Tranny model faces off against firefighter ex-boyfriend in sex-assault trial








In this corner: a gorgeous blonde pre-op transexual hooker -- best known for getting kicked off America's Top Model in 2006.

In the other corner: hunky FDNY calendar boy Taylor Murphy, best known as Mr. March, 2011 and now the accused biter, puncher and strangler - to the point of near unconsciousness-- of his ex-girlfriend, the above tranny model.

The first-round bell was rung this morning on the sex-charged assault trial, with testimony in Manhattan Supreme Court by curvaceous alleged victim Claudia Charriez expected to stretch into the afternoon.





Stephen Yang



Claudia Charriez




Steven Hirsch



Taylor Murphy





"It's a textbook dysfunctional relationship," defense lawyer Jason Berland told jurors in opening statements this morning -- an understatement both sides agree with. Although in this case, the hypothetical textbook would best be consigned to the curtained back rooms of even the more disreputable book dealers.

"He grabbed her again with his massive hands," assistant district attorney Kevin Rooney told jurors in his own opening statements, describing how the two grappled in their room at the Metronome Hotel in August 2011.

"He punched her in the back on the right side, by the shoulder blade," the prosecutor said. "Enough to make her fear what was coming as he slammed the door shut…the two struggled. He bit her on the forearm. Ultimately he pinned her down on the bed…all 240 pounds of her on top of her, into her, until she felt like she was literally engulfed by the bed.

"He spit at her," the prosecutor continued, his voice rising. "Covering her mouth so she couldn't scream."

It hadn't started out that way.

The relationship had actually started as a love match made in heaven, both sides agree.

She started life as a troubled Spanish Catholic boy in Queens, the prosecutor told jurors, leaving home to start turning tricks on the street at age 14. Murphy was the son of a retired FDNY deputy chief, the defense lawyer told jurors -- abandoned by mom, never close to dad, often "taking solace in alcohol," and harboring a staggering secret.

"The secret is that Taylor is bisexual who is specifically attracted to and dates people who are transsexual," the lawyer told jurors. The secret, in other words, is "being a gay man in the very heterosexual, very macho world of the FDNY."

Murphy, who is now retired from stints with Engine 59 and the elite Ladder Co. 1, considered Miss Charriez "his soul mate," and "the love of his life," the lawyer told jurors.

"He told her he had seen her on TV, and had already dated transgender girls before," the prosecutor told jurors of the fateful Summer 2008 chance meeting between the tranny-loving, smoke-eater and the heavily-breast-implanted blonde.

What, nearly two years later, went wrong? On this, the combatants disagree.

"The relationship unfortunately went south when Taylor discovered she was sick with a venereal disease" the defense lawyer explained to jurors, "and was working as a prostitute. Because he loved her he begged her to stop working as an escort. But his pleas fell on deaf ears." He started seeing other trannies. Charriez then embarked on a campaign of threats and allegations, months prior to the ones at hand, the defense lawyer said.

But the prosecution counters that the breakup -- and the final blow-out at the West 56th Street hotel -- was spurred by the firefighter's drunken jealousy. On the night of their violent clashing, the pair had wandered into Flashdancers in Times Square, where indiscretion piled on indiscretion.

Somehow, Murphy wound up with a dancer on his lap. Somehow, his surgically-enhanced date wound up chatting up sundry patrons, who mistook her, understandably enough, for an employee.

They stormed outside. "She called him a f----t --" fighting words given his firehouse insecurities, the prosecutor told jurors. "She started screaming "Rape! Rape!" the defense lawyer told jurors.

They would angrily dash back to their room -- in separate cabs -- but not before Murphy allegedly slammed his date into a phone booth and dragged her down the sidewalk by the hair, either briefly or the length of four full city blocks, depending on which of the tranny's accounts is relied on.

Then, eventually, they would kiss, and cry, and make up, right there on the bed, right after their violent fight, prosecutors concede.

