In humbler times for state House Republicans, Will Weatherford sets a more moderate tone

TALLAHASSEE --
Few state institutions bear a more distinct imprint of recent Republican hegemony than the Florida House of Representatives.

It launched the political career of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who served as its speaker four years ago. Its members have passed some of the most conservative bills in the nation. And since 2006, it has nurtured the career of Will Weatherford of Wesley Chapel.

On Tuesday, Weatherford will be sworn in as, at 33, the youngest speaker of the House in recent Florida history and the first speaker from the Tampa Bay area since 2004. He’ll preside over a chamber where Republicans have an overwhelming 76-44 majority. The son-in-law of former House Speaker Allan Bense, Weatherford looks like the latest model in a long, unbroken line of GOP speakers.

But these are also somewhat humbling times for House Republicans. On Nov. 6, they lost five seats and their veto-proof majority, punctuated by the shocking defeat of the person who had been picked to succeed Weatherford as speaker in 2014, Chris Dorworth.

"There’s no question that the state moved more toward the center," said incoming Minority Leader Perry Thurston, D-Plantation. "This will change things, make it more bipartisan than it has been for quite a while."

The moment may be tailor-made for Weatherford, a block of a man and former defensive end at Jacksonville University who has developed a reputation for playing nice with both parties.

"If there’s one thing I’d like to achieve it is to be an inclusive reformer for the Florida House," Weatherford told reporters last week. "To make sure we’re working with our friends across the aisle, that we’re allowing for everyone’s voice to be heard and to participate, but at the same time, don’t let that stifle us from moving forward with real reforms and dealing with the challenges that Florida has before us."

Make no mistake: Weatherford, a businessman himself, will continue to push a conservative, pro-business agenda that could have been written by the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

He wants new state employees to enroll in 401(k)-style retirement plans rather than the current pension system, which provides guaranteed payments from the state. While it’s sure to alienate unions and spark a legal battle, Weatherford can’t say how much it would save the state. He says pensions are a "ticking time bomb" in state finances — despite no evidence of the sort.

He’ll push hard for a bigger commitment to online education and easing corporate taxes on small businesses. He toes the Republican Party line on the Affordable Care Act, is closely aligned with incoming Senate President Don Gaetz and publicly supports Gov. Rick Scott, albeit with measured language.

"His focus is on the right thing, which is getting unemployment down, making sure we have a fully funded education system," Weatherford said. "He’s talking about the right things."

But he disagrees with Scott on tuition. While Scott opposes tuition increases, Weatherford sides with universities, saying they are necessary to cover costs. "We have universities that if given more flexibility with tuition, they can go to great heights," he said.

His biggest break is one of style. His predecessor, Dean Cannon, ran the House with strict efficiency that bruised the feelings of marginalized Democrats while allowing Republicans to run roughshod with legislation that, during the tea party ascendency, opposed the Affordable Care Act, the federal economic stimulus and early voting. Since the spring, Weatherford has signaled he will run the House differently.

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The Situation Sues Vodka Company for Millions

Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino is suing Devotion Spirits for millions of dollars for what he claims to be a breach of contract in court filings obtained by ET.

In the documents, The Situation claims that his endorsement deal with the company called for an increase of ownership stake from 8 percent to 10 percent after one year. The papers claim that Devotion failed to pay him the 2 percent increase, which the papers estimate could be worth as much as $5 million.

RELATED: Stars Unite to Restore the Shore

The filings go on to claim that The Situation also missed out on a $400,000 "buy back option" after two years, as per their agreement, according to the papers.

Devotion Spirits makes a protein-infused vodka that can support lean body mass. The Situation reportedly signed a deal with the company in 2010.

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And then there were four

The candidate field for next year’s mayoral election just got a little smaller.

What’s that?

You didn’t know there was a candidate field for next year’s mayoral election — or, for that matter, that Mayor Bloomberg’s 12-year City Hall tenure expires at the end of 2013?

Well, that’s understandable.

You probably have a life.

So you probably also didn’t notice that Scott Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, abandoned his formally unannounced candidacy for mayor — by all accounts to run for city comptroller, but only if the incumbent, John Liu, attaches his wagon-full of legal woes to a mayoral candidacy of his own.

