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These Are President Trump's Most Popular Tweets

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President Donald Trump's most popular tweet since he was sworn in is strikingly conciliatory, for someone whose style on Twitter can be so confrontational.

That style shone through the Sunday after his inauguration, when he needled the Women's March on Washington for being too late to affect the election. But that tweet got about half as much engagement as one posted later that day, which recognized the rights of all people to protest peacefully.

"Peaceful protests are a hallmark of our democracy. Even if I don't always agree, I recognize the rights of people to express their views," @realDonaldTrump wrote.

The tweet garnered over 480,000 likes and retweets combined — the tweet he's gotten the most engagement on since taking office as the 45th U.S. president, either on @realDonaldTrump or the presidential account, @POTUS.

Trump's Twitter activity was a hallmark of his campaign for president, and he's used it for years, racking up more than 34,000 tweets since joining the service in March 2009.

In his second most-engaging tweet, judged by combined likes and retweets, Trump shared a video of his first dance at an inaugural ball with first lady Melania Trump, saying, "THANK YOU for another wonderful evening in Washington, D.C. TOGETHER, we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN," followed by an American flag emoji."

The tweet that got the least engagement during his presidency was a link to a Facebook post with a statement on U.S. Mexico relations, earning just over 3,000 retweets and about 12,500 likes.

The @POTUS account has 14.8 million followers and Trump's personal account has 23.3 million followers, a number that's steadily grown since he was elected president. That makes him one of the most followed people on the social media service — though former President Barack Obama has just under 84 million followers. 

While his Twitter following may be growing, Trump's social media habits have received plenty of criticism, too.

In his first speech as Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer said "America cannot afford a Twitter presidency" because of the "real work" that needs to be done.

The Associated Press reported last week that all of Trump's tweets are considered presidential records, and would be preserved. Most of his tweets since taking office have come through his personal Twitter account.

Unlike his predecessor, Trump hasn't waited to jump online and tweet about hotly debated policies and orders, and some of those posts have done very well. 

The fourth-ranked tweet argued that it's not important whether his executive order keeping people from seven Muslim-majority from traveling to the U.S. should be called a ban, getting 56,699 retweets and 229,601 likes as of midday Thursday. More than 200,000 people liked a tweet saying he will "send in the Feds" to Chicago if it "doesn't fix the horrible 'carnage' going on" — the seventh-most engagement among his presidential tweets.

Trump's most popular tweet ever? It contained just six words, but it's been retweeted and liked nearly 1 million times since it was sent early on Election Day: 

NBC's Asher Klein contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Uber CEO Kalanick Leaves Trump’s Advisory Council

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Travis Kalanick is leaving President Donald Trump's advisory council, sources told CNBC.

The Uber CEO had faced criticism from Silicon Valley insiders for working with the Trump administration, as well as what some saw as a tepid response to the White House's recent travel ban.

The ride-sharing company has been buffeted all week by boycott campaigns that began when people perceived it as trying to break a taxi strike at New York's JFK Airport. The strike was inspired by Trump's executive order temporarily suspending the country's refugee program.



Photo Credit: Getty

Grantville Pot Shops Raided by SDPD

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An early morning raid by San Diego law enforcement officers targeted two marijuana dispensaries in the Grantville neighborhood.

SDPD Narcotics Lt. Matt Novak said the dispensaries were operating illegally.

Officers, in conjunction with the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, served search warrants at two locations along Mission Gorge Road around 8 a.m.

Novak said the raids were not related to the recent law legalizing recreational marijuana.

The department has been working to close down illegal pot shops within city limits before voters approved Prop 64.

Four people were detained by officers. Marijuana and cash were seized in the undercover operation, Novak said.

Police Officers Help Deliver Baby at Mira Mesa Post Office

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San Diego police officers on duty early Thursday morning helped a woman and her husband deliver their baby in a car outside their parking lot. 

Vanessa Prado and her boyfriend, Dennis, were sleeping in their Mira Mesa home Thursday morning when Vanessa started having contractions at approximately 4 a.m. 

"I thought it was no big deal, so I just hopped in the bathtub," Vanessa said. 

But shortly after, her water broke. That's when she called Dennis into the room. 

Dennis said his first thoughts were: "Let's go, time to go, it's showtime." 

In the car, Dennis kept calm and tried to work with his girlfriend to slow down the baby, which seemed to be coming out faster than expected. 

"I tried to tell her, hold on, keep your breathing, let’s just try to make it there as quickly as possible," Dennis said.

