The tax man goes on a diet under President Donald Trump's proposed "skinny budget," and that could affect how much money the IRS collects — and a sharp cutback in enforcement and customer service, NBC News reports.

The budget calls for a 14 percent reduction in the IRS' operating budget, andthat follows a 17 percent drop in funding since 2010. That's despite the agency paying for itself — it contributes $4 for every dollar of funding it receives.

"It's penny-wise and pound-foolish," said Robert Weinberger, a senior fellow at the Aspen Institute's Initiative on Financial Security. "They'll lose billions in revenue in order to save a few hundred million dollars."

The impact of further cuts will be fewer audits, which may increase the temptation to cheat, and fewer customer service agents who can answer taxpayers' questions.

A grandmother fought off a man who broke into her Big Bear Lake home and tried to go after her granddaughter by fighting the man back with her cane, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said Monday.

Saturday, a 13-year-old granddaughter found a man standing in her grandma’s living room. She told her grandma that there was a stranger in the home and went to hide.

The 60-year-old grandmother told the man, later identified as 21-year-old Cody Lynn Mortensen, to leave but he started to push past the woman to get to her granddaughter in the bedroom where the teen was hiding, deputies said.

The grandma refused to let him get by, struggling with Mortensen and fighting him back with her cane.

At one point during the struggle, Mortensen was accused of sexually battering the 60-year-old.

She managed to get away from his alleged assault, but when she fell, he was accused of continuing to hit her.

Deputies arrived and arrested Mortensen on suspicion of burglary, sexual battery, false imprisonment and elder abuse.

Deputies said Mortensen told them he thought his girlfriend was inside the victim’s home.

He was being held on $125,000 bail.

Architecture and design firm Gensler is moving into the downtown San Diego space vacated last year by TV station NBC 7 (KNSD), which moved to Kearny Mesa.

A Gensler statement said the firm, effective April 10, will occupy approximately 21,000 square feet on the ground and second floors of the office tower at 225 Broadway, which is owned by Irvine Co. Officials did not disclose lease terms or the cost of an extensive renovation of the space that is nearing completion.

The new Gensler ground-floor lobby will open directly onto the eastern plaza at 225 Broadway Circle. The lobby will host events and will feature a digital interface displaying Gensler-designed lighting, case goods, flooring and accessories.

Officials said a section of the second floor was removed to support collaboration and to allow for the addition of a flowing stairway connecting the two floors. The mid landing of the stair is a cantilevered extension of the mezzanine and will house Gensler’s material resource library.

“Our goal was to accelerate connectivity, creativity and productivity,” said Kevin Heinly, principal and managing director at Gensler. “By bringing our design studio down to the street level of this iconic location in downtown, we’ve done just that.”

The new office will also have an outdoor roof terrace overlooking the recently renovated Horton Plaza Park, along with other meeting spaces of various sizes and configurations.

Started in 1965, Gensler employs more than 5,000 at 46 offices worldwide, including 98 in San Diego. It has been in the San Diego market for 14 years, with current offices on the 16th floor of 225 Broadway.

A Gensler spokeswoman said the company’s name will appear in two exterior places near the ground floor of the new office, but it will not be on the top of the Broadway tower, where NBC had its primary signage for several years.

Get the shuck out: San Diego Oysterfest is back and bigger than ever.

On Friday, June 9, and Saturday, June 10, San Diego's annual festival of live music, beer/wine, art, DJs, and all the oysters you can devour takes over the scenic Marina Embarcadero North (behind Seaport Village).

Now in its eighth installment, the fest is upping the ante -- especially on the live-music tip. While last year's Oysterfest was no slouch in the performance department (Thievery Corporation, Rebelution, Through the Roots, Boombox, the Expanders, and more played), 2017's lineup is a big step up and bit more diverse.

Friday gets into the rock/pop/dance swing of things with Ghostland Observatory, San Diego's own Rocket From the Crypt, Dance Yourself Clean, the Shelters, and recent San Diego Music Award-winners the Verigolds.

"[We're] definitely really stoked!" Verigolds' drummer, Craig Schreiber, told SoundDiego. "[Marina Embarcadero North] is one of the best outdoor spaces in San Diego: ocean breeze, sunshine, and party people!"

Not to be outdone, Saturday's schedule has more of a reggae lean with San Diego favorite Matisyahu as the big headliner, Magic!, Dam Funk, Josh Heinrichs, Vokab Kompany and Janelle Phillips (both local artists).