AP

Christine Quinn

Zany stuff, New York politics — one year out, nobody seems to care but the commentariat, which is obsessed. (What does that make us, huh?)

Stringer’s putative mayoral run had barely registered on anyone — which is pretty much why he decided to hitch his star to Liu’s future (which is really bizarre).

So suddenly there were four: Liu, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and ex-Comptroller Bill Thompson.

These folks are no doubt very nice to children and small animals — but none has a résumé that suggests qualification for an office higher than the one already held (and in Liu’s case, he’s pretty much demonstrated that he’s not remotely up to the demands of the one he’s got). Which is why New Yorkers should be looking at this race with more than a little apprehension.

Now, we’ve generally been supportive — despite some differences over the years — of Bloomberg as well as his predecessor, Rudy Giuliani. But there’s no denying that the pair, in their collective two decades at the City Hall helm, have shown leadership that’s been dynamic, often visionary and clearly up to the demands of a complex and — in many ways — very troubled city.

No reasonable person would deny that New York is a far better place to live and work — on just about every level — than it was at the close of the David Dinkins era, 20 years ago.

Both men, in their respective ways and at a comparable point in the campaign, articulated compelling arguments in their own behalf.

The best that can be said of the Gang of Four, up to this point, is that it seems to have a pulse, and that it’s hard at work writing chits — if not yet checks — to the various special interests that have pretty much been in the wilderness for 20 years. (Right, Mike Mulgrew: We’re looking straight at you.)

Next year’s contest is shaping up to be a crossroads election — one that could decide New York’s course for a generation.

Is the field up to the challenge?

Sure doesn’t seem so.

Have an opinion on this Post editorial? Send it in to LETTERS@NYPOST.COM!

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Growing middle class feeds spirits business in Latin America

Diageo executive Randy Millian is proud of the fact that eight out of every 12 times someone pours a standard or premium whiskey in the Latin American and Caribbean region, they’re drinking one of his company’s brands.

That kind of dominance is why the spirits giant is bullish on its future in Latin America, which recently has been the fastest growing region for Diageo worldwide. In 2012, the Latin America and Caribbean region represented 12 percent of Diageo’s net worldwide sales and 11 percent of the company’s operating profit. Diageo hopes Brazil will become one of its top three markets by 2017, behind the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

But getting there hasn’t been easy. During periods of economic and political unrest in the region over the last decade, there were times when it would have been more profitable for Diageo to pull back, said Millian, president of Diageo Latin America and the Caribbean. Yet, the company focused on growing its scotch business across the region and it paid off. Over the last eight years, Diageo has increased sales more than two and a half times and almost tripled its operating profit.

“I believed it would get good,” said Millian, who supervises more than 3,000 employees across the region and 119 in Miami. “But I’m not sure I realized it would get this good.”

Millian has been running the region out of Diageo’s Miami office for more than a decade. But he’s also no stranger to this part of the world. He first lived in Argentina as a child and during his career has done stints in Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico and Costa Rica.

The Miami Herald sat down with Millian during a media day, which was part of a Diageo investor conference in Miami spotlighting the success in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Here is some of what Millian had to say:

Q. Has your growth over the last decade been comparable to Diageo’s growth around the world?

We would definitely be in the top positions in the league within Diageo. That’s one of the reasons they’re focusing on us. Like many corporations, the emerging markets have a huge potential for growth. I’m including Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America. We are seeing higher growth rates than we are seeing in the developed world, especially Europe. Although the U.S. is starting to come back, the growth rates in the emerging markets are significantly higher.

Q. What is driving the growth Diageo is experiencing in Latin America?

The improved demographics. You now have over 50 percent of the population who is middle class. You have had an increase in spending. Not only are there more people in the middle class, but you have more people in the (upper) class. We expect over the next year to have 60 million more people in the (upper) class. They’re also learning to spend money in different ways.

Q. In what countries do you see the most growth or most opportunities for future growth? Is Brazil the main focus?

There has been broad growth in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Chile and Peru. We have seen it all over, but those would be the ones we’re focusing on. It’s not just Brazil, it’s throughout the region.

Q. Why did you remain committed to this region over years when there was not a lot of growth and there was a lot of political and economic unrest in some countries?

