Officer Dies After Dorner Shootout; Cabin on Fire

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The remote California mountain cabin in which fugitive ex-cop Christopher Dorner has barricaded himself in tense standoff with police is on fire, following a shootout with police in which one officer was killed and another wounded.


Once the fire started, a single shot was heard from inside the cabin and then flames and a large column of black smoke were seen rising above the snow-covered trees near Big Bear, Calif., ABC station KABC-TV in Los Angeles reported.


Dorner is a former Navy marksman and Los Angeles Police Department officer charged with murdering a police officer and suspected in the deaths of two other people, including the daughter of a former LAPD captain, earlier this month.


Dozens of local, state and federal authorities are at the scene in the San Bernardino Mountains, and have the the cabin surrounded. Dorner has sworn to kill police and their family members in a manifesto discovered online last week.


FULL COVERAGE: Christopher Dorner Manhunt


The search for Dorner, one of the largest manhunts in recent memory, took a turn this afternoon when police received a call that a suspect resembling Dorner had broken into a home in the Big Bear area, taken hostages and stolen a car.


Police said the former cop, believed to be heavily armed and extremely dangerous, took two women hostage before stealing a car just around 12:20 p.m. PT, police said.








Christopher Dorner Manhunt: Police Exchange Fire With Possible Suspect Watch Video











Fugitive Ex-Cop Believed Barricaded in Cabin, California Cops Say Watch Video





The two hostages, who were tied up by Dorner but later escaped, were evaluated by paramedics and were determined to be uninjured.


Officials say Dorner crashed the stolen vehicle and fled on foot to the cabin where he barricaded himself and exchanged fire with deputies from the San Bernardino Sheriff's Office and state Fish and Game officers.


Two deputies were wounded in the firefight and airlifted to a nearby hospital, where one died, police said. The second deputy was in surgery and was expected to survive, police said.



PHOTOS: Former LAPD Officer Suspected in Shootings


Police have sealed all roads going into the area and imposed a no-fly zone above the cabin, nestled in a wooded area that has received several inches of snow in recent days.


Four Big Bear area schools were briefly placed on lockdown.


The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department stopped all traffic leaving the area and thoroughly searched vehicles, as SWAT team and tactical units could be seen driving toward the cabin, their sirens blaring.


Authorities say they believe Dorner may be watching reports of the standoff and have asked media not to broadcast images of police surrounding the cabin.


"If he's watching this, the message ... is: Enough is enough. It's time to turn yourself in. It's time to stop the bloodshed. It's time to let this event and let this incident be over," said Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Andy Smith, told reporters at a press conference.


Dorner faces capital murder charges that involve the killing of Riverside police officer Michael Crain, who was gunned down in an ambush last Thursday.


Since then a massive manhunt has been under way, focused primarily in the San Bernardino Mountains, but extending to neighboring states and as far away as Mexico.


A capital murder charge could result in the death penalty if Dorner is captured alive and convicted. Crain was married with two children, aged 10 and 4.





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Arctic sunshine cranks up threat from greenhouse gases

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IT'S a solar double whammy. Not only does sunlight melt Arctic ice, but it also speeds up the conversion of frozen organic matter into carbon dioxide.











The amount of carbon in dead vegetation preserved in the far northern permafrost is estimated to be twice what the atmosphere holds as CO2. Global warming could allow this plant matter to decompose, releasing either CO2 or methane – both greenhouse gases. The extent of the risk remains uncertain because the release mechanisms are not clear.













Rose Cory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her colleagues analysed water from ponds forming on melting permafrost at 27 sites across the Arctic. They found that the amount of CO2 released was 40 per cent higher when the water was exposed to ultraviolet light than when kept dark. This is because UV light, a component of sunlight, raises the respiration rate of soil bacteria and fungi, amplifying the amount of organic matter they break down and the amount of CO2 released.












The thawing Arctic is emerging as a potentially major source of positive feedback that could accelerate global warming beyond existing projections. "Our task now is to quantify how fast this previously frozen carbon may be converted to CO2, so that models can include the process," Cory says.












