NJ allows menorahs in prisons for Hanukkah

TRENTON — Jewish inmates in New Jersey state prisons will be allowed to use menorahs for Hanukkah this year.

The state Corrections Department unveiled a Hanukkah policy this week. Corrections spokesman Matt Schuman says this is the first time there's a uniform policy.

Previously, most prisons were uncomfortable with allowing real candles. Now, authorized volunteer religious leaders or prison staff will light candles with inmates present.

Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum of the Rabbinical College of America-Lubavitch is praising the new policy, saying it shows the Corrections Department is sensitive to inmates' religious needs.

Hanukkah begins Dec. 8 this year.

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City National Bank of Florida and its Spanish parent have four years to evaluate the Miami bank’s future ownership

City National Bank of Florida, the Miami bank purchased by Bankia (formerly Caja Madrid) of Spain in November 2008, said Wednesday that its parent has a “four-year window to evaluate alternatives” for the bank’s future ownership and will work closely with management in Miami during the process.

The Spanish government has reached and agreement with the European Union related to Spain’s financial system problems, which will result in a recapitalization of Bankia and other institutions, the bank said. The agreement calls for Bankia to sell non-core assets and its holdings outside of Spain so that Bankia will emerge with a solid capital position and be more focused on its core domestic business.

“Because City National Bank is so well capitalized, profitable and well positioned in the marketplace, we are going to take our time to fully evaluate all of our strategic alternatives,” City National Bank President and CEO Jorge Gonzalez said in a statement. “This does not impact our ongoing strategy of profitable growth and diversification or our commitment to the markets we serve. Our focus continues to be taking excellent care of our clients and employees. ”

City National, founded 65 years ago, has $4.32 billion in assets and 26 branches from Miami-Dade County to the greater Orlando area.

INA PAIVA CORDLE

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Sentencing postponed in hit-and-run that killed cyclist on Rickenbacker Causeway

The sentencing for the man who pleaded guilty to hitting two cyclists on the Rickenbacker Causeway and leaving the scene has been rescheduled for Jan. 16. The later date was chosen to accommodate the defendant, the family of the victim and Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge William Thomas.

Judge Thomas was out earlier this month for a family emergency. He has also been nominated to become a federal judge in South Florida and is awaiting his Senate hearing.

In February, Michele Traverso, 26, was traveling north on the William Powell Bridge in his Honda when he hit Aaron Cohen and cycling partner Enda Walsh. Traverso left the scene.

Both cyclists were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Cohen died hours later.

Surveillance video and bar receipts show Traverso, who was on probation for cocaine charges, buying alcohol in Coconut Gove before driving home. He turned himself in to Miami Dade police the following day, but it was too late for a blood test to determine if he’d been drinking.

He pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident involving a death, leaving the scene of an accident with great bodily harm and driving with a suspended license. He faces a minimum 22.8 months, maximum 35 years in prison.

Cohen’s wife Patty, who was in court on Wednesday, said her husband was “a positive, loving person,” especially with their two young children. She said the family is leaving the sentencing decision up to the state prosecutor, but hopes that it will be severe enough to “send a message as a deterrent for similar crimes.”

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German lawmakers condemn Google campaign against copyright law

BERLIN (Reuters) – Senior German politicians have denounced as propaganda a campaign by Google to mobilize public opinion against proposed legislation to let publishers charge search engines for displaying newspaper articles.

Internet lobbyists say they are worried the German law will set a precedent for other countries such as France and Italy that have shown an interest in having Google pay publishers for the right to show their news snippets in its search results.

Lawmakers in Berlin will debate the bill in the Bundestag (lower house) on Thursday. Google says the law would make it harder for users to retrieve information via the Internet.

Google launched its campaign against the bill on Tuesday with advertisements in German newspapers and a web information site called “Defend your web”.

“Such a law would hit every Internet user in Germany,” Stefan Tweraser, country manager for Google Germany, said in a statement. “An ancillary copyright means less information for consumers and higher costs for companies.”

The campaign has caused outrage among some members of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right coalition.

“The campaign initiated by Google is cheap propaganda,” said conservative lawmakers Guenter Krings and Ansgar Heveling.

“Under the guise of a supposed project for the freedom of the Internet, an attempt is being made to coopt its users for its own lobbying,” the two said in a statement.

Supporters of the law argue that newspaper publishers should be able to benefit from advertising revenues earned by search engines using their content.

Under the plans, publishers would get a bigger say over how their articles are used on the Internet and could charge search engines for showing articles or extracts.

German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, a member of the Free Democrats (FDP) who share power in Merkel’s government, said she was astonished that Google was trying to monopolize opinion-making. She is responsible for the law.