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Miami-Dade man faces felony charges in death of puppy he had just one day

When Mathew Milewski’s new puppy, Molly, arrived by plane from Arkansas on Nov. 11, 2011, her paperwork included a note from the folks at Outback Beagles.

“I hope that she brings as much joy to you and your family as our dogs have brought us,’’ wrote breeder Sheila Rodgers “I wish her a long life of happiness and contentment.’’

The 4-month-old puppy got neither.

Police say Milewski, 25, a Sunny Isles Beach “high-frequency’’ trader, intentionally killed the 7-pound dog 24 hours after picking her up at Miami International Airport by dragging her across a parking lot until she bled, beating her with her leash, and slamming her into a hard surface.

One year later, witnesses say they’re still heartsick about what they saw and heard.

“Every day, I think about it,’’ said Paola Charry, 41, a nodding acquaintance of Milewski’s at The Crown, 4041 Collins Ave., where both lived at the time. “This for me was a nightmare. For everybody in the building it was a nightmare.’’

Charry told police that from her seventh-floor apartment, she heard Molly screaming, and from her balcony saw the 6-foot-1 Milewski hauling the spread-eagled pup across pavement.

Milewski, who has no criminal record, is facing third-degree felony animal cruelty charges in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, and if convicted, up to five years in prison and/or up to a $10,000 fine. Trial is set for Jan. 28 before Judge Yvonne Colodny.

In Milewski’s corner is David Macey, the attorney who represented another young man in a sensational animal abuse case: Tyler Hayes Weinman, 19 when he was accused of slaughtering 19 cats in South Miami-Dade in 2009.

Despite widely publicized, apparently damning circumstantial evidence, including necropsies by veterinarians from Miami-Dade Animal Services and the ASPCA, prosecutors dropped the charges after a defense expert concluded that a large animal killed some of the cats.

Weinman is suing several parties to the case.

Macey declined to say whether the same expert, Dr. Richard Stroud, is or will be involved in Milewski’s case.

Macey acknowledged that with Molly, “you can’t dispute there are injuries. How they occurred, whether or not it was a criminal act, is the question.’’

He added: “There are some things that have not come to light yet’’ in his client’s favor.

Milewski, arrested on Nov. 18, 2011, told Miami Beach police that he dropped the puppy in the shower.

“I don’t think I did anything wrong, other than the outcome was very poor because of the way the dog landed,’’ he said. “This was 100 percent an accident.’’

Molly arrived in Miami at 2:35 p.m. Nov. 11, 2011. American Airlines records show that Milewski picked her up at 3:14 p.m.

During a 20-minute taped interview with investigators, during which Milewski called Molly “it,’’ he said he found her on the Internet, but didn’t like her coat and considered returning her.

He took her to the apartment he shared with his then-boyfriend and another beagle named Macy. The next day, he said, he put an electric-shock collar and leash on Molly and walked her in the building’s parking lot.

Valet parker Carlos Gregorio told police he was bringing a car from the garage when he “heard a loud scream from a dog.’’ Thinking he’d hit an animal, Gregorio got out of the car. That’s when he saw Milewski “striking his dog with the leash,’’ he told police.

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Morgan Freeman Through The Wormhole Season 4 Promo

The Science channel's provocative series Through the Wormhole is on its way back for season four and, to mark the occasion, host Morgan Freeman has assembled some tough questions of his own for the scientific experts behind the show. 

Related: Morgan Freeman Receives AFI Lifetime achievement Award

Throwing his hat into the ring, the Academy Award-nominated actor ponders, "Why am I so sexy?".

Click the video above to see the hilarious season four promo!

Through the Wormhole brings together the best minds from all avenues of science Astrophysics, Astrobiology, Quantum Mechanics, String Theory, and more to reveal the extraordinary truth of our Universe.

The new season begins in 2013 on Science. Check your local listings.

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So the voters think this is paradise

Frank J. Fleming

Our country has faced many problems and gone through many changes, but finally Americans have come together and said, Yes! Right here — this is exactly where we want America.

At least, that’s what the recent election tells us — the American people resoundingly said, “Don’t change a thing.”

They chose Barack Obama as president to propose bold, new ideas to control the economy, a Republican House to stop most of that, and a Democratic Senate to refrain from passing one of those pesky, restrictive budgets.

