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Trump Vows to Slash US Debt by Selling $16T in Govt. Assets

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Donald Trump would sell off $16 trillion worth of U.S. government assets if he were to become president, according to his campaign’s senior advisor Barry Bennett, NBC News reports.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Trump said he would get rid of $19 trillion of national debt “over a period of eight years.” The article noted most economists would consider Trump’s proposal impossible.

"The United States government owns more real estate than anybody else, more land than anybody else, more energy than anybody else," Bennett told Chris Jansing Sunday on MSNBC. "We can get rid of government buildings we're not using, we can extract the energy from government lands, we can do all kinds of things to extract value from the assets that we hold."

The government’s assets totaled $3.2 trillion as of September 2015, according to the federal accountability office. But that figure doesn’t include stewardship assets or natural resources.  



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Brussels Airport Reopens for 1st Flights Since Attacks

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The Brussels airport reopened with an "emotional" flight on Sunday, 12 days after suicide bombers destroyed its departure hall, NBC News reported.

Belgium's main airport had not handled passenger flights since the twin bombings killed dozens and injured 270 others.

The first of three scheduled flights departed for Faro in Portugal just after 1:40 p.m. local time (7:40 a.m. ET), with only about 60-70 passengers. Planes were also scheduled to go to Turin and Athens.

On Monday, the airport will serve a far wider range of destinations, including one plane also due out to New York and two more to cities in Cameroon, Gambia and Senegal. 



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Syracuse Women Beat Washington 80-59, Reach NCAA Title Game

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Alexis Peterson scored 18 points and Brittney Sykes added 17 to help Syracuse roll past Washington 80-59 and into the program's first women's national championship game.

The Orange (30-7) will face UConn, the three-time defending champions, on Tuesday night in Indianapolis. The Huskies set a semifinal round record with a 29-point victory over Pac-12 champion Oregon State in the early game.

Syracuse made it look almost as easy.

Washington (26-11) was led by Talia Walton, who had 29 points and made a Final Four record eight 3-pointers. The previous record of six was set by Katie Steding in the 1990 title game and matched in 2013 by Antonita Slaughter. Kelsey Plum, the nation's No. 3 scorer, had 17 points.

But Syracuse rode its defense and took a 23-12 lead after one quarter, extended the lead to 39-20 midway through the second quarter and never let the Huskies get within single digits again.

The story line looked awfully familiar.

In their first meeting this season, Syracuse built a 21-point lead before Washington rallied to within one. The Orange held on for a 66-62 victory.

This time, Syracuse never let it get that close.

When Washington cut the halftime deficit to 43-31, Peterson hit a 3 to start a 9-4 spurt that made it 52-35. When the Huskies got within 11, Syracuse used a 15-2 run to make it 67-43. And when Washington closed to 72-59 midway through the fourth quarter, Sykes and Brianna Butler made back-to-back 3s to seal it.

Now the Orange will try to prevent their former Big East foe, UConn, from winning a fourth straight national title and finishing another perfect season.

RECORD NIGHT

The two teams came into the night averaging 16.2 3-pointers. They nearly matched that total in the first half and wound up combining for 23. Syracuse made 12 and broke UConn's 15-year-old record most 3-point attempts in a Final Four game. UConn had 31 in a semifinal game against Notre Dame. Washington finished 11 of 25. Until Sunday, only two teams had ever made 11 in a Final Four game.



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Woman Driving on I-15 Barely Escapes Plane

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Jessie Gurley was on her way to work Saturday morning when she saw a small plane flying toward her over Interstate 15.

“I’m driving like this and then the plane like that just barely grazed me,” Gurley told NBC 7. “I punched the gas so I can go underneath it because I thought it was just going to him me.”

That quick step on the gas pedal is what Gurley credits for saving her life. Inside her car was her baby daughter.

“We were very, very, lucky. Very lucky,” she added.

One person was killed and five people were injured when the single-engine, two-seat Lancair IV crashed into a car on the 15 near SR-76 at approximately 9:15 a.m. about 50 miles north of San Diego.

