B'klyn man dies after starting a fire while smoking in bed

A man was killed in a Brooklyn blaze early today, authorities said.

The 39-year-old accidentally started the fire while smoking in bed at a second-floor Midwood residence on Ocean Avenue near Avenue I, police sources said.

Sixty firefighters rushed to the scene, extinguishing the flames shortly before 1:15 a.m., according to an FDNY spokesman.

The man, whose name was not yet released, died at Kings County Hospital, after EMS rushed him there in critical condition.

Fire marshals don’t believe the fire is suspicious after a preliminary investigation, authorities added.

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Jolly holiday shopping season already underway

Lilian Stoppa and Renata Rosa stepped out of Target in Midtown Miami with a cart piled high with holiday gifts.

Landing in Miami on Thursday morning for a five-day shopping spree, they already had spent $800 by mid-afternoon on presents for family members: toys for Rosa’s daughter, beauty items for Stoppa’s mother, plus lots of other stuff.

“This is just the start,” giggled Stoppa, 30, who works with Rosa, also 30, at a Sao Paulo telecom company. Their next stops: Sawgrass Mills, Aventura Mall and Bal Harbour Shops, if their money holds out. “We came to Miami to shop because it’s very much cheaper than in Brazil.”

Tourists like Stoppa and Rosa are exactly the reason retail experts predict Florida’s holiday shopping season will see its highest increase since the recession.

Across South Florida, stores are getting a head start on the holidays in hopes of cashing in. Sales are already underway everywhere from Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, to Macy’s, Toys“R”Us and Anthropologie.

The Florida Retail Federation forecasts that Florida will see a 5.2 percent jump in holiday spending from $55 billion in 2011 to $58 billion this year, marking the highest percentage growth predicted since the economic slump began. Pre-recession, retail sales peaked at $54.3 billion in 2006.

“All of the indicators point to what we believe will be a very robust holiday shopping season,” said Florida Retail Federation President and Chief Executive Rick McAllister.

That also translates into more than 42,000 new retail jobs, he said.

Buoyed in large part by tourists and snowbirds, Florida is expected to outpace the nation in spending for the holiday season, as it did before the recession.

This year, the National Retail Federation is predicting holiday spending nationwide to rise 4.1 percent. On average, consumers are expected to spend about $750 each.

Economists point to strong consumer confidence as a major factor contributing to a stronger shopping season.

“By and large the consumer is very confident right now, and that usually leads to spending,” McAllister said.

Other indicators also point to a healthy season. ICSC, a trade association for the shopping center industry, this week released its ICSC-Goldman Sachs 2012 Holiday Spending Intentions Survey, which found that 19 percent of consumers plan to spend more, and 5 percent substantially more, on holiday gifts this year versus last year. It was the highest percentage of consumers reporting they intend to increase spending over the previous holiday season since ICSC began asking the question in 2004.

Retailers like West Elm are ready, beckoning gift givers. Stores are decked out with sparkly, eye-catching displays of items like candlesticks, ornaments and crystal paperweights.

“We’ve had lots of people shopping early, for several weeks,” said Ana Meza, an assistant manager at West Elm in Midtown Miami.

Without question, the holiday season is critical for retailers, a period when they typically generate 20 percent to 40 percent of the full year’s revenue.

This year brings an added bonus. With Thanksgiving falling early, the shopping season is stretched to 32 days, giving retailers more valuable time to rack up sales.

Shoppers like Jose Hernandez aren’t waiting for the last minute. Hernandez, who works as a civilian supervisor at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport, Miss., and spends every other three months home in Miami, started his holiday shopping this week. He figures he spent $2,000 at Carter’s, GUESS, Marshalls and Target in Midtown, and plans to spend a total of $5,000 — up 40 percent from last year — before Christmas Day.

“The economy is going up,” said Hernandez, 44.

Yet experts say that many holiday revelers will avoid the stores all together, opting instead for online purchases.

Retail experts expect e-commerce to continue to post a dramatic increase this holiday season, up 15 percent. Though it still represents only about 5 percent of all shopping, online buying is the fastest-growing segment of the retail industry, McAllister said.

