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

Political Tension Intensifies at City Hall

0
0

After a divisive week at San Diego City Hall, council members are working to move forward as yet another controversial issue looms.

On Monday, the council will decide the fate of the Soccer City redevelopment project.

That discussion will follow a tumultuous political climate that culminated Tuesday. Democratic council members publically blasted Mayor Kevin Faulconer during a failed vote to override his budget veto. The veto included Faulconer's decision to reallocate money from several council districts.

“Actively choosing to punish and target other elected officials, their districts, their communities, for disagreeing with you Mayor Faulconer is something you’d expect from President Trump or even from someone like previous Mayor Filner,” said District 8 Councilmember David Alvarez at the council meeting Tuesday.

“We must be mindful that any one of us can be a target of such deliberate retaliation. This sets a precedent for the future,” said District 3 Councilmember Chris Ward. His district lost $362,957 dollars after the veto.

District 1 councilmember Barbara Bry saw $311,838 taken from her district.

“With the mayor’s action, the message is that civic dialogue is over. Transparent debate has no place. And council docket and discussion is a farce,” said Bry, during the meeting.

A day later, Bry stood strong and spoke of moving forward while expressing her disappointment.

“At this point, I’d like to make sure we repair the human interactions and the relationships and I think that’s what is most important,” said Bry.

Councilman Chris Cate said he supported the mayor’s action to send the reallocated money toward public safety. He called the recent bipartisan disagreements rare.

“My hope is that we can move forward and start doing the business of the city in a way that folks and residents expect of us,” said Cate.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

SDUSD Change in Email Retention Policy Sparks Controversy

0
0

Beginning July 1, the San Diego Unified School District has announced it will no longer keep emails longer than six months and employees are responsible for retaining any emails that need to be saved on a local computer drive. 

The change, according to the district, is part of a long-term strategy to save money and is in preparation of putting out a request for proposal (RFP) for new servers this fall. SDUSD’s Executive Director of Internet Technology, Greg Ottinger, could not provide an exact number of what the cost savings would be but said he expects it to be in the millions.

According to Ottinger, the district fields more than 60 million emails a year, which he said is “exceptional” for a district the size of San Diego Unified.

“We store data about where we are going to go to lunch later with the same protocols as a parent concerned,” Ottinger said. “Unless we make a change, we’re going to have to spend significantly more taxpayer dollars on bigger and bigger storage pieces versus redirecting those dollars toward the classroom.”

In San Diego, the release of emails has helped shed light on illegal activities, including the investigation into the actions of now former SDUSD board member Marne Foster.

In December of 2015, the district launched an investigation into Foster who was accused of abuse of power. The San Diego County District Attorney’s office also investigated. Ultimately, Foster pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and as part of the plea deal resigned from the school board.

“In fact, Marne Foster was indicted in large part because of PRAs,” local attorney Felix Tinkov, who has sued the district for access to public records, said. “Having the public have the opportunity to know how the government operates in a transparent fashion is important.”

Tinkov said the Foster case is a good example of why it is important to keep records for an extended period of time and the district’s new policy is a transparency problem in the making.

“What it really does is simply shrinks that down to a six month period and that's a real problem,” Tinkov said.

Currently, any member of the public can ask for information, like emails under what is called the California Public Records Act. It is used to hold the government and it employees and entities acting on its behalf accountable.

Other public agencies in San Diego have taken steps to change their retention policies regarding emails. The policies vary from agency to agency with some keeping emails for a few months and others for two years.

Under the district's new policy, e-mails will be permanently deleted after six months unless they are flagged by employees to be saved. Other documents produced by the district, like student records, budgets and business operations will continue to be saved permanently as required under the California Education Code.

Section 35253 of that code, does provide “the governing board of the district” to destroy records according to regulations the Superintendent puts in place if the destruction of the records is not prohibited by law. 

