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Congress Breaks for Easter Without Funding Zika Fight

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Congress left Washington Wednesday afternoon without voting to appropriate any of the $1.9 billion the Obama administration has asked for to fight Zika, NBC News reported.

Republicans say they don’t want to spend new money if they don’t have to. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., told reporters this week that there is money in the pipeline “that is not going to Ebola” that can fund the fight against Zika.

National health directors say that money cannot be redirected because it is already accounted for, as researchers run trials of Ebola vaccines and treatments in West Africa.

Zika continues to spread across Latin America and the Caribbean. Cases are piling up in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and southern states from Texas to Florida are bracing for smaller outbreaks as mosquito season approaches.  



Photo Credit: AP

Obama Defends Strategy, Promises to Destroy ISIS

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President Barack Obama was faced with questions Wednesday over whether the deadly attacks in Brussels have made him rethink his strategy to crush ISIS and if he has a "Plan B," NBC News reported.

Brushing aside critics who say he is too cautious, the president emphasized recent successes in the fight to dismantle the terror group, vowing that it would ultimately be destroyed, which he said is his most pressing issue.

Obama has defended himself against Republicans such as Donald Trump, who calls for an all-out ban on Muslims from entering the United States. He also took a swipe at Sen. Ted Cruz, who said he wants more aggressive monitoring of Muslim neighborhoods in America.

"As far as the notion of having surveillance of neighborhoods where Muslims are present, I just left a country that engages in that kind of neighborhood surveillance, which, by the way, the father of Sen. Cruz escaped for America, the land of the free," Obama said, referring to Cuba. 



Photo Credit: AP

'It Could Have Been Me': Fmr SDSU Student Recalls Brussels Attacks

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 A former San Diego State University (SDSU) student close to the deadly Brussels attacks spoke to NBC 7 San Diego about the terror-filled hours to follow. 

Ilgin Karlidag, a correspondent for a Turkish news organization in Brussels, was in shock moments after the attack near the Maelbeek metro station, her daily stop. 

The station is a five minute walk from where she lives, making the video she recorded even harder for her to watch. 

"I stepped off Maelbeek just the night before," Karlidag said. "So, it could have been me. It could have been anyone, and I'm still in shock."

Given the increasingly common police raids in the city, she said, there was a sense something would soon happen.

"I am terrified, to be honest," she said. "I am absolutely terrified because we expected an attack." 

Expected because of the ramped up military presence, she said. 

"If you ever come to Brussels," Karlidag said. "You'll notice the streets are filled with soldiers walking around. There are military vehicles." 

It's a new normal she doesn't expect to change anytime soon. 

"People are upset," she said. "People are heartbroken. People are in shock. I think people more than anything hate the fact that this is becoming the new normal."



Photo Credit: Getty Images

SDSO Scanned More than 8M License Plates Since 2014: Docs

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 Agencies in San Diego County have been using License Plate Readers (LPRs) to track a vehicle’s location and movements on public roads and in parking lots since 2009, newly released documents show.

Supporters tout how successful the technology is at tracking down stolen or wanted vehicles. Opponents argue LPRs are invading personal privacy by tracking individual commuters using GPS and then archiving those results for years in a database accessible to law enforcement.

In San Diego, LPR cameras are either mounted on a vehicle or set up alongside roadways. They scan license plates collecting identifiable information which is uploaded into a searchable database. Law enforcement can then check if the license plate has been reported wanted or stolen.

(mobile readers, click here to see the infographic)

NBC 7 Investigates reached out to SANDAG and every law enforcement agency in San Diego County asking how many stolen vehicles were found through the use of LPR cameras in 2015.

According to the Sheriff’s Department out of the eight million or more license plates they have scanned since March 1, 2014, it received ‘hits’ on 1,601 stolen vehicles.

In 2015, Oceanside Police said they were able to track down approximately 295 stolen vehicles. Out of those vehicles recovered, Oceanside Police Investigators say about 74% or 217 of those vehicles were found using LPR cameras.

According to records from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, LPRs are capable of scanning hundreds of license plates an hour. If the LPR scans a license plate of a vehicle that has been reported stolen or wanted, the officer will receive a visible and audible indication from inside their unit, signaling the officer to make a visible confirmation of the plate before making the traffic stop.

NBC 7 Investigates obtained the records through a California Public Records Act request.

According to SANDAG and Sheriff Department LPR usage policies, no warrant is required for authorized users to access the database. The policies also state only authorized users are able to access the LPR database. In order to be an authorized user, the agencies require officers to receive clearance from a supervisor, train on how the database works and provide a lawful reason for a search.

Jan Caldwell, spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Department, says LPR cameras have assisted in major investigations.