Many online sites are offering percentage discounts starting this weekend. Disney Store will offer a selection of “Magical Friday” deals on sale beginning Monday, at DisneyStore.com. Kohl’s is letting customers shop more than 500 “Early Bird specials” on Kohls.com starting Wednesday.

While apparel is expected to be the top category for purchases, gift cards are again projected to outsell any single article of merchandise. The National Retail Federation’s 2012 holiday consumer spending survey showed that 81.1 percent of shoppers will purchase at least one gift card, spending an average of $156.86 on them.

“Gift cards are the best invention ever,” said Jennifer Mayer, 44, a drug representative who has three daughters and lives in Miami Beach. “It’s not for everyone, but it’s great for those you don’t intimately know.”

This year, Mayer plans to buy gift cards at places like Starbucks, H&M, Forever 21 and Barnes & Noble.

“They’re great for bosses. They’re great for teenagers,” she said. “They’re a lifesaver.”

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Weather alert: Cool temperatures will stay into the weekend

Mild temperatures will continue into the weekend, with highs in the low-80s and lows in the mid-60s.

The weekend will remain partly cloudy, with a low chance of showers at 20 percent.

No advisories have been announced and wind will be low at 10 to 15 miles per hour each day.

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Sarah Jessica Parker & Gerard Butler to Host Nobel Peace Prize Concert

Sarah Jessica Parker and Gerard Butler have been announced as hosts for this year's Nobel Peace Prize Concert, held December 11 in Oslo, Norway to honor the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, the European Union.

The EU was awarded the prize "for having over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe."

VIDEO: On the Obama Campaign Trail with Sarah Jessica Parker

Among the confirmed performers for the event are Jennifer Hudson and Seal, with more artists to be announced in the coming days.

"It's such a privilege to be part of this year's Nobel Peace Prize Concert," said Parker. "I am honored to be sharing the stage with such amazing performers to promote the power of peace around the world."

RELATED: Gerard Butler Flaunts It For Keeps

Butler said he was "deeply honored" to be named co-host of the concert. "The European Union has shown the world what is possible when forces unite in peace. It's a joy to stand alongside these magnificent artists and celebrate the EU and its contribution to world peace."

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Judge weighs delay in Penn St. whistleblower suit

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A judge plans to rule within two weeks on Penn State's request to delay the whistleblower and defamation case filed by former assistant football coach Mike McQueary.

Judge Thomas Gavin's ruling comes after a hearing Friday at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte.

The university wants the case delayed until after the January criminal trial of two former university officials.

McQueary's lawyer says the case should get started while the charges against ex-athletic director Tim Curley and former vice president Gary Schultz proceed. Former school President Graham Spanier has also been charged.

AP

Joe Paterno, right, and assistant coach Mike McQueary in 2009.

The three are charged over their handling of abuse complaints involving convicted ex-assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky.

Meanwhile, another Centre County judge has delayed post-trial arguments in Sandusky's sex-abuse case until January, after both sides file briefs next month.

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Jolly holiday shopping season already underway

Lilian Stoppa and Renata Rosa stepped out of Target in Midtown Miami with a cart piled high with holiday gifts.

Landing in Miami on Thursday morning for a five-day shopping spree, they already had spent $800 by mid-afternoon on presents for family members: toys for Rosa’s daughter, beauty items for Stoppa’s mother, plus lots of other stuff.

“This is just the start,” giggled Stoppa, 30, who works with Rosa, also 30, at a Sao Paulo telecom company. Their next stops: Sawgrass Mills, Aventura Mall and Bal Harbour Shops, if their money holds out. “We came to Miami to shop because it’s very much cheaper than in Brazil.”

Tourists like Stoppa and Rosa are exactly the reason retail experts predict Florida’s holiday shopping season will be the best since the recession.

The Florida Retail Federation forecasts that Florida will see a 5.2 percent jump in holiday spending from $55 billion in 2011 to $58 billion this year, marking the highest percentage increase predicted since the economic slump began.

