NBC 6 South Florida anchor Keith Jones walked away with a few battle scars after being bitten by a Burmese python while on assignment.

Registration begins Thursday for Florida's 2016 Python Challenge, which encourages hunters to kill or capture the invasive Burmese python from the Florida Everglades. Before registered snake hunters can start tagging and bragging about their prizes, they must first undergo required online or in-person training sessions that teach how to identify Burmese pythons.

Jones was there Wednesday for one of the in-person training sessions held at the University of Florida's Davie campus.

Hunters were taught how to properly pin, handle and double-bag pythons. When Jones went to put his training to use, the 9-foot python ended up catching him, sinking its fangs into Jones' hand.

When asked if it hurt, Jones replied "not at all" as he continued to bag the snake.

Kristen Sommers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the hardest part of catching the invasive snake is spotting it.

"You have passed probably 100 snakes that you should have detected before you saw the one you did," says Sommers.

There are no known native predators to the Burmese python, which contributes to an imbalance in the system in the Florida Everglades. The snakes are known to prey on other native species, including snakes, birds, reptiles and mammals.

Their numbers were once reported to be as much as 100,000 but it's hard to say how many are lurking now.

"There are no good estimates of python numbers, and the reason for that is that detection is so low," said Kristen Sommers of FWC. "You're talking less than one-percent detectability."

All pythons turned in at Python Challenge drop off locations will be humanely killed if they are brought in alive, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Carli Segelson. Competition rules instruct how to humanely transport the snakes. 

"Scientists will study the carcasses to gather important information from these snakes including the length, weight, gender and location of capture," she said.

The month-long competition will offer cash prizes to teams and individuals who capture the most pythons and the longest python.

It kicks off at noon on January 16th and ends at 7 p.m. on February 14th.

Registration information can be found at pythonchallenge.org.

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Thursday to decide whether Congress exceeded its powers when it passed a law in 2012 allowing victims of terrorism to seize nearly $2 billion belonging to Iran's central bank, NBC News reported. 

More than 1,000 victims of terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East sponsored by Iran sued the Iranian government and won their cases. Among them were family members of 241 Marines killed in a 1983 barracks bombing in Lebanon.

The attack was blamed on Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia backed by Iran.

Because Iran refused to pay, the victims asked a federal court to let them seize Iranian assets held by Bank Markazi in New York that were frozen by the Obama administration. 

Normally, those assets would not be available to the victims, but they asked Congress to pass a law allowing them to seize the money. 

The Chargers are burning through offensive linemen like a college kid with access to his parents' no-limit credit card. Through three games they've already run eight guys out there, and if the injury report from Wednesday's practice is any indication, that number will increase this weekend.

Left tackle King Dunlap (concussion), left guard Orlando Franklin (ankle) and center Chris Watt (groin) all missed practice completely. It does not bode well for them to return to the field on Sunday against the Browns at Qualcomm Stadium.

Right guard D.J. Fluker (ankle, chest) and reserve tackle/guard Chris Hairston (ankle, knee) both were able to practice in full, but I saw D.J. walking off the field and he was hobbling pretty good. So, if any of you had right tackle Joe Barksdale in the offensive line survival pool ... CONGRATULATIONS! You win.

The Bolts brought veteran J.D. Walton in to the mix this week. He started 36 games at center with Mike McCoy in Denver and knows the offensive system well enough to get by on short notice. Walton started all 16 games with the Giants last year and can play guard if need-be.

San Diego also promoted tackle Tyreek Burwell from the practice squad. The undrafted rookie out of Cincinnati is 6'5" and weighs 305 pounds. In addition to them Kenny Wiggins, who has appeared in two games already, could be thrust in to the starting lineup at either guard or tackle against Cleveland.

All of this has to worry Chargers fans about just how well the front-5 can protect quarterback Philip Rivers.

"The intention and expectation is we're going to weather the storm," said Rivers, who was sacked four times and hit 12 more in a Week 3 loss to Minnesota. "Maybe we'll be better for it in the long run. We'll be fine. We really will."

