The U.S. Supreme Court threw out a ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court Monday that refused to recognize a same-sex adoption. 

In an unsigned decision, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized a challenge brought by a woman (known as V.L. in the court documents) who adopted the biological children of her long time partner (known as E.L.) years earlier in Georgia.

Before their breakup, E.L. bore three children and V.L. adopted them in Georgia because the laws were more favorable to their cause there than in Alabama.

After the two women ended their relationship and could not agree on custody, the Alabama court said that the court in Georgia had erred in their ruling and that V.L. had no parental rights to the children. 

The Supreme Court disagreed and said the Georgia ruling must be upheld in Alabama.

Plans for a private funeral were set for Friday for Nancy Reagan, who died on Sunday of congestive heart failure at 94 in her Los Angeles home.

Mrs. Reagan will be buried at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, next to her husband, Ronald Wilson Reagan, who died on June 5, 2004.

To prepare for her funeral, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is closed, and will re-open to the public on Sunday, March 13, 2016 at 10 a.m.

As part of the official events, Mrs. Reagan will lie in repose at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Wednesday, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday and are closed to the public.

In lieu of flowers, Mrs. Reagan had asked that contributions be made to the Ronald Reagan Memorial Fund at www.reaganlibrary.com.

Flags across the country are flying at half-staff in memory of Mrs. Reagan. The White House directed federal buildings, embassies, military posts and naval vessels to lower their flags "as a mark of respect" for the former first lady. They'll remain at half-staff until she is buried.

President Barack Obama said he once had the opportunity to meet with former first lady, and  Mrs. Reagan could not have been more charming and gracious to him and Michelle Obama when he came into office.

The president spoke about the former first lady on Monday after meeting with financial regulators and advisers. 

Obama said the extraordinary love that she had for former President Ronald Reagan is well documented, along with the comfort and strength she provided him in hard times.

Obama said he has been lucky to have an extraordinary partner in his life as well. He knows how much she meant to the president and the country as a whole.

"He was lucky to have her, and I'm sure he would be the first to acknowledge that, so she will be missed," Obama said.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest, asked whether Obama would attend the funeral, said officials were waiting until funeral arrangements for the former first lady are settled before determining who will represent the White House at the service.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A man was speeding when his car collided with a police patrol car in Serra Mesa early Monday, according to investigators.

A San Diego Police Officer with a green light was turning from Aero Drive onto Ruffin Road just after 3:30 a.m.

Police say a man driving a white Suburban was speeding when his vehicle slammed into the back of the patrol car.

The officer suffered minor injuries. The driver of the SUV was not injured.

Investigators told NBC 7 the SUV driver had been breaking into windows of parked cars prior to the crash.

Officers say a person sleeping in one of those parked cars may have been chasing the driver.
 

Sunday night's Democratic presidential debate in Flint, Michigan, should have been an easy win for candidate Bernie Sanders, according to NBC News. 

In a city where manufacturing jobs have been replaced by poisoned water, the atmosphere was ripe for a discussion of trade policies, corporate greed and government spending cuts that have led to horrible consequences. 

Sanders fought as if his life depended on it — and it just might, as he has fallen dangerously behind candidate Hillary Clinton in the delegate count.

But Clinton came prepared to the CNN debate and more than held her own, preventing Sanders from the clear victory he needs to change the trajectory of the race ahead of Michigan's primary Tuesday.

Arraignment was scheduled in Vista Monday for two men who are accused in the death of a man in Valley Center the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said.

Tyann Louise Allen, 30, and Anthony James Boles, 32, told Pala Tribal Security they found an unknown man’s body in their garage after returning home from dinner on March 3. The man appeared to have gunshot wounds.

Detectives from the San Diego Sheriff’s Homicide Detail responded to the scene to investigate. They found probable cause and Allen and Boles were arrested on murder charges.

They 44-year-old victim was found on March 2 in the 1300 block of Robles Way on the Pala Indian Reservation.

The Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Detectives have not determined the motive. The investigation is ongoing.
 

