Dorner Not IDed, But Manhunt Considered Over

Though they have not yet identified burned remains found at the scene of Tuesday's fiery, armed standoff, San Bernardino, Calif., officials consider the manhunt over for Christopher Dorner, the fugitive ex-cop accused of going on a killing spree.

"The events that occurred yesterday in the Big Bear area brought to close an extensive manhunt," San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon told reporters this evening.

"I cannot absolutely, positively confirm it was him," he added.

However, he noted the physical description of the suspect authorities pursued to a cabin at the standoff scene, as well as the suspect's behavior during the chase and standoff, matched Dorner, 33.

The charred remains of the body believed to be Dorner were removed from the cabin high in the San Bernardino Mountains near Big Bear, Calif., the apparent site of Dorner's last stand. Cornered inside the mountain cabin Tuesday, the suspect shot at cops, killing one deputy and wounding another, before the building was consumed by flames.

"We did not intentionally burn down that cabin to get Mr. Dorner out," McMahon said tonight, though he noted pyrotechnic canisters known as "burners" were fired into the cabin during a tear gas assault in an effort to flush out Dorner. The canisters generate high temperatures, he added.

The deputies wounded in the firefight were airlifted to a nearby hospital, where one died, police said.

Christopher Dorner Believed Dead After Shootout with Police Watch Video

Carjacking Victim Says Christopher Dorner Was Dressed for Damage Watch Video

Christopher Dorner Manhunt: Inside the Shootout Watch Video

The deceased deputy was identified tonight as Det. Jeremiah MacKay, 35, a 15-year veteran and the father of two children -- a daughter, 7, and son, 4 months old.

"Our department is grieving from this event," McMahon said. "It is a terrible deal for all of us."

The Associated Press quoted MacKay on the Dorner dragnet Tuesday, noting that he had been on patrol since 5 a.m. Saturday.

"This one you just never know if the guy's going to pop out, or where he's going to pop out," MacKay said. "We're hoping this comes to a close without more casualties. The best thing would be for him to give up."

The wounded deputy, identified as Alex Collins, was undergoing multiple surgeries for his wounds at a hospital, McMahon said, but was expected to make a full recovery.

Before the final standoff, Dorner was apparently holed up in a snow-covered cabin in the California mountains just steps from where police had set up a command post and held press conferences during a five-day manhunt.

The manhunt for Dorner, one of the biggest in recent memory, led police to follow clues across the West and into Mexico, but it ended just miles from where Dorner's trail went cold last week.

Residents of the area were relieved today that after a week of heightened police presence and fear that Dorner was likely dead.

"I'm glad no one else can get hurt and they caught him. I'm happy they caught the bad guy," said Ashley King, a waitress in the nearby town of Angelus Oaks, Calif.

Hundreds of cops scoured the mountains near Big Bear, a resort area in Southern California, since last Thursday using bloodhounds and thermal-imaging technology mounted to helicopters, in the search for Dorner. The former police officer and Navy marksman was suspected to be the person who killed a cop and cop's daughter and issued a "manifesto" declaring he was bent on revenge and pledging to kill dozens of LAPD cops and their family members.

But it now appears that Dorner never left the area, and may have hid out in an unoccupied cabin just steps from where cops had set up a command center.

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Obama keeps faith in science and warns of cyber threats

Peter Aldhous, San Francisco bureau chief

"IT IS our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country - the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead."

In adopting the phrase "unfinished task" as a signature motif for his 2013 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama signalled a return to familiar themes. For those who care about investment in science, that was a reassuring message. 

The fight against global warming and the importance of technology to protect national security also got high billing. On the latter, Obama signaled that hacking skills, rather than kilotons, are increasingly a crucial currency, promising a new focus on combating cyberattacks - paralleled by negotiated cuts to the US nuclear arsenal. 

In a combative speech designed to counter Republican opponents who want to cut the budget deficit by curbing spending on Obama's priorities - including education and research - the President made the case for continued investment in innovation.

"Every dollar we invested to map the human genome returned $140 to our economy. Today, our scientists are mapping the human brain to unlock the answers to Alzheimer's; developing drugs to regenerate damaged organs; devising new material to make batteries ten times more powerful. Now is not the time to gut these job-creating investments in science and innovation. Now is the time to reach a level of research and development not seen since the height of the Space Race."

The estimate of a 140:1 return on investment in genomics comes from a 2011 study by the Battelle Memorial Institute in Columbus, Ohio. While the precise numbers from that analysis have been questioned, the importance of continued innovation to America's future economic competitiveness has been stressed in multiple reports, notably from the US National Academies. 

