A registered sex offender passed through a TSA checkpoint earlier this month using a boarding pass that he stole from a female passenger, officials said.

Michael Reith Salata, 61, was arrested at Salt Lake International Airport on Nov. 5 after attempting to get on a plane, according to the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Salata had checked in to Southwest Airlines Flight 1760, which was headed for Oakland, California, NBC station KSL reported. The woman who the ticket belonged to had misplaced her boarding pass shortly after printing it out at a kiosk, police told KSL.

Salata was arrested on suspicion of fraudulent handling of a recordable writing, a third-degree felony, the station reported.

Records show that Salata, who is homeless, was convicted of lewdness involving a child in Utah in 2012.

Donald Trump has come under fire again. The New York Times has slammed the Republican presidential candidate after he appeared to mock a reporter with a congenital joint condition that limits movement in his arms, NBC News reported. 

Addressing a rally in South Carolina on Tuesday, Trump defended his widely discredited claim that thousands of Muslims in New Jersey cheered as the World Trade Center came down on Sept. 11, 2001. He then appeared to impersonate reporter Serge Kovaleski, one of the authors of a 2001 article in The Washington Post that Trump has used to support his claim.

"Now, the poor guy — you ought to see the guy: 'Uh, I don't know what I said. I don't remember,'" Trump said, as he appeared to imitate Kovaleski, who suffers from arthrogryposis.

Kovaleski told MSNBC on Monday that he did "not recall anyone saying there were thousands, or even hundreds, of people celebrating." 

"We think it's outrageous that he would ridicule the appearance of one of our reporters," a spokesman for The Times told NBC News. Kovaleski is currently an investigative reporter for The Times.

Trump's presidential campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

***WARNING: Videos in this story are graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.***

The City of Chicago released four new police dash-cam videos Wednesday showing the moments before the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

The videos were released in response to a request by NBC 5 under the Freedom of Information Act and come a day after the city met a judge's order to release 2014 dash-cam video of a Chicago officer shooting McDonald 16 times.

• WARNING: Dash-Cam Video Shows Laquan McDonald's Fatal Shooting

In the newly released videos, McDonald appears to be running in front of the police vehicle of Officer Jason Van Dyke, the officer charged with McDonald’s murder, 30 seconds before the fatal shooting.

As the video continues, officers pursue McDonald until the shooting, which takes place out of the frame of this dash cam.The video goes on to show officers arriving on the scene after the shots were fired.

At 9:58 p.m., just after the shooting, another police vehicle arrives on the scene. The video released from that vehicle shows McDonald's body on the street.

Another dash-cam video from a separate police vehicle that was first to respond to the call doesn’t start recording until almost five minutes after the shooting takes place.

Police told one of the attorneys representing the McDonald family that five police cruisers equipped with cameras responded to the crime scene that night. However, three vehicles were not recording video.

Van Dyke turned himself in to authorities Tuesday morning and was later ordered held without bail in connection with the fatal shooting. Van Dyke is scheduled to appear in court again Monday as Judge Donald Panarese said he wants to see video of the shooting.

Prosecutors said in court Tuesday that the shooting happened within 15 seconds, but for 13 of those seconds McDonald was on the ground. They added the video "clearly does not show McDonald advancing toward [Van Dyke]."Police said the shooting was in self-defense and that McDonald lunged at the officer with a knife while authorities were investigating car break-ins in a trucking yard.

"I’ve been a prosecutor for nearly 30 years," Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said in Tuesday press conference. "I have personally investigated and prosecuted numerous cases of police misconduct and public corruption, I’ve been involved in hundreds of murder investigations and trials, and I’ve seen some of the most violent and graphic evidence and crime scene photos that you can only imagine. To watch a 17-year-old young man die in such a violent manner is simply disturbing and I have absolutely no doubt that this video will tear at the hearts of all Chicagoans."

Attorney Dan Herbert has argued the video alone is not enough to determine if Van Dyke "acted inappropriately" when he fatally shot McDonald, though he has described the footage as "graphic and violent" and "difficult to watch." He said outside the courtroom Tuesday that the case needs to be tried in a courtroom, "not in the streets or in the media."

Alvarez revealed that Van Dyke was one of eight officers who responded to the scene on Oct. 20, 2014 after a caller reported a man was breaking into cars and stealing from them on the city's Southwest Side.

It was later discovered that the suspect was armed with a knife. Alvarez said Van Dyke was at the scene for less than 30 seconds before he started shooting, and opened fire six seconds after he got out of the car.

