LI man accused of filling up at gas stations, driving away without paying








Police say a Long Island man is accused of filling up at 16 gas stations, then driving away without paying.

Suffolk County Police say that after four months of the free fill-ups, the SUV was found outside a gym in Bay Shore.

Walter Amerbach of Smithtown was awaiting arraignment Wednesday on petit larceny charges.

Information on his attorney was not immediately available.











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Coral Gables native Martin Zweig, Wall Street wiz, dies in Florida




















A decade before he foresaw the 1987 stock market crash, Coral Gables native Marty Zweig was already considered a Wall Street wizard.

Renown business journalist Dan Dorfman called him “the country’s hottest investment adviser” in 1981, his picture appeared on the cover of Money Magazine in 1982, and he was frequent guest on the PBS financial show Wall Street Week.

He wrote two best-selling books: Winning on Wall Street, in 1986, and Winning with New IRAs, in 1987.





On Oct. 19 that year, just as Zweig had predicted three days earlier on Wall Street Week, the market plummeted 23 percent.

Zweig, whose three-story Pierre Hotel penthouse is one of New York City’s most lavish residences, died Feb. 18 at another of his homes, on South Florida’s Fisher Island. He was 70. Zweig had been treated for cancer, and underwent a liver transplant in 2010 with tissue from his younger son.

Born Martin Edward Zweig on July 2, 1942, in Cleveland, he spent his formative years growing up in Coral Gables where he was known as Marty Gateman after his widowed mother remarried.

He attended Coral Gables Elementary and Ponce de Leon Junior High schools, was a Coral Gables High School varsity basketball player and track star — class of 1960 — and 2001 Cavalier’s school Hall of Famer.

Childhood friend Richard B. Bermont, a Miami financial adviser, remembered Zweig as a great poker player even in high school, “pretty much a jokester, and the ladies loved him.’’

He legally changed his last name back to Zweig when he was 21, after his mother and Dr. Gateman divorced, said former wife Mollie Friedman.

Zweig wrote that his interest in financial began when the 1948 Cleveland Indians were playing in the World Series.

“I was the kid who knew the most about the team and had a vague idea about what batting averages mean. I had begun to love numbers. Perhaps this was a tip-off that I’d later graduate to the market.’’

He earned a bachelor’s in economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1964, later an M.B.A. from the University of Miami and a doctorate in finance from Michigan State University.

In 1984, Zweig joined with stock picker Joe DiMenna, with whom he co-founded Zweig-DiMenna Partners, their first long/short hedge fund.

Zweig also created two closed-end funds traded on the New York Stock Exchange, according to his corporate biography: The Zweig Fund in 1986 and The Zweig Total Return Fund in 1988.

In his first book, he wrote: “When playing the market, remember you must deal with probabilities, employ sensible strategies to limit risk, and get aggressive only when conditions warrant.’’

He was as quirky in his private life as he was serious about investing. Stan Smith, a Fisher Island friend, said that last year, Zweig installed a “banana yellow’’ 1934 Packard convertible in his living room.

Zweig’s memorabilia collection includes the dress Marilyn Monroe wore to sing “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy in 1962, a pair of JFK’s silk pajamas, the suits The Beatles wore on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, Super Bowl rings, Heisman Trophies, Oscar statuettes and Gold Records; one of the Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide motorcycles that actor Peter Fonda rode in the film “Easy Rider;” an outfit that Jimi Hendrix wore in concert; and the booking sheet from one of Al Capone’s arrests, and a letter written by baseball legend Mickey Mantle describing a sexual encounter at Yankee Stadium.





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Weather alert: South Florida to heat up before weekend cool-down




















In typical South Florida style, this week’s weather promises to be an experiment in extremes.

Temperatures on Tuesday will reach near-record highs at 85 degrees, only to plummet 10 degrees on Wednesday. The dip will continue into the weekend, with lows forecast in the 40s.

There is a slight chance of showers on Tuesday and a 50 percent chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms rumbling in on Wednesday.





No advisories have been reported for South Florida, but a tornado watch is in effect for Central Florida.





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Audrey Hepburn Galaxy Commercial

Dearly departed Audrey Hepburn is the latest celebrity to be resurrected by the ad industry so she can star in a new commercial.

In the spot for Galaxy (a British chocolate brand), Hepburn is sightseeing in Italy when her tour bus gets delayed. Luckily she stops across from a handsome stranger as her version of Moon River begins to play. What happens from there is classic Hepburn, but how did the ad come to be?

