U.S. Coast Guard crews and San Diego Lifeguards helped the crew of a lobster boat trapped on the rocks in Shelter Island Wednesday.

The boat was reported to be trapped just after 10 p.m. between the Point Loma Lighthouse and Ballast Point.

According to the Coast Guard, San Diego Lifeguards helped them rescue the crew from the boat.

They were taken to the 1400 block of Shelter Island Drive to be assessed by medics.

At this point, it is unknown how many people were on the boat.

Coast Guard told NBC 7, the boat was still trapped on the rocks and will likely be removed Thursday.

No other information was available.

Less than five minutes into No. 3 UCLA’s game with the Washington Huskies Wednesday, T.J. Leaf landed awkwardly on his left foot while defending his own basket.

The former Foothills Christian star had to be helped off the floor by staff members with what the team said was a sprained left ankle.

Leaf did not return to the game, which UCLA won Washington 98-66 to improve to 27-3 on the season (14-3 in Pac-12 action).

Leaf finished with just two points. He is averaging 16.8 points and 8.7 rebounds for the Bruins.

A team spokesman told the Associated Press that Leaf would be reevaluated on Thursday.

The freshman power forward is projected to be a first round NBA draft pick if he decides to turn pro after just one season at UCLA.

NBAdraft.net projects the Bruin as a mid-first round selection while other draft prospect rankings have Leaf going somewhere in the 20-to-30 overall pick range.

On March 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson signed into law the Jones-Shafroth Act, granting U.S. citizenship to residents of Puerto Rico, a colony which just 19 years earlier had been ceded to the United States from Spain after the Spanish-American War, NBC News reported.

One hundred years later, Puerto Ricans are locked in a vigorous debate over their relationship with the United States: pushing for statehood or keeping its current U.S. commonwealth status with some modifications, with a small contingent pushing for independence.

Puerto Rico was considered strategically important to the United States due to, among other things, its geographic location in the Caribbean and particularly during the Cold War its relatively close proximity to Cuba.

There's been a lot of kicking in the belly of everyone's favorite pregnant giraffe April, the upstate New York zoo that's been monitoring her health and updating her millions of fans said in a daily update.

"Watch closely for strong kicks from within!" the Animal Adventure Park posted Wednesday night. The Harpursville zoo said that April hasn't changed much physically but that there has been "significant movement once again in the belly."

A cold front moving into the northeast on Thursday and the zoo suggested this might "shake things up." Other than the belly movement, April's keeper and vet also documented "increased tail raising and holding," as well as "periods of increased movement/pace" Wednesday night. 

Her condition was pretty much unchanged Thursday morning, the zoo said, adding that there was "a lot of behavior that had us on our toes but no acknowledgeable active labor at this time."

Over the last week, April has captivated tens of millions of people across the world who have been checking in on her via the live stream in anticipation of the birth of her fourth calf. 

Some 60,000 people were tuned in to the stream at the crack of dawn Thursday. The graceful giraffe appeared calm and collected as she picked at stray pieces of hay and stretched around to scratch a back itch. Watch it above.

The zoo, which unveiled April-inspired emojis and t-shirts as the fan base for the 15-year-old long-necked beauty continues to swell, said twin Barbados lambs and a Patagonian Cavy were born early Wednesday.

"Babies babies everywhere!" the Animal Adventure Park posted Wednesday morning. "Just not yet in the giraffe barn."

April's pregnancy was catapulted into global headlines last week after YouTube briefly yanked the zoo's live stream following complaints by animal activists that it violated the site's policies concerning "nudity and sexual content." Thousands upon thousands of commenters voiced their frustration on Facebook and YouTube, and the stream was restored within an hour or so. 

Giraffe pregnancies last for 15 months. Labor lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Once April goes into active labor, zookeepers will go in to help her the rest of the way. The calf will be about 150 pounds and 6 feet tall at birth and up and walking in about an hour.

The zoo said it will hold an online competition to name the baby giraffe once it's born.

If you feel we’ve experienced an abnormal amount of rain this season, you are right.

This week’s record-breaking rainstorms made for some impressive monthly rainfall totals. San Diego hasn’t had an ongoing rainfall average this impressive in over a decade.

NBC 7 Meteorologist Jodi Kodesh said with the month of February now in the books, San Diego is now well above its average rainfall for the “rain season” that starts Oct. 1.