The couple made it a few blocks from their house when Vanessa said she started to crown. 

"I just said, 'I’m not going to make it, and we’ve got to pull over, now,'" Vanessa said.

It was either the U.S. Post Office on Mira Mesa Boulevard or McDonald's, so they went with the Post Office. When they pulled over, Dennis called 911.

SDPD Officers Matt Enderlin and Eric Hustad, on patrol just a few blocks away, took the call and were at the post office in less than two minutes. 

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Hustad said from there, instinct and training took over. SDPD officers only have a couple of hours of training if a situation like this arises, the department said. 

"This is it, this is the stuff that you prepare yourself for," said Officer Enderlin. 

Everything moved quickly once the officers arrived on scene. Officer Hustad offered to hold Vanessa's hand while Officer Enderlin positioned himself to help with the birth. 

"It honestly just happened so fast," Officer Enderlin recalled. "All of a sudden, I'm like, oh my Gosh, holding the baby."

Officer Enderlin said he made sure the baby was okay and the mother was okay.

"It’s one of those moments you’re like, wow, this really just happened right now," he said.

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The birth only took a matter of minutes, Vanessa said, once they pulled over. 

"Honestly, he just came out so fast and then Matt held him and after he said, 'I got him, I got him,' I couldn’t even go to grab him, I was just so relieved the pain was over and everything went better than I thought it was going to go a couple minutes earlier," Vanessa said. 

As she reflected on the birth in the hospital later, Vanessa said she was so thankful to have someone else there with her and her boyfriend. 

"It just happened so fast, I was just glad someone else was there other than us two," she said.

Minutes later, paramedics arrived on scene and the officers went with the family to Scripps Memorial Hospital.

Six-pound newborn Pierce Dillard may have a new nickname going forward.

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"We joked that we were going to name him Pierce Postal, but I don’t think that’s going to happen," Vanessa said, laughing.



Photo Credit: San Diego Police Department
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2 Convicted Sex Offenders Arrested by Border Patrol

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Two convicted sex offenders who had previously been deported were arrested near Ocotillo by El Centro Border Patrol agents on Thursday.

The men were found walking north from the International Border fence around 2:20 a.m.

According to Border Patrol, the 26-year old man was convicted of lewd acts with a minor and had received five years of probation in Nevada. The second man, 24-years-old, was convicted of Lewd and Lascivious Act with a minor and had received two to five years in prison.

Both men were identified to be Mexican Nationals.

They will be criminally prosecuted for Re-Entry After Removal, according to Border Patrol.

Motorcyclist Dies in Crash in Ramona

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A motorcyclist died in crash involving a vehicle in Ramona on Thursday, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed.

The crash happened at approximately 3:04 p.m. on the 162000 block of Highland Valley Road. 

A Sig Alert was issued for Highland Valley Road between Baldy Canyon and Archie Moore in both directions for two to three hours, CHP said.

The driver of the vehicle did stay on scene.

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

Police Reports Reveal New Details In Murder Mystery

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Reports from a 911 call placed the same day Elizabeth Sullivan vanished in mid-October 2014, reveal new details about the hours before the young mother’s disappearance.

Sullivan’s husband, Matthew Sullivan, called 911 on Oct. 13, 2014 to report his wife was “going to frame him and have him arrested.” He told San Diego police she “made a mess of the bedroom and took photos,” according to a CAD report from the 911 call.

Police said Sullivan is not a suspect in his wife’s murder.

“I want to stress that we have no suspects or persons-of-interest in this case,” Lt. Mike Holden said. “Right now, we have more questions than answers.”

The body of the U.S. Navy wife and mother of two was found floating in San Diego Bay near Liberty Station, almost exactly two years after her disappearance.

Her body was discovered less than half-a-mile from where she was last seen alive.

Shortly after her October disappearance, Elizabeth’s father flew to San Diego from the family’s home in Virginia. He spoke with NBC 7, begging the public for help with his daughter’s safe return home.

"It can happen to you. When it does, it gets very personal, and it takes on a whole new light when it happens to you," Edward Ricks told us at the time.

Ricks declined to comment on the latest news about the 911 calls made to San Diego police by Elizabeth and Matthew Sullivan.

NBC 7 discovered records from another 911 call made about six months prior to Elizabeth’s disappearance.

She called 911 in March 2014 during an argument and told police there was a history of domestic violence between the couple. The couple argued about custody and child support, according to statements both made to the police.