"Now our enemies are also seeking the ability to sabotage our power grid, our financial institutions, and our air traffic control systems. We cannot look back years from now and wonder why we did nothing in the face of real threats to our security and our economy."

Obama called on Congress to pass new legislation to counter threats from hackers backed by hostile governments. That won't be easy: last year, a bill that would have demanded that companies meet minimum standards for cybersecurity, and report if they are attacked, foundered amid complaints that it would impose large costs on US businesses. 

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Man charged with causing death of colleague through negligence

SINGAPORE: A man has been charged with causing the death of his 62-year-old colleague through negligence.

T Magesvaran A/L Tambisamy, 39, is accused of causing fellow production worker, Fan Chow Lin's death on 10 October 2012 at Idemitsu Lube Singapore in Pandan Road.

The alleged incident took place when the accused was operating the forklift to lift a tote tank designed to hold up to 2000 litres of liquids.

While doing so, Magesvaran is said to have mistakenly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake, therefore causing the forklift to move forward and knocking into the tank.

Mr Fan was crushed between two tanks.

For causing a man's death due to negligence, the accused faces the maximum penalty of a jail term of up to two years and a fine.

- CNA/ck

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Surface Pro as a gaming rig? It's ready and able

Surface Pro run Valve's Portal 2 at close to max settings.

(Credit:
Valve)

Microsoft's new Intel-powered tablet isn't being advertised as a gaming platform, but maybe it should.

The Surface Pro handles Diablo III and Portal 2 at near-maximum settings, according to a post by Jason Evangelho at Forbes.com.

Gamers "represent an important -- and arguably sizable -- potential demographic for Microsoft. As the company knows from its wildly successful
Xbox platform," he wrote.

At the moment, Microsoft is marketing Surface as a business tool, with no mention of its gaming chops.

The closest it gets is ad copy about Intel's laptop-class Core i5 processor and the ability to run applications like Adobe Photoshop.

That Intel hardware makes it rare bird for a
tablet. With a few exceptions like the Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro 700T, tablets today use either Intel's pokey Atom processor or -- relative to Intel's mainstream chips -- slower ARM processors.

Other specs lend the tablet to running games: it packs a fast solid-state drive (often used on gaming rigs) and 1,920x1,080 display.

"The Surface Pro handles Diablo III at 1920x1080 resolution with most specs except shadows maxed out," wrote Evangelho.

Not bad for a tablet.

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Your Shot: Blizzard Photos From Our Readers

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Boston Seals

  Photograph by Sarah Burke, My Shot

  Last weekend’s blizzard left parts of the Northeast covered in 3 feet (0.9 meter) of snow. As people dug out, many answered our call to submit photos from the storm.

  There’s still time to submit your photos to National Geographic’s Your Shot; editors review all entries for possible publication in National Geographic magazine. Your photograph may also be included in our editors' pick of the Daily Dozen.

  Sarah Burke sent in this photo from Boston. She ventured out after the storm and captured these seals in a tank surrounded by snow.

  Published February 12, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Sledding in the Park

  Photograph by Elena Solomon, Your Shot

  In New York City Elena Soloman snapped a bright spot in snow-blanketed Central Park: a young girl on her sled.

  Published February 12, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Up on a Rooftop

  Photograph by Kelly Pourde, Your Shot

  The blizzard, dubbed "Nemo" by The Weather Channel, left snow piled high on the roof of Kelly Plourde’s Connecticut condo. She wrote that the wind-carved snow reminded her of "waves against the bright blue sky."

  Published February 12, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Shaking It Off

  Photograph by Ashley Thompson, Your Shot

  Ashley Thompson’s dog, Zeppelin, shakes off snow after the blizzard visited New Jersey.

  Published February 12, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Change of Plans

  Photograph by Scotland Willis, Your Shot

  Photographer Scotland Willis caught this snowboarder on a makeshift mogul behind a shopping center in Boston. The man’s planned ski trip had been canceled due to the storm.

  Published February 12, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Central Park Snow

  Photograph by Casey Gomez, Your Shot

  In New York’s Central Park Casey Gomez captured a peaceful moment by the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.

  Published February 12, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Snowball Fight!

  Photograph by Dan Squire, Your Shot

  Dan Squire caught this post-storm action in Somerville, Massachusetts. "Residents celebrated the aftermath of Nemo with laughter, hot chocolate, snow sculptures, and of course," he wrote, "a huge snowball fight."

