President-elect Donald Trump suggested Friday that he is willing to engage in "an arms race," insisting that the United States will surpass its rivals and "outlast them all" in a push for global weapons dominance, NBC News reported.

"Let it be an arms race. We will outmatch them at every pass and outlast them all," Trump said in a statement to "Morning Joe" host Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC.

Trump's assertion comes the day after he tweeted that the United States "must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes."

Firefighters rescued a woman from a car that somehow got lodged between an embankment and a building.

The incident happened just after 7 a.m. Friday in the 2800 block of Grove Street in National City.

The driver, who wasn't hurt, told NBC 7 she was trying to park and her pedal somehow got stuck

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

A local non-profit is reaching out to the public, asking for donations to help Syrian refugees across San Diego County.

CSA San Diego County, a non-profit in El Cajon that focuses on fair housing is one of dozens of agencies helping Syrian refugees across the county.

But a problem many local agencies are facing is funding.

It was estimated in October that San Diego, the country’s 8th largest city, is home to more than 626 refugees.

While that number has continued to increase, the agencies do not have enough resources to cover everyone.

CSA San Diego County has helped house approximately 50 Syrian families since the beginning of August.

Akrayyem Elberry is from Al- Quneitra, a southern province in Syria. Elberry said he left Syria back in August for his four children—the eldest of whom is 11 and the youngest, a 2-year old.

With the help of a translator, Elberry explained the situation in Syria to NBC 7.

“It’s very dangerous,” Elberry said. “Outside my house, people they are kidnapped. They are disappeared, there are too many insurgents everywhere, shooting.”

He came to the United States after fleeing Syria and traveling to Jordan. Elberry told NBC 7 that his children had been traumatized by the bombings back home and were terrified to enter the airport in Jordan. 

After settling in El Cajon in an apartment complex near Main Street, Elberry was given a helping hand from the International Rescue Committee in San Diego. However, those funds quickly ran out and now, the money allocated for their housing is also running low.

Estela de los Rios, Executive Director for CSA San Diego County siad this kind of situtation is very common. De los Rios explained there is more of a need than the amount of resources available when it comes to Syrian refugees.

Agencies such as the International Refugee Committee and CSA San Diego County provide funds for each family. But now, many families are struggling to choose between receiving money for food or housing.

Although it's a challenge, CSA San Diego County works with apartment complexes to try to lower the cost of housing.

“There is no more housing availability,” said De los Rios. “A lot of families have been going to hotels but those are more expensive and their days are being cut.”

De los Rios added that families only get a certain amount of money for housing but affordable housing is no longer available in El Cajon.

CSA San Diego County is reaching out to the public, asking for monetary donations, blankets, clothing and food. Many families come here with very few belongings, do not speak English and have no means for employment.

If you would like to donate, click here or call (619) 444-5700.

At least 60 gallons of diesel fuel spilled onto Interstate 15 N in Mission Valley Thursday night when the driver of a big rig lost control and crashed into the center median, according to California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials. 

The single-vehicle crash happened at approximately 7:02 p.m. Thursday on I-15N just south of Interstate 8, officers said. The location is near Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley. 

When officers arrived on scene, they found the front end of the 18-wheeler - with Ralph's Grocery Store logos on the truck - crumbled. 

CHP officers say the driver lost control, jack knifed and slammed into a concrete barrier. The driver is expected to be okay. 

The impact tore of the truck's two fuel tanks, leaving at least 60 gallons of diesel fuel spilling onto the highway. CHP officers said most of that fuel was washed away by the rain, and they are using buckets to train the rest from the tank. 

Still, Hazmat crews responded to the scene as well as San Diego Fire-Rescue Department officials. Hazmat officials are working to help clean up the mess. 

The crash left a heavy backup south of the crash at the start of the holiday weekend after crews shut down several lanes of the freeway to deal with the crash. 

No other information was immediately available.

Julianites love sharing their scenic town with visitors when seldom-seen snow falls, but if there is one thing they wish visitors would bring with them, it’s their manners.

Six inches of snow fell in Jullian on New Year’s Day in 2015 and the thousands of people that came to town chasing it caused nightmare traffic and lodging jams. With the possibility of snow in the forecast over Christmas weekend, residents like Gina Pepper are remembering just how awful it was.