Van Dyke was the only one of the eight officers at the scene to open fire, she said. McDonald suffered wounds to the scalp, neck, left chest, right chest, left elbow, left forearm, right upper arm, right upper arm, right hand, right upper leg, left upper back and right lower back.

An autopsy confirmed he was shot a total of 16 times and had PCP in his system.

***WARNING: Videos in this story are graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.***

[To view the videos on our app, click here: Dash-Cam 1, Dash-Cam 2, Dash-Cam 3, Dash-Cam 4]

NASA astronauts Scott Kelly and Kjell Lindgren gave their thanks and previewed their “traditional” Thanksgiving meal in a video from the International Space Station, NBC News reported.

The two astronauts discussed what they’re thankful for, while grabbing a few bites from their zero-gravity feast.

"We just wanted to wish you a very warm and happy Thanksgiving," Lindgren said in the video greeting.

Kelly added his own thanks, as well: "Being on the space station here and looking down at our incredibly beautiful planet gives us a different perspective on what it means to be citizens of planet Earth," he said.

The two have the day off and will share their meal with the four others aboard the space station.

Thanksgiving in San Diego will really feel like fall, as lingering showers, high winds and cooler temperatures are all expected.

After early morning rain showers Wednesday, NBC 7 meteorologist Jodi Kodesh said there was still a slight chance for showers to pass through the San Diego region through Friday.

Along with the possible showers, high winds are expected in the mountains. Gusts reaching 45 mph are possible, Kodesh said.

Along the coastline, strong tides known as the King Tides were expected to reach more than 7 feet high and residents were advised to prepare for coastal flooding and dangerous rip currents.

Already Wednesday, residents in Point Loma and Spring Valley were seeing street flooding.

Other areas that could be susceptible to flooding include Imperial Beach, Mission Beach, La Jolla Shores, Cardiff and Oceanside, according to the National Weather Service.

Authorities have located the mother of a newborn baby who was left in a Christmas manger inside a Queens, New York, church two days ago and determined no criminal prosecution is warranted. 

"The mother followed the spirit of New York's 'Safe Haven' law," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement after investigators spoke to the mother, whose wailing, hours-old baby was found with his umbilical cord still attached inside a nativity scene at Holy Child Jesus Catholic Church in Richmond Hill.

"It appears that the mother, in this case, felt her newborn child would be found safely in the church and chose to place the baby in the manger because it was the warmest place in the church, and further she returned the following morning to make certain that the baby had been found," Brown said. 

Police said earlier Wednesday they were looking to speak with the mother of the baby to determine if she was OK. 

The state's Safe Haven law allows a parent to leave a baby up to 30 days old with an appropriate person or in a suitable location where the parent promptly notifies an appropriate person. It wasn't clear if the mother in this case would face charges because the baby was left alone, and it didn't appear she immediately alerted anyone about the child. 

Video obtained by NBC 4 New York offers a clearer picture of what happened moments before the child was left in the church. It shows the mother walking briskly up 113th Street with the newborn baby in her arms, then turning onto Jamaica Avenue and stepping into a 99-cent store. Still clutching the child, the woman moves to the linen aisle and grabs several purple towels. She pays and leaves without saying a single word to the cashier. 

Minutes later and less than a half-mile away, the newborn was found swaddled in the same purple towels inside the manger of an unfinished nativity scene inside Holy Child Jesus Catholic Church.

Jose Moran, the church custodian who found him when he heard the baby's cries, told NBC 4 New York in Spanish that he's happy he was able to help save the baby. But he said his heart breaks for the child who was left alone on the wooden floor of the unfinished nativity scene with purple towels covering his face. 

The Rev. Christopher Heanue recounted to NBC 4 New York Tuesday how he learned of the baby in the manger. 

"The secretary burst in and said, 'Father, there's an emergency in the church, you have to come,'" Heanue said.

Bishop Octavio Cisnero, also there, couldn't believe his eyes.

"There was a baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, in a towel," said Cisnero. "The umbilical cord was still hanging from the baby." 

EMTs checked out the baby, and he appeared to be healthy. 

Heanue said surveillance video from his church -- not released -- captured a woman entering the church about 20 minutes before the baby was found.

"A woman did come into the church with some bag, left the church and the bag was sort of dangling in the wind," he said. 

Heanue said the parish has taken a special interest in the baby and some members have expressed an interest in adopting.

"This child, we believe, is a gift, almost, to this parish," said Heanue. 

"God works in mysterious ways," he added. 

The child is currently in protective custody. 

There is a Safe Haven hotline in New York where a parent who wishes to leave their baby can call and have child care workers pick up the child: 1-877-796-HOPE. It's most important the baby is left with a person, not in an undisclosed location, authorities say. 