Journal reference: PNAS, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1214104110.




















































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American Express card users can shop at Twitter

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SAN FRANCISCO: American Express began letting users of its payment cards make purchases with messages fired off at Twitter as the popular social network dabbles with making money from e-commerce.

American Express announced that members who synchronize their cards with Twitter can take advantage of offers "tweeted" by the financial services company.

American Express will promote products in messages fired off at Twitter. Card holders buy items by tweeting indicated hashtags, with their accounts being charged accordingly.

Depending on the offers, products will be shipped to buyers or picked up in shops.

"We're leveraging our unique technology and closed-loop network to introduce a seamless solution that redefines what's possible in the world of social commerce," said American Express senior vice president Leslie Berland.

"We know there is significant power in combining our assets with Twitter's platform."

American Express said cardholders will be able to buy Sony, Amazon.com, Xbox 360 or Urban Zen products in tweets by using special hashtags, or words preceded by the "#" symbol.

Twitter and American Express have worked together in the past with alliances that let cardholders take advantage of discounts offered in coupons tweeted by merchants.

- AFP/ck



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Tesla's Elon Musk lambasts New York Times article

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Tesla's Model S.



(Credit:
Tesla)


Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has become incensed over a critical news article about the all-electric car that was published in The New York Times last week.

"I do not think this is a he said, she said situation," Musk told Bloomberg West in an interview today. "It is really black and white. The facts are the facts."

The tussle got started after New York Times reporter John Broder wrote an article about taking the Tesla Model S out on a test drive in the East Coast's freezing weather. He claimed that the
car couldn't keep a charge and ultimately died before reaching its intended destination. Before leaving on his trip, Broder said he charged the car until the display read "charge complete;" and then, working to conserve the battery while driving, he said he turned off the car's heat and drove on cruise control at 54 mph.

Musk alleges that none of this is true and he has the car logs to prove it.

"We will publish the actual logs on the car and it is crystal clear," Musk told Bloomberg West.

According to Musk, the logs show that Brody did not charge the car to full capacity before taking off on his trip. Also, the reporter allegedly took an unplanned detour through Manhattan and drove well above the speed limit. Musk claims it was these actions that drove the battery down, rather than the cold or some default of the car.

"If you do all those three things, which we were clear should not be done and obviously common sense suggests should not be done, then you will not be able to go as far," Musk told Bloomberg West. "If you did not fill a gasoline car's gas tank far enough, then went on a detour and ran out of gas, you should not be surprised if that occurs."

The New York Times is standing by its reporter, however. According to The Verge, the newspaper said, "The Times's February 10th article recounting a reporter's test drive in a Tesla Model S was completely factual, describing the trip in detail exactly as it occurred. Any suggestion that the account was "fake" is, of course, flatly untrue."

CNET contacted Tesla and The New York Times for comment. We'll update the story when we get more information.

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Kumbh Mela: Pictures From the Hindu Holy Festival

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Who's Next? A Look at Likely Successors to Benedict

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With 1 billion Catholics worldwide, the face of the church is changing.



It's something the cardinal electors may keep in mind when the conclave to elect a new pontiff begins in late March, said Matthew Bunson, general editor of the Catholic Almanac and author of "We Have a Pope! Benedict XVI."



RELATED: Pope Benedict XVI Resigns: The Statement



The 117 cardinals who are eligible to vote for the new pontiff hail from approximately 50 different countries, and they almost always elect one of their own.



Joseph Ratzinger, an intellectual and respected cardinal from Germany, was the frontrunner for the papacy in 2005, Bunson said. When elected, he became Pope Benedict XVI.



This year, there are no strong favorites.



"The door, in a way, is very much open," Bunson said.



FULL COVERAGE: Pope Benedict XVI Resignation



Here's a quick look at some of the possible picks for pope:




Angelo Cardinal Scola, 71, Italy


Scola was named the Archbishop of Milan in 2011, a prominent post in the Roman Catholic church.


"If we had to pick a frontrunner, it's him," Bunson said. "He first is a brilliant theologian and has the intellectual heft to be pope, which is crucial. He has the clear favor of Pope Benedict.


Milan and Venice together have produced five popes in the past century.