“One of the more high-profile examples include the abduction of Hannah Anderson and the identification of DiMaggio's vehicle as it left San Diego County,” Caldwell told NBC 7 Investigates.

In 2013, officials say James DiMaggio kidnapped Anderson after killing her mother and brother in the community of Boulevard. Less than a week later, Anderson was found safe in the Idaho backcountry by FBI agents who shot and killed DiMaggio.

In a 2014 bulletin distributed to Sheriff’s Deputies, the department announced it is beginning to store all of the information gathered by local LPR cameras with a company called Vigilant Solutions.

Vigilant Solutions’ Executive Chairman Todd Hodnett told NBC 7 Investigates the company works with over 1,000 law enforcement agencies across the country and their database contains over 4.5 billion vehicle location records. He said that number grows by 100 million records a month. According to Vigilant Solutions’ website, the company is collecting LPR data in almost every major metro area in the United States, including San Diego.

In addition to collecting LPR data nationally from law enforcement agencies, the company also receives data commercially. Private institutions provide data through a subsidiary of Vigilant Solutions called Digital Recognition Network (DRN).

According to Vigilant Solutions records, these private institutions collect license plate data through private LPR fleet operators that gather data in locations where vehicles may remain or re-appear for an extended period of time. This includes residential areas, apartment complexes, retail areas or businesses with large employee parking areas.

Fortune 1,000 financial institutions rely on DRN’s data to drive decisions on loan origination, servicing and collections including automotive recovery processes, according to the company’s website. Hodnett told NBC 7 Investigates LPR fleet operators mainly consist of tow-trucks equipped with LPR cameras.

In documents, Vigilant Solutions said this data, combined with the in-transit data collected by law enforcement, “enhances investigative opportunities” in knowing where a vehicle has been and where a vehicle is most likely going.

Critics such as the ACLU have accused companies like Vigilant Solutions and DRN of using LPR technology to keep the public under surveillance. The ACLU has accused the companies of selling LPR data gathered by law enforcement agencies to private companies looking for individuals or vehicles.

Hodnett said that’s not the case.

“It would make no sense for us to take law enforcement data, share it on the commercial side and potentially implode our company," Hodnett said. "I keep hearing the terms surveillance and ‘you can track the movements of people’, that’s based on the false premise that you can have enough LPR cameras to actually gather enough data to be able to do what you’re saying.”

When asked if there are any other clients in San Diego County using Vigilant Solutions or DRN, a spokesperson for the company said in an email, “It is up to our clients to reveal their contracts with us. We can only confirm if an agency has been publicly on the record saying that they are a customer of ours. We do not have permission from any clients in the San Diego area to discuss.”

Local police departments NBC 7 Investigates spoke with said they send and store LPR data with ARJIS, the joint powers agency managed by SANDAG to share information with agencies in San Diego and Imperial counties.

LPR data collected by the Sheriff’s Department is stored for 730 days or two years, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Jeff Stinchcomb, spokesman for SANDAG, told NBC 7 Investigates SANDAG stores LPR data for 12 months before it is purged.

Even though organizations like the ACLU say this data can paint a picture into the public’s personal life or at the very least, a vehicle’s movements, the data does not belong to the public, according to the Sheriff’s Department documents.

Through a state public records request, NBC 7 Investigates obtained an LPR training presentation for Sheriff’s deputies first using the equipment. One of the PowerPoint presentation slides said, “Captured information is considered ‘Investigative.’ It is ours, not the public’s.”

This argument was at the center of a lawsuit in 2013 when a local technology entrepreneur took SANDAG to court, fighting to obtain all records pertaining to him and his vehicle that may have been obtained through the use of LPRs. Michael Robertson said he wasn’t after money, he was after government transparency.

Last year, the courts ruled in SANDAG’s favor allowing the agency to withhold all of the records Robertson was seeking. Robertson has since began volunteering his time to assist the ACLU with future litigation relating to license plate readers and unsealing the data gathered so it can be released to the public.

In 2015, while seeking access to LPR databases for ICE members, the Department of Homeland Security published a Privacy Impact Assessment on the use of LPR systems where they acknowledged the risks to the public’s privacy.

The assessment said, “there is a risk that individuals will not have adequate or meaningful notice that their license plate information will be collected by commercial license plate vendor services…Individuals are unable to consent to the retention and use of their license plate data in a commercial database.”

For other countries, LPR technology is beginning to make it’s way into everyday uses for the general public. Hodnett said other countries, such as the UK, have started to use LPR technology to replace attendants for gated communities or facilities. For this, a fixed LPR camera is setup to scan and opens the gate, only for license plates permitted access to the facilities.