Kodesh said that San Diego measured 11.62 inches of rain from Oct. 1 through the last day of February. Normal rainfall for that time period is 7.36 inches, meaning San Diego is 4.26 inches above average.

According to National Weather Service Meteorologist Brett Albright, the last time the city had an average higher than that, was during the 2004-05 season, with an October to February total of 19.64 inches. That year was an El Nino year.

While San Diego typically sees some rain in the month of March, our wettest months could be behind us.

“February is typically our wettest month, followed closely by January,” Kodesh said. “The first 10 days of the month of March are dry.”

The wettest March on record was 7.88 inches in 1867.

The state health department is trying to determine how many California counties have active Child Death Review Teams after the state program was disbanded in 2008 due to budget cuts.

“The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) does not have an accurate count of the number of active local child death review teams (CDRTs) at this time,” Matt Conens with CDPH said in an email to NBC 7 Investigates. “In partnership with the Departments of Social Services and Justice, CDPH has designed a survey that is currently in the field to assess the status of local child death review teams, starting with whether they are currently functioning. CDPH expects to have this information prepared in a few months.”

NBC 7 Investigates found the state CDR team was disbanded in 2008 because of budget cuts and was never fully restored. Currently, there is an informal network among the county CDRTs.

According to the informal network’s website, 50 to 55 of the 58 counties have CDRTs, but a March 2016 state legislative bill analysis said there are only 22 local teams and most of them do not file annual reports.

Click here to read the report. 

One of the roles of the CDRTs was to investigate and track the number of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) deaths across the state.

According to local health experts, SIDS is the leading cause of death for infants under the age of one-year-old in the United States. Approximately 3,500 infants die annually in the U.S. from sleep-related deaths with about 1,500 of those from SIDS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In SIDS cases, experts aren't able to identify the exact cause of death, making tracking even more complex.

NBC 7 Investigates found agencies which track SIDS deaths in San Diego, including the CDPH, report variations in the total number of deaths attributed to SIDS. CDPH could only provide SIDS data from 2010-2012. 

Click here to watch the complete investigation. 

Conens said the CDPH receives and collects data provided by some of the participating local CDRTs. In addition, he said, statewide SIDS tracking is done by the SIDS Program and Advisory Council, an administrative and coordinating body focused on training and support, review standards, recommendations and overall surveillance.

Fifty-five people have been indicted in connection with a massive North County heroin, meth and firearms trafficking ring, according to ten federal indictments unsealed Wednesday. 

According to the U.S. Attorney's office, those indicted were responsible for supplying at least 25 percent of North County's heroin and methamphetamine. The ring also supplied significant quantities of heroin to a distribution ring in Kingman, Arizona.

The defendants - 46 of which are in custody right now - include prominent drug dealers and documented gang members, and were involved in a variety of crimes, including drug distribution, firearms trafficking, robberies, vehicle thefts, burglaries and assaults.  

One house that was the center for much of the distribution of drugs is just steps away from Vista High School.

Patty Jennings has a son who is a senior at Vista High and told NBC 7, drug activity has plagued the neighborhood surrounding the school for years.

"It's not safe. It's not safe at all. I don't even let my kids leave their cars here if they're going to be gone even on a school function very long because as hard as they try with security, it's not safe," Jennings said

According to charging documents, defendant Yadira "Pini" Villalvazo, a Mexican national and Vista High School graduate, allegedly led a trafficking organization where she used dozens of street gang members to distribute heroin. 

Villalvazo, an associate of the Vista Home Boys street gang for a period of time, was later deported for a federal drug trafficking conviction in 2002. 

In Mexico, Villalvazo allegedly runs her own Sinaloa Cartel-linked organization, according to charging documents. 

The tens of thousands of dollars the ring grossed in the San Diego region were sent back to Mexico, according to court documents. 

After a yearlong investigation lead by the North County Regional Gang Task Force, more than 150 members of the task force, in addition to other law enforcement agencies, arrested numerous suspects in more than 20 locations in Oceanside, Vista, Kingman, Arizona, and other North County locations. 

Fourteen suspects were arrested Wednesday morning, and several others were arrested earlier in the week, or were already in custody. Seven defendants, two of which are in Mexico, are still on the loose. 

According to authorities, Andrea Ball and her boyfriend, David Siladji, two of the suspects charged, would use the house to distribute drugs.

The investigation involved months of federal wiretaps, dozens of undercover drug and gun buys and extensive surveillance. 

“Today we’ve taken out one of North County’s largest heroin suppliers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson in a statement. “This crackdown is our most significant response to date to the heroin epidemic ravaging our communities. We anticipate seeing a huge impact now that these defendants are removed from our community, particularly in the North County cities of Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and other areas plagued by gangs.”

Authorities seized heroin, methamphetamine and 25 firearms, including handguns, revolvers and assault rifles. 

The drugs and guns were being sold in North County neighborhoods, including across the street from Vista High School, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. 

The gang task force also targeted major methamphetamine distribution cells connected to North County street gangs during the investigation, including rings allegedly led by Sabrina Yzaguirre, Ivan Bazan - also known as “Dreamer” - and Jorge Enrique Jara Cervantes, also known as “Scorpion.”

Pound quantities of methamphetamine were distributed to Alabama and Tennessee in a ring allegedly led by Cervantes. 

Between 2011 and 2015, meth-related deaths in San Diego County have increased more than 80 percent. Heroin deaths in the County have doubled in the last decade, even with the use of naloxone. Heroin treatment admissions have risen in the County ever year since 2011. 

Heavy, record-breaking rainfall across San Diego County has heavily eroded parts of Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, forcing the closure of some trails, according to the California Department of Parks and Recreation. 

The Department has closed the Beach Trail at Torrey Pines and beach access to the park, according to a post on their Facebook page. The trail will be closed until further notice while officials work to stabilize the area and make emergency repairs to the trail and surrounding area. 

"Fortunately, we have received needed emergency support from State Parks headquarters and a plan is in the works to reopen sections of the Beach Trail (including beach access) as quickly as possible," the Department wrote in their post. 

However, due to the extent of the damage, repairs will likely take several weeks to months. 

The beach below Torrey Pines is still open, and can be accessed from the North or South Beach parking lot. 

The Department recommends visiting some of the less popular trails, like South Fork, Parry Grove, High Point and Guy Fleming, as an alternative. 

Authorities ask visitors to abide by closure signs for the safety of everyone in the area. Further foot traffic would slow down repairs. 

Hundreds of millions of dollars may be needed over the next 15 years to get schools in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) in good condition, according to a new report.

The report, from the SDUSD for the Independent Oversight Committee, looks at how bond money is spent. It is a quarterly review of where SDUSD stands in terms of the money it needs to meet the district's goal of having schools in good condition.

SDUSD said the report is an update: a way of being transparent, a way to let people know where the district is when it comes to improving schools.

But according to that report, overall, schools are in poor condition and it will take more money to make necessary repairs.

The concern comes as the district held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new school building at Horace Mann Middle School in El Cerrito.

The project includes a new three-story building with 16 classrooms, a health and wellness center and a new entrance to the school.

It is one of the many improvements made to schools under Proposition S, passed in 2008, and Proposition Z, passed in 2012. Both propositions are bond measures approved by San Diego voters, in part, to fund repairs at local schools.

According to the report, in order to meet their goal of repairing schools by 2028, the district must count on their own money and funding from the state.

But Tuesday night, SDUSD board voted to cut $124 million dollars from their budget.

Committee member William Ponder said the cuts concern him.

“If they lay off people in the district whose job it is to help maintain facilities, and do the things that need to be done, I’d be very concerned,” Ponder said.

Lee Dulgeroff, chief of SDUSD's facilities program, told NBC 7 he is not concerned the budget cuts will impact school improvements and the condition of schools in the long term.

“The vast amount of money allocated is from capital funds,” he said. “It’s a long road. We have a big district, but you can see we’ve made progress and we’re on a track to a state of good repair.”

Dulgeroff also said there is money coming from Proposition 51 that will help fill the gap.

But Ponder said that money is an “if”, not a guarantee.

A dentist from Virginia is sought around the world for his rare specialty: Exotic animals. Recently, News4 got up close to Luke the Lion at the National Zoo in D.C. as veterinary dentist Dr. Barron Hall performed his regular checkup.

Yes, even lions need to go to the dentist.

Wild animals need dental work because an unhealthy mouth can make an animal sick. Also, alpha males like Luke can instinctively hide a bad tooth causing them pain because it is a sign of weakness, which can get them killed in the wild.