Ever the optimist, Rivers will have new pieces to plug in again. It's something he's grown used to doing, and that is not the kind of experience any QB wants to have on his resume.

Back in 2006 the Chargers used the same starting offensive line combination in 15 of 16 games. It's likely no coincidence they went 14-2 that year. Stability on the offensive line would certainly help the 2015 Bolts.

Scientists are looking at ocean-warming trends to figure out why endangered Guadalupe fur seals are stranding themselves and dying in alarming numbers along the central California coast.

Approximately 80 emaciated fur seals have come ashore since January — about eight times more than normal - leading the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this week to declare an "unusual mortality event" for the animals.

The classification diverts additional resources to study the animals, which have been traditionally under-researched, officials said.

Researchers will try to determine if the die-off is a result of a disruption in the seal's feeding patterns from a large-scale warming of the Pacific Ocean, Toby Garfield, an official with NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center, said Tuesday.

The so-called warm blobs occurring during a persistent high-pressure ridge have grown to cover most of the West Coast and have been previously blamed for discoveries of emaciated young sea lions off California and starving seabirds off Oregon and Washington.

Some of the fish species that fur seals usually eat may have moved farther north to escape the unusually warm waters, Garfield said during a teleconference.

"We think that warm water conditions have really changed the range of quite a few of the forage fish species that the fur seals would be going after," he said.

Garfield expects the high-pressure system to persist for a few more months, when El Nino, another ocean-warming phenomenon, could cause further problems.

Of the 80 Guadalupe sea lions stranded so far this year, 42 were found dead, said Justin Viezbicke, a NOAA coordinator in Long Beach. From 2009 through 2014, the agency recorded only about 10 strandings per year.

The spike "demands immediate response," resulting in the designation, Viezbicke said.

The majority of the stranded seals were pups born last year, but at least 4 were adult females, said Tenaya Norris, a scientist at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, where most of the animals were rehabilitated.

The center has responded to stranded fur seals since 1977, and before 2015, the highest number it has admitted in any other year is five, Norris said. SeaWorld in San Diego nursed other emaciated seals back to health.

Guadalupe fur seals breed almost entirely on Guadalupe Island near Baja California, Mexico, more than 600 miles from where they are stranding in central California.

Male fur seals can grow up to 7 feet long and top out at around 400 pounds.

Hunting brought the species to near extinction in the late 1800s, but it had been slowly recovering. The seal has been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 1967 and also is protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The current population is estimated at more than 10,000 animals.

An unusual mortality event was declared in 2007 for Guadalupe fur seals in Oregon and Washington, according to NOAA.
 

A fire that broke out Wednesday night at a Planned Parenthood building in Thousand Oaks, California, is considered a case of arson, sheriff's investigators confirmed.

The fire was reported around 11:27 p.m. in the 1200 block of West Hillcrest Drive and likely started when someone tossed a container with a flammable liquid through a window, investigators with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department said. Firefighters responded and found a small fire burning in the lobby, which activated the sprinkler system, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

The sprinkler system put out the fire, which caused minimal damage, firefighters said. More significant damage was caused by water from the sprinkler system, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.

Jenna Tosh, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo counties, said the location will remain closed Thursday. The same location was targeted by vandals in August, Tosh said.

"It's always very disappointing whenever you hear that something like this has happened," Tosh said.

Firefighters said the fire was "suspicious" and intentionally set. A rock was likely used to smash a window, said Detective Tim Lohman, of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department.

"An incident like this, obviously they're trying to get a point across -- whatever that point might be," said Lohman. "Our job is to make sure the community is safe."

Sheriff's Capt. John Reilly said someone wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a face mask was recorded by surveillance cameras, according to The Associated Press.

Employees for Planned Parenthood were at the office Thursday morning assessing the damage from the fire and trying to reschedule appointments.

No injuries were reported.

Authorities said they were investigating if the Planned Parenthood office in Thousand Oaks received any recent threats.

The health center provides cancer screenings, birth control, sexually transmitted disease tests and other services. Planned Parenthood has faced recent criticism and congressional backlash for its practice of supplying tissue from aborted fetuses for scientific research.

