. Medicaid, food stamps and Social Security are exempted from cuts, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.

The FHA study calculates that over 10 years, Jackson Memorial Hospital stands to lose $30.6 million, Mount Sinai Medical Center on Miami Beach $27.3 million, Holy Cross in Fort Lauderdale $23.8 million and Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood $21.4 million.

“The problem with sequestration is that it just makes broad cuts across the board,” said Linda Quick, president of the South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association. “The Affordable Care Act is looking at all sorts of intelligent ways to reduce costs,” including coordinated care that will stop duplicated tests and reduce hospital readmissions. “But sequestration takes an ax, and that doesn’t make any sense.”

FierceHealthcare, which produces trade publications, says sequestration cuts over the next decade will include $591 million from prescription drug benefits for seniors, $318 million from the Food and Drug Administration, $2.5 billion from the National Institutes of Health, $490 million from the Centers for Disease Control and $365 million from Indian Health Services.

The National Association of Community Health Centers estimates that 900,000 of its patients nationwide could lose care because of the cuts. The group said the cuts were “penny wise and pound foolish” because they would mean less preventive care while more and sicker patients would end up in emergency rooms.

Like the fiscal cliff, Republicans and Democrats agreed on a sequestration strategy, with the idea that the drastic measure would force the two sides to reach agreement on more deliberative budget adjustments. That hasn’t happened.

The White House reports that the law will mean that nondefense programs will be cut by 5 percent, defense programs by 8 percent. But since the first year’s cuts must be done over seven months, that means in 2013, nondefense programs need to be cut by 9 percent, defense programs by 13 percent.

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In David Rivera investigation, suspected ringer charged in federal court in $81,485 scheme

A one-time candidate whose suspicious campaign finances led to an investigation of former Miami Congressman David Rivera was formally charged Friday in federal court with three crimes.

Justin Lamar Sternad pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, false-statement and illegal campaign-contribution charges.

Sternad, however, is expected to strike a plea deal as he cooperates with federal authorities as part of their investigation into Rivera, a Republican, and the former U.S. representative's close friend, Ana Alliegro, who managed Sternad's disastrous campaign. Sternad ran as a Democrat.

Neither Rivera nor Alliegro is listed by name in the 10-page federal charging document, which lists nameless “co-conspirators.”

The co-conspirators helped steer $81,485 in cash to Sternad, who intentionally disguised the illegal campaign contributions by failing to list them on his federal campaign-finance reports.

The money paid for printing and mailing services for a batch of fliers, some of which attacked a Rivera rival, Democrat Joe Garcia, who beat Sternad in the Aug. 14 Democratic primary for the Kendall-to-Key West Congressional District 26 seat. Garcia went on to beat Rivera in the general election.

During the primary, Garcia's campaign complained that Sternad was a ringer, a stand-in attack dog doing Rivera's bidding.

Rivera, who has maintained his innocence, refused comment but pointed to past statements in which he said he never has been informed by authorities of a federal investigation.

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Vin Diesel 'Riddick' Still

Fast & Furious star Vin Diesel is returning for a third time to his Riddick character this fall, and he's teasing fans with a brand-new image of his title character sitting on a throne with a troubled brow, very reminiscent of Arnold Schwarzenegger's pose at the end of Conan the Barbarian. Coincidence?

Pics: Role Call -- Who Got Hired in Hollywood

Diesel posted the shot on his Facebook page with the accompanying caption: "It has been 9 years since The Chronicles of Riddick was released... all along I knew I would eventually have to return to that dark place, the mind of an Alpha Furyan..."

Following 2000's Pitch Black and 2004's The Chronicles of Riddick, the new sci-fi film, simply titled Riddick, is set to hit theaters and IMAX on September 6 and reunites Diesel with director David Twohy for a more pared-down film in which our anti-hero finds himself up against an alien race of predators. Activating an emergency beacon, he catches the attention of two passing ships – one carrying a new breed of mercenary, and the other captained by a man from Riddick's past.

Video: Watch Vin Diesel Cover Rihanna's 'Stay'

Also co-produced by Diesel, the Riddick cast includes Karl Urban, Katee Sackhoff, Bokeem Woodbine, Dave Bautista, Jordi Molla and Matt Nable.

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Man pleads guilty to smuggling military-grade sniper scopes

A man pleaded guilty today to illegally trying to smuggle restricted military-grade night-vision sniper scopes out of the US to Ukraine.

