Mayor Faulconer will officially open Fire Station #45 Monday as part of his promise to improve public safety in every neighborhood.

Station #45, in Mission Valley, is the first station built in San Diego since 2008.

Located north of Friars Road and across the street from Qualcomm Stadium, the new station will replace a temporary one that has served the area since 2006.

The ribbon-cutting will take place at 11 a.m. Monday morning.

The station will be able to house additional firefighters and engines.
 

 Warmer waters across the California coast have brought unprecedented sightings of marine animals along the shore and in the water. Larger fish and bigger schools of fish are staying around later in the year, and in some cases, species that have never before been documented in California have found their way to California shores. 

Above normal temperatures in the Pacific started in the winter of 2013-2014 and continue today, experts have said. Some strange marine animal sighting are the result of "The Blob", a patch of warmer water in the Pacific Ocean, and others a result of "El Nino", a warming of the water off the Pacific Coast of South America. 

Explore our interactive of some of the most unusual and odd sighting of animals along the coast of California this year. 

Editor's note: The interactive may not be compatible with all mobile devices.

The double murder achieved its goal. It sent the message that, even here in the relative safety of Turkey, ISIS and its supporters can reach its critics.

The bodies of 22-year-old Ibrahim Abdel Qader and 20-year-old Fares Hammadi were found early Friday in an apartment in the Turkish town of Sanliurfa. Qader had been stabbed dozens of times and both men were, in the gruesome fashion that has become ISIS's trademark, beheaded.

The deaths of the two young Syrians, both members of a citizen-journalist group called "Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently," sent shockwaves through the exile Syrian community here.

How did two young men, known targets of ISIS who took measures to protect themselves, end up dead? 

Police are investigating the vandalism of a mosque in Burlington, Massachusetts.

Members of the Islamic Center of Burlington were inside praying when they heard noise outside. When they stepped out, they saw "USA" spray-painted all over the building.

The letters was tagged in red more than five times on the building, as well as a sign on Lexington street.

The suspects also smashed eggs on the property.

Burlington Police responded around 1:45 a.m. Sunday. They are looking for three men who pulled up in a white sedan.

Surveillance footage shows the suspects pulling up to the front entrance, getting out their car and tagging the building. They then went back to car, came back and did more damage before taking off.

One of the founders of the Islamic Center of Burlington told necn this is not the first time this has happened to their building.

"We have concerns about the safety of the people," said Minor Gandavia, the center's president.

Burlington's police chief says he plans on holding the suspects accountable for their disgraceful actions. He's asking the public to come forward with any information that could lead to an arrest.

Republican presidential campaigns will be taking a bigger role in the upcoming debates, NBC News reported.

The move comes after frustration over the last Republican debate, which was hosted by CNBC — a sister channel to NBC News and MSNBC.

The campaigns agreed to limit debates to two hours, have final approval of on-air graphics and try to find a way to allow each candidate equal time to speak.

The campaigns have been trying to take control of the debates from the Republican National Committee, which will still act as a mediator between the networks and the campaigns.

No decision has been made whether to reinstate NBC News-Telemundo debate, which was canceled by the campaigns after the CNBC debate.

Those who marched with the San Diego Rescue Mission Sunday carried pairs of shoes with them. Written on each pair was the name of a homeless person who died in the past year.

According to the mission From Oct 1, 2014 to September 30 this year 91 homeless people died on the streets of San Diego - nearly twice as many as the year before.

Elizabeth Mathews spent over 20 years of her life homeless and addicted to crystal meth. She now works full-time at the rescue mission helping women and children.

“I spent almost from the age of 22 to the age of 48 homeless,” Mathews told NBC7. “I was dirty all the time…I didn’t know where my next meal was coming from.”

She said her mother’s death was a wake-up call, and now she works on the clock and off trying to save others from going through what she went through.

"I talk to people all the time out on the streets trying to get them in. It's a never-ending job," Mathews explained.

Once the procession reached the San Diego County Administration Center each name of those who had died in the last year was read aloud – each followed by the solemn ringing of a bell.

“I wish we could have helped them,” Matthews said of the 91 people remembered Sunday.

“Most of these people were just like us before they became homeless,” Reverend John Townsend said after the ceremony. “It was an aberration, a variety of different events, but something that was outside of their control they became homeless. Some were forced out by fire; some were forced out by loss of job – a variety of different reasons."