Yes, it’s a surprise that this is precisely what we want as a nation. You’d think the ideal America would be a bit different from what we see now. One with lower unemployment, for example.

AP

Boehner: Back to battle with re-elected Obama.

It turns out, though, that a lot of people don’t even like having jobs. Really, if jobs are as great as everybody claims, then why do they have to pay us to do them? So around 8 percent unemployment is exactly perfect for us. Any more employment, and we’d be constantly inundated with obnoxious help-wanted ads urging us to work, when for a lot of us, that’s just not our thing.

And you might assume we’d want our economy to grow at a faster rate than it is now, but apparently between 1 percent and 2 percent is absolutely perfect. Why is everyone in a huge rush to grow the economy anyway? It will get there when it gets there.

And thanks to compounding interest, as long as we keep this rate of growth (which is a really low bar to aim for), the economy is going to be huge years down the road. Like a thousand years from now, wow, what a giant economy we’ll have.

Yes, the debt will be the second largest object in the solar system by then, but we’ll also have much more practice ignoring it.

High gas prices? Well, they sure make us more, well, contemplative about and appreciative of gas. We used to just drive whenever and wherever we wanted without much thought, but now we know a tank of gas is a precious thing that must be used sparingly. And, anyway, that’s mainly an issue only for people who have jobs to go to, so not that many.

And aren’t things in the Middle East great right now? Osama bin Laden is dead, and nothing happens there, besides an occasional consulate getting overrun. But I hear that’s because of YouTube videos, so it’s really more Google’s problem.

So everything is perfect right now. Yes, we face a few problems down the road, like that “fiscal cliff,” but if we all work together, we can give that can a nice, big kick and send it sailing into the future to be someone else’s problem.

Anyway, we shouldn’t worry about it, because in this perfect America, we’re not really into problem solving right now. We’re in more of our “backpacking through Europe after college” phase. We just won’t worry about the big things and will instead take some time off to find ourselves. We can start tackling those problems . . . later. Whenever the can-kicking thing stops working.

So let’s all just enjoy this utopian America we’ve found, for as long as it lasts. It’s the new Camelot, and we’ll one day tell our kids about it . . . and they’ll be pretty curious, since they’ll get the bill and wonder where that all came from.

Political satirist Frank J. Fleming’s new e-book is “How To Fix Everything in America Forever.”

Have a comment on this PostOpinion column? Send it in to LETTERS@NYPOST.COM!

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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 pouring concrete for a mammoth set of locks that will lift super-size ships for their transit across the narrow Isthmus of Panama, but the crews are back in the pit as soon as the sun returns.

By April 2015, it will all be under water — ready for the ever-bigger vessels revolutionizing international trade. The expansion is expected to double the canal’s capacity.

The 2015 target is about six months behind schedule, but U.S. ports are still scrambling to ready their channels for so-called post-Panamax ships and some say they welcome the reprieve. At this point, Baltimore and Norfolk, Va. are the only ports along the Eastern Seaboard with channels deep enough to handle the vessels when they’re fully loaded.

Call it the race for deep water as ports up and down the East Coast, including PortMiami and Port Everglades, and along the Gulf of Mexico make plans to dredge their channels, shore up their docks or rustle up funding for renovations to receive the big ships. Many won’t be ready by the time water floods the new locks.

PortMiami in position to cash in

PortMiami is further along than most and is hoping that early advantage and its position as the first major U.S. port north of Panama will make it a preferred port of call for post-Panamax ships.

Latin American and Caribbean ports also are trying to figure out how to capitalize on the expansion.

As this new phase of canal construction nears completion with 13,000 people working around the clock, there is renewed interest in preserving the history of the old Panama Canal Zone as well as the legacy of those who worked and died building the canal.

While the 50-mile-long Panama Canal has provided a maritime shortcut between the Atlantic and Pacific for the past 98 years, it’s just about maxed out.

This year vessels from the four corners of the globe — car carriers from Japan, bulk carriers loaded with soybeans and wheat from the U.S. heartland, oil tankers, towering container ships carrying the output of Chinese factories to U.S. retailers — are expected to move a record 332 million tons of cargo through the waterway, said Jorge L. Quijano, chief executive of the Panama Canal Authority.

