Quantcast
Channel: NBC 7 San Diego - Top Stories
Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live

Authorities Respond to Hostage Situation at Delnor Hospital

0
0

Authorities were responding to an ongoing hostage situation at Delnor Hospital in suburban Geneva on Saturday, according to police.

The incident began around 12:30 p.m., Geneva city officials said in a release.

An inmate at the Kane County Jail, who was being treated at the hospital, somehow gained control of a correctional officer's gun, according to the Kane County Sheriff’s office.

The suspect then took one hostage, a female employee at the hospital, authorities said. 

Shortly after 3 p.m., Geneva officials confirmed that Delnor was under lockdown and sent an alert advising the public to "stay out of the area as police deal with this standoff."

The hostage's sister told NBC 5 around 4:15 p.m. that her sister was able to get out safely and was not injured, though the standoff with the suspect remained ongoing. 

Officers from multiple agencies, including the Geneva Police Department, the Kane County Sheriff's office and SWAT teams, surrounded the scene as Geneva Police Commander Julie Nash said they continued to address the “developing situation.”

A patient inside Delnor told NBC 5 that she was in the emergency room when an official came over the intercom and called out a code that the woman, who is a nurse at a different hospital, knew meant an active shooter situation.

She said a police officer took her and several other patients to a bathroom, where they hid inside the stalls for about 15 minutes.

They were then escorted to a conference room, she said, where they stayed for approximately 45 minutes before they were able to leave the hospital.

It was not immediately clear if there were any injuries, and authorities declined to release further information as the situation remained ongoing.

Check back for updates on this developing story.



Photo Credit: Sky 5

Demonstrators in Miami Urge Protected Status Extension for Haitians

0
0

Activists are marching the streets of Miami Saturday urging the Department of Homeland Security to renew Temporary Protected Status for Haitians.

Organizations from across South Florida are rallying alongside TPS recipients outside of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office, located at 8801 NW 7th Ave., calling for an extension of TPS-- which is set to expire July 22.

"I have friends and I have family who are now facing deportation and this is why I'm here today," said Haitian demonstrator Eltard Alexis.

Earlier this week, Secretary John Kelly asked Department of Homeland Security staff for the criminal history of thousands of Haitians living in the United States on protected immigration status.

Federal law regarding TPS does not specify a recipient's behavior as criteria for extending the program. Those who receive the status immigration are heavily screened before they are granted the protected status, according to immigration experts.

Congress created TPS back in 1990 for people whose countries are too devastated by political or natural disasters to safely return. The Obama administration granted temporary protective status to Haiti in 2010 after a massive earthquake devastated the island-nation, killing an estimated 220,000 and displacing 1.5 million.

"The situation on the ground in Haiti is not the type of situation you want to send people back to," said Pedro Gassant with the Haitian Lawyers Association. "You have about 58,000 Haitians who have temporary protective status on the basis of the earthquake that occurred in 2010 and last year in the fall you had a significant hurricane that occurred that has displaced entire villages."

Gassant says Haitian immigrants see the United States as a country of hope, change, and economic stability. now their calling on President Donald Trump to extend TPS.

Demonstrators say they can not ignore the TPS issue given the large Haitian community in South Florida.

"We are l'union fait la force," Gassant said. "We believe in unity. Unity is strength and that's on our flag because we believe with unity we can accomplish anything and that's why we're here today."



Photo Credit: NBC6.com

‘Help is Available’: TPHS Superintendent Offers Resources

0
0

One week after the tragic police shooting of a student armed with a BB gun in the parking lot of Torrey Pines High School (TPHS), the school district’s superintendent is once again reminding families that there is help available.

San Dieguito Union High School District (SDUSD) Eric Dill sent an email to parents Saturday – a week to the day of the deadly May 6 shooting of a 15-year-old TPHS student – with information about suicide prevention and helping teenagers cope with the struggles of adolescence.

The teenager shot and killed by San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officers left behind a suicide note, police confirmed earlier this week.

“It was his plan to end his life,” Dill’s email to TPHS families read.

