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Pope Benedict XVI to resign this month - CBS News Posted: 11 Feb 2013 08:58 AM PST Updated at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign his position as the head of the Roman Catholic Church on February 28, shocking the Christian world and even many close to him. 38 Photos Pope Benedict XVI Play Video Vatican bombshell: Pope to resign on Feb. 28th Play Video Pope selection: The process of naming a new pontiff Play Video Pope to resign: Rome reacts to news Benedict, 85, announced his decision in Latin during a meeting of Vatican cardinals Monday morning, explaining that because of his advanced age and diminishing strength, he didn't feel he could carry on the job. In his remarks to the cardinals, Benedict said his age and health left him with a level of energy, "no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry." The Petrine ministry is the Vatican's official description of the office of the pontiff. When he became pope at age 78, Benedict XVI was already the oldest pontiff elected in nearly 300 years. He's now 85, and in recent years he has slowed down significantly, cutting back his foreign travel and limiting his audiences. The pope now travels to the altar in St. Peter's Basilica on a moving platform to spare him the 100-yard walk down the aisle. Occasionally he uses a cane. Late last year, people who were spending time with the pontiff emerged saying they found him weak and too tired to engage with what they were saying. The Vatican stressed on Monday that no specific medical condition prompted Benedict's decision to become the first pontiff to resign in 600 years. The pope's brother, Georg Ratzinger, told a news agency in Germany that the pontiff had been advised by his doctor not to take any more transatlantic trips and had been considering stepping down for months. Talking from his home in Regensburg to the news agency dpa, Georg Ratzinger said his brother was having increasing difficulty walking and that his resignation was part of a "natural process." "His age is weighing on him," the 89-year-old said of his 85-year-old brother. "At this age my brother wants more rest." The 265th Pontiff, Benedict will be the first leader of the Church to step down voluntarily in almost six centuries. He has led the Church since 2005 through a tumultuous time that has seen him criticized for his handling of the scandal related to years of sexual abuse of young parishioners by priests and other clergy, and senior church officials' alleged moves to hide those actions. Benedict has also had to deal with the fallout of a traitor in his own ranks -- his butler was convicted in 2012 (video) of stealing personal documents from Benedict's living quarters and leaking them to the media. Benedict's decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March. Vatican communications advisor Greg Burke told "CBS This Morning" that the pontiff's sudden departure doesn't leave a lot of time for Church officials to pick a replacement if they want the post filled before Easter, but he also noted that there won't be the usual delay of nine days mourning for a pope who dies in office. "We certainly hope to have a new pope by Easter," said Burke. Burke said he only found out about the pope's decision a couple hours before Benedict announced it to the cardinals. "It was a surprise, but maybe not a shock," said Burke, who had worried about the aging pontiff's health increasingly in recent weeks. "I was always very nervous when I saw him going up and down steps," added Burke, noting that Benedict had problems with at least one of his knees. He said the pontiff did not, however, have any immediate, grave medical condition that he was aware of. New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said electing a new pope would be all new to him since he's still learning what it means to be archbishop. At a news conference Monday, Dolan quipped he was "still writing thank-you notes from when I was made a cardinal" last year. As cardinal, Dolan will be part of the College of Cardinals electing a new pope. In replying to questions, he said it would be "highly improbable" for him to be considered for the papacy. The following is a transcription of part of the remarks Pope Benedict made in Latin to his cardinals on Monday morning, which was released to the media by the Vatican (Click here to read the full text): "I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me."

5 shot, 3 dead, as gunman opens fire in Wilmington courthouse - Philadelphia Inquirer Posted: 11 Feb 2013 07:41 AM PST Frank Kummer, Emily Babay, Mari Schaefer and Jessica Parks, Breaking News Desk Posted: Monday, February 11, 2013, 9:02 AM A gunman opened fire in a Wilmington, Del. courthouse, this morning, leaving five people shot and three of those dead. The gunman was among the dead. Two women were also killed, one of whom was reported to be the gunman's wife. Two law enforcement officers were among those shot in the barrage. Officials said there was an exchange of gunfire and investigators were still piecing together what happened. The shootings at the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington, Del. took place around 8:15 a.m., just as courtrooms were readying for the day. Police have confirmed that the suspected shooter, a man, killed his wife before shooting others. Investigators don't believe the shooter had any type of note on him, police said. Authorities were searching the floors of the courthouse, located at 500 N. King St., throughout the morning. Officials said they did not believe the gunman had an accomplice. Police said the two officers wounded were male Delaware Capitol Police officers. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening. The Capitol Police force protects state-owned facilities in Delaware. Just after 11 a.m., armed police officers were still in front of the courthouse as news media and local residents stood by. Police cars have blocked off streets around the complex. From the News Desk Stay Connected Get the latest Philly.com Daily Headlines newsletter delivered to your email. Sign up now! Earlier, 61-year-old Ralph Hilton was at work when he received a call from his sister, Victoria Warren, who was at the courthouse for jury duty. "I'm scared," she said, crying to him. "I heard gunshots." She was hiding with a few others in a small room, Hilton said. Brittany Mangrum, 24, was headed up the courthouse stairs to pay a fine when the doors opened and people began to run from inside. "I decided to turn around and run with them," she said. A block up from the courthouse on 4th Street, chiropractor Alicia Gower and medical assistant Natalie Atkinson sat in an empty office. Police tape blocked the intersection outside their window. "Nobody's been in today," Atkinson said. Four patients had rescheduled. The women have been watching the news unfold on television, and chatting with two cops who came in occasionally to watch, too. "They said the two law enforcement officers are gonna be OK, so that's good," Gower said. Contact the Breaking News Desk at 215-854-2443; BreakingNewsDesk@philly.com. Follow @phillynews on Twitter.