Volodymyr Ponomarenko was charged in Brooklyn federal court with attempting to ship the high-tech devices overseas without a Customs export license that is required to transport restricted technology out of the country.

US Customs and Border Protection officers at New York's JFK airport had discovered the items in Dec. 2011 during a search of parcels destined for Ukraine, officials said.

Inside they found two night-vision rifle sniper scopes, a thermal imaging camera, and three high-powered sniper scopes, Brooklyn federal prosecutors say.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents traced the shipment to a freight forwarder in Elizabeth, NJ., and eventually tracked down and arrested Ponomarenko - who is a citizen of Ukraine, prosecutors said.

Under federal law, certain types of rifle scopes cannot be exported without a special license from the US government out of concern that they might be diverted to terrorists, insurgents, or others who could utilize them to kill US armed forces overseas, officials said.

Ponomarenko faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced.

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Miami Springs hotel makes Top 10 list

The Comfort Suites Miami Airport North, just over a year old, is winning praise.

The 102-suite hotel, at 657 Minola Dr. in Miami Springs, was named one of the top 10 airport-adjacent hotels in the nation by TripAdvisor.

The hotel earned its seventh-place showing thanks to reviews by travelers. The travel site said the list was based on the most highly rated hotels within two miles of major airports in the United States.

Comfort Suites, which opened in November of 2011, was lauded by reviewers for its free breakfast buffet, 42-inch high-definition TV sets and heated outdoor pool. The hotel also offers free parking and free shuttle service to and from the airport.

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South Florida existing home sales, prices rose again in January

The median price of an existing single-family home in Miami-Dade County rose 14.8 percent to $194,000 in January from a year earlier, according to the Miami Association of Realtors.

The median price of a condominium in Miami-Dade jumped 24.1 percent year over year.

Compared with December 2012, the median price for a single family home fell 9.4 percent in January and was off 4.9 percent for condos.

Sales of previously owned homes and condos in Miami-Dade rose 7.5 percent in January to 1,947 units. That included a 19.1 percent spike in the sale of existing single-family homes while condo sales were essentially flat, with a 0.3 percent increase in volume year over year.

The scenario was similar in Broward County, where the median price of an existing single-family home jumped 24.5 percent to $224,088 in January from a year earlier, according to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors.

The median price of a condominium or townhouse in Broward increased 26.5 percent to $94,900 in January from a year earlier.

Sales of single-family-home in Broward increased 15.3 percent in January to 1,033 from a year earlier, while closings on townhouses and condos increased 10.7 percent year over year, the Realtors group said.

Extremely tight inventory continues to shape South Florida’s recovering housing market.

“There’s like nothing for sale. Inventory is so tight,’’ said Lisa Dority, an agent with REMAX/Advance Realty. “When something comes on the market, it’s a stampede with multiple offers and back-up contracts.’’

In Miami-Dade, the total inventory of residences available for sale plunged 10.7 percent in January to 13,316 from a year earlier, with single-family home inventory down 12.9 percent and existing condominium listings off 9.3 percent, the Miami Realtors group said.

In Broward, the number of single-family homes available for sale on the multi-listings service plunged 26.5 percent in January to 4,510 from a year earlier. The number of available listings of condos and townhouses on the market was down 11.2 percent year over year to 6,407 units in Broward in January, the group said.

The months of supply of existing single-family homes fell to 3.8 months in Broward, while the inventory of condos and townhouses shrank to 4.7 months. A six-month supply of homes for sale is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers, while a lower level favors sellers, helping fuel price increases, Realtors say.

Broward homes are selling more quickly and for levels closer to their asking prices in Broward. In January, existing single-family homes fetched 93.4 percent of their listing price, up from 90.9 percent a year earlier. Condos and townhouses went for 93.8 perenct of their asking price, an increase of 1.4 percent from a year earlier.

The median days on the market was 48 for a single-family home, down from 53 a year earlier, and 42 days for a condo or townhouse, down from 43 in January 2012.

“I’m seeing strength right across the board,’’ said Charles Bonfiglio, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors and head of AAA Realty Group. Many Broward residences are fetching multiple offers, frequently above the asking price, he said.

Statewide in Florida, sales of existing homes jumped 11.7 percent in January to 13,679 units from a year earlier, while condominium and townhouse sales totaled 6,670 units, a 2 percent increase year over year, according to the Florida Association of Realtors.