Scola is also committed to promoting an understanding across faiths.


He started the Oasis Foundation in 2004, which helps bridge a dialogue between Christians and Muslims.


Helen Alvaré, a professor of law at George Mason University and an advisor to Pope Benedict XVI's Pontifical Council for the Laity, agreed that Scola will be considered papabili -- an Italian word for someone highly qualified for the papacy.


"It would not be surprise me if a Scola, or another great European mind also was determined to be what was needed for the times," she said.

Marc Cardinal Ouellet, 68, Canada


The former Archbishop of Quebec, who now heads the Congregation of Bishops, has a deep knowledge of the global workings of the church, Bunson said.


"He has had a major role in the appointment of the church's leaders around the world," Bunson said.


And he points out that at 68 years old, Ouellet has age on his side.


Ouellet is someone who could have "worldwide reach," Alvaré said.


"The man who is chosen for the position he has is someone who is understood to have the presence and the future of the church in mind," she said.

Peter Cardinal Turkson, 64, Ghana


Turkson, who hails from Ghana, may be in the running.


He is currently the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, a post he was appointed to by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.


The job has sent Turkson, who speaks six languages, around the world to handle mediations.


"The fact that an African cardinal is a candidate to be elected pope is the statement to the diversity of the church and the remarkable growth around the world," Bunson said.


Turkson discussed the possible of a black pope at a press conference in 2009, following the U.S. presidential election.


"And if by divine providence -- because the church belongs to God -- if God would wish to see a black man also as Pope, thanks be to God," he said.


Francis Cardinal Arinze, from Nigeria, has also been discussed as a potential pope.

Leonardo Cardinal Sandri, 69, Argentina


With a large center of Catholic faithful in Latin America, Sandri could become the first pope from the region.


The 69-year-old, who was born in Argentina to Italian parents, served as a chief of staff in the Vatican, often reading public message when Pope John Paul II was in declining health.


It was Sandri who announced the passing of the pontiff in St. Peter's Square on April 2, 2005.


"He's well-liked around the world," Bunson said.


He currently serves on the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, acting as a liason with Eastern European Catholic churches.


Sandri is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, German and French.

Angelo Cardinal Bagnasco, 70, Italy


The Archbishop of Genoa has a "reputation for intellectual heft," Bunson said.


Bagnasco, two-time president of the Italian Bishops Conference, has a history of taking a strong stance on church doctrine.


In 2007, he was the subject of death threats after he led a campaign against proposed Italian legislation to grant some legal rights to unmarried couples, including people in same-sex relationships.


Italians form the largest voting block in the College of Cardinals, with 25 percent of the seats, and could help propel Bagnasco into the papacy.

Tarsicio Cardinal Bertone, 78, Italy


The current Cardinal Secretary of State is a strong candidate if the Holy Spirit wants another great European mind at the helm of the church, Alvaré said.


Bertone runs the day-to-day business of the Roman Curia, the Vatican's government.


He has reportedly been criticized by Vatican officials for his handling of issues ranging from sexual abuse in the church to Vatican finances.


In an open letter last year, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged the in-fighting and pledged his support for his secretary of state.


"I've noted with regret the unjust criticism directed at your person," the pope wrote. "I intend to reaffirm my pledge of personal faith in you."


Although he's held in high regard by the pope, Bunson believes Bertone's age will keep him from the papacy.


"His age is against him," he said, pointing out that Bertone is the same age as his boss when he was elected.

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, 63, New York


While the thought of an American pope has long seemed impossible, Cardinal Dolan should not be ruled out, Alvaré said.


"History is changing," she said. "We've been at this a while here in the states, [although] not anywhere as long as Europe."


Dolan, an affable cardinal well-known by Catholics in the U.S. and abroad, "has been grappling with some of the leading questions that face the church for the future," Alvaré said.


In September 2012, along with comedian Stephen Colbert, he co-led a discussion on faith and humor at Fordham University.


"If I am elected pope, which is probably the greatest gag all evening, I'll be Stephen III," he told the crowd of students.


Despite Dolan's good standing, Bunson said he has some doubts.