An officer who spoke at the ceremony said that although it is deeply sad he hopes their deaths will inspire others to “continue to fight the good fight…and to provide for those who so desperately need our help.”

Sunday was the rescue mission’s 14th annual candlelight vigil.
 

"Now I've got to bury my child, I've got to bury him!” Catherine Pollard cried Sunday night.

Her son Joseph Anthony Ponder lost his life Halloween night after being shot in a grocery store parking lot in Colina Del Sol.

“My son’s gone,” Pollard despaired. “It was innocent kids coming to have a Halloween party and they pulled up in the wrong spot.”

Ponder, his sister and two friends were in the car. Police say they stopped their car next to another group of people, words were exchanged and then shots were fired into Ponder's car.

Despite rescue efforts Ponder and another man died at the scene. His sister held him as his life slipped away.

“Her brother died in her hands with his blood on her,” Pollard told NBC7.

She said her son spent time in prison, but was turning his life around and focusing on being a dad.

“He had a five-year-old daughter he will never see, she will never know her dad. I'm hurting, I'm hurting. God I'm hurting,” she lamented.

Police say the suspects ran from the scene. Lost in grief, Catherine Pollard must now bury her son without knowing who took his life.

"Somebody knows something out here, stop hiding, talk people,” she pleaded. “Please talk. You don't want to see a grieving mama like me.”

American taxpayers footed a nearly $43 million bill for a compressed natural gas station built in Afghanistan, according to a government watching.

In a report released on Monday, Special Inspected General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said the project was to take advantage of the country’s domestic natural gas reserves and reduce its reliance on foreign imports.

SIGAR said one “troubling” issue is how the Department of Defense couldn’t explain why the project was so expensive.

"It's an outrageous waste of money that raises suspicions that there is something more there than just stupidity," John Sopko, the special inspector general, told NBC News.

The Department of Defense said it’s willing to provide information about the project.

"We're quite ready, willing and able to provide access to these records and we've made that plain to Mr. Sopko's office," Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Brian McKeon told NBC News. "We have a mandate under the law to provide access to documents and that's what we're doing."

Pope Francis will arrive in Mexico on Feb. 12 to start his long-awaited visit to the heavily Roman Catholic country, a church official said.

Mexican Cardinal Norberto Rivera didn't provide any more details Sunday about the visit, only saying the pontiff would arrive in Mexico City on that date. Local media reported that the visit would last until Feb. 20.

Archdiocese spokesman Carlos Villa Roiz confirmed Rivera's comments, which were made Sunday during a homily in Mexico City.

Villa Roiz told The Associated Press that a Vatican official would be traveling to Mexico soon to arrange the pope's agenda for the trip. During the visit, Francis is expected to address the violence in Mexico as well as migration, one of the central themes of his papacy.

Francis had said he wanted to enter the U.S. from Mexico in a sign of solidarity with migrants during his recent U.S. trip but that the schedule didn't allow for it. Some Mexican church officials are hoping the pope will tour the U.S. border region.

Officials had previously said the pope would visit Mexico in 2016 without providing a specific date for his arrival.

The last pope to visit Mexico was Benedict XVI in March 2012.

A Tampa toddler reported missing from a relative's home in Weston has been found dead in a canal, according to Broward Sheriff's Office deputies.

BSO Sheriff Scott Israel confirmed the tragic development in a press conference just before 11:30 a.m. Monday.

Deputies said a resident of the Racquet Club Apartments spotted a body in floating in a canal behind the complex around 8:30 a.m. BSO dive teams pulled the body from the water and later confirmed it was that of the missing toddler.

18-month-old Vihaan Pullamsetti disappeared while visiting relatives at the Racquet Club Apartment complex, located near Lakeview Drive and Blatt Boulevard in Weston. The boy's family said they first noticed he was missing on Sunday around 3:45 p.m., his usual nap time.

The family was preparing to drive back to Tampa after visiting relatives for Halloween festivities that weekend, NBC 6 has learned.

"Just in five minutes, just change their diaper and we were packing stuff in the car, that's it," said Gayadhri Sriram, who was letting the family stay at his house. "We were thinking all doors are closed, he was inside somewhere, we thought, but he was not there."

According to Broward Sheriff's Deputies, Vihaan's family and others tried to find him for about 20 minutes before dialing 911.

Thousands of residents volunteered in the search efforts, canvassing the streets of the neighborhood with flashlights Sunday night and into Monday morning. Cars were seen parked for several blocks as the community joined the search efforts.