Gurley, along with other witnesses, said they did not hear the plane's engine as it went down and didn't see its landing gear.

“I had my window down and it was literally coasting in the air. It dropped quick,” she explained.

She immediately pulled over on the shoulder and called 911.

“The operator was like ‘what are you reporting today?’ and all I could say was freeway airplane crash. I couldn't get it out, “she said.

Gurley told NBC 7 the plane skidded across the freeway before it crashed into a Nissan Sentra pulled over on the side of I-15.

When firefighters arrived they found 38-year-old Toni Isbelle crushed to death.

“It's just crazy,” Gurley said. “I feel for her. I feel for her whole family…It’s just heartbreaking.”

Firefighters rushed five others to the hospital. Gurley said she’s grateful she and her daughter escaped with their lives.

Investigators shipped the plane to a facility in Arizona where they will conduct a more thorough inspection. They plan to have a preliminary report complete by next week.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Indian Leader Joe Medicine Crow Dies at 102

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The last Plains Indian war chief died on Sunday.

Joe Medicine Crow, the respected historian of Montana's Crow Tribe, died at 102-years-old, NBC News reported.

Big Horn County coroner Terry Bullis confirmed Medicine Crow's death in a hospice facility in Billings, NBC station KULR reported. Bullis gave no further details.

Medicine Crow, who lived most of his life on the Crow Reservation near Lodge Grass, Montana, and famously wore his war paint beneath his World War II uniform, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2009.

"Today, Lisa and I join Montanans to pay respect and celebrate the rich life of Dr. Joe Medicine Crow," Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said in a statement Sunday afternoon. "Joe was a Crow War Chief, veteran, elder, historian, author, and educator. His legacy will forever serve as an inspiration for all Native Americans — and all Montanans."



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4 Utah Men Charged With Raping 9-Year-Old Girl

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Authorities held four Utah men between the ages of 20 to 36 on allegations that they raped a 9-year-old girl, NBC News reported.

The men, Randall and Jerry Flatlip, 29 and 26, and Josiah and Larson RonDeau, 20 and 36, were arrested between March 29 and April 1, the Uintah County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

The men allegedly raped the girl on March 27 while her mother was visiting friends at a home in Uintah County, in the eastern part of the state, the statement said.

Investigators determined that while the girl was asleep on a couch, her mother went to the garage to smoke methamphetamine, the statement said, adding: "During that time, the child was taken into another room in the home where she was raped by the four men."

It was unclear Sunday if the men had attorneys. 



Photo Credit: Uintah County, Utah, Sheriff's Office

Car Crashes Through Fence in Egger Highlands

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A car went through a fence and into a Walmart parking lot Sunday night California Highway Patrol confirmed. 

The driver was speeding onto the Palm Avenue off-ramp from I-5 south just after 11 p.m. 

The car may have rolled over. The driver's injuries are unknown. 

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images/File

Padres FanFest Takes Over Petco Park

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With Opening Day just a heartbeat away, Padres fans rushed into Petco Park for FanFest. The two day affair offering San Diegans a chance to see all the work that’s gone into revamping Petco Park as well as a glimpse at the team and the season ahead. Dave Halavac is a life long Padres fan and is excited for the start of the season. “I have season tickets this year so I could go to the all-star game. Baseball’s like my whole life man. I love it.” says Halavac, “It’s the best part about life man. Just coming out to the ball park, catching baseballs, and watching them play. It’s the best game in the world.”

The fans are dedicated and the players, even the former ones say they appreciate the love. We caught up with former Padre Randy Jones while he was signing a few autographs and he shared his thoughts on the season saying, “You know right up there. The great fans, the enthusiasm approaching opening day, you know it’s always excitement in seeing how the team’s going to fair but overall the true fans come on out and it’s great to see them.”
The start of the season brings new hopes for the team. With a new skipper at the helm and fresh faces on the roster, fans are ready to take in America’s past time in America’s finest city.
 



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Racial Slurs on Chicago PD Radio

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Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel asked the offices of the U.S. Attorney and Cook County State’s Attorney to launch a hate crime investigation Sunday after racial slurs, including the n-word, were heard on police radio channels last month.