Co-defendants Brandon Alto and Christopher Harper were romantically involved, according to a longtime friend and Alto's Facebook page.

During that time, between October 2014 and August 2015, prosecutors said the men molested the same three children.

Brandon Lightcloud Alto, who was charged with more than two dozen felony counts of lewd acts against children,  pleaded not guilty in an El Cajon courtroom Monday.

Alto lived in Alpine and attended Cuyamaca College and Granite Hills High School according to his Facebook page.

He also spent years behind bars as a juvenile for a separate case.

"Life was so much easier behind bars...it's been tough being heart somedays it feels like I have no one in my corner," he wrote on his Facebook page.

NBC 7 confirmed Alto spent time at Southern Youth Correctional Reception Center and in 2015 pleaded guilty to a "possession of child porn" charge.

Another defendant in the case, Christopher Harper, faces similar charges. Harper was arrested last week and arraigned on Friday.

Harper was a fugitive wanted on three counts of sex crimes against children. He was found in Simi Valley Thursday and now faces at least nine counts of sex crimes with minors.

The relationship between Alto, Harper and their alleged victims is unclear.

Harper is being held at a separate detention facility in Otay Mesa.

Both men could face 15 years to life if convicted. Alto and Harper are each being held on $2 million bail.

 You don't have to drive far on city's streets to get a clue about San Diego's infrastructure maintenance backlog.

Beyond all the potholes are crumbling sidewalks, water pipes, storm drains and other key public facilities.

Will they ever get fixed?

At City Hill – a 50-year-old building that’s overdue for replacement -- they're calling a possible long-term answer "Rebuild San Diego".

It’s ballot measure to commit more than $4 billion to infrastructure upgrades and maintenance over 25 years -- that's just how far along the problems have gotten.

"The mayor and the council control the budget; we could absolutely decide to do this,” says Mark Kersey, chairman of the City Council’s Infrastructure Committee. “ The problem is, history has shown that city leaders -- for whatever reason -- won't prioritize the city's infrastructure. If they had, we wouldn't be in this mess today -- right? And that's the whole problem we're trying to fix."

So the legal mechanisms to accomplish the upgrades would be engraved in the City Charter, if voters approve the measure in the June primary election.

For starters, "no new taxes" is the mantra.

The money would come from growth in the city's General Fund revenues, sales tax proceeds and pension cost savings.

Projected average infrastructure investment: $180 million a year.

However, will all that accrue at a pace that eventually gets the city ahead of the backlog "going forward"?

San Diegans who spoke Monday with NBC 7 are skeptical, but seemed willing to buy into the premise.

"It's going to take years,” said Pacific Beach resident Joe Maruca. “You can always go out and contract to repave a street and fix potholes. But when you start messing with the infrastructure of the sewers and waterlines and all that. They were all originally put in with cast iron."

Added Logan Heights resident Steve Huppert: “Some of these pipes are early 1900s. And they need to be dug up and redone. Put a lot of people to work.”

The measure goes before the Council Tuesday for placement on the June 7th ballot.

With no new taxes involved , a ‘majority-plus-one’ vote will pass it.

In a recent, scientific survey of 2,500 hundred residents, three out of five said they were dissatisfied with the condition of the city's infrastructure.

 Escondido Police have found a missing 10-year-old child. 

The child walked away from the 500 block of E. Mission Avenue about about 4 p.m. Monday after coming home from school, police said. 

Police said the boy had never run away or done anything like this in the past. 

Police said the child was found safely shortly after 6 p.m. 

No further information was immediately available.

Five women were inducted into the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame in a ceremony Sunday.

The 15th annual event at the Joe and Vi Jacobs Center recognized local women for transforming their community in different ways.

The five women include, Christine Kehoe, the first openly gay person to win an election in the county, Evonne Schulze, a long-time education and politics activist, Sally Wong-Avery, an activist in the Chinese community, Elizabeth Lou, a refugee from Sudan who’s worked to educate and support refugee and immigrant women and Maria Garcia, who is documenting the Chicano history of San Diego.