Elizabeth told police she was concerned that March 2014 fight may escalate.

The records show Matthew Sullivan reported to San Diego police (SDPD) that Elizabeth took all the money out of their shared bank account.

SDPD Lt. Holden said he could not comment on whether the information Sullivan gave police was accurate or not because the case is an on-going investigation.

A final 911 call placed from the Liberty Station residence of Elizabeth and Matthew Sullivan and their two daughters was from a friend concerned about Elizabeth’s whereabouts.

In that call, made a day after the day police say Sullivan disappeared, the friend tells police Sullivan was “very afraid” of her husband.



Photo Credit: SDPD

O'Farrell Charter School Put on Lockdown

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After reports of shots fired in San Diego's Valencia Park neighborhood, O'Farrell Charter School was put on lockdown, San Diego Police (SDPD) officer Hodge said. 

The incident happened shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday when someone called to report gunshots at 61st and Alderley Street, police said. 

Officers arrived on scene and began searching for a person responsible, Hodge said. 

The school called police and asked if they should be put on lockdown. Authorities locked down the school at approximately 3:14 p.m. 

Police have not located any suspects or victims at this time, and have not confirmed gunshots were fired. 

No other information was immediately available.

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 



Photo Credit: Getty Images/File

US Warns Israel to Stop Announcing New West Bank Settlements

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The White House warned the Israeli government Thursday to stop announcing plans to build new settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu's office announced Wednesday that for the first time in two decades, Israel planned to build 3,000 new settlement homes in the disputed territory.

Thursday, the White House issued a brief statement that the new administration has not taken an official position on settlements in the West Bank, but adding that "the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful" in achieving peace.

The White House said at the time that Trump emphasized "the deep and abiding" partnership between the two countries and that he "affirmed his unprecedented commitment to Israel's security."



Photo Credit: Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images

Photos Released of Suspects in 3 Metro PCS Armed Robberies

Wife, Husband Killed in Murder-Suicide Shooting ID'd

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A caregiver shot her husband and then took her own life in a San Carlos murder-suicide shooting, San Diego homicide detectives said. 

James Smith, 68, and his wife, Candace Smith, 69, were found dead inside their home on the 6600 block of Bell Bluff Avenue at approximately 10:25 a.m. Wednesday, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said.

A relative concerned about the well-being of the couple asked police to conduct a welfare check on their loves ones. Police said there have been no previous calls to this residence. 

When police entered the home, they learned James and Candace had both suffered gunshot wounds. 

James suffered a traumatic brain injury 26 years ago after a car crash and required full-time care since the accident. Candace became her husband's care provider. 

Homicide Lt. Mike Holden said the preliminary investigation revealed that James' condition had worsened recently. Detectives believe Candace shot her husband and then took her own life. 

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's office will conduct an investigation and determine a cause of death. 

All day Wednesday, detectives could be seen going in and out of the couple's home as they took photographs and collected evidence.

The blinds of the home where the bodies were found were drawn shut; some cardboard boxes lined the path leading to the front door of the home. Evidence markers were placed near those boxes. A night stand was also set aside, outside the home, near the boxes.

The investigation into the possible murder-suicide is ongoing. Anyone with information on this case can call the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

Man Reportedly Indecently Exposes Himself to Student: PD

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A man reportedly approached a young student heading to an elementary school in Oceanside, made inappropriate comments and exposed himself, Oceanside Unified School District officials said. 

The incident happened Monday morning when the young girl was walking to school, said Lisa Contreras, Director of Communications at Oceanside Unified School District.

The student reported being approached on the way to Lincoln Elementary School by a man, a letter sent to parents at Lincoln, Palmquist and South Oceanside Elementary Schools, said.

"The man made inappropriate comments and exposed himself to the student," the letter sent to parents read.

One day after that email was sent out, another girl reported seeing a similar man exposing himself near the Sprinter Station, near Crouch Street. 

The suspect is described as a 30-40 year old man who was last seen wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans and a black, military-style hat with gold stars on the front. 

At the time of the incident, the man was inside a white van with a bicycle rack on the back of it, or on the top of the van. 

Police are asking anyone who sees someone matching this description on or near the campus to not approach the man and instead call 911 and inform school staff. 

"The student did the right thing by running away and reporting the incident to school staff. The parents of the student have been notified and we are cooperating fully with law enforcement" read a letter, in part, sent to parents.

The school recommends that parents talk to their children about how to handle similar situations. 