Hall, of Vienna, is in demand at zoos across the country and sanctuaries around the world. He's been in the mouth of some fierce beasts.

“I’ve worked on black bears, grizzly bears, brown bears, pretty much every cat,” Hall said. “A hippo I haven’t done. Polar bear’s on my bucket list.”

Hall belongs to Veterinarians Without Borders, which provides free healthcare for animals in sanctuaries throughout the world and train locals to care for the animals around them.

For his cleaning, Luke was put under.

“Since they’re wild animals, you can’t just go and lift their lips,” Hall said.

A team of medical technicians monitored Luke’s vital signs and kept the 400-pound carnivore peacefully asleep. Colorful mittens kept his massive paws warm.

Luke came to the National Zoo when he was a 1-year-old.

“Luke was brought in to our facility from a facility in South Africa, which means his specific genetic line was not represented in North America at all,” National Zoo big cats curator Craig Saffoe said.

That gave breeders a fresh gene pool to grow the lion population in the United States, and Luke proved to be a star.

“He's been an outstanding breeding animal,” Saffoe said. “He’s produced five litters, four of which have all survived. He’s had a great run for us.”

At 11 years old, Luke is slowing down a bit, though he could live into his 20s.

Staring into the mouth of a lion, one gains renewed respect for the king of the jungle.

“You could extract every tooth in their mouth, the power of their muscle, they’ll still pop your head like a grape if they wanted to,” Hall said.

Luke left the exam with teeth intact and a mouth cleaned and ready to roar.

In a 1999 interview with the Washington Journal, then-Sen. Jeff Sessions expressed his concern over allegations that President Bill Clinton lied under oath, saying, “The American people believe no one is above the law.” Sessions is under fire for saying, during his 2017 confirmation hearing for attorney general, that he did not have contact with Russia during the presidential campaign; however, the Justice Department confirmed that he had two meetings with the Russian ambassador. 

In a letter to the government's top ethics official, Walter Shaub, White House Deputy Counsel Stefan Passantino wrote that Conway acted inadvertently, and that the statement was made in a "light, off-hand manner," without “nefarious motive or intent to benefit personally.” Conway wasn't seeking to profit from the endorsement, Passantino added.

Following Conway’s plug for Ivanka Trump on television, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, a separate and independent executive branch agency, said it has "strong reason" to believe that Conway had violated ethics rules.

Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said Wednesday that the president’s choice to not discipline Conway was a "bad sign."

Newly confirmed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke decided to come to work on his first day the cowboy way — by riding in on a horse through the streets of Washington, D.C., Thursday morning, NBC News reported.

The former Republican congressman from Montana, who was sworn into President Donald Trump's Cabinet on Wednesday, was seen getting to work in traditional northwestern fashion rocking a cowboy hat alongside U.S. Park Police.

The Senate voted 68-31 Wednesday, to make Zinke the 16th of 22 of Trump cabinet and cabinet-level nominations to win approval.

Struggling appliance and electronic retailer HHGregg announced Thursday it is planning to close 88 “underperforming” stores nationwide.

The Indianapolis-based company also said it is closing three distribution and delivery centers located in Brandywine, Maryland, Miami, Florida, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The stores will start liquidation sales of current inventory and are expected to be closed by mid-April. The closings will result in the loss of about 1,500 jobs, the company said.

“We are strategically exiting markets and stores that are not financially profitable for us,” HHGregg CEO Robert Riesbeck said in a statement. “This is a proactive decision to streamline our store footprint in the markets where we have been, and will continue to be, important to our customers, vendor partners and communities."

"I want to thank each and every manager and associate in our stores and distribution centers, and their families, for their continued efforts, contributions and support," he continued. "I understand this is not an easy process to go through; our history has shown that our team members will meet this challenge head-on and continue to support our customers and each other through the closing process."

HHGregg, founded in 1955, operates about 220 stores in 19 states. The company sells mobile phones, tablets and PCs, along with an exclusive deal with Verizon Wireless. Other products include TVs, mattresses, furniture and appliances.