Both directions of Interstate 8 in San Diego's East County reopened Thursday following a lengthy shutdown after crews had to repair several downed power poles damaged one day prior.

As of 6:40 a.m. Thanksgiving Day, Caltrans officials confirmed all lanes of westbound I-8 at Greenfield Drive and the westbound I-8 on-ramp from Greenfield Drive in El Cajon had reopened to traffic.

At approximately 1:20 a.m. Wednesday, a large cylinder was being towed on eastbound I-8 near 2nd Street and Broadway. Investigators say the cylinder snagged on a power line, causing several power poles to snap in half south of I-8.

The downed power poles led to some outages in the area, including a power outage at a nearby grocery store.

Following the accident, officials temporarily shut down the freeway from 2nd Street to Greenfield Drive, but later reopened the road to let small cars and trucks through.

By 1 p.m. Wednesday, a portion of I-8 had been reopened, officials said. However, the freeway be completely shut down starting at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Thursday as SDG&E crews completed repairs to the lines. El Cajon police asked driver to avoid the area.

As of 3 p.m., there were no restrictions on travel on I-8 when all lanes and on and off-ramps were reopened.

During the midnight closure, CHP officials said eastbound I-8 traffic would be diverted to 2nd Street and Greenfield Drive. To re-enter eastbound I-8 from that detour, turn right on Greenfield Drive.

Meanwhile, those who come up on the closures while traveling on westbound I-8 can exit Lake Jennings Park Road, turn right and take southbound State Route 67 to get themselves to either westbound State Route 52 or westbound I-8. Westbound I-8 drivers could also opt to take the Greenfield Drive exit, turn right to 2nd Street and then left on 2nd Street to re-enter westbound I-8.
 

Exotic animal rescue Lions, Tigers and Bears announced Wednesday that the matriarch of their clan, a 19-year-old tiger named Natasha, has died.

Natasha and her late mate Raja were the first to be adopted by the Alpine-based shelter more 13 years ago, caretakers wrote in a Facebook post.

"Natasha was the epitome of the old saying 'that's one tough cookie', as she had more than her fair share of struggles over the course of her life, but always came out on top," the leaders said.

In 2002, the two young tigers were rescued from an owner in Texas who was keeping them in a 6-foot by 12-foot, chain link cage with no shade or protection from the elements.

One month after arriving in Alpine, an area in east San Diego County, Natasha gave birth to two cubs, Sitarra and Tabu. Thanks to a grant given to Lions, Tigers and Bears, the rescue’s leaders were able to build the Tiger Trails habitat with grass and a waterfall pool for the big cats.

Because she was declawed by her private owner, Natasha suffered from arthritis for most of her life, and in 2011, she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. However, she made a full recovery after surgery.

Age continued to wear on the large cat. Earlier this year, Natasha had surgery to treat her glaucoma, but veterinarians soon realized they had to perform an enucleation, which meant the tiger’s right eye had to be removed, according to the caretakers.

Then two months ago, vets found a lesion in Natasha’s mouth during an oral exam. They discovered the lesion was noncancerous, but blood tests revealed signs of chronic renal disease — a common problem among aging cats.

The matriarch’s health continued to decline until Wednesday when she passed away.

“Natasha’s passing is the end of an era for LTB, but one that will live on in her remaining daughter, Tabu — and forever in our hearts,” caretakers wrote in the Facebook post. “Natasha — you will be missed by so many, our precious girl. Rest easy and run free.”

The rescue is planning a memorial, open to LTB members, family and friends, to honor the tiger.

Hawaiian Haze, Scooby Snax -- playfully colored packages with catchy names don’t reflect the danger of the synthetic drug known as Spice.

“Spice and synthetic drugs truly are playing Russian roulette with a loaded gun," Devin Eckhardt told NBC 7 Wednesday.

Eckhardt knows that painful reality all too well. Last July, he and his wife spent the month praying over their 19-year-old son Connor.

But the San Clemente teen never woke from his coma after his parents say he took one hit of Spice while they were away on vacation.

“It’s been 498 days since Connor passed,” remembered his father. “That's 16 and a half months. There’s not a moment of the day that goes by we don't think of him."

San Diego Fire-Rescue officials said crews are seeing a rise in Spice use downtown.

Just this week, 14 people were hospitalized after police say they overdosed on what they're calling a bad batch, packaged in black with a blue dragon.

Spice is often referred to as synthetic marijuana, but experts say the mix of chemicals sprayed on leaves or other substances is anything but natural.

“This is underground chemists that are constantly trying to stay ahead of any legal reform by altering the molecular chain, introducing new chemicals,” said Eckhardt.