"If somebody that you don't know approaches you and asks you to come to their car, or asks you to help them find their puppy, or do you want some candy," said Lincoln Elementary School Principal Steve Bessant. "All those entry lines that creepy people use, we tell them to say no in a loud voice, flee as fast as they can and find a trusted adult to tell."

News of the incident worried parents in the neighborhood. 

Parent Joey Delia said it's important to teach your children how to handle those situations. 

"The awareness has to be with the child," Delia said. "They have to know because they are going to end up in any incident. If you coddle them too much. they won't have the skills to function."

Palmquist and South Oceanside Elementary Schools


Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego

2 Suspects Identified in Metro PCS Armed Robberies

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Two suspects have been identified in three different armed robberies at Metro PCS stores across San Diego.

The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) released surveillance video and images of the suspects Thursday.

The first robbery was reported on Jan. 27 at 1:14 p.m. on the 4200 block of El Cajon Boulevard in the Kensington area. Police said a man, wearing a mask approached two employees in the store and demanded cell phones and money. He had been carrying a handgun.

On Jan. 30, another Metro PCS store on on the 3400 block of Adams Avenue was robbed at gunpoint by two armed suspects.

The third armed robbery occurred on Monday, Feb. 1 inside the Metro PCS on the 1800 block of Coronado Avenue near 19th Street in Egger Highlands. Only suspect was involved in this robbery, police said.

One suspect is described to be in his 30s, approximately 5-feet 7-inches tall, with a thin to medium build. He was identified to be the suspect in the Jan. 27 robbery, wearing a mask, dark sunglasses and a dark hoodie.

The second suspect is a 25 to 30-year-old man, around 6-feet tall and wanted in connection to the Jan. 30 robbery.

Anyone with information is asked to call SDPD or Crime Stoppers at (888)580-8477. A $1,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.



Photo Credit: SDPD

SDG&E Bills Keep Coming Despite Electricity Being Turned Off

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A La Mesa man’s electricity was shut off after a fire nearly burned his house down in October but that didn’t stop electricity bills from piling up in his mailbox. 

“So this is apparently where the fire started, this line coming out of the circuit breaker,” Glenn Simpson said. 

When Glenn smelled smoke in his home last October, he said he had no idea where it was coming from. 

“All of a sudden my ADT alarm starts screaming,” he said. “I go up with a mag light and I start looking around and sure enough there’s smoke billowing out of the insulation the blown in insulation in the attic.” 

Glenn said he started pulling up insulation and found hot spots along attic wires that were smoking. Within minutes, he said fire crews arrived and got to work. 

Smoke started to fill his home but the fire was put out. He said fire crews blamed his home’s 67-year-old wiring for the fire. 

“The box failed, the circuit breaker failed and the wires that they tested loaded have failed,” Glenn said. 

Early that morning Glenn said San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) came to his home, shut off his electricity and removed his electric Smart Meter. 

“No more power to the house, it has to get fixed and it has to get inspected before we return electrical energy back to the house,” Glenn said the company told him. 

While Glenn was without power, he was still receiving electricity bills each month. The bills totaled more than $80 a month and showed the amount of electricity he was supposedly using. 

Glenn said he explained the problem to SDG&E over the phone but, according to him, they told said when they don’t get a signal from a Smart Meter, they estimate the usage from past bills. 

“You’ve pulled my meter, there’s no electricity,” he said. “How is it possible that I’m getting charged for electricity I’m not using?” 

Glenn said he continued calling SDG&E but the bills kept coming. After three months with no results, he turned to NBC 7 Responds for help. 

NBC 7 Responds spoke to employees at SDG&E and they agreed to review Glenn’s account. A week later, the company acknowledged the problem and wiped out the charges. Glenn doesn’t owe a thing for the electricity bills. 

In an email, Amber Albrecht, a representative for SDG&E said, “At SDG&E we strive to provide exceptional service to our customers every day. We apologize to Mr. Simpson because we should have resolved his concern sooner. We appreciate you [NBC 7] raising this issue and identifying an opportunity to improve our process so that we can better serve all of our customers.”

Holocaust Survivors Say Refugee Travel Ban Revives Bad Memories

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Holocaust survivor in suburban Skokie expressed their opposition to President Donald Trump’s executive order banning Syrian refugees indefinitely and temporarily suspending immigration of nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries. 