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Dorner manhunt: Reward will be offered for ex-cop's capture - Los Angeles Times Posted: 10 Feb 2013 07:55 AM PST Authorities on Sunday will offer a reward for information leading to the capture of a former Los Angeles Police Department officer wanted in the killings of three people and the wounding of two others. According to a statement, the news conference will be attended by law enforcement officials from Los Angeles, Riverside and Irvine. Officials from the FBI and U.S. marshal's office also will be there. The reward will come a week after Christopher Jordan Dorner's alleged killing spree began. Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck announced he was reopening the investigation into the firing of  Dorner from the Police Department, the event that apparently sparked his vengeful campaign. Beck said he was reopening the investigation "not to appease a murderer" but to assure the public his department is fair and transparent. He said he wanted to protect an "increasingly positive relationship with the community" that the LAPD has developed over the last few years. "I am aware of the ghosts of the LAPD's past and one of my biggest concerns is that they will be resurrected by Dorner's allegations of racism within the department," Beck said in a prepared statement. "...Therefore, I feel we need to also publicly address Dorner's allegations regarding his termination of employment." DOCUMENT: Chief Beck's statement regarding Dorner Dorner was stripped of his badge in 2009 after a police disciplinary board found him guilty of making false statements against his training officer, Teresa Evans. In August 2007, Dorner accused Evans of kicking a mentally ill man during an arrest in San Pedro. The internal affairs investigation concluded Evans had not kicked the man and Dorner was lying. Police said Dorner has killed three people, including a Riverside police officer, and injured two others over the last week in a campaign to take revenge on those he blamed for his dismissal from the LAPD. At a news conference Saturday, LAPD Cmdr. Andrew Smith announced a special joint task force was being formed to investigate the Dorner case. Participating agencies include the Irvine and Riverside police departments, the FBI, the U.S. marshal's office and other law enforcement organizations. Dorner remained a fugitive Saturday despite an interstate manhunt that included SWAT teams, armored-personnel carriers and helicopters with heat-detecting cameras. In their third day of searching for the 33-year-old Navy veteran, authorities kept their focus on the mountains around Big Bear Lake in San Bernardino County. Dorner's burned-out pickup truck was discovered Thursday morning on a dirt forest service road in the area. The truck's axle was damaged and investigators discovered torched weapons inside the vehicle, law enforcement sources said. Sheriff's SWAT units began scouring the forest for Dorner within hours, but their efforts were slowed by heavy snowfall. On Saturday, agencies from throughout the region collaborated on an aerial search using two helicopters equipped with infrared cameras that detect heat. "We can see any person or a rabbit," said helicopter pilot Bill Fitzgerald of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. "The only thing that's harder about it here is that the person could be bundled up, so you maybe only get their head or hands." With the novelty of the manhunt wearing thin and fresh powder thick on the slopes, tourists descended on the resort area Saturday. Visitors enjoying blue skies and 18 inches of fresh snow said they doubted Dorner was near. "It would be dumb for him to be up here with his torched vehicle," said Kristy Deas, who was visiting with her husband and three children from Edwards Air Force Base. "He's probably somewhere else." FULL COVERAGE: The manhunt for Christopher Dorner Years of court filings and Internet posts have shed some light on the fugitive's mysterious personality. Dorner was described as a bully and depicted as a man who appeared obsessed with preserving his good name. He had a history of making complaints against fellow LAPD officers as well as an ex-girlfriend. When a Los Angeles police disciplinary board found Dorner guilty of making false statements against Evans, he could not hide his dismay. "I told the truth!" Dorner blurted out in the hearing room. "How can this happen?" Dorner's stunned reaction was detailed in transcripts of the hearing filed in appeals court. "The board has determined that Officer Dorner's credibility is damaged beyond repair," the board chairman said. Dorner also was accused of punching a recruit, Abraham Schefres, in the chest while both were in the Police Academy in 2006, records show. Schefres was wearing a bulletproof vest and a trauma plate when Dorner allegedly punched him. Schefres did not believe the punch warranted a complaint at the time and later told an investigator he "believed this was part of Dorner's persona," records show. He described Dorner as a "hothead" who would walk up to fellow recruits and "get in their faces in an aggressive" but joking way. Dorner said he "tapped" Schefres on the chest because he was wearing an expensive trauma plate, according to the transcripts. Schefres was interviewed about the punch during an investigation into allegations that Dorner slapped the hand of another recruit, records show. Dorner had accused a second recruit — as well as another recruit — of using a racial slur while they were traveling in a police vehicle during their time in the academy. The department confirmed Dorner's slur allegation against one of the recruits but not the other, records show. The agency concluded Dorner's punch of Schefres did not rise to the level of misconduct. By then, Dorner was serving a military deployment overseas for the Navy. He returned to the LAPD in the summer of 2007, and in August made the accusation against Evans. In a Facebook post that authorities have described as his manifesto, Dorner allegedly said he had "exhausted all available means at obtaining my name back. In essence, I've lost everything because the LAPD took my name and (knew) I was INNOCENT!!!" Dorner spent years unsuccessfully appealing his termination. The Facebook post complained about Randal K. Quan, saying he did not fairly represent Dorner at the LAPD hearing. "Suppressing the truth will lead to deadly consequences for you and your family," the manifesto said. Quan's daughter, Monica Quan, a Cal State Fullerton assistant basketball coach, and her fiance, Keith Lawrence, were found shot to death last Sunday in Irvine. Irvine police on Wednesday named Dorner as the suspect. On Thursday, Dorner allegedly opened fire on three Riverside police officers, killing one and wounding another. --Matt Stevens, Ari Bloomekatz, Hailey Branson Potts Photo: Search and rescue personnel from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department gear up Saturday for the continuing manhunt for fugitive ex-cop Christopher Dorner in the mountains around Big Bear Lake. Credit: Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times