“All of the indicators point to what we believe will be a very robust holiday shopping season,” said Florida Retail Federation President and Chief Executive Rick McAllister.

That also translates into more than 42,000 new retail jobs, he said.

Buoyed in large part by tourists and snowbirds, Florida is expected to outpace the nation in spending for the holiday season, as it did before the recession.

This year, the National Retail Federation is predicting holiday spending nationwide to rise 4.1 percent. On average, consumers are expected to spend about $750 each.

Economists point to strong consumer confidence as a major factor contributing to a stronger shopping season.

“By and large the consumer is very confident right now, and that usually leads to spending,” McAllister said.

Other indicators also point to a healthy season. ICSC this week released its ICSC-Goldman Sachs 2012 Holiday Spending Intentions Survey, which found that 19 percent of consumers plan to spend more, and 5 percent substantially more, on holiday gifts this year versus last year. It was the highest percentage of consumers reporting they intend to increase spending over the previous holiday season since ICSC began asking the question in 2004.

Many stores are getting a head start on the holidays. Sales are underway everywhere from Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, to Macy’s, Toys“R”Us and Anthropologie.

Retailers like West Elm are beckoning gift givers. Stores are decked out with sparkly, eye-catching displays of items like candlesticks, ornaments and crystal paperweights.

“We’ve had lots of people shopping early, for several weeks,” said Ana Meza, an assistant manager at West Elm in Midtown Miami.

Without question, the holiday season is critical for retailers, a period when they typically generate 20 percent to 40 percent of the full year’s revenue.

This year brings an added bonus. With Thanksgiving falling early, the shopping season is stretched to 32 days, giving retailers more valuable time to rack up sales.

Shoppers like Jose Hernandez aren’t waiting for the last minute. Hernandez, who works as a supervisor at the Seabee base in Gulfport, Miss., and spends every other three months home in Miami, started his holiday shopping this week. He figures he spent $2,000 at Carter’s, GUESS, Marshalls and Target in Midtown, and plans to spend a total of $5,000 — up 40 percent from last year — before Christmas Day.

“The economy is going up,” said Hernandez, 44.

Yet experts say that many holiday revelers will avoid the stores all together, opting instead for online purchases.

Retail experts expect e-commerce to continue to post a dramatic increase this holiday season, up 15 percent. Though it still represents only about 5 percent of all shopping, online buying is the fastest-growing segment of the retail industry, McAllister said.

Many online-only sites are offering percentage discounts starting this weekend. Disney Store will offer a selection of “Magical Friday” deals on sale beginning Monday, at DisneyStore.com. Kohl’s is letting customers shop more than 500 “Early Bird specials” on Kohls.com starting Wednesday.

While apparel is expected to be the top category for purchases, gift cards are again projected to outsell any single article of merchandise.

“Gift cards are the best invention ever,” said Jennifer Mayer, 44, a drug representative who has three daughters and lives in Miami Beach. “It’s not for everyone, but it’s great for those you don’t intimately know.”

This year, Mayer plans to buy gift cards at places like Starbucks, H&M, Forever 21 and Barnes & Noble.

“They’re great for bosses. They’re great for teenagers,” she said. “They’re a lifesaver.”

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Miami City Commission slams administration over surprise $45 million budget surplus

Union leaders asked the city of Miami to reopen contract negotiations Thursday, one day after the city’s budget team announced it had discovered a surprise $45 million surplus.

“You told us to dig into our pockets and we did — for four consecutive years,” Fraternal Order of Police Vice President Javier Ortiz told the city commission, noting that the unions had agreed to millions in employee concessions because the city was projecting a $40 million budget shortfall.

“Now that apparently times are good and we have $45 million, direct the manager to meet with us and reopen our contracts,” Ortiz said.

Mayor Tomás Regalado said he wants City Manager Johnny Martinez to sit down with the unions after Thanksgiving.

“Maybe we can use a little of the money to buy new uniforms or police cars or fire trucks,” Regalado said. “But to say that we are going to restore every concession, to me, that would be irresponsible.”

City administrators are recommending that the bulk of the surplus be stashed in reserves, which remain below the $93 million balance required by a city ordinance.