The median sales price for a single-family existing home across Florida rose 12.4 percent to $145,000 in January from a year earlier while the median price for condomiums and townhouses was up 18 percent year over year to $112,000, the Florida Realtors said.

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Biden tries to rally support for gun control in Conn. speech

DANBURY, Conn. — Vice President Joe Biden is trying to rally support for the administration's proposals to curb gun violence, saying there will be a moral price to pay for inaction.

Biden is speaking Thursday at a conference in Danbury, Conn., just a few miles from the scene of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He says that America has changed its views of gun control since the Dec. 14 massacre of 26 people inside the Newtown school.

Other speakers, including the parents of a 7-year-old girl killed at Sandy Hook, urged Congress to honor the memories of the victims with strong action.

Getty Images

Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a conference on gun violence at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut.

Meanwhile, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced he wants to immediately ban high-capacity ammunition magazines, require background checks for the transfer of firearms and expand the state's assault weapons ban.

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IKEA to open in Sweetwater in 2014

IKEA announced that it has hired a contractor to build its Miami store and is on track for opening in Summer 2014.

Balfour Beatty Construction will oversee construction of the IKEA store to be built in Sweetwater on land adjacent to Dolphin Mall, located at the intersection of State Road 836 and Florida’s Turnpike.

The Swedish retailer known for its cheap, chic home furnishings is awaiting a building permit from the city of Sweetwater and expects to break ground within the next two months. The 417,000-square foot store would become the largest of IKEA’s four Florida locations.

The retailer has been looking for a site in Miami for nearly a decade. But the challenge has been finding a big enough piece of land with the kind of central location and highway frontage that IKEA requires. IKEA already has a store in Sunrise.

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No mistrial after surprise evidence surfaces in trial of Miami cop-killing suspect

A judge won’t grant a mistrial, for now, in the case of cop-killing suspect Dennis Escobar after a startling police audiotape surfaced that could taint the man’s confession.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Leon Firtel made the decision against the backdrop of history: In 1997, the Florida Supreme Court threw out Escobar’s original conviction and death sentence. It took until last week for Escobar to finally begin his new trial.

“I don’t want to deny the defendant his rights but this judge has an obligation to the State of Florida to get this case to trial after 15 years,” a frustrated Firtel told prosecutors and defense lawyers, who had agreed to ask for a mistrial.

Firtel on Monday will reconsider granting a mistrial after lawyers hash out more legal issues. Jurors, for now, are on standby.

Escobar, 52, is accused of shooting Miami Officer Victor Estefan to death after the veteran officer pulled him and his brother, Douglas Escobar, over in a stolen Mazda in Little Havana in March 1988.

The brothers fled to California, where they were wounded in a shootout with highway patrol troopers about 180 miles north of Los Angeles.

Police have long maintained that Escobar, while in a California prison hospital room, agreed to waive his right to remain silent and talk to Miami homicide detectives. Three days later, he confessed to killing Estefan.

But on Sunday, an unmarked, undated cassette tape was found in an evidence box that depicted Escobar refusing to speak, instead telling Detective Jorge Morin to talk to his lawyer.

Morin himself discovered the tape and alerted prosecutor Reid Rubin, who immediately turned it over to Escobar’s defense team.

With the case significantly weakened, prosecutors floated an offer to the brothers: no death penalty if they plead guilty and agreed to life in prison.

Escobar has yet to decide whether to accept the deal. The brothers are already serving a life prison term in California for the attack on the troopers.

Defense attorney Phillip Reizenstein may also ask the judge to throw out the confession. That would deliver a major blow to the prosecution’s case in this trial — or a future one.

As Escobar mulled the plea offer Tuesday night, prosecutors found a second audiotape, this one of Escobar’s interview with California detectives investigating the attack on the highway patrol troopers.

The second tape wasn’t wholly a surprise: Lawyers on each side long had a transcript of that interview.

But the additional discovery was enough that Judge Firtel ordered lawyers to listen to and document every tape left in evidence, about 15 or so, to make sure none others could impact the trial. Firtel gave them until Monday to finish.

Escobar’s defense team has also asked the judge to conduct a hearing to find out why the state attorney’s office, years ago, never turned over the tape to Escobar’s previous lawyer.

Reizenstein said the current prosecution team “did their job honorably” in immediately turning over the tape. Rubin has also told the defense, many months ago, that the evidence box of cassette tapes was available for examination.