“[The snow] is beautiful, it is lovely to play in,” said Pepper. “We want people to have a good time, we love introducing our town but we really would appreciate if 90 percent of them would have some common sense when they come up.”

Pepper says that visitors will park on the shoulders of major highways and streets and let their children frolic in the snow not realizing how dangerous it is. They'll also come dangerously unprepared for the elements.

Despite straightforward laws on the matter, trespassing is surprisingly a bigger problem than most might think.

“[Visitors]will go in, they’ll have lunch and they’ll leave all their garbage.” Pepper added. “They’ll sled in your yard. You’ll come back and you’ll have a snowman in your yard.”

She says that most locals decide to stay home so they can guard their property against trespassers.

Anna Scavo waitresses at a coffee shop in Julian, and she says that trash litters the town’s main strip after a rush of outsiders comes through. She says that sledders will leave their broken sleds and other belongings on private properties.

“We had some people go up to the graveyard before and go sledding,” Scavo said. “Try not to do that.”

Those considering a visit to the snow this weekend should note that businesses will be closed on Sunday for the Christmas Holiday.

The Tunisian man suspected in a deadly attack on a Christmas market in Berlin was killed early Friday in a shootout with police in Milan during a routine patrol, ending a Europe-wide manhunt.

Italian police said Anis Amri traveled from Germany through France and into Italy after the attack, at least some of it by train. French officials refused to comment on his passage through France, despite increased surveillance on its trains after both recent French attacks and the Berlin massacre.

Italian Premier Paolo Gentiloni praised the two young police officers for their courage in taking down Amri during a routine check of ID papers. But he also called for greater cross-border police cooperation, suggesting dismay that Amri was able to easily move through Europe's open borders despite being Europe's No. 1 fugitive.

Amri was identified with the help of fingerprints supplied by Germany.

"The person killed, without a shadow of a doubt, is Anis Amri, the suspect of the Berlin terrorist attack," said Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for Monday's attack outside Berlin's Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in which a truck plowed into a crowd of shoppers, killing 12 people and injuring 56 others. It also claimed the Milan shooting.

Milan, Rome and other cities have been on heightened alert since the attack, with increased surveillance and police patrols. Italian officials stressed that the young officers who stopped Amri didn't suspect he was the Berlin attacker, but rather grew suspicious because he was a North African man, alone outside a deserted train station at 3 a.m.

Amri, 24, who had spent time in prison in Italy, was stopped by two officers during a routine patrol in the Sesto San Giovanni neighborhood of Milan early Friday. He pulled a gun from his backpack after being asked to show his identification and was killed in an ensuing shootout.

One of the officers, Christian Movio, 35, was shot in the right shoulder and underwent surgery for a superficial wound and was in good condition. Movio's 29-year-old partner, Luca Scata, fatally shot Amri in the chest.

Amri's death doesn't reduce the terrorist threat to Germany, the country's top security official said.

The threat "remains high" and security won't be scaled down, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said.

He said the two Milan police officers "did excellent work and acted with great bravery."

"I'm very relieved that this attacker poses no risk anymore," he said.

Amri passed through France before arriving by train at Milan's central station where video surveillance showed him at around 1 a.m. Friday, Milan police chief Antonio de Iesu said. A train ticket indicates that he travelled from Chambery, France through Turin and into Milan, an Italian anti-terrorism official said.

De Iesu declined to provide further information, citing the ongoing investigation.

Germany's chief federal prosecutor, Peter Frank, said his office is in contact with Italian authorities to establish what route Amri took.

A Milan anti-terrorism official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk publicly about the investigation, said Amri made his way to the piazza outside the Sesto San Giovanni train station in a suburb of Milan, which is 7.5 kilometers (nearly 5 miles) from the main train station.

Two police officers became suspicious because it was 3 a.m., the station was closed and Amri was alone. He had no ID, no phone and only a pocket knife on him, as well as the loaded 22-caliber pistol.

"He was a ghost," de Iesu said, adding that he was stopped because of basic police work, intensified surveillance "and a little luck."

Authorities are still trying to determine how Amri arrived at the piazza because only a few buses operate at that hour.

