The Trump Administration was preparing to lift sanctions on Russia when the president took office, two former senior State Department officials told NBC News Thursday.

Daniel Fried, a senior diplomat who retired in February, said he became aware of the effort in the early weeks of President Donald Trump's presidency.

Tom Malinowski, former assistant secretary of state for human rights, began lobbying Congress with Fried to pass legislation codifying the sanctions, Malinowski told NBC News. A bill has been introduced in the Senate and the Trump team later backed off, he added.

"It would be politically stinky," Malinowski said of the Trump team continuing to pursue the effort in light of the investigation into coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.

NBC News reporter Megyn Kelly will moderate a key session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday Morning. 

Among those in attendance will be Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Kelly announced on Thursday's "Today" show that she landed an interview with Putin for the premiere of her NBC newsmagazine Sunday.

A woman critically injured in the Manchester concert bombing has been taken off life support and told her 8-year-old daughter died in the attack, NBC News reported.

Lisa Roussos is awake and "aware of the situation," Britain's ITV News reported Thursday, citing a post on a Facebook group from the girl's father.

Eight years old, Saffie Rose Roussos was the youngest of the 22 people who died in the bombing last week.

Manchester police continue to piece together what bomber Salman Abedi was doing in the days before the blast on May 22, releasing more photos Thursday.

It’s about that time to tantalize those tastebuds: the menu at the 2017 San Diego County Fair will soon be rolled out, featuring the sweet and the salty, the fried and the flavorful and everything in between.

Each summer, vendors at the San Diego County Fair whip up a new batch of unique treats including strangely scrumptious concoctions from the mind of fair favorite, Chicken Charlie’s.

Here’s a glimpse at what’s cookin’ this year:

• Krispy Kreme Chicken Ice Cream Sandwich: Fried chicken. Doughnuts. Ice cream. Together. Chicken Charlie’s has cracked the code on how to have your dinner and dessert at the same time.

• Peanut Butter Meatballs: Once again, Chicken Charlie’s marries two foods that, in theory, don’t mesh, but in practice apparently do.

• Fried Pineapple With Ice Cream: Another Chicken Charlie’s treat – fried, of course.

• Beignets on a Stick: Because everything’s better on a stick.

• Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus: Bacon-A-Fair is all about bacon, all the time. But with this treat, you can also eat your veggies.

• Bacon-Wrapped Cactus: Another green-meets-bacon creation.

• Maui Cowboy Burger: This dish from Grantburger keeps in line with the fair’s Wild Wild West Theme, combining an Angus beef patty with cheese, fried SPAM, marinated veggies, lettuce and spicy sauce.

• Cowboy Pastrami: Another fair theme dish, this time from Grinders, featuring pastrami, barbeque pork, onions and cheese.

• Sloppy Chicken: Also from Grinders, combining chicken, chili, onions and cheese.

• Jalapeño Popper and Bacon Grilled Cheese: From the comfort food king, Grilled Cheese A-Fair, this treat is loaded with Applewood smoked bacon, crispy jalapeño cream cheese poppers, double cheddar cheese and chipotle aioli on grilled sourdough bread.

• Deep-Fried Octopus: Found at Reno’s Fish and Chips, an alternative to the more traditional fried seafood dishes.

• Smoked Brisket Nachos: These nachos – with hickory, alder and oak-smoked ingredients – hail from a new restaurant at the fair, Iron Skillet and Smoke.

• Sarsaparilla Float: A sweet treat, also from Iron Skillet and Smoke

• Wild Wild West Drinks: The fair’s hidden speakeasy, The Jade Peacock, will be pouring themed drinks for the 21+ crowd.

• Nitro Pop Popcorn: Candy popcorn infused with nitrogen, available at the Candy Factory.

• Into the Sunset: A craft beer brewed in partnership with Mike Hess Brewing, just for the fair. It’s a special blood orange IPA brewed with two-row, Vienna and wheat malts and a combination of centennial, citra, nugget and simcoe hops.