  Published February 12, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Snow Day

  Photograph by Kelly Pourde, My Shot

  A snow pile makes the perfect slope for a bundled-up sledder. Kelly Plourde snapped this photo in Connecticut.

  Published February 12, 2013

  
  

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Great Energy Challenge Blog

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State of the Union: Obama Pushes Job Creation

Pursuing an aggressive and diverse early second-term agenda, President Obama turned his focus Tuesday night squarely to the economy, using his State of the Union address to unveil new government initiatives aimed at creating jobs.

The defining duty of the new Congress and new administration is to "reignite the true engine of America's economic growth -- a rising, thriving middle class," Obama said Tuesday night from the House chamber.

"That must be the North Star that guides our efforts," he said.

Obama's proposals had a familiar ring, including re-packaged economic ideas but also offering several bold new measures aimed at boosting the middle class.

None of the proposals would add to the deficit "by a single dime," Obama pledged, with costs offset by savings carved out in the budget and from money saved from ending two wars.

"It's not a bigger government we need, but a smarter government that sets priorities and invests in broad-based growth," Obama said.

For the first time as president, Obama called for raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.00 an hour by 2015. He proposed to ensure future increases by indexing the minimum wage to inflation.

He proposed a national goal of universal pre-school education, an effort to help states provide tens of thousands of low- to middle-income four-year-old children access to quality public education from an earlier age.

Charles Dharapak/Pool/AP Photo

Obama: A Rising Middle Class Should Be 'North Star' Watch Video

Obama Wants Minimum Wage: 'A Wage You Can Live On' Watch Video

Obama Announces Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal Watch Video

And, to heal the nation's crumbling roads and bridges, Obama offered a $50 billion "fix it first" infrastructure program that would prioritize repair of existing structures before building new ones.

"Every day, we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation," Obama said. "How do we attract more jobs to our shores? How do we equip our people with the skills needed to do those jobs? And how do we make sure that hard work leads to a decent living?"

Answers to those questions, the president suggested, include redoubling investments in clean energy technologies -- a step which he said would both benefit the environment and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

"For the sake of our children and our future, we must do more to combat climate change," he said.

He called for doubling the amount of renewable electricity generation in the U.S. by 2020, and announced an energy version of his "Race to the Top" education program that would give states grants for the best energy efficiency programs.

Related: 7 Things Obama Says at Every State of the Union

In tandem with his economic focus, Obama announced the withdrawal of 34,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by this time next year, cutting in half the current force and marking a quickened pace for the final exit of U.S. combat forces by a 2014 deadline.

There are currently 66,000 U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan. Obama has vowed to bring nearly all of them home by the end of next year, though a small contingent will likely remain to train Afghan forces and assist counterterrorism operations, officials have said.

Obama touched briefly on his recently-unveiled proposals to overhaul the nation's immigration system, expand rights for gay and lesbian Americans and curb an epidemic of gun violence.

With dozens of victims of gun violence looking on from the House gallery, including former Rep. Gabby Giffords, and families of victims from shootings at Newtown, Conn., Oak Creek, Wisc., and Aurora, Colo., Obama made an emotional plea for an up-or-down vote on his gun control plan.

"Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress," he said of proposed restrictions on assault-style weapons and high capacity magazines, and enhanced background checks, among other measures.

"If you want to vote no, that's your choice," he said. "But these proposals deserve a vote. Because in the two months since Newtown, more than a thousand birthdays, graduations and anniversaries have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun."

Read More: President Obama's Past State of the Union Promises

Read More..

Arctic sunshine cranks up threat from greenhouse gases

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.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

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Sri Lanka drops IMF loan bid over spending dispute

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka on Tuesday dropped plans for a fresh $1.0-billion loan from the International Monetary Fund following disagreements over how the money should be spent, the central bank said.

The government announced last month that it was seeking a new cash infusion from the IMF after drawing down a previous $2.6-billion bailout loan six months ago.

"Sri Lankan authorities have decided not to pursue a new programme with the IMF, but to continue maintaining the close relationship with the Fund under standard consultation processes similar to many other member countries," the central bank said.

Treasury chief Punchi Banda Jayasundera had said he wanted the new IMF loan to spend on infrastructure while the US-based lender was only willing to hand over money to bolster the bank's foreign reserves.

"The IMF has indicated that the Fund may not be in a position to consider any direct or indirect budget support to Sri Lanka," the bank statement said.

Money for foreign reserves is not meant for immediate spending, but serves to enhance a country's creditworthiness.