"It is now of great significance for us to establish whether the suspect had a network of supporters or helpers in preparing and carrying out the crime, and in fleeing; whether there were accessories or helpers," Frank said.

Prosecutors also want to know whether the gun Amri was carrying in Milan was the same one used to shoot the Polish driver of the truck he had commandeered for the attack, Frank added. The driver was found dead in the vehicle's cab.

The Milan anti-terrorism official said investigators also are working to determine what contacts, if any, Amri had in Milan. There is no evidence he ever passed through Milan during his previous stay in Italy, where he spent time after leaving Tunisia in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.

Amri's brother Abdelkader told The Associated Press by telephone that the family wants to find out the "truth about my brother." He hung up when asked about the family's reaction to Amri's death.

The family told a crowd outside their house to leave when news of the police shootout reached the central Tunisian town of Oueslatia, according to neighbor Wiem Khemili. Police stood guard around the impoverished town, where everyone was talking about Amri.

Amri served 3½ years in Italy for setting a fire at a refugee center and making threats, among other things — but authorities apparently detected no signs that he was becoming radicalized. He was repeatedly transferred among Sicilian prisons for bad conduct, with prison records saying he bullied inmates and tried to spark insurrections.

His mother said he went from there to Switzerland and then to Germany last year.

Authorities in Germany deemed him a potential threat long before the Berlin market attack, and even kept him under covert surveillance for six months this year.

They had been trying to deport him after his asylum application was rejected in July but were unable to do so because he lacked valid identity papers and Tunisia initially denied that he was a citizen.

Authorities say Amri has used at least six different names and three nationalities in his travels around Europe.

When four-year-old Esmeralda walked out of her front door Thursday afternoon, she did not expect to see a group of firefighters waiting for her. 

The surprise made her so happy, she began to jump up and down when she saw them, waiting for her at the family's doorstep with huge, shiny Christmas presents in tow. 

"Hi," one firefighter said, opening his arms with a smile. "Hello, Esma."

Esmeralda ran out to say hello to her firefighter friends and even opened one of the delivered gifts, hugging the firefighter who gave her the package: a Barbie and several other toys. 

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department firefighters have been in close contact with the Vasquez family ever since their Mount Hope house was the scene of a deadly fire on Nov. 30, 2015. 

That night, three young children were in the house: Fernando and his young siblings – half-sister Esmeralda and half-brother Luis. The trio were being cared for by a babysitter and her boyfriend when a fire sparked inside the single-story residence on J Street, near Toyne Street.

The children’s mother was away, driving her eldest child back to college after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

The fast-moving blaze proved to be deadly.

Firefighters found Fernando’s body inside the burned out home. Esmeralda and Luis survived, but suffered critical injuries that left them both hospitalized.

Esmeralda suffered burns to about 40 percent of her body, while Luis has burns to 70 percent of his body.

Since that devastating day, said mother Juanita Vasquez, the firefighters who helped save her children, as well as others in the department, have been with the family nearly every step of the way. 

"The firefighters have been very supportive of my family over the past year and they always visit the kids, see how they're doing, it’s really…I can't say. Just, I have no words. Really nice people," said mother Juanita Vasquez, tearing up.

Juanita said her son Luis just came home from the hospital a month ago, and has a long road to recovery ahead of him. 

"We're just taking it day by day, trying to make him stronger so he can go back to school," Juanita said. 

Ever since the deadly fire, Juanita said, the firefighters have been "like angels" to her. 

"They're just angels that I never expected," she said, tearing up. "They're just nice, and it's good that they do good deeds for families. They put their lives (on the line) for our families and then they're still here supporting us – it’s a blessing."

The firefighters have been a constant for the family, Juanita's sister Maria said. Since the fire, they've felt more like family than firefighters. 

"It's been great, not just the toys – they come and they visit, they check up on the kids. They're like family to us," Maria said. "We're grateful for all that they’ve done, very grateful."

The kids often make pictures for the firefighters and pray for them, Maria said. The children have even gone to see their friends at the fire station, and the firefighters come visit the family at home. 

"I know they're busy, especially this time of the year, but they always go out of the way for the kids and we're happy that the kids see them and be part of our family," Maria said. 

The gifts are one small kindness of many over the months since the fire.