"It strikes me as unlikely, simply because we are the world's last superpower," he said of the U.S. "So I think that might factor in."


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Liver cancer survival time tripled by virus

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The virus used in the vaccine that helped eradicate smallpox is now working its magic on liver cancer. A genetically engineered version of the vaccinia virus has trebled the average survival time of people with a severe form of liver cancer, with only mild, flu-like side effects.












Thirty people with hepatocellular carcinoma received three doses of the modified virus – code-named JX-594 – directly into their liver tumour over one month. Half the volunteers received a low dose of the virus, the other half a high dose. Members of the low and high-dose groups subsequently survived for, on average, 6.7 and 14.1 months respectively. By contrast, trials several years ago showed that sorafenib, the best existing medication for this cancer, prolonged life by only three months.












Two of the patients on the highest viral dose were still alive more than two years after the treatment. "It's a very substantial survival benefit," says Laurent Fischer, president of Jennerex, the company in San Francisco developing the treatment under the trade name Pexa-Vec.












Besides shrinking the primary tumour, the virus was able to spread to and shrink any secondary tumours outside the liver. "Some tumours disappeared completely, and most showed partial destruction on MRI scans," says David Kirn, head of the study at Jennerex. Moreover, the destruction was equally dramatic in the primary and secondary tumours.












"This clinical trial is an exciting step forward to help find a new way of treating cancers," says Alan Melcher of the University of Leeds, UK, who was not involved in the study. "It helps demonstrate the cancer-fighting potential of viruses, which have relatively few side effects compared with traditional chemo or radiotherapy," he says. "If it proves effective in larger trials, it could be available to patients within five years."












The fact that the virus appears able to spread to secondary tumours suggests that simply injecting the virus into the bloodstream may be effective. A trial to compare this treatment with injecting the virus directly into a tumour is under way.











Targeted at cancer













The virus has had a gene coding for an enzyme called thymidine kinase snipped out. The enzyme enables the virus to recognise and infect dividing cells. By removing the gene, the virus's developers have reduced the likelihood of healthy dividing cells being infected.












Instead, the virus exclusively attacks cancerous tissue, by targeting two genes that have increased activity in tumour cells. One genes is associated with an epidermal growth factor receptor, which stimulates the cancer to grow. The other is associated with a vascular endothelial growth factor, which enables the cancer to recruit its own blood supply. The virus reduces the activity of both genes, causing the infected cancer cell to wither and die.












What's more, the virus carries extra genes to prod the body's own immune system into action against the cancer. One produces granulocyte colony stimulating factor, a protein that encourages production of extra white blood cells at sites of infection. The other produces a protein not naturally found in humans, called Lac-Z, that earmarks infected cells for destruction.











Fischer says that to date, more than 200 people have received the virus, which has also shown promise against other types of cancer, including those of the kidney and skin. But he warns that not everyone sees a benefit. "We know why patients respond, but not why they don't," he says.













Journal reference: Nature Medicine, DOI: 10.1038/nm.3089


















































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Music stars ooze sex appeal on Grammys red carpet

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LOS ANGELES - US television network CBS may have warned stars not to show too much skin on stage Sunday at the Grammys, but A-listers tested the limits on the red carpet in body-conscious, revealing gowns.

Jennifer Lopez, whose plunging barely-there green Versace gown at the 2000 Grammys provided a red carpet moment for the ages, pushed the dress code to the edge with a daring black dress that covered most -- but not all -- of her.

"They didn't say anything about leg!" she told presenter Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet ahead of the main event, her toned bare leg and shoulder on full display in her asymmetrical Anthony Vaccarello ensemble.

In an email leaked to media outlets, CBS warned those appearing on the Grammys stage to "please be sure that buttocks and female breasts are adequately covered."

"Thong type costumes are problematic. Please avoid exposing bare fleshy under curves of the buttocks and buttock crack," read the letter from CBS' Standards and Practices department to representatives of the stars.

The letter continued: "Bare sides or under curvature of the breasts is also problematic. Please avoid sheer see-through clothing that could possibly expose female breast nipples."

Katy Perry clearly did not get the memo, strutting her stuff in a skin-tight cleavage-baring mint green dress, saying she was inspired by the retro glam of Priscilla Presley's look in the 1970s.