Northeast struggles to dig out after 'Nemo' - USA TODAY Posted: 10 Feb 2013 08:23 AM PST Jennifer Renz and her dog,  Gus, run down East Third street in the South Boston neighborhood on the morning of Feb. 10.(Photo: Gene J. Puskar, AP) Story Highlights Storm blamed for 11 deaths in the USA 345,000 remain without power Crews are beginning to get lights back on The thick blanket of snow and troubles that buried most of the Northeast this weekend slowly began receding Sunday, with power being restored in some areas, and highways and airports again coming to life. Power had returned to more than 300,000 people and businesses Sunday, almost half the number left cold and dark during the height of the brutal and historic storm that dumped 2 feet to 3 feet of snow in many areas. Although more than 6,000 flights have been canceled in the region since Friday, New York's major airports were operational Sunday. Even Boston's Logan International Airport was open for business. And the sun came out. In Somerset, Mass., Mary Lewis, 48, was feeling some relief Sunday, her house again warm after almost 24 hours without power. She, her husband and teen daughter had spent hours trying to stay warm with the heat of a fireplace and hot chocolate from a gas grill. They finally had to abandon their home, taking shelter with a neighbor who never lost power. Her power was restored late Saturday. On Sunday she was was able to drive to the home of her parents, 45 minutes away, to help dig them out. "It was a little stressful for awhile, but it's getting better," Lewis said. "At least we were prepared for it. We are resilient." FULL COVERAGE: 'Nemo' blasts Northeast STORY: Airline cancellations soar in blizzard But much work remains before normalcy returns following the storm that was blamed for 11 deaths in the USA, including an 11-year-old Boston boy who was overcome by carbon monoxide in a running car that his father was digging out of a snow bank. Hurricane-force winds and history making snowfalls had conspired to spread misery from New Jersey to Maine. Winds gusted to 76 mph in Boston and 84 mph in Cuttyhunk, Mass., during the height of the storm Saturday. The storm piled the most snow on Hamden, Conn. — 40 inches — and was the fifth largest in Boston history, with 24.9 inches of snow recorded there. The 31.9 inches in Portland, Maine, is the most ever recorded there from a single snowstorm; the storm was the second biggest for Hartford, Conn. (22.8 inches) and Concord, N.H. (24 inches), and third biggest in Worcester, Mass. (28.7 inches). New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said his city dodged the worst of the weather, with Central Park coming in at just under a foot of snow. But in New England, while many highways were cleared Sunday, many side roads remained impassable and cars remained entombed by snow drifts. Some people found the snow packed so high against their homes they couldn't get their doors open. "It's like lifting cement. They say it's 2 feet, but I think it's more like 3 feet," said Michael Levesque, who was shoveling snow in Quincy, Mass., for a landscaping company. Across much of the region, streets were empty of cars and dotted instead with children who had never seen so much snow and were jumping into snow banks and making forts. Snow was waist-high in the streets of Boston. Plows that made some thoroughfares passable piled even more snow on cars parked on the city's narrow streets. Zai Nishimura catches air on a hill in Cummings Park on Saturday in Stamford, Conn.(Photo: Lindsay Perry, AP) In Massachusetts, NStar utility said it was too dangerous to send in crews in many areas. National Guard troops helped evacuate coastal areas where there was some flooding. Municipal workers from New York to Boston labored through the night Saturday in snow-bound communities. "We've never seen anything like this," said Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone of Long Island, which got more than 2½ feet of snow. Amtrak said trains between New York and Boston were suspended Saturday but some trains would run Sunday. The storm, dubbed "Nemo" by the Weather Channel, was not as bad as some of the forecasts led many to fear, and not as dire as the Blizzard of '78, used by longtime New Englanders as the benchmark by which all other winter storms are measured. Contributing: Gary Strauss, Kevin McCoy, Melanie Eversley, Ben Mutzabaugh, Stephanie Haven; Associated Press

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Huge storm blankets Northeast with 1 to 3 feet of snow, darkens 650000 homes ... - Washington Post Posted: 09 Feb 2013 08:44 AM PST BOSTON — A howling storm across the Northeast left the New York-to-Boston corridor shrouded in 1 to 3 feet of snow Saturday, stranding motorists on highways overnight and piling up drifts so high that some homeowners couldn't get their doors open. More than 650,000 homes and businesses were left without electricity. At least three deaths in the U.S. were blamed on the storm, including that of a New York man killed when the tractor he was using to plow his driveway ran off the edge of the road. More than 38 inches of snow fell in Milford, Conn., and an 82 mph wind gust was recorded in nearby Westport. Areas of southeastern Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire got at least 2 feet of snow, with more falling. Roads in many places were impassable. Across much of New England, snowed-over cars looked like white blobs. Streets were mostly deserted save for snowplow crews and a few hardy souls walking dogs or venturing out to take pictures. In Boston's Financial District, the only sound was an army of snowblowers clearing sidewalks. The digging-out went more smoothly in some places than in others. A little more than 11 inches fell in New York, but the city was "in great shape" and "dodged a bullet," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, predicting streets would be cleared by the end of the day. The New York region's three major airports — LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark, N.J. — were up and running again by late morning after shutting down the evening before. But hundreds of motorists had abandoned their vehicles on New York's Long Island, and even snowplows were getting stuck. Emergency workers used snowmobiles to try to reach stranded motorists, some of whom spent the night stuck in their cars. Richard Ebbrecht, a chiropractor, left his office in Brooklyn at 3 p.m. on Friday and head for his home in Middle Island, N.Y., in Suffolk County, but got stuck six or seven times on the Long Island Expressway and other roads. "There was a bunch of us Long Islanders. We were all helping each other, shoveling, pushing," he said. He finally gave up and spent the night in his car just two miles from his destination. At 8 a.m., when it was light out, he walked home. "I could run my car and keep the heat on and listen to the radio a little bit," he said. "It was very icy under my car. That's why my car is still there." Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut closed roads to all but essential traffic. Some of the worst of the storm appeared to hit Connecticut, where even emergency responders found themselves stuck on highways all night. In the shoreline community of Fairfield, police and firefighters could not come in to work, so the overnight shift was staying on duty, said First Selectman Michael Tetreau. "It's a real challenge out there," Tetreau said. "The roads are not passable at this point. We are asking everyone to stay home and stay safe." Several state police cars were also stuck in deep snow in Maine, where stranded drivers were warned to expect long waits for tow trucks.