Hodnett said, in the United States, the technology is beginning to be used this way but is in the very beginning stages of entering the market.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Car Drives Over Embankment

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 At least two people were injured when a car drove off an embankment Wednesday night, San Diego Police and Fire officials said. 

The crash happened at 8:21 p.m. on the 1400 block of Mariposa Street in San Diego's Alta Vista neighborhood, east of Interstate 805. 

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) spokesman Lee Swanson said at least two patients were involved. 

Crews began arriving on scene moments later to assess the damage. 

It is unclear if anyone is injured. 

No further information was immediately available.

Refresh this page for updates on this breaking news story.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/File

Debris 'Almost Certainly' From Missing Plane: Officials

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Debris recently discovered in Mozambique most likely came from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished mysteriously two years ago, Australian officials said Wednesday.

In a statement, Australia's Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Darren Chester, said that an analysis of two items found that they were "consistent with drift modeling" that "further affirms our search efforts in the southern Indian Ocean," NBC News reports.

"The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370," Chester said.

The only other confirmed piece of debris from the Boeing 777, which disappeared while en route to Bejing from Kuala Lampur with 239 people on board, was found last July in the southern Indian Ocean.



Photo Credit: Blaine Gibson via NBC News

Worker Killed in Ammonia Leak

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A worker is dead and a neighborhood was ordered to shelter in place after more than 5,000 pounds of ammonia leaked in a Boston seafood warehouse, authorities confirm.

Boston Fire responded just before 6 p.m. to the leak at Stavis Seafoods Warehouse on Channel Street in the city's Seaport District. A Level 3 hazmat situation was declared, and crews could not turn off the valve and stop the flow of ammonia until after 9 p.m.

One employee died during the leak. The cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Police have ordered people in the Seaport District to shelter in place. At Harpoon Brewery, nestled close to Stavis, workers told necn by phone that nobody was allowed to leave.

Some women who were trying to get to the brewery for a special event couldn't get in.

"I'm running the Boston Marathon and we have an MGH team event at Harpoon," said Samantha Syska.

At Legal Harborside and Del Frisco's on Northern Avenue, managers said police told them their valet drivers could be arrested or fined if they retrieved vehicles - they wanted people to stay inside.

Responders were initially unable to enter the area where the ammonia could be shut off. Around 9:20 p.m., Boston Fire announced in a tweet that the main valve had finally been shut down and the leak had stopped.

Before the shutoff, fire officials said about 5,300 pounds of ammonia remained in the building.

Because the situation was classified as Level 3, firefighters were required to use fully encapsulated suits to enter the facility.

In 2009, OSHA fined Stavis for 15 alleged violations at its channel street distribution and processing facility tied to its refrigeration system.

Among other things, the inspection cited improper inspection of equipment, no written respiratory protection plan for employees and that employees did not receive annual emergency response training.



Photo Credit: Boston Fire

Cruz Begins 'Vigorously' Campaigning In New York, Trump's Home Turf

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Ted Cruz will need to read up on his "New York values" now that he's in Manhattan.

Cruz, who trails behind Donald Trump in polls and delegate numbers, said he intends to challenge Trump in his home state's primary.

"God bless the great state of New York!" Cruz said upon taking the microphone in front of a tightly-packed crowd of 150 Republicans at the Women's National Republican Club in midtown Manhattan.

At his first official campaign event in the state since announcing his candidacy one year ago, Cruz accused Trump of years of financially backing "liberal Democratic policies" in the state.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Padres Need Lefty In Starting Rotation

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NBC7’s Ben Rosehart takes aim at what the Padres starting rotation will look like in this commentary.

Tyson Ross. James Shields. Andrew Cashner.

Putting them in the starting rotation was as easy as 1-2-3 for new Padres manager Andy Green.

But who will round out the pitching staff as the number 4 & 5 starters? Will young Colin Rea get to start after impressing last season as a late-season call-up? Will the Padres put a left-hander in their starting rotation?

So many questions are still in the air as we inch closer to Opening Day.

Moving Brandon Maurer to the bullpen was the equivalent of Jeb Bush getting knocked out of the Republican primary race.

Regardless of your opinion on the matter, you had a feeling it might happen but still were uncertain who eventually would win the job.

Drew Pomeranz is still in the mix for one of those last two starting spots and he helped his case Wednesday against the White Sox.

Pomeranz struck out 4 batters in 4 innings of work and only allowed one hit on a homer by Avisail Garcia. Pomeranz looked good but the offense did not. Padres lost 6-1.

Another southpaw, Robbie Erlin, also has a chance to make the starting five. For the sole purpose of not having five right-handers, I’d expect at least one of these two lefties to win a starting job.

In a game dominated by strategy and statistics, do you think Green really wants opponents to trot out the same lineup every day against his club?