“PANIC MONGERING”

Germany’s newspaper industry, suffering from economic slowdown and keen to get its hands on any revenues it can, backs the plans and railed against Google’s campaign.

“The panic mongering from Google has no justification,” Germany’s BDZV newspaper association said in a statement.

“The argument from search engine companies that Internet searching and retrieval will be made more difficult is not serious. Private use, reading, following links and quoting will be possible, just as before.”

Internet lobbyists in Brussels fear the European Commission is sympathetic to publisher demands for a piece of Google’s profits online. Recent statements, they say, are proof.

“Consumers are not the only ones facing difficulties,” Michel Barnier, the EU’s internal market commissioner, said in a speech on November 7. “Think of newspaper publishers who see the content they produce being used by others to attract consumers on the net and generate advertising revenues.”

French newspapers and magazines want Google to pay them for linking to their articles on Google. The French government has named a mediator to negotiate with the press and Google to try to get a deal by the end of the year.

If no deal emerges, President Francois Hollande’s government will ask parliament to draft a law modifying copyright laws to protect the press from appropriation of its content online, according to a letter signed by two ministers on November 28.

(Additional reporting by Harro ten Wolde in Frankfurt, Claire Davenbport in Brussels and Leila Abboud in Paris; Writing by Madeline Chambers, Editing by Gareth Jones and)

Tech News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Syfy

One word, one syllable, one million uses. Yes, I'm talking about "Frak" -- the expletive du jour for the men and women who populated Syfy's Emmy and Peabody Award winning series, Battlestar Galactica.

The word became so popular it not only appeared in a smattering of other TV shows (30 Rock, The Big Bang Theory, Veronica Mars, Castle) but also entered the vernacular of fans and non-fans alike.

RELATED - Katee Sackhoff & Tricia Helfer Bare All For Charity

The importance of "Frak" is a major talking point in the star-studded Syfy 20th Anniversary Special, airing December 10 at 9 p.m, as you can see in ETonline's exclusive clip featuring Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackhoff and Jane Espenson reveling in the iconic term.

PHOTO - In Praise of Fat Lee Adama

"Frak was the best invention, ever," Espenson says in the clip. "The thing I love about it is that you don't have to have fighter pilots going, 'Forget You!' 'Duck You!'" But for Sackhoff, who probably spouted the most "fraks" of all, the word presented a unique problem.

Watch ETonline's exclusive clip from Syfy 20th Anniversary Special above, and tune in on December 10 at 9 p.m. to see the stars of Battlestar Galactica, Farscape, Warehouse 13, Ghost Hunters and more look back at Syfy's launch, evolution and cultural impact!

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Sandy caused $37 billion in damage in NJ: Christie

TRENTON, NJ — Gov. Chris Christie says Superstorm Sandy caused $36.8 billion in damage in New Jersey.

Christie is requesting that amount, which is greater than his state's entire budget, from the federal government.

Christie says more than 30,000 homes or businesses were destroyed or sustained substantial damage from last month's storm.

The governor says the Federal Emergency Management Agency has distributed more than $500 million in aid since the storm and 230,000 New Jerseyans have registered for assistance.

The financial tally is higher than neighboring New York's. Earlier this week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that Superstorm Sandy ran up a bill of $32 billion in his state.

AP

Chris Christie

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Gift ideas for the techie on your list

The holidays are coming fast, and if you’re like me, you’ve probably gotten very little of your gift shopping done.

Here are suggestions for a variety of gifts for the techie and the not-so-techie people on your list.

Some of these items can be found in stores and some are only available online, but you should be able to order them in time for Christmas or Hanukkah.

IOMEGA EZ MEDIA & BACKUP CENTER

What is it? A hard drive that lives on your home network so you can share files, store all your photos and music and back up your home computers. Works on Macintosh, Windows and Linux computers.

The EZ Media & Backup Center is available in 1-, 2- and 3-terabyte capacities. It is simple to set up. It lives next to your home router and plugs into the network via Ethernet.

Major features include a built-in iTunes server so your music is available to all connected computers, Time Machine support for easy Macintosh backups and Iomega’s Personal Cloud to access your data from any Internet connection.

It can also stream your video files to your TV if you’ve got a compatible streaming box or an Internet-connected TV.

Software for backing up Windows PCs is also included.

Who’s it for? Any family that wants central storage for their digital lives. This is a great home for your digital photo, music or video library.

What does it cost? One terabyte for $169.99, two terabytes for $209.99, three terabytes for $279.99.

Where can you get it? Online at www.iomega.com, Amazon, Best Buy, Apple store, Fry’s.

NETATMO URBAN WEATHER STATION

What is it? A wireless indoor/outdoor weather station that displays through an application on your Apple or Android mobile device.