The event is 21-and-up and pre-sale tickets are currently available ranging from $30 (plus fee) for nonrefundable single-day general admission, to nonrefundable two-day admission for $55 (plus fee), to backstage tables for eight at $2,000 (plus fee). There are plenty of options to sort through, so any way you cut it, you'll be set. Note: ticket prices do not include food and drink.

Bottom line? Go shuck yourself, San Diego.

Dustin Lothspeich books The Merrow, plays in Diamond Lakes, and runs the music equipment-worshipping blog Gear and Loathing in San Diego. Follow his updates on Twitter or contact him directly.

States are offering creative solutions to expand protections for women and close federal loopholes in the fight to end the gender wage gap, NBC News reported.

It's not just progressive states like California taking the wage gap seriously, either — North Dakota passed a bill in 2015 strengthening employer salary reporting requirements. In fact, state lawmakers have introduced at least 180 bills across the country aimed at shrinking the pay gap, with seven enacted and dozens more pending.

"I'm glad that states are really focusing on equal pay and exploring new policy solutions to ensure women are paid equally to men, in part because federal policy-making is at best stalled on this issue, and at worst, we might be seeing rollbacks in coming years," said Emily Martin, a legal expert on equal pay with the National Women's Law Center.

NBC News took a look at how much women in each state earn compared to men, and how much the state protects equal pay.

San Diego music-radio fans got some good news on Monday when longtime radio personality Chris Cantore got behind the mic at the Mighty 1090 AM sports talk station.

"Wow, wow, wow," said Cantore at the top of the show. "Dang … here we are, something else, indeed, ladies and gentlemen," the newly minted host added, referencing the strains of his Arcade Fire opener, "Wake Up."

The Broadcast Company of America announced the news on Monday afternoon, and from 6-9 p.m. that evening, Cantore was on the air, filling a slot that until recently was occupied by Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

"At this stage of my broadcasting career, nothing excites me more than making the jump to talk radio, and to have that opportunity at a beast of a station like the Mighty 1090," Cantore said on a post on the station's website. "Well, I'm beyond grateful. The antithesis of a human sports encyclopedia, I'm just a fan of all San Diego sports and teams -- including action sports -- and hope to bring something different to the airwaves."

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Cantore, who helped launch SoundDiego nearly eight years ago, is seen as an an unorthodox choice by many, having spent much of his career at the indie/alt-rock 91x (where he started 20 years ago this week, he said during Monday's show), the now-defunct triple-A KPRI and FM 949 -- where he hosted the morning show with fellow rock-jock Steven Woods until the pair left that station in January, and which began broadcasting San Diego Padres regular season games on Monday.

According to the Mighty1090.com, Cantore's show will mix lifestyle entertainment -- Cantore at one point helmed the UT's Night and Day special section -- and discussions covering surfing, skiing, boarding and other action sports. 

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A Lyft driver was unwittingly caught in the middle of a crime Tuesday when a customer hailed a ride after allegedly robbing a 7-Eleven convenience store in San Diego, using the ride-sharing car for his getaway.

San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Officer Billy Hernandez told NBC 7 that police were called to investigate a robbery at a 7-Eleven at 3603 College Ave. in Rolando around 4 a.m.

About 10 minutes into their search for the suspect, an officer pulled over a Lyft driver in the area.

Police discovered the man suspected of robbing the 7-Eleven was inside the car. The Lyft driver did not know the passenger had robbed the store, and just thought it was a routine pick-up, Hernandez said.

The robbery suspect was arrested.

The Lyft driver, Cameron Pryor, 35, was questioned and released by police who determined he wasn’t involved in the crime.

NBC 7 spoke with the driver Tuesday, just a few hours after the incident.

Pryor, who's been driving for Lyft for about six months, typically works very early morning hours -- from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. He drives for Lyft as a way to supplement his income as the owner of a brewery called California Wild Ales, which specializes in sour brews.

Pryor told NBC 7 he picked up the suspect in front of a home in the Rolando area and didn't notice anything unusual or suspicious about the passenger.

"He seemed really relaxed," Pryor recounted. "He said he just got off work, so I guess that’s one form of work. And he didn't seem like just robbed a place at all."

"He was wearing a vest. It looked like he was a construction worker, so it looked like he did maybe, potentially was going somewhere, doing a job," he added. "I think he had a change of clothes with him as well."

Minutes later, Pryor was suddenly pulled over by police.

"The cop, I guess, saw him shuffling around when he started following us. He was stuffing a revolver and he was stuffing money under the seat as we were getting pulled over," he said.

Pryor stuck his hands out the window and cooperated. Pryor said officers did not suspect him of being involved in the robbery, but did have to question him to figure out details.

During their investigation, Pryor said police discovered the suspect was armed with a loaded revolver – although the bullets were placed backwards into the firearm. He had also stashed about $100 stolen from the store under the seat of Pryor's car.

SDPD Lt. Eric Hays told NBC 7 the suspect in the robbery is San Diego resident William Littrice, 24. He was booked into San Diego Central Jail on one count of commercial robbery and felony possession of a firearm, as well as violation of parole.

Hays said the clerk in the 7-Eleven robbery told police Littrice pointed a silver revolver at him during the robbery. Investigators are now looking into whether Littrice is responsible for any other robberies in the area. Littrice is scheduled to appear in court Thursday.

Pryor is grateful he wasn't hurt in the incident and still can't believe it happened.

"It was a pretty eye-opening experience for me being the getaway driver," he said. "That was my first experience with that, and hopefully last."

Federal authorities executed warrants early Tuesday as part of a criminal investigation at The Bicycle Hotel & Casino in Bell Gardens.

Details about the investigation were not immediately available, but authorities with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed the warrants are related to the Internal Revenue Services. The casino was shut down early Tuesday as federal agents arrived. 

No arrests were immediately reported.

"A federal search warrant is being executed today by members of the Los Angeles High Intensity Financial Crime Area Task Force, which includes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations; IRS Criminal Investigation; the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Gambling Control; and the United States Attorney's office," Virginia Kice, Western Regional Communications Director/Spokesperson, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said in a statement. "The search warrant issued by a United States Magistrate Judge was filed under seal in relation to an ongoing investigation. Because the warrant is under seal, we are not able to comment on the scope or nature of the investigation." 

The Bicycle Hotel & Casino said in a statement that it is working with investigators.

"We are working with authorities and currently do not have additional information," according to the statement. As soon as the federal agents have completed their work, we will be in full operation."

The casino, founded in the mid-1980s about 10 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, has a colorful history. It was seized in 1990 by the federal government after investigators said the club, featuring 185 tables for poker and other card games, was built partly with laundered drug money. 

The government takeover itself also led to troubling allegations. Charges of fraud and waste prompted a hearing before a U.S. Senate subcommittee.

The government sold its share about five years later to a British gambling operation. The casino is privately owned by Bicycle Hotel & Casino LLC.

The hotel opened next door to the casino in 2015 on property previously used for parking.  

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that former President Barack Obama's administration is to blame for the suspected chemical attack in Syria that appears to have killed at least 83 people and injured 350 more, NBC News reports.

"These heinous actions by the Bashar al-Assad regime are a consequence of the past administration's weakness and irresolution. President Obama said in 2012 that he would establish a 'red line' against the use of chemical weapons and then did nothing," the president said in a statement.

The Syrian government is suspected of carrying out the attack in a rebel-held area of the country. 

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., one of the strongest proponents of arming the Syrian rebels, said President Donald Trump's administration will be just as complicit as Obama if the U.S. does not act.

The San Diego International Airport has added its first-ever cosmetics kiosk to its lineup of shopping spots: a little counter offering MAC makeup. 

The 400-square-foot kiosk, located in Terminal 2 West, is now officially open to travelers. It’s the San Diego Airport’s only standalone high-end cosmetics shop, joining a healthy list of more than 80 shops and restaurants at the airport.

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According to the San Diego Airport Authority, the kiosk – which is operated by well-known travel retailer, Duty Free Partners – sells makeup services, fragrances and, fittingly, travel-sized versions of MAC products.

Terminal 2 is already home to a host of pampering and name-brand shopping stops for travelers, including Be Relax Spa (Gates 26 and 36), Duty Free Americas (Gate 21) and Brooks Brothers (security corridor), to name a few.

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The second largest city in San Diego County may declare itself as a sanctuary city.

The Chula Vista City Council will discuss the possibility at Tuesday night's meeting.

It is one of seven options the city is looking at in response to stepped-up federal immigration enforcement.

Other options include informing the public better about existing city policies to ease concerns or taking a stance on state or federal laws regarding immigration.

Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas spoke with NBC 7 in January regarding President Donald Trump's executive order regarding sanctuary cities.

In part, it reads: "The Secretary has the authority to designate, in his discretion and to the extent consistent with law, a jurisdiction as a sanctuary jurisdiction."

According to Salas, President Trump does not have a full understanding of how executive orders impact local communities and how they will be implemented.

"We need to remind him he's not Putin and we're not Russia," she said in a previous interview.

Under the executive order, sanctuary cities could lose federal funding.

Watch NBC 7 News at 6 p.m. for more on this developing story.

America's Finest City now ranks as top in the nation for solar energy capacity nationwide, according to a new report. 

The Environment California Research and Policy Center's "Shining Cities" report, released Tuesday, found San Diego had grown its solar capacity potential by 60 percent. 

In the past year, the City leaped forward in the rankings. San Diego has ranked second nationally for the past three years, but this year, the City finally leaped ahead, passing Los Angeles and claiming the top spot. 

A year ago, San Diego has 189 megawatts of installed solar capacity, enough to power 47,000 homes. 

Now, the City has 303 megawatts of capacity, researchers have found. That means San Diego's solar capacity could power the equivalent of approximately 76,000 homes. 

“San Diego is setting the standard for other cities across the country when it comes to protecting our environment and creating a cleaner future,” San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said. “This new ranking is a testament to the many San Diego residents and businesses harnessing our natural resources as we march toward our goal of using 100 percent renewable energy throughout the city.”

Faulconer announced the new ranking at Kearny High School in San Diego's Clairemont neighborhood. The school has more than 1,000 solar panels, which helps it generate 240 kilowatts of power, he said. The solar panels help the district save $43,000 annually. 

“San Diego has so much more untapped solar potential and we encourage city leaders to continue to embrace a big vision for solar on rooftops throughout the city,” said Michelle Kinman, Clean Energy Advocate for the Environment California Research & Policy Center. “By making the most of San Diego’s solar potential, we can reduce pollution and improve public health for all San Diegans and continue to set a strong example for cities all across the country.”

The move coincides with the City of San Diego's Climate Action Plan, which calls for using 100 percent renewable energy across the city and slashing greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2035. 

In recent years, San Diego's Development Services Department has aimed to help those looking to get permits for solar projects, Faulconer said. 

Some of those moves include reducing turnaround time for permitting single family residential roof mountain solar projects, expanded hours for solar appointments and drop-off services, adding staff to the permitting program and more. 

The San Diego City Attorney and San Diego County District Attorney joined other prosecutors from the state of California asking the U.S. Attorney General Secretary of Homeland Security to exclude courthouses from immigration arrests.

City Attorney Mara W. Elliott and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis signed a letter Tuesday along with five other city attorneys and five other district attorneys. The sentiment echoes what California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye said to state legislators last month.

"ICE courthouse arrests make all Californians less safe," the letter states. Read the full document here.

Cantil-Sakauye recently urged the federal officials within the U.S. Justice Department and DHS not to "stalk" undocumented immigrants.

Cantil-Sakauye said ICE has obviously stepped up enforcement activities and are targeting courthouses.

Brandi Benner knew her daughter was excited for the new doll she was getting at Target last week. What she didn’t know was that her child’s decision would be questioned by a store employee and that the young girl’s response would in turn go viral.

Benner said she took her daughter Sophia to the store to pick out a “special prize” after a successful month of potty training. Naturally, the young tot picked out a new doll because “the obsession is real,” Benner wrote on Facebook.

“While we were checking out, the cashier asked Sophia if she was going to a birthday party. We both gave her a blank stare,” the post read. “She then pointed to the doll and asked Sophia if she picked her out for a friend. Sophia continued to stare blankly and I let the cashier know that she was a prize for Sophia being fully potty trained.”

According to Benner, the cashier then asked Sophia if that was in fact the doll she wanted to get and the 2-year-old responded, "Yes, please!"

“The cashier replied, ‘But she doesn't look like you. We have lots of other dolls that look more like you,’” Benner wrote.

The mother said she became angry, but before anyone could say another word, Sophia jumped in and defended her decision.

“’Yes, she does. She's a doctor like I'm a doctor. And I'm a pretty girl and she's a pretty girl. See her pretty hair? And see her stethoscope?’” Benner said her child told the cashier.

The Target employee said “Oh, that’s nice,” and didn’t asked Sophia any more questions, according to Benner.

“This experience just confirmed my belief that we aren't born with the idea that color matters,” she wrote. “Skin comes in different colors just like hair and eyes and every shade is beautiful.”