“Most of this [surplus] money is not recurring,” Regalado said. “If we were to use that money for raises and benefit, we will fall into the same downward spiral that the city was in many years ago.”

While commissioners said they were pleased to have more money than was projected, they did not give the administration a pass for dramatically underestimating the final balance for the past fiscal year. Budget Director Danny Alfonso had initially forecast a budget surplus of $8.5 million.

“I feel like I’ve been played,” Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones said. “How do you all of a sudden find $45 million?”

Spence-Jones said budget and finance officials should have said something over the summer when city leaders were negotiating employee concessions to balance the budget. She stormed off the dais after making her comments.

Alfonso took responsibility for the change in numbers, saying he had been too conservative with his revenue and expense projections.

“In my heart, there was no attempt to deceive anyone,” he told the commission.

Alfonso said the budget surplus was more likely to be around $37 million after several final transactions posted.

Martinez, the city manager, conceded that the administration “could have managed expectations a little better.”

“There was no plot,” he said. “Maybe we were not at our best with our projections, but there was no attempt to defraud or mislead anybody.”

Regalado said he did not expect anyone to be fired for the mistake.

“I stand 100 percent behind Danny Alfonso and the way that he runs his department,” he said. “I stand behind the manager. He is doing the right thing.”

The surplus will likely come up again later in the meeting, when the commission discusses a proposed $45 million bond issue. The money is needed to pay off a short-term loan that financed Miami’s share of the PortMiami tunnel dig.

Commissioner Frank Carollo said he wants to know how the surplus will affect the bond offering.

In other business, the commission extended the agreement that allows Scotty’s Landing restaurant and Grove Key Marina to operate on city-owned property in Coconut Grove.

The 35-year lease for the eatery and marina expired earlier this year, and the city sought proposals from businesses interested in taking over. But administrators halted the bid process in July, citing procedural irregularities.

“The reason why we’re here is because there was a disastrous process that ensued,” Commission Chairman Francis Suarez said.

Director of Public Facilities Henry Torre said he plans to get started on a new bid process later this month. Because the property sits on the waterfront, any new contract must be approved by public referendum.

Until then, Scotty’s Landing and Grove Key Marina will be able to operate under an agreement that can be revoked for any reason with 30 days notice.

The commission approved the agreement 4-1, with Carollo voting in opposition.

Vice Chairman Marc Sarnoff, whose district includes the Grove, urged city administrators to move forward with the new bid process as quickly as possible.

“I can foresee no set of circumstances, unless it is Hurricane Sandy reemerging, for me to kick this can down the road, and I am going to hold this administration responsible,” Sarnoff said. “Now it’s time to get this done.”

The deal has been particularly controversial because $2.5 million in back property taxes are owed on the site. Both Scotty’s Landing and the city of Miami have refused to pay. The business owner says his lease exempts him from property taxes.

The Miami-Dade tax collector had initially planned to go after the restaurant and marina. But the collector is now asking a judge to decide if the city or the restaurant is responsible.

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Belize prime minister says McAfee “bonkers,” should help in murder case

BELIZE CITY (Reuters) – Belize‘s prime minister on Wednesday urged anti-virus software pioneer John McAfee to help the country’s police with a murder inquiry, calling McAfee “bonkers” for recent media statements.

“I don’t want to be unkind, but he seems to be extremely paranoid – I would go so far as to say bonkers,” Prime Minister Dean Barrow said in Belize City. “He ought to man up and respect our laws and go in and talk to the police.”

Belizean police want to question McAfee, 67, about the murder of his neighbor and fellow U.S. citizen, Gregory Viant Faull, 52, with whom McAfee had quarreled.

Police have been unable to track down McAfee since finding Faull dead on Sunday in his house on Ambergris Caye, an island off the coast. In an interview on Tuesday, McAfee said he had gone into hiding because he believed Belizean authorities were trying to frame him for Faull’s murder.

“You can say I’m paranoid about it, but they will kill me, there is no question. They’ve been trying to get me for months,” Wired magazine’s website quoted McAfee as saying. “I am not well liked by the prime minister.