There are two parts, one that lives in your house and one you place outside.

The indoor component plugs into the wall and monitors the temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, carbon dioxide level and even the sound level in decibels.

The outdoor module is battery-powered and measures temperature and humidity.

Once you connect the Netatmo to your home Wi-Fi network, you can download the free app and see your weather stats from anywhere.

Setup was easy enough, and you can set the app to notify you when carbon dioxide rises to levels that you should be warned about — which is great.

Who’s it for? Weather geeks and people who like to know what the temperature is without having to fire up a browser.

What does it cost? $179

Where can you get it? www.netatmo.com

3M LED ADVANCED LIGHT

What is it? 3M’s first foray into the home light bulb market is with the LED Advanced Light, which uses light-emitting diodes (LED) to produce 800 lumens (the light of a 60-watt bulb).

The Advanced Light has a life span of 25 years and costs just $1.63 per year if it’s turned on for three hours per day.

The bulb lights instantly and is dimmable.

It’s a little intimidating to start buying light bulbs that might outlive me, but my wallet approves.

Who’s it for? Anyone who wants to save money or wants a bulb that might not have to be changed until 2035.

What does it cost? $25

Where can you get it? Select Wal-Mart stores. For more information, go to www.3mlighting.com/LED.

STEM IZON 2.0 WI-FI VIDEO MONITOR

What is it? A small, wireless video camera that you can monitor remotely with an iOS device.

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Defense in Rilya Wilson trial asks for mistrial based on prosecutor’s standing with Florida Bar

The defense for Geralyn Graham, the foster mother accused of murdering 4-year-old Rilya Wilson a decade ago, asked for a mistrial Tuesday morning after a Miami Herald reader found that one of the prosecutors was not technically a member of the Florida Bar.

The trial is proceeding as usual, and Judge Marisa Tinkler-Mendez will rule on the mistrial by the end of the day.

Assistant state attorney Joshua Weintraub completed more than the required 30 hours of continuing education in August but failed to enter the correct course number, and the credits were not recognized by the Florida bar. A reader identified as “Bambie” commented on The Miami Herald article about the opening day of the trial, saying that according to the Florida Bar registry, Weintraub was not eligible to practice law. The reader’s concern was that “it would be a travesty for this case to proceed to verdict only to learn that the Assistant State Attorney had no authority to prosecute the case.”

Defense attorney Michael Matters asked for a mistrial based on Weintraub’s “individual participation in depositions of critical witnesses” and his presentation of himself as an assistant to state attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle.

“Whether he’s suspended for small or humongous violation, it’s still a suspension,” Matters said. “It’s absolutely inappropriate, unethical and wrong. There is no justification for someone practicing law without a license.”

Neither Weintraub nor the other two prosecutors on the case — one of whom is his mother — addressed the continuing education oversight. Don Horn, one of the chief assistants to the state attorney, said Weintraub was pulled from the trial Monday afternoon and temporarily suspended until his continuing education course credits could be straightened out. As of Tuesday morning, on the second day of the trial, Weintraub was reinstated and resumed his seat at the prosecutor’s table.

The trial resumed with Willie Harris, supervisor for the Department of Children and Families taking the stand. He was questioned on his decision to remove then 3-year-old Rilya Wilson from the home of her first foster mom, Pamela Kendrick, and place her in the care of Geralyn Graham, who is now standing trial for her murder.

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Freeloaders Trailer Debut

The boys from Super Troopers, Beerfest and Club Dread are back with Freeloaders, and ETonline has the exclusive first look at the trailer!

In addition to Broken Lizard (a comedy troupe comprised of Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Erik Stolhanske and Paul Soter), Freeloaders stars Olivia Munn, Nat Faxon, Jane Seymour, Dave Foley and Natalie Morales!

The hilarious new comedy revolves around a group of slackers who live for free in a rock star's mansion. But when the musician decides to sell his pad, their sweet lives are threatened and they're forced to dissuade every potential buyer through a series of increasingly extreme stunts.

Freeloaders hits VOD on December 11 and opens in theaters, January 2013.

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Record Powerball jackpot boosted to $500M

EPA

DES MOINES, Iowa — Get your ticket!

The record Powerball jackpot is now even bigger.

Powerball officials say they've boosted the jackpot for Wednesday's drawing to $500 million from the previously posted $425 million. Huge ticket sales nationally are pushing the payout higher.

A single winner choosing the cash payout will take home $327 million before taxes.

Record jackpots encourage players who usually sit on the sidelines to play and group purchases from work pools increase.

The jackpot is the largest ever for the Powerball game and the second largest lottery jackpot of all time, eclipsed only by the $656 million Mega Millions record set in March.

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