Having a righty every day out on the mound would certainly make it easier to game plan against the Padres, especially if left-handed hitters are on a hot streak before facing San Diego.

One edge that Pomeranz has over Erlin is that Erlin has a minor league option.

The Padres could keep both of them in the organization by keeping Pomeranz on the Opening Day roster and then optioning Erlin back to Triple-A El Paso. Or they could keep Erlin as a lefty out of the bullpen.

Colin Rea is another young Padres pitcher who oozes potential. The thin Iowan added some muscle this off-season in an attempt to add some more power.

Rea impressed me last season when he made a handful of starts as a late-season call-up.

I’d go as far as to say that Rea was one of the few bright spots of last year’s disappointing campaign - along with Matt Kemp’s 100 RBIs and the day he hit for the cycle.

Brandon Morrow I have not seen as much as the other candidates but he has the most experience out of the quartet.

Morrow once struck out 17 batters as a member of the Blue Jays in 2010.

He wound up with a one-hitter in that win over the Rays.

Then in 2011, Morrow led the league in strikeouts per 9 innings with an average of 10.2 K/9.

Morrow has battled a vast array of injuries since 2012, ranging from strained oblique muscles to forearm pain and shoulder issues.

So while he boasts experience and previous time in a clubhouse with the likes of Roy Halladay and R.A. Dickey, you could argue he is the most susceptible to injury based on his recent track record.

I’d expect Rea and Pomeranz to round out the San Diego rotation but we will have to see if that ends up being the case.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Hundreds Trapped on Colorado Highway in Record-Breaking Storm

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Several hundred motorists were stranded on highways in Colorado during a wintry storm late Wednesday, authorities said.

Micki Trost, a public information officer for Colorado's emergency operations center, said that around 200 people were stuck in snowy conditions and winds of up to 50 mph on I-70 east of Denver.

Some people had spent more than eight hours in their vehicles while others had abandoned them and headed to shelters, Trost added.

The Colorado National Guard sent Humvees and troops to help drivers that became stranded on I-25 between Denver and Colorado Springs.
 



Photo Credit: AP

Chicago Police Shootings Reviewed

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The Independent Police Review Authority, the Chicago agency responsible for investigating allegations of police misconduct, has announced that it plans to conduct a historic review of all closed officer-involved shootings in the city just months after the Laquan McDonald shooting video was released.

Chief Administrator Sharon Fairley made the announcement at a press conference Wednesday, as her first 100 days in the role come to a close. 

Fairley, a former federal prosecutor, was appointed to the role of chief administrator by Mayor Rahm Emanuel following the November release of footage showing the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old McDonald. 

She has since called on City Hall’s Inspector General Joseph Ferguson to investigate questions surrounding Officer Jason Van Dyke’s fatal shooting of McDonald. At the time, she said public confidence would be “enhanced” if the investigation were conducted by an agency “that has had no involvement with the matter and can bring a fresh look at the facts.”

Fairley also has said her office planned to reopen IPRA’s investigation into how officers treated Philip Coleman, a 38-year-old man who suffered a mental breakdown in 2012. A recently released video shows officers dragging Coleman from a police lockup after he was repeatedly shocked with a stun gun at a South Side police station. Police said he was combative when they tried to take him to court to face charges in connection with an arrest the day before.

Coleman was transported to a hospital, where officers said he was combative again. They zapped him repeatedly with a Taser and struck him with a baton, according to police records. He died hours later from a reaction to a sedative the hospital gave him, according to the medical examiner’s office.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Blackhawks Prospect Suspended

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Chicago Blackhawks prospect Garret Ross was "suspended indefinitely" after records revealed Ross faces felony charges on accusations of violating Illinois’ ban on so-called “revenge porn," the Blackhawks announced Wednesday. 

“On Saturday afternoon, March 19, 2016, the Chicago Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs learned of a legal proceeding against IceHogs player Garret Ross," the Blackhawks said in a statement. "At that time, we excused Garret fromBlackhawks Prospect Garret Ross Suspended After 'Revenge Porn' Charges team activities pending our preliminary review of the matter. After further review, we have determined to suspend Garret indefinitely pending the outcome of the legal process. Because this is a pending legal proceeding, we will have no further comment at this time.”

Ross, a 23-year-old Rockford IceHogs player who was drafted by the Blackhawks in 2012, has been charged with one count of non-consensual dissemination of a sexual image, a Class 4 felony, according to DeKalb County case records.

Court records show the charges stemmed from an offense that occurred on Aug. 31, 2015. The new law passed by the Illinois legislature in 2015 makes it a criminal act to share private sexual images without the consent of all parties involved.

If convicted, Ross faces one to three years in prison.

A preliminary hearing in the case is set for Apr. 22, with a status hearing scheduled for Mar. 28, according to documents from the DeKalb County Circuit Clerk’s Office.