NBC4's Corey Arvin contributed to this report.
 

A cafe in London the exclusively sells 120 variety of breakfast cereal has become a flashpoint for protest in a city increasingly polarized between rich and poor. 

Last weekend, a crowd of anti-gentrification protesters with flaming torches and pig masks surrounded the cafe and wrote "scum" on the windows. Anti-poverty protesters say the cafe is a symbol of all that's wrong with London's development.

Tony Tavers, an expert at the London School of Economics, said the cereal cafe is "an innocent casualty of a wider struggle for territory in the city."

One-bedroom apartments sell for 500,000 pounds ($750,000) and up, but almost half of children in the local borough, Tower Hamlets, live in poverty.

Target Corp. plans an Oct. 7 opening for its two previously announced new San Diego stores.

A company statement said the 19,000-square-foot store at 3030 Grape St. in South Park will employ 60, and a standard-size Target at 17170 Camino Del Sur, in the Del Sur neighborhood, will have 280 workers.

Minneapolis-based Target currently operates 15 stores in San Diego County.

Recently released footage shows a neon glow bouncing off a turtle's shell in the Solomon Islands.

A Hawksbill sea turtle glowing green with streaks of red in a coral reef is said to be the first biofluorescent reptile discovered. While searching for small species of biofluorescent sharks, David Gruber, a City University of New York assistant professor and marine biologist, spotted the turtle during a dive.

According to Gruber, scientists have hypothesized that biofluorescence has a potential "covert" means of communication.

The phenomenon is a result of the absorption, transformation and emiting of a different light. Gruber and his team used a blue light and yellow filter to pick up the fluorescing organisms, National Geographic reported.

Biofluorescence is not to be confused with bioillumination where white light is produced by a chemical reaction.

"We now hope to study the vision of this turtle to see what colors they see and how they perceive biofluorescence," Gruber said in an email. "We also plan to investigate what molecule is causing the fluorescence."

Gruber and his team were in the Solomon Islands participating in a Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary 21 (TBA 21) expedition, National Geographic reported. TBA 21 is a fellowship organization bringing artists, scientists and thinkers together and commissions projects around the study of geographical issues on land and in the sea.

"It was a totally unexpected finding. We were blown away," he said. "It highlights how many mysteries there are left to be discovered in the ocean."

Biofluorescence was first intensively studied in corals. Last year, scientists were surprised to find it widespread in fish and sharks, Gruber said.

Gruber said Hawksbill turtles like the one discovered are critically endangered and remain under threat because of climate change, illegal trade, by-catch and legal fishing.

"This observation of fluorescence in Hawksbill turtles highlights the urgency to understand and better protect and manage this species while they still exist," he said.

President Barack Obama spoke passionately and registered frustration Thursday night after a gunman opened fire on a community college campus in Oregon.

The shooter, Chris Harper Mercer, 26, who is now dead, killed at least 10 people at the community college in Roseburg, Oregon, and wounded about seven others.

"Somehow this has become routine," the president said. "My response here, at this podium, is routine. We’ve become numb to this. It cannot be this easy for someone who wants to inflict pain on someone else to get their hands on guns.”

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The president called upon congress to implement what he calls common sense gun control laws. He noted that critics will say that he "politicized" this issue.

"This is something we should politicize— it is relevant to our common life together," he said.

Obama continued to compare the United States to other advanced countries, saying that it only took them "one mass shooting" before gun policies were changed. He said that it is a known fact that states with more gun control laws have less gun violence. 

The president also said that America is not the only country that has people with mental illness but that the United States is the only developed country that sees shootings like this "every month."

Obama made it clear that "our thoughts and prayers are not enough" just hours after presidential candidates and top politicians shared their condolences online. 

Earlier Thursday, politicians tweeted their thoughts and prayers for victims of the shooting at Umpqua Community College in southwest Oregon, with some calling for gun control laws.

Republicans Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Lindsey Graham and John Kasich and Democrats Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders were among those sending condolences.

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Many of the messages streered away from the politics of gun control but not all, including Rep. Xavier Becerra, a Democrat from California and chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, who challenged Republicans over gun safety.