Hepburn's sons, who control her estate, authorized the use of her image for a fee. Sean Ferrer and Luca Dotti say their mother would be "proud" of her new role, adding in a press release that she "often spoke about her love of chocolate and how it lifted her spirit."

Hepburn is not the first (nor will she be the last) dead celebrity who Madison Avenue has brought back to life thanks to advanced technology used in order to hawk a product. Chris Farley shilled for DirecTV, Fred Astaire danced for Dirt Devil, John Lennon rocked out for Rock Band, Gene Kelly grooved for Volkswagen, John Wayne sipped on Coors Light and Kurt Cobain wore his Doc Martens in heaven.

You'll also recall that Hepburn already starred in another modern day ad when The GAP had her pushing pants. Watch her latest work from beyond the grave.

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Senate to vote on moving ahead on Hagel nod








WASHINGTON — A deeply divided Senate is moving toward a vote on President Obama's contentious choice of Chuck Hagel to head the Defense Department, with the former Republican senator on track to win confirmation after a protracted political fight.

Twelve days after Republicans stalled the nomination, the Senate was slated to vote Tuesday on proceeding with the Hagel selection after GOP lawmakers signaled late Monday they would end their delaying tactics. If Hagel gets the necessary votes, it would just be a matter of time for a simple up-or-down vote, although Republicans could insist on the maximum 30 hours of debate before a final vote.





AP



Chuck Hagel





If confirmed, Hagel would succeed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and join Obama's retooled national security team just days before automatic, across-the-board budget cuts hit the Pentagon.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said he was optimistic about the vote's outcome and said it was critical for the Senate to act quickly.

"Given sequestration, it's really important that we have a secretary of defense who is in place when that hits, if it hits," Levin told reporters Monday. "I want to still say 'if' because I'm a perennial optimist."

Hagel's nomination bitterly split the Senate, with Republicans turning on their former GOP colleague and Democrats standing by Obama's nominee.

The president got no points with the GOP for tapping the former two-term senator and twice-wounded Vietnam combat veteran. Republican lawmakers excoriated Hagel over his past statements and votes. They argued that he was too critical of Israel and too compromising with Iran. They cast the Nebraskan as a radical far out of the mainstream.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., clashed with his onetime friend over his opposition to President George W. Bush's decision to send an extra 30,000 troops to Iraq in 2007 at a point when the war seemed in danger of being lost. Hagel, who voted to authorize military force in Iraq, later opposed the conflict, comparing it to Vietnam and arguing that it shifted the focus from Afghanistan.

McCain called Hagel unqualified for the Pentagon job even though he once described him as fit for a Cabinet post.

Republicans also challenged Hagel about a May 2012 study that he co-authored for the advocacy group Global Zero, which called for an 80 percent reduction of US nuclear weapons and the eventual elimination of all the world's nuclear arms.

The group argued that with the Cold War over, the United States can reduce its total nuclear arsenal to 900 without sacrificing security. Currently, the US and Russia have about 5,000 warheads each, either deployed or in reserve. Both countries are on track to reduce their deployed strategic warheads to 1,550 by 2018, the number set in the New START treaty that the Senate ratified in December 2010.

In an echo of the 2012 presidential campaign, Hagel faced an onslaught of criticism by well-funded, Republican-leaning outside groups that labeled the former senator "anti-Israel" and pressured senators to oppose the nomination. The groups ran television and print ads criticizing Hagel.

Opponents were particularly incensed by Hagel's use of the term "Jewish lobby" to refer to pro-Israel groups. He apologized, saying he should have used another term and should not have said those groups have intimidated members of the Senate into favoring actions contrary to US interests.

The nominee spent weeks reaching out to members of the Senate, meeting individually with lawmakers to address their concerns and seeking to reassure them about his policies.

Hagel's halting and inconsistent performance during some eight hours of testimony at this confirmation hearing last month undercut his cause, but it wasn't a fatal blow.

There was no erosion in Democratic support for the president's choice and Hagel had the backing of three Republicans — Sens. Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Mike Johanns of Nebraska and Richard Shelby of Alabama. Other Republicans were reluctant to block a president's Cabinet choice from getting an up-or-down vote, fearing the precedent.

Democrats hold a 55-45 edge in the Senate, more than enough to confirm Hagel on a majority vote.