Ross was scratched from the Rockford IceHogs’ lineup over the weekend after news of the allegations were reported.

It is unclear if Ross has an attorney.



Photo Credit: American Hockey League

DC Water Once Had Lead

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For a generation of D.C. parents, the Flint crisis has dredged up painful memories of when they learned that glasses of tap water they handed to their children -- and drank while pregnant -- were poisoned.

D.C. tap water is safer now than ever, the water utility says, but from 2001 to 2004, tap water samples contained as much as five times the concentration of lead the Environmental Protection Agency says is safe.

A Virginia Tech professor recently testified before a congressional committee the problem of lead in D.C.'s water in the early 2000s was "20 to 30 times worse" than the current crisis in Flint, Michigan. He said the EPA could have prevented Flint’s crisis if it had learned from lessons in D.C.

At 15 parts per billion, water utilities must inform the public about how to protect their health. Samples of D.C. water spiked at 80 parts of lead per billion from mid-2001 to mid-2002, data from D.C. Water shows.

Capitol Hill resident Satu Haase-Webb, who had a 2-year-old daughter and was pregnant with her second child, was stunned to learn in 2004 that the water her family drank contained 308 parts of lead per billion.

"You're completely floored as a parent," she said. "You find out that you may have inadvertently exposed your child to a neurotoxin."

In children, exposure to lead can cause brain damage, learning and behavioral problems, and lowered IQs. In pregnant women, exposure can cause miscarriages and premature births. There's no reversing the damage.

Satu Haase-Webb's children -- now 14, 12 and 7 -- are healthy, but she said she worries about whether they were affected by the lead exposure.

"I don't know to this day if my children would be different if we hadn't had this," she said.

Gretchen Mikeska, another Capitol Hill resident, also said she wonders if her daughter, born in 2002, was affected by tap water she drank while pregnant and gave to her child. Her daughter, now 14, attends a school for children with language-based learning differences.

"There's no real way you can draw a line from A to B," she said.

Haase-Webb said she was devastated to learn that in Flint, like in D.C., lead from pipes leached into tap water.

"How horrific in this day and age that this can still happen," the historian said. "Haven't we learned anything from D.C.?"

Mikeska, an environmental engineer, said federal and local officials should have known that lead pipes in older cities could pose a threat.

"It seems like anyone thinking about this a little could have know that this was a problem," she said.

Lead levels in D.C. water climbed in the early 2000s after D.C. Water, then called the Water and Sewer Authority (WASA), changed its water treatment chemical from chlorine to chloramine. The change was made because of EPA guidelines meant to limit byproducts used to treat water. What officials did not know is that chloramine would react differently with pipes, leading to corrosion and leaching lead from pipes into the water.

Lawsuits, some of which are still open after more than a decade, allege a deliberate cover-up by WASA. Parents argued in court that "not only did the authority fail to eliminate this danger, it actually took affirmative steps to hide the lead contamination from its customers and federal authorities."

Marc Edwards, an environmental engineering professor at Virginia Tech, told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on March 15 that EPA officials should have used what they learned in the District in the early 2000s to prevent what happened in Flint.

“The EPA and other agencies caused a similar lead-in-the-water crisis in Washington, D.C. from 2001 to 2004 that actually was 20 to 30 times worse in terms of the health harm to children in Washington, D.C.," he said.

Edwards told The Washington Post his comparison between D.C. and Flint was based on “the number of people, the duration of exposure and the population harmed.”

Is DC's Tap Water Safe Now?

D.C. tap water now is safer to drink than ever, the water utility says.

"Yes, we did have a lead crisis in the early 2000s," D.C. Water spokesman John Lisle said. "Today, lead levels are controlled by the addition of an anti-corrosive chemical at the [Washington] Aqueduct and our lead levels are at historically low levels."

D.C. water contained lead levels of fewer than 4 parts per billion as of June 2015, well below the action level of 15 parts per billion, according to the agency's own data.

While water is lead-free when it leaves the Aqueduct treatment plant, lead can be released from pipes as the water makes its way out of your faucet. Pipes, fixtures and solder on private property can contain lead that can seep into water.

"The water that we treat is safe and lead-free," Lisle said. "Where issues can arrive is in homes that have lead sources."

Some feeder lines, also called service lines, that connect water mains to individual properties are made of lead. D.C. Water is spending about $40 million per year to replace water mains, the spokesman said. When crews replace the water mains, they also replace lead service lines on public space. When that work occurs, D.C. Water encourages property owners to replace service lines on their private land, too. The water utility also will replace lead feeder lines on public land upon request.