• Rooty Tooty: The fair’s signature cocktail of 2017 blends sarsaparilla and Captain Morgan Spiced Rum. It’s available for the 21+ crowd at the Painted Pony Saloon inside the theme exhibit or at the Into the Sunset Bar on the Main Avenue.

The San Diego County Fair runs from June 2 through July 4 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. It’s closed the first four Mondays and the first three Tuesdays of the season. The fair is the largest annual event in San Diego County, and one of the top 10 fairs in the U.S. and Canada, drawing more than 1.6 million visitors every year.

NBC 7 will be there on opening day, getting a closer look at this year's fried and flavorful fare. We'll share those photos with you next week!

The San Diego County Fair is chock-full of music, food and fun. Here are a few different ways that you can make sense of your dollars at the fair, which runs from June 2 to July 4 (closed dates: June 5-6, 12-13, 19-20 & 26).

The Best Pass Ever (Season Pass)
Entry to all 26 days of the fair for $26 dollars. It's that simple. Purchase the Best Pass Ever online through July 3, or at any San Diego County Vons or Albertsons grocery store through June 1. You can also pick them up in person at the fairgrounds box office at the O'Brien Gate.

Passport to Savings Booklet
Save on fair food, entertainment, rides, games and shopping, and get bargain deals on food and entertainment outside of the fair in the San Diego area. The Passport to Savings booklet also includes a free return ticket. You can buy them inside the fair for $5, or online for $4.

Unlimited Rides Wristband
For $38, you can gain unlimited access to Fun Zone and Kids Zone rides for a day. Wristbands can be purchased online or at Fun Zone and Kids Zone ticket booths inside the fair, and are only valid on Pay One Price days.
You can view a list of all rides here.

Admission-Ride Value Pack
This value pack includes four tickets, a Passport to Savings coupon book voucher, 20 ride coupons, four 2-for-1 medium soft drink coupons and a parking pass for $74. Value Packs can be purchased online through June 1, or at the fairgrounds box office.

Ride Lovers' Pack
Who doesn't love fair rides? Devoted riders can get 50 ride coupons along with an admission ticket and a 2-for-1 medium soft drink coupon for $45. Ride Lovers' Packs can be purchased online through June 1, or at the fairgrounds box office.

Ride Coupon Sheets & Game Coupon Sheets
Pick up 25 ride coupons for $16, or 20 game coupons for $12. Both sheets are sold online only through June 1. Single ride coupons cost 75 cents, and most rides require 3-10 coupons. Sheets of 12 ride coupons are sold for $9 and sheets of 28 are sold for $20.

Fair Tripper Combo Package
This great package includes round-trip fare on a bus, train or trolley to a COASTER station, a COASTER ride to the Solana Beach station, a bus ride from the station to the west gate and adult admission. The Fair Tripper, limited to just North County Transit District (NCTD) trains and buses, is available for $20. The Region Plus Fair Tripper includes fare for MTS buses and trolleys, as well as the COASTER connection, and is available for $24.

You can purchase the Fair Tripper through the Compass Cloud mobile app or at NCTD ticket machines.

Children 5 years old and younger ride NCTD transit for free and are not charged fair admission.

Same-Day Ticket Discount
Save $4 on fair admission by presenting a same-day transit ticket or Compass Card at the West Gate only.

Military Free Day
Military ID card holders (active duty, reservists, retirees, dependents and DoD employees) can pick up two free tickets for Opening Day, June 2 at base ticket offices.

Albertsons & Vons $5 Fair Days
You can get admission into the fair for just 20 quarters on June 2, 3 and June 7 when you buy these specially-priced tickets sold only at San Diego CountyAlbertsons and Vons stores.

You can also save $3 on single-day adult admission, and senior and child single-day tickets on non $5 days when you purchase tickets at Albertsons or Vons.

College Day
School is out and the fair is calling. College students can present a school photo ID at the fair box office for $10 admission and savings on rides on June 9.

Toyota Dealers 2 for 1
Stop by a San Diego County Toyota dealership and get a 2-for-1 adult admission ticket coupon and save $18. Two-for-one tickets are valid any weekday the fair is open.