“While many look back at their middle and high school years as some of the best in their lives, we know this time can be emotionally difficult for many students,” Dills email stated. “Suicide is a complex matter and there is never just one reason behind a person's decision. In most circumstances, we can never truly know what led to the act, so rather than focusing on why a suicide occurred, it's important to reinforce the message that suicide is not a viable solution to one's problems and that help is available.”

Dill told families that, no matter the reasons why a student might be struggling, TPHS has specialized staff and peer support that can help anyone who needs assistance.

He also said parents and educators can get more information on suicide prevention via the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) resource page.

Dill also offered a link to The Dougy Center’s website about how to talk with children about tragic events.

“Should anyone need immediate assistance, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text "START" to 741741,” his email added.

The superintendent also encouraged students and staff to talk about their feelings with their loved ones.

Dill’s email also mentioned the new Netflix series, “13 Reasons Why” – currently popular among teenagers. The show is about a teenage girl who dies by suicide; she tells the story of her death through audiotapes.

“We want you to be well-informed about the content and potential impact of this show, especially because teens today often watch media by themselves on personal devices,” Dill said. “The National Association of School Psychologists strongly recommends that youth who are vulnerable, especially those who have experienced suicidal ideation, not watch the series.”

Dill said “13 Reasons Why,” does, however, “present an opportunity to have meaningful conversations with your child.” The superintendent also offered a link on how to talk to teenagers about the show.

Dill said school counselors will continue to be available to help as things get back to normal on the TPHS campus.

As far as the student’s family goes, Dill said the principal of TPHS has been in contact with the boy’s mother.

She is grateful to our community and to the school for their concern and allowing her family to mourn privately. We will continue to honor her wishes,” he wrote.

The Shooting:

On May 6, just before 3:30 a.m., the teenager at the center of this case, called 911 asking for police officers to conduct a welfare check on a minor near TPHS. The minor he was referring to was himself, only he talked in the third person when making that 911 call, SDPD Acting Homicide Lt. Mike Holden said.

"[In] our preliminary investigation, we believe that the subject that was shot is the person who actually called to check the welfare [of the minor]. We believe that he actually called and spoke about himself in the third person," Holden explained. "It was a very general 'check the welfare' call."

"It was a phone call that 'there's a male juvenile in front of the school, it appears someone should check on him,'" Holden added.

The SDPD said the caller stated that the juvenile had no weapons.

Two officers arrived at the parking lot at the front entrance of the school. There, they spotted the teenager standing in the lot.

Holden said that as the officers got out of their patrol car, the teenager pulled a gun out of his waistband "and pointed it directly at one of the officers."

Both officers drew their service weapons while repeatedly ordering the teenager to drop his weapon. Holden said the teen refused to drop the weapon and, instead, "continued to point the handgun at the one officer and then began walking towards the same officer."

Again, the officers told the teen to drop his weapon.

Holden said the officers feared for their safety and fired their guns at the teen, striking him "a number of times."

The teen was critically wounded and taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla where he died a short time later. The officers, a 28-year veteran and 4-year veteran of the police department, were not hurt.

Investigators have now determined that the weapon held by the teen was a semi-automatic BB air pistol.

The teenager killed by police lived in the neighborhood. Since he's a minor, police will not be releasing his name.

Holden said the officers involved in the teenager's shooting were wearing department-issued body-worn cameras, so footage of the shooting exists. Those videos were impounded as evidence in the investigation.

On May 5, San Diego County District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis held a news conference to release videos of three prior shootings in San Diego involving local police officers and deputies.

The DA’s office is responsible for determining whether a crime was committed in officer or deputy-involved shootings in San Diego County. Video from an officer's body camera may be part of the investigation.

Dumanis said the DA's office was releasing the videos Friday in those prior incidents per the protocol reached with law enforcement agencies. She has held similar news conferences in the past to reveal new details about other law enforcement-involved shootings in San Diego.

It is unclear, at this point, if and when the body camera video of the shooting of this teenager at TPHS will be released.



