CORAL GABLES (LALATE) – U.S. Rep. Donald Payne is dead at age 77. Payne’s cause of death was colon cancer, his family tells news in a statement. U.S. Rep. Donald Payne died follow a battle with colon cancer in recent weeks. His health had deteriorated earlier this month, sources told news. Funeral arrangements have not been announced to news. A memorial service is expected.

Days ago, aides to the Democratic New Jersey congressman said that he was in poor health. Family and staff members, however, told news that they were not authorized to officially confirm the same. The aide had said “We hope for a miracle, but we’re preparing for the worst”.

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Harry Thomas Jr., a Washington DC councilman, has been arrested. Harry Thomas Jr. was charged today for allegedly stealing $350,000. Prosecutors also claim he filed a fake tax return. The allegations stem from claims that surfaced last year.,

A month ago, FBI agents raided Harry Thomas Jr. ’s home. They took his Chevy Tahoe SUV, motorcycle, and personal belongings. At the time, Thomas already had an alleged pending settlement agreement with the attorneys general office.

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ST LOUIS (LALATE) – A Chris Christie press conference today will reportedly confirm news that Christie is not running for President. Chris Christie during today’s October 4, 2011 press conference will announce, that despite urging from key GOP donors, he is not running for President.

Leading GOP donors have reportedly been pushing Christie to run after recent troubles in key GOP candidates. For some, however, the news comes as no surprise. Christie told news earlier this year that he didn’t have the “heart to be president”.

While Christie asserted that he does not have the urge to be President, political analysts today believe that his stances on key issues would have caused difficulty for a GOP ticket. And yet, GOP donors have still wanted Christie to run.

Yet, new political polls showed less than forty-five percent of voters are interested in Christie running for President. When asked of the same question about Sarah Palin, roughly sixty-percent were opposed to her running for the Office.

“I hear exactly what you’re saying and I feel the passion with which you say it, and it touches me,” Christie previously told news. “I’m just a kid from Jersey who feels like he’s the luckiest guy in the world to have the opportunity that I have to be the governor of my state.”

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ST LOUIS (LALATE) – Herman Cain has won the Florida GOP straw poll. Republican Presidential candidate Herman Cain delivered a massive win in Saturday’s Florida Straw Poll, official confirm to news moments ago. Cain beat Rick Perry by nearly a two-to-one margin.

Even though Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney didn’t spend a lot of time in Florida, final results of the Florida GOP Straw Poll today put Cain with thirty-seven percent of the votes. Rick Perry earned only fifteen percent and Mitt Romeny with fourteen. Rick Santorum and Ron Paul followed with ten percent respectively.

Cain picked up 996 votes today. “It shows you something,” said Gov. Rick Scott to news. “The road to the White House is right through Florida. It pays to be here.” Michele Bachmann earned less than two percent with only 40 votes. Newt Gingrich earned nine percent and Jon Huntsman with two percent.

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ST LOUIS (LALATE) – John Fleming’s salary and opposition Obama’s tax increase is prompting debate today. How much money does John Fleming make? Not enough, claims the Republican congressman from Louisiana, to be taxed more under the Obama plan (video below). Fleming’s assertion, however, is not evoking a favorable response from liberal and moderate critics.

Fleming’s business endeavors include Subway sandwich shops and UPS store franchises. The Wall Street Journal reports that those businesses made $6.3 million in gross income (not gross sales) just last year alone. A report claimed that Fleming earned $200,000 personally last year. Fleming however is still angry with Obama’s new tax plan.

“The amount that I have to reinvest in my business and feed my family is more like $600,000 of that $6.3 million,” Fleming explained. “So by the time I feed my family I have, maybe, $400,000 left over to invest in new locations, upgrade my locations, and buy more equipment.”

Fleming said he and other people who make “certain” incomes are under “attack”. “This is all about creating jobs, Chris, this is not about attacking people who make certain incomes. You know in this country, most people feel that being successful in their business is a virtue, not a vice, and once we begin to identify it as a vice, this country is going down.”

Fleming did make it clear to news that his complaint was with the tax on business not personal income. He asserts that new taxes on businesses will prevent reinvestment.

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