According to the district, it will be giving employees guidelines about what to save to their local drives and what to delete through new administrative procedures that will be implemented on July 1. Those procedures will then be ratified by the School Board at a public meeting shortly after, according to the district.

A representative with the teachers union told NBC 7 Investigates it understands the district’s need to make a policy change, but it would prefer the emails be kept for one year rather than six months. The representative also said the union would like the policy to take effect in September rather than July providing teachers more time to adjust to the change, especially given many will be on summer break.

in addition to relieving the burden on the district’s servers, the email retention policy change is also going to help increase its response time to public records requests by eliminating the need to search through all of them, according to the district.

Click here to read the full statement from SDUSD.

As outlined in an email from the SDUSD IT department, right now, “emails are searchable and may be accessed for several years after they have been sent/read/deleted.”

Under the new policy, according to the department, “emails will be permanently deleted from the system after six months.”

Right now, according to the IT department email, “employees must delete email items and empty the trash for email to be permanently deleted.”

With the new policy, “emails will not longer be available after six months,” the IT email reads.

“If we lose those records, we lose all the insight into what happens into employee relations,” Tinkov said. “We lose insight into parent-teacher relations, student and teacher interaction, all those things are kept in emails that are maybe a little informally written but they are still chock full of information for the public.”

2 Illegal Pot Shops Shut Down in SDPD Crackdown

0
0

San Diego police seized 25 pounds of pot, 2000 edibles and concentrated cannabis, as well as $17,000 from a illegal marijuana dispensary in Pacific Beach Wednesday.

San Diego police say the Seeweed Club has been operating as a marijuana dispensary behind the McDonalds, on the 1100 block of Hornblend Street.

Three employees were arrested and cited for operating a business without a license to sell marijuana at about 1 p.m.

On Tuesday, police searched another illegal marijuana dispensary on the 2000 block of University Avenue in North Park.

While searching the place at around 1 p.m., SDPD officers seized 50 pounds of pot, 3000 edibles and concentrated cannabis, eight vials of PCP and $5,000. Four employees were arrested at the scene.

Two of those employees were cited for operating an illegal marijuana dispensary. Police say the owner was booked into jail for illegally selling marijuana and operating a business without a license. A fourth employee was booked into jail for similar charges as well as the felony possession of PCP drugs.

Another illegal marijuana dispensary was shut down in La Mesa recently.

In a crackdown, police have closed 60 illegal marijuana dispensaries since March 2016 in San Diego. Police say this has been a joint effort between San Diego police and the City Attorney’s Office.

Dozens of property owners and operators have been fined, criminally charged and prosecuted for selling marijuana illegally without a permit, said police.

Police are also cracking down on illegal pot delivery services, marijuana farmers markets, marijuana “tours” and other illegal activity in the City of San Diego.

They warn that anyone involved with these businesses will be arrested and fully prosecuted.



Photo Credit: Getty Images

'They Don't Go Away': Sheriff Discusses Cold Cases

0
0

After a man's murder in Lemon Grove was solved 31 years later, San Diego Sheriff Bill Gore explained how rapid advancements in DNA testing has helped solve cases in ways that used to be unfathomable.

“Before it was from your blood or semen, you think of the violent crimes, now we’re solving a lot of property crimes by getting DNA from the steering wheel of a stolen car, from a finger print on a broken window, that type of thing," said Gore.

With modern technology, it's now possible for law enforcement to look back at cases that span decades and discover new DNA samples, in areas that weren't accessible before.

A few decades ago, Gore said they would not have even considered getting DNA from some of the places they can now.

In November 2004, voters passed Proposition 69, the "DNA Fingerprint, Unsolved Crime and Innocence Protection Act,' that allowed police to collect DNA samples from suspects arrested in California. Gore explained how that new legislation has greatly expanded their database of DNA.

“When we started at our database in California, known DNA specimens were about a quarter of a million. Now it’s about two and a half million," said Gore.