Vihaan's tearful mother, Kamala Gavara, told NBC 6 that just this week, her son was learning how to open and close doors on his own. The family believes that the toddler may have opened a door of the first-floor apartment and wandered out on his own. 

A family spokesman for the Pullamsetti family thanked the media and the community for their efforts in assisting in the search for Vihaan. It's not yet clear how the boy died.

Stay with NBC 6 for updates on this developing story.

A Texas police chief was in critical but stable condition after being shot in the head while working security at a bar early Sunday, authorities said.

Marlin Police Chief Darrell Allen was working at the Laid Back Lounge II in Temple "in uniform" but off-duty at the time of the 1:30 a.m. shooting, Temple Police Sgt. Allen Teston told NBC News.

Allen was shot while trying to detain a suspect, authorities said.

The 24-year-old suspected gunman was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on Monday.

Three-quarters of 4-year-olds in a low-income minority neighborhood in Philadelphia had their own smartphone, iPod or tablet and most used them without help, according to a report published on Monday.

Three out of four parents gave the devices to their children while they were doing household chores and to keep their children calm, and a quarter to put their children to sleep.

"Little is known about how children’s independent activity on mobile devices affects their cognitive, social, and emotional development," the study noted.

Nearly all children began using mobile smart phones or tablets before they were a year old, the study published in the journal Pediatrics found. Almost half played games or watched videos every day.

By the time they were 2, most children used them mobile devices daily and spent about the same amount of time on the devices as on television.

One third of 3- and 4-year-olds used several media devices at the same time, the study found. YouTube and Netflix were popular.

"Our study found that household ownership of tablets doubled since 2013, reflecting the pervasive nature of digital technology," the authors wrote.

According to Common Sense Media's nationwide survey, 72 percent of children age 8 or younger used a mobile device, up from 38 percent in 2011.

In 2013, ownership of mobile devices among children 8 and younger was in the single digits and only 17 percent of 2-, 3- and 4-year-olds reported using mobile devices every day, the study noted.

The study covered 350 children ages 6 months to 4 years who were seen at a pediatric clinic in Philadelphia between October and November of 2014.

It noted that a child's skill with mobile devices was a first step toward digital literacy. But it also cautioned that socialization with parents was critical for developing healthy ways to integrate technology into family life.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to limit screen time to two hours per day for children over age 2. The group discourages screen time for younger children.  

Michigan police are apologizing for handcuffing a 7-year-old boy at his elementary school last month, NBC News reported.

The incident happened on October 12 at Brownell STEM Academy's after-school program, which is run by the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce. Chrystal McCadden, the mother of the 7-year-old boy, said she got a call from the school to pick up her son. When she arrived, his wrists were bound. 

Flint police said in a statement Friday that the student "appeared intent on injuring himself" and was handcuffed to prevent injury to himself and other students.

"The officer used handcuffs to restrain the child to prevent injury to the child or others," the statement said.

Big Sugar and Big Corn face off in court this week in a bitter, multibillion-dollar battle of sweeteners that boils down to a mix of science, semantics and marketing, NBC News reported.

Jurors in the case between sugar processors and corn manufacturers will take up one of nutrition's most vexing debates and confront a choice common among consumers: sugar or high fructose corn syrup?

The trial starting Tuesday in federal court grew out of efforts by the Corn Refiners Association to rebrand its high fructose corn syrup as "corn sugar" to reverse damaging publicity that associated it with diabetes and obesity.

The trial starting Tuesday in federal court grew out of efforts by the Corn Refiners Association to rebrand its high fructose corn syrup as "corn sugar" to reverse damaging publicity that associated it with diabetes and obesity.

Amazon is now offering new birth mothers who have spent a year with the company up to 20 weeks of maternity leave. The company outlined the new perk in an internal memo, which it shared with NBC News on Monday.

It's the latest salvo in the technology benefits wars, with top companies heaping perks on their workers to prevent poaching and attract top talent. Women have been a focus of these expanded benefits, with companies including Apple and Facebook offering to subsidize egg freezing for their female employees, even as both companies deal with lackluster diversity statistics. 

Amazon's new program introduced on Monday guarantees new mothers four weeks of medical leave before delivery, followed by 10 weeks of paid maternity leave. All new mothers or parents who have worked at the company for at least a year then also qualify for an additional six weeks of paid parental leave.