Dorner manhunt: Search resumes in Big Bear mountains - Los Angeles Times Posted: 09 Feb 2013 08:26 AM PST As the ground search resumed Saturday in Bear Bear for a disgruntled ex-cop suspected of hunting down LAPD officials and their families, authorities pledged to continue until they find Christopher Jordan Dorner. Dorner, a 33-year-old former Los Angeles police officer, is suspected of killing three people and wounding two. Officials with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said armored personnel carriers would be used to transport search teams into mountain areas, where they will comb the forest. With no sightings so far of Dorner, officials canceled a press briefing scheduled for noon Saturday. TIMELINE: Manhunt for ex-LAPD officer The trail has gone cold since Dorner's Nissan Titan pickup was found Thursday morning engulfed in flames on a U.S. Forest Service dirt road between the Bear Mountain and Snow Summit ski resorts. But Saturday could offer the clearest weather in days, and perhaps the best chance to find the alleged killer. The mountain air was a crisp 19 degrees Saturday morning, with a thick blanket of snow covering the landscape. The National Weather Service said temperatures will climb to 31 degrees with little to no wind, mostly clear skies and no snow, preserving any tracks left overnight. A Pacific storm is expected to have fully cleared by Sunday. Saturday morning, dozens of San Bernardino County SWAT officers were filling their bellies at the Best Western in Big Bear Lake, their vehicles idling and warming up. Later they would hit the road for their third day in the wilderness. DOCUMENT: Read the manifesto The day before, ski-masked SWAT teams went door-to-door checking hundreds of homes and shuttered cabins, as other authorities fanned out on foot, slogging through fresh snow with search dogs. The teams combed backcountry and checked every shed, trash bin and barrel where the fugitive could hide. Dorner is described as African American, 6 feet tall and weighing 270 pounds. No one has seen Dorner or his tracks since Thursday and local residents are beginning to believe he got out of town before police locked down the area. Still some remain at the ready. Roger Curtis, a retired carpenter who lives in Big Bear, said he was watching the manhunt on TV when a car alarm sounded. "I got the guns and loaded them," he said. FULL COVERAGE: Sweeping manhunt for ex-cop Police say that Dorner has killed three people and injured others in a campaign to take revenge on those he blamed for his dismissal from the LAPD four years ago. Investigators are scrutinizing a conspiracy-laden manifesto published on what they believe was Dorner's Facebook page. The screed threatened "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare" against police officers and their families, saying that Dorner has no choice but to kill to reclaim his damaged reputation. Police accuse him of killing the daughter of a retired LAPD captain and her fiance, who were found shot to death Sunday in a car in Irvine. While on the run, police said, Dorner shot three police officers, one fatally, in Riverside County. With warnings on radio and TV that an armed and deadly fugitive remained at large, police spent hours chasing down bogus leads and erroneous sightings. PHOTOS: Manhunt for ex-LAPD officer Dorner was driving a white Lexus near Barstow. He was spotted entering the county jail in downtown Los Angeles. He was holed up in a hotel in San Diego or in a park in Norco or at a home next to the Barona Indian Reservation in San Diego County. None of those tips checked out, and authorities are considering false reporting charges against one person who was more prankster than tipster. "When you're dealing with a case that's getting this amount of press coverage, you're going to get your share of bad information," said Laura Eimiller, a spokeswoman for the FBI, whose agents searched Dorner's home in Las Vegas and are investigating a package that CNN received, apparently from Dorner, that made various threats. Federal and local authorities also searched the home of his mother, Nancy Dorner, in La Palma, carrying out bags of potential evidence. Meanwhile on Redbeam Avenue in Torrance, residents were still trying to make sense of the bullet holes police had left behind. In their pursuit of Dorner, at least seven police officers opened fire on what turned out to be a mother and daughter delivering newspapers down a quiet residential street, law enforcement sources told The Times. "How do you mistake two Hispanic women, one who is 71, for a large black male?" said Richard Goo, 62, who counted five bullet holes in the entryway to his house. In an interview with The Times on Friday, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said Margie Carranza, 47, and her mother, Emma Hernandez, 71, were the victims of "a tragic misinterpretation" by officers working under "incredible tension," he said. Beck and others stressed that the investigation into the shooting is in its infancy. They declined to say how many officers were involved, what kind of weapons they used, how many bullets were fired and, perhaps most important, what kind of verbal warnings — if any — were given to the women before the shooting began. Glen T. Jonas, the attorney representing the women, said the police officers gave "no commands, no instructions and no opportunity to surrender" before opening fire. Jonas estimated that the officers fired between 20 and 30 rounds. Photographs of the back of the truck showed at least two dozen bullet holes. Neighbors, however, suggested there were more shots fired. Kathy Merkosky, 53, was outside her stucco home pointing out the six bullet holes in the bumper and grill of her silver Acura MD-X. She knew her truck was damaged when she spotted it on television and "saw fluid flowing into the street." Her Ford Focus was hit as well — a bullet shattered the windshield and another flattened a front tire. "I've never heard gunfire on my street," Merkosky said. "Or ever in my life.... I hope they catch the guy so all this craziness will end." ALSO: Dorner manhunt: Snow closes highway to Big Bear Dorner manhunt: Officers opened fire on mother, daughter  Dorner had history of complaints against fellow LAPD officers -- Los Angeles Times staff writers Photo: A Snow Cat helps pull a SWAT vehicle out of the snow Friday. Credit: Michael Robinson Chavez/ Los Angeles

