NBC 7’s Derek Togerson looks at the latest turn in the Chargers move to L.A. saga in this commentary

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave … when first we practice to deceive.”

-    Walter Scott, Marmion

Oh, Dean.

Dean, Dean, Dean.

You really did it this time.

On Friday something we’ve all suspected here in San Diego was let loose in the national media and it is not reflecting well on the embattled owner of the Bolts. You see, we have long believed that the NFL owners wanted Dean Spanos to work to keep the Chargers in San Diego.

The prevailing wisdom was after voting 30-2 to give Stan Kroenke the keys to Los Angeles the rest of the league believed San Diego had a stadium situation that was at least possible. So they gave Spanos an option to move to L.A. in a year if a new facility could not be agreed upon here.

However, most of the owners very likely thought that would just be motivation for Spanos and the San Diego political structure to get together, put on a united front, and get something done. Remember San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer had spoken to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and shown him a willingness to try and put up a new facility here.

The league was betting that would be the way things went down and everyone would end up happy with a new stadium in America’s Finest City. They were probably not expecting Spanos to use that option as a parachute at the first sign of trouble.

The Chargers hastily threw together their own stadium initiative without help from the political structure, lost miserably in a vote that was doomed from the start, claimed it was a sign that San Diego did not want the team there, and pulled the trigger on a move to L.A.

On Friday NFL reporter Adam Schefter revealed he had talked to multiple NFL owners who are not terribly thrilled with the move:

Since the move was announced, the NFL has been "besides itself," in the words of one league source. "There are a ton of owners very upset that [the Chargers] moved," one source said. The source added that the NFL wants the Chargers to move back, though nobody believes that possibility is realistic.

But some NFL owners and some league officials are still hoping that, now that the move has been made official, Chargers chairman Dean Spanos will wake up one morning soon, recognize this situation has been "bungled so bad" and take his team back to San Diego, where it spent the past 56 years.

Basically, yes.

Now, Schefter is right when he says it’s probably not realistic for the team to move back. However it is not impossible. The physical move has not happened yet. City Hall has said they were willing to work with the Bolts on a plan to get another stadium vote on the ballot in November of 2018 so technically a change of heart and a stay in San Diego could happen.

But the emotional toll another two years would take on the football fans of San Diego cannot be overstated. Chargers supporters have already been through two years of uncertainty and an actual move announcement. Asking them to do that again with another stadium vote that would likely be dicey at best is simply unfair.

There is another way, however, to make things work again for the Chargers in San Diego, and what I am about to lay out is radical but hang with me for a bit: the NFL needs to force Dean Spanos to sell the team. Right now. No waiting. Just put it on the market and get out. Say they won’t charge him the relocation fee or hit him with a fine for selling too soon after a move.

Here is where Goodell needs to be the powerful commissioner people seem to believe him to be. He needs to get out to San Diego and not leave until he and Mayor Faulconer have a stadium deal in place. Where does the money for that stadium come from?

The NFL, stadium naming rights, and the new ownership group. Why would a new owner want to pay for a team AND a new stadium? Because the money to build the stadium will be included in the price of the team.

A new stadium in Mission Valley can be built for, according to most estimates, around $1.2 billion (give or take $200 million). Assuming the NFL will still provide the $300 million it pledged and a new company ponies up at least $150 million for naming rights, you have a $750 million gap in the funding.

When Steve Ballmer bought the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion the starting price for an NFL franchise jumped to $2.5 billion. There is your sale price.

The NFL should mandate that whatever is left of the $2.5 billion after the stadium cost is covered (that $750 million) is what the Spanos family gets. Actually, let’s subtract another $300 million for operating costs and maintenance ($10 million per year over 30 years but the $300 million is placed in to an account where it earns interest and actually makes money for the City). What is left is $1.45 billion and that is what the Spanos family gets, which is more than fair.

This assures the new facility is 100% privately financed, the football fans of San Diego get a new ownership group that actually cares about the community of San Diego, and the new owners get to ride in to our town on a white horse as the heroes who saved the San Diego Chargers, re-igniting the fan base.

Speaking of … while there are multiple Chargers fans who would welcome the team back there are even more who won’t buy another ticket as long as the current ownership group is around. Local politicians said Spanos was never really willing to work with them. San Diego State offered to upgrade the video boards at Qualcomm Stadium and was rebuffed.

There are too many ways to count how Spanos had bungled this entire situation. If the NFL owners are truly upset about what has gone down they have a chance right now to prove it. Plus the second the Chargers sell for that price the value of every single one of their franchises skyrockets.

I know this sounds out there, but if the league can get rid of the thorn in their side (Dean) and San Diego can get its team back (sans Dean) … isn’t that the definition of Win-Win?

