Internet News RecordLibertyNewsprint.com U.S. Edition07/10/09 - 08/10/09
Fla. hotel heir slaying sparks bitter estate feud (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 10/8/2009 11:19:27 AM
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. –The mysterious death of aFontainebleau Hotel heir hastriggered a family feud over hismultimillion-dollar estate, withrelatives accusing his wife of murder even though no one hasbeen charged.Ben Novack Jr., whose fatherfounded the lavish Miami Beachlandmark frequented by PresidentJohn F. Kennedy and Frank Sinatra, was found beaten to deathin a suburban New York hotel inJuly. His wife Narcy Novack is aperson of interest in the killing,and relatives claim she deservesnothing from the estate, whichincludes a vast collection of Batman memorabilia.Novack Jr., 53, was found in aRye Brook, N.Y., hotel roomcovered in blood. His face, handsand legs were bound with ducttape.Novack's daughter, 33-year-oldMay Abad, claims in courtdocuments in the estate case thatNarcy Novack "unlawfully andintentionally killed or participatedin the procuring of the death."Abad wants a judge to invokeFlorida's "killer" statute, whichcan bar someone responsible for aperson's death from collecting aninheritance. She's joined in asimilar motion by Novack'selderly aunt.Neither Narcy Novack nor herattorney returned repeated callsand e-mails seeking comment.Police documents said NarcyNovack was "deceptive"regarding her knowledge of thekilling during a polygraph test, aninvestigative tool not usuallyadmissible in court.Other court documents showeda tempestuous relationshipbetween the couple that includedbondage sex games and bouts of violence. In 2002, Novack claimed his wife orchestrated ahome invasion robbery that lefthim tied to a chair for 24 hours,then decided not to prosecutewhen she told police it was anepisode in their unusual sex life.Narcy Novack also claimed herhusband once broke her nose.Then there's Novack's Batmancollection, which lawyers in thecase said was among the world'slargest and includes a replica of the Batmobile featured in the1960s TV show. Some of theitems — figurines, comic books,costumes and the like — mayhave been removed from the fourwarehouses where the collectionis housed. Estate attorney DouglasHoffman said the collection wasbeing inventoried by experts.Rye Brooke Police Chief Gregory Austin said NarcyNovack and everyone at the hotelthe day of the killing wasconsidered a "person of interest."Austin said detectives werereviewing hotel surveillancevideo, and police collected fiverolls of duct tape, computers,videotapes and paperwork fromthe Novacks' $3 millionwaterfront Florida home."The case is active and continuesto move forward," Austin said inan e-mail.Novack Jr. grew up in theswanky confines of theFontainebleau, whose frequentvisitors in its 1950s heydayincluded the famous — JerryLewis, Harry Truman, IrvingBerlin— and the infamous, suchas mobsters Meyer Lansky andSam Giancana. The massive hotel,with its signature curved exterior,was the setting for the JamesBond movie " Goldfinger."The founder, Ben Novack Sr.,was often photographed withcelebrities along with his wifeBernice, a striking redheaded ex-model. Although Novack lost thehotel after a 1977 bankruptcy, heleft a sizable estate to his son andwidow.Bernice Novack, 86, died inApril from what was classified bythe medical examiner as an"unwitnessed fall" at her FortLauderdale home. She suffered abroken jaw and police foundblood smeared on her car and onwalls in the house, but theyconcluded no crime wascommitted.Ben Novack Jr. eventually builthis own multimillion-dollarconvention planning business,which brought the Novacks andAbad to the Hilton Rye Town inNew York for an Amwayconvention July 12.Narcy Novack told investigatorsthat her husband had stayed up allnight working, finally going tobed about 6:30 a.m. She said shewent downstairs for breakfast andreturned about 7:40 a.m. to findher husband beaten.She later told police herhusband had a "tendency to makepeople angry" and that he had"been hanging out and doingbusiness with weird people."For example, she said he hadrecently gotten into a dispute attheir home with another collectorover a Batman comic book he hadagreed to buy for $43,000.Eventually, the collector left witha paper bag containing the cash.Police said expensive jewelry,like a Rolex watch, was leftundisturbed in the room. Noelectronic card keys were usedduring the 70 minutes his wifewas gone.Under her husband's will, NarcyNovack stands to inherit his entirefortune, which is at least $6million. That figure is expectedincreased after all assets areinventoried.But if she were to lose theestate, most of it would go insteadto Abad and trusts for her twoteenage sons.Abad and Maxine Fiel — sisterof Ben Novack's Jr.'s mother —claim in court challenges thatNarcy Novack deserves nothing,even if she is not charged orconvicted in her husband's death.Under state law, even if a personis not convicted of murder, a judge can still prevent them fromgaining an inheritance if there issubstantial proof "of an unlawfuland intentional killing."Narcy Novack has beensummoned to give an Oct. 20deposition in the estate case.Among the questions a subpoenawants her to answer: Whathappened to some of the Batmanmemorabilia and what documentsor items might she have takenfrom her Bernice Novak's safedeposit box after her death.