Authorities arrested two people for credit card fraud in Lemon Grove last week.

Lasaro Quijano, 30, and Bunthi Im, 29, were arrested after officers found numerous fraudulent credit and ID cards, meth and other drugs and a stolen handgun. A search of the couple’s vehicle revealed credit card making materials and items purchased with the fraudulent cards.

Lemon Grove Home Depot employees called the Sheriff’s Department after one of the suspects made a purchase with a fake card. The employees then saw him enter a hotel room across the street.

The couple is suspected of conducting numerous similar credit card frauds at Home Depot stores throughout the state.

Quijano and Im were booked into jail on a number of charges including burglary, possession of a forged driver’s license, possession of a stolen handgun, having card making machinery, possession of a counterfeit access card and possession of a controlled substance among other charges.

Their bail is set at $250,000.

The Sheriff's Financial Crimes Unit is conducting further investigation.
 

More than 300 people were arrested over the weekend at a two-day electronic music festival in Pomona that drew more than 20,000 people, authorities said.

A total of 162 arrests were made on Sunday--the second day of the HARD Day of the Dead festival at the Pomona Fairplex, according to the Pomona Police Department. Another 148 people were arrested on Saturday.

Police said most of the arrests were related to public intoxication, being under the influence of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance.

About 100 people were arrested for having fake identification. Ten arrests were made for driving under the influence on the highways near the event or in the parking lot, Pomona police said.

Some event-goers didn't event make inside the event.

"I was entering the rave and they said, 'You smell too much like alcohol. We have to take yout in,' " said Irvin Alvarado, who was arrested at the event.

The event, which took place on LA County-owned property, drew scrutiny from Los Angeles County supervisors after two young women died of suspected drug overdoses at another HARD rave event on the fairgrounds in August.

HARD promoters, Live Nation, raised the age limit to 21 and stepped up security measures after County supervisors called raves a "public threat" and voted to ban such events.

Although the ban was not imposed, officials called for added safety and health measures at music festivals shortly after the August deaths. 

"Instead of having so much police force I think there should be more medical personnel that would be available in the event that people do take too much," said Michael Medina, who attended the rave.

According event organizers, HARD paid for all security, fire and medical personel, including 186 police officers on-hand over the weekend.

This weekend's rave featured multiple artists, including Deadmou5 and Skrillex.

A young Marine killed in an East County motorcycle crash had two boys and another on the way, his wife told NBC 7 Monday.

Justin Dorson, 26, died Sunday after he overcorrected his 2012 Triumph motorcycle and ran into a large boulder on State Route 94, outside of Dulzura. A friend's Go Pro camera captured the final images of Dorson's ride on his dream bike.

"The best husband and the best father," said his wife Jessica. "You could go to him for anything. He would help anybody, even if we couldn't afford to help someone. He'd be the first one to help."

Dorson was a Camp Pendleton-based heavy machinery mechanic, and Jessica, who is pregnant with their third child, is a Navy service member.

"It's just been me and him this whole time," Jessica said. "We don't have any local family besides his sister."

Jessica said their entire community is devastated by the loss.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Dorson was riding Sunday morning east on SR-94 near Community Building Road and allowed his bike to drift over the solid yellow line.

Trying to avoid a head-on crash with a vehicle, Dorson swerved left, the CHP says. The motorcycle drove onto the dirt shoulder and hit a big rock, sending Dorson flying.

He struck the pavement and suffered internal injuries. Paramedics tried to take him to a CalFire station in Descanso so they could airlift him from there, but he died on the way.

Friends of Dorson’s family set up a GoFundMe page in his name to help with funeral and childcare costs.

Jessica hopes her husband's death reminds others to ride safely and to hug loved ones while they're still here.

Ben Carson has surged into the lead of the Republican presidential race, getting support from 29 percent of GOP primary voters, according to a brand-new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. 

That's the highest percentage any GOP candidate has obtained so far in the survey, NBC News reported.

Carson's 29 percent is followed by Donald Trump at 23 percent, Marco Rubio at 11 percent, Ted Cruz at 10 percent and Jeb Bush at 8 percent. These findings are similar to a New York Times/CBS poll released last week, which also showed Carson in first place in the national GOP contest.

If past polling has been about Trump leading the GOP field, "then this survey is about Dr. Ben Carson, who is currently the man to beat for the Republicans," says Democratic pollster Fred Yang, whose firm Hart Research Associates conducted this survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff.