A Nevada parole board voted unanimously Thursday to grant O.J. Simpson’s request for an early release from prison, but this doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a free man.

"Parole is but one step out of the prison gate," Loyola Law School professor and longtime Simpson case commentator Laurie Levenson told NBC News.

Simpson is widely known for his 1995 acquittal in the slayings of his ex-wife and her friend in Los Angeles. In 2008, the now 70-year-old was sentenced to a minimum nine years in prison for committing an armed heist at a Las Vegas hotel in a botched attempt to recover sports memorabilia from his days as a football star.

After his release from prison, which could be as soon as Oct. 1, Simpson will have to report monthly to a parole officer. He'll also be barred from drinking alcohol and subject to random drug searches and screenings until the terms of his parole end Sept. 29, 2022. 

If Simpson violates the terms of his release, he could be arrested and sent back to prison.

The family of a man shot and killed by deputies after a foot pursuit in Vista earlier this month has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO). 

Jonathan Coronel, 24, was a documented gang member wanted on a probation violation. He was fatally shot on the morning of July 5, on the 300 block of North Melrose Drive, near Knoll Road.

Coronel's family, their attorney and members of the National Action Network (NAN) spoke out Thursday against the shooting.

They said Coronel was unarmed when Deputy Christopher Villanueva fired his service weapon multiple times, fatally striking Coronel.

Coronel was first spotted by deputies in a green vehicle on the morning of July 5, but when they approached him, he jumped out the car and ran off on foot, SDSO officials said.

He led deputies on a foot pursuit that ended at a home in Vista. During a confrontation, Villanueva fired 16 rounds, striking Coronel multiple times and killing him.

Homicide investigators said Villanueva feared for his life. 

SDSO officials said Coronel was known to carry handguns and had previously made threats to kill law enforcement officers. 

But a witness told NBC 7, he saw Coronel complying with the deputies orders and had been lying face down when he was shot. 

"When you get shot from behind, multiple times, 16 times by one shooter and he pretty much unloads his entire bullets on you, and the other officers involved don’t shoot a shot, I believe it’s a terrible tragedy," said the family's attorney, Angel Carrazco.

Thursday, Coronel's family was joined by Sergio Weick's family as well. Weick, 33, a known gang member was also fatally shot by Villanueva on Aug. 11, 2016.

The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office ruled the Weick shooting justified.

Villanueva, who has been employed by the department for approximately one year, was cleared at the time.

He now faces an investigation in Coronel's death.

"I want my nephew to be remembered as a happy, family man," said Cornel's uncle, Diego. "He has his little girl. He was always happy, he was always excited about everything he did."

Carrazco said this is not an anti-police case. Instead, he said he wants to work with deputies to come up with solutions to prevent incidents such as this from occurring not only in San Diego but around the nation. 

Anthony Scaramucci, a former Trump transition team official, is expected to be named as the new White House communications director, four sources in and close to the White House told NBC News last Thursday.

Scaramucci did not respond to a request for comment, but the decision, first reported by Axios, is expected to be announced Friday. Sean Spicer is expected to stay on the communications team.

Scaramucci met with President Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka in the Oval Office Thursday so the president could offer him the job, a source said.

Scaramucci was a supporter of Trump's during the campaign, dealing with fundraising and appearing on cable TV as a frequent defender of the president.

The Padres played the first of four games against the San Francisco Giants from AT&T Park on Thursday night. Right handed pitcher Jhoulys Chacin got the nod for the Friars and faced Giants Lefty Madison Bumgarner. Chacin had a solid night on the bump allowing just four hits and two runs in six innings of work. He finished the night with four strikeouts.

Before the game, outfielder Hunter Renfroe was reinstated from the 10 day disabled list. Renfroe was nursing a strained neck but showed us he was feeling just fine when he launched a two run homer in the second inning to put the Padres on the board with an early 2-0 lead.

The game was tied at two runs a piece in the seventh inning when Cory Spangenberg sent a two run shot to center field which scored Erik Aybar and put the Padres back in the lead 4-2.

Wil Myers made sure to add his part in the eighth inning with an RBI double to left field which scored Jose Pirela. That sealed the final score 5-2 and with that the Padres snapped their three game losing streak.

The second game of the set is Friday July 21 at 7:15 p.m. PST from AT&T Park.

Thieves stealing a pug from a North Park home in the middle of the night were captured on a neighbor's surveillance camera.

Jesse Ray's four-year-old pug named Princess Zelda was stolen early Wednesday morning while he stepped out of the home with his brother to make a quick trip to the convenience store around the corner.

"We were gone maybe 10 to 15 minutes. When we got back, my house was broken into and my dog was gone," Ray said.

