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Investments and Fair Value Measurements (Details) - USD ($)	6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Nov. 04, 2011
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	$ 342,577,000		$ 346,043,000
Liabilities:
Nonrecurring nonfinancial assets subject to fair value measurements	$ 0		0
5.5% Variable Interest Senior Convertible Notes due 2020 \| Convertible Debt [Member]
Liabilities:
Interest rate	5.50%
Equity securities
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	$ 158,274,000		154,192,000
Mutual funds invested in fixed income securities
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	60,441,000		59,826,000
U.S. Government securities
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	33,886,000
Corporate securities
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	51,937,000
U.S. mortgage-backed securities
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	6,757,000
Commercial mortgage-backed securities
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	15,758,000
U.S. asset backed securities
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	13,393,000
Fixed income securities
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	123,862,000
Warrants (1) \| Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services [Member] \| New Valley LLC [Member]
Liabilities:
Investment (in shares)				1,000,000
Investment	1,859,000		2,342,000
Change in fair value gain (loss)	(483,000)	$ (111,000)	584,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Total
Assets:
Money market funds	109,209,000		205,180,000
Certificates of deposit	4,790,000		3,462,000
Bonds	12,368,000		4,868,000
Warrants	1,859,000		2,342,000
Total	470,803,000		561,895,000
Liabilities:
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	156,783,000		169,386,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Assets:
Money market funds	109,209,000		205,180,000
Certificates of deposit	0		0
Bonds	12,368,000		4,868,000
Warrants	0		0
Total	339,976,000		430,937,000
Liabilities:
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Money market funds	0		0
Certificates of deposit	4,790,000		3,462,000
Bonds	0		0
Warrants	0		0
Total	128,968,000		128,616,000
Liabilities:
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Money market funds	0		0
Certificates of deposit	0		0
Bonds	0		0
Warrants	1,859,000		2,342,000
Total	1,859,000		2,342,000
Liabilities:
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	156,783,000		169,386,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Equity securities \| Total
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	158,274,000		154,192,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Equity securities \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	157,958,000		153,666,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Equity securities \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	316,000		526,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Equity securities \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Mutual funds invested in fixed income securities \| Total
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	60,441,000		59,826,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Mutual funds invested in fixed income securities \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	60,441,000		59,826,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Mutual funds invested in fixed income securities \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Mutual funds invested in fixed income securities \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| U.S. Government securities \| Total
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	33,886,000		35,446,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| U.S. Government securities \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| U.S. Government securities \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	33,886,000		35,446,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| U.S. Government securities \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Corporate securities \| Total
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	51,937,000		56,248,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Corporate securities \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		7,397,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Corporate securities \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	51,937,000		48,851,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Corporate securities \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| U.S. mortgage-backed securities \| Total
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	6,757,000		4,770,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| U.S. mortgage-backed securities \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| U.S. mortgage-backed securities \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	6,757,000		4,770,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| U.S. mortgage-backed securities \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Commercial mortgage-backed securities \| Total
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	15,758,000		16,508,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Commercial mortgage-backed securities \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Commercial mortgage-backed securities \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	15,758,000		16,508,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Commercial mortgage-backed securities \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| U.S. asset backed securities \| Total
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	13,393,000		16,955,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| U.S. asset backed securities \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| U.S. asset backed securities \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	13,393,000		16,955,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| U.S. asset backed securities \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Index-linked U.S. bonds \| Total
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	2,131,000		2,098,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Index-linked U.S. bonds \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Index-linked U.S. bonds \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	2,131,000		2,098,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Index-linked U.S. bonds \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Fixed income securities \| Total
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	123,862,000		132,025,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Fixed income securities \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	0		7,397,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Fixed income securities \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	123,862,000		124,628,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Fixed income securities \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Investment securities available for sale	$ 0		$ 0