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Benner shared the unexpected encounter with friends and family on Facebook Friday. Her post quickly went viral, garnering nearly 200,000 shares, 30,000 comments and almost 500,000 likes by Tuesday morning.

“When I decided to share my experience about buying Sophia's doll I never thought for one second it was going to be seen by so many people,” Benner wrote. “I am absolutely blown away! Our family has received so much love, support and encouragement from complete strangers and that is just proof to me that there is SO MUCH good in the world.”

Target did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

San Diego’s dining scene will be hoppin’ on Easter Sunday (April 16), including some landmark locales like The Prado at Balboa Park and the Hotel Del Coronado. Here’s a guide to Easter brunch at some very well-known local eateries.

Hotel Del Coronado
(1500 Orange Ave., Coronado, CA 92118)
The Hotel Del Coronado’s Crown Room and Ocean View Ballroom will each host Champagne Brunch buffets on Easter Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., respectively. Brunch costs $135 per adult and $50 for children ages 6 to 10 in the Crown Room, and $125 for adults and $50 for children in the Ocean View Ballroom. Kids age 5 and under eat for free, with a paying adult. Reservations are required and can be made online or by calling (619) 522-8490. After brunch, hop on over to The Del's Windsor Lawn for some Easter egg hunts, divided into rounds for kids ages 1 to 12. There, a "Donutland" area at the Sunset Bar will serve fresh doughnuts, coffee and Bloody Marys. Reservations for the egg hunt are also required; call (619) 522-8815 to secure those spots for your kiddos.

The Prado at Balboa Park
(1549 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101)
Celebrate Easter at The Prado located in the heart of Balboa Park. This year, Champagne Buffet Brunch will be served from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., priced at $64.95 for adults and $17.95 for kids ages 6 to 12. Kids 6 and under eat free. The buffet will boast a variety of omelets, eggs benedict, a pancake station, a whipped potato bar, salads, a seafood station, a dim-sum station and lots of decadent desserts, including a chocolate fountain. For reservations, call (619) 557-9441, ext. 1.

Mister A’s
(2550 5th Ave., #406, San Diego, CA 92103)
Scenic, elegant Mister A’s will offer a three-course, prix fixe menu on Easter Sunday filled with seasonal favorites. Your choice of starters include lobster bisque, house made crepes, black tiger shrimp on polenta and more, followed by entrées such as eggs benedict topped with crab meat or short rib, or buttermilk fried chicken and waffles. The meal ends with sweet indulgences such as strawberry shortcake or a trio of doughnuts. Brunch is available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for $59.50 per person. Reservations can be made by calling (619) 239-1377. If you can, snag a window seat. The view of the San Diego skyline is breathtaking.

The Westgate Hotel
(1055 Second Ave., San Diego, CA 92101)
The Westgate Hotel in downtown San Diego plans to host traditional Easter Champagne Brunch – complete with fresh seafood, made to-order omelets, carving stations and a special kids’ station – from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Brunch is $89 for adults and $35 for children 12 and under, plus tax and gratuity. A face painting artist will be on-hand to entertain the kids, and the little ones will also be treated to a visit from the Easter Bunny. Reservations can be made online, or by calling (800) 522-1564.

The US GRANT
(326 Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101)
From 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., The US GRANT will host its Easter Brunch Buffet in its famous Presidential Ballroom. The menu includes soups, salads, seafood, prime meats and housemade pastries, as well as a breakfast ravioli station and french toast station. The tasty affair will also boast plenty of brunch beverage options including mimosas and chef de bar Cory Alberto's specialty carrot cocktail. Patrons will sip and savor their holiday meal while enjoying live music by the Ira Gonzalez Trio and an instrumental jazz group. Activities for the kids this year include visits with the Easter Bunny, a photobooth and kids craft station. Easter brunch is $78 for adults, $69 for seniors and $39 for children ages 4 to 12. Reservations are required; call (619) 744-2039.

Bali Hai Restaurant
(2230 Shelter Island Dr.)
The Bali Hai Restaurant on Shelter Island will host Champagne Easter Brunch with a Polynesian flare from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The mouthwatering menu includes Brioche French Toast, a carving station and Luau favorites like blackened mahi with pickled mango sauce, vegetable fried rice and Island Macaroni Salad. There will also be a plethora of island-inspired desserts including Hawaiian sweet bread pudding and coconut cupcakes. Brunch costs $48 for adults and $18 for children ages 6 to 12. Kids 5 and under eat free. Reservations are strongly recommended by calling (619) 222-1181.