The company's stock was removed from the New York Stock Exchange earlier this week company’s “average global market capitalization over a consecutive 30 trading-day period” fell below the $15 million threshold needed to keep it on the exchange, according to Reuters. HHGregg said it did not plan to appeal the NYSE’s decision.

hhgregg Store Locations Closing:

 Newark, Heath, OH
 Newport News, VA
 Fairfax, VA
 Fairlawn, Akron, OH
 Virginia Beach, VA
 Bailey's Crossroads, Falls Church, VA
 Trussville, AL
 Chesapeake, VA
 Woodbridge, VA
 Stonecrest, Lithonia, GA
 Fredericksburg, VA
 Manassas, VA
 Gwinnett, Duluth, GA
 Colonial Heights, VA
 Largo, MD
 Southlake, Morrow, GA
 Roanoke, VA
 Waldorf, MD
 Pembroke Pines, FL
 Lower Paxon, Harrisburg, PA
 Rockville, MD
 Hialeah, FL
 York, PA
 Frederick, MD
 Sawgrass, Plantation, FL
 Mechanicsburg, PA
 Catonsville, MD
 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
 Lancaster, PA
 Hanover, MD
 Kendall, Miami, FL
 Hagerstown, MD
 Bel Air, MD
 Wellington, FL
 Wilkes-Barre, PA
 Towson, MD
 West Palm Beach, FL
 Dickson City, PA
 Annapolis, MD
 Boca Raton, FL
 Winchester, VA
 Glen Burnie, MD
 Mt. Juliet, TN
 Wyomissing, PA
 Chesterfield, MO
 Mansfield, OH
 Downingtown, PA
 North Hills, Pittsburgh, PA
 Mooresville, NC
 King of Prussia, Berwyn, PA
 Erie, PA
 Durham, NC
 Montgomeryville, North Wales, PA
 Parkersburg, Vienna, WV
 Cary, NC
 Whitman Square, Philadelphia, PA
 Schaumburg, IL
 Buckhead, Atlanta, GA
 Langhorne, PA
 Bloomingdale, IL
 Asheville, NC
 Whitehall, PA
 Arlington Heights, IL
 Gainesville, FL
 Moorestown, NJ
 Niles, IL
 Homestead, FL
 Deptford, Woodbury, NJ
 Springfield, IL
 Florida Mall, Orlando, FL
 Mays Landing, NJ
 Champaign, IL
 Pensacola, FL
 Newark, DE
 Kenner Westgate, Metairie, LA
 Mobile, AL
 Dover, DE
 Westbank, Harvey, LA
 Aventura, FL
 Wilmington, DE
 Mall of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, LA
 Pinecrest, FL
 Springfield, VA
 Tri-County, Springdale, OH
 Short Pump, Henrico, VA
 Sterling, VA
 Treasure Coast Mall, Jensen Beach, FL
 Chesterfield, Midlothian, VA

El Pollo Loco’s newest San Diego-area location landed in Escondido Thursday, opening its doors to patrons.

The 2,434-square-foot restaurant is located at 350 W. El Norte Pkwy. It has seating for 60, plus a patio dining area that seats 16. The company said the new eatery’s layout includes an open kitchen concept, which means customers can watch as their meals are grilled and prepared.

The Escondido restaurant is owned and operated by Chic Pollo, LLC, an affiliate of Peg/Lion, LLC, also an El Pollo Loco franchisee. Chic Pollo, LLC, is helmed by Bill Engel, Chris Pingel, Aaron Pingel and Angel Lara. This location marks the 32nd El Pollo Loco opened by Chic Pollo, LLC, and the third to open in Escondido.

The eatery will be open daily, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., serving the chain's classic fire-grilled chicken and other menu items. This location is unique in that it will offer the chain’s new online and mobile ordering options, where patrons can order their food ahead of time online or via the El Pollo Loco app and pick up their order at the restaurant.

El Pollo Loco is known for its flame-grilled, citrus-marinated chicken and Mexican-inspired entrées. The company began in 1980 with a location in Los Angeles and today, operates more than 460 locations across California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas and Utah including dozens of restaurants in San Diego County. The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California.

A recent United Parcel Service survey of 5,000 shoppers indicates people make more than half their purchases online.

UPS is calling it the “retail revolution.”

With an increase in purchases online, NBC 7 Investigates took a look at popular items sold online and found counterfeit Hatchimals, one of the hottest-selling toys, and Oakley sunglasses being sold at a fraction of the price as their authentic counterparts.

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Eric Feldman said, he is not surprised.

“Anything worth a profit can be counterfeited and usually is counterfeited,” he said.