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As the state revealed California's August water conservation numbers, the San Diego County Water Authority is tempering expectations for this year’s El Nino, saying it may not be a drought buster.

Oct. 1 marks the beginning of a new water year, which means California is heading into a new year of drought. According to the NOAA Climate Prediction Center, the upcoming El Nino could be one of the strongest compared to the 1997 event.

With that could come more rainfall to fill reservoirs, and residents would not have to irrigate as much. However, higher temperatures do not bode well for the state’s snowpack, water authority officials announced while presenting their annual report Thursday.

“Even if … the next water year is wet, it’s predicted to be hot again, and we could see more rain versus snow, and snowpack in the northern Sierra is very important for the state water system,” said Dana Friehauf, the water resources manager for the water authority.

Still, because no water shortages are expected from the Colorado River — one of San Diego’s main sources — the water authority said it can meet 99 percent of projected 2016 demands. The agency has worked to diversify its water sources, including recycling water and desalination efforts.

San Diego as a whole is already below the state’s long-term conservation targets for 2020. Countywide, the water authority said water use fell about 24 percent in August, compared to August 2013.

Since state water restrictions went into effect in June, San Diego County has surpassed its target of 20 percent, saving an average of 27 percent in June, July and August, compared to the same period in 2013.

But six water districts fell behind their goals in August: the Carlsbad Municipal Water District, the Fallbrook Public Utility District, the Olivenhain Municipal Water District, the city of Poway, the San Dieguito Water District and the Santa Fe Water District.

When averaging their conservation rates since June, Santa Fe Irrigation District and Olivenhain Municipal Water District are exceeding their targets.

See how much your district saved in the table below.

Statewide, California has surpassed the 25 percent conservation mandate for the third consecutive month, saving nearly 27 percent more water in August compared to the same month in 2013.

Break out the lederhosen and polka moves: it’s Oktoberfest season.

In San Diego, many communities will host their own versions of the German festival that celebrates fun, food and, of course, really good beer. So, grab your stein and toast with friends in America’s Finest City.

El Cajon Oktoberfest
(Dates: Oct. 2-4 and Oct. 9-11)
Oktoberfest in El Cajon is so nice, it happens twice. The first round of Oktoberfest begins this weekend (Oct. 2-4; 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday) and kicks up once more the following weekend (Oct. 9-11) at the same times. Hosted by the German American Societies of San Diego, Inc., this traditional Oktoberfest takes place at 1017 S. Mollison Ave. and will feature authentic German food – think pretzels and ox-on-the-spit here – a beer garden, games and family-friendly activities. Also on the agenda: live music from the Bavarian band, Guggenbach-Buam, straight from Baden-Württemberg, Germany, performing classics like polkas, waltzes and other famous beer-drinking tunes. Admission is $5 for attendees 21 and up. Active-duty military members and anyone under 21 gets in free.

La Mesa Oktoberfest
(Dates: Oct. 2-3)
This 42nd annual Oktoberfest, happening this weekend (Oct. 2-3; 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on both days) brings the ultimate street fair to downtown La Mesa. This year, an expected 100,000 revelers can enjoy more than 100 vendors lined along the streets selling goods or services. This party will also boast tons of German food, live music, dancing and two 21+ beer gardens, one on Palm Avenue and the other on Allison Street. Organizers say attendees can expect these brews on tap: Oktoberfest Marzen, Hef, Munich Lager and Salvator. This year, attendees can also partake in a German costume contest that will award prizes every hour from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on both nights. Admission is free.

Ocean Beach Oktoberfest:
(Dates: Oct. 9-10)
The annual OB Oktoberfest will bring the German festival to the beach community on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10 (4:20 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday), taking place at Newport Avenue and Abbott Street. The beach bash includes live music, an oceanfront beer garden and fun, quirky activities and contests involving hefty cash prizes, such as the Sausage Toss competition, in which participants take turns tossing sausages into a tub in hopes of winning $10,000. There’s also a bratwurst eating contest, a stein holding competition, a Ms. Oktoberfest contest and a Bavarian Beer Tasting. And, before the party even starts, there’s the OB Brat Trot (Oct. 10), a 5K beach run fundraiser to benefit local youth sports. Admission is $5, good for both days.