According to the magazine, which has published details of several interviews with the entrepreneur, McAfee says he has been riding in boats, hunkering down on the floorboards of taxis, and sleeping in a bed that he said was infested with lice.

Since he went into hiding, McAfee has repeatedly told Wired he had nothing to do with Faull’s death. Explaining his actions, McAfee said he does not want to give himself up because he is afraid the authorities will torture or kill him.

But McAfee said they would track him down in the end. On Wednesday, the magazine said that McAfee claimed to have dyed his hair, eyebrows, beard, and mustache jet black.

“I’ll probably look like a murderer, unfortunately,” it quoted him as saying.

PUBLIC SPOTLIGHT

Barrow called McAfee’s statements “nonsense,” noting he had “never met the man” and that the media attention McAfee had attracted was offering him “the best possible safeguard.”

“It’s not as if the police have said he is a suspect and certainly there is no question at this point of charges pending,” Barrow said. “The fact that this is smeared across international headlines means the police would have to act extremely cautiously in the full glare of the public spotlight.”

McAfee, who invented the anti-virus software that bears his name, has homes and businesses in Belize, and is believed to have settled around 2010 in the tiny Central American nation bordered by Mexico and Guatemala.

There is already a case pending in Belize against McAfee for possession of illegal firearms, and police previously suspected him of running a lab to make the synthetic drug crystal meth.

On Wednesday, Belizean police said they had charged McAfee’s British bodyguard William Mulligan, 29, and Mulligan’s wife, Stefanie, 22, for having unlicensed weapons and ammunition.

Barrow rejected statements made by McAfee and an associate that the software pioneer was being targeted for refusing to donate to Belize’s ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) to help fund its successful re-election bid in March.

“I know of no individual in the UDP who has spoken to McAfee about contributions,” Barrow said.

McAfee was one of Silicon Valley’s first entrepreneurs to build an Internet fortune. The ex-Lockheed systems consultant started McAfee Associates in 1989. He now has no relationship with the company, which was sold to Intel Corp.

(Writing by Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Dave Graham and Eric Walsh)

Internet News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Amber Riley Talks The Cotton Club Debut Album

Last night, Amber Riley made her New York City Center debut in their limited run production of Cotton Club Parade, which is returning for seven performances through November 18. In the show, which is a Broadway-style revue that celebrates Duke Ellington's years at the famed Harlem nightclub in the 1920s, Riley gets to showcase the simply sublime skillset she's been honing since birth.

ETonline caught up with Riley this morning to find out how opening night went, what it means to be part of this iconic production and how it will inform the hotly anticipated next phase of her career!

ETonline: How are you feeling after last night's debut?

Amber Riley: Amazing! This has been a life changing experience. I had no idea how much I really loved the stage. I've been bit by the Broadway bug.

ETonline: Why did you want to be a part of this production?

Riley: First, having Wynton Marsalis' [musical director] name attached to it and getting the opportunity to meet him was number one. I am obsessed with The Cotton Club era, Duke Ellington's music and everything that happened there. Dianna [Agron] actually got me a record player for my birthday, and all I listen to it is Duke Ellington, Lena Waters, Lena Horn and Dorothy Dandridge. All those wonderful singers. I'm just obsessed with that era – even the costumes, it was such a glamorous time.

PHOTOS - Celebrities Who Were In Glee Club

ETonline: What's your favorite part of the show?

Riley: I actually get to do Sunny Side of the Street! Ella Fitzgerald did my favorite version of that particular song. But I didn't expect it would be so hard to learn. That style of music isn't exactly my forte, and it's a lot harder because everything is so intentional in the way they wrote this music. The notes, the intervals and the places I would naturally go to are not in there, but it's important to the music to sing those notes. I actually get to dance and I'm just living on that stage when I do that number. During that song, I feel like I am really doing something.

ETonline: How does this compare to the Glee tour?

Riley: It's almost the same thing. Once you're out there, there's no "cut!" The tour was on a larger scale, but I've never danced as hard as I do in this. I break it down a little bit. People are going to be really surprised. I heard people in the audience go, "Oh?!?" It was hilarious.