The women are being recognized in five categories:

Activist: Evonne Seron Schulze

Bridge Builder: Sally Wong Avery, J.D.

Empowerer of Women: Elizabeth Lou

Historian: Maria Garcia

Trailblazer: Christine Kehoe

“They have selflessly and courageously contributed to San Diego and the world at large,” said Women’s Museum Executive Director Ashley Gardner. “Their lifetime work and achievements have improved lives and have left a lasting impact. They are the role-models of our time.”

The Women’s Museum of California hosted the event in honor of Women’s History Month.
 

Former first lady Nancy Reagan, who passed away in her Bel Air home Sunday, often visited San Diego.

“[I] started reflecting back to the times we had been with her and what a wonderful woman she was and how lucky she was to have found Ronald Reagan and vice versa,” Kim Fletcher a local man who contributed to many of their campaigns told NBC 7.

Fletcher remembered the countless times Nancy had stood by her husband’s side from local campaign fundraisers to his final stages of Alzheimer’s.

“Many times if Reagan wasn't right on the spot with the answer, Nancy would fill in and help,” Fletcher explained.

Just weeks after her husband's death in 2004, Mrs. Reagan greeted sailors at Naval Air Station North Island when USS Ronald Reagan home-ported in San Diego for the first time.

“I know how proud he was for having this ship named after him and in my heart I know he's looking down on us today and smiling,” she told sailors at the time.

Kim Fletcher said he will always remember her as a first lady fiercely loyal to her President and her country.

“I think she will be well remembered and I hope we have more women like her,” he said.

In a statement Capt. Christopher Bolt, Commanding Officer of the USS Ronald Reagan said:

"Today, the crew of USS Ronald Reagan, CVN-76, takes a pause to remember a tremendous First Lady. Mrs. Nancy Reagan represents the best our nation and the world can offer, commitment to high ideals and an undying love and support to her husband for so many years. We rejoice that the great love affair between President and Mrs. Reagan can continue now forever in heaven. She will remain a symbol of grace, love and devotion to her President and her nation."

“She welcomed me on my first day in command with a personal letter of congratulations. I was inspired by her elegance and heartfelt style. She continued to keep in touch with the crew of ‘her ship’ during the last two and a half years during my time as CO. She personally corresponded with all the Commanding Officers of USS Ronald Reagan."

"I will keep and cherish her letters to me. She was the commissioning sponsor of USS Ronald Reagan. And grounded in Navy tradition, she decorated the Captain’s in-port cabin and designed it based on her favorite room at the White House. It is an elegant room that is clearly identifiable as being Nancy Reagan. We will be reminded of her often as we show this room to visiting dignitaries, and as each Captain works here when not out to sea. She is a great lady who will be missed. Our condolences go out to the Reagan family, but our prayers are for joy that she is now reunited with the love of her life. They made a terrific team.”
 

Less than a week after House Speaker Paul Ryan went after Republican front-runner Donald Trump for failing to disavow David Duke and the KKK, the former vice presidential nominee has spoken over the phone with the controversial candidate about developing a Republican agenda, NBC News reported.

And in addition to Trump, Ryan, R-Wis., has also spoken to Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, "to explain House Republicans' plan to present a bold conservative policy agenda this year," the speaker's press secretary, AshLee Strong, told NBC News Monday.

Speaker Ryan also plans to have similar calls with Republican presidential candidates Florida Senator Marco Rubio and Ohio Governor John Kasich, she said.

The push to develop an agenda that the eventual Republican nominee can embrace has been a focus of Ryan's short tenure as speaker.

Ryan, who ran as Mitt Romney's running-mate in 2012, was elected to the Speakership after conservative House Republicans ousted House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, from the job in September of 2015.

A San Diego-area teen is facing felony charges for allegedly rendering a police officer unconscious and stealing his patrol radio and keys following a "play boxing" incident that quickly escalated, sending a police officer and students to the hospital. 