Group Ticket Sales
Groups can Choose from more than 15 different ticket options including unlimited admission tickets, and tickets for the fair's wine, beer and cocktail festivals. Check out all of the group ticket options here.

Get great deals on admission when you order online for 20 guests or more. Order $1,000 or more in group tickets at least three weeks prior to the start of the fair and receive two complimentary Del Mar Thoroughbred Club summer race meet tickets.

Unemployed Day
The San Diego County Fair is offering those currently without employment a chance to come to the fair for free on June 14. Present a current EBT card or form (dated no earlier than July 1, 2016) at the will call booth at the O'Brien Gate for two free tickets.

School and Staff Appreciation Day
Receive four $5 admission vouchers to the fair when you present your school employee ID, teaching credentials or pay stub at any San Diego Mission Federal Credit Union branch starting June 1. School Staff Appreciation Days are June 16, June 23 and June 30.

Join a Contest
Kids and teens entered in any of the fair's Creative Youth cooking or craft contests, and adults participating in any Home &Hobby contests get free admission to the fair. Click the links for a full list of adult and kids contests.

Groupon Deals
Visit Groupon for limited-availability ticket deals and entertainment discounts.

O'Reilly's Auto Parts Weekday Admission Discount
Get two adult admission coupons for $24 at O'Reilly's Auto Parts stores in the county while supplies last. Find an O'Reilly's near you.

Metro PCS Sunday Concert Savings
Interested in any of the fair's Dia de la Familia Sunday concerts? You can pick up a $10 savings coupon for reserved seats at any county metro PCS store and redeem them at the fair's box office or through ticketmaster.

Discounts Just for Kids

Kids' Day
All children age 12 and under are admitted on the house on Kids' Day, June 27. Children age 6 to 12 are admitted to the fair on all other days for $11.

Reading Certificate Discount
Kids 12 and under can read 10 books, certified by a teacher or librarian, and bring their certificate on any day of the fair and get free admission.

Kids' Meal Deal
Several food vendors at the fair will offer an entree, side dish and soft drink to kids for $5.99. Look for Kids' Meal Deal signs at food booths inside the fair.

The San Diego County Fair will be back at the Del Mar Fairgrounds starting June 2 through July 4. This year the fair will embrace the wild, Wild West. There will be a Toyota Summer Concert Series, wine festival, beer festival, wood working and agricultural attractions, rides and a fine art exhibit.

You can either buy your tickets online or at the Del Mar Fairgrounds Box Office at the O’Brien Gate. For fair mega-fans, you may buy the Best Pass Ever, which is a season pass that is valid all 26 days of the fair for just $26. The fair has many fun rides and activities in the Fun Zone and Kids Zone, and Pay-One- Price Ride Days allow you to ride as many rides as you want for only $38 on select Wednesdays and Thursdays.

With the purchase of a San Diego Country Fair ticket, you get free admission to the live musical performances put on by the Toyota Summer Concert Series, with performances by artists such as Lauren Alaina and Sundance Head, Aleo Blacc, Toby Keith, Switchfoot, and many more. You may also purchase a seat-specific ticket for the concerts if you wish to have a reserved seat. Stand-up comedian and host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, will be performing at the fair grounds on June 27 at 7:30 P.M.

Festivals and special events will also be taking place at the fair. From June 16 – June 18, the San Diego International Beer Festival will hold the largest beer festival on the west coast.

General admission (GA) tickets are $55 or $65, depending on the session you would like to attend. GA includes admission to the beer festival, unlimited 1-ounce samplings with your souvenir tasting glass, and admission to the San Diego County Fair. For the extreme beer lovers, you may purchase a VIP Lounge ticket for $100, which includes unlimited 6-ounce samplings, special lounge areas and VIP food stations.

If you are someone that enjoys contests and competitions, the fair will have events such as floral design contests, trivia contests and Battle of the Bands. For those looking for fun contests to participate in, you might try your hand at corn husking, watermelon seed spitting, best animal noises, bubble gum blowing, and family lookalike contest.

Head on over to the San Diego County Fair this summer to see all the attractions, concerts and festivals the Wild West has to offer.