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Univision bumps NBC into fifth place




















A failing NBC has left Univision the fourth most popular network in the United States — at least for now.

The latest ratings from the February “sweeps” race — a milestone moment for network ratings in the television business — had NBC fall behind its Spanish-language rival. The Doral-based network finished the sweeps period with a viewership that amounted to 1.5 percent of all adults between 18 and 49. That’s considered the key demographic for television advertisers, and it’s the most common yardstick for measuring a network’s success.

The 1.5 percent share was ahead of NBC’s 1.2 percent share. CBS dominated the contest with a 4.9 percent share, followed by Fox (2.0 percent) and ABC (1.7 percent), according to EW.com.





Univision has beaten CBS before in the ratings race, but this is the first time the Spanish-language powerhouse has bested NBC. The victory is a bit sweeter since NBC owns Univision’s cross-town rival, Telemundo. As NBC slid, Univision saw audience for its news programs and telenovelas grow.

But the ratings pecking order can be topsy-turvy. In November, NBC took the fall sweeps contest with a No. 1 ranking, thanks to big audiences brought in by The Voice, Revolution and Sunday Night Football.

DOUGLAS HANKS





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At least one wounded in Miami shooting




















Miami police detectives Monday morning are on the scene of a shooting that wounded at least one person.

Police have cordoned off the area of Northwest Avenue at 43rd street as they investigate.

Still visible on the street: a bloody rag next to the tire of a Ford sports utility vehicle.





This bulletin will be updated as more information becomes available.





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Vanity Fair 2013 Oscars Party: Michael Douglas Flatters Catherine Zeta-Jones

Amid the many festivities of Sunday's Academy Awards was a performance by Catherine Zeta-Jones from Chicago, the musical that won her an Oscar a decade ago. Her husband, Michael Douglas, dazzled her with compliments for the impressive number.

"I can't believe it was ten years ago," the Wall Street actor said on the red carpet of the Vanity Fair after-party. "She looks as beautiful...and just amazing. That's a workout, and there she is. [She] looks great; the show stands up pretty good too."


PICS: 2013 Oscar Winners

Just before the stars capped the night with a celebration, they revealed their favorite moments of the ceremony. The consensus among the majority of the attendees was that they enjoyed musical performances like Zeta-Jones'.

"The music was fantastic, actually," said Daniel Day-Lewis, who won Best Actor for his role as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln. "Adele's a bit of a favorite in our family."

Longtime actor Jon Voight, who has attended many an award show in his day, gave his opinion on why the show was a success.


PICS: Hit or Miss: The 2013 Oscars!

"I really enjoyed tonight. I thought [it] was nice [and] evenly spread out and all these wonderful, talented people getting attention," said Voight, father of actress Angelina Jolie. "...The speeches were great, and I was very moved by the final speech by Ben [Affleck]. ...It was very beautiful."

One of a handful of actors who completed an awards sweep by notching an Oscar in addition to SAG and Golden Globes Awards was Anne Hathaway, who won yet again for her supporting role in Les Misérables.

Although she had already won two major awards for her role, Hathaway claims she wasn't expecting to win the Oscar on Sunday.


VIDEO: Oscars Flashback '03: Zeta-Jones 8 Mos. Pregnant

"No. [I didn't know]," she replied when ET's Rocsi suggested she had a premonition she would win the award. "Not until Christopher Plummer said my name."

Watch the video to see more from the stars before they began their post-Oscars celebration.

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Israel, US successfully test anti-missile system








JERUSALEM — Israel and the US on Monday carried out a successful test of the next-generation Arrow 3 missile defense system, for the first time sending an interceptor into outer space, where it could destroy missiles fired from Iran.

The Arrow 3 is part of a multilayered system that Israel is developing to protect against a range of missile threats, from short-range rockets in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon to medium and longer-range missiles in the hands of Syria and Iran. The Arrow system is being developed to protect against sophisticated Iranian-made Shahab ballistic missiles.





AP



An Israeli missile launch





Israel's Defense Ministry said it was the first flight test of the Arrow 3 interceptor. It was conducted at an Israeli test range over the Mediterranean Sea. The system is about three years away from becoming operational.

"The Arrow 3 interceptor was successfully launched and flew an exo-atmospheric trajectory through space, in accordance with the test plan," it said in a statement. "The successful test is a major milestone in the development of the Arrow 3 weapon system and provides further confidence in future Israeli defense capabilities to defeat the developing ballistic missile threat."