The Chicago Police Department began an internal investigation March 14 after learning of an "inappropriate transmission on a police frequency," authorities said. According to Emanuel and the police department's Office of Emergency Management and Communications, the transmission was made not by a police officer but by an "unauthorized private citizen."

Audio from calls made on March 13 reveal a man saying "typical f---ing n-----s" on the radio channel as a dispatcher and officer communicate. Someone says in another transmission, "All black lives matter man, f---ing n-----s."

An officer on the channel asks the dispatcher to find out whose radio the comments came from but the dispatcher says she can't track it down.

"You know we don't do radio numbers, but I'm already hollering for my supervisor," she said.

In a formal request made Sunday to State's Attorney Anita Alvarez and U.S. Attorney Zachary Fardon, Emanuel said similar incidents have occurred since those calls were made public.

"In subsequent days, there have been at least three additional instances of one or more unauthorized users broadcasting racial slurs over CPD radio frequencies," Emanuel wrote.

Emanuel also said the broadcasts were not made from a police officer or on city equipment, a position the OEMC has maintained since shortly after the calls were made public.

"Subsequent investigation has indicated that the transmission was made by an unauthorized private citizen using non-City issue equipment," Emanuel said in the letter to Alvarez and Fardon.

"The audio in question lacks identifying characteristics of an official police radio," OEMC said in a statement following the March 13 calls. The department also said that any officer involved in making such statements would be disciplined.

"The language used does not represent the values of our police department or our city," Emanuel's letter reads. "These actions merit serious investigation as a hate crime or other applicable offense under Illinois or federal law."

The request for a hate crime investigation comes amid continuing tensions and fallout after the release of footage showing the fatal October 2014 police shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.



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Hundreds Flee Fiery NJ Airport

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Hundreds of people were cleared out of a terminal at Newark Liberty Airport after a fire that erupted there earlier Monday morning reignited, officials said.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey confirmed Monday that a fire broke out just after 1 a.m. in a boiler room ceiling in Terminal B.

There were about 200 people in Terminal B when it was evacuated, authorities said. The blaze caused smoke to pour from the top of the building.

The fire was put out and the terminal reopened, but a short time later the fire rekindled and forced a second evacuation, officials said.

It was unclear if any flights were delayed because of the fire. 

Although the second blaze was brought under control sometime before 4:30 a.m., heavy smoke remained in the building and travelers could not return until it was cleared out, officials said.

The terminal was being ventilated Monday morning as smoke continued to dissipate overhead. 

People began re-entering the terminal around 5:15 a.m. 

No injuries were reported in the fires.



Photo Credit: @peacheez35/Instagram
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Spring Snow Expected to Blanket Northeast, Winds to Subside

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Winter storm warnings and advisories were issued Monday from Michigan to southern New England, according to the The Weather Channel, as crews worked to dig out from the weekend's deadly storm, NBC News reported. 

The National Weather Service warned that an early spring "Arctic airmass" had settled over the Northeast, with winds expected to calm down but cold temperatures to persist. 

Snow was expected to accumulate from the Great Lakes east to New England. Weather Channel meteorologist Kevin Roth said upstate New York is expected to see the most snow — up to 5 inches — with central and southern New England not far behind. He said other areas will see between 1 and 4 inches.

More than 9 inches of snow fell in Michigan while parts of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island saw up to 6 inches of snow on Sunday. Heavy winds battered swaths of the country.



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NBC 7 Moves to New Building off Aero Drive

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After 15 years downtown NBC 7 has moved to Kearny Mesa. Artie Ojeda has the first look.

'Donald Trump' Heroin Bust

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A New Hampshire woman was arrested Thursday on charges of selling heroin — and the bags' labels are sure to turn some heads.

Darcie Ray Hall, 36, of Troy, is accused of selling dosage-sized packages of heroin marked "Donald Trump." Police said her arrest last week on Route 12 was the result of a month-long investigation.