Rihanna opted for a body-skimming sheer red dress by Azzedine Alaia, with bright red lips to match.

Pop princess Taylor Swift glittered in a winter white goddess gown from J. Mendel, complete with silver accents at the neck and bustline and a daring slit in the front.

In the opening performance of the night, Swift changed into a white ringmaster's costume with shorts and knee-high boots -- but no curves exposed.

Oscar winner Nicole Kidman, on the arm of singer-husband Keith Urban, wore a sleeveless gold Vera Wang gown, while one-time "American Idol" Carrie Underwood opted for a strapless black Roberto Cavalli with a sheer skirt.

Adele, the big winner at last year's Grammys with six trophies, left her usual basic black at home but followed the rules, opting for a bold red floral Valentino dress with long sleeves and a conservative knee-length hem.

- AFP/ir



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Did Google Earth error send murderer to wrong address?

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Dennis and Merna Koula.



(Credit:
CBS News.com Screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)


Sometimes, even after a murder conviction, some see reasonable doubt that the conviction was a righteous one.


Such is the case in the murder of Dennis and Merna Koula in La Cross, Wisc, a quiet community.


Their son Eric was found guilty and is currently serving two consecutive life-sentences for the murder of the wealthy couple.


It was Eric Koula who found the body. It was Eric Koula whose alibi didn't stand up. Eric Koula was broke.


Yet as CBS News' "48 Hours" reported, there are some inconsistencies that some can't quite put aside. They include John Christophersen, a special agent at the time with the Wisconsin Department of Justice.


It was said at the trial that Eric Koula treated his father as an ATM. There was a $50,000 check that he cashed right after his parents died.


It was a check from his father. Eric Koula had forged the signature -- something he claimed to have done many times.


But, as his attorney said at the trial: "What sort of an idiot would put a check in the bank the morning after they killed their parents, knowing that bank records are easy to get?"


To some eyes, the murder seemed like a professional hit. No valuables were taken. And there was no DNA evidence to implicate Eric Koula.


Moreover, there was another idea that investigators began to pursue at the time. A neighbor of the Koula's, Steve Burgess, freely admitted that he had received death threats. He was the president of a local bank.



More Technically Incorrect



And, as the CBS News investigation indicated (embedded, but there are some gaps in the audio), if you use Google Earth to locate Burgess' house, you get a surprise.


"48 Hours" correspondent Peter Van Sant said: "In fact, when you Google Earth Steve Burgess' address...the zoom into the house goes to the Koula's house, not to Steve Burgess' house."


Police say they discounted the threatening caller, as they located him and he had an alibi. But then could that individual have hired someone to do any allegedly required dirty work, a person who used Google Earth to go to the wrong house?


This story brings to mind the even more recent case of the alleged murder of Rodrigo Diaz. His friends claim that his GPS had led him to the wrong house.


The owner of that house allegedly became annoyed or threatened by the presence of Diaz and his friends. This resulted in Diaz being shot in what lawyers for the accused, Phillip Sailors, say was a case of self-defense.


The jury in the trial of Eric Koula believed there was enough evidence to convict him.


Others look at the evidence they see on Google Earth and still have their doubts.


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Year of the Snake: The Serpent Behind the Horoscope

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On February 10, people all around the world will ring in the Lunar New Year with paper lanterns and firecrackers. At the heart of it all sits the snake, a slithery reptile feared for its sharp fangs and revered for its undeniable charm. (Watch videos of some of the world's deadliest snakes.)

Those born in the Year of the Snake are said to be intelligent and quick thinking, but they can also be dishonest and prone to show off. Though based on Chinese astrology, some of these traits are similar to characteristics of the actual serpent.

Snakes are known to be great at outsmarting their predators and prey. Their colorful, patterned skin makes them some of the best tricksters in the animal kingdom. And despite a bad rap as frightening creatures, snakes never fail to fascinate scientists, explorers, and zoo-goers. (See pictures of snakes.)

With more than 3,400 recognized species, snakes exhibit incredible diversity in everything from behavior and habitats to skin colors and patterns.