Photo Credit: Ramon Galindo/NBC 7

Elon Musk Moves Forward With 'Boring' Traffic Remedy

0
0

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk can claim a perhaps unparalleled string of visionary company creations -- PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, The Boring Company.

The Boring Company?

"We're trying to dig a hole under LA," Musk explained during a recent TED Talk interview.

WARNING: The video below contains flashing lights, which has potential to induce motion sickness and/or seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised. 

[[422147253, C]]

After months of social media musing on tunneling to escape traffic congestion in metropolitan Los Angeles, Musk is moving ahead with test boring in a Hawthorne parking lot across Crenshaw Boulevard from SpaceX.

It appears to be a step toward what Musk foresees as a "3D network of tunnels to alleviate congestion."  What Musk calls "electric sleds" would carry cars piggyback through the tunnels at speeds up to 125 mph.

Going from Westwood to LAX would take six minutes or less, Musk predicted.

Cars could access and depart the tunnels through roadside auto elevators, each of which Musk said would require the room of only two parking spaces. The scenario is depicted in an animation video posted on The Boring Company's website.

Musk contends that unlike surface roadways, underground you need never run out of room to add lanes, because you can simply go down another level.

But transportation engineers have doubts about the feasibility of Musk's tunnel vision, and apart from benefiting the tunnel users, how much it would reduce traffic and improve transit overall.

"How such a narrow system could contribute to that is not clear to me," said Jim Moore, director of the USC Viterbi Transportation Engineering Program.  Be that as it may, Moore said he considers Musk a "bona fide genius," and applauded his investing in researching such a novel approach.

Musk believes autonomous driving technology will enable car travel to be more efficient, and that cars -- not public transit -- will continue to carry a large percentage of ground travelers.

A major obstacle to underground travel is the cost of boring tunnels. The cost of new underground transit lines runs into the billions of dollars.

Musk said the Boring Company is focusing on ways to improve technology and efficiency enough to reduce cost by at least tenfold.

The Boring Company did not respond to a request Friday for details on what is being done at the Crenshaw site.  This appears to be a separate project from the proposed--but yet to be started--pedestrian tunnel which the city of Hawthorned has approved to be bored beneath Crenshaw Blvd.

Musk acknowledged improvement in boring technology may have crossover benefit for another vision of his for using tunnels to speed travel: Hyperloops, in which passengers would be transported in pods at near supersonic speeds through tubes with reduced air pressure. Musk sees this as a step beyond high speed rail, such as exists in Japan and the state of California currently is constructing.

The test Hyperloop that SpaceX built in Hawthorne alongside Jack Northrop Boulevard is above ground. But future Hyperloops for congested urban areas, such as the Washington-New York corridor, would best be placed underground, Musk said during the April TED talk recorded in Vancouver, Canada.

Musk spoke with enthusiasm for the Boring Project, but during the TED talk put it in context -- at this point, it is receiving only 2 to 3 percent of his time.



Photo Credit: Elon Musk

Charter School Gives Second Chance to Those Seeking Diplomas

0
0

A new charter school in San Diego is trying to recruit students who dropped out of traditional high schools, helping them earn their diplomas while also training students for the workforce.

YouthBuild San Diego helps young people get a diploma, while also teaching students about construction. The goal is to train students for well-paying jobs, even before they graduate.

The charter school held a car show in Colina Del Sol on Saturday in hopes of attracting young people to their program.

“Cars attract the 16 to 24-year-olds -- the youth we’re trying to help,” said Terri Steele, the Director of Marketing at YouthBuild.

One of the raffle prizes at the car show was a backyard shed that students built this year.

Eventually, through the program, students will learn how to build homes, complete with wiring and plumbing. Instructors hope the skills will make the students more employable.

Student Luis Lopez, 23, has seen his confidence boost, knowing he will learn new skills and finally get his diploma.

Lopez says he was kicked out of his home when he was 13 years old. With a high school diploma now within reach, he is looking forward to a bright future.