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US stocks regain footing Posted: 08 Feb 2013 04:54 PM PST NEW YORK: The S&P 500 punched to a new five-year high on Friday and the Nasdaq to its best since 2000, as stocks regained footing helped by a sharply narrowed US trade deficit. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also reached a post-crisis high above 14,022 during trade, but slipped back to end up 48.92 points (0.35 percent) at 13,992.97. The S&P 500 index rose 8.54 points (0.57 percent) to 1,517.93, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 28.74 points (0.91 percent) to 3,193.87. The indices were still shy of their all-time closing records struck on October 9, 2007, of 1,564.15 for the S&P and 14,164.53 for the Dow. The Nasdaq last saw Friday's level in 2000 as markets plunged in the dot-com crash. Friday's trade was buoyed by December US trade figures showing a sharp narrowing of the country's trade deficit, helped by a surge in oil exports and a parallel fall in the oil import bill. The smaller trade deficit "implies positive GDP growth for the fourth quarter," after the initial estimate of an 0.1 percent contraction, said economist Harm Bandholz of UniCredit. Bullishness also came from China's report that its trade surplus rose and inflation eased in January, adding to recent evidence the world's number-two economy is emerging from a drawn-out downtrend. The Dow was led higher by Hewlett-Packard, which put on 2.6 percent amid speculation that the company could be broken up in the wake of PC industry rival Dell's going private. Debt rater Moody's sank 7.7 percent, bringing its week loss to 21.6 percent, as speculation mounted that it could be in federal and state authority sights over its rating of mortgage securities, after Standard & Poor's was sued for allegedly exaggerating such ratings before the financial crisis. S&P parent McGraw-Hill lost 2.6 percent, taking its fall for the week to 26.9 percent. Online professional network LinkedIn jumped 21.3 percent after it smashed fourth-quarter earnings estimates and issued bullish predictions for 2013. Apple put on another 1.4 percent as it fielded pressure from shareholders to share out its US$137 billion cash hoard. -- AFP

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Blizzard begins to wallop northeastern US - Chicago Tribune Posted: 08 Feb 2013 09:39 AM PST A blizzard blew into the northeastern United States on Friday, bringing whiteout conditions to some parts of New England and threatening to drop record amounts of snow around Boston. Authorities scrambled to prepare for the storm, which had already touched off a massive traffic pile-up in southern Maine and prompted organizers of the nation's sledding championship in Maine to postpone a race scheduled for Saturday, fearing too much snow for the competition. From New York to Maine, the storm began gently, dropping a light dusting of snow, but officials urged residents to stay home, rather than risk getting stuck in deep drifts when the storm kicks up later Friday afternoon. Even in its early stages, the storm created some panic. Drivers lined up at gas stations to top off their tanks, grocery stores were swamped as shoppers stocked up on bread and milk, and travelers were forced to confront flight delays and cancellations. The early edge of the storm led to a 19-vehicle pile-up in southern Maine, snarling traffic on a major interstate highway north of Portland. No major injuries were reported. "It was close to whiteout conditions, it's sort of a precursor of what's coming later," said Stephen McCausland, a spokesman for the Maine State Police. Officials across the region closed schools and more than 3,000 flights were canceled. Several thousand customers lost power in New Jersey and points south, though officials warned the number was likely to rise as the snowfall got heavier and winds picked up. Governors and mayors ordered nonessential government workers to stay home, urged private employers to do the same, told people to prepare for power outages and encouraged them to check on elderly or disabled neighbors. The light snow falling across much of New England on Friday morning was a taste of the weather to come, said Jerry Paul, senior meteorologist with Weather Insight, a unit of Thomson Reuters. <TRI.TO "That's going to be gradually building today as time goes on," Paul said. A wide swath of New England, including northeastern Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island, and the Boston area, will likely see 24 inches to 30 inches (60 centimeters to 76 centimeters) of snow, with some areas seeing more than three feet (one meter) by the time the storm ends on Saturday morning, Paul added. At the storm's peak, winds could gust up to 65 miles per hour (105 kilometers per hour), he said. Boston's record snowfall, 27.6 inches (70.1 cm), came in 2003. CHEERING ON STORM Organizers of the country's championship sledding race, that had been scheduled to get underway in Camden, Maine, on Saturday, postponed the event by one day. "As soon as the weather clears on Saturday and it is safe, the toboggan committee will be out at Tobagganville cleaning up the chute as quickly as they can," said Holly Edwards, chairman of the U.S. National Toboggan Championships. "It needs to be shoveled out by hand." Some 400 teams were registered for the race, which features costumed sledders on a 400-foot (121 meter) chute. After two years of very little snow across the region, people whose livelihoods depend on skiers and snowmobilers cheered on the storm. "It affects restaurants, lodgings, everything if those people aren't up here to play," said Scott Senecal, manager of the VIP Discount Auto Center in Littleton, New Hampshire, in the White Mountains. "All those people that come up here they're going to have flat tires, batteries that die … Cold weather causes people to have to spend money whether they wanted to or not." FUEL WORRIES In New York City, still not fully recovered from the effects of October's devastating Hurricane Sandy, officials said they had 1,800 Sanitation Department trucks equipped with snow plows ready to be deployed. Motorists, mindful of the severe fuel disruptions after Sandy, rushed to buy gasoline, leading to shortages in New York City. A Reuters photographer reported at least three service stations had run out of gas in the borough of Queens on Friday morning, with long lines formed at others. Sandy knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of homes, taking gasoline stations out of service, and damaged port facilities, exacerbating the shortages by preventing operable stations from refueling. "We've seen some lines at stations in the southern part of the state, ahead of the storm, which may actually help prevent problems after the storm," said Ralph Bombardiere, executive director of the New York State Association of Service Stations and Repair Shops. "I'm not expecting anything like the vast power outages and problems we had with Sandy." Life was not any easier for those who planned to fly. More than 3,000 flights were canceled on Friday, with close to 1,000 planned cancellations for Saturday, according to the website FlightAware.com. The hardest-hit airports were in the New York City area, Boston and Toronto.