That’s only about 20 million tons short of the canal’s capacity, he said. The canal is also popular with cruise lines and dozens of cruise ships are being built that exceed the size limits of the current canal.

But the more immediate problem is that the huge cargo ships increasingly favored for trade with Asia are too wide, too long and too heavy for the current canal.

With a growing number of ships in the post-Panamax category — exceeding the specifications for the largest ship that can fit through the existing locks — the Panama Canal must expand or risk losing market share.

And post-Panamax vessels aren’t even the biggest on the high seas. Post-Panamax Plus ships, such as most U.S. tankers that carry liquefied natural gas bound for Asia, are five times too big for the Panama Canal.

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Miami’s oldest bar with a gloriously checkered past celebrates its 100th birthday

The oldest bar in the city, a two-story dive, is still standing, surviving 10 decades of change, rambunctious turns as a prohibition speakeasy, a gambling hall, jazz club and a burlesque.

But in its most enduring chapter, Tobacco Road is a remarkably ordinary, beloved neighborhood spot good for a drink, a meal, conversation and live music, blues and other stuff too.

A century’s worth of history calls for an outsized 100th birthday celebration — a two-day fete this weekend that was scheduled to end before sunrise Sunday morning. The bar hosted a string of Tobacco Road disciples, old bartenders and cooks, music lovers, neighbors, and the people who kept the seats warm over the ages. The birthday bash included drinks, food trucks and, of course, live music from Heavy Pets, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Iko-Iko, Spam Allstars, DJ LA Spam, Locos Por Juana, Artofficial and DJ Smooth, among others.

So what is this dear centenarian’s secret to longevity, health and a steady stream of customers?

A formula that works: “Over the years, I think people have loved Tobacco Road because it crosses over, it appeals to young people, old people, lawyers and construction workers, good guys, bad guys,’’ says owner Patrick Gleber, who purchased the place in three decades ago. “It’s not meant for one group. It’s for everybody.’’

A little bit of luck: “I was managing a wine bar in The Falls. It was St. Patrick’s Day, 1982. When I went to look at the bar, I was outside and looked down and saw the name Dee in the concrete. That was my mother’s name,’’ Gleber recalls. “When I went back with a friend, I found a rabbit’s foot in the gutter and when I was in my car leaving, Johnny Winter’s Tobacco Road was playing on the radio. I got hit in the head with all the signs.’’

A great back story: “It’s historic nature attracts a lot of interest. People want to know more about this place with this incredible history,’’ says Rich Ulloa, owner of Y&T Music, who has booked acts at the bar since the early 1990s. “The place is iconic, a great gathering place for music and socializing.’’

Music, music, music: “There would be no live music scene without Tobacco Road,’’ says Woody Graber, a publicist who specializes in live music and concerts. “They brought in great blues music and provided a quality atmosphere for performances and, without them, a lot of other clubs simply would not exist.’’

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Wii U Will Launch With 24 Games This Sunday

Assassin’s Creed III

A version of the latest chapter in the Assassin’s Creed saga, a week after it was released on other console.

Click here to view this gallery.

[More from Mashable: Xbox Live Celebrates 10 Years of Connecting Gamers]

Nintendo’s newest console is out this Sunday, and there are already people lining up outside retailers to get one.

There are 24 games available for the Wii U at launch. Some are highly anticipated Nintendo staples, like New Super Mario Brothers U, and some are interesting and creative titles from third-party developers, like Scribblenauts Unlimited and ZombiU. Many games already out on other systems are being released for the Wii U as well, including Assassin’s Creed III and NBA 2K13; some of these games even have extra functionality that’s been added to take advantage of the Wii U GamePad.

[More from Mashable: Competitive Gaming Seeing TV-Levels of Viewership in 2012]

If you don’t see a game in the gallery above that you thought was coming to the Wii U, it’s because many announced games will be available in the “launch window”, a broad period from now until March. That’s when games like Pikmin 3 and LEGO City Undercover will come out.

If you haven’t preordered a Wii U from a large retailer, many places will still have them available at launch day. Expect long lines at larger retailers though.

Are you planning on purchasing a Wii U this weekend, and what games do you most want to buy? Let us know in the comments.

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Gaming News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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