The Department of Homeland Security Investigations Department is tasked with policing commercial fraud online. Assistant Special Agent Feldman said, in just one Cyber Monday operation, HSI, closed down 10,000 websites selling fake merchandise.

Before making purchases online, there are some tips HSI said to keep in mind, including:

• Counterfeit Merchandise is significantly lower priced.
• The reviews for the products are often blocked or unavailable.
• Websites selling the items tend to be poorly produced.
• The contact phone number is usually not a toll-free phone number.
• Your payment will be sent to an unfamiliar outside processor.

Feldman said, when it comes to counterfeits, “people will do all sorts of things to try to replicate that licensing, but they can never really get it perfect.”

Stefano Orsini, Group Risk & Compliance Director for Luxottica, Oakley’s parent company, said the sunglasses NBC 7 Investigates bought are counterfeit and the company is now taking action to stop it.

In a statement emailed to NBC 7 Investigates Orsini wrote, "It's not only about the trademarked style being copied, there is a real health risk as well. High-quality sunglasses are designed to protect the eyes from harmful UV rays."

A spokesperson for Hatchimals Manufacturer "Spinmaster" was interested in our story but turned down an interview.

"It really only lies with the consumer to have the responsibility to look out for themselves and their families by doing a little bit of due diligence,” Feldman said.

HSI suggests, if the deal seems too good to be true, do a little homework. The agency also suggests that you do your own vetting of the company and if it seems suspicious, err on the side of caution.

Finally, the agency suggests trying to contact the company by phone or email.

Comments made on social media by an Otay Water District board member sparked outrage from many community members--some even calling for his resignation.

Hector Gastelum's post on Twitter on Feb. 19 received heavy backlash.

In the tweet, Gastelum called for more countries to be included in the controversial Muslim ban, even using phrases like "subhuman" and "scum" to refer to individuals from those countries.

The tweet was also linked to an article that connected violence in Sweden to Muslim refugees. But credibility of that article has been questioned since it was published last month.

Now, the San Diego office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is calling on the community to hold Gastelum accountable for his actions.

Hanif Mohebi, Executive Director of CAIR told NBC 7, this is not the first time Gastelum has made such statements.

"There seems to be a pattern. There's a pattern of him projecting Islamophobic, anti-Muslim rethoric," Mohebi said.

Mohebi added that they support Gastelum's freedom of speech but as a public official, he should not "generalize and use words that he used to describe a community."

This is Gastelum's first term in office--he represents Division 4 in the water district.

"If he is going to apologize, he has to sincerely apologize, accept his mistakes, admit it and promise never to repeat it for any community," Mohebi said.

He added that the community needs to come together because it's a much bigger issue. 

"It's beyond just this case. What do we do as a community, as a city, as a county when our public officials, the very people that represent a community come up with these bigoted views," Mohebi said. "How do we deal with that?"

Gastelum attended Wednesday's board meeting but did not comment on the issue.

Meanwhile, the water board voted on a resolution, mostly symbolic, that condemns discrimination. 

That tattoo on your body, that seemed like a great idea in your twenties?  Well, it may not be so appealing anymore.

If you’re between 18 and 50-years-old, it’s likely you are sporting at least one tattoo, and many of you may have second thoughts. But don’t worry - not all tattoos are forever.

Removing or replacing them with different ones is a growing industry. Consumer Reports explains what works and what’s safe.

Here’s how laser tattoo removal works: Pulses of high-intensity light break up the ink beneath your skin. The laser targets just the tattoo and won’t damage the surrounding tissue. But it usually takes multiple sessions.

It’s the safest and most effective way out there to remove or even lighten tattoos. Stay away from other methods like dermabrasion or surgical excision.

But laser removal can have down sides.

Sometimes painful - it may cause infection - or scarring. It’s less effective on legs or feet - or if you’re a smoker. And it can cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars, because these procedures are not covered by insurance.

States vary widely for clinic owners and laser operators when it comes to requiring medical credentials. Consumer Reports said be careful where you have your tattoos removed - and recommends using physicians experienced in laser surgery.  

In California, it takes a physician or a physician assitant or registered nurse under doctor's supervision to use a laser or intense pulse light. According to the medical board, unlicensed medical assistants, vocational nurses, cosmetologists and estheticians are not allowed to perform these treatments under any circumstances.

