The Cooler

Lots 'o news, readers. Here's your Cooler.

A- Herald: See ya.

Bal Harbour Police Chief Thomas Hunker has been suspended with pay following the release of a U.S. Justice Department report that slams the small police agency for allegedly misspending millions in drug money seized from criminals. The report also fingers Hunker for professional misconduct.

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According to the report, Bal Harbour police — working in partnership with the Glades County Sheriff’s Office — laundered more than $56 million from 2008 to 2011; they seized approximately $49.7 million during the same period. And while the two agencies claimed 84 arrests, those arrests were actually done by other law enforcement entities, the report states.

Federal agents trying to snare drug dealers typically funnel huge amounts of drug money back to the South American cartels to develop more investigative leads. The problem with Bal Harbour police, according to the Justice Department report, is that the agency does not follow strict federal rules that ensure high-level arrests and cap the amount of undercover money that can be sent back to drug kingpins.

B- Herald: Video, Miami Herald Building denied historic designation.

C- Herald: Jim Morin's latest animation.

D- Herald: They write letters.

Rubio’s No vote on treaty exhibits growing pains

On Dec. 4, 38 Republican senators were able to block ratification of an excellent treaty.

One of those No votes came from our own Marco Rubio.

The United Nations treaty regarding disabled persons was modeled after our own Americans with Disabilities Act.

It will improve the lives of disabled persons all over the world, and all without changing one single law in the United States.

False scare tactics by some ultra-conservatives brought a cowardly reaction from these 38 Republicans.

Even the support of war heroes John McCain, George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole failed to carry the day.

It was a sad day and it showed how much growing up our junior senator needs to do.

Timothy J. Daniels, Cutler Bay

E- South Florida Business Journal: A bit surprising.

Despite great weather for exercising outside, Floridians are relatively unhealthy and many adults are couch potatoes, according to a new study by the United Health Foundation.

Florida ranked No. 34, unchanged from last year, in a state-by-state study of health. Despite the state’s healthy image of being an active place to play, that’s not the case for many residents.

About 4 million Florida adults lead a sedentary lifestyle, rarely getting physical activity outside of work, according to the study. In addition, 4 million Florida adults are obese, or nearly 27 percent.

F- South Florida Business Journals: We import our attitudes.

The nation’s mover rate rose 12 percent this year and more New Yorkers came to Florida than any other interstate migration, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

New York lost 59,228 residents to Florida this year, a strong sign the Sunshine State is beginning to rebound from the effects of the recession, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported.

G- CBS4: Video, taggers invade Wynwood.

H- NBC Miami: Video, people stealing flower pots from a Miami house in broad daylight.

I- WPLG: Sensible legislation.

MIAMI - A Miami-Dade County commissioner wants to stop charging people serving as jurors to park near the courthouse.

"When I saw your story, I reacted immediately and said to my chief of staff, 'Reserve legislation. We have got to fix this,'" District 8 Commissioner Lynda Bell told Local 10's Jeff Weinsier.

A Local 10 investigation recently revealed Miami-Dade is the only county in the State of Florida charging jurors for a spot. Records show the county generated $106,490 by charging jurors to park in the Civic Center Jury lot from October 2011 to September 2012.

J- WSVN: Does anyone connected with this story realize that Miami and Fort Lauderdale are 20 or so miles apart?

FORT LAUDERDALE , Fla. (WSVN) -- A Christian youth group is heading back home after they experienced a tough trip in South Florida.

The church group is heading back home to Oakland, California Monday night after seeing both the good and bad side of Miami.

The van the group rented was broken into while they were eating at Pollo Tropical located at 1805 South Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale Thursday night.

About $12,000 in cash was stolen along with their luggage and ID's.

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Leylane Cruz said no matter what happened they were blessed. "God blessed us through you guys, through the people of Miami," she said. "I know once we got here, we got the bad side of Miami, but in the end we got the good side of Miami, and we knew the people of Miami have a good heart."

K- WPTV: Unhappy endings.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. -- Patrick Henderson, a 29-year-old recently arrested three times in one week for huffing dust cleaner in the parking lot of department stores, has died.

Authorities say his decomposing body was found Saturday, lying face-down in the backseat of a Ford Explorer in the parking lot of a T.J. Maxx in Boynton Beach. Investigators later found several empty aerosol canisters in the Explorer.

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