___On the Net:Ben Novack police investigationsite:http://www.bennovackjr.com/
2Internet News Record
Analysis: Allies may decide Berlusconi's fate (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 10/8/2009 11:22:47 AM
ROME – From cruise-shipcrooner to billionaire mediamogul to Italy's dominant politicalfigure, Premier Silvio Berlusconihas achieved an improbable riseto power.Now — dogged by a sexscandal and ordered back to trialthis week to face corruption andfraud charges — he's staring intothe abyss of a spectaculardownfall.But this master of self-transformation has bounced back from scandal countless times inthe past, and the ConstitutionalCourt's decision Wednesday to lifthis political immunity as premiermay be just another chink in theleader's Teflon armor.With the opposition in disarray,the Italian people still behind himand almost inexhaustible avenuesfor appeal, Berlusconi's fateironically rests with his politicalallies. The most dangerous arekey figures of his own coalition:one the boisterous head of axenophobic party, the other a cool-headed former neo-Fascist whoconsiders himself the mediamagnate's successor.Despite setbacks that wouldhave cost other leaders their jobslong ago, the 73-year-old leadersays he has no intention of stepping down and intends toserve the final 3 1/2 years of histerm.He has launched into combatmode, denouncing the high court judges as "leftists" and implyingthat the president — a dignifiedfigure who has sought to be avoice of reason — is a communiststooge.There's little question the highcourt's decision to removeBerlusconi's immunity as premier— clearing the way for hiscorruption trial to resume — is amassive political blow that couldhobble his premiership if he holdsonto power.Preparing for court appearancesand defending himself againstpolitical attacks will prove amajor distraction from suchcritical issues as Italy's economiccrisis and Afghanistan, where sixItalian troops recently were killedin a bombing.Stefano Folli, a commentator forthe business daily newspaper IlSole 24 Ore, calls this the "mostcritical moment of his politicallife."But Berlusconi is never quite soalive as when he's battling hiscritics — and the Italian publicoften appears to applaud thespectacle of the premier sneeringand snarling as he fends off hisaccusers.Berlusconi's enduring popularitymay lie partly in the way he's seenby millions as the livingembodiment of their dreams — aleader who rose from nothing tobecome Italy's richest and mostpowerful man, wielding the reinsof state even as he parties onyachts with starlets.As a businessman, he's shown agenius for tapping into powerfulnational obsessions.In a soccer-crazy nation, heowns AC Milan, one of Italy'smost successful clubs. And hismedia empire has fed Italy anendless stream of glitz that hashelped the masses vicariously live"la dolce vita" — the sweet life.Polls have shown thatBerlusconi, who has ruled forseven of the past eight years,enjoys broad support despiterepeated scandals. His wife hasaccused him of havinginappropriate relationships withfar younger women — one was 18— and a self-described call girlsaid he spent a night with her.Berlusconi says he is "no saint"but has denied ever payinganyone for sex or having anyimproper relationships.The premier said Thursday hewill go on TV and appear incourtrooms to prove thatcorruption and tax fraud chargesin two trials against him are false."These two trials are laughable,they are a farce which I willillustrate to Italians also by goingon TV," Berlusconi said. "I willdefend myself in the courtroomsand ridicule my accusers, showingall Italians ... the stuff I am madeof."If anyone proves to beBerlusconi's downfall it couldvery well be his coalition partners.One key ally, Umberto Bossi,head of the anti-immigrantNorthern League, said he needsthe government to carry out itspromised federalist reforms,shifting some tax and otherpowers away from Rome to theregions.Berlusconi is generallylukewarm to federalism — butwould cross the