According to the Union Leader, Hall sold the heroin in the bathroom of a Keene McDonald's on March 24 and at a Troy convenience store March 28.

She was charged with the sale of a controlled drug and was held on bond ahead of a court appearance April 1, police said. Hall has pleaded not guilty, the Union Leader reports.

It's not Hall's first drug violation. She was convicted of cocaine possession in 2014 and is currently on probation, according to police, who said they expect Hall to also be charged with violation of probation.

Authorities continue to investigate. Information on an attorney for Hall was not immediately available.



Photo Credit: Keene Police Department/AP

Water Main Break Reported in Mission Hills

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A water pipe burst in the Mission Hills area, flooding a street and tennis courts. 

San Diego Fire-Rescue crews were called to Fort Stockton Drive and Lark Street at 5:45 a.m. Monday for a water main break.

According to one of the fire officials, there was a structure taking on water near the location.

NBC 7 news crews arrived to find a geyser shooting up from under the pavement. 

It appears that water has flooded the street and nearby tennis courts.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Trump, Cruz Work to Block Kasich From Ballot

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The Donald Trump and Ted Cruz campaigns are trying to prevent John Kasich from appearing on the ballot at the Republican National Convention in July, MSNBC has learned. 

Trump cited the strategy on Sunday, telling a supporter the “RNC shouldn’t allow” Kasich on the ballot this summer.

If no one clinches the nomination during the primaries, delegates choose from candidates on the convention ballot.

Aides for both Trump and Cruz told MSNBC it is in their mutual interest to keep the Ohio governor off the ballot. The convention rules control who is on that ballot, and therefore, who is eligible to win the nomination.

"I expect the Rules Committee to require a level of support that would leave only two candidates on the ballot at the convention," a senior Cruz Campaign aide told MSNBC.



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Power Restored to Nearly 10,000 Customers After Outage

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Power was restored to nearly 10,000 East County customers  who were without power after a substation outage, according to San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). 

The outage began at 9:11 a.m. Sunday morning, SDG&E officials said. Customers in the Santee, Carlton Hills, Eucalyptus Hills, San Vicente, Lakeside and Fletcher Hills area are without power. 

The power was restored by 11:30 a.m., SDG&E said. 

SDG&E officials are investigating.

No other information was immediately available.



Photo Credit: SDG&E

Plane in I-15 Crash Landed on Same Road 16 Years Ago

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A small plane that crash landed on a San Diego freeway Saturday, killing one and injuring five, previously landed safely on the same freeway 16 years ago. 

The single-engine, two-seat Lancair IV crashed into a car on Interstate 15 North near State Route 76 at approximately 9:15 a.m. Saturday morning, about 50 miles north of San Diego. 

The driver, Aaron Meccann, had pulled over to sync his Bluetooth when the plane crash landed in the fourth lane of the freeway, sliding 250 feet and hitting the back of the Nissan, California Highway Patrol (CHP) authorities said.

See photos from the scene of the crash here.

Watch video from moments after the plane crash here (Warning: graphic language). 

Saturday's crash was not the first time the Lancair IV was spotted on the I-15. 

Matt Nokes, a San Diego resident and former MLB player, told NBC 7 San Diego he believes he was the original owner of that plane, based on the identical tail number of the plane and the model.

He said at one point, he was flying near Rancho Bernardo when he had to make an emergency landing on the I-15 during the plane's second flight in February 2000. 

"I just looked around, and it was all rolling hills," he told NBC News. 

He told NBC 7 he saw a break in traffic and deployed landing gear, safely landing between cars. 

After the landing, Noke said he had some machinery replaced and flew it regularly for four more years before he sold it in 2004. A fuel flow problem led to the crash, he said, but he never did learn what caused the problem. 

Antoinette Frances Isbelle, 38, a passenger sitting in the back of the car, was crushed to death on impact, CHP officials said. Meccann, 43, the driver, suffered lacerations above his eye. A 45-year-old woman and 36-year-old man, both passengers in the car, were also injured and taken to the hospital, officials said. 