“You match that new technology, that ability to get new DNA from smaller and smaller specimens with a big database to compare it against and you start solving these old cases," said Gore.

Still, regardless of how advanced the technology has become, Gore reminded NBC 7 that it wouldn't be possible to crack all these cases without hard work and dedication.

“You can’t say enough about the cold case homicide team that we have, that takes the time to go through these old files," said Gore.

Just because a case hasn't been solved for decades doesn't mean the suspect won't ever be caught.

“These homicide cases unsolved, they don’t go away, we don’t close them and put them aside," added Gore. "And now we have the manpower to go through and start doggedly going through these old cases, looking at maybe incomplete, and investigations that wasn’t done.”

“It’s a matter of a lot of elbow grease from a lot of really good detectives and using the technology we have at our fingertips now," said Gore.

Car Flips Over in Downtown San Diego

Carlsbad PD Arrest Man for Communicating With Minor for Sex

0
0

A walk-on coach and instructional assistant at the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) was arrested on suspicion of communicating with a minor for sex, according to the Carlsbad Police Department.

Jeremy Osso, 36, a Costa Mesa resident, was a defensive coordinator for the varsity football team at University High School. He also served as an instructional assistant at Irvine High School, according to IUSD.

Osso was arrested Wednesday morning by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), which includes the Carlsbad Police Department.

He is suspected of communicating with a minor for sex, sending harmful matter to a minor, attempted solicitation of child pornography and burglary.

According to Carlsbad police, Osso came under scrutiny while detectives were conducting an online task force operation in May of this year.

He was placed on unpaid administrative leave by the school district, police said.

The district sent out a statement regarding the incident, which read, in part:

IUSD has been informed by the Carlsbad Police Department that Mr. Osso’s communications were with ICAC taskforce members, there is no indication Irvine Unified students are involved. IUSD has placed Mr. Osso on unpaid administrative leave while the police conduct a thorough investigation. The Irvine Unified School District’s number one priority is the safety and wellbeing of our students. We have zero tolerance for any behavior that does not support our values, our commitment to integrity, and our service to students. Effective immediately, Mr. Osso will no longer coach or have contact with students at University or Irvine high schools or through any Irvine Unified school. IUSD takes these allegations very seriously and will continue to work closely with the ICAC and the Carlsbad Police Department as they move forward with the investigation.

Anyone with information regarding Osso is asked to call the Carlsbad Police Department.

Osso will be booked into the Vista Detention Facility. His bail has been set at $100,000.

ICAC is comprised of 61 coordinated task forces from more than 3,500 federal, state, and local enforcement and prosecutorial agencies.



Photo Credit: Getty Images, File

Local Law Enforcement Training Focuses on Active Shooters

0
0

Local law enforcement agencies have changed their training drills over the years--especially after recent mass shootings across the nation.

Active shooter training and responding to terrorist attacks is a part of a new reality for officers and first responders, said Chris Heiser, Deputy Chief for the San Diego and Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD).

"It's a topic of discussion I would say daily amongst crews," Heiser told NBC 7.

A topic more relevant, especially after an active shooter incident back in April when 49-year-old Peter Raymond Selis opened fire at a pool area inside a La Jolla apartment complex, killing one person and injuring seven others.

Heiser added that any event with a gathering of a large group of people is now seen through a different lens.

"We started a number of years ago, really gearing up for these types of events and we continue to move in that direction," Heiser said.

Training drills now include responding to an active shooting incident in an open space and closed settings--such as the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, FL last year.

“One of the things you look at is, what's the reasonable threat," said Heiser. "What we've done in San Diego County is, we took the best practices and standards."

San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman says although they train for an active shooter incident, they hope it never happens.

"The advice that we give people is run, get away from the shooter, get away from what is happening and if you can't do that, then hide," Zimmerman said. "If you can hide, see if you can help to barricade, maybe if you're in a room to give you more protection."