WASA's board of directors approved a $300 million program to replace all lead feeder lines on public space but scaled back the program after research and testing showed partial line replacements could disturb lead in pipes on private land, boosting levels of lead in water in the short term.

How to Check the Safety of the Tap Water in Your Home

Any D.C. resident can request a free lead test kit from D.C. Water.

In 2014 and 2015, 766 lead-testing kits were requested, Lisle said. Of those tests delivered to buildings, 446 were returned to the agency with water samples. Ten of those samples showed elevated lead levels, above the EPA action level. D.C. Water then worked with the residents to identify and correct the source of the problem, Lisle said.

Satu Hasse-Webb encouraged D.C. residents to get their lead feeder lines checked and replaced if necessary. She said she tries not to think about D.C.'s decade-old lead crisis anymore -- "it's something I just couldn't control" -- but the potential risks of lead feeder lines still cross her mind.

"I drive through the neighborhood now and know these people have a ticking time bomb on their hands," she said.

To request information about D.C. Water pipes leading to your home, call 202-354-3600. To request a free lead test kit, call 202-612-3440.



Photo Credit: Courtesy of Satu Haase-Webb

Missing American Couple: Mom Flies to Belgium

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The mother of an American accountant missing since the Brussels bombings was flying to Belgium on Thursday after the family said it had been wrongly informed that he had been found, NBC News reported. 

Justin Shults and his wife Stephanie have not been seen since two blasts rocked the check-in hall at the city's airport, killing at least 11 people Tuesday morning. Justin's mom was expected to arrive in Belgium on Thursday. 

The explosions were met just over an hour later with another blast at a metro station in the city. At least 31 people died and more than 270 were wounded between the two sites across the Belgian capital.

Justin, 30, is originally from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, while 29-year-old Stephanie is from Lexington, Kentucky. They both work as accountants and moved to Brussels in 2014.



Photo Credit: Family Photo

Evidence Mounts Tying ISIS Cell to Brussels, Paris Attacks

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Officials believe Najim Laachraoui, suspected of making the bombs used to attack Paris in November, was one of the two suicide bombers in the deadly terror attacks in the Brussels airport, bolstering evidence linking an ISIS terror cell to both attacks, according to NBC News.

U.S. and Belgian intelligence sources said Wednesday they are certain Laachraoui died in blasts at Brussels' airport.

And there are other ties between Paris and Belgium, NBC News has learned.

Brothers Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, who each took part and separately died in the airport and subway attacks, prosecutors said Wednesday, provided a safe house in Belgium to the terrorists who carried out the carnage in Paris. Some of the bombers met up there before moving on to the French capital. One brother, meanwhile, helped secure weapons and ammunition for the attackers.

Had he not been caught Friday, alleged Paris attacks plotter Salah Abdeslam would have joined in on the Brussels attacks that left at least 31 dead, sources said.



Photo Credit: Interpol

16-Year-Old Dies of Influenza

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A local 16-year-old teen was among nine recent reported influenza deaths in San Diego County, County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) officials said.

The girl, who had underlying medical conditions, died from influenza B on March 16, bringing the total of reported deaths to 50 this year, HHSA officials said Wednesday. 

“Our condolences go out to the family and friends of this young girl.” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer, in a statement. “The flu can be deadly, even when it appears to be a milder season, so getting vaccinated and seeking care early is important in every age group.”

That figure is significantly less than the 90 flu deaths reported at this same time last year, the HHSA says. The ages of those who have died from the illness this season range from 16 to 98 years old. The HHSA says seven of those people had no known underlying medical conditions. 

Officials previously said they believe that flu season peaked in mid-March. 

Last week, the HHSA says the number of lab-confirmed flu cases throughout the county tallied 381 – down six percent for the previous week. During the week prior, 482 cases were reported. To date this season, there have been 5,306 lab-confirmed cases in the county, compared to 6,531 last season.

The HHSA says 4 percent of all emergency department visits last week in San Diego were patients experiencing influenza-like illness.

Wooten says people should still get vaccinated and take other precautions to avoid getting sick, including frequent and thorough hand-washing and staying away from anyone who is ill.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone six months and older get a flu shot every year.

The CDC says vaccination is especially important for those at high risk of developing complications from the flu, including people with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women, people age 65 and older or people who live or care for others who are at higher risk.

The flu vaccine is available at doctor’s offices and pharmacies. Those without health insurance can get the vaccine at a public health center. Call 211 or visit the 211 San Diego website for more information.
 



Photo Credit: CDC

Fire Sparks at Kearny Mesa Warehouse

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Crews contained a fire at an insulation warehouse in Kearny Mesa on Wednesday afternoon.

Heavy smoke and fire was seen at about 12:40 p.m. Wednesday coming from the one-story building in the 8200 block of Ronson Road, just west of State Route 163.