He told NBC 7, he has lived on a quiet street in North Park for the last five years. 

"We all look out for each other. Nothing like this ever happens. It's calm all the time," Ray said. 

He said his front door was locked but Princess Zelda was nowhere to be found.

"Then I noticed that my side gate was open and then that heart drop feeling, he said. "And then it all started coming together--that someone had taken my dog."

Video from a neighbor's surveillance camera across the street appears to show an SUV slowly driving up and park. Then, a group of people get out and head towards the back of the house.

"It's pretty clear of them running out of my house holding a white, furry ball, which is my dog," Ray said. 

During the incident, Ashlynne Asbury was asleep inside. 

"It's really heartbreaking, it's really devastating,” she said through tears. "All I could think about is what happened. Where did she go? Who has her? Is she okay?”

Ray told NBC 7 when he got home, the back door was completely open and one of Zelda's toys was sitting outside.

He believes the thieves used one of her toys to get her to come to them.

If you have any information, you are asked to call San Diego police at (619) 516-3000 and ask for Detective Tafoya. 

A body was found in the parking lot of a La Mesa Burlington Coat Factory store Thursday night.

The store is located in the 7900 block of El Cajon Boulevard near Baltimore Drive.

Police received a call at 6:47 p.m. of a verbal dispute in the store parking lot, according to the La Mesa Police Department (LMPD).

The caller reported hearing a gunshot and saw a man stumble to the ground, police said.

Officers attempted life-saving measures but the victim was declared dead at the scene.

According to witnesses, two people--a man and woman--were seen running from the area after the incident.

La Mesa police taped off the entire parking lot while they investigate.

Earlier Thursday evening, police were searching for two suspects in connection to a shooting in the same area.

At this time, it is unknown if the two incidents are related.

No other information was available.

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

Residents of a Mira Mesa neighborhood are disturbed after an 81-year-old woman was struck by a copper pipe more than 30 times in the head by her son.

The incident happened around 7 p.m. Thursday.

According to San Diego police, the victim returned to her home on Capcano Road and found her 36-year-old son in the front yard. He used a hose to squirt water on her and she told him to take his medication.

That's when the son began beating her with two copper pipes. 

The woman ran inside to call 911 but her son took her mobile phone away, police said. He then struck his mother 25 more times in the head and left the home.

Police said the woman was able to call for help using a house phone and was taken to a local hospital with life threatening injuries.

According to many neighbors, she had lived in the home for more than 30 years.

"She is a very sweet lady, is quiet. She had a cat," said Ada Dunn, a close friend, and neighbor of the victim.

Neighbor William Watson told NBC 7, he saw the woman's son in the afternoon before the attack.

"He seemed strange. He was pacing around. First I saw him with a guitar, then he came back out doing some nunchuck, ninja thing with sticks," Watson said.

"She wouldn't have been able to control him at all if he really went off," neighbor David Copeland said.

The suspect was later arrested at a nearby park and booked into jail on charges of attempted murder and elder abuse. He was on probation for an unrelated crime.

"I hate to see something like that happen. I'm totally surprised to hear that in this quiet neighborhood," Watson said.

The suspect is being held without bail and is due in court Friday.

Coffee from a North Texas company was recently recalled for containing an ingredient similar to the drug in Viagra, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

Bestherbs Coffee LLC, in Grand Prairie, voluntarily recalled all of its "New of Kopi Jantan Tradisional Herbs Coffee" after an FDA lab analysis detected desmethyl carbodenafil, which is structurally similar to sildenafil, according to the FDA notice.

Sildenafil is the active ingredient in the FDA-approved perscription drug Viagra, which treats erectile dysfunction.

Desmethyl carbodenafil may react with nitrates found in some prescription drugs, lowering blood pressure to dangerous levels, the FDA said. The drug poses a risk to men with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease.

The instant coffee packs also include milk, but the potential allergen is not included on the labels.

The coffee was sold nationwide online, with each box containing 25, 13-gram packs of coffee, and was officially recalled on July 13.

People who purchased the recalled coffee can return it to the Bestherbs office for a full refund. The address is listed below:

Bestherbs Coffee LLC
4250 Claremont Drive
Grand Prairie, TX 75052

President Donald Trump may have held more meetings with Vladimir Putin at the G-20 summit earlier this month, Russia's foreign minister said Friday, NBC News reported.

But Sergei Lavrov downplayed the meetings' significance, likening the Russian president's encounters with his U.S. counterpart to children mingling at kindergarten.

“When you are bought by your parents to a kindergarten do you mix with the people who are waiting in the same room to start going to a classroom?” he asked.

Lavrov also said the U.S. presence in Syria was illegitimate and accused C.I.A director Mike Pompeo of having “double standards” regarding the establishment of military bases in the country.