The Marine Room
(2000 Spindrift Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037)
For more than 75 years, this seaside staple in La Jolla has been known for its incredible views and the pounding surf that creates dramatic displays outside the restaurant’s windows. On Easter Sunday, The Marine Room will serve its holiday brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The menu includes breakfast fare like leek goat cheese frittata and first course options like sweet potato orzo salad. Main course items include Signature Spindrift Seafood Crepes and many, many other items. A dessert station tops off the buffet. The holiday meal costs $72 for adults and $36 for kids; reservations are required and can be made online here.

Tom Ham’s Lighthouse
(2150 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego, CA 92101)
One of San Diego’s best-known architectural landmarks on San Diego Bay (aka Beacon No. 9 on USCG Nautical Maps, in business since 1971) will offer Easter brunch with a host of scrumptious eats served against picturesque vistas of the bay, the downtown skyline and Coronado Island. The menu boasts breakfast delights such as eggs benedict on cured ham buttermilk biscuits, fresh salads, lunch goodies like three-cheese mac and cheese and Moroccan fried chicken and a raw bar with options like crab legs, shrimp ceviche, scallops and oysters. There's a dessert station, too. Brunch starts at 9 a.m., with the last reserved seating set for 1:45 p.m. Brunch is $52 for adults and $18 for diners ages 5 to 18. Make your reservations online or by calling (619) 291-9110.

L’Auberge Del Mar
(1540 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014)
The Del Mar resort (located at the historic site of the former Stratford Inn and Hotel Del Mar) has been a beachside staple on the North County for decades. This year, the resort will go big for Easter brunch, offering seatings at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for its buffet centered in the lobby. Patrons will be able to dine on sweet and savory options and make their way through several sections including carving and omelette stations. Easter brunch seating will span several areas of the resort, including the Kitchen 1540 eatery and Coastline and Sunset Terrace, which both offer views of the ocean. The holiday menu costs $90 for adults and $30 for children 12 and under. Brunch is complimentary for children 3 and under. Reserve your spot by calling (858) 793-6460.

Bonus: Honorable Mentions

Eddie V's Prime Seafood
(789 West Harbor Dr. at The Headquarters at Seaport)
Eddie V's location at The Headquarters at Seaport may only be a few years old, but the restaurant is steeped in San Diego history. It sits on the very site where the San Diego Police Department's booking facility and courtroom once stood. Now, those sites are the dining room and bar, respectively. The restaurant will offer a three-course Easter Brunch this year from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with items like fresh cinnamon rolls with citrus glaze, fried green tomatoes, lobster quiche florentine and delicious dessert options. The meal is $49 for adults and $15 for children. Make reservations online here. A live piano performance will also take place in the lounge from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Coasterra
(880 Harbor Island Dr.)
One word: SKYLINE. This Harbor Island stunner and its iconic views of San Dieg will offer an Easter champagne brunch from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. featuring soups, salads, an egg station, a cold seafood station and other house specialties like coconut-crusted mahi and natural short rib enchiladas. The price is $69.95 for adults and $17.95 for children ages 6 to 12. Kids 6 and under eat free. Reservations are a must; call (619) 814-1300

Rancho Bernardo Inn
(17550 Bernardo Oaks Dr.)
Since opening in 1963 with just 30 rooms, Rancho Bernardo Inn has gone through many changes and become home to some delectable dining. On Easter, the venue will offer brunch specials catered to families including a three-course Easter brunch menu with amuse at Avant Restaurant, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The holiday brunch is priced at $75 for adults and $25 for kids. Make reservation by calling (844) 226-2044. The festivities will also include photos with the Easter Bunny and an egg hunt on Aragon Lawn (avaible from 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., divided by age groups).

A man accused of attacking twelve San Diegans, a majority of whom were homeless, in a crime spree last summer pleaded not guilty to related charges. 

Jon David Guerrero, 39, faces four murder charges, three attempted or premeditated murder charges, two arson charges and five assault charges in attacks on several homeless people and other San Diego residents, some of whom were killed with railroad spikes. He is being held without bail. 

Prosecutors say Guerrero attacked a dozen people throughout San Diego in a spree that began on July 3, 2015. 

Angelo de Nardo, 53, was found badly burned near train tracks in Bay Ho. Investigators say they believe the homeless man died before he was set on fire.