“Right now, I’m looking forward to college, and after college, I want to be an actor,” Lopez said.

YouthBuild San Diego is partially funded through a $1.3 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Fallen Officers To Be Honored During DC's Police Week Vigil

0
0

The 29th Annual Candlelight Vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial will honor 394 officers who have died in the line of duty.

The memorial is set for Saturday May 13, at 8:00 p.m. ET at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security John Kelly will speak at the event and lead the crowd in the candle lighting.

The names of 394 officers that were killed in the line of duty will then be read out loud, 143 of those officers died last year. The other 251 died before 2016, but their names had never been added to the memorial.

Twenty-four officers from Texas will be added in tonight's memorial, including the five that were killed in the July 2016 ambush in Downtown Dallas.

With this year's additions, there are now 21,183 names engraved on the memorial. The names represent all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, federal law enforcement, and military police agencies.

The Candlelight Vigil is the signature event of National Police Week.



Photo Credit: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

Protest Fatigue: Have Weeks of Protests Made an Impact?

0
0

Have weekend after weekend of protests really made a difference?

A Pew Research survey published Thursday found that roughly half of Americans (48 percent) said they supported the goals of April's March for Science, for instance. But the country is sharply divided along party lines as to whether the demonstration would actually help the cause.

More than half of Democrats and liberal-leaning voters surveyed (61 percent) said they believed the march would "increase public support of science." But nearly the exact same number of Republicans and conservative-leaning participants surveyed (60 percent) said the demonstration would make no difference.

Less than 4 percent of participants Heaney surveyed at Inauguration Day demonstrations, the Women's March, the March for Science identified as Republican or "Independent who leans Republican."



Photo Credit: Astrid Riecken/Getty Images

While Shopping Congressman Asked About ‘Special Prosecutor’

0
0

Saturday morning San Diego Congressman Scott Peters tweeted that while at the grocery store he received one “hello” from a constituent followed by two “are you going to appoint a special prosecutor?” questions. 


Calls from Democrats and constituents across the country for a special prosecutor in the investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia have only ratcheted up since President Trump’s abrupt firing of FBI Director James Comey Tuesday.

Although the official word coming out the White House Tuesday and Wednesday was that Comey had been fired because of the way he’d handled Hillary Clinton’s email investigation, Trump himself contradicted that in a Thursday interview with Lester Holt, saying he felt the “Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made up story.”

Trump also contradicted the official letters sent about Comey's firing that said the president dismissed the director at the recommendation of the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General. During the interview Trump said firing Comey was his idea and he would have let Comey go regardless of what anyone else said. 

Trump's statements further muddied what some of his aides had told reporters Tuesday and Wednesday. Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Tuesday, "It was all him," referring to Rosenstein, who was appointed just two weeks ago. "That was a DOJ decision." In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway referred Cooper to the three letters sent out after Comey's firing. "Today's actions had zero to do with [the investigation]," Conway told Cooper. "And today’s actions have everything to do with what Mr. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general [recommended.]" Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders reiterated the same thing Wednesday. 

Calls for a special prosecutor in the investigation have been swift. 

Congressman Peters called the firing something that would happen in a “dictatorship.”

"Never before has it been clearer that the integrity of our democracy depends on an independent commission to investigate Russian interference in our election and a special prosecutor at the Department of Justice to follow an investigation to wherever and whomever it leads,” he said in a statement. “Anyone who stands in the way of an independent investigation denies the American people the answers they deserve."

Senator Diane Feinstein, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called for judiciary committee hearings on Comey’s firing.

“President Trump and the White House have presented an ever-changing narrative on the rationale for the firing of FBI Director Comey. This triggers a need for the Judiciary Committee to hold hearings and get to the bottom of this,” she said in a statement.

In reference to a January dinner between the president and Comey that the president discussed in the Holt interview, Feinstein said Trump’s reported request of a loyalty pledge from the director was inappropriate.