The area is surrounded by car dealerships.

Crews had to cut down a garage down to enter the warehouse and fight the fire.

The fire destroyed two bays owned by E-Z Flow Foam, a company that sells polyurethane foam and related chemicals.

Crews had the fire contained after 35 minutes.

No workers were inside when the fire started, but the company's owner is fearful of what's come for his business.

"We have a million-and-a-half-dollar-a-year business here and I don't know what it's going to look like tomorrow," said company owner James Train.

No one was hurt.

Total damage, including the building and its content, was estimated at $275,000. Fire investigators said routine testing of a piece of equipment malfunctioned, triggering the blaze.



Photo Credit: Liz Bryant/NBC 7
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City Communication Proposal Moves Forward

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The San Diego City Council Rules Committee passed a proposal that would require city employees doing city business to comply with open records requests whether they are using their own cell phones and laptops or one owned by the city.

The proposal from Donna Frye, representing Californians Aware or Cal Aware, will be considered next by the full council for consideration to be placed on the November ballot.

Frye, a former San Diego City Councilwoman, said she was “very appreciative” of the vote.

“I am particularly pleased with City Attorney’s opinion and the committee’s vote today after three years,” Frye said at a meeting Wednesday.

There, Frye stressed the urgency for the San Diego City Council to receive this recommendation in time for it to be added to the ballot. There were also discussions among city leaders about some of the hurdles this proposal may face.

At the top of the list: getting the city’s union employees on board. As explained in a San Diego City Attorney’s Office memorandum about the proposal “the City of San Diego must first comply with meet and confer requirements of state labor laws...”

Another issue discussed was how long the information and data should be held onto. Currently, the retention schedule for city records is three years. Frye said she supports using that same timeframe for these records.

Councilmember Marti Emerald noted that the draft of the proposal drawn up by the City Attorney’s Office was for an amendment to the city code, not a ballot measure as was proposed by Frye and CalAware.

City Attorney Jan Goldsmith told the committee, “An ordinance can be changed, a charter can only change with voters approval but they both have the same legal effect.”

Emerald suggested the proposed ballot measure made the most sense and “not an ordinance that might get watered down or repealed.”

Goldsmith, whose office initially rejected requests for emails related to city business sent on personal equipment, said it was feasible to first create an ordinance and then a ballot measure. The committee suggested moving it forward as an ordinance and then passing it onto the voters in November.

“I think the advocates need to keep on advocating. They’ve made a first down,” Goldsmith told NBC 7 following Wednesday's meeting.

CalAware’s proposal was supported by the San Diego Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalist.



Photo Credit: Lynn Walsh

Ex-Mayor Bob Filner Testifies in Civil Trial

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Bob Filner, the former mayor of San Diego, testified Wednesday in the first civil trial stemming from the sexual harassment scandal that put the life-long politician out of office.

Filner is accused of grabbing a city parks employee from behind and putting her in what was dubbed the "Filner headlock", a choke hold maneuver shown to jurors in court Tuesday. 

The Deputy City Attorney defending Filner admits the former mayor's behavior was unprofessional but denies it was abusive. 

City Parks Manager Stacie McKenzie testified that she's suffered depression and anxiety following the April 2013 incident. 

On Tuesday, the plaintiff's attorney Manuel Corrales used a mannequin to describe what McKenzie said happened.

"He puts his right arm around her neck, and he puts his left hand on her arm, and he firmly holds her arm and her firmly holds her neck in a choke hold, and she doesn't know what's going on, but her friends are kind of wondering what is he doing," said Corrales.

Filner testified he didn’t recall meeting McKenzie, rubbing his body up against hers and holding her arm in a lock as was alleged by the plaintiff.

As for allegations that he followed McKenzie around the event, Filner said, “I have never stalked anyone."

If they did occur, Filner testified he didn’t feel most of those acts were sexual harassment.

In October 2013, Filner pleaded guilty to felony false imprisonment and two misdemeanor charges of battery involving victims of sexual harassment and completed 90 days of house arrest.

Filner said that day was “the saddest day in my life.”

“The whole experience was incredibly devastating,” the former mayor said. “I did not think I was guilty of many of the accusations. but it became because of the extent and I think the actions of people who opposed what I was trying to do as mayor it all came together and made it impossible for me to govern. It was a very tragic thing in my experience because I was really trying to change this city.”

He said he has undergone “very intense therapy” to understand what happened.

“I think I have come out a better and stronger person even though I don’t have the mayor’s job,"
Filner said.

Taxpayers have paid more than a $1 million to settle cases in the scandal according to the City Attorney's office.

Since this is a highly publicized case, jurors have been instructed by the judge to avoid watching news coverage of the scandal as to not affect their objectivity.