The parents of a New Jersey man who died after a fatal fall during an alcohol-fueled hazing ritual at a Penn State fraternity house are urging the university’s board of trustees “to admit responsibility so that the University can move forward.”

James and Evelyn Piazza, whose son Tim died two days after being found unconscious in the Beta Theta Pi fraternity house on Feb. 2, penned a scathing letter to the trustees ahead of a Friday board meeting.

Penn State trustees are meeting with attorneys from the school behind closed to discuss student safety measures and “changes in the University’s relationships with Greek life organizations.” The governing body is scheduled to hold a public hearing at 1 p.m.

In their letter dated May 31, Piazza's parents slammed Penn State for what they said was the university’s enabling of "a long history of harsh hazing, excessive drinking and sexual assaults in its Greek Life.”

"Our son died on your watch because of ignorance and denial by Penn State. Yes, he died at the hands of Men who had no regard for human life, but that behavior was fostered and accepted at Penn State for a long time."

The Piazzas vowed in their four-page letter to fight for changes in laws against hazing in Pennsylvania and nationally. But in the meantime, they wrote, Penn State should act.

“The University must introduce strict policies and procedures for existence and interaction of Greek Life and must put into place means in which to monitor and strictly enforce such policies and procedures,” they wrote, urging the board to "do the right things, not the popular things to appease a small group of alumni."

Eighteen members of the fraternity have been charged with Tim Piazza’s death, including some who face involuntary manslaughter convictions.

The scene depicted in the criminal complaint of the night and early morning hours that led to the 19-year-old's death are chilling. It tells of an alcohol-fueled evening in which young men allegedly stood around and watched a former standout athlete from Lebanon, New Jersey, fall several times and eventually pass out on the floor.

Some frat members even allegedly prevented others from calling 911.

“Our son died on your watch. We will never see him again because of the Administrations failures to protect him and turning a blind eye to known problems,” the Piazzas wrote. “You now have an obligation to make the appropriate statements and changes to make sure this never happens again. The world is watching.”

In a statement early Friday, Penn State called Tim's death a "horriffic tragedy" and said the university has already begun to take "aggressive" action to address student safety.

"Our deepest sympathies continue to go out to the Piazza family. This was a horrific tragedy and our focus is on reaching solutions to the complex issues of hazing, dangerous drinking and other misconduct that plague fraternities here and around the country," the statement read. "University leaders have taken aggressive actions to date and they will meet tomorrow to discuss additional measures to advance student safety."

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Police confiscated 60 automatic rifles found in a cargo shipment Thursday at Rio de Janeiro's international airport, Brazilian authorities said.

The weapons were discovered in a container along with pool heaters in the cargo section of Galeao International Airport. Four people were arrested, and a Brazilian citizen is being investigated in Miami, where the shipment originated, officials said.

Police showed off the haul, which included AK-47s and AR-15s, at a news conference.

Rio State Security Secretary Roberto Sa said 250 automatic rifles in all have been confiscated the last five months in the state. Valued at over $1.2 million, he called the latest seizure as "the biggest in 10 years" in the state of Rio.

Authorities said they began investigating arms smuggling in 2015 after tracing the origin of a weapon used in the killing of a military police officer in the São Gonçalo neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro.

The probe unveiled a massive international scheme to buy military grade firearms, investigators said.

"This is a serious blow to these criminal organizations, to this international arms dealer," said Fabricio Oliveira, the head of the Brazilian Bureau of Firearms and Explosives. "Some details of the investigation are being kept confidential, as the investigations continue. This is only the beginning."

Police representatives said they planned to use the seized weapons, noting Rio state is struggling under budgetary constraints. Rio authorities declared a state of public calamity a year ago and have struggled to pay the salaries of the public sector ever since, including police.

The city of Rio de Janeiro, which hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics, has long struggled with violence. Heavily armed drug traffickers control many slums and shootouts are frequent.

A family in Oceanside, including a child and an infant, suffered smoke inhalation Friday morning when a fire ripped through their apartment.

The Oceanside Fire Department (OFD) said a bystander called firefighters just after 9 a.m. to report flames coming from a unit along the 200 block of Douglas Drive. That bystander then rushed into the apartment to help the residents get out.