“The FBI Director is expected to be independent,” she stated. “He is expected to be loyal to the Constitution and rule of law—not the president. If the president thinks he can control the FBI—the decisions it makes and the investigations it pursues—there are legal as well as constitutional concerns.”

Trump denies the reports that he asked Comey to pledge his loyalty.

Feinstein also said she supports asking Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who would make the decision because of Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ recusal on Russia-related matters, to resign if he does not appoint a special counsel.

“These investigations are far too important to risk disruption, delay or interference,” she added.

Senator Kamala Harris, who agrees a special prosecutor is needed, also said she is calling for Attorney General Jeff Sessions to resign because of his involvement in Comey’s firing after his recusal.


She also said she and her Senate colleagues have sent a letter to the DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, urging him to investigate political interference in the Russia investigation.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra also said it’s necessary to have an independent investigation. “We must ensure the integrity of our democracy. Why is the Trump administration afraid of this investigation? The American people deserve answers,” Becerra stated.

Congresswoman Susan Davis also said an independent investigation is necessary.


Congressman Juan Vargas agrees. “The firing of FBI Director James Comey has raised many red flags,” he said in a statement. “It is clear that now, more than ever, we need an independent, bipartisan commission to help us get to the bottom of the Trump/Russia investigation. The American people deserve to know the truth, for the sake of our country and our democracy.”

Congressman Darrell Issa told NBC 7 that he supports the president’s decision to fire the director, and points to the fact that Comey is not the first FBI director to be fired. President Clinton fired William Sessions in 1993 after an investigation showed ethics violations that included evading taxes.

“People in both parties called for director Comey to be fired,” Issa said. He explained that he was disappointed in the director’s handling of both Hillary Clinton’s email investigation and in pressuring Apple to create a “backdoor” to obtain information locked inside iPhones relating to the phone belonging to the 2015 San Bernardino shooter.

“So I lost confidence in him back then, I felt that he was grandstanding,” he added … So I don’t think you look at it as any one thing. I think you see over time a loss of confidence by both Democrats and Republicans and these are all in the public record." 






Photo Credit: Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

1 Killed in SR-54 SUV Rollover Crash in National City

0
0

One person has been killed after losing control of his SUV on east State Route 54 Saturday evening, officials confirm.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) and National City Police Department officers are at the scene of the crash at East 54 and Highland Avenue.

The driver of a white Jeep was driving recklessly when they lost control and the flipped the car into an embankment, officers said.

The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

No other cars were involved in the crash, but a few drivers pulled over and called police.

The call came in around 6:30 p.m.

CHP officers are taking over the investigation.

Traffic will be slow in the area while officials clear the scene.




Photo Credit: NBC 7

3-Car Crash on South 805 Backs up Traffic

0
0

Three people have been taken to the hospital after a three-car crash on south Interstate 805, the California Highway Patrol confirms.

The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. Saturday evening.

There is no information on the extent of the victims' injuries. 

[[422191073,C]]

Check back on this breaking story for updates.






Photo Credit: NBC 7
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Harbor Police Conducting Death Investigation

Tillerson Unconcerned About Independence After Comey Firing

0
0

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Chuck Todd that he is not concerned about his independence in the wake of President Donald Trump dismissing James Comey as FBI Director, NBC News reported.

"I have a great relationship with the president," Tillerson said in a "Meet the Press" interview to be aired Sunday. "I understand what his objectives are. When I'm not clear on what his objectives are, we talk about it."

Trump fired Comey Tuesday in a move that sparked calls among some Democrats for a special prosecutor to be appointed in the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.



Photo Credit: AP

Baldwin's Trump and 'Spicey' Tackle Russia, Comey on 'SNL'

0
0

Alec Baldwin's President Donald Trump sat down for an exclusive interview with NBC's Lester Holt (Michael Che) for this week's "Saturday Night Live" cold open, mirroring the real interview that took place Thursday.

Baldwin's Trump spoke candidly about the real reason he decided to dismiss former FBI Director James Comey.

"I fired him because of Russia," he said. "I thought, 'He is investigating Russia, I don't like that, I should fire him.'" 