Carlsbad Rotary Oktoberfest
(Dates: Oct. 3)
Representing for the North County, the 33rd annual Carlsbad Oktoberfest will be held Oct. 3 from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Holiday Park. Admission is $3 for attendees age 10 and up. For those looking to feast, dinner tickets can be purchased for $15 at the door, which includes a meal, or $12 in advance. Entertainment includes live music and dancing, as well as a pumpkin patch and pumpkin decorating contest for kids, face painting and an antique fire truck. This year, an Oktoberfest costume contest has also been added to the activities. Parking is limited, but there’s a free shuttle service to the fest picking up and dropping off attendees all day at the southwest corner parking lot of Westfield’s El Plaza Camino Real.

Balboa Park made the list as one of the American Planning Association’s six Great Public Spaces in America. The list recognizes 15 neighborhoods, streets, and public spaces.

Each place must demonstrate character, planning, cultural and historical significance that enriches the community and helps economic growth.

“Public spaces are essential as gathering places and recreational venues in our communities, and designing them to be innovative, multifunctional, and culturally beneficial requires thoughtful collaboration and planning,” said Carol Rhea, FAICP, president of APA. “The Great Public Spaces of 2015 illustrate how to effectively create spaces that enhance the lives of residents and visitors alike, and we commend them on this tremendous achievement.”

The distinction comes as Balboa Park celebrates its centennial. In 1915 the park played host to the Panama-California Exposition celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal, which defined much of the way the park looks today.

The park has played a vital role in San Diego’s history and contribution to culture. From World War II when many of the institutions were taken over by the Navy to the 15 museums and world-famous zoo that welcome thousands of residents, tourists, and students each year, the park is the artistic hub of the city: a place for relaxation, learning, and fun.

Other recognized public spaces include the Santa Fe Railroad, Flint Farmer’s Market in Michigan, and Millennium Park in Chicago.

The APA is an independent, not-for-profit educational organization providing leadership in the development of communities.

The APA has recognized 245 places since they began the list in 2007.
 

A virus that has been in our DNA for millions of years may be resurfacing in the form of ALS, scientists reported Thursday.

The discovery may lead scientists to finding a treatment for the incurable disease.

The virus is called HERV-K, and it incorporated itself — permanently — into the human genome between 2 and 5 million years ago. It's a human endogenous retrovirus — an example of nature's own genetic engineering.

Because they're part of the DNA, they are passed down from generation to generation in the same way as genes for eye color or height. Experts estimate that these viruses make up as much as 8 percent of the human genome.

Six American service members were killed early Friday when a U.S. C-130 transport plane crashed at an airport in Afghanistan, NBC News reported.

The crash happened shortly after midnight local time (3:19 p.m. ET) at Jalalabad airport, coalition spokesperson U.S. Army Col. Brian Tribus said.

Five civilian contractors and two local Afghan civilians were also killed, the military official said.

The cause of the crash hasn’t been determined. The official said there were no reports of hostile activity in the area.

The proposed development for Lilac Hills Ranch in North County has stirred heated debate for months as the county moves closer to a decision on the project.

Although that decision is still in the future, Developer Randy Goodson is planning to spearhead “the wave of the future": incorporating robots into the community to promote healthier living.

Goodson wants to use about a dozen robots on the private streets of Lilac Hills Ranch, acting as a chauffeur for residents out on a run, carrying your groceries home for you, mowing your lawn and driving you home in a Polaris.

However, contentious discussions between residents in the surrounding area and county officials have yet to hint if the development will be approved.

Lilac Hills Ranch would convert rural land not currently zoned for the 600-acre project into schools, hotels, commercial space and more than 1,700 homes. A road that would serve as one of the main exits for the community would also have to be repaved and expanded, threatening the property lines of current residents.

Recently, the planning commission recommended approval for the project to the County Board of Supervisors, agreeing that Lilac Hills Ranch complies with the county’s general plan.

Goodson said he understands the opposition to the project, but insists the development will benefit everyone.