"This is a happy Christmas for them," Maria said.

The family's Mount Hope home is nearly rebuilt and ready to move into, said Maria, the children's aunt. The family hopes to move back in in January. 

Police are continuing on Friday morning the search for a hit-and-run driver who struck an El Cajon police officer on Thursday night.

The officer was hit by a vehicle in El Cajon Thursday night, the El Cajon Police Department confirmed. The incident occurred around 8 p.m. in the parking lot of a Sprouts store on N. 2nd Street.

Police say the vehicle did not stay on the scene. 

The officer suffered injuries and was taken to Grossmont Hospital to be evaluated for a minor knee injury. The officer is expected to be OK.

The suspect vehicle is described to be a blue Jeep, police said. The driver is a dark-skinned man in his 20s, wearing a black shirt and pajama pants.

He was last seen driving northbound in the alley on N 2nd Street.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

A rare baby iguana that was discovered on the island of Malolo Levu in Fiji has been moved to a captive environment at Ahura Resorts in Fiji by San Diego Zoo scientists to protect the animal from predators. The Fijian Crested Iguana was found during a recent population survey of a remnant dry forest area. The baby iguana brings the total documented number to 31.

"We found a new baby the other night and have named him Savuti” said Kim Lovich, curator of reptile at San Diego Zoo Global. “To protect him from being predated by cats we have moved him into a captive environment until he is bigger when we plan to put him back into the forest.”

The Fijian Crested iguana was considered extinct on Malolo Island until 2010, and a number of surveys have been taken since then to document the species that continue to survive in the few acres of dry forest left.

“We are avid that the little bit of dry forest that we have on our lease is maintained and preserved “said Steve Anstey, Group General Manager, Ahura Resorts. “Dry forests are one of the most endangered eco systems on the planet and it is crucial that all efforts are made to protect the small areas that remain and help revegitate it.”

Ahura Resorts, working closely with researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Taronga Zoo in Australia and the San Diego Zoo, have identified the major threats affecting the iguana population, including controlling the feral cat and rat population and keeping some iguanas in a protected breeding facility as the resorts. The resort is working to develop at ongoing tropical dry forest reforestation program so existing native habitat can be expanded.

Chula Vista police arrested two suspects identified in an armed robbery Thursday afternoon, Chula Vista police confirm. The suspects robbed two women as the victims were getting into their car in the 1000 block of Third Avenue around 2 p.m.

The victims followed the suspects when they drove off in a mustang and recovered their purses and contents when the suspects threw them out of the car.

The women were able to get the suspects’ license plate, and police found the car parked in a driveway on Hilltop Drive. Plainclothes police officers waited for the suspects to get in their car around 8 p.m., and then conducted a high risk traffic stop.

They were arrested and identified by the victims. 

One of the suspects, identified as Genaro Vasquez, 18, was booked into county jail for robbery and conspiracy. He was identified as the suspect with the gun. The other suspect, a 17-year-old, charged on the same counts, was taken to Juvenile Hall. No gun was found. 

Traffic was blocked in the 20000 block of San Pasqual Road after a 64-year-old female driver made an abrupt southbound turn, broadsiding a 26-year-old man driving in the opposite direction, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) confirmed.

The 26-year-old suffered a serious back injury and several broken ribs. The 64-year-old sustained cuts to her arms and complained of pain in her hip, arm and chest. A 25-year-old passenger in the woman’s car complained of pain as well. All of the injuries are non-life-threatening.

SDPD’s Traffic Division will handle the investigation.

The world-famous Radio City Rockettes have been called on to perform at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, but not everyone is kicking up their heels at the booking.

When told they would be performing at Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, some dancers expressed their displeasure over email and social media and reportedly discussed boycotting it, according to BroadwayWorld.com. 

That prompted the dancers' union, The American Guild of Variety Artists, to send a stern note to the Rockettes, stating, "Any talk of boycotting this event is invalid... if you are full time, you are obligated." 

But Madison Square Garden Co., which employs the dancers, said Friday no dancers are being compelled to attend the event.

"For a Rockette to be considered for an event, they must voluntarily sign up and are never told they have to perform at a particular event, including the inaugural. It is always their choice," the company said in a statement. "In fact, for the coming inauguration, we had more Rockettes request to participate than we have slots available."