At an event at the Illinois Holocaust Museum, Fritzie Fritzshall and Aaron Elster shared their personal stories in the hopes of putting a spotlight on the president’s banning of immigrants and refugees from certain countries.

The museum’s mission and motto is “Remember the Past, Transform the Future.”

“The Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Holocaust by honoring the memories of those who were lost and by teaching universal lessons that combat hatred, prejudice and indifference,” its website reads.

For survivors like Elster and Fritzshall, that mission is personal.

“We survivors know what it is like to be put upon, to be isolated, to be ultimately eliminated,” Elster said Thursday. “They died of disease, they died of hunger and I observed all of that.”

Elster said his parents and his 6-year-old sister died in the Holocaust. He said he survived by living in an attic in Poland for two years.

Fritzshall said news of the executive order made her feel as if she were back in time—when she was at the now infamous Auschwitz concentration camp.

“Hunger came back to me,” she said.

She said she remembered facing the cold, immigration lines and not being able to leave the country.

“Because nobody would accept the Jews,” she added.

Fritzshall and Elster say that by speaking out, they are not trying to make a political statement, they just want to make sure that immigrants are treated with respect.


Pedestrian Struck, Killed on I-805 Off Ramp: CHP

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A pedestrian was struck and killed by a car on an Interstate 805 off ramp in Bonita, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials said. 

The collision happened shortly ater 7 p.m. Thursday when officials responded to the report. A Sig Alert has been issued for the ramp and crews are shutting it down as authorities investigate. 

The female victim has not been identified. She was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The car appears to have stayed on scene. 

No other information was immediately available.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/File

SD Democrats Call for Investigation Into One of Their Own

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Some concerned San Diego Democrats are calling for an investigation into one of their own: Labor leader Mickey Kasparian, who was named in two recent lawsuits. 

Kasparian is President of United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 135 and President of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, and a powerful man within the County and State Democratic party. 

However, his involvement in two lawsuits is being questioned by some in his party. One woman alleges she was sexually harassed in the workplace. Another woman alleges she was unjustly fired. A third complaint filed later alleges retaliation.

Some Democrats sent a letter to the Executive Boards of the groups urging them to look into the allegations and to place Kasparian on administrative leave until the matter is resolved.

“Mickey Kasparian is a highly influential person in local and state politics,” said Democrat Rachel Laing, one of more than 45 people who signed the letter. “We want to make sure all these groups. . .know what’s going on with these allegations, that they are investigated and that they have a sense of whether there is any validity to them. If so, we should not be working with someone like this and if not, we will clear his name.”

The letter also asks the County and State Democratic Party to consider whether, in light of the allegations, it is appropriate for Kasparian to be representing San Diego as a delegate to the Democratic State Central Committee.

The letter refers to President Donald Trump and states that "…it is more important than ever that we maintain moral clarity."

“If we want to have the credibility to discuss this and to fight anything that happens on the federal level we better have our own house in order.," Laing said. "That's what we’re saying. We’re not saying he did it, we're saying we need to know one way or another.”

The Chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, Jessica Hayes, said the Board takes the letter very seriously. In a statement, Hayes wrote, “In response to a challenge to Mr. Kasparian's membership on the Central Committee, we will follow the process outlined in our by-laws.”

The Secretary-Treasurer of the Labor Council, Dale Kelly Bankhead, said in a statement she has faith in the court system.: “No internal labor council investigation could do a better job."

UFCW Local 135 sent a statement that reads in part: “It is profoundly disappointing that individuals, by signing on to a letter, would choose to ignore the facts, or turn their backs on our members. The statement later reads, "Lawsuits are not truth, especially when they are filed by those who have failed to do their jobs."

You can read the full letter from the UFCW Local 135 here.

They also pointed to a letter sent to one of the women who filed a lawsuit. That letter is from the union representing union employees, FAIR.  It said that based on the facts, the grievance she filed against the Local 135 was dismissed.

Lee Burdict, the former chief of staff for former Mayor Bob Filner, who was forced to resign for office over charges of sexual harassment, sent a letter of her own to the organizations urging them to investigate. “Do your duty and let the cards fall where they may.”

Read the letter here.



Photo Credit: NBC 7
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Dalai Lama to Speak at UCSD 2017 All-Campus Commencement

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His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will be the keynote speaker at the 2017 all-campus commencement for the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).

The commencement ceremony will be held on June 17 and is by invitation only, UCSD announced Thursday.

The Dalai Lama will also speak during a public event on Friday, June 16 on RIMAC Field at UCSD. 