unpredictableBossi at his peril: he broughtdown Berlusconi's firstgovernment after only a fewmonths in 1994. The premier'slegal woes could turn him into ahostage to Bossi's whims, andmake him lose credibility with thepublic.Gianfranco Fini, the speaker of the lower house, is sounding ever-more statesmanlike as he movesfrom the far-right to mainlineEuropean conservatism. Italiannewspapers said he was irritatedby Berlusconi's attacks on thepresident, and he has increasinglyappeared to distance himself fromhis partner in power.If Berlusconi is dragged into alegal quagmire, Fini may find itever harder to resist a grab forpower. And in stark contrast toBerlusconi's sleazy image, Finicomes across to the public assqueaky clean.The corruption trial isparticularly threatening forBerlusconi, because the premier'sco-defendant already has beenconvicted of accepting a bribe tolie in court to protect Berlusconi.Even if convicted, Berlusconicould still stay in power —sentences in Italy are usually notserved until all avenues of appealare exhausted.His lawyers said the trial wouldhave to start anew, making itpossible that the statute of limitations will kick in before it iscompleted.In the Milan corruption trial,Berlusconi was accused of ordering the 1997 payment of atleast $600,000 to British lawyerDavid Mills in exchange for thelawyer's false testimony at twohearings in other corruption casesin the 1990s.Berlusconi faces the tax fraudcharge in a trial over Mediaset'spurchase of TV rights.In a separate ruling just a fewdays ago, Fininvest was orderedto pay euro750 million ($1billion) to a rival for its 1990stakeover of the Mondadoripublishing house. Fininvest saidthe ruling is unjust and it will seek to suspend the "absurd" judgmentpending an appeal.The civil damage award stemsfrom a case in which threeBerlusconi associates wereconvicted of corrupting a judge sohe would overturn a ruling thathad gone in favor of industrialistCarlo De Benedetti and againstBerlusconi for control of Mondadori.It is De Benedetti's media groupthat has been spearheading thecoverage of the sex scandal,including putting a tape on itsWeb site of spicy conversations inbed between a call girl and a manit identified as Berlusconi.___Rome Bureau Chief Victor L.Simpson has covered SilvioBerlusconi since the mediamagnate entered politics.
Silvio Berlusconi vows to stay in power
(World news and comment from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk)
Combative Italian prime ministerinsists he will carry on andaccuses Italy's highest court of bias
BMW Brings Back the C1, and It's Electric
By Keith Barry (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 10/7/2009 2:50:00 AM
BMW gives its funky scooter abattery pack and a motor, butkeeps the weird roll cage.
Top News/ World/ Tech News/
3Internet News Record
Family wants answers after Ohio soldier's suicide (AP)
(Yahoo! News: U.S. News)
Submitted at 10/8/2009 11:36:34 AM
WILLARD, Ohio – Just abouteveryone in Keiffer Wilhelm's life— his father, his brother, his bestfriends — had worn a militaryuniform or grew up aroundsomeone who did.So when he decided that was hisbest option too, he heard plenty of advice about surviving boot campand beyond. He ended up likingthe Army so much, he wanted tomake it a career. He evenvolunteered to join another unit sohe could speed up his departure toIraq.Just days after arriving,everything changed.Now his family and his friendswant to know what happened inIraq that pushed the gentle,playful 19-year-old to kill himself two months ago. His finaldesperate act, they say, doesn't fitwith the young man who grew upin a proud military family andalways wanted to pleaseeveryone.They hope to get some answerson Friday when two soldiers whoserved with Wilhelm in Iraq areexpected to appear at a militaryhearing similar to a civilian grand jury. They have been chargedwith cruelty and maltreatmentrelated to Wilhelm and at leasttwo others. Two more soldiersalso have been charged and arescheduled to appear at hearingsnext week.Military investigators sayWilhelm had been a target of thefour soldiers, who weremistreating some of the men intheir platoon. But they alsoconcluded the alleged misconductdidn't cause Wilhelm's death.Little information has beenreleased about his death, whichhappened 10 days after he met upwith his new unit. His mother saidhe called her twice, telling her hewas being forced to run for mileswith rocks in his pockets thatsmashed against his knees.Those who knew him bestwonder why Wilhelm thoughtsuicide was his only option,searching for clues they mighthave missed. His mother thinks hedid it to save others in his platoonfrom enduring further abuse.Others believe he was pusheduntil he