But Detective Morin, or the original prosecutors, should have to explain why the tape was never disclosed years ago, and if prosecutors knew that Morin lied under oath at previous hearings, Reizenstein told the judge.

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'Blade Runner' wanted to build an arsenal: report

JOHANNESBURG — Oscar Pistorius applied for firearm licenses for six more guns weeks before the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp inside his house on Feb. 14, according to official records obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The applications were made on Jan. 22, just over three weeks before Pistorius shot his girlfriend dead in his home with a licensed 9 mm pistol.

The athlete says the killing of Steenkamp was accidental as he thought she was a dangerous intruder inside his bathroom. Prosecutors say the double-amputee athlete intended to kill his girlfriend and have charged him with premediated murder.

In details obtained from the South African Police Service's National Firearms Center and given over the telephone, Pistorius applied for licenses for a Smith & Wesson model 500 revolver, a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, a Vector .223-caliber rifle and three shotguns: A Mossberg shotgun, a Maverick shotgun and a Winchester shotgun.

PROSECUTORS SLAM PISTORIUS' DEFENSE

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PHOTOS: REEVA STEENKAMP

The details were given to the AP by two separate officials at the government department. They refused to give their names because they were not authorized to speak to the media, although the records are available to the public.

Pistorius registered the 9 mm handgun used in the Valentine's Day killing for self-defense, the firearm center officials said. The six outstanding applications listed those guns for Pistorius' private collection.

The six recent firearm license applications were sent back to a police and firearms station in Johannesburg to be reapplied for on Monday, four days after Steenkamp's killing, the officials said. No reasons were given why the applications were sent back to be refiled.

Pistorius' license for the 9 mm Parabellum pistol that was used in Steenkamp's shooting was issued to Pistorius on Sept. 10, 2010 on appeal after an initial application in 2008 was rejected. One of the officials said the rejection was procedural as Pistorius had passed his competency test and had no criminal record.

The 9 mm pistol license card was printed on Sept. 16, 2010 and received by Pistorius on Sept. 27, 2010, the officials said.

Under South Africa's strict gun laws, you need a license for every firearm you own. An applicant must undergo a competency test — which includes gun safety training — before a license can be issued.

Pistorius would also have had to provide three character referees, one of the firearms center officials said, one of whom must be a family member and one of whom must be a neighbor.

Getty Images

Oscar's Weapons: a graphic illustrating the weapons Oscar Pistorius has applied for at the central firearms registry. Six applications are pending.

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Health Foundation gives $1.8 million

Health Foundation of South Florida announced Tuesday the awarding of grants worth a total of $1.8 million to 21 organizations.

Among the awards in Miami-Dade were $197,000 to the Miami-Dade County Health Department, $200,000 to Open Door Health Center, and $107,000 to the University of Miami. Other Dade grants included $20,000 to the Banyan Community Health Center, $45,000 to Centro Mater Child Care Services, $230,000 to the Chapman Partnership, $51,000 to CHARLEE of Dade County, $75,000 to Farm Share and $60,000 to the Miami Dade College Foundation.

In Broward County, grants included $96,300 to Archways, $120,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Broward County and $150,000 to the Broward County Health Department.

In Monroe County: Rural Health Network of Monroe County received $130,000.

The foundation has awarded more than $98 million in grants and support since 1993.

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Tough gals: Roller derby players enjoy contact sport

For Danielle Shaffner, 33, raising three children with another on the way and having her husband patrol the streets on his police vehicle could be stressful.

That’s why she counts on a sport on wheels for relief: women’s roller derby.

“I let loose and become a little maniac on the rink,” said Shaffner, who is four month pregnant and goes by the name of Pree-T-Manik.

Shaffner, who lives near Palmetto Bay, is one of many professional women competing in Miami’s Vice City Rollers roller derby team. The team was formed back in 2011 and practices at the Palmetto Golf Course hockey rink, 9300 SW 152nd St. in South Miami-Dade.

“It just comes a little naturally,” said Shaffner, who works as a dental assistant and has skated since she was a child. “I love the adrenaline rush. I use it as anger management. It is a great way to make friends and socialize.”

Her pregnancy doesn’t allow her to have contact, so for now, she is taking advantage of the exercising the sport provides.

The team has started their second season on a high note defeating their fist opponent in January.