James Dolan, the president of Madison Square Garden Co., announced Thursday the Rockettes would be performing at the inauguration, saying in a press release, "We are honored that the Rockettes have again been asked to perform in the upcoming inauguration festivities."

The backlash was immediate, and one Rockette, Phoebe Pearl, said in a private Instagram post that she was "embarrassed and disappointed" to appear at the event. 

"The women I work with are intelligent and are full of love, and the decision of performing for a man that stands for everything we're against is appalling," she wrote, according to The New York Post. 

"I am speaking for myself but please know that after we found out this news, we have been performing with tears in our eyes and heavy hearts #notmypresident," Pearl added. 

The American Guild of Variety Artists later sent an email to members saying the union was contacted by a Rockette dancer expressing concern about performing at the inauguration. 

"I must remind you that you are all employees, and as a company, Mr. Dolan obviously wants the Rockettes to be represented at our country's Presidential inauguration, as they were in 2001 & 2005. Any talk of boycotting this event is invalid, I'm afraid," the email from the union stated, according to BroadwayWorld.com. 

The email went on to say, "Everyone has a right to an opinion, but this does not change your employment status for those who are full time."

"This has nothing to do with anyone's political leanings (including AGVA's), it has to do with your best performance for your employer, period. I will reiterate that if Hillary Clinton was the President-elect, nothing would be different, and there would probably be those who would not want to be involved because of her. It is a job, and all of you should consider it an honor, no matter who is being sworn in. The election is over and this country will not survive if it remains divided."

The email, sent by a high-ranking member of the union's administration, then continued in bold, underlined font, according to BroadwayWorld.com: "If you are not full time, you do not have to sign up to do this work. If you are full time, you are obligated. Doing the best performance to reflect an American Institution which has been here for over 90 years is your job. I hope this pulls into focus the bottom line on this work." 

The Rockettes usually have about 36 dancers, with 12 employed full-time and the rest freelance, TheWrap.com reports, citing a former Rockettes employee. 

Though Madison Square Garden Company says Rockettes won't face consequences for not participating in the inauguration, many on social media believed attendance was mandatory and called on people to lodge complaints with the Rockettes' employer. 

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One Rockette who wanted to remain anonymous told NBC 4 New York exclusively why her fellow dancers were so disappointed in being called on to perform at the inauguration.

"I think that any sort of mixed message wouldn't be sending the right positive attitude toward these young women that we're trying to empower," she said Friday. "We are just trying to spread joy and love, and I think that a lot of women are worried that because of things that have been said from him, we would be sending the wrong message."

The woman added, "We get so many young girls coming to us, saying, 'I want to be just like you when I grow up,' so I feel like performing in the inauguration would just promote something that we don't stand for." 

The Rockettes dancers' union has not responded to NBC 4 New York's request for comment.  

Trump has had some difficulty securing stars to perform at his inauguration, though the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and 16-year-old former "America's Got Talent" contestant Jackie Evancho have agreed to sing. 

Elton John, Celine Dion, Garth Brooks and Andrea Bocelli have declined invitations to participate in the inauguration, TheWrap.com reports. 

Trump has claimed A-list celebrities are trying to get tickets to the event, "but look what what they did for Hillary, NOTHING," he tweeted. "I want the PEOPLE!" 

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The Rockettes, who have performed at Radio City Music Hall since the 1930s, have previously appeared in Super Bowl halftime shows, Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades and George W. Bush's inaugurations in 2001 and 2005.

Actress Carrie Fisher suffered a heart attack on a Los Angeles-bound flight Friday, law enforcement officials confirmed to NBC News.

Fisher was in full cardiac arrest on the plane and rushed to a local hospital. She was reported to be in stable condition at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center several hours later.

Her brother, Todd Fisher, told The Associated Press that she was "out of emergency" and stabilized. He said he could not discuss any other details about what happened.

Passengers were administering CPR on the flight heading from London to Los Angeles International Airport, according to TMZ.

A source told NBC that her condition was "not good."

United Airlines released a statement about reports of an "unresponsive" passenger on one of their flights, but did not reference Fisher in its comments. 