The pilot, identified as Dennis Hogge, of Jamul, suffered life-threatening injuries and severe head trauma. His passenger, a woman in her 50s, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. 

Noke told NBC 7 San Diego he knows Hogge and called his an excellent pilot and master plane builder. 

"Something must have gone horribly wrong," Noke told NBC News. 

Authorities on scene told NBC 7 San Diego that a 38-year-old woman, identified as Antoinette Frances Isbelle, was sitting in the back passenger seat and was crushed to death at impact. Meccann, 43, who had pulled over to sync his Bluetooth, was taken to Palomar Hospital with lacerations above his eye; a 45-year-old female sitting in the front left passenger seat was taken to Sharp Linda Vista; a 36-year-old man sitting in the back passenger seat was taken to Sharp Linda Vista Hospital.

Hogge, 60, suffered severe head trauma, CHP officials said; his injuries are considered life-threatening. He was taken to Palomar Hospital. The passenger in the plane, a woman in her 50s, suffered non life-threatening injuries and was taken to Palomar Hospital.

CHP officials said there was no evidence landing gear was deployed in Saturday's crash; it appeared the plane had mechanical issues.

"I can't get into the pilot's mind, what he saw at a particular time; I don't know how he was, I don't know what his airspeed was, so I really don't know what his options were at the time," Howard Plagens, a NTSB investigator, said. 

Noke said the plane was a high-performance machine built much like a BMV, constructed by a master builder over four years. 

NTSB officials said it is unclear if there was a black box on the plane. Investigators may be able to use radar data to look at the pilot's flight profile, they said.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the crash. Investigators performed an initial inspection of aircraft and engine Saturday, but will do a more thorough inspection at their facility in Arizona. A preliminary report is expected in five to seven days.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

SDPD Investigates Shooting Death in Lincoln Park

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Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a 44-year-old man who succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds in Lincoln Park San Diego police confirmed. 

Officers responded to shots fired just after 8 p.m. Sunday in the 5000 block of Reynolds Street. 

People reportedly heard arguing in the street and heard a car speeding away. 

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

 



Photo Credit: Getty Images/File

Padres Rotation is Long on Talent

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The Padres finalized their Opening Day roster on Sunday. Their sixth infielder will be Adam Rosales while Ryan Buchter gets the final spot in the bullpen. The last decision came in the starting rotation.

On the very first day of Spring Training we found out the top 3 starters in the Padres rotation would be Tyson Ross, James Shields and Andrew Cashner. But we didn’t learn the last two starters until the final weekend of the Spring.

Padres manager Andy Green is giving left-hander Drew Pomeranz one of the nods. He’s been a reliever the last couple of seasons but the Friars are giving him a chance to return to his starting roots.

“Once you put him in the bullpen that’s pretty much over,” said Green. “You take the opportunity for him to start, see how he does, you ride that as long as possible and if it doesn’t work out he slides back in to the rotation.”

Pomeranz broke in to the majors as a full-time starter for the Rockies. But pitching in Colorado is not a very accurate test of a pitcher’s abilities.

“Even though I’ve been pretty good out of the bullpen they obviously see something,” said Pomeranz. “There’s still hope left on being a starter, I guess. Obviously it makes you feel good about it.”

This time around the Padres expect Pomeranz to, as Green says, pitch with aggression.

“I think he’s gotta consistently step on the gas if he’s gonna be great,” said Green. “We had that conversation with him; it’s not a matter of just pacing yourself the whole time. He can pitch with some energy and when he does it’s really good.”

Joining Pomeranz in the rotation is youngster Colin Rea. Ranked as the 6th-best prospect in the Padres’ system, Rea started six games at the end of last season and threw well enough to make him think he belongs in the Big Leagues.

“It just helped believing in myself,” said Rea. “Getting up there last year was good experience to get some innings under my belt and see what it’s like up there. It gives me confidence going forward. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the most part I though it went pretty good so now I’ve just got to build off that.”