Filner resigned from the mayoral office in 2013 after multiple women accused him of unwanted advances and touching.

One of those women, Irene McCormack Jackson testified Wednesday that Filner told her he was infatuated with her and that it would be wonderful if she worked without panties.

She also testified that he kissed her in an elevator.

She recalled Filner's reaction when she told him to leave her office. 

“I’m the mayor. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want. I don’t have to leave,” McCormack testified.

McCormack Jackson also talked about the day she resigned in solidarity with another city employee.

It was at a senior staff meeting, and she told Filner the officer was run horribly and she was resigning too.

As she left the room, she testified, Filner said to her "‘Really Irene? Name one.’"

McCormack Jackson testified, “As I was walking toward the door, I turned around and I said, ‘Really Mayor? Why don’t you tell them about the time you told me to work without my panties on?’ And I opened the door and I slammed it shut so hard that it opened once and slammed again.”

The former communications director for Filner reached a $250,000 settlement after she sued the City of San Diego.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Smugglers Built Home to Hide Cross-Border Drug Tunnel

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A secret, cross-border tunnel found in the Southern Californian desert may be the first in California where smugglers built a home for the sole purpose of transporting drugs.

The 416-yard tunnel starts at a cement hole in the living room of a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home in Calexico, California, 120 miles east of San Diego, and runs across the border and into the kitchen of an open and running restaurant in Mexicali, Mexico, U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said at a press conference Wednesday.

A hole in the floor – covered with tile – leads to a shaft, descending underground. The tunnel is the 12th large-scale operational drug smuggling tunnel discovered along the border since 2006, according to the U.S. Attorney's office in Southern California. 

“We repeatedly see cartels trying to build these tunnels, they spend years doing it, they spend millions of dollars doing it, to create their own private underworld of secret passageways to move drugs unchecked into this country,” Duffy said. “But for the builders, for the financiers, for the operators of these passageways, there’s no light at the end of these tunnels.”

Authorities seized more than 1,350 pounds of marijuana smuggled through the tunnel, following the lengthy, multi-agency investigation. The drugs were worth more than $6 million in street value. 

Authorities claim the traffickers scouted properties in the area before buying the home, later instructing the contractor to leave a space in the foundation when pouring concrete for what they said would be a "safe."  

Once construction on the $86,000 house was finished in December, co-conspirators rented a "walk-behind saw and concrete blade" from a local El Centro business, Duffy said, presumably to create the tunnel exit. Investigators said they believe the traffickers began using the tunnel on Feb. 28, 2016, based on intercepted calls, Duffy said. 

While serving a search warrant at the tunnel home, located at 902 E. Third Street, authorities also served two additional search warrants. Officials served a warrant at a so-called "stash house" two miles away, located at 1056 Horizon Street. The drugs were then taken to a warehouse at 260 Avenida Campillo, Suite A, Duffy said, where they were stored before being moved north.

Four people have been arrested in connection with the tunnel and are expected to be arraigned Wednesday or Thursday.

A mother and daughter were arrested in Arizona in connection with the tunnel Tuesday, along with two additional people Wednesday in Calexico. All were charged with various drug trafficking, money laundering and tunnel-related charges.

Joel Duarte Medina was arrested inside a so-called “stash house” on Horizon Street in Calexico and Manuel Gallegos Jiminez was arrested inside the tunnel residence. Marcia Manuela Duarte-Medina and her mother, Eva Duarte De Medina, were charged in Arizona with multiple charges, including conspiracy to import drugs. Court documents detail how Eva helped move vehicles loaded with drugs between the tunnel home and the stash location. It was not immediately clear if they had attorneys.

Officials said several years ago, they discovered a secret drug tunnel at the residence next door to the Third Street home. That residence is now empty.

The recent finding marks the first complete tunnel to be discovered in the area in a decade, as the soil composition makes the land difficult to dig through. The residential neighborhood makes it more difficult to hide smuggling activity, Duffy said. 

At the Wednesday press conference, Duffy said the tunnel also marks the first time investigators have seen smugglers buy land and build a house for the sole purpose of hiding the exit to a drug tunnel in California. 

More than 75 cross-border tunnels designed to smuggle drugs have been discovered along the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, mostly in California and Arizona. In California, most tunnels tend to be in the Otay Mesa region, where warehouses hide typical drug smuggling activities. 

Dozens of tunnels designed to smuggle drugs have been found along the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, mostly in the Otay Mesa region. Some have been equipped with hydraulic lifts and electric rail cars.

Mexico's Sinaloa cartel has long controlled drug trafficking along the border in California's Imperial Valley, which offers easy freeway access to Los Angeles and Phoenix.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 



Photo Credit: Courtesy of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
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