"You basically started a riot," Judge Browder Willis told the minor directly in court, referring to him and his friends. 

The 17-year-old minor, a senior and basketball player with a 2.6 GPA, was formally charged Monday during a juvenile hall hearing. He was arraigned on charges of assault on a police officer, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, violently resisting a police officer and assault on a school officer. He is also facing a misdemeanor theft charge. 

Richard Arroyo, an attorney for the teen, entered denials on his behalf for all charges. The teen has no prior record, Arroyo said. 

In the juvenile hall courtroom, Prosecutor Minaz Bhayani said the Friday, Feb. 26 incident began with reports of students gathered by the gym during a lunch break, "play boxing" or "slap boxing." Upperclassmen were somehow hazing an incoming class, he said. No weapons were involved. 

A 16-year-old minor, who appeared in court last week, was hit in the head so hard, he suffered a laceration, the attorney said. A San Diego Unified School District officer noticed the injury and wanted to help, following him into a nearby garage. The teen walked away, and the officer followed. 

"This was not a hostile contact by the officer," Bhayani said. "He wanted to render aid."

The teen allegedly became aggressive and hit the officer in the face once, then six or seven additional times. 

The 17-year-old student in court Monday came up behind the officer, striking the back of his head in a type of "surprise attack," Bhayani said. More strikes followed, he said, and the officer then lost consciousness. When he regained consciousness, he struck a minor with his Taser. 

A student’s cellphone video shows a 16-year-old student on the ground in the parking garage after being stunned with a Taser by a school police officer. The officer was taken to the hospital with serious injuries as well as five students who were pepper sprayed.

The 17-year-old in court is accused of stealing the patrol radio and patrol keys, jumping a fence and then hiding those items in a backpack somewhere in the neighborhood. During this time he suffered an ankle injury of some sort, putting him in a boot and with crutches. How this injury happened is under dispute by both sides. 

The prosecutor asked Judge Willis to follow the probation department's recommendation and let the minor remain in juvenile hall. The boy's father and step mother were both in court, and they urged the judge to do otherwise. 

"He's not a menace to society, and he should be able to come home," the father said.

The minor's basketball coach was also in court, saying the teen was a leader in a study hall program and helped get students together for a feed the homeless program as part of required community service time. 

The students involved in the incident will not be expelled. An attorney for the school district said officials are working on an alternative placement for the students at a different school so they can return to their studies. Transportation would be provided. 

After speaking with both attorneys, Judge Willis released the minor to his parents with electronic monitoring. He will remain under home detention until his next court date. 

All three minors charged with crimes have been released to their parents to be monitored at home until their next court dates. NBC 7 San Diego is not identifying the teens involved as they are minors and are not being charged as adults. 

“He is not hanging out; he’s not doing sports until I can get a better handle on your situation,” Willis said, speaking to the teen.

He urged the juvenile to take a good, hard look at what he did and told him the lesson to take away was not to engage this way with law enforcement. 

"You better get it right," Willis said, adding that his charges could be considered criminal.

If convicted in juvenile court, the teen could face a maximum sentence of eight years and 10 months in custody.

Kyle Andrew Odom, the 30-year-old ex-Marine suspected of having shot a prominent Idaho minister several times outside his church Sunday, has a history of mental issues and acted alone, police said Monday.

Odom remained at large Monday night and is considered armed and dangerous, Coeur d'Alene police said a day after Tim Remington, senior pastor of The Altar Church, was shot and critically wounded in the church parking lot.

Remington, 55, was upgraded to fair condition Monday at Kootenai Health and Medical Center. He was shot six times after services Sunday afternoon, a day after he delivered the invocation at a rally for Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz.

Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Lee White said the attack was "preplanned" and that Odom — who is believed to have previously shown up at the nondenominational evangelical church — was armed throughout the Sunday service, which he attended before heading out to the parking lot.
 

A commuter train derailed Monday evening and one train car crashed in a Sunol creek, authorities said.