Pomeranz will likely get the 4th spot in the rotation while Rea takes the ball on Day 5. One thing to keep an eye on is how many innings they’ve thrown. Rea has never gone more than 139 innings in five professional seasons and Pomeranz has not topped 100 innings since 2013.

Their first starts of the year will come on the road in … Colorado. Wish them luck.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Calls for Change in Battling Cigarette Butt Litter

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Cigarette butts are not normally given top billing in discussions about tobacco-related problems. But they should be, according to environmental experts.

The USDA estimates that about 360 billion cigarettes are consumed in the U.S. each year. Close to two-thirds of those butts — 234 billion — are tossed as litter, according to a study by the environmental group Keep America Beautiful.

The prevailing strategy — organizing local clean ups, putting out ash receptacles in public areas and having city governments pay for storing cigarette butts in landfills — is not effective, according to Dr. Clifton Curtis, president and CEO of the Cigarette Butt Pollution Project. Tobacco companies are trying to help alleviate the problem, Curtis said, but they need to do more.

Those littered butts make their way from streets and sidewalks to storm drains, where they head to sewers, then hit waterways. Many eventually end up in the ocean and on beaches, leaching more than 7,000 chemicals, including heavy metals and over 60 known carcinogens.

According to Curtis, "incinerating them or burying them in landfills is not an appropriate solution." They’re like a concentrated toxic pill: the filter absorbs chemicals that are released when a cigarette is being smoked.

How cigarettes are made poses another problem, according to environmentalists. A study estimates roughly 141 million pounds of cellulose acetate, the primary component of a cigarette butt, is strewn across the U.S. each year. Cellulose acetate is somewhat photo-chemically degraded by sunlight, but is not biodegradable. So the butts build up in landfills, continuing to leach their chemicals into soil.

"Tobacco needs to be responsible through the lifecycle chain," Curtis said.

Programs should be designed to pay for butts’ storage and disposal, and funding should be allocated for municipal efforts too, he said. 

Tobacco companies are chipping in with what they consider appropriate solutions. Initiatives like Keep America Beautiful's Cigarette Litter Prevention Program stress enforcement of litter laws, proliferation of cigarette disposal receptacles and dispersement of portable ashtrays. The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program is sponsored in part by Santa Fe Natural Tobacco through its parent company Reynolds, and Altria, two of the largest tobacco companies in the nation.

Seth Moskowitz, spokesperson for Santa Fe Natural Tobacco, the makers of American Spirit cigarettes, said the company is partnering with New Jersey recycling company Terracycle and has built a network of over 7,000 recycling receptacles. The program has recycled 52 million cigarette butts since 2012, according to Moskowitz and Terracycle. The butts have been turned into plastic products like artificial lumber, flying discs and even ashtrays.

Altria spokesman Steve Callahan said his company believes the best way to curb cigarette butt litter is through education.

"We are taking a comprehensive approach: we educate adult smokers with labels on our packaging and partner with programs like Keep America Beautiful," he said.

But Curtis, the environmental advocate, believes the tobacco industry can do more by following the methods of the paint industry, which also has to deal with potentially hazardous waste from their products.

Curtis cites Paint Care Inc. as an example of how tobacco companies and municipalities can work together to solve the litter and storage problem. The non-profit, which was established in 2002, operates on the premise that "paint can be collected for reuse, recycling, energy recovery, or safe disposal."

Paint Care’s program is funded through fees on each container sold in states that have paint stewardship programs.

Activists advocate a similar concept for butts funded by new taxes on cigarette sales.

The city of San Francisco added a tax on cigarettes in 2009, attaching a 20-cent "Cigarette Litter Abatement Fee" to each pack. They city was promptly sued by tobacco company Phillip Morris USA, but a judge upheld San Francisco’s new law.

The local strategy has yet to become a national one.

Callahan, with Altria, said the company opposed additional taxes because, he said, cigarettes were "already heavily taxed."

But Curtis counters that most efforts to reduce cigarette butt waste are a "downstream" solution and the approach needs to change for concrete results.

"It’s good to see people cleaning up, but we need to do much more than that," he said. "We need to go upstream."



Photo Credit: AP
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