"She realized she could not stop him," the prosecutor said. "She began to cry and she pulled him closer to her, then he started crying and they sat up in the room for several minutes," he said. But the two made immediate plans to see each other the very next afternoon, the defense lawyer says. They saw each other again, a few days after that, prosecutors concede.

Murphy is charged with felony strangulation and felony violation of an order of protection barring him from contacting his alleged victim -- which prosecutors say Murphy in fact did 1,400 times, in the form of texts and phone calls, between Dec. 2011 and February 2012.

The trial is before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice A Kirke Bartley.










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Macy’s to open round the clock for last minute shopper




















Last minute shoppers will have a marathon opportunity to finish their holiday purchases at Macy’s during any hour of the day or night.

The department store chain announced Thursday that the majority of its stores across the country -- including South Florida -- will be open round the clock for 65 hours straight starting at 7 a.m. Friday, Dec. 21 through midnight, Sunday, Dec. 23. Macy’s will be offering a special holiday One Day Sale for 48 hours running from 7 a.m. Friday until 7 a.m. Sunday.

Macy’s began the tradition of keeping stores open 24 hours in 2006 in New York. Over the years it was offered in a couple dozen locations, but never at any stores in South Florida.





“Our customers love it,” said Melissa Goff, Macy’s southeast spokeswoman. “It’s a planned customer centric opportunity that we’re rolling out nationwide.”





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HOLIDAY LIGHTS




















It’s that time of year to decorate your home and tell us how wonderful it looks!

We’re seeking all entries for our annual Holiday Lights showcase. Tell us about your home, your decorations and where you live. Send this information to Lidia at ltzdinkova@gmail.com. by Monday, Dec. 10 or to Joan Chrissos, Holiday Lights, Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, Fl., 33132. Please include a daytime phone number.

We will feature the homes in Neigbors on Sunday, Dec. 16.








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PlayStation 3 was the world’s No.1 Netflix streaming device this year












There are dozens of devices that can stream Netflix (NFLX), but only one can machine be crowned the king of the living room. According to Netflix, that device is Sony’s (SNE) PlayStation 3 console. Without revealing any specific figures, Netflix announced on its blog “in the U.S. and globally, PS3 is the largest TV-connected platform in terms of Netflix viewing” and that “at times, PS3 even surpassed the PC in hours of Netflix enjoyment to become our No. 1 platform overall.” 


Netflix’s blog is quick to mention why the PS3 is the most popular streaming device this year, applauding it for being the first console to have 1080p HD video and 5.1-channel Dolby Digital Plus surround sound, post-play, second screen controls, subtitles and easy app updates.












While the Xbox 360 is gaining ground in terms of how many hours users spend watching videos on it, streaming video services such as Netflix requires an Xbox LIVE Gold subscription. One reason why the PlayStation 3 might be leading Netflix streaming is because it doesn’t require a subscription fee to have access to the Netflix app, or any other streaming video app such as Amazon (AMZN) Instant Video.


“The PlayStation and Netflix communities both share a strong passion for high quality entertainment,” Sony Computer Entertainment of America CEO and president Jack Tretton said. “Netflix provides a fantastic experience for watching TV shows and movies on PS3, and our joint development will continue to produce innovations for our customers that further demonstrate PS3 as the true home for entertainment in the living room.”


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Brandi Glanville Says Her Son Got Sick Eating LeAnn Rimes' Laxatives

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville is claiming her oldest son with Eddie Cibrian, Mason, 9, got "extremely ill" from eating his stepmother LeAnn Rimes' laxatives.

"Mason, my eldest, ate some of Le's candies and got extremely ill. And Le's candies are laxatives. It was a big f--king deal for me, and I lost my mind," Brandi, 40, tells Us Weekly in a new interview. "She has one in every purse. Mason found [it] on the floor and thought it was a Skittle! They don't keep sugar in the house. He thought he finally found candy."