San Diego County has a policy in place to make sure all law enforcement agencies and first responders are on the same page in case of such incidents.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Family Remembers Loving Father Killed in 4S Ranch Car Crash

0
0

The family of a man killed in a crash in 4S Ranch says he was a hard-working and kind man.

Israel Robles, 33, was one of six people killed in five crashes across San Diego County over a 15-hour span this week.

Robles was just getting off of work when his car crashed early Tuesday morning on Camino del Norte in 4S Ranch.  Emergency crews found Robles in his car, crashed into a tree. 

His family told NBC 7, he worked the overnight shift stocking at Jerome's Furniture just around the corner from where the crash happened.

His sister, Samaria Robles said she is in shock.

"He was a very hard-working person, a very honest man. He left too soon," she said.

Robles was the oldest of four in a very close family and their parents instilled good values from the very start, Samaria told NBC 7.

"They were always there for us. We never saw bad examples--from there, I think, that's where he got it from," she said. 

She added those values were brought into his own family with his wife and four children.

Samaria said his children were his pride and joy.

"They're devastated.  He was a provider for the home. They're just hurt," she said. "Something that wasn't expected," 

Robles' youngest child is just 1-years-old, she told NBC 7.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with funeral costs. Any additional money raised will go to his children. 


Chicano Park Crash Continues to Impact Lives of Community

0
0

Emotions ran high Wednesday during a hearing to determine whether accused DUI driver and U.S. Navy sailor Richard Sepolio will stand trial for a crash in Chicano Park that killed four people. 

Prosecutors said Sepolio was drunk at the time of the crash and was texting before veering off the ramp. His defense attorney argued he was run off the road by another driver.

On Oct. 15, 2016, 25-year-old Sepolio was behind the wheel of his truck when his vehicle plunged 60 feet off the Coronado Bridge transition ramp, landing on a large crowd below in Chicano Park.

In Chicano Park, flowers and candles still mark the place where the crash took the lives of four people--their deaths still making an impact months later. Along with them, a reminder of the date when Sepolio was scheduled to appear in court.

Roberto Ramirez told NBC 7, he brings his young son Joshua to the park just about every week.

But he said the fear of something like that happening again is still there.

"I just pray to God nothing happens down there. There are a lot of kids, innocent kids," Ramirez said.

He added that he lets his son play a safe distance away.

"You never know with traffic up there anything can happen," Ramirez said.

Besides the many families that frequent Chicano Park, it is also home to many in the “low-rider” community.

The clubs responded with fundraisers and other support for the families of the crash victims.

"The fact that it happened at the park, it hit us little closer to home,” club Vice President Jose Romero said.

Romero said he heard the crash from just up the street, where this cruise-in took place Wednesday night.

Tragic as it may be, Romero said the incident brought the community closer together and continues to do so with every day that passes.

"It just makes everybody realize we're family. We're all family here,” he said.

The crash inspired a grassroots for creating barriers on the Coronado Bay Bridget to prevent this from happening again.

So far, no changes have been made to the bridge.

NBC 7 reached out to Caltrans but have not yet heard back.



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Senate Health Care Bill Remains Shrouded in Secrecy

0
0

The Senate is finalizing a health care bill that could affect coverage for millions of Americans and overhaul an industry that makes up one-sixth of the economy.

Only one problem: Almost no one knows what’s in it, NBC News reported.

In a striking break from how Congress normally crafts legislation, the Senate is conducting its negotiations behind closed doors. The process began five weeks ago with a small working group of 13 senators, no women included.

The lack of transparency makes it impossible to evaluate whether there are any significant changes coming to health care. There are no hearings in which the public can watch experts' testimony or where Democrats can offer amendments.



Photo Credit: Getty Images/Mark Wilson

Baseball Shooting: Wounded GOP Staffer Ran for His Life

0
0

The congressional staffer wounded in the shooting at a congressional baseball practice Wednesday morning near Washington, D.C., is out of the hospital and recounting his harrowing experience. 