"Medical personnel met United flight 935 from London to Los Angeles upon arrival today after the crew reported that a passenger was unresponsive. Our thoughts are with our customer at this time, and any requests for additional information should be directed to local authorities," the statement read.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said paramedics "were standing by for the plane's arrival, provided Advanced Life Support and aggressively treated and transported the patient to a local hospital."

A passenger on board the flight told NBC4 the crew made an announcement 20 minutes before the flight landed to ask if there were any nurses or doctors on board.

Fisher is best known for her role as Princess Leia from "Star Wars."

Mark Hamill, Fisher's co-star in the "Star Wars" movies, tweeted that he is "sending all our love" to Fisher.

Actor Peter Mayhew, the man behind the mask of Chewbacca, asked fans in a tweet to pray for "everyone's favorite princess right now."

Thoughts and prayers for our friend and everyone's favorite princess right now.. @carrieffisher

— Peter Mayhew (@TheWookieeRoars) December 23, 2016

Fisher recently finished filming "Star Wars: Episode VIII," which is the second of three new films in the "Star Wars" saga, noted NBC News.

NBC News Investigations' Andrew Blankstein and NBC4's Marin Austin and Jessica Rice contributed to this report.

A man who crashed into a parked pickup truck in Chula Vista Friday evening died at the hospital, Chula Vista Police (CVPD) confirmed.

The crash was reported as a hit-and-run just after 4 p.m. on I Street between 2nd Avenue and Hilltop Driver.

According to police, the driver was involved in a minor crash and fled the scene.

He then ran a stop sign at a high-rate of speed and drove into the wrong side of the road. 

The reporting party followed the suspect and saw him crash into a parked pickup truck near First Avenue and I Street, police said. The truck was unoccupied.

The driver, identified to be 36-year old man from Chula Vista, was taken to UCSD Hospital with serious injuries and later died.

Police issued a traffic advisory for I Street, warning drivers to avoid the area while they investigated.

Officers found an open container of alcohol in the driver's vehicle but it is unknown if it played a part in the crash.

No other information was immediately available.

Rain and wind are in the forecast over the holiday weekend and that may pose a serious threat to trees in your yard.

“The fact is that trees might be stressed due to low water and the root system isn't as sturdy,” said Fausto Palafox, the owner of Mission Hills Nursery. “If we do get a severe wind, it could knock them over.”

There are signs you can check for: First, look at the ground. If you see cracks or shifting, that could be a potential sign that the wind is uprooting the tree. Second, check to see if your trees are upright. If any lean, you may have problems.

“You should do some preventative maintenance and get a professional tree-trimmer to come out and prune out the tree and take the sail out of it," Palafox said.

He described trees branches like sails on a ship. The more branches, the more wind they pick up. Also, the more likely they will break or fall over.

On Saturday, forecasts show winds speeds as high as 35 miles per hour in San Diego.

Now if you don’t have time, have trouble trees trimmed by the time this storm strikes. Palafox said you can stake your trees to the ground with rope as a temporary way to brave the rain.

For most, Frosty the Snowman is a jolly happy soul. But for President Barack Obama, the snow sculpture gives him the willies.

In an interview with People magazine earlier this month, the commander-in-chief revealed that the army of snowmen decorating the White House are “a little creepy.”

“There’s a whole kind of Chucky element to them,” he said, referencing the killer doll that comes to life in the “Child’s Play” horror films.

The first lady teased her husband, suggesting “we should put one in the bedroom, right by his bed.”

“I would move,” the president joked. “If I see one of those snowmen in my bedroom, I’m moving.”

The White House staff decided to use the president’s admission against him and set off to prank Obama with the help of a family of snowmen parked in the Rose Garden near the Oval Office.

Pete Souza, the White House’s official photographer, explained in an Instagram post that, for the last three weeks, staffers have been thinking about moving the snowmen closer to the house.

"We've been joking that we should move the snowmen a few feet closer to the Oval Office every day to see if anyone noticed," Souza wrote. "Then, we realized the snowmen were too heavy to easily lift."

But this week, they finally pulled off the prank, moving all the snowmen right up to the president's office windows. Souza captured a photo of one of the snowmen creepily peering through while Obama signed end-of-year bills.