Pics: LeAnn Defends Herself with Teeny Weeny Bikini Photos

Brandi adds, "I, unfortunately, don't find her to be stable and I don't want her around my kids when Eddie's not there -- or at least the nanny, his parents, someone."

However, LeAnn's rep denies the incident. "Just more inaccuracies and half-truths," he tells the magazine.

Related: LeAnn Rimes Enters Treatment Facility

In addition, Cibrian himself has released a statement calling LeAnn "a loving and positive influence" on his two sons with Brandi, Mason and Jake, 5.

"They are without a doubt lucky to have her. The love they have for their 'bonus mom' continues to grow each day as we navigate the changes to our family; a fact that Brandi cannot argue as she herself has stated as much," Cibrian says. "It is absolutely ridiculous that my ex-wife continues to put the personal lives of myself, LeAnn, our sons and my family on public display for the sake of her notoriety. She is fully capable and has the means of contacting myself and LeAnn privately to discuss any matter concerning the children. The fact she chooses not to, should be pretty transparent. And while I do not wish to fuel her ever-igniting fire, there is a breaking point where enough is enough."

LeAnn, 30, whose weight has been the subject of constant scrutiny, underwent a 30-day treatment program for stress and anxiety in late August. She has repeatedly denied having an eating disorder.

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39 people arrested in NY cocaine-trafficking operation








SYRACUSE — Authorities say they've arrested more than three dozen people in breaking up a drug trafficking operation that sent millions of dollars of cocaine from the New York City metro area north to upstate communities.

State Attorney General Eric Scheiderman says 39 people have been charged in connection with Wednesday's early morning raids in Cortland, Syracuse and New York City.

Authorities say police seized cocaine worth more than $1 million. Scheiderman says the drug network moved cocaine from downstate to be sold in Cortland, Syracuse and Watertown. Officials say some of the drugs also came from Buffalo.



Of the 39 arrests, 34 were made in Cortland, Syracuse and five other central New York locations.

Officials say the arrests are the result of a nine-month, multi-agency investigation called "Operation Southbound."










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Innovate MIA puts spotlight on startup community




















If you think the next week is all about art, you may be surprised to learn there are also six entrepreneurship events vying for your time.

And that is all by design.

In much the way that Art Basel helped put Miami’s arts community on the international map, organizers of the first Innovate MIA hope their weeklong grouping of events will shine a light on the city’s growing tech startup community and its position as the gateway to Latin America.





Many of the events — ending with Florida International University’s Americas Venture Capital Conference — are after Art Basel. That’s also why the third annual AVCC was moved to Dec. 13-14 from its previous mid-November dates.

“Our message is come for Art Basel, and stay for AVCC,” said Juan Pablo Cappello, a lawyer, entrepreneur and investor who is on the steering committee of the venture capital conference and several other Innovate MIA events. And all week, there will be plenty of opportunities for Miami’s entrepreneurs, creatives and investors to mingle with their counterparts from all over the Americas and beyond.

In addition to the AVCC, there’s Incubate Miami’s DemoDay, where its class of startups present their companies, the martial arts-inspired TekFight and HackDay, which dangles a $50,000 cash prize. Endeavor, the global nonprofit that promotes high-impact entrepreneurship in emerging economies, is bringing its two-day International Selection Panel to Miami, and Wayra, an international accelerator, is holding a one-day event to showcase its promising startups from Latin America and Spain. It’s all part of Innovate MIA week: “I don’t think anything like it has ever been organized here in South Florida,” Cappello said.

The AVCC will be the big draw, with about 300 people expected to attend the two-day event at the JW Marriott Brickell. The conference, themed “Data, Design & Dollars,” will feature thought leaders from all over the world, particularly Latin America, and presentations by 29 selected companies. This year, the format has been overhauled and energized, with lots of short talks and more time for question-and-answer sessions and networking, said Jerry Haar, associate dean of FIU’s College of Business, director of the Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center and AVCC co-chair.