Zack Barth appeared on the "Today" show with his boss, Rep. Roger Williams, R-Texas, Thursday morning after being discharged from the hospital. He was shot in the calf by gunman James Hodgkinson, but managed to scramble to a dugout, where he hid with Williams and other members of Congress.

"I was pinned down in right field," Barth said. "I was running for my life, got into the dugout. I was bleeding pretty badly but I was really just trying to keep my head down, keep everybody's heads down, and prevent anything from happening."

The members of Congress sheltering in the dugout helped a tourniquet onto Barth's leg, then stayed in the dugout for cover.

"We were just trying to stay alive," added Barth, who said he's doing okay.

Three other people were shot, as well as the gunman, who later died, but things would have been worse if the gunman had figured out how to get past the fence surrounding the field in Alexandria, Virginia, Williams said.

"If he had gotten on the field, we had nowhere to go," Williams said.

He dove head-first into the dugout when the gunfire broke out, having just been hitting ground balls to House Majority Whip Steven Scalise, who remains in critical condition a day after the shooting. 

Hodgkinson died from injuries sustained in a firefight with police. Barth and Williams both credited the Capitol Police officers who were at the field with Scalise for saving their lives. One was shot herself.

"The thin blue line worked. These two officers were fabulous," Williams said.

There were as many as 22 members of Congress at the field for the practice, with the annual Congressional Baseball Game set to be played at Nationals Park at 7 p.m. Thursday, despite the shooting.

"It's the right thing to do and it's the right time to play this game," Williams said. "When America gets punched, America punches back and we'll do that tonight."

Before that, business in the House resumes Thursday, after the leaders of each party gave impassioned statements urging unity after an attack that remains under investigation but appeared politically motivated.

Barth said he's been experiencing that unity.

"The people around here, on both sides of the aisle– we've got a great community up on Capitol Hill, and everyone is lifting me up," he said.



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

Truck Plows Into SUV and Home's Front Yard

0
0

The driver of a pickup truck plowed into an SUV Thursday morning, then crashed in the front yard of a home in Chollas View.

The accident happened around 4:40 a.m. at a home on 47th and C streets.

Witnesses told officers with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) that they saw the two vehicles crash before the pickup truck ended up in the front yard, right up against the home.

One person suffered leg injuries in the crash; a second person was seen walking away from the scene.

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

UPS Gunman Who Killed 3 Had Filed Overtime Grievance

0
0

Investigators raided the home of a United Parcel Service driver who opened fire during a meeting with co-workers at a distribution center in San Francisco, killing three people before fatally shooting himself. 

Police were seen carrying dozens of bags out of Jimmy Lam's apartment in the city's Inner Richmond neighborhood Wednesday afternoon in the hopes of determining what prompted the 38-year-old to shoot three UPS employees.

Lam filed a grievance in March complaining of too much overtime and requesting that the package delivery company relieve him of working extra hours going forward, said Joseph Cilia, an official with a Teamsters Union local that represents UPS workers in San Francisco.

Cilia said it was a routine filing for drivers when they worked 9 1/2 hours more than three times a week.

"The overtime has increased over the years," Cilia said. "So there are quite a few drivers where overtime is expected during Christmas and seems to be more frequent throughout the year than it used to be in past history."

During a Wednesday morning meeting, Lam walked up to driver Benson Louie and shot him. As his co-workers frantically fled the room, he shot Wayne Chan in the back, and then walked up to him and "finished him." Mike Lefiti was fleeing from the building when Lam went out onto the street and shot him, Cilia said witnesses told him.

"It's senseless. I don't understand why," said Cilia. "He always greeted me when I saw him. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Authorities have been digging into Lam's past, confiscating a computer tower among the items they hauled out of the duplex as they search for a motive. Sources told NBC Bay Area that Lam may have been upset with his boss.