2011 was the highest year on record for synthetic cannabinoid calls to American Association of Poison Control Centers: 6,968 nationwide.

This year that record could be broken. Only 19 more calls would break the record, and there’s a month left in the year.

The alarming numbers and death of their son are reasons why the Eckhardts started the Connor Project Foundation.

“If that could impact one young person to change how they think, decisions they make, the friends they hang out with, we thought it would be worth it,” said Echkardt.

It is illegal to sell Spice in California, but it’s still sold in some gas stations and smoke shops as potpourri and incense.

To find out more about the Connor Project foundation click here.

As King Tides crash up against San Diego businesses and cause coastal flooding, scientists say these scenes could become much more common in the future.

“There’s no doubt the sea level is rising,” said Dr. Roger Hewitt, a director at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center.

On Wednesday, King Tides – a term for an especially high tide – lashed against the Marine Room and Children’s Pool in La Jolla. It also pushed water onto Point Loma streets and parking lots.

The extreme tides happen only a few times a year. But Hewitt warns as oceans rise, we’ll see more and more king tides.

The highest of them could cause flooding in places we haven’t seen yet.

“We know the sea level is going to rise. We know the sea level has already risen. So the effect of these extra high tides is going to be more pronounced,” said Hewitt. “So obviously we need to put more time or effort into protecting the portions of the shoreline that are most vulnerable."

Sarah Mattinson, the owner of Olive Café and Bakery, is already bracing for a bad winter. Her restaurant sits on Santa Clara Place in Mission Beach – a street known for flooding as high tides and storms collide.

The pump station near her business kicked on automatically Wednesday to hold the King Tides at bay, but she remembers and dreads repeating the strong El Nino of the late 1990s.

“I did get to see El Nino with people kayaking down Mission Boulevard here,” Mattinson said. “Hopefully that’s not happening this year, but we’ll see.”

The owner told NBC 7 she would like to stay at her current location until she is 80 years old – if the tide allows it.

“If it does flood or the sea level does come up, I lose a couple businesses,” she explained. “So I hope that doesn’t happen.”

A city spokesperson said there was no flooding in Mission Beach or in the Midway area, where another pump station turned on automatically.
 

Speaking in Russia on Thursday, French President Francois Hollande called for world powers to create a "grand coalition" to defeat ISIS militants who control swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq, Reuters reported. 

Hollande is on a diplomatic offensive to build a common front against ISIS, which has claimed responsibility for the attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 that killed 130 people and for the bombing of the Russian jet that killed 224 people over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.

Russia's Vladimir Putin said Moscow was ready to unite with Paris against a "mutual enemy." Russia and France have stepped up their aerial bombing campaigns in Syria but they have different objectives.

A popular Hillcrest hangout is getting into the giving spirit, offering free food to anyone who wants it on Thanksgiving Day.

Huapangos Mexican Cuisine is handing out meals until 5 p.m., or until supplies last, the owners say.

The restaurant is located at 3693 5th Avenue in San Diego.

The Salvation Army also offered free food to those in need Thursday morning. At Golden Hall downtown, they served about 1,800 San Dieagans.

Downtown San Diego saw some light rain Thanksgiving morning as thousands of runners took part in 5K and 10K runs during the holiday.

At around 9:30 a.m., participants in the Run for the Hungry at Horton Plaza Mall experienced some wet streets and drizzle, but that didn’t stop them from keeping the pace.

The rain picked up again at about 3:30 p.m. as many San Diegans made their way to Thanksgiving dinners.

NBC 7’s Whitney Southwick said most spots across the county could see a few tenths of an inch of rain, but higher amounts could be seen at local mountains.

“Don’t be surprised if you find yourself under some spotty, wet weather,” said Southwick, adding that light rain may stick around through Friday night.

San Diegans will experience partly cloudy, cool and breezy conditions throughout the holiday weekend, with a bit of a warm up by Sunday that will last through early next week, Southwick said.

Thanksgiving Day will bring temps in the high-60s for the cost, high and low-60s inland and mid-40s with gusts and lingering showers for our mountains.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service (NWS) says a coastal flood advisory remains in effect for San Diego beaches Thanksgiving Day through noon Friday due to the highest tides of the year, the King Tides, and a storm that may cause lower-lying areas to flood. Impressive, large waves are also expected, some measuring 7.5-feet at their highest on Thanksgiving and 7.3-feet on Friday morning. Strong rip currents are also possible.

The NWS says areas especially susceptible to flooding include Imperial Beach, south Mission Beach, La Jolla Shores, Cardiff and Oceanside, particularly during those morning high tides.
 