OFD Battalion Chief Greg de Avila said crews were able to quickly knock out the fire. A mother and her kids living in the apartment were all taken to local hospitals for smoke inhalation.

Avila said the fire started in the kitchen, likely while someone was cooking. It caused significant damage to the home, including charred countertops and cabinets in the kitchen.

Nearby apartments were evacuated as crews battled the fire.

Firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading to other units in the apartment building.

Upstairs neighbor Ryan Kelly said another neighbor called him at work to tell him about the fire. He rushed home to check on his dog and his apartment. Kelly was grateful his home was unscathed but felt bad for the downstairs neighbors.

“My place is safe upstairs, but it looks like the place down here is pretty done for,” he said.

Crews remained at the scene mopping up hot spots. Firefighters were able to pull some of the kids’ toys out of the apartment.

No further details were released.

Mayor Kevin Faulconer has proposed that San Diegans vote on the Soccer City plan in a special election this November.

"I think it's very clear that there's an opportunity now to move forward," said Faulconer.

The mayor makes this proposal in light of a recent surge in anti-Soccer City sentiment. San Diego State University has distanced itself from the plan.

SDSU released a statement in mid-May that the school is no longer involved with the Soccer City redevelopment plan.

"A year delay puts in jeopardy all the benefits the city is going to get. That is not in the best interest of San Diego," said Faulconer.

Developers from Soccer City will host five open house meetings starting on Monday to answer questions from the public.

The mayor is making an effort to garner more support for the Soccer City redevelopment plan. Faulconer would also like to raise a hotel tax to fund the Convention Center's expansion.

If the City of San Diego holds a special election this year rather than waiting until next year, this will cost the city up to $5 million in additional expenses.

A man accused in the beating and strangulation death of his 71-year-old father in the victim's Rancho Santa Fe home is set to appear in court Friday afternoon.

Leighton Dorey IV, 39, is suspected in the killing of his father, Leighton Dorey III.

On Tuesday, the elder Dorey was found dead inside the family's sprawling home on La Brisa. The victim's wife called 911 after returning home from running errands to find her husband dead.

According to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO), the victim suffered extensive wounds to his head, chest, and neck. His cause of death, per SDSO Lt. Kenn Nelson, was strangulation and blunt force trauma.

The victim's son was captured in Riverside County Wednesday and arrested in connection with his father's killing. Nelson said physical evidence and witness statements led investigators to suspect the younger Dorey.

Until recently, the suspect had been living outside of the U.S. A social media post from April showed him enjoying a ski tour in the Chamonix Mountains of France.

Jeff Weston, who had employed the elder Dorey as a remote, contract coder for his Orange County-based company over the past four years, told NBC 7 earlier this week that there was always “some stress” between the father and his son.

The tension may have been centered, in part, on financial issues. Weston said the younger Dorey left France recently and returned to the United States to look for work.

The victim’s friend and neighbor, Roger Lindland, described the elder Dorey as “a joy to be around,” and a thoughtful, stand-up man. Lindland called the killing a tragedy.

He said the victim never talked about his relationship with his son.

The motive for the murder remains unknown.

San Diego law enforcement agencies plan to have officers and K9 units out in full force this weekend keeping the crowds safe at the 20th Annual San Diego Rock 'n' Roll Marathon.

Officers and K9s from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will be doing explosives and firearms sweeps along race routes.

Security will be tight for the Rock ‘n’ Roll race, with agencies such as the FBI, San Diego Fire Rescue’s Bomb Squad, explosive specialists, K9 handlers and hazmat personnel manning the areas around the big race in downtown San Diego.

Officials say K9s can detect thousands of combinations of explosives, which will be helpful in seeking out any potential dangers present at the race.

Brooks Jacobson, Special Agent with the ATF says that K9 Cassie, ATF specialist, will be among the K9s out in full force at the race.

“We will be working with the San Diego Metro Arson Strike Team (MAST), as well as a joint hazardous assessment team, which has the disciplines in that group to detect and mitigate any type of device or hazardous material,” Jacobson told NBC 7.