broke.The allegations of abuse byfellow soldiers only add to themystery surrounding a young manwho finally was finding directionin his life."That's the tragedy in it all," saidBob Armstrong, whose son wasone of Wilhelm's closest friends."You'd think there'd be somesigns. This kid was full of life."Armstrong said he saw Wilhelmafter boot camp and thought,"He's on his way."His family says there was nohistory of depression or angryoutbursts."He would bend anywaypossible to avoid a confrontation,"said Wilhelm's father, Shane."And he wasn't the type to quit."Shane Wilhelm said he's learnedin recent weeks that the menfacing charges also are accused of mistreating two other soldiers andthat investigators think it had beengoing on since June — nearly twomonths before his son joined theplatoon.His family and friends, though,say that still doesn't explain whyWilhelm didn't seek help or theunconfirmed reports that he'dbeen teased about his weight.Wilhelm had struggled to keephis weight down in high schooland had to lose about 20 poundsbefore he could join the Army.But he came out of boot camp inthe best shape of his life."He looked good," saidArmstrong, who said Wilhelmwas like another son to him. "Iwas amazed at all the weight helost."Armstrong, a former soldierhimself, was just one of manypeople who had a lot of long talkswith Wilhelm about what toexpect once he enlisted.Wilhelm's grandfather retiredfrom the U.S. Coast Guard, hisfather served in Iraq during theGulf War in the early 1990s andhis brother, Shannon, is a militarypolice officer in the Air Force.One of his best friends joinedthe Army a few months before hedid.All of them helped Wilhelm getready for boot camp, which wassupposed to be the toughest part.By the time he left, he knew allabout the running, the mindgames and the loneliness hewould face."He could've made a very goodsoldier," said Linda Walker,whose son was another one of hisbest friends. "He was smart. Hewould give it his all and ... dowhat was needed. He nevercomplained about anything."She now wonders if that's whyhe never told others in his unitabout the alleged abuse."I think he was fearful of beingkicked out," said Walker, whowas in the Army nine years.Wilhelm wasn't sold on themilitary right away.He applied for a couple of factory jobs after graduating fromhigh school in the spring of 2008and worked for a few months inthe shipping department at aPepperidge Farm factory thatmakes Goldfish crackers.There aren't many opportunitiesfor young, high school graduatesin his rural northern Ohiohometown where the countyunemployment rate is among thehighest in the state and reached 18percent in January.Working in a factory didn't holdmuch appeal anyway, so hestarted thinking more aboutenlisting when his brother andothers encouraged him to take alook at the armed forces.He idolized his brother, whowas two years older. The boyslived with their mother after theirparents divorced when Wilhelmwas 4. Shannon Wilhelm wasoutgoing. Keiffer Wilhelm wasquiet."Everything Shannon did wasthe coolest thing in the world,"said their father. "Shannon had anice car, Keiffer wanted one too.Shannon had a motorcycle.Keiffer wanted a motorcycle."Their mother, Kathe, saidWilhelm had a new attitudecoming out of boot camp that shecould see in the way he walkedand in his smirking, confidentsmile."He felt good about who hewas," she said. "He was excitedabout going to places he'd neverdreamed about."Wilhelm didn't tell his motherthat he had volunteered to go toIraq. Instead, he said his name hadbeen picked randomly. "It wasn't,'Mom I don't want to go,' " shesaid.He arrived in Iraq on July 25,and five days later called home.He told her he was being forced toexercise for hours and that her hispersonal items were disappearing.Another call two days laterrevealed that he was being forcedto go on long runs that left hisknees bloody, and that he spenthours doing push-ups and sit-upsin a dirt pile, she said."He sounded bad," she said. "Hewas in trouble for everything."That was the last time theyspoke.The next day, he was dead.
Inside the Nobel Prize: How a CCD Works
By Charlie Sorrel (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 10/7/2009 7:57:00 AM
This year’s Nobel Prize forPhysics has been awarded, withthe inventors of the CCD gettingrecognition for the inventionwhich enabled modern digitalphotography. It has taken a while:Whilst the invention took just onehour, the prize took 40 years toarrive.
Airbags Help Airlines Meet New Safety Regs
By Jason Paur (Wired Top Stories)
Submitted at 10/7/2009 4:00:00 AM
Airlines lift an idea from theauto industry to minimize"unfriendly head-strike surfaces."
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