The "Nightly News" anchor looked stunned at Trump's blunt confession to obstructing justice. 

"Wait, so, did I get him? Is this all over?" Holt asked a staff member on the phone. "Oh, no I didn't? Nothing matters, absolutely nothing matters anymore?"

Holt went on to ask if he ever secretly taped Comey, because the real Trump hinted about it on Twitter. 

"Listen Keenan, I don't know, okay? Probably," Trump said. "I tape a lot of people, I tape whoever I want, whatever I want. Some people have called me a 'serial tapist' and it's true, I am. When you're president, they let you do it."

In explaining how he was not like former President Richard Nixon, Trump repeated Nixon's infamous line: "I am not a crook." 


This week, Melissa McCarthy hosted "SNL" for the fifth time and reprised her fan-favorite role as White House press secretary Sean Spicer. But Spicer didn't start at the podium — instead, the press secretary was hiding in nearby bushes, mocking the real Spicer's attempt to elude reporters following Comey's dismissal.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Aidy Bryant) called the hiding a "naval exercise" before Spicer pushed her out of the way to take over the press briefing. 

"That's right — Spicey's back, Sarah's out," McCarthy said.

Reporters grilled Spicer on Trump's sudden decision to fire Comey. But "Spicey" stood by the president.

"Alright, let me just put this whole Russia thing to bed, once and for all," the press secretary said. "Trump is innocent. How do we know? Because he told us so, period."

But reporters pushed back against Spicer, asking if Trump had lied to his staff and was purposely making Spicer look like a fool at each briefing.

"But he wouldn't do that," Spicer said, looking unsure. "He's my friend."

Spicer, in a crisis of conscience, abruptly ended the press briefing to look for Trump in New York City. Rolling through Manhattan on a podium as Simon & Garfunkel's "The Only Living Boy In New York" played in the background, he promises to "talk better" if given another chance. 

After finding Trump at a golf course in New Jersey, Spicer asked if Trump has ever made him lie to the public.

"Only since you started working here," Trump said. 

Spicer then asked if the rumors about getting fired are true. The president responded with an attempt to give Spicer the "kiss of death."


Colin Jost and Michael Che kicked off "Weekend Update" with Comey's dismissal.

"Trump said he decided to fire Comey himself because Comey quote 'wasn't doing a good job,' adding, 'For example, I'm still president,'" Jost said.

Jost said that Trump firing Comey while under investigation is the equivalent of shooting an approaching drug-sniffing dog at the airport.

"People would really wonder what's in that bag. Or, they would just assume you work for United," he said.

"Everything Trump does sounds like the trailer of a wacky movie," Che added. "The next headline should come with a record scratch and a fun song."


Haim was this week's musical guest. The group performed two songs, "Want You Back" and "Little of Your Love."



Photo Credit: NBC
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

Driver Repeatedly Rams Chicago Woman Into Tree, Killing Her: Cops

0
0

An 18-year-old woman was killed Friday night when a 24-year-old woman repeatedly rammed her into a tree with a car on Chicago's Far South Side, according to police.

The incident occurred around 11:10 p.m. in the 11400 block of S. May St. in the city's Morgan Park neighborhood, authorities said.

The two women were in a verbal argument, according to police, when the older woman entered a vehicle and chased the victim down the sidewalk.

She then crashed into the teen, repeatedly striking her against a tree before fleeing the scene, police said.

The 18-year-old was pronounced dead on the scene, officials said. The Cook County Medical Examiner's office could not immediately confirm the fatality.

The 24-year-old woman was taken into custody and charges are pending, according to police, who continue to investigate.



Photo Credit: Network Video Productions

NBC 7 Staff, Viewers Celebrate Their Moms on Mother's Day

0
0

In honor of Mother's Day, NBC 7 staff and NBC 7 viewers celebrate their mothers.

Photo Credit: Steven Luke

Just 29 Percent Approve of Trump’s Firing of Comey: Poll

0
0

Just 29 percent of Americans say they approve of President Donald Trump's decision to fire FBI Director James Comey, while 38 percent disapprove, a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found, NBC News reported.