At the scene, police seized two guns, including a Mac 10-style machine pistol, and a backpack filled with ammunition and three magazines, sources said. NBC Bay Area has also learned that at least one of the guns found at the scene was unregistered.

It was not clear if any weapons or ammunition were recovered from Lam's home.

Neighbors said they’d seen him around in his uniform, but he usually kept to himself, sometimes smoking out his duplex window.

Lam's only previous brushes with the law involved driving under the influence. He was convicted of DUIs in 2010 and again in 2013, records show.

The shooting occurred the same day a gunman opened fire on Republican lawmakers at a congressional baseball practice in Virginia, wounding U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana and several others.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area

German Carrier Adds Direct Local Flights to Frankfurt

0
0

German airline Lufthansa Group has announced plans to begin new direct service between San Diego and Frankfurt in the summer of 2018.

A statement from the carrier said the local service will be offered five times weekly, with the specific start date and other scheduling information yet to be disclosed. The company said more information will be made available at LH.com.

The new San Diego service was announced as Lufthansa officials said the carrier is also adding new direct flights between Munich and Chicago, and between Munich and Los Angeles, Beijing and Hong Kong.

The local Lufthansa flights will add to what has recently been a growing slate of new offerings to Europe from San Diego International Airport.

German carrier Condor Airlines in May began offering three weekly direct flights to Frankfurt, slated to run through early September; and Swiss carrier Edelweiss Air earlier this month began its twice-weekly service to Zurich, running through November.




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

'White Skittles' for U.K. Pride Month Are Drawing Backlash

0
0

An all-white, limited edition of Skittles sold in the U.K. has ignited internet debate over what some critics are calling a tone-deaf marketing scheme to celebrate LGBT Pride month.

Skittles partnered with British retail chain Tesco for the second year to offer an all-white version of the candy in a black-and-white bag, following the launch of the #onerainbow campaign at London Pride last year.

Ads said that because "only one rainbow matters this pride," the multicolor candy would be going colorless in order to celebrate LGBT Pride month. It's celebrated every year in June—often with rainbow flags.

[[428663413, C]]

This year, some social media critics were not so happy with the brand's all-white campaign, saying the move erases racial diversity within the LGBT community.

[[428663923, C]]

[[428664073, C]]

"Happiness, fun and inclusion are at the heart of who we are," a U.K. spokesperson for Wrigley, the company that makes Skittles, said in a statement. "Any suggestion that this support for Pride is in any way racist is clearly wrong.”

Others still said they appreciated the marketing gesture and that the backlash was undeserved.

[[428664363, C]]

"This campaign allows us to have great fun with our brand while also raising awareness of an important issue," the Wrigley statement said, adding that the campaign allows the Pride rainbow to take center stage.

[[411238565, C]]



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

Pilot Seriously Injured in Blimp Crash Near US Open Course

0
0

A blimp pilot was seriously injured after a crash near a Wisconsin golf course that is hosting the 117th U.S. Open Thursday morning, authorities said. 

The blimp crashed in an open field about a half mile from the Erin Hills golf course at about 11:15 a.m., the U.S. Open said in a statement.

The company Airsign told NBC News that the downed blimp is owned by them. The pilot was airlifted after the crash and is being treated for burns, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

Investigators believe the blimp, which had been in the air for hours, suffered mechanical problems prior to the crash, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said. 

"Pretty sure I just watched the blimp crash at the #USOPEN! Hope everybody is ok!" Twitter user Adam Johnson wrote with a video of the blimp drifting toward the ground. 

"Wow, blimp down. I hope everyone is safe. #USOpen #USGA," Marc Maldoff tweeted with another video of the aircraft heading to the ground. 



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

$200 SDG&E Credit for Owners of Clean-Energy Cars

0
0

Nearly 7,000 San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) customers who own or lease clean-energy vehicles will soon receive a $200 credit on their residential utility bills in exchange for their environmentally-friendly efforts.