Ex-LAPD cop Christopher Dorner eludes police on mountain manhunt - CBS News Posted: 08 Feb 2013 09:23 AM PST Updated at 12:16 p.m. ET BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. Police spent all night searching the snowy mountains of Southern California but were unable to find the former Los Angeles police officer accused of carrying out a killing spree because he felt he was unfairly fired from his job. About 80 miles east of LA at Big Bear Lake, where Christopher Dorner's torched pickup was found, authorities said Friday morning that no new evidence had been found. San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said the hunt will go on until Dorner is found or there's evidence that he's left the mountain. Searchers Friday are dealing with falling snow and freezing temperatures in the Big Bear Lake region of the San Bernardino Mountains. More than 100 officers were assisting in the manhunt. Play Video Who is Christopher Dorner? CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports from Big Bear that authorities admit that the truck could be an elaborate diversion or even a trap. Local ski areas were open, but Bear Valley schoolchildren had the day off because of the manhunt. About 150 miles to the south, up to 16 San Diego County sheriff's deputies spent the night surrounding and searching a rural home after a hoaxer reported Dorner was there. There were people at home but Dorner wasn't one of them, said Lt. Jason Rothlein. Investigators have a pretty good idea who made the call and will be seek criminal charges, he said. Though the focus is on the resort area, the search for Dorner, 33, stretches across California, Nevada, Arizona and northern Mexico. LAPD officers are especially on edge because Dorner, who was fired from the force in 2008 after three years on the job, promised in rambling writings to bring "warfare" to police and their families. "We don't know what he's going to do," said Cindy Bachman, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, one of many law enforcement agencies whose primary purpose has become finding Dorner. "We know what he's capable of doing. And we need to find him." CBS News senior correspondent John Miller, a former top LAPD official, reports that Dorner cut off all his cell phones and other connections Jan. 31, indicating that he had spent time planning his alleged rampage. On Thursday, law enforcement officials were inspecting a package CNN's Anderson Cooper received from Dorner. CNN spokeswoman Shimrit Sheetrit said that a parcel containing a note, a DVD and a bullet hole-riddled memento was addressed to Cooper's office. Play Video Ex-LAPD Chief: Police "on edge" in hunt for cop killer The memento was a coin bearing the name of former Los Angeles Police Chief Bill Bratton, who appeared with Dorner in a picture taken years ago. On "CBS This Morning" Friday, Bratton described Dorner as "an incredibly dangerous individual" and reacted to the damaged coin. "When you see that that coin that was given in friendship and respect has three bullet holes, it's certainly very chilling," Bratton said. Tracks that surrounded the truck and hours of door-to-door searching around Bear Mountain Ski Resort turned up nothing, and authorities conceded that the whereabouts of Dorner, also a former Naval reservist and onetime college running back, remained a mystery. "He could be anywhere at this point," said San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon, who had 125 deputies and police officers and two helicopters searching the community of Big Bear Lake, where light snow fell early Friday morning. The saga began Sunday night, when Monica Quan and fiance Keith Lawrence were found shot in their car at a parking structure at their condominium in Irvine. Quan was an assistant women's basketball coach at Cal State Fullerton. The following morning in National City, near San Diego, some of Dorner's belongings, including police equipment and paperwork with names related to the LAPD, were found in a trash bin. The LAPD was notified of the find, and two days later informed Irvine police of an angry manifesto written by a former officer and posted on Facebook. Among those named as targets was Randal Quan, a former LAPD captain turned attorney who represented Dorner in his unsuccessful attempts to keep the police job he lost in 2008 for making false statements. Randal Quan was also Monica Quan's father. "Bing bing bing, the dots were connecting," Irvine police Lt. Julia Engen said. "These names are somehow associated to Mr. Quan, who just lost his daughter the prior day. The dots connected. OK, now we've got a name of somebody to look at. That's when the discovery was connected." On Wednesday night, Irvine and Los Angeles police announced they were searching for Dorner, declaring him armed and "extremely dangerous." Hours later, they learned they were all too correct. Two LAPD officers en route to provide security to one of Dorner's possible targets were flagged down by a resident who reported seeing the suspect early Thursday at a gas station in Corona. The officers then followed a pickup truck until it stopped. The driver, believed to be Dorner, got out and fired a rifle, police said. A bullet grazed an officer's head. Later, two officers on routine patrol in neighboring Riverside were ambushed at a stoplight by a motorist who drove up next to them and opened fire with a rifle. One died and the other was seriously wounded but was expected to survive, said Riverside police Chief Sergio Diaz. Thousands of heavily armed officers patrolled highways throughout Southern California, while some stood guard outside the homes of people police said Dorner vowed to attack. Electronic billboards, which usually alert motorists about the commute, urged them to call 911 if they saw him. At a news conference held amid heightened security in an underground room at police headquarters, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck urged Dorner to surrender. "Of course he knows what he's doing; we trained him. He was also a member of the Armed Forces," he said. "It is extremely worrisome and scary." While in the Naval Reserves, Dorner earned a rifle marksman ribbon and pistol expert medal. He was assigned to a naval undersea warfare unit and various aviation training units, according to military records, taking a leave from the LAPD to be