The family of an Escondido tree trimmer struck and killed by a car while pulling branches out of a roadway during a work shift wants answers as they grieve the sudden, tragic death of their loved one.

“We want answers. We want to know what happened,” said Oscar Hernandez, referring to the death of his brother, Luis Hernandez.

“From what I heard on the news, they’re saying the [driver] was going 30 mph. If you look at the truck – just imagine if the truck ended up like that – what would my brother end up like?” Oscar added.

According to California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials, Luis, who worked for Davey’s Tree Service, was trimming trees along the shoulder on Cole Grade Road at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Just as Luis was pulling branches out of the roadway, a 34-year-old man behind the wheel of a 2004 GMC Sierra struck him. The car was traveling between 35 and 40 mph at the time of the collision.

Luis did not survive the impact and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident is under investigation, but CHP officials said alcohol and drugs were not factors in the deadly crash. Investigators said Luis walking into the path of the vehicle in the southbound traffic lane and the driver could not avoid hitting him. The driver remained on scene and cooperated with investigators.

It is unknown, at this point, whether that driver will face charges in the fatal accident.

For Luis’ heartbroken family and friends, the pain of the accident is too much to handle.

In an exclusive interview with NBC 7, Oscar said his brother, who was 26 years old, leaves behind a girlfriend and a 1-year-old daughter, as well as devastated parents and two siblings.

On Wednesday night, in a powerful show of solidarity, the family crowded together at a home to show exactly how many people are impacted by Luis’ tragic death.

The family believes the driver who hit him was traveling at much higher speeds than reported by the CHP. Oscar told NBC 7 he feels there should’ve been more safety measures on the roadway that day to keep his brother and other workers safe.

Luis’ co-worker, Francisco Lopez, spoke with NBC 7 Wednesday and described the horrific accident. Lopez was standing just feet away from Luis when he was hit by the GMC.

“I’m going back and I hear a big noise and I called his name, and [I hear] screaming. And I look, and my friend is over there,” Lopez recalled.

NBC 7 reached out to Davey’s Tree Service Wednesday for a statement but did not hear back. Previously, just after the accident, the company issued this statement:

“At this point, our primary concern is for the family and other employees working in that area. This is a tragedy for the entire Davey family and our thoughts and prayers are with employee’s family, co-workers and loved ones.”

Luis’ family is pleading for more answers as to how, exactly, this accident happened. They said they were told the driver was distracted because he was swatting away a bee at the time of the crash.
 

Two people suspected of links to an attack on a hotel in Mali’s capital that killed 20 people were arrested, the country’s security ministry said on Thursday.

The two have not yet been identified. Three Islamist groups have claimed the strike, Reuters reported.

At least two armed men attacked the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako on Friday in a raid. Six Russians, three Chinese and an American were killed in the worst jihadist strike in the country in years.

The siege ended when commandos stormed the hotel and freed 170 hostages. Two attackers were killed.

A blast of cold air was threatening to whip up a Black Friday ice storm across the center of the country, forecasters said.

Ice-storm warnings and other watches and advisories covered a 900-mile stretch from New Mexico and western Texas to Missouri and the Iowa border. Heavy rain is also expected further east, NBC News reported.

The National Weather Service announced that Dallas-Fort Worth broke its all-time yearly rainfall total at 12:14 a.m. local time (1:14 a.m. ET) on Friday, recording 53.56 inches over 2015. The area was also under a flash-flood warning.

Forecasters said the blast of wintery weather could "wreak havoc on the roadways" as millions of people prepare to be traveling over the holiday weekend.

Germany will deploy military personnel and hardware in the fight against ISIS militants in Syria, according to Reuters.

The country agreed after a direct appeal from France to do more in the fight against militancy. Germany expects to commit four to six Tornado jets, satellite support, refueling planes and a frigate to help protect a French aircraft carrier.

It’s a shift for Germany, which has resisted direct involvement in the conflict. Germany will not, however, join France, Russia and the U.S. in airstrikes in Syria.

Chancellor Angela Merkel promised the support, which has yet to be approved by parliament.

Boko Haram militants killed 18 people in an attack on a village in the Niger's southern border area of Diffa on the Nigerian border on Thursday, the country’s government said.

The gunmen arrived in the village of Gogone near the shores of Lake Chad on foot and fired on residents and attacked their homes, security sources said. They also fired rockets in the attack, according to the sources.

Niger has suffered numerous cross-border attacks by Boko Haram, which has a stronghold in northeast Nigeria.

A state of emergency has been declared there in a bid to boost security, according to NBC News.