The credits are part of the California Air Resources Board's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; the credit goes to customers who enrolled in the Electric Vehicle Climate Credit Program by the May 31 deadline.

The credit is made possible by a statewide greenhouse gas reduction program administered by the California Air Resources Board, and it’s funded by proceeds from the sale of carbon emission credits.

"When our customers plug in to charge their cars, they are using some of the cleanest energy available in the state because 43 percent of SDG&E's electricity supply comes from renewables," John Sowers, SDG&E senior vice president of asset management, said in a press release.

For owners of all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids who missed the deadline, SDG&E says they can apply next year by joining the 2018 interest list.

The credit program is scheduled to run through 2020, and the $200 credit can be applied to each clean-energy vehicle that a customer owns or leases.

How Did This London High-Rise Become a Concrete Coffin?

0
0

The 24-story building that went up in flames in London Wednesday recently underwent an $11 million upgrade, something that investigators will probe as they seek to understand what sparked the deadly fire, NBC News reported.

At least 17 people are confirmed dead, but many more are missing, and the death toll is expected to rise. Experts said an energy-efficient outer layer called cladding, added for aesthetics and to keep out moisture, would be a focus of the investigation.

"If the fire manages to break out and get into the cladding it melts the external metal, which is often no thicker than tinfoil, gets hold of the insulation material in the middle, and that ignites and starts to burn," litigation lawyer and construction expert Matthew Needham-Laing told the BBC.

The construction firm that refurbished the government-owned tower last year, adding "rainscreen" cladding, said the project "met all required building regulations."



Photo Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Congressional Game Players to Wear Scalise's Team's Colors

0
0

Players in the Congressional Baseball Game for Charity usually wear jerseys from their home states and districts. 

At Thursday night's game, they all will wear purple and gold in a show of support for Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who was shot one day earlier during the Republican team's practice for the annual event

Both the Democratic and Republican teams will sport Louisiana State University (LSU) apparel in support of Scalise, a representative for Rep. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, said Thursday morning. 

Scalise graduated from LSU in 1989. He is regularly decked out “from head to toe” in team gear, Marshall's representative said. 

[[428675843,C]]

Scalise’s alma mater is reportedly helping make the tribute possible.

In an interview with NOLA.com, LSU athletic director Joe Alleva said he responded to a request for gear by sending hats, towels and shirts for both the Democratic and Republican teams to wear.

[[428665613,C]]

Scalise has previously played in the congressional game and in previous years wore a variety of Louisiana jerseys.

He was airlifted to MedStar Washington Hospital Center Wednesday and is in critical condition recovering from surgery.

[[428404213,C]]

The Congressional Baseball Game for Charity dates back to 1909, and became popular enough by 1928 to be broadcast on the radio, according to a history of the game listed on a dedicated website. The Great Depression, World War II and some speakers of the House have intervened to cancel some games.

It is one of the most anticipated events of summer at the Capitol, with Democrats and Republicans splitting the 79 games that have been played over the years 39-39, with one tie. Democrats were on a winning streak for several years before the Republicans won the last game in a squeaker, 8-7. 

Thursday's game starts at 7 p.m. in Nationals Park and will benefit several charities. The Capitol Police Memorial Fund was added as a beneficiary on Wednesday.



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

Fewer Teens Are Vaping and Smoking, CDC Survey Finds

0
0

Teen smoking rates have hit new lows in the U.S. and, for the first time, fewer high school students are trying e-cigarettes, NBC News reported.

The report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows cigarette smoking and vaping rates went down in 2016.

“The decline in use of tobacco products was primarily driven by a drop in e-cigarette use among middle and high school students from 3 million in 2015 to just under 2.2 million in 2016,” the CDC report says.

CDC and anti-smoking groups both said a combination of tobacco restrictions, advertising and taxes has helped reduce smoking rates.



Photo Credit: Sergei Konkov/TASS via Getty Images
Viewing all 60603 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images