The game is played on a rink wearing quad roller skates. There are five players to a team. Games consist of a series of short match-ups where a designated player known as a jammer scores points by lapping members of the opposing team, who in turn try to stop the jammer from scoring.

Team president and skater Kristen De La Rua, 30, was instrumental in putting together the team. She and other teammates practiced for Broward’s team, the Gold Coast Derby Grrls. They felt it was only appropriate Miami had a roller derby team.

“Miami needed it’s own team,” she said. “We got a huge response.”

At first, she worried playing because her profession is of a massage therapist, so an injury to the wrist or hands could be costly.

“I was always getting scared because of my career, but I got over it,” she said. “Once I started playing it, it was not that bad.”

Players were recruited using Facebook. Each player pays $40 a month to cover the team’s cost such as paying for the practice location and travel fees.

The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association sanctions the games.

Currently, they are playing Florida teams, but plans are to travel and play teams outside of the state and overseas. There are about 30 members. Each player has a nickname that fits their character, but names are earned. The team is still considered amateur.

Edley Duclos is one of few males who practice with the girls. He is a referee and acknowledges the women’s hard work.

“I do it for the exercise, “he said. “Keeping up with these girls is hard.”

Wearing a pink helmet, elbow and knee pads, Marcy Mock skated around with teammates at the outdoor hockey rink, at Coral Reef Drive and U.S. 1.

She goes by the name of Pinky Gomez, 41. She is a graphic designer who travels from North Miami to practice. She says the game could lead to injuries, but the sport’s rush keeps her motivated. She suffered two broken ribs during a game and still came back to finish.

“You get this adrenaline rush that you don’t feel anything,” said Mock, who also teaches spinning classes.

Aside from the competition, Mock said their bond built between teammates and opponents is a great feeling.

“It doesn’t matter who wins,” she said. “You are playing this game and it’s a women’s driven game.”

Their next game is scheduled for March 2. All of their home games are held at the Palmetto Golf Course hockey rink.

For information visit facebook.com/miamirollerderby.

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Suits War Clip Season Two Finale

Even though it feels like this sublime season of Suits has only just begun, this Thursday brings the season finale -- and War is no longer on the horizon, it's here!

RELATED - TV's 10 Best Dressed Characters

In the well-named season finale, Pearson-(insert name here) faces encroaching enemies on countless fronts. There's Hardman's seemingly endless hard-on for his former firm, the potential partnering with the curiously motivated Darby, Harvey's looming defection if he decides that Jessica truly doesn't trust him and the constant threat of unmasking Mike's lack of law degree.

VIDEO - Psych Star Stands Up To Shoot Down Discrimination

Needless to say, there's a lot in the line in Thursday's season two finale, and ETonline scored an exclusive clip from the hour that focuses on one of the show's sweeter storylines: Mike and Rachel's unresolved feelings for one another.

But leave it to Harvey to cut the lovely moment short in that special Specter style!

Suits airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on USA.

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Nut job nabbed stealing 75lbs of almonds

A nut job tried to run away with 75 pounds of almonds in Brooklyn -- but he dropped them during his getaway and ended up getting busted by the Williamsburg Shomrim Patrol, law-enforcement sources said.

Juan Ayala, 35, allegedly grabbed three 25-pound cardboard boxes of the nuts from a parked delivery van in Williamsburg on South 8th Street near Bedford Avenue about 4 p.m. Sunday, according to a court complaint.

He tried to run off with the loot, sources said, but the 5-foot-8, 180 pound man ended up dropping the boxes on South 8th Street, sources said.

KM Group

Juan Ayala (2nd from left) being arrested by the police after a tipster called the Williamsburg Shomrim Patrol hotline while Ayala was attempting to steal 75 lbs. of almonds.

The driver called 911, but Ayala allegedly scampered off before the police could catch him.

But two hours later, Ayala smashed his 2010 silver Toyota Carrola into a parked, unoccupied van on Wythe Avenue and South 8th Street—about two blocks from the scene of the crime, sources said.

A person nearby spotted him trying to flee the accident, and called the hotline for Williamsburg Shomrim Patrol, which is a local volunteer civilian patrol, sources said.

The patrol held Ayala for the police—and the same cop who had rushed to the scene of the almond heist nabbed him, sources said. The van driver then identified Ayala as the would-be thief.

“I really f----- up,” he allegedly told the police. He then bizarrely added, “I really f----- up my relationship. But I didn’t break into the car.”