Flyers about Muslim internment camps were found posted on the UC San Diego campus Wednesday, NBC 7 confirmed.

The posting on a billboard took the form of Internment Notices, which signaled the roundup of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II.

But these notices targeted Muslims.

NBC 7 discovered a flyer hanging on the bulletin board inside Argo Hall, a residential hall in Revelle College.

It called for the evacuation of members of the Islamic faith living in San Diego County.

In part, the poster read: 

"All Muslim persons, both alien and non-alien, will be evacuated from the above designated area by 12:00 o'clock noon Wednesday, April 8, 2017. No Muslim person will be permitted to enter or leave the above described area after 8:00 a.m., Thursday, April 2, 2017, without obtaining special permission from the Provost Marshal at the Civil Control Station..."

NBC 7 received an email from a person who claimed responsibility for the flyers. The alleged creator of the flyers said they weren't meant to be "anti-Muslim," but designed to "shock and anger people" by using the Japanese internment as a cautionary tale.

"The posters were meant to mimic the internment posters because I wanted to shock/anger people and to show them what could happen if they didn't do anything to stop it. It was a warning presented as a possible future," the email read.

UC San Diego has not responded to NBC 7's request for comment.

Students who spoke to NBC 7 Wednesday evening said they were outraged at the flyers and the tone it took about the Japanese internment.

“To mock it and to make fun of it or to even take it seriously is messed up. It's just wrong,” student Kra Bars said.

"It should be taken seriously because this is not a joke,” freshman Silvina Rodriguez said.

"It’s not right. They shouldn't be allowed to do any of this,” Argo Hall resident Rosa Moreno said.

UCSD newspaper The Triton said flyers were also found hanging at Thurgood Marshall College, another one of the university's six colleges.

Marshall College, the third college founded on campus in 1970, was named after Thurgood Marshall, the first black U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

UC San Diego has a history of racial unrest--in 2010, the Compton Cookout party that mocked Black History month drew backlash and sparked protests on campus.

In two other incidents in the following weeks, a noose was found hanging in a campus library and a KKK-style hood was placed on a statue outside the main campus library.

“Campus is one of the most accepting places in the country,” student Kra Bars said.

It's not known how long the flyers have been hanging on campus.

"You find it offensive, yes, and I am pretty sure that's not the only one posted,” freshman Lizbeth Ibarra said, tearing down one of the posters.

Students said Argo Hall is co-ed and has about 700 students of diverse backgrounds living there.

The incident comes amid a spike of hate crimes and other hate-related cases in the U.S. in recent months.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the number of hate groups rose from 892 in 2015 to 917 in 2016. The number of anti-Muslim hate groups saw the greatest rise, increasing to 101 from 34 in 2015, according to the annual census of hate groups by the SPLC. The increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes coincided with the increase of these hate groups, the report said.

Donald Trump's election and rhetoric during the campaign is, in part, responsible for this rise of anti-Muslim hate groups, the SPLC wrote in the report. Trump’s immigration order severely restricting travel from seven mostly Muslim countries was also seen by his critics as anti-Muslim. 

In his speech to Congress on Tuesday, Trump referenced threats against Jewish community centers and last week's violence targeting two Indian-American engineers in Olathe, Kansas, but did not specifically use the word "Muslim" in condemning hate crimes.

Trump was expected to sign a new executive order on immigration in the coming days. The new order will remove Iraq from the list of countries whose citizens face a temporary U.S. travel ban, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

Residents of Imperial Beach want answers after millions of gallons of sewage from Tijuana, Mexico contaminated waters into the South Bay.

The spill, estimated to be more than 143 million gallons, has been described as the worst sewage spill in more than a decade by Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina. 

The leak began February 6, according to a report by the International Boundary and Water Commission. The sewage, which came from Mexico, slowly began seeping into the river and made its way up the coast, causing an unusual odor for those people living in Imperial Beach.

Dedina says the city filed an official complaint on February 15. He wants to see the U.S. government investigate what caused the spill and why his city's residents weren't notified of the contamination. 

The IBWC says the leak was likely caused by sewer construction gone wrong.

They're planning a community meeting tonight. Officials will discuss the issue beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center's meeting room at 301 Caspian Way.

Check back for updates on this developing story and watch NBC 7 News at 6 p.m. for more coverage.