Jacobson says Cassie will sit, alerting officers if she finds a suspicious item.

Despite tight security measures at the race, Jacobson encourages attendees and spectators to still be aware of their surroundings and, if they see something out of place, say something.

“They should be aware of anything out of place,” Jacobson said. “[They should] come get a team, there will be multiple teams out there. We can look through [the issue] and keep everybody safe. That’s our primary goal.”

Some of Bill Cosby's accusers plan to be at the courthouse in the suburbs of Philadelphia on Monday where he will be on trial for allegedly drugging and molesting Andrea Constand.

The trial is seen as a broader reckoning by many of the 50-plus others whose stories emerged in a cascade of interviews, press conferences and lawsuits in 2014 and 2015 accusing Cosby of sexually assaulting them.

Victoria Valentino and Therese Serignese, two of the many accusers, booked an Airbnb five minutes from the courthouse and ordered buttons emblazoned with a gladiola and these words: "We Stand in Truth."

Cosby, 79, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Constand. He and his attorneys have suggested race, money or revenge might have fueled claims that began piling up a decade before they erupted into a full-blown scandal.

A beautiful photo of kayaks on Otay Lake at sunrise will be featured on a billboard on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights after winning a social media contest dubbed #ThisIsChula.

The #THISisChula contest was held over social media, where the public was invited to post a photo using the hashtag on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with a recognizable Chula Vista image that would then be featured on a billboard.

The ad campaign is meant to remind the public about the beauty the city has to offer and correct any misconceptions about the City of Chula Vista.

Submissions, posted between May 5-16, were reviewed by a panel of judges who selected the following winners:

Ed Banaña won the Grand Prize with the gorgeous Otay Lakes photo that will grace Adams Avenue.

For a tie, second place winners include Eddie Flores, who shot a photo of the Chula Vista Marina at sunset, and John T. Taylor, with a photo titled "Drone over Aquatica." Flores and Taylor won a VIP concert package at the Mattress Firm Amphitheatre.

Third place went to Ernesto Rivera, who snapped the J Street Marina at sunset. Rivera won a Family Four Pack to Aquatica.

Fourth place winners Pedro Anaya and Michelle Levy won a family package to Living Coast Discovery Center. Anaya’s photo was dubbed "Danza Azteca," while Levy’s featured Otay Lake.

The City of Chula Vista's new Explore Chula Vista website will feature all of the winning images.

Since the campaign was launched, more than 12 million impressions have been made on social media, advertising and the website.

Security personnel are responding to a bomb threat at Naval Base Coronado at the Naval Air Station North Island Friday, confirmed naval security.

The threat came through a phone call to the gym at the Naval Air Station at about 1:10 p.m., according to naval security.

The incident was reported at the VADM Martin Fitness Center. Naval security officials say the public should steer clear of the area. NASNI gates remain open at the moment to public access.

An investigation is underway.

No further information was immediately available.

Check back on this developing story for updates.

Bella Bond's mother testified Friday in the trial of her daughter's accused killer, describing in graphic detail how her then boyfriend punched the 2-year-old in the stomach and then stuffed her body in a duffel bag so he could dispose of it.

Michael McCarthy, 37, is accused of killing Bella Bond in 2015 in the Dorchester apartment he shared with the girl's mother. Rachelle Bond pleaded guilty in February to being an accessory after the fact for helping McCarthy dispose of the young girl's body after he allegedly beat her to death.

Bond said in court Friday that she and McCarthy were watching a movie on TV on the night Bella died. Her daughter got out of bed two or three times, and eventually McCarthy went to to put her back to bed.[[425986024, C]]

"I didn't think he'd hurt her," Bond said, choking back tears. "I thought it would be all right."

After a few minutes, she said she went into her daughter's bedroom to see if McCarthy needed help.

"He punched her in the stomach," she said. "I just saw her bounce off the bed. She bounced up and came back down... I think I yelled, 'What the [expletive] did you do?'"[[425476094, C]]

She said she grabbed her daughter, who wasn't breathing, and attempted to give her CPR. "Her head was swollen and gray," Bond said.