The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted May 11-13, after Trump's dismissal of Comey. 

Thirty-two percent of those polled said they do not have a say in the matter, according to the NBC News report.

But among those who say they have read, seen or heard "a lot" about the firing, 53 percent say they disapprove, versus 33 percent who approve.

The poll does not show a significant change in the president’s overall standing. 
Trump's job-approval rating stands at 39 percent, which is one point lower than last month's NBC/WSJ survey — well within the poll's margin of error.

The poll does not show a significant change in the president’s overall standing. 
Trump's job-approval rating stands at 39 percent, which is one point lower than last month's NBC/WSJ survey — well within the poll's margin of error.




Photo Credit: Alex Brandon/AP (File)

Local Experts Explain Recent Uptick in Shark Sightings

0
0

Swimmers, surfers and fishermen told NBC 7 there seems to be an increase in the amount of white sharks they have seen off the coast of San Diego recently.

“I worked with Monterey Bay Aquarium for 10 years catching great white sharks," said San Diego Fisherman, David Haworth. "We’ve been seeing a lot more of them over the last few years. Sometimes you see five of them at once just outside the surf.”

Local surfers said the sharks seem to be closer to their lines of surf as well at San Onofre Beach. 

"In the 1990's, California banned all near-shore nets and that dramatically reduced the mortality of juvenile white sharks," said Heidi Dewar, Ph.D., a fisheries research biologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Dewar said we are just now beginning to see the results of that legislation. Shark populations are able to thrive now that they are not getting caught in nets and dying. Their prey, like seals and fish, are also increasing in numbers off the coast of California. 

“If the population is increasing like we think, you would expect to see more animals in that near shore habitat," added Dewar.

She said that means sharks are hanging around California shores to feed.

Dewar added although white sharks do not seek out humans to eat, they can confuse our wetsuits as seals, one of their main food sources.

She recommends avoiding the ocean at dawn or dusk, because that is when sharks are most likely to be looking for a meal.

Competition to Send Talented HS Performers to Broadway

0
0

The 20 local high school actors and actresses aiming for a chance to compete at The National High School Musical Theatre Awards have been announced. 

The 10 best actresses and 10 best actors will attend the 2017 Ben Vereen Awards on May 28, where one actress and one actor will be selected to travel to New York City. 

The National High School Musical Theatre Awards, or The Jimmy Awards, celebrate outstanding achievement in voice, dance and acting in schools across the Country. 

Leading up to the San Diego awards, the 20 actors will attend a week-long intensive rehearsal with dancing, vocal and acting workshops, in addition to a master class with legendary stage and screen entertainer Ben Vereen. 

“I am blown away with the number of incredible stories that these young people have shared with us for the WTA this year,” said Ben Vereen in a statement. “We tried something new and opened up the competition to grades 5-12 to create an opportunity for more students to share their stories with us.”

The top five individual winners will each get a $500 award, and the winning school will earn a $1,000 award. courtesy of the San Diego County Credit Union, the competition's sponsor. 

Here are the 2017 nominees... 

Best Actor


  1. Noah Filley – Cathedral Catholic High School
  2. Sky Frank - San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts
  3. Dashiell Gregory – San Dieguito Academy
  4. Nick Hamparyan – Pacific Ridge School
  5. Yoni Kruvi – San Dieguito Academy
  6. Christopher Lopez – San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts
  7. Sammie Lurie – Canyon Crest Academy
  8. Jonas McMullen – Canyon Crest Academy
  9. Henry Pedersen – Cathedral Catholic High School
  10. Cole Studebaker – Vista High School


Best Actress


  1. Lindsey Czyzewicz – Scripps Ranch High School
  2. Alyssa DeVries – Canyon Crest Academy
  3. Brooke Eyler – Rancho Buena Vista High School
  4. Anna Machuca – Clairemont High School
  5. Grace Newton – Our Lady of Peace Academy
  6. Vivian Romero - San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts
  7. Emily Smedley – Cathedral Catholic High School
  8. Jenna Steinberg – San Dieguito Academy
  9. Jillian Strattman – San Dieguito Academy
  10. Jenna Viana – Cathedral Catholic High School