Although gloomy skies and chilly temperatures pressed on, San Diegans got a little bit of a break from the rain Saturday after two days of powerful storms swept the county, toppling trees and flooding some streets.

NBC 7’s Kimi Evans said locals will see a little bit of a break in the rain Saturday – but keep those umbrellas handy, because this is calm before that third storm. Strong winds will persist throughout the day.

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“We’re still talking about some very intense conditions with the wind however, the rain, we do get a little bit of a break from,” said Evans.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), some weather warnings are still in effect for San Diego County, including a high wind warning active through 10 p.m. Saturday. Areas like Julian and Pine Valley could see west winds between 25 and 35 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph. The winds will gradually decrease by Saturday evening.

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The NWS says a winter storm warning will be in effect in San Diego County mountains from 4 p.m. Sunday to 6 p.m. Monday. Snow is expected in the mountains, becoming heavy at times, with evening snow showers Sunday evening through Monday. Visibility in the mountains will be tough; motorists should take precaution.

At San Diego’s beaches, a high surf warning remains in effect until 10 p.m. Tuesday. Surf between 8 and 12 feet is expected Saturday, with sets up to 16 feet through the afternoon. The NWS says surf is expected to subside Sunday through Tuesday – 6 to 9 feet – with sets to 12 feet. High tide, at 4.8 feet, will be on Sunday at 5:20 a.m.; 5.1 feet at 5:59 a.m. Monday; 5.4 feet at 6:34 a.m. Tuesday.

The NWS says the high surf could lead to coastal flooding and beach erosion, as well as strong rip currents and dangerous swimming conditions.

On Sunday and into Monday, the rain will roll in once again as the third in this series of winter storms hits San Diego County. NBC 7 meteorlogist Jodi Kodesh said Monday's storm should be the wettest of all, given how saturated the ground will be from the two prior storms. Check NBC 7’s forecast here.

Evans said conditions are expected to be much drier by Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Friday, the second storm in this series pummeled the county, bringing heavy rainfall, wild wind and thunderstorm and flash flood warnings.

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Around San Diego, the storm caused trees to fall and block roadways and made for a challenging commute. Emergency crews were also called to several water rescues involving motorists and people caught in flood waters, including a rescue on University Avenue and Alamo Drive where several people became trapped in their cars amid flooding. The storm also caused dozens of power outages across the county.

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On Saturday, many locals worked to clean up the damage from Friday's storm as they braced for more rain on the horizon.

Make sure to download NBC 7’s free news app. Weather alerts, like flood advisories warnings are issued through the app. There is also a local, interactive radar.

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Despite the rainy weather this weekend, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy America's Finest City. From the big top of the circus and exciting local sporting events, to dining at new restaurants, it’s time for another fun weekend. Make the most of it.

Thursday, Jan. 19

BarkHappy Winter Trivia and Tacos Pawty
6 p.m., Mission Brewery
It’s a night filled with tacos, trivia and pups! What more could you ask for? Don’t miss out on this adorable and fun fundraiser to benefit The Barking Lot. The organization will bring adoptable and foster dogs to the event for those looking for their best friend. Come test your knowledge at trivia, munch on tacos and spend time with man’s best friend. Plus, enter to win in a raffle with prizes like a $100 gift certificate to Paws 4 Shots. The trivia winner will receive a tour and tasting for 10 people to Mission Brewery. Tickets are $15 and include free doggy treats.

Free or Cheap Things to Do in San Diego
Times and locations vary

Is your wallet hurting from the holidays? In San Diego, there are still plenty of activities to enjoy for free or on the cheap. Go for a hike at Torrey Pines State Park or Cowles Mountain, stroll Balboa Park, try a new craft brewery, admire the murals of Chicano Park or read a book at a downtown park. Get out there and explore America’s Finest City.

Circus Vargas
7:30 p.m., Del Mar Fairgrounds
The big top will go up Thursday at the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the run of Circus Vargas’ newest show, “Steam Cirque,” inspired by the worlds of steampunk and science-fiction. Circus Vargas organizers say the rain won't damper the debut -- the show will go on. Tickets to opening night range from $22 to $72; parking at the venue is $13. Arrive 45 minutes before show time and the kids can partake in an interactive pre-show where they can practice hands-on circus skills like juggling and balancing alongside the pros. This show continues in Del Mar through Jan. 30; after that, Circus Vargas will make its way to Mission Bay Park and Westfield Plaza Bonita in National City in February.