Thankfully, according to Souza, the president was amused with the joke. He even played along in a follow-up post, acting scared to see a snowman outside another window.

The question now is, Mr. President, “Do you you want to build a snowman?”

The homeless situation in downtown San Diego is a problem that’s impossible to ignore.

On Friday afternoon, a group of local business owners decided to step in and help out.

They set up shop on 15th Street and Island Avenue to give out food and clothing to hundreds of people who live out on the streets.

“We’re trying to give people a quick escape from the daily grind of suffering,” said local entrepreneur Omid Sabet. “They can smile and have a warm, fed stomach for a day.”

The group took it a step further by purchasing unique jackets that can also be used as sleeping bags. The coats are designed by the Empowerment Plan in Detroit, Michigan.

They hit the market back in 2012 and ever since, about 15,000 of them have been distributed in the U.S. and Canada.

“They are made by the homeless for the homeless in Detroit,” Sabet said. “It's kind of cold for San Diego. It's not nationwide cold, but it's something that caught our eye and made us think that we should be doing something.”

The water resistant coat runs for $100.

The group purchased 60 jackets and gave them out Friday through donations and fundraising.

NBC 7 spoke to Amber who lives out on the streets of downtown. She told us she was more than happy to receive one of those jackets.

“I don't have to go try and roommate in someone's tent. I can sleep by myself. The rain and cold is very inconvenient and very stressful," she said.

Rodney Daylamy, owner of Taste and Thirst in downtown said it’s frustrating to see the homeless situation worsen in the heart of San Diego, especially while trying to run a shop in the vicinity.

There may not be an easy solution, but organizers say it’s about showing immediate support.

“Today, it’s all about feeding the homeless and clothing the homeless,” Daylamy said. “We got them their toiletries, toothbrushes, shampoo, blankets-- all this stuff so hopefully they can clean up and go get a job.”

“As long as you can save some money and keep things dry, you're all right,” said Charity, who has been homeless since April. “It's been a beautiful thing, it's wonderful.”

She told NBC 7 that the generosity of strangers means so much more during Christmas season.

“It’s what the seasons is all about,” she added. “Generosity and family.”

Over a dozen business owners and volunteers got together to help out and donate food. 

A man accused of shooting and killing a 17-year old in a Mira Mesa neighborhood pleaded not guilty Friday.

Chien Ngoc Pham, 22, is facing gang-related murder charges, according to prosecutors.

Pham allegedly drove to the home of a rival gang member on Menkar Place and Markab Drive Monday night.

The confrontation turned into a shootout.

James Carmona Martinez, 18, died from a gunshot wound to the torso, police said.

Residents were asked to shelter in place while police searched from the suspects involved in the shooting.

Tuesday morning, police arrested Pham and a 17-year old suspect in connection to Martinez's death.

Pham is due to appear in court on Jan. 7.

The San Diego MTS bus and trolley system plan to operate on modified service schedules for the Christmas holiday weekend.

All trolley lines and most MTS bus routes will operate normal Saturday schedules on Christmas Eve, and all trolley lines will operate on a half-hour frequency on Christmas Day. Most MTS bus routes will operate normal Sunday schedules.

Between December 24 and 26, the following routes will not operate:

• MTS Express Routes 50, 60, 110, 870
• MTS Rapid 237 and Rapid Express Routes 280 and 290
• MTS Rural Routes 888, 891, 892 and 894
• Routes 972,973, 978, 979 (Sorrento Valley COASTER Connection)

For a detailed list of holiday service modifications please go to the MTS website.

It'll be a white Christmas for the northern Plains and some Western states, but it's likely to cause troublesome travel. 

A large swath of the Dakotas is under a blizzard warning Sunday and Monday, with the National Weather Service forecasting heavy snow and strong winds. To the east, parts of central Minnesota are under an ice storm warning.

Much of Idaho and Montana is under a winter storm advisory, and Utah and the northeast corner of Colorado are under a winter storm warning.

Forecasters cautioned drivers to keep alternate routes in mind and prepare for possible delays. Air travel wasn't yet impacted Saturday at the nation's major airports.

The Storm Prediction Center cautioned that warm, humid air could cause severe weather in the lower Plains, Arkansas and Oklahoma on Sunday.