“I understand it’s natural to be scared of change,” Goodson said. “Fear of change is human nature. We’re creating a great place that’s not only going to enhance the lives of people who move into Lilac Ranch, but also to all of our neighbors. We’re building parks and schools and trails that are there for everybody.”

While the project is being considered, anything is possible…and robots could soon be coming to a community near you.

Goodson said the robots can be assigned to the task of your choice via a mobile app. You tell the robot where to go or where to pick you up, similar to Uber, the rideshare app.

The developer has enlisted 5D Robotics, a Carlsbad company, to build the Lilac Hills Ranch robots.

5D Robotics showcased the capabilities of the Polaris and Segway models that would be used in the community at Carlsbad’s Alga Norte Park on Thursday. One rectangular, wheeled robot weaved back and forth across the park, meant to mimic the movements of a lawn mower. The Polaris operated hands-free, as it would when taking residents home from a night out in the community.

5D Robotics CEO David Bruemee said he’s excited for the development as a test location for the robots—before 5D moves toward autonomous highway driving robotics.

“Each of these vehicles (robots) is able to use lasers to actually see in 3-dimensions everything that’s happening around it,” Bruemee said. “If there’s a 3-year-old that jumps in front of it, if there’s an obstacle like another vehicle, it’s going to get around that vehicle; it’s going to get around that human. That’s absolutely critical.”

Goodson said he will be buying the robots, and the homeowner’s association will pay for operation and maintenance. There’s currently no estimate for what it would cost the association.

If the community development project is approved and the robots are built, Goodson said Lilac Hills Ranch will be the first community in the country with robotic assistance and transportation.

The developer is scheduled to appear before the County Board of Supervisors on Oct. 28.

The shooting at Umpqua College, in which at least ten people died Thursday, calls into question the security of our own local colleges and universities.

According to officials deputies in San Diego are part of a joint security task force that oversees all the colleges in the county.

The University and College Law Enforcement Task Force meets monthly to look at trends and do joint trainings, which include active shooter drills. An official with the San Diego Community College District says they do active shootings training at least two times a year, up from the once a year training most other colleges do.

The task force plans to look into what happened in Oregon, as they’ve done with the shootings in Santa Barbara and Santa Monica and others, to see what law enforcement could have done differently.

Southwestern College’s chief of police says they are fully prepared if something were to happen.

Grossmont College Sgt. Richard Groggin says students need to be aware.

“We are here. We want the students to talk to us,” Groggin told NBC7. “If you see something out of the ordinary please get ahold of a deputy…We are here to assist however needed.”
 

US Customs and Border Protection officers launched a helicopter rescue operation Sunday after a group attempting to enter the US illegally called 911.

Unsure where they were and with one person needing medical attention, the group sent CBP officers photos of their surroundings from cell phones. A crew member on the helicpoter recognized the location, and officers made the rescue by the top of Otay Mountain near the border.

“Cell phone technology and cell phone service in border areas have come a long way, and are often used as a lifeline by people trying to cross illegally into the U.S.,” said Hunter Davis, Director of Air Operations for the San Diego Air and Marine Branch. “However, long treks through difficult terrain remain dangerous and put people at risk. Smugglers mislead people all of the time about the dangers of trying to enter the U.S. illegally – the bottom line is that you’re still risking your life.”

After the hour and a half search, officers transported the men, all Mexican citizens, to a local station and treated one for dehydration. The men, aged 24, 25, and 49, needed no other medical attention.
 

A Carlsbad doctor accused of sexually assaulting a patient after surgery is now facing his first lawsuit stemming from the case.

John McGuire, 44, was charged on six felony and three misdemeanor counts last month including sexual penetration by force and sexual exploitation by a physician. He pleaded not guilty to all nine charges.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Riverside Superior Court’s Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

The patient, who is being identified as “Jane Roe” to protect her identity, is suing McGuire, North County ENT Medical Group, Tri-Valley Medical Group, United Healthcare Services and her health insurance for compensation for injuries stemming from the assault.