“We are honored to host His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at UC San Diego and thankful that he will share messages of global compassion with our graduates and their families, as well as with a broad public audience,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla, in a news release.

The Dalai Lama had previously visited UC San Diego in 2012.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Price Skyrockets for Life-Saving Antidote to Opioid Overdose

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As opioid addiction continues its grip on the lives of millions of Americans, the demand for a drug that can save those lives has grown significantly -- along with its price.

Kaleo, a drug company based in Richmond, Virginia, makes an injector device to deliver naloxone, the drug made to reverse opioid overdoses. The company has raised the price of its injector twin pack from $690 in 2014 to $4,500 in 2016.

The cost of generic naloxone has also doubled to nearly $150 for a 10 milliliter vial, and a 2 milliliter vial has doubled from about $20 in 2009 to about $40 in 2016, according to a study published in December 2016.

First responders in the D.C. area said the rise in cost has led to shortages at times.

"We are in crisis. We meet monthly to find creative ways to fill these gaps," said Brian Frankel, the EMS commander for the Prince George's County Fire Department.

"Where we used to pay about 20 dollars a dose, we're now paying up into the 50 dollar range," said Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Alan Butsch.

Frankel said to keep up with the need for naloxone, the Prince George's County Fire Department has had to make cuts to some administrative programs and programs for training.

"It is a very very significant public health concern," he said.

Drug overdose deaths have increased by 33 percent in the past five years across the country, according to data from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. More than 52,000 died from drug overdoses in 2015.



Photo Credit: NBC 5 News

Wife of Pilot Killed in Mid-Air Collision Speaks

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Kathi Copeland said when she met her husband Michael Copeland, the attraction was instant.

“Three weeks, he said ‘we're going to get married’; three weeks in and I said, ‘you're crazy', but we did,” Copeland said describing how she and Michael met and fell in love.

They were married for more than 30 years. Kathi said Michael loved to fly.

“That was his passion,” she said.

August 16, 2015, is the day everything changed, Kathi said. That day a twin-engine Sabreliner and a single-engine Cessna 172 were destroyed when the planes collided near Brown Field Municipal Airport. Two pilots and two mission specialists on the Sabreliner and the pilot of the Cessna, Michael, died in the crash.

“It was a perfectly clear day when it all took place,” Glen Winn, an aviation instructor at The University of Southern California said.

According to a report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) mistakes by a San Diego air traffic controller caused Michael's Cessna 172 and the Sabreliner to collide mid-air near Brown Field.

Click here to learn more about the deadly crash. 

After reading the NTSB report, Winn, who's not connected to this investigation, said, “the person who was in the control room was overwhelmed quite frankly.”

According to the report, the Lead Controller working that day told investigators the maximum number of planes he could oversee is seven. That day he had nine and was working with a trainee.

Click here to learn more about the report. 

The report says the controller took over radio communication from the trainee three minutes before the accident and when the controller did, the report said, he had incomplete situational awareness due to the high workload at the time of the accident.

A simulator used by the NTSB shows views from both aircrafts. According to the reenactment, the pilots saw clear skies, nothing wrong, until a moment before colliding. According to the report, in that three minutes before the collision, the controller misidentified one of the planes, giving instructions to the wrong Cessna.

“You think you're safe when you're in a plane,” Kathi said. “To find out there are mistakes that caused his death, it's horrible.”

Air traffic controllers in Southern California oversee one of the busiest airspaces in the nation with active military, commercial and private aviation. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), on a typical day, more than 11,000 aircraft take to the skies.

“They’re highly trained individuals,” Winn said.

“It's a very important job,” Kathi said.

As a result of NTSB’s investigation into the Brown Field accident, the agency is recommending there be more focus on the number of hours air traffic controllers are working, along with their workload. The agency is also suggesting this accident be part of training nationwide and is urging more technologies be used to alert pilots of approaching aircraft.

Kathi said she's still figuring out her world without Michael and while helping to make sure the mistakes from that day don't happen again. Kathi has also filed a lawsuit against Serco, the company who employed the air traffic controller. The case is scheduled to go to trial in August.

In a statement, a representative with Serco said, "Our hearts go out to the families affected in the tragic accident. We fully cooperated with NTSB during the investigation. In the 17 years that we have provided air traffic control services at Brown Field Municipal Airport we have always strived to maintain an outstanding standard of safety."

Due to pending litigation, the company representative said they could not comment further.



Photo Credit: NBC7
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