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ETonline: Is that the goal with this next phase of your career; to show them there's more to you than just Mercedes?

Riley: Yeah. I loved playing Mercedes on Glee; she's a fun character to play and I got to sing the diva songs, but I get to play an adult here. Even though I'm just singing in Cotton Club, I'm also acting in it. There's a story with my character. I feel completely different from Mercedes when I'm doing this. I feel like a woman and it's amazing.

ETonline: You're also working on your debut album, how has that process been?

Riley: It's been really fun. I've been recording since I was 10 years old, so when I started Glee, I think I was the most experienced in the recording world, so to be doing my own album now is like home. I'm working with producers and writers I've admired for such a long time. My dream was to have people see my life point of view through my writing so I'm really excited for everybody to hear what I'm doing.

ETonline: How do you describe the album?

Riley: It's not done yet. I found my sound, but in the middle of doing Glee and everything else, you have to pick up and stop [recording]. It's a classic R&B album. There’s a pop sensibility to it, there are some easy listening songs, but I want to take it back to that old school R&B sound. We've lost that a little bit in music today. Everything has been pop, which is great too -- I love listening to a great pop song I can just snap my fingers and dance to in the club, but R&B is where my heart is.

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ETonline: You have two more episodes of Glee that have yet to air, and whether or not Mercedes continues to pop up, what will it have meant to you to have been a part of this show?

Riley: It sparked my love for music and gave me a thirst to understand different genres of music more. Not just be in a box as to what I can sing, what I can listen to and what I enjoy. Glee gave me such a thirst for music knowledge. It was a catapult for my career and it's shown me in so many different lights, it's given me the avenue to go anywhere I want in my career. Not a lot of people get that opportunity on TV. A lot of people get pigeonholed because they play one particular thing. I think people see me as an actress on the show, they see me as a singer on the show, they see me as a dancer on the show, so they can see me on Broadway and they can see me as a solo artist. Glee gave me the opportunity to show all the different parts of myself.

For more information on Cotton Club Parade, click here!

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Lopez ally pleads guilty to duping feds

A close ally of embattled Assemblyman Vito Lopez pleaded guilty this afternoon to giving the feds falsified documents during a probe of the social-services empire that serves as his power base.

Christiana Fisher faces up to six months in the slammer after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of contempt of court.

"I was aware of forged documents and tax filings that inaccurately stated that the board of directors of the Ridgewood-Bushwick Senior Citizens Council had approved increases to my salary," Fisher said in Manhattan federal court.

"I allowed those documents to be produced to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York."

J.C. Rice

Christiana Fisher,

Fisher also admitted knowing that the papers "misrepresented material facts" to the feds when they were turned over in September 2010.

Fisher was ousted as the longtime executive director of Ridgewood-Bushwick earlier this year after the city Department of Investigation found she had "recreated" missing documents to justify her eye-popping $782,000 compensation package for fiscal 2009, which more than doubled what she pocketed the previous year.

As part of her plea deal, Fisher agreed to forfeit nearly $171,000 that prosecutor Carrie Cohen said represented the amount of money Fisher pocketed as a result of the falsified documents.

Fisher also faces a potential fine of twice that amount.

Fisher was accompanied to court by Lopez' girlfriend, Angela Battaglia, a longtime pal and Ridgewood-Bushwick exec who was paid $343,000 by the publicly funded non-profit in 2009.

Lopez, a Brooklyn Democrat who founded Ridgewood-Bushwick in 1973, is currently enmeshed in a sex-harassment scandal and has said he might not seek re-election, despite winning 90 percent of the vote earlier this month.

Fisher declined comment as she left the courthouse, but defense lawyer Douglas Grover insisted: "This isn't about Vito. It just isn't."

Grover also said Fisher had been "a wonderful administrator who grew a very significant organization which serves tens of thousands of people every day."

"I just think it's a sad circumstance because it's not greed" that prompted Fisher's crime, he said.

Grover declined to elaborate but said details would be provided to the judge ahead of Fisher's scheduled April 17 sentencing.

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