Authorities charged him with third-degree burglary, attempted petit larceny, and trespass, as well as leaving the scene of an accident.

One source said almonds are expensive, and go for about $4 a pound.

Ayala is currently being held at Riker’s Island, with bail set at $2,250, records show.

Law-enforcement sources say Ayala has a long arrest history, largely for drug possession and sale.

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Best photo apps for Android devices

Whether you want to slap a simple filter on your photo or get granular and change attributes like color levels and saturation, we’ve got a list of the Android apps you’ll want to use.

Snapseed

The good: With its unique gesture-based interface, this offers an incredible level of control over its effects and filters.

The bad: The tools and interface aren’t intuitive, so it could take a while to get familiarized. Also, the lack of a zoom function makes it difficult to see finer adjustments.

The cost: Free

The bottom line: If you’re a serious mobile photographer looking for an app with which to fine-tune your photos, Snapseed is your best choice.

Pixlr Express

The good: Offers more than 600 effects that all work well and are easy to use. Auto Fix and Focal Blur (tilt-shift) are particularly effective.

The bad: The app doesn’t warn you before backing out, which can result in lost work. A Recent Files picker upon launch would be nice.

The cost: Free

The bottom line: One of the most powerful Android apps in its category. Despite its minor flaws, it should be your go-to mobile photo editor.

Instagram

The good: An excellent way to turn mundane images into cool-looking photos you can share with friends. Mapping features mean people can easily browse all your geotagged shots.

The bad: Photo Map features default to showing all your geotagged shots, which could be dangerous under some circumstances.

The cost: Free

The bottom line: If you like taking retro-looking shots and sharing them, Instagram is tough to beat. Mapping features and frequent updates to the app mean your pictures will have a longer browsing life span.

Photo Grid

The good: Offers a huge menu of grid templates and a dead-simple interface for combining photos into framed collages.

The bad: The app unfortunately doesn’t let you customize the thickness of collage borders or the level of curvature on rounded panels.

The cost: Free

The bottom line: Even though it’s missing a couple of nifty customization tools other collage apps have, Photo Grid’s simple interface and outstanding menu of predesigned grids make it the best collage app on the market.

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Hawkins withdraws his name from Jackson Health System board post

In a kerfuffle with echoes from political battles almost two decades ago, former Miami-Dade commissioner and state legislator Larry Hawkins announced Monday he was withdrawing his name from nomination to the Jackson Health System board.

Hawkins, 68, who had been nominated to be the unions’ representative on the seven-member board, sent a letter to the clerk of courts saying he was “deeply honored” by the nomination but “after considering the time commitment and the physical demands associated with fulfilling the responsibilities of this position, I have decided to decline this opportunity to serve.”

In a telephone interview, Hawkins said his decision “had nothing to do with Katy Sorenson,” who defeated him in the 1994 election for his commission seat and had been calling journalists and union leaders objecting to his nomination.

Sorenson, now president the Good Government Initiative at the University of Miami, gave The Herald a statement on Friday: “It’s disturbing that the union, which represents so many hard-working women, would appoint a person with such disdain for women and a record of ethics violations.”

In 1995, the state ethics commission fined Hawkins $5,000 after finding that he had sexually harassed three aides while county commissioner. Hawkins, a disabled Vietnam vet who uses a wheelchair, said he had never made lewd comments and his actions had been misunderstood.

Hawkins also has strong supporters. On Monday, before Hawkins withdrew, Phillis Oeters, a South Florida civic leader, praised him as a “brilliant choice” for Jackson’s board because he knows a lot about healthcare and had a long reputation of government service.

Oeters decried dredging up charges from two decades ago. “As a society, can’t we forgive and forget, if forgiveness is even necessary in this case? ... We need the best and the brightest in the county to serve.”

Oeters, chairman of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and a vice president of Baptist Health South Florida, said her remarks reflected her personal views, not those of the organizations.

In his letter to the clerk’s office, Hawkins said he decided to withdraw because “over the past few days, I have had numerous conversations with current board members ... and have spoken with CEO Carlos Migoya regarding the meeting schedules and operations,” which include monthly committee days that start about 7 a.m. and end sometimes past 5 p.m.

Hawkins said his mother is in hospice care and his life was too busy to add Jackson to his schedule. He said that Sorenson, as commissioner, had approved him for volunteer board posts and he was mystified why she would object now based on old allegations. Jackson board members get no salary for their service.