San Diego Restaurant Week 2017
Through Jan. 22, Locations Vary
San Diego Restaurant Week continues, running through Sunday (Jan. 22), so don’t miss your chance to try a bite at a new, local eatery. The semi-annual event features prix-fixe menus at more than 180 restaurants spanning various communities across San Diego County. Some eateries offer lunch and dinner options, so price points vary. This is a great way to try a new restaurant without breaking the bank, and start crossing some places off your local dining bucket list.

Counterpoint Art Show: Closing Party
6 p.m. to 9 p.m., The Lafayette Hotel, Swim Club & Bungalows
The Lafayette Hotel will host this closing party Friday night in honor of “Counterpoint,” a joint exhibition by artists Christina Ilene Thomas and Chris Smith. The bash includes live music, food, drinks and a raffle. Admission is free; a portion of proceeds from sales of goodies at the party will benefit the Veterans Village of San Diego.

Friday, Jan. 20

Caffeine Crawl 2017
1 p.m., InterAmerican Coffee in Downtown San Diego
Caffeine addicts, this one is for you! Don’t miss the 4th annual Caffeine Crawl, where participants will get the chance to take a guided tour (and taste some samples!) from coffee spots across San Diego. Over 25 local roasteries and cafes will participate. Tickets start at $28 and a the crawl offers a variety of tours from Friday to Sunday across the County.

Hops on the Harbor
7 p.m., Flagship Cruises and Events
Set sail with one of San Diego’s local breweries as you enjoy sweeping views of the San Diego bay. The dinner cruise features brews from Finest Made Ales with a gourmet menu during a two-and-a-half hour cruise. In addition, there will also be music and dancing. Tickets start at $40.70.

San Diego Gulls Vs. San Jose Barracudas
7 p.m., Valley View Casino Center
The San Diego Gulls take on the San Jose Barracudas at the Valley View Casino Center this week. Tickets start at $19 per person.

San Diego Opera’s Taste of the Opera
6:30 p.m., The Curious Fork
If you love the beautiful and enticing stories told at the San Diego Opera as much as you love tasty meals, this event is for you. Join the San Diego Opera’s Director of Education and Community Engagement, Nicolas Reveles, as he shares his music and knowledge of the opera “Falstaff.” The Curious Fork Chef Katherine Afendoules-Emmenegger will help prepare dishes themed based on the opera. This is not a cooking class, according to the San Diego Opera. Tickets start at $49.

Cards Against Humanity Tournament
6:45 p.m. Duck Foot Brewing Company
It’s the perfect game night for people with a bit of a twisted sense of humor. Play a party favorite – Cards Against Humanity – as you sip on some tasty brews (including the small batch release of Coffee IPA). Each team can consist of two to eight players, and ten teams will play in total starting with a check-in at 6:45 p.m. To sign up, email lexxi@duckfootbeer.com in advance. And good news for the winner: whoever wins will take home a $100 Duck Foot Brewing gift cards. Attending is free.

Salsa Under the Stars
6 p.m. to 9 p.m., The Headquarters at Seaport
Put on your dancing shoes and head over to the courtyard at The Headquarters at Seaport for another fun, free installment of Salsa Under the Stars. Manny Cepeda and his orchestra will provide the tunes while you boogie – no partner or experience necessary.

A Jim Morrison Celebration ft. Wild Child
8 p.m., House of Blues
This 21+ concert at the House of Blues in downtown San Diego will feature Wild Child, an Italian tribute band of four musicians dedicated to recreating the psychedelic sounds of Jim Morrison and The Doors. The show includes theatrics, scenic effects, lights and costumes. Tickets start at $22.50.

Saturday, Jan. 21

San Diego Sockers vs. Soles de Sonora
7:05 p.m., Valley View Casino Center
Come out and support San Diego’s 14-time indoor soccer champions at their game against Soles de Sonora. General admission tickets start at $11.

Carlsbad Cinema Series: Trumbo
1:30 p.m., Carlsbad City Library
Come enjoy this 2015 release which tells the story of the Hollywood 10, writers who were blacklisted during the communist watch hunts in the mid 1900s. The film will include an introduction and post-show discussion by Brandom Cesmat, who teaches humanities at California State University San Marcos. Seating is limited and first-come, first-serve. The event is free.

San Diego Women’s March
10 a.m., Civic Center Plaza
San Diegans will march this Saturday in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington. Women, men and children of all backgrounds and political affiliations will come together for the peaceful march in response to the negative climate around women in the recent election. The march will start at the Civic Center Plaza Downtown.

Hike Daley Ranch
7 a.m., Daley Ranch in Escondido
Weather permitting, get up early this Saturday morning and take in some beautiful nature in Escondido. Naturalist William Sherrard will take participants on a peaceful walk through trails near the ranch. The walk is five to seven miles round trip and is estimated to take two and a half to three hours. The guided hike is free.