The complaint seeks damages for sexual harassment by a physician, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, violation of Unruh Civil Rights Act, gender violence, negligent hiring, training and supervision and medical malpractice.

McGuire, who practiced as an ear, nose and throat specialist, was arrested in August and is currently in sheriff's custody, held on $3 million bail. He had medical offices in Murrieta, Fallbrook and Escondido.

Investigators in Riverside County said McGuire assaulted a patient at Temecula Valley Hospital.

Litigators expect several more suits to be filed against McGuire and the other defendants named in the complaint filed Wednesday.

Recently, pedestrian deaths on San Diego roads have spiked. In fact, 2014 was the deadliest year in San Diego in more than a decade, with 23 pedestrians dying just in the city.

Jim Stone of Circulate San Diego says drivers need to look more carefully.

“People are fallible, sometimes you make a mistake,” Stone told NBC7. “Stepping out onto the curb should not be a death sentence.”

On Wednesday last week a driver ran over a man in the road after he collapsed while crossing the street.

Last Friday was an especially tragic day; two walkers were injured in a hit and run in Vista, a woman died after a shuttle bus hit her crossing the street, then at night a driver hit two men crossing health center drive to visit someone in the hospital. Both of the men were seriously injured and one later died.

In Lakeside that same night a family was crossing Woodside Avenue when a suspected DUI driver without lights on hit them, killing a grandmother and seriously injuring her husband.

This week started out no different when a bicyclist was hit and killed in Mira Mesa. Thursday morning two children were injured when a teenage driver hit them in a crosswalk in San Marcos.

Stone says the crashes are preventable.

“They're crashes, they're not accidents. We just can't accept it, it’s too much loss, families are devastated and it's time for a change.”

Stone is working with the City, schools and organizations on a resolution for what’s called 'Vision Zero', which has a goal of zero pedestrian deaths on San Diego’s streets.

“It's a big goal but people need to ask themselves, what is an acceptable level for your family,” Stone said. “Is 50 percent good enough? I don’t think so.”

The City Council will meet on October 20th to consider a Vision Zero resolution.

Critics of the San Diego's environmental studies for a new Chargers stadium say objections filed with the city indicate there'll be lawsuits and long delays to the project. They question whether it can ever get done.

Among the 18 public comments are 275-pages submitted by a Los Angeles County law firm that's obviously ready to bring litigation against the city.

Upshot for taxpayers and Chargers fans?

The prospect of more uncertainty and expenses to come.

"The city has essentially rolled the dice on the outcome based on this condensed process that they've put in place,” says San Diego Stadium Coalition founder Jason Riggs, who advocates a hybrid stadium and convention facility downtown -- instead of the city's proposal to rebuild on the current Qualcomm Stadium site.

“So it's going to be very challenging for the city to prevail,” Riggs added in an interview Thursday. “It's essentially teed up a pretty easy potential lawsuit for the litigants that want to come and challenge the city on this thing."

The environmental process for that project has come under a serious 275-page attack by the Hermosa Beach law firm of Chatten-Brown & Carstens, representing the Audubon Society, Save our Heritage Organisation and Endangered Habitats League.

Another group, the San Diego River Park Foundation, takes issue with the city's claims that numerous environmental "impacts" can be "mitigated" in compliance with state law.

“The EIR, the draft, suggests that there's not enough data to support their conclusions, says Rob Hutsel, the foundation’s executive director. “And so we made comments on some of those things which need to be corrected. Other people have made other comments, of course. But the reality is, I don't care how long it takes. The question is, how good is the document?"

Douglas Carstens, the Chatten-Brown attorney who filed the opus public-comment objections, told NBC 7 that the firm is working on what’s called a "pro bono" basis -- not charging its clients, in anticipation of attorney fees being awarded later in the litigation process.

Other objections were filed by parties with apparent connections to the Chargers.

For his part, Chargers special counsel Mark Fabiani deflected questions about any team involvement.

A spokesman for Mayor Faulconer says the city will take its time reviewing the public comments -- and won't move toward "certifying" an EIR unless the Chargers come back to the bargaining table.

So, evidently, the standoff persists.

At least until an NFL franchise-relocation decision is made.