A large tree caused the Altamont Corridor Express 10 collision at 5500 Niles Canyon Road at about 7:45 p.m., authorities said. The train was believed to be carrying 214 passengers, authorities said, and one train car carrying nine people went into the creek. 

Fremont police said 14 people were injured, four of whom sustained serious injuries. 

All passengers have been removed from derailed train in Sunol and are being assessed, officials said. ACE sent buses to the crash site to transport uninjured commuters to the Alameda County Fairgrounds. 

Multiple agencies, including the Fremont Police Department and Alameda County Fire Department responded to the scene. Police shut down Niles Canyon Road and expect it to remain closed until further notice.

The ACE train was traveling from San Jose to Stockton, according to its website. Railway officials said after the derailment that there will be no ACE train service Tuesday.

Further details were not immediately available.

Refresh for updates.

An exotic animal refuge in Alpine needs help after El Nino rains caused $5,000 worth in damage to the roof over the animal surgery room.

Lions Tigers & Bears is has an on-site medical suite fully equipped to perform both routine and emergency medical procedures for exotic animals, but a leaking roof is jeopardizing their ability to take care of the animals.

Lions Tigers & Bears is a no kill, no breed, no sell rescue and educational facility that allows the animals to live their lives in a safe environment.
There are countless abused, neglected and unwanted exotic animals being held in captivity in the US according to the refuge.

The illegal trade in exotic animals is a $10 billion industry according to a 2011 report from Global Financial Integrity, a Washington, DC-based research and advisory group.

For more information or to donate go to their website.

Joe Barksdale was the only offensive lineman to start all 16 games last season for the Chargers.

The Chargers announced on twitter that they have rewarded the right tackle and agreed on a four-year deal to keep him in San Diego.

The financial numbers were not announced as of 9 p.m. PT on Monday evening.

Barksdale is expected to get a solid raise after making $2 million on a one-year deal in 2015.

He tweeted out “God is so good,” on Monday evening.

Barksdale proved to be a steady contributor for a unit constantly decimated by injuries and poor play. His versatility was apparent as well.

He switched to left tackle during games last season when teammates went down with injuries but he primarily played right tackle in 2015.

Expect him to continue as a RT as the Bolts look to rebuild their offensive line and settle on a five-man combination that can be healthier and more productive as a cohesive unit in 2016.

As a powerful El Nino storm arrived along San Diego's coastline, forecasters predicted potentially damaging surf, hail, snow and coastal flooding.

The leading edge of the cold front rolled over the county during the late stages of the morning commute and produced significant rainfall in a very short time from the coast, east to the foothills. The precipitation turned into snow in the mountains above 3,100-foot level.

At 8:30 a.m., a eucalyptus tree fell in Rancho Santa Fe, blocking a main route. The tree fell at the intersection of Via de la Valle and Calzada del Bosque, north of Morgan Run.

In Rancho Bernardo, a large tree was reported down around 8:30 a.m. at Bernardo Heights Parkway and Paseo Lucido. Also, a large tree was blocking traffic outside the Estancia La Jolla Hotel Resort and Spa on North Torrey Pines Road.

Most of the rain thus far fell during this period. Tentative totals at midday range from a little more than a quarter of an inch at Lindbergh Field, San Diego’s official reporting station, to more than an inch in Oceanside but only a couple tenths of an inch in the south bay. Palomar Mountain was the wettest spot at 11 a.m. with 1.19” measured at Birch Hill. Keep in mind, by 10 a.m., the rain had turned over to snow in the higher elevations. Those totals likely won’t be available until later today or even early tomorrow morning.

NBC 7 received reports of hail falling in San Marcos, Tierrasanta, Fletcher Hills, Oceanside, Eastlake and Encinitas.

Suffice to say, it’s been a good winter storm, beneficial to a moisture-starved region. Unfortunately it didn’t last long enough and blew through too quickly to produce significant rainfall totals. Still, after one of the driest February’s in history, we can’t complain. And, there’s a good chance we’ll get a smaller, less intense storm early Saturday morning.

Download the free NBC 7 mobile app for updates on this storm.