County bylaws allow the unions to name one person to Jackson’s board. Last week, Andy Madtes, president of the South Florida AFL-CIO, announced Hawkins’ selection, which was scheduled to go to the County Commission Wednesday for approval.

On Monday, union leaders issued a statement accepting Hawkins’ decision to withdraw.

In a statement, Martha Baker, president of SEIU Local 1991, said: “Providing our patients and community with cutting edge, fully accessible patient care is our primary goal. We will be putting forward a new appointee as soon as possible...” She said a new nominee will be selected before the next commission meeting on March 5.

The SEIU local represents nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals at Jackson.

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Spartacus War of the Damned Exclusive clip

It's hard not to look at every episode of Spartacus: War of the Damned as one step closer to the series finale, but when every installment leaves you breathless, it's hard to think about anything other than the insanity that just unfolded in front of your eyes.

RELATED - TV's Saddest Deaths

That will inevitably be the case this Friday as the fourth episode, titled Decimation, is unleashed upon the world -- and you can get an early sneak peek, only with ETonline!

RELATED - Manu Bennett: From Spartacus to Arrow

In this exclusive clip, Crassus tries to school his son in the art of war but quickly gleams that he's taught Tiberius well ... perhaps too well.

Spartacus: War of the Damned airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on Starz.

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Channel 2 anchor arrested for allegedly choking wife

Channel 2 news anchor Rob Morrison allegedly choked his co-worker wife and yelled threats at her even as cops were arresting him, according to published reports today.

Darien cops were called by the mom of Ashley Morrison at 1:30 a.m. Sunday reporting a fight at her daughter’s home, according to the Darien Times newspaper.

When officers arrived they saw red marks on Ashley’s neck and she told police what happened.

Even as Morrison was being processed, cops said they heard the “increasingly belligerent” Morrison shouting threats to harm his wife, according to the paper.

Rob Morrison's mugshot taken by Darien Police

Ashley Morrison also works for CBS news, on the network’s “MoneyWatch” program, which regularly runs on Channel 2.

Rob Morrison posted $100,000 bond and faces felony strangulation and misdemeanor threatening and disorderly conduct charges.

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Florida reports record visitor numbers for 2012

A record 89.3 million people visited Florida in 2012, according to an estimate released Monday by Visit Florida.

The state’s official tourism marketing corporation said the total was a 2.3 percent increase over 2011, the last record-breaking year.

Overseas visitors, while not the majority of tourists, showed the greatest growth, increasing by 9 percent to 10.2 million people. The number of Canadian tourists increased by 7.3 percent to 3.6 million. Domestic tourism increased by 1.2 percent.

The number of direct travel-related jobs increased to 1.03 million in 2012, according to Visit Florida.

In the fourth quarter of the year, about 21.4 million people visited the state, a 1.8 percent increase over the last three months of 2011.

Hannah Sampson

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Obama, Tiger Woods play golf in Florida

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — That was a big-time ringer in President Barack Obama's golfing group Sunday in Florida.

Famous pro golfer Tiger Woods joined the president at the Floridian, a secluded yacht and golf club on the state's Treasure Coast.

The White House says the group also included Jim Crane, the Houston businessman who owns the resort and baseball's Houston Astros and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk.

Obama is spending the long President's Day weekend at the Floridian and is expected to return to Washington on Monday.

First lady Michelle Obama and daughters, Malia and Sasha, are on an annual ski vacation out West.

On Saturday, Obama received some instruction and played a few holes with Butch Harmon, Woods' former swing coach.

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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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White House calls draft immigration plan a backup; it would let undocumented become citizens in 8 years

WASHINGTON — Republicans and Democrats alike on Sunday predicted President Barack Obama would fail if he pushed forward with his own effort to overhaul the nation's immigration system and urged the administration to hold off while lawmakers work on a bipartisan measure.

Republican Sen. John McCain predicted the administration's efforts would come up short if the White House went forward with a proposal to put the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. on a long pathway to citizenship. Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, who met with Obama on Wednesday at the White House to discuss progress, urged his allies in the administration to give a bipartisan group of eight lawmakers the time to hammer out a deal on their own.

Obama's newly appointed top aide, chief of staff Denis McDonough, said the White House would only send its plan to Congress if the lawmakers stumble in their efforts and cast its efforts as a backup plan.