"As a vertebrate lacking in limbs, all snakes look largely like other snakes, yet they succeed in tremendous diversity in multiple directions," said Andrew Campbell, herpetology collections manager at the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute.

To usher in the Year of the Snake, Campbell and herpetologist Dennis Ferraro at University of Nebraska-Lincoln weigh in on some of the snake's qualities that the Chinese zodiac predicts people born this year will have.

Horoscope: Snakes have an innately elegant personality but can also be ostentatious at times.

In Nature: Snakes come in all different colors, patterns, and textures, making them some of nature's most visually stunning creatures.

According to Campbell, the utility of their coloring falls into two main categories: to use as camouflage and to warn predators to stay away.

Among the most beautiful are the emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus)—whose vibrant green body is decorated with white stripes resembling lightning bolts—and the Brazilian rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria), characterized by its iridescent skin and the large black rings down its back.

For some snakes, the diversity in color occurs within the same species, which is why Ferraro tells his student not to identify snakes by colors. For example, the polymorphic bush viper (Atheris squamigera), many of which are green, also come in shades of yellow, orange, red, and blue, as captured in photographer Guido Mocafico's "Serpent Still Life" photo series.

Horoscope: The snake is known to be the master seducer of the Chinese zodiac.

In Nature: Female garter snakes (Thamnophis) have all the luck with the gentlemen.

When a female garter snake is ready to mate, she announces it by producing chemicals called pheromones. Males, upon encountering the scent, immediately come crawling out and gather around the female in a large, wriggling "mating ball."

The competition intensifies when a male passing by the ball tries to fool the others by producing a scent that mimics that of the female, said Ferraro.

As soon as his rivals are led off in the wrong direction, the trickster slides right in. In areas with smaller populations of garter snakes, each ball consists of about 12 males and one female.

But in places like Manitoba, Canada, where garter snakes travel to certain areas to mate after coming out of hibernation, a mating ball can have thousands of males and only a hundred females.

Horoscope: Though snakes don't often tell lies, they will use deception when they feel it's necessary and they think they can get away with it.

In Nature: When it comes to using trickery to catch dinner, or to hide from predators, snakes are no amateurs.

Their sneaky techniques range from tricking fish to swim right into their mouths, to playing dead when threatened, to using their wormlike tails to lure in prey.

The most cunning of them all is the two-headed snake. To protect against a sneak attack from behind, the two-headed snake's tail looks just like its head. While the business end looks for food, the snake coils up its body and rests its tail on top to look like it is on guard.

The tail can even mimic the behavior of a retreating snake to trick predators into thinking they're going face-to-face with their opponent.

Horoscope: When snakes get down to work, they are organized and highly efficient, and they work quickly and quietly.

In Nature: While snakes are often perceived as lazy, Campbell said people are mistaken. "What we perceive as shy, lazy, or inactive is really efficiency," he said.

"On average, they are bigger than other lizards and can build a lot of body mass. They do that by being efficient in feeding and traveling." In other words, snakes don't move very much because they don't have to.

When it comes to food, snakes catch prey that are significantly larger than them so they can eat less frequently. This reduces the time they spend hunting and thus makes them less vulnerable to falling victim to a predator themselves.

For Campbell, the most impressive hunter is the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus Adamanteus), which is able to hunt and kill its prey very quickly using venom, so it doesn't have to travel far. "Because they don't have to do that, they can become relatively large and heavy, being able to build up body mass and not having to spend that energy hunting."

Horoscope: Snakes are charming, with excellent communication skills.

In Nturea: For snakes, their visual and auditory senses don't mean much when it comes to communicating with each other.

Instead, they use their sense of smell and the chemicals produced by their musk glands. Unlike mammals, a snake picks up scent through the forks of its tongue.

When the snake retracts its tongue, it inserts the forks into grooves in an olfactory organ located at the roof of its mouth. Depending on which fork picks up a stronger scent, the snake knows in which direction to go when looking for prey or a mate.

It's when snakes are threatened that they use sight and sound, said Ferraro. Rattlesnakes, for example, shake their tails, making a loud rattling noise to ward off predators.


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