At least ten cars have been vandalized in City Heights. 

Neighbors tell NBC 7 their tires were slashed along 37th Street, near Dwight Street, Thursday afternoon. 

The vandals also scratched the paint on one of the cars.

“It’s very frustrating,” said Conrado Perales, who lives in the area. “This neighborhood, it’s a good neighborhood. It’s a lot of hard working people. People need their cars to get to work. So it’s very frustrating. Everybody here is just trying to make a living. 

Neighbors tell NBC 7 they saw several teenagers in the area, and believe they damaged the cars. 

A report on the vandalism has been filed with the San Diego Police Department. 

No other information was available.

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

A video that purports to show the drowning death of 31-year-old man at a Florida retention pond while a group of teenagers mock and curse at him is making the rounds on social media.

Cocoa police called the disturbing footage of Jamel Dunn's death “beyond heartless.” A group of five teenagers can be heard laughing and taunting the victim as Dunn cries out in distress.

Police say Dunn drowned in the retention pond in Cocoa on July 9. His body was found three days later, on July 12. It is believed the incident happened after Dunn got into an argument with his fiancée.

A spokeswoman for Cocoa Police told WESH that the teenagers had phones, but didn’t even call the police for help. The State Attorney's Office said they are “deeply saddened and shocked” at the tragedy and the actions of the witnesses.

“While the incident depicted on the recording does not give rise to sufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution under Florida statutes, we can find no moral justification for either the behavior of persons heard on the recording or the deliberate decision not to render aid to Mr. Dunn,” the office said in a statement.

USS Gabrielle Giffords will be open to the public this weekend at Broadway Pier.

Tours are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days.

USS Gabrielle Giffords arrived at her new homeport, Naval Base San Diego, on July 5th.

The ship is named after former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011.

USS Gabrielle Giffords was commissioned in Galveston, Texas on June 10.

Visitors to this weekend’s tours will board on a first come, first served basis. There may be a wait in line during peak hours.

The Navy says all visitors and any bags will be subject to screening before passing the entry control point.

The following items are prohibited:

          Large bags or purses, including backpacks or large camera bags.

          Weapons, including knives, firearms and club weapons.

          Props or toys that resemble weapons.

          Defensive chemicals or sprays, including mace, pepper spray, and aerosol spray cans

          Fireworks, flammable liquids or other explosives

          Illegal drugs and/or drug-related paraphernalia

          Face paint or costumes

USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) is the ninth littoral combat ship in the fleet and the fifth independence-variant LCS.

Guns n' Roses -- who performed at Qualcomm Stadium just last August -- announced on Friday that they would be making an encore appearance in San Diego this fall. 

The Gunners will transform San Diego into Paradise City on Nov. 28 at the Valley View Casino Center. The Not in My Lifetime Tour (a title that refers to a joke Axl once made about the band ever getting back together) kicked off in Detroit on June 23 of last year and ran through stadium after stadium for two months before stopping in San Diego at our Qualcomm Stadium on Aug. 22, 2016.

The last time the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees played San Diego prior to that show was way back in September 1992 at a little spot called Jack Murphy Stadium -- you now know it as Qualcomm Stadium. Oh, and their tour co-headliners for that gig? None other than Metallica, who will be playing Petco Park on Aug. 6. 

Tickets for this November's Not in This Lifetime Tour local stop will be available to the general public go on Friday, July 28, at 10 a.m. local time at LiveNation.com. However, Citi Card members will get first crack at the tickets beginning on July 24 at 10 am. ATT priority presale ticket access begins on July 26, also at 10 a.m. Ticket will cost anywhere from $75 to $225. More information can be found here.

The band reunited last year prompted by weekend headlining gigs at Coachella, then toured extensively to critical acclaim, performing mostly punctual sets. Not busy enough, singer Axl Rose also hit the road as a replacement frontman for AC/DC, whose guitarist Angus Young joined GNR onstage at Coachella. AC/DC lead vocalist Brian Johnson had pulled out of the tour after a medical warning that further concerts could permanently impair his hearing. 

Friday's announcement of additional dates comes exactly three decades after the release of "Appetite for Destruction," which has sold an unbelievable 30 million copies, according to the band. The international tour will take Guns n' Roses across the U.S. as well as making stops in Canada. San Diego fans who miss out on tickets for the Sports Arena appearance could also possibly see the band the following night at an additional stop in Los Angeles at the Forum that was also added to the tour on Friday. Seats for that show go on sale to the general public at LiveNation.com on Aug. 4.

The Constitution grants an absolute, unilateral pardon power to the president for federal offenses and courts have upheld pardons of people even before charges had been filed, NBC News reported.

The Washington Post reported