"Well, let's make sure that it doesn't have to be proposed," McDonough said of the president's pitch, first reported on USA Today's website late Saturday.

"We will be prepared with our own plan if these ongoing talks between Republicans and Democrats up on Capitol Hill break down," McDonough said in a second interview, adding he's optimistic they would not crumble.

The administration's proposal would create a visa for those in the country illegally and allow them to become legal permanent residents within eight years. The proposal also requires businesses to know the immigration status of their workers and adds more funding for border security.

It drew immediate criticism from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

"If actually proposed, the president's bill would be dead on arrival in Congress, leaving us with unsecured borders and a broken legal immigration system for years to come," said Rubio, who is among the eight lawmakers searching for a comprehensive plan.

Many of the details in the administration's draft proposal follow the broad principles that Obama previously outlined. But the fact the administration is writing its own alternative signaled Obama wants to address immigration sooner rather than later and perhaps was looking to nudge lawmakers to move more quickly.

The tactic potentially complicates the administration's work with Congress.

Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin lawmaker who was his party's vice presidential nominee last year, said the timing of the leak suggested the White House was looking for "a partisan advantage and not a bipartisan solution."

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NBA’s best player (LeBron James) isn’t best-paid

HOUSTON --
When LeBron James walks onto the court for Houston’s NBA All-Star Game Sunday, he’ll do so as the undisputed king of his sport.

Named the league’s most valuable player three times in the past four years, James is once again dominating the NBA and most likely headed for his fourth MVP award — two fewer than Michael Jordan — with presumably a long career still ahead.

But while James is the most valuable player in the NBA, he’s nowhere close to being the league’s highest paid. Of the 10 players voted into the starting lineup of Sunday’s All-Star Game, five earn more than James, whose salary for this season ranks 13th in the NBA.

James’ decision a while back to “take my talents to South Beach” was a case of trading dollars for victories. The league caps what teams can spend on salaries.

The bimonthly checks cut by team owner Micky Arison this year will equal a bargain come season’s end: $17,545,000.

Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, the league’s highest-paid player, will earn about $10 million more than that this season.

James understands he’s underpaid in the purest sense, but he also understands reality: He makes obscene amounts of money playing a game. Super-rich athletes who gripe about money seldom get much sympathy — witness the outpouring of scorn when golfer Phil Mickelson recently complained that increased taxes on high earners, coupled with California’s high tax rates, might force him to make “drastic changes” in his playing schedule.

James also makes a fortune in endorsements, from companies ranging from Nike to Sprite to Samsung to Dunkin’ Donuts.

Still, the obvious question remains: Considering not only James’ impact on the Heat, but also his overall contribution to the entire NBA, how much money could James command on the open market if there were no league-imposed economic constraints?

“Per year, if there were no salary-cap restrictions, I think he’s worth well over $100 million, easy,” said Shane Battier, the Heat’s heady forward and former Duke University schoolmate of Heat CEO Nick Arison.

That’s $100 million per year.

It’s an audacious and historic number, but considering James’ recent run of play, it’s not complete fantasy. James is performing at a historic level of excellence. After thoroughly wiping the court in Oklahoma City on Thursday, scoring 39 points, pulling down 12 rebounds and dishing out seven assists, James has scored at least 30 points in seven straight games.

The last player to accomplish that feat going into the All-Star break was Wilt Chamberlain back in 1963.

“This guy, LeBron James, he’s doing stuff that I’ve never seen,” said Hall of Famer Charles Barkley on Thursday night during TNT’s Inside the NBA. “He’s on another planet.”

Considering Barkley’s sharp criticism of James in the past, not to mention his history of going head-to-head with Michael Jordan during both men’s prime, that’s high praise.

But a market value of $100 million?

“Really, it boils down to the ego of an owner,” Battier said. “A lot of owners would pay just to have LeBron James on their team. I can think of a couple that would pay him, easily, nine figures per year.”

According to one numbers cruncher — John Vrooman, an economics professor at Vanderbilt University — Battier’s figure is an overestimation of James’ worth by about $60 million. Here is how his math works: Vrooman used an advanced metric known in the sports world as “win-share,” which assigns a number to each player on a team based on his contributions, both offensively and defensively, for a season. Last season, when James led the Heat to the championship, he had a win-share value of 14.5, which translates to 31.5 percent of the 2011-12 Heat’s 46 regular-season wins.

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