Iran's Shahab ballistic missile can carry a nuclear warhead and has a range of 1,250 miles, putting Israel and parts of Europe within range. With Iran suspected by the international community of trying to develop a nuclear weapon, the success of the Arrow is considered critical for Israel.

Israel considers a nuclear-armed Iran to be an existential threat, citing Iranian calls for Israel's destruction, its support for anti-Israel militant groups and its missile and nuclear technology. Tehran says its nuclear program is peaceful, a claim that Israel and many Western countries reject.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the test shows Israel's technological capabilities as well as its close cooperation with the US "Israel's hand is always extended for peace, but we are always prepared for other options as well," Netanyahu said after a meeting with Mideast envoy Tony Blair Monday afternoon.

A senior Defense Ministry official said the test was conducted "100 percent successfully."

"This is the first time the interceptor with all of its equipment took off and flew, achieved its velocity and did the maneuver in space," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity under ministry regulations. "The Iranian missiles are a main factor to why this system was developed," he said, but he stressed that the test was not connected to a specific regional development.

The Arrow 3 is being developed by state-run Israel Aerospace Industries in conjunction with American aviation giant Boeing Co.

The Arrow 3, expected to be operational around 2016, would give Israel an additional layer of defense by targeting incoming missiles far closer to their time of launch. The Arrow 2 system, which intercepts targets inside the atmosphere, is already operational.

Last year, Israel also successfully tested a system designed to intercept missiles with ranges of up to 180 miles. That system, called "David's Sling" and "Magic Wand," is expected to be operational next year.

Israel has also developed a system for intercepting short-range rockets. The "Iron Dome" successfully shot down hundreds of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip during eight days of fighting in November.










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Miami medicine goes digital




















About 10 years ago, Dr. Fleur Sack quit her practice as a family physician to become a hospital department head. Spurring her decision was the need to switch from paper records to electronic ones to keep her private practice profitable. “At that time, it would have cost about $50,000,” Dr. Sack recalled. “It was too expensive and it was too overwhelming.”

But times and technologies changed, and last year, Dr. Sack left her hospital job to restart her medical practice with an affordable system for managing electronic patient records. She agreed to a $5,000 setup fee and a subscription fee of $500 per month for the system. Her investment also qualified her for subsidy money, which the federal government pays in installments, and to date, her subsidy income has paid for the setup fee and about two years of monthly fees. “So far, I’ve got my check for $18,000,” she said. “There’s a total of $44,000 that I can get.”

That kind of cash flow is one reason why so-called EHR software systems for electronic health records have been among the hottest-selling commercial products in the world of information technology. EHR system development is a growth industry in South Florida, too. Life sciences and biotechnology are among the high growth-potential sectors identified by the Beacon Council-led One Community One Goal economic development initiative unveiled in 2012; already, the University of Miami has opened a Health Science Technology Park while Florida International University has launched a program in its graduate school of business oriented toward biotechnology businesses.





For many young businesses in the area’s IT industry, government incentives are paving the way. The federal government is pushing doctors and hospitals to use electronic health records to cut wasteful spending and improve patient care while protecting patient privacy — sending digital information via encrypted systems, for example, rather than regular email.

Under a 2009 federal law known as the HITECH Act, maximum incentive payments for buying such systems range up to $44,000 for doctors with Medicare patients and up to $63,750 for doctors with Medicaid patients. Hospitals are eligible for larger incentive payments for becoming more paperless. The subsidy program isn’t permanent; eligible professionals must begin receiving payments by 2016. But by then, the federal government will be penalizing doctors and hospitals that take Medicare or Medicaid money without making meaningful use of electronic health records.

“What the government did is, they incentivized, and now they’re going to penalize,” said Andrew Carricarte, president and CEO of IOS Health Systems in Miami, one of the largest South Florida-based vendors of online software service for physician practices. He said insurance companies also may start penalizing physicians for failing to adopt electronic health records because “the commercial payers always follow Medicare and Medicaid.”

It’s all part of the growth story at IOS Health Systems, which has more than 2,000 physicians across the nation using its online EHR system. Carricarte said many of the company’s customers buy their second EHR system from IOS after their first one flopped. “Almost 40 percent of our sales come from customers who had systems and are now switching over to something else,” he said.





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