A pedestrian was struck by a bus Monday morning in San Diego's Core-Columbia neighborhood.

The victim, a woman in her late-20s, was hit just before 7:30 a.m. near West Ash and Front Street, according to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD).

She was crossing the street on the 1300 block of Front Street when the MTS bus struck her while attempting to turn left onto the same block, SDPD officials said. 

A Sig Alert was issued for Front Street and the road closed as officials worked Monday morning. 

The woman suffered major injuries, including bleeding in her brain, SDPD said. She is expected to survive. 

The crash is under investigation by SDPD's Traffic Division. Intoxication is not a suspected factor, police said. 

Anyone with information is asked to call SDPD or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

 A strong El Nino-fueled storm brought wintry weather to San Diego County mountains Monday. 

The intense part of the two-part storm swept through the County early Monday morning, prompting a thunderstorm warning, a winter storm warning, a high surf warning, and an aviation weather warning. 

The San Diego County Department of Public Works said Monday anyone heading to the mountains will no longer need chains on their car; however, officials recommend you have chains in your car just in case. 

Julian Union School District and Julian Union High School District officials released students early as a result of the weather. Both districts will resume class on Tuesday at the standard, 1.5 hour delayed start time. Students at Spencer Valley will resume classes at a one-hour delayed start time of 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

NBC 7's Meteorologist Dagmar Midcap said 1 to 3 inches of snowfall could fall at elevations of 3,500 to 4,500 feet. Three to 6 inches are expected between 4,500 feet elevation and 6,000 feet. Above 6,000 feet, the County mountains could see 6 to 10 inches of snow. 

At least four inches of snow fell at the 4,000 feet elevation mark at Palomar Mountain.

San Diegans heading north up to Mount Laguna said once they got further up the mountain, the snow started to intensify. 

"Driving conditions are pretty snowy,going up the mountain here," said driver Andrew Sloater. "We had to turn around when we got to the top there. The truck was sliding a bit and [we] didn't want to put the chains on."

Six children and a driver were rescued after their school bus became stuck in high water Tuesday morning in North Texas, authorities say.

The Denton Independent School District bus became stuck in three feet of water near the intersection of East Sherman Drive and Elm Bottom Circle at about 7 a.m., according to authorities.

Crews were able to carry the children to a nearby boat that was connected to a truck and move them to safety.

"I was like in tears, I'm not going to lie, I was a nervous wreck," said parent Cassandra Perez.

Perez's son and daughter – 8-year-old Alyssia and 9-year-old Jeremiah – were among the first rescued.

"What do you know, there's my kids sitting in the boat. The first two in the boat," she said.

Perez said the firefighters did a good job getting everyone out calmly.

"They thought it was some sort of an adventure. They made them seem like it wasn't a big deal, so they wouldn't be scared," she said. "I was very proud they listened and did so well."

Authorities said the children were then dropped off at Hodge Elementary School in Denton. No injuries were reported.

"All's well that ends well, you know?" said Perez.

A Denton ISD spokesperson said, per standard procedure, the bus will be out of service so that it can be checked and the bus driver will be placed on leave while they investigate the incident.

"I don't know what the bus driver was thinking," said Perez. "There's really no words to describe the feeling. Helpless, I guess."

Perez found out there was trouble when a customer at the convenience store where she worked told her a bus was stranded in flood waters down the road.

"I knew their bus was in the area at that time," Perez said. "It's raining, so that ran through my mind, but I thought there's a one-in-a-million shot."

She went to the NBC 5 website and saw live Chopper 5 video of her two children sitting in a rescue boat.

"I was just so worried because there was so much water around them," Perez said nervously. "I was so worried and was so proud that they was sitting so still."

The brother and sister told NBC 5 it was a little scary.

"Fun and scary," said a smiling Jeremiah. "They carried us to a police boat and they took us one by one."

All are hoping Wednesday's ride to school is a little less adventurous.

NBC 5's Brian Scott and Noelle Walker contributed to this report.