deployed to Bahrain in 2006 and 2007. He wrote that he would "utilize every bit of small arms training, demolition, ordinance and survival training I've been given," the manifesto read. The hunt led to two errant shootings in the pre-dawn darkness Thursday. LAPD officers guarding a target named in the manifesto shot and wounded two women in suburban Torrance who were in a pickup truck delivering newspapers. Investigators said Maggie Carranza, 47, and her mother, Emma Hernandez, 71, were in a Toyota Tundra, similar to Dorner's Nissan Titan. Carranza had minor hand injuries. Hernandez was hospitalized with a gunshot wound in the back. A lawyer said they had no warning. Minutes later, Torrance officers responding to a report of gunshots encountered a dark pickup matching the description of Dorner's, police said. A collision occurred and the officers fired on the pickup. The unidentified driver was not hit and it turned out not to be the suspect vehicle, they said. In San Diego, where police said Dorner tied up an elderly man and unsuccessfully tried to steal his boat Wednesday night, Naval Base Point Loma was locked down Thursday after a Navy worker reported seeing someone who resembled Dorner. Navy Cmdr. Brad Fagan said officials believe Dorner had checked into a base hotel on Tuesday and left the next day without checking out. Numerous agencies guarded the base on Thursday. Fagan said Dorner was honorably discharged and that his last day in the Navy was last Friday. Nevada authorities also joined the search, because Dorner owns a house nine miles from the Las Vegas Strip. In Big Bear, Dorner's pickup was taken to be processed at a crime lab Thursday evening and examined by investigators from multiple agencies. The manhunt was affecting some local businesses. A couple of fast food restaurants shut their doors and only took drive-in customers, and the main shopping avenue had light foot traffic. Dorner's writings suggested he did not expect to live through the ordeal. "Unfortunately, I will not be alive to see my name cleared," he wrote at one point in his manifesto, later saying, "Self-preservation is no longer important to me. I do not fear death as I died long ago."

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Intense manhunt waged for ex-cop wanted in 3 murders - USA TODAY Posted: 07 Feb 2013 09:30 AM PST Police respond in Riverside, Calif., early Thursday after one officer was killed and another critically wounded in a shoot out with a murder suspect.(Photo: Kevin Warn, AP) Story Highlights A former police officer is a suspect in the killing of Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence Christopher Dorner implicated himself in a multi-page manifesto obtained by authorities Dorner is believed to be armed and dangerous 1 officer dead as massive manhunt stretches across Southern California IRVINE, Calif. – Police are waging an intensive manhunt across Southern California for a former Los Angeles cop wanted in connection with a double murder and suspected of going on a revenge shooting spree. Overnight shootings in Riverside County that left one officer dead and two wounded have been linked to the former Los Angeles officer, Christopher Dorner, who was named as a suspect in the slaying of a young couple here Sunday. Across Southern California, digital traffic signs carried alerts urging motorists to report any sight of Dorner, believed to be driving a Nissan Titan pickup truck and considered armed and dangerous. As a measure of the intensity of the manhunt, LAPD police and Torrance police were involved in two separate shooting incidents in Torrance which two people were hit by gunfire and suffered unknown injuries, the Los Angeles Timesreported. The newspaper quoted Torrance police Lt. Devin Chase as saying both incidents involved vehicles fitting the description of the one belonging to Dorner. The suspect was not actually involved in either incident, Chase said. "I don't think there's anybody in law enforcement who isn't looking for him, along with about half the commuters in Southern California,'' said San Diego police Det. Gary Hassen. READ: Suspect's 20-page manifesto Police there early Thursday recovered a badge and ID bearing Dorner's photograph, Hassen said. The items were found by a citizen near the San Diego airport, given to a shuttle bus driver and passed to police, he said. Irvine Police Chief David Maggard named Dorner Wednesday night as the suspect in the slayings of Monica Quan, 28, an assistant basketball coach at California State University-Fullerton, and her fiance, David Lawrence, a University of Southern California campus security officer. They were found dead of multiple gunshots in their car outside their Irvine condominium Sunday night. The Los Angeles Police Department said in a written statement that it was cooperating and that Dorner "has made threats against members of the LAPD, and we are taking those threats very seriously.'' It said police were taking steps to protect personnel and citizens that may have been threatened. "Dorner is to be considered armed and extremely dangerous and we ask that anyone who sees Dorner, to not approach or attempt contacting him, but to immediately call 911 and notify law enforcement authorities,'' the Los Angeles police statement said. Dorner was a Los Angeles officer from 2002 until 2008, when he was terminated, the department said. Two overnight shootings were linked to the investigation, the first in the city of Corona, where two LAPD officers were providing security. One officer was grazed by a bullet, the Associated Press reported. Riverside Lt. Guy Toussaint says two officers were stopped at a light while on routine patrol around 1:30 a.m. local time when someone shot them, the Associated Press reported. One of the officers was killed and the other was critically wounded. Christopher Dorner has been identified in the shooting deaths of Keith Lawrence and Monica Quan.(Photo: Irvine Police Department Press) Police say Dorner implicated himself in the killings in a "manifesto" that included threats against several people, including members of the LAPD. Toussaint says police don't where Dorner is but think he left the area. Monica Quan is the daughter of Randy Quan, a retired LAPD captain who was involved in the review process that ultimately led to Dorner's dismissal from the force. This undated file photo provided by Cal State Fullerton shows Cal State Fullerton assistant women's NCAA college basketball coach Monica Quan in Fullerton, Calif. Quan and her fiance Keith Lawrence were found shot to death Sunday night on the top floor of a parking structure at the complex, police said.