Sunday, Jan. 22

Salk Institute’s Salk Science and Music Series
4 p.m., Conrad Prebys Auditorium
Science and music may not be a natural combination, but the Salk Institute brings together a beautiful blend of the two for their annual Science and Music Series. Renowned musician Amit Peled and Noreen Polera join Kenta Asahina, assistant professor of molecular neurobiology. Admission costs $55 for individual tickets, or $250 for the full series.

Battle of the Breweries
4 p.m., Tin Roof in Downtown San Diego
Come support your favorite local brewery at this fun event in Downtown San Diego. This week, Guest Breweries Latitude 33, Benchmark, Acoustic Ales and Iron Fist will face off. Sample four of their local brews and vote on your vote in the Battle of the Brews. The winner will then be featured at Tin Roof as the next rotating handle.

Protesters attitudes toward President Trump were on display on handmade signs at women's marches around the globe Saturday. 

Many of the signs were playful and whimsical, but conveyed a protest message. 

One of them showed recently-deceased actress Carrie Fisher dressed as her Star Wars character Princess Leia with the title, "RESISTER." 

Another Instagram photo captioned with #womensmarch showed a sign that poked fun at Trump's speech. "Trump has the best misogyny, it's very big misogyny. Sad!" the sign reads.  

In Washington, where crowds are expected to reach 500,000 people, one marcher held a sign that read, "we shall over-comb," with a drawing of Trump's notorious hairstyle. 

A girl at the march held a sign that read, "girl's just want to have fundamental human rights." 

The day after President Donald Trump's inauguration, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in rallies and marches across the globe in support of women's rights. The largest such march was in Washington D.C., where authorities estimated 500,000 gathered. The above mosiac shows social posts from people at the march, overlaid on a photo of the crowd itself. Were you there tweeting? Use the 'Find Yourself' tool to find your post or click on the faces to see posts by others. 

Despite Friday’s powerful storm, the show will go on at Petco Park’s Monster Jam event Saturday, even if it gets a little dirty.

Twenty-six million pounds of dirt has been packed into Petco Park in downtown San Diego for Monster Jam, the live motorsport event. That dirt has been sitting in the ballpark since Jan. 10, when Monster Energy’s Supercross came into town.

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Now, almost two weeks later, 14 monster-sized trucks will compete on the course.

Rain leading up to the event forced crews to use tarps to protect the track. Saturday morning crews cleaned up small pockets of water and brought in new dirt, according to Monster Jam Event Manager Scott Olinski. Olinksi confirmed to NBC 7 that the 7 p.m. event will go on – rain or shine.

There is a “Pit Party” scheduled for 2:30 p.m. prior to the competition. There, attendees will get to meet some of their favorite drivers up-close.

Tickets are still available. This is the third year Monster Jam has visited Petco Park.

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One day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, two San Diego politicians held a service at Chicano Park to pray for the country in light of the new leadership in the White House.

Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher and Congressman Juan Vargas joined hands with San Diegans in prayer. The Democratic leaders read passages from the Bible and shared their concerns for how Trump’s presidency might affect their communities.

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“We’re going to continue to pray to make this country a better country that includes everybody,” Gonzalez Fletcher said. “When we talk about our community and our country, it’s inclusive – it’s everybody – and that’s what it’s been about, hoping we can change the hearts of elected leaders who don’t feel that way and bring them around too.”

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Vargas stayed in San Diego instead of going to Trump’s inauguration Friday in Washington, D.C.

“Today was a prayer service for our country, especially all those people that feel, unfortunately, are targeted and have been targeted by the new administration and we can to pray for the new president and change his heart,” he told NBC 7 on Saturday. “What we’ve heard and what we’ve seen from him is anything but love and compassion – it’s the opposite. So, we came to pray for him.”

After the service, Gonzalez Fletcher joined Senator Toni Atkins to take part in the San Diego Women’s March in downtown San Diego.

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It was a long time coming, but notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman finally walked into an American courtroom Friday, to face charges that he was the murderous architect of a 3-decade-long web of violence, corruption and drug addiction in the United States.

As he was taken before a federal judge, prosecutors announced they were seeking a $14 billion forfeiture from Guzman, who arrived overnight after the sudden decision by Mexican authorities to grant his extradition to the United States.

"Today marks a milestone in our pursuit of Chapo Guzman,'' said Robert Capers, the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn. "He's a man known for a life of crime, violence, death and destruction, and now he'll have to answer for that.''

As boss of the Sinaloa cartel, Guzman presided over a syndicate that shipped tons of heroin and cocaine to the U.S., using tanker trucks, planes with secret landing strips, container ships, speedboats and even submarines, prosecutors said. Perhaps most famously, Guzman's cartel built elaborate tunnels under the U.S. border to transport drugs, said Wifredo Ferrer, the U.S. attorney in Miami.