An IMF team is currently in Colombo conducting annual consultations with Sri Lankan authorities.

The 2009 IMF bailout was secured when Sri Lanka's foreign reserves crashed to a dangerously low level of $1 billion. They now stand at a comfortable $7 billion.

The bank also announced on Monday that Sri Lanka's new taxes on cars and luxury goods had helped reduce imports last year and narrow the huge trade deficit.

Faced with a balance of payments problem in 2011, the government hiked car imports by up to 300 per cent, stopped credit for luxury imports and allowed the local currency to depreciate sharply by nearly 20 per cent.

The government has revised down its growth estimate for 2012 from 7.2 per cent to 6.5 per cent.

Sri Lanka's economy grew 8.3 per cent in 2011, up from 8.0 per cent in 2010, the first full year after government forces crushed Tamil rebels bringing an end to the island's ethnic war.

- AFP/ck

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PR2 maker Willow Garage turns to commercial robotics

Things are changing over at robotics startup Willow Garage, the open-source powerhouse known for its very adaptable domestic bot PR2.

Following an IEEE Spectrum report earlier today saying Willow Garage would shut down in the next few months, the company announced on its blog that it "has decided to enter the world of commercial opportunities with an eye to becoming a self-sustaining company."

"This is an important change to our funding model," it added.

Founded in 2006 by Google search engine co-designer Scott Hassan, Willow Garage has been committed to developing open-source robots such as PR2 and TurtleBot and was instrumental in launching the ROS robot operating system.

The terse announcement left it unclear what the new focus will mean for the future of the nearly 50 PR2 robots already in use around the world. The company said its "support of the platform will not diminish."

IEEE Spectrum cited company sources as saying employees were told last Friday that Willow Garage would dissolve within a few months.

While it encouraged spinoff companies such as telepresence firm Suitable Technologies, Willow Garage didn't seem to have the sales to sustain itself. In 2010, it announced that 11 research groups would get a free PR2 robot, which it valued at $400,000 each.

PR2 and ROS have encouraged roboticists in many countries to collaborate on creating a universal language for practical, everyday robots.

The humanoid has pulled off some astounding feats, navigating interiors reliably and repeatedly recharging itself, making breakfast, fetching beer, and even helping people shave. Last year, it was a candidate for the Robot Hall of Fame.

Whatever happens at Willow Garage, I hope PR2 keeps evolving.

Read More..

Kumbh Mela: Pictures From the Hindu Holy Festival

• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Holy Bath

  Photograph by Roberto Schmidt, AFP/Getty Images

  The Hindu festival known as Kumbh Mela, often referred to as the world’s largest gathering of humanity, peaked on Sunday at the meeting of the Yamuna, Ganges, and mythical Saraswati rivers. The festival in the northern Indian city of Allahabad sees tens of millions of pilgrims bathe in the Ganges to wash away sins. Pilgrims and saints pray as they soak.

  Published February 11, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  New Initiates

  Photograph by Sheeraz Rizvi, Hindustan Times/Getty Images

  Newly initiated Hindu ascetics perform rituals during the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad. The festival happens every three years in one of four Indian cities, with the event in Allahabad considered the holiest. It’s also the biggest.

  Published February 11, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Sacred Fire

  Photograph by Daniel Berehulak, Getty Images

  Hindu priests perform a ceremony beside the Ganges River during the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad. The festival lasts 55 days.

  Published February 11, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  River Sitting

  Photograph by Baciu Cristian, Demotix/Corbis

  A Hindu ascetic performs a ritual last month during the 2013 Kumbh Mela.

  Published February 11, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Bridge Crossings

  Photograph by Manish Swarup, AP

  Believers walk on pontoon bridges to take a dip at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati Rivers, a site known as Sangam. The processions are led by heads of monasteries and by naked ascetics smeared with ash.

  Published February 11, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Stampede Victim

  Photograph by Manan Vatsyayana, AFP/Getty Images

  A woman injured in a Sunday stampede that left 36 dead in Allahabad lies in a hospital bed in the city. There are conflicting accounts of what provoked the stampede.

  Published February 11, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Train Rush

  Photograph by Daniel Berehulak, Getty Images

  Hindu devotees at the Allahabad train station press toward an arriving train.

  Published February 11, 2013

  
  











• 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Train Station Prayer

  Photograph by Daniel Berehulak, Getty Images

  A Hindu believer waits for a train at the Allahabad train station, the site of Sunday’s stampede.

  Published February 11, 2013

  
  

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