(Photo: Matt Brown, AP) MORE: Cal State Fullerton hoops coach, fiance shot to death Maggard said Dorner lost his LAPD job and implicated himself in the deaths with a multi-page manifesto obtained by police. He did not reveal other details. In his online manifesto, the Los Angeles Times reported, Dorner wrote in reference to Quan and others, "Your lack of ethics and conspiring to wrong a just individual are over. Suppressing the truth will lead to deadly consequences for you and your family. There will be an element of surprise where you work, live, eat, and sleep." "The violence of action will be high," he wrote. "... I will bring unconventional and asymmetrical warfare to those in LAPD uniform whether on or off duty." LAPD officer Christopher Dorner, who had been called up for active military service in the Navy, poses with then Chief William J. Bratton in a photo from the August 2006 issue of the Beat police newsletter. An accompanying text noted the LAPD's support for police LAPD pesonnel serving in the Armed Forces Guard and Reserve.(Photo: Beat) "I know most of you who personally know me are in disbelief to hear from media reports that I am suspected of committing such horrendous murders and have taken drastic and shocking actions in the last couple of days," he wrote, according to the newspaper. In a statement issued late Wednesday, the LAPD said Dorner was employed as a police officer from Feb. 7, 2002, until Sept. 4, 2008. The slaying of the couple shocked this suburban city that prides itself on having one of the lowest crime rates in the nation. The couple was found dead of multiple gunshots in their car Sunday night in a parking structure at their condominium home near the University of California-Irvine campus. Quan and Lawrence both were standout basketball players while students at Concordia University in Irvine, and Quan was an assistant coach at California State University-Fullerton. Lawrence was a campus police officer at the University of Southern California. Randy Quan was the first Chinese-American to attain the rank of captain on the LAPD force, the department has said. He later served as chief of police at Cal Poly-Pomona, part of the California State University system.

Forecasters: Potentially historic storm will intensify Friday night - Boston.com Posted: 07 Feb 2013 08:36 AM PST By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff The potentially historic storm expected to hammer Massachusetts with up to 2 feet of snow, high winds, and coastal flooding will start with just a few flakes Friday morning, but by that night, snow could be falling thick and fast, creating dangerous conditions on the road, the National Weather Service says. Only an inch or two is expected to fall Friday morning. The storm's intensity is expected to increase in the afternoon with another 2 to 4 inches falling. Then "the real fun" will begin after 6 p.m. or 7 p.m., when snow will begin to fall at 1 to 2 inches per hour, said weather service meteorologist William Babcock. "I think it's going to become fairly dangerous by Friday night. The sooner you can be off the roads the better," he said. "You want to give yourself some time to be at your safe spot before the storn hits its strongest." The snow will strengthen into the evening, with wind-whipped snow falling at 2 to 4 inches per hour during the peak. The snow will continue into Saturday morning and taper off in the afternoon, he said. Babcock said late this morning in a telephone interview that the worst-case scenario still appears to be that 2 feet of snow will blanket areas of the state. "In weather, you never say never," he said. "Right now, we're fairly confident there's going to be a major snowstorm. ... The probability of our seeing significant snow is fairly high. I wouldn't want to bet against it at this time." Forecasters have issued blizzard watches for much of the state, warning that the copious snow will be whipped by high winds and gusts that could reach 65 miles per hour in some areas. A National Weather Service snowfall total forecast map issued today shows most of the state getting 18 to 24 inches, with only the Cape and islands slightly spared, getting 10 to 14 inches, with 8 to 10 on Nantucket. The forecasters are also warning that the storm may produce moderate coastal flooding Friday evening and moderate to major coastal flooding Saturday morning. Large waves, along with a 2-to-3-foot storm surge, are expected to devour beaches and flood shore roads. They also may put shoreside homes at risk during the Saturday morning high tide. Boston.com weather blogger meteorologist David Epstein says there is still conflicting information on the track of the storm and a wobble could change snowfall amounts, but it will nonetheless be a big storm. From state and local officials to residents crowding supermarkets to pick up supplies, people around the state are girding for the wintry blast. Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency spokesman Peter Judge said a number of key players in storm response were meeting this morning at the state's emergency bunker in Framingham to discuss the blizzard and plans to respond to it, such as how to address power outages, coastal flooding, and clearing of debris. Those attending the meetings included the National Guard, State Police, Department of Transportation, Department of Public Utilities, the utilities themselves, and the Red Cross and Salvation Army, he said. Judge said the state would activate its emergency operations center at the bunker sometime Friday. He urged people to monitor the storm, saying the timing and impact to specific areas could "change dramatically." He also urged people to listen to local elected officials, who may advise them to stay off the road or, if they're along the coast, evacuate their homes. He said people should put together their emergency kits, which should include flashlights, batteries, and bottled water. And he said people planning to use generators should make sure they know how to use them safely.

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