Bond also described Friday how McCarthy disposed of her daughter's body, placing the young girl in a duffel bag and driving her to the waterfront.

She said she told McCarthy, "You [expletive] killed her," and he replied, "It was her time to die. She was a demon."

Bond also testified Friday about her drug use and criminal history, saying she has used marijuana, heroin and crack cocaine at various times. She also revealed that she sold drugs and resorted to prostitution to get by on the streets.

She spoke of how she and McCarthy would do heroin together with Bella in the apartment with them. But she said she was still able to parent Bella, even while on heroin.

"She was always happy...," Bond said. "She was a pretty happy child."

Earlier on Friday, McCarthy's older brother, Joseph McCarthy Jr., testified about his brother's struggles with drug addiction and his interactions with Bella and her mother.

He said he last saw Bella in the third week of May 2015, about a month before her body was found washed ashore on Deer Island.

McCarthy Jr. described her as a "happy, well-adjusted" child. He said she always had clothes on, was not disheveled, bruised or abused, and "always had food."

Also on Friday, McCarthy's friend Michael Sprinsky wrapped up his testimony, describing the close relationship the two once had. It was his second day on the stand.

Sprinsky testified on Wednesday that McCarthy had an interest in the occult and "thought that he could remove demons from people's houses," and that McCarthy claimed he "had abilities to rid people of evil spirits."

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"I've known Mike for a long time and he gets into these moods where there's a lot of dark stuff," Sprinksy had said. "Talking about evil spirits, talking about demons."

The defense has argued that it was Bond, and not McCarthy, who had an obsession with demons and spirituality. The defense added that Bond's testimony should not be believed because she had lied about her daughter's whereabouts after her death.

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Harriette Thompson, 94, is about to set yet another record Sunday at the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in San Diego, as the oldest woman to run a half marathon.

"I never thought I would still be here!" exclaimed Thompson Friday.

Thompson broke the world record in 2015, at 92, as the oldest woman to complete a full marathon.

Thompson said she runs to raise money for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Through the years, she has raised $100,000 for the organization:$15,000 just this year.

She said her secret to a healthy life at her age is, of course, exercise on a regular basis and a balanced diet. Though, she said it is hard for her to resist sugar.

"I might have to reward myself after the race with an ice cream cone," she said with a smile.

Thompson was joined by her son at the San Diego convention center Friday, where she gave a speech thanking participants for giving back to cancer research.

Thompson is also a two-time cancer survivor.

A suspect left with an undisclosed amount of money after robbing a restaurant in Ocean Beach Friday.

The suspect presented a note to a clerk at the Daybreak Island Grill near Dog Beach and demanded cash around 12:30 p.m.

After being threatened, the clerk gave the suspect the cash from the cash register and he left in an unknown direction.

He is described as in his 30s, 5-foot 5, with a thin build. He was reportedly wearing a blue

fisherman's hat, a red long sleeve shirt and shorts. Robbery Detectives are handling the investigation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, in an exclusive interview with NBC News' Megyn Kelly, insisted that hackers who interfered in the U.S. presidential election could have come from "anywhere" and then they could have made it look like Russia was responsible.

Putin found himself on the defensive Friday when asked by Kelly to explain his earlier claim that private "patriotic" hackers could have interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Megyn Kelly's interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin airs Sunday at 7 p.m. EST during the premiere of "Sunday Night with Megyn Kelly" on NBC.

Some shareholders called for Facebook to produce an annual report detailing what it has been doing to thwart fake news at the company's annual shareholder meeting on Thursday; however, the idea was put to a vote that did not pass.

Natasha Lamb of Arjuna Capital spoke at the meeting, pointing out that investors "seek assurance" that Facebook is doing all it can to responsibly handle the fake news pandemic.

Instead of passing the vote, Zuckerberg -- who controls the majority of voting shares -- pointed to steps Facebook has already taken to stop the spread of fake news.

Facebook has tweaked its algorithm to better understand if a story is disputed, weighting it less in a user's News Feed. The company has also started working with third-party fact checking organizations to help label stories if they are disputed.