The cartel made billions of dollars in profits -- hence prosecutors' bid for a $14 billion forfeiture -- and employed hit men who carried out murders, kidnappings and acts of torture, according to prosecutors. The Sinaloa smugglers also helped fuel an epidemic of drug abuse in the U.S. in the 1980s and `90s, the prosecutors said.

Guzman was recaptured a year ago in Mexico after escaping from a maximum-security prison for a second time. The episode was highly embarrassing for President Enrique Pena Nieto's government, and Mexican officials were seen as eager to hand him off to the U.S.

By finally bringing their case in the Eastern District of New York, prosecutors chose that city over Chicago and other jurisdictions, who have long hoped to put Guzman on trial.

“After the tunneling into a maximum security prison which had to have the involvement of government officials, that was a huge embarrassment for the government of Mexico,” said Thomas Shakeshaft, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago. “There was still a chance that he was running the cartel behind bars, but this is a symbolic victory both for the government of Mexico, and the United States.”

The Chicago case did carry a big plus, or perhaps more accurately, two of them. Two brothers, Pedro and Margarito Flores, who had been the prime distributors for Guzman’s Sinoloa cartel in Chicago had agreed to cooperate with authorities and would have been the chief witnesses in a Chicago trial. It isn’t clear if the two will still be called in the New York case.

“It took ten years to get Osama Bin Laden,” notes Shakeshaft, who spent years developing the Chicago prosecution. “It took more than that to get to Chapo, but ultimately we did!”

The Drug Enforcement Administration flew Guzman to New York from the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez on Thursday, hours before the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has criticized Mexico for sending the U.S. "criminals and rapists'' and vowed to build a wall at the Mexican border.

When Guzman got off the plane, "as you looked into his eyes, you could see the surprise, you could see the shock, and to a certain extent, you could see the fear, as the realization kicked in that he's about to face American justice,'' said Angel Melendez, who leads U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's homeland security investigations in New York.

The U.S. has been trying to obtain custody of Guzman since he was first indicted in California in the early 1990s. Now in his late 50s, he faces the possibility of life in a U.S. prison. Prosecutors had to agree to not seek the death penalty as a condition of the extradition. While he faces federal charges in several U.S. states, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn won the jockeying to get the case. The U.S. attorney's office there has substantial experience prosecuting international drug cartel cases and was once led by outgoing U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

After breaking out of prison the first time in 2001, Guzman spent more than a decade at large, becoming something of a folk legend among some Mexicans for his defiance of authorities. He was immortalized in ballads known as ``narco-corridos.''

Captured in 2014, Guzman then made an even more audacious escape, coolly stepping into a hole in the floor of his prison cell shower and whizzing to freedom on a motorcycle modified to run on tracks laid the length of the tunnel.

While on the run, he secretly met with actors Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo in a fall 2015 encounter that Penn later chronicled in Rolling Stone magazine.

In Penn's article, Guzman was unapologetic about his criminal activities, saying he had turned to drug trafficking at age 15 because it was "the only way to have money to buy food, to survive.''

The piece was published shortly after Mexican marines rearrested Guzman in a January 2016 shootout that killed five of his associates and wounded one marine.

As the rain let up a little bit on Saturday, San Diego residents rolled up their sleeves and got to work cleaning up the damage of the storms that have pummeled the county over the past few days.

Friday’s powerful rain – the second in a series of three winter storms – caused power poles and trees to topple, some crushing cars, and caused flooding in parts of the county, plus road closures. Emergency crews were called to several water rescues in different parts of the county as motorists became trapped in the flood waters.

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In San Diego’s South Bay, the severe weather knocked down trees and knocked out power to some homes. At a shopping center on Bonita Road, a eucalyptus tree came crashing down amid the storm Friday, crushing several cars. No one was hurt.

On Saturday morning, crews and locals there worked to clear the tree, debris and shattered glass from the South Bay parking lot. Tenants of the strip mall said they had voiced their concerns prior to the storm about the trees lining the center. 

Bonita resident Ron Cooling was dealing with a mess in his neighborhood, where two large trees fell over in the street, blocking residents into the cul-de-sac.

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“It’s kind of scary,” he told NBC 7, referring to the fact that residents couldn’t get in or out of the area. “No emergency vehicles, nobody can get down to our street right now. It’s completely blocked.”

“I just worry because it’s an older neighborhood,” Cooling explained. “We have older people and I know one gentleman this morning was concerned that they don’t have a lot of food. They’re diabetic.”

Longtime Bonita resident James Dentice was one of the people stuck in his home Saturday morning. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he surveyed the damage on his street.