Best Musical


  1. Anything Goes –Cathedral Catholic High School
  2. Anything Goes – San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts
  3. Sweet Charity –Canyon Crest Academy
  4. The Addams Family – San Dieguito Academy
  5. The Wedding Singer – Pacific Ridge School


The Ben Vereen Awards will take place Sunday, May 28 at 6 p.m. at the historic Balboa Theatre in Downtown San Diego, located at 868 Fourth Avenue at E Street. Buy tickets here.



Photo Credit: Broadway San Diego/Ben Vereen Awards

Playhouse's 'Escape to Margaritaville' Extended, Again

0
0

The Broadway-bound Jimmy Buffet musical "Escape to Margaritaville", which had its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse last week, has extended its run -- again -- due to unprecedented popular demand. 

The musical, based off the music of Jimmy Buffet, kicked off La Jolla Playhouse's 2017-2018 season in early May.

“We’ve only just begun previews, but the excitement around Escape to Margaritaville is highly palpable, and it’s tremendously gratifying that audiences – ‘Parrot Heads’ and traditional theatregoers alike – are as eager to experience this delightful new musical as we are to share it with them,” said Playhouse Managing Director Michael S. Rosenberg in a statement.

The popular show will now close on July 9. Tickets for the extended weeks will go on sale May 14. 

"Escape to Margaritaville" opens on May 9 and closes on June 25, extended week included. 

Tickets for many of the shows have already sold out, Playhouse officials said, prompting them to extend the show for several more weeks. 

The musical follows a part-time bartender and part-time singer who falls for a beautiful tourist, a woman who makes him question the life he thought he had figured out.

Playwrights Greg Garcia ("My Name Is Earl", "Raising Hope") and Mike O'Malley ("My Name Is Earl", "Justified", "Glee") blend a story in the works for years with new and original Jimmy Buffett hits. Buffett is known for classics like "Margaritaville", "Come Monday", "Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes", "Manana", and more.

After its San Diego premiere, the show will go on to New Orleans, Houston, Chicago and, ultimately, Broadway for a Spring 2018 run. 

Individual tickets and group tickets are now on sale. You can get tickets online here or by calling (858) 550-1010.

LaJollaPlayhouse.org or by calling (858) 550-1010.



Photo Credit: Jim Carmody/La Jolla Playhouse

Refugee Teen's Drowning Death Prompts Free Swimming Lessons

0
0

The tragic death of a Syrian refugee teenager is leading to a wave of free swimming lessons for other refugee children across San Diego County.

Syrian teenager Mohammed Mostafa, 17, who arrived to San Diego as a refugee three months ago, drowned during his first visit to a California beach. The teenager was swept away in a strong rip current in Mission Beach in April. 

Mostafa's death highlighted the need for water safety education for Syrian children who arrive in the U.S., unable to swim. 

As a result, the non-profit Hearts 4 Refugees started organizing informal swim gatherings. The organization formed last year when roughly 1,200 Syrian refugees arrived in San Diego.

Volunteers in the group sponser refugee families and serve as connection points for local resources - all with the hopes of helping them get settled. 

However, with more pressing needs, like finding jobs or getting toothpaste for the families, swimming lessons did not top the list of concerns until the April drowning. 

“They’ve fled war, lived in refugee camps and it’s really hard for me to understand how does someone survive all of that and then you lose your son on the safe shores, which turned out to be not safe,” said Mali Woods-Drake, a volunteer.

Through the group’s growing network, they have recruited families to host the swim lessons, found instructors to teach them, and found translators to bridge the language gap.

The group is hosting a fundraiser tomorow from 5 p.m. yo 9 p.m. at Del Mar Pizza. 20 percent of proceeds will go to the organization and their swimming lessons program. 



Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images