Oil change

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the rise of China and the Arab Spring, American energy independence looks likely to trigger the next great geopolitical shift in the modern world.US reliance on the Persian Gulf for its oil — and its consequent need to maintain a dominant presence in the Middle East to keep the oil flowing — has been one of the constants...

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Panama Canal’s $5 billion makeover could be boon for South Florida

PANAMA CITY, Panama -- Huge yellow dump trucks resemble Tonka toys in a sand pile as they haul tons of rust-colored dirt and basalt rock from a 56-foot gash in the earth that will become a new access channel in the $5.25 billion expansion of the Panama Canal.The trucks keep rumbling up muddy terraced slopes as a quick-moving storm blurs the horizon. The rain chases away workers...

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Miami’s book fair ‘Evening With…’ series ends on easy note

A bit of fiction and a bit of philosophy, both seasoned with a touch of the historical, rounded out the final night of Miami Book Fair International’s “Evenings With…” programs Friday.Emma Donoghue read from her Astray, new book of short stories inspired by old newspaper accounts, and historian Alan Ryan talked about his weighty new two-volume work On Politics: A History...

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BoNY wants out of Elliott’s battle with Argentina

Leave us out of it! Caught in a legal crossfire, Bank of New York Mellon is arguing that it should not be forced to help Paul Singer’s Elliott Management collect as much as $1.3 billion from Argentina.An appeals court recently upheld a ruling requiring Argentina to pay the New York hedge fund each time it pays other bondholders, which, unlike Elliott, agreed...

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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...

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Former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz pens book about reinventing the city

Former Miami mayors don’t usually write books anyone would want to publish, much less read.Then there’s Manny Diaz. Whether you admire him like many in Miami and across the country do, or excoriate him as some at home did, Diaz was hardly shy about embracing big plans and notions. And few would disagree that the city was a far different place when he exited City Hall in 2009...

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Lily Collins Battles Creatures of the Underworld in 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones'

Mirror Mirror star Lily Collins faces a variety of decidedly nasty demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures in the upcoming thriller The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, and we have a look at the action-packed trailer!Pics: More 'Twilight' Photos! Based on Cassandra Clare's best-selling book series, City of Bones casts Collins as Clary Fray, a seemingly ordinary teenager...

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Pure self-defense

Benny Avni After launching Israel’s first major military campaign of the Arab Spring era, Jerusalem is watching closely for reactions around the region — and in Washington.President Obama, who has so far admirably backed Israel’s right to defend its citizens, will play a major role in this unfolding drama. How long will his support last?To...

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Watchdog groups question tourism agency’s CEO pick

TALLAHASSEE -- The day after the CEO of the state’s top tourism agency announced he was stepping down, board members quickly handpicked his replacement. There was only one problem. Picking Visit Florida’s chief marketing officer Will Seccombe to head the agency without doing a national search could upset the agency’s main funders — state legislators and Gov. Rick Scott.Visit...

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More I-595 ramp changes coming to Hiatus, Flamingo exits

A major ramp change beginning Friday morning will affect how drivers get off westbound Interstate 595 at Hiatus and Flamingo roads. At 5 a.m. Friday, the combined off-ramp will open, and the current ramps will permanently close.Drivers trying to enter westbound I-595 from Nob Hill or Hiatus roads will find those on-ramps closed. Instead, they’ll travel west on State Road...

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