“I’ve lived here since ‘85 and I’ve never seen anything close to this,” he told NBC 7.

Up and down the street, power lines were also down Saturday morning in the aftermath of the storm. Outages caused concern among residents, including Marlene Hill.

“The street is dark as it is, when we do have power, so without it we were scared that people were going to go into all these big power lines,” Hill said.

She told NBC 7 she had an emergency kit handy, including flashlights, batteries and candles should another power outage occur.

Meanwhile, locals and officials were also dealing with flooding across the county.

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said there were a few road closures in place Saturday, as of 12 p.m., due to flooding. Those closures included:

• La Media at Airway in San Diego
• Avenida Del Rio at Riverwalk in the Mission Valley area
• 26th Street at Pershing
• 10818 San Diego Mission Rd.
• 500 Camino De La Reina in Mission Valley
• 5800 Ward Rd.
• 1565 India St. in Little Italy

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The final storm in this three-part series is expected to arrive Sunday and Monday. Get weather updates here.

The new White House press secretary used his first press briefing to launch a furious tirade against media coverage of President Donald Trump's inauguration, calling it "shameful and wrong" for focusing on the fact that it was noticeably smaller than Barack Obama's in 2009.

Sean Spicer harangued the media for not taking the administration's point of view on how to cover Trump's inauguration, and claimed that the National Mall was full during the president's oath of office when photographs from multiple vantage points showed that it wasn't. 

"This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period, both in person and around the globe," Spicer said. "These attempts to lessen the enthusiasm of the inauguration are shameful and wrong."

There is no evidence to suggest it was the largest ever, by Spicer's own admission that "no one had numbers" for official crowd size estimates, and Nielsen released data Saturday saying about 7 million fewer people watched Trump’s inauguration than Obama’s first in 2009. Ronald Reagan's 1981 inauguration remains the most-watched in American history, with 41.8 million viewers.

Spicer took no questions at the briefing, which came hours after Trump told CIA officials at Langley that the media was inventing a feud between him and the intelligence community, despite suggesting the intel community leaked information to the press and comparing it to something that would be done in Nazi Germany. Trump also said the crowd "looked like a million, million and a half people" to him.

It's the latest bump in a rocky relationship between the Trump team and the national press corps, but the first to take place in the White House press briefing room. And it came as hundreds of thousands of demonstrators filled the streets in Washington and many cities both in America and abroad, all aimed at showing Trump that they will not be silent during his time in office. 

Spicer did not comment on the Women's March on Washington and it's "sister marches" other than to stipulate there are no official estimates about crowd sizes at the rallies. 

Trump had promised an "unbelievable, perhaps record-setting turnout" for his inauguration, but various planning groups predicted between 700,000 and 900,000 people would attend the swearing-in and parade. Obama drew an estimated 1.8 million people to the National Mall in 2009, though The Washington Post later questioned whether it was too high.

Spicer claimed that spaces on the national mall with a total capacity of 720,000 were full. He also said that images were distorted by protective plastic lawn coverings, and incorrectly claimed they had never been used before — they were used during the 2013 inauguration as well.

He did not provide any pictorial evidence backing up his claim that the inaugural crowd was the largest ever, though ahead of the briefing, TV screens on either side of the podium showed pictures from behind the president. There were large crowds in the foreground, while the Washington Monument, where crowds appeared to be sparse in other shots, was far in the distance.

D.C. Metro released ridership numbers for 11 a.m. on the most recent inauguration days showing a marked drop in rides between Obama's 2009 inaugural (513,000) and Trump's (193,000).

Crowd sizes are notoriously hard to estimate, and the National Park Service has not offered official estimates since it was threatened with a defamation lawsuit by organizers of the Million Man March in 1995.

Spicer also singled out a reporter's tweet that said a bust of Martin Luther King Jr. was missing from the Oval Office. It was incorrect — the bust is still in the office — and the reporter corrected the report and apologized.

Spicer called that tweet "irresponsible and reckless." But less than 24 hours before, Spicer tweeted that he accepted the reporter's apology. 

Hillary Clinton's former campaign spokesman, Brian Fallon, tweeted that Spicer was "a failure in this job on his first full day" for not refusing to lie to the press.

Ari Fleischer, the press secretarty for George W. Bush, noted on Twitter that it was the kind of statement "you're told to make by the President," who you know is watching. 

"So, while press is stunned & can't believe it, Sean is getting praised by his boss & co-workers now. MSM is from Venus. WH is from Mars," he said. 

Just this week, Moscow hosted a summit of divided Palestinian factions that yielded a fresh unity agreement.

And on Sunday, Russian diplomats will again unite prominent Syrian rebel groups and regime negotiators in Astana, Kazakhstan, for a summit that aims to lend a degree of permanence to Syria's month-old cease-fire.