On July 4, two homeless men were discovered attacked within an hour of each other in Bay Ho and Ocean Beach in the early hours of morning around 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. They both suffered severe trauma to the upper body.

One 61-year-old victim survived the attack. However, 41-year-old Shawn Longley died from his injuries.

Two days later, San Diego police found 23-year-old Derek Vahidy in Pantoja Park near State and G Streets. Vahidy had been beaten and set on fire, police said. He later died in the hospital.

Guerrero was arrested on July 15 after a fifth man was attacked at 18th and C streets.

In December, Guerrero was also charged in the July 13 attack of an elderly woman: 83-year-old Molly Simons. However, unlike Guerrero's other victims, Simons was not homeless.

The 83-year-old woman was found beaten on July 13 near Arizona Street and University Avenue as she was walking to a nearby bus stop to volunteer at a local YMCA, according to her autopsy report. She died at the hospital. 

At his arraignment, a judge ordered news organizations to tile Guerrero's face as the DA's office continues to investigate possible assault cases for connections. 

The terror group ISIS in new audio released Tuesday called President Donald Trump an Arabic term that means "idiot" and said he doesn't know anything about Islam, according to various translations.

It appears to be the first time the terror group has referred to Trump since he took office, NBC News reported. ISIS controls parts of Iraq and Syria, and is being targeted by a U.S.-led coalition.

The 36-minute audio was released by ISIS' spokesperson, Abu Hasan al-Muhajir. The previous spokesman and the group's second-in-command, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, was killed in an airstrike in Syria last year, ISIS and the Pentagon have said.

Campland-on-the-Bay is staying in Mission Bay for three more years after the San Diego City Council unanimously approved extending the lease Tuesday.

According to Donna Cleary, a spokeswoman for Councilmember Lori Zapf, the facility has the option of asking for an additional year lease after the three years are up.

Campland-on-the-Bay is located in Mission Bay and has been operating since 1969. The facility offers camp sites, game rooms, watercraft and bicycle rentals, swimming pools and restaurants. 

According to the City Council, Campland will continue to operate while they details for the De Anza Cove Revitalization Master Plan for Mission Bay Park are finalized.

The City of San Diego is expected to receive more than $1,800,000 in rent from the facility.

As tension grows regarding North Korea’s missile testing and weapons programs, San Diego-based U.S. Navy ships are participating in exercises in the Western Pacific.

“Obviously, there's been a lot of tension on the North Korean Peninsula over the last six months, two years actually, since Kim Jong-Un came to power,” said Stephan Haggard, Ph.D. Haggard is a professor at the Graduate School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego.

Those San Diego-based ships from the 3rd Fleet and those in the 7th Fleet serve as a deterrent.

“To signal the capacity of the United States to respond to provocations,” Haggard added.

USS Carl Vinson Strike Group conducted exercises with allies the Republic of Korea Navy and, for the first time since World War II, met up with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

The March exercises got the attention of North Korea which released a propaganda video showing a graphic simulation the U.S. Navy ship and aircraft being hit by a missile.

Haggard said North Korea is known for these type of videos.

“They're designed primarily for the domestic audience within North Korea to show the strength of the leadership and the fact that it's a world power,” Haggard said.

President Donald Trump meets with China’s President at the President’s Mar-a-Lago home this week. The meeting, experts say, is an opportunity to gain some movement in negotiations with North Korea to slow their nuclear program.

It has been eight years since talks broke down.

President Trump has made it clear he wants increased sanctions.

“He signaled that the trade issue is likely to be the point of leverage with China and trying to get North Korea to move… that means trying to get China to lessen up on it support for North Korea through the extensive trade it does with Pyongyang,” Haggard said.

One looming question is: What are North Korea’s capabilities?

Haggard believes that they do not have the capability of striking the U.S. but could strike South Korea or Japan.

The upcoming presidential election in South Korea is another factor to consider. The fear is that they may lean more toward North Korean policies verses the vision of the U.S.

Meantime Haggard believes the 30,000 troops in South Korea and U.S. Naval exercises help keep North Korea in check and Navy ships are not in danger.

Now the Vinson Strike Group has completed the exercises, other San Diego based ships continue to ready to play a role.

The Sterett-Dewey Surface Action Group left San Diego Friday for the Western Pacific to support maritime stability and security if needed, in a region where growing tensions are the new reality in the Pacific.