The AVCC’s 36 speakers include Martin Varsavsky, Argentine tech entrepreneur, investor and founder of Viatel, Ya.com, Jazztel and FON; Hernan J. Kazah, co-founder and managing partner at Kaszek Ventures and co-founder of Mercadolibre; and Jason L. Baptiste, CEO and co-founder of Onswipe. There’s also Michael Jackson, former COO of Skype and now a venture capitalist; Albert Santalo, founder and CEO of Miami-based CareCloud; and Bedy Yang of 500 Startups.

Chosen from more than 100 applicants, the 29 presenting companies hailing from all over the Americas will be giving either two-minute or five-minute pitches, fielding questions from a panel of judges and competing for prize packages valued at about $50,000. Eight of the startups are from South Florida: itMD, Kairos, Trapezoid Digital Security, Esenem, LiveNinja, OnTrade, Rokk3r Labs and Zavee.

The presenting companies have “proven innovation, proven management teams and the ability to scale well and be a pan-regional player,” said Faquiry Diaz Cala, president of Tres Mares Group and co-chair of AVCC. “The word is out this is a great place to come and pitch to great investors in addition to potentially being one of the prize winners.”





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State elections officials to investigate voting problems in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties




















Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner told a Senate committee Tuesday morning that he plans to dispatch a team of experts to Miami-Dade next week to investigate more fully the “problems” with the recent election, including long lines at the polls and an overwhelming surge of last-minute absentee ballots.

Detzner, who is Gov. Rick Scott’s chief elections officer, said Miami-Dade is one of five Florida counties his staff will make fact-finding visits to, beginning in Tampa next week.

Referring to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Detzner said: “The mayor gets it. He knows what the problem is in Dade County and how to solve the problem.”





Testifying before the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee, Detzner said the “problem” could be anything from a lack of early voting sites to a lack of money for office operations. He said his office will spend a week in Broward, Palm Beach, Lee and St. Lucie counties, and that his office will first visit a sixth county, Hillsborough, where Supervisor of Elections Earl Lennard is retiring and where “a couple of issues” need attention.

“He had some lines,” Detzner said. “I want to use him as a benchmark in our first interview process as a good performer, to benchmark some of the other counties.”

The 13-member elections panel is chaired by Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, who began the two-hour session by emphasizing the need to reform not only the voting process but the ethics laws, which Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, has said are too lax in Florida.

“There’s always a few that would bring disgrace to all of us,” Latvala said. “Our job is to make that a little harder to happen in the future.”





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Scandal Who Shot Fitz Exclusive Video

The already-electrifying second season of ABC's Scandal ramped up the drama up one-million notches when President Fitzgerald was shot in the closing moment of last week's episode, causing #WhoShotFitz to trend for hours.


RELATED - TV's 10 Best Dressed Stars

How will Olivia react? Was Mellie involved in her husband's attempted assassination? What does this mean for James' vote-rigging expose? Two of those questions are (seemingly) answered in ETonline's exclusive clip from Thursday's Scandal, which -- much like this sensational sophomore year -- is heartbreaking and heart-pounding in equal measure!


VIDEO - Kerry Washington Hits The Big Screen

Titled Happy Birthday, Mr. President, the episode not only forces Olivia to return to work at the White House, but gifts the audience with another string of fascinating flashbacks, revealing the inaugural days of Fitz's presidency. 

Watch ETonline's exclusive sneak peek of the most important Scandal to date, airing Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.

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Worker crushed by falling refrigerator








A construction worker was crushed when a giant refrigeration unit fell from a crane at Bronx-Lebanon Medical Center this morning, authorities said.

The industrial-size refrigerator came loose from the crane as it was being hoisted off a delivery truck at about 10:50 a.m., said sources.

The worker became pinned under the refrigerator when it fell, said sources.

The man was brought for treatment to the emergency room of the hospital at 1650 Grand Concourse, said the Fire Department. He was reported in critical condition.











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