Promoting Russia's status as a major global power is part of Putin's push to compensate for his domestic failures, said Alexey Malashenko, a Russia analyst with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Moscow Center.

Russia's ambitions may get another boost following Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday.

"I think the common thread is [Putin] positioning in view of a deal with Trump," said said Mattia Toaldo, a Middle East analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations. "The interesting thing is that in most cases, Russia is in the driving seat and Trump will simply react."

When one door closes, another one opens. This week, in news from our local food and drink scene, Eater San Diego shares details of a popular Bay Area coffee company’s debut in San Diego, and the impending shuttering of an Ocean Beach restaurant.

Philz Coffee Set to Open in Encinitas Next Month
Philz Coffee, a popular Bay Area company, will launch the first of at least two planned locations in San Diego on Feb. 4, when its debut outpost in Encinitas opens to the public. Philz, which specializes in pour overs of signature coffee blends, is also headed to La Jolla Village. 

Breakfast Republic & Coin Haus Replacing OB Warehouse
After two years, the Cohn Restaurant Group will shutter OB Warehouse on Valentine's Day. It will be replaced by the hospitality group's arcade bar, Coin Haus, on the bottom level and another location of daytime eatery Breakfast Republic on the upper level. 

New Mexican Restaurant Headed for Liberty Station
Rise and Shine Restaurant Group (Breakfast Republic, Fig Tree Café) announced that it will be opening El Jardin in Liberty Station next year. The Mexican concept's kitchen will be run by the former chef de cuisine of Little Italy's Bracero.

Late Night Ramen Shop Planned for North County
A pop-up is graduating to a brick-and-mortar location later this year, when Rooster Ramen moves into a space in the Encinitas/Leucadia area. The Japanese-inspired menu with include traditional and chef-driven ramen plus yakitori, small plates and sake. 

Chinese Hot Pot Spots Coming to Mira Mesa & Kearny Mesa
Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot is soon opening a second location in the Scripps Ranch/Mira Mesa area while Taiwanese hot pot chain Tasty Pot debuts in San Diego with an upcoming eatery on Convoy Street. 

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One week after a San Diego Man pleaded guilty to murdering three young San Diego residents by shooting them to death in the parking lot of Mission Valley mall on Christmas Eve 2013, NBC 7 has obtained records detailing, for the first time, the evidence prosecutors planned to present to a jury, had the case gone to trial.

On Jan. 12, Carlo Mercado, 31, pleaded guilty to three counts of murder for the December 2013 killings of  brothers Gianni and Salvatore Belvedere and Gianni's fiancee, Ilona Flint.

Originally, Mercado pleaded not-guilty and was scheduled to face trial in June. At one point, Mercado’s attorneys told the court Mercado was incompetent to stand trial, a claim later determined to be inaccurate and the decision overruled by the judge in the case.

The mysterious murders shook San Diego to its core and left most residents, including family members of the victims and suspect, asking one question: why? To read a timeline of the events behind the triple homicide, click here.

On Friday, NBC 7 obtained the Statement of Facts Deputy District Attorney Brian Erickson submitted to the court on the day of the plea change.

While the documents do not provide major updates to information previously released, the documents did detail a clear timeline of what investigators believed led up to and followed the triple homicide along with new information about Mercado’s history leading up to the crimes. 

To read the records in full, click here.

In the documents, Erickson said investigators confirmed through cell phone tower records neither Mercado, nor all three victims’ phones were ever in the same place at the same time in the year prior to the murders taking place.

“There was absolutely no connection found between the victim’s alleged drug use and their deaths,” Erickson said, adding that investigators found no evidence anyone had any reason to want to kill the victims or their families.

In the Statement of Facts, Erickson also details evidence, found by investigators, that suggests Mercado had a history of motorcycle accidents and attempting to “fleece” money from other drivers involved.

One incident was in August 2012. According to court records, Mercado crashed his motorcycle into the back of a man’s truck and later that day sent the driver “an aggressive email” where a list of motorcycle parts were listed with prices for each repair. 

In that situation, according to the court records, Mercado told the driver the total cost for repairs came out to over $2,000 but Mercado said he would be willing to settle for half of the amount.

The records state a San Diego District Attorney Investigator contacted the driver of that vehicle who explained Mercado had crashed his motorcycle into the back of the driver’s truck while at a stop light and the driver assisted Mercado with his bike and called police.

When the driver received the “aggressive email” from Mercado, the records show the driver verified with his father and insurance company he would not be responsible for the costs Mercado was asking for and ignored Mercado’s email and text messages.

The Statement of Facts presented evidence Mercado filed a false insurance claim on his motorcycle days after the triple-homicide took place.

Mercado’s motorcycle played a role in the investigation as according to prosecutors, Mercado, after killing Gianni and fleeing the scene in Gianni’s car, returned to the parking lot of Westfield Mission Valley mall to remove his motorcycle he had left behind.

It was then, according to prosecutors, Mercado came into contact with Flint and Salvatore, murdering them both, fearing they would report seeing Mercado driving Gianni’s car.

According to the records, Mercado fled the scene that night, leaving his motorcycle behind, and returned the next day with a rented U-Haul truck and trailer to remove the motorcycle from the crime scene after San Diego Police Department investigators were no longer at the scene.

Two days later, prosecutors said Mercado, fearing his motorcycle could tie him to the crime scene, staged a fake motorcycle accident and filed a claim with his insurance provider.

The Geico Insurance Adjuster that handled Mercado’s claim told investigators that he doubted the story Mercado told about the fake accident, but processed the claim anyway for a total of $2,539.

At the change of plea hearing for Mercado, Erickson credited Border Patrol officers who pulled over and inspected Mercado’s vehicle less than a month after the homicides as providing the critical evidence that led to Mercado’s arrest. 

On Jan. 18, 2014, a day after Gianni’s car and body were discovered in the city of Riverside, which prosecutors believe Mercado planted, agents at the Border Patrol Checkpoint on the I-5 near San Clemente pulled Mercado over for a routine stop.

While searching Mercado’s vehicle at that checkpoint stop, Border Patrol agents found an AR-15 assault rifle, a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun and a .22 caliber handgun with a modified silencer.

Agents eventually released Mercado from that stop, unaware of his connection to the murders, but held Mercado’s weapons for further investigation.

It was that move by Border Patrol Agents that Erickson credits as a major turning point in the investigation, as the DNA on those firearms was uploaded to California’s DNA database system CODIS and was linked to DNA that was discovered at the Mission Valley and Riverside crime scenes.

Three days after the DNA match was determined, Mercado was arrested on June 21, 2014 for the murders of Gianni and Salvatore Belvedere and Ilona Flint.

In the court records, Erickson said investigators found gun manuals and instructions for making a homemade silencer for the .22 handgun on Mercado’s computer.

The court records also detail new information about Mercado’s mental health and suicide attempt following his arrest. 

Eastbound State Route 76 is closed from Foussat to Douglas after a pedestrian was hit by a car, according to Caltrans San Diego.

The crash happened around 5 p.m. Saturday on N. Foussat Road.

The pedestrian’s injuries are unclear, and it is unclear how the crash happened. 

The road will be closed for at least two hours.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

Two people were swept off the rocks in Ocean Beach Saturday evening, according to San Diego lifeguards.

One person was found on the shore and rescue crews and a helicopter continue to search for the other person.

The incident happened around 5:35 p.m. in the 5300 block of Santa Cruz Avenue.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

At 88 she may look unassuming, but Alice Morawetz wanted to be part of something bigger than herself.

“I have strong feelings about the change in our democracy,” the Seacrest Village Retirement Center resident says. “We wanted to be unified with other women.”

Morawetz began organizing a march at the North County San Diego senior center last week, in support of the hundreds of women’s marches that took place across the country and internationally Saturday.

She said although the administration initially thought the march might be divisive, she wanted to avoid any political confrontation. “It is not in the style of an expression of protest,” she says, calling their walk positive, supportive and unifying.

“Because we are seniors we have to be smart about this. We can’t go running around. It’s not possible,” Morawetz explains.

It wasn’t the largest march in San Diego; two other marches in downtown and the North County drew tens of thousands of demonstrators, but the approximately 50 seniors were not going to be silenced.

Resident Trudi Kranitz says two of her daughters marched in Washington, D.C. Saturday.

“I'm doing this for my children, my grandchildren, my daughters,” Kranitz tells NBC 7. “We're trying to make a difference in the world.”

She says the residents at Seacrest Village stick together because they’re like family.

“Whether it’s this particular thing that we did today of for anything, we are always together … We’ve been walking with our walkers right here,” she says. “We’ve been walking around and around trying to make a difference in the world.”

The march was brief: just two laps inside the center. But it was a meaningful statement they hope will reach far beyond the Seacrest Village.

“It’s really inspirational to see women in their 80s and 90s organizing to make a difference,” Carly Stockdale, who flew to San Diego to march with her mother and grandmother instead of attending the New York demonstration, says. "This might have been much more meaningful in many ways." 

Dee Rudolf, who also marched Saturday, says that although they’re “old ladies” they want to be a part of the world too.

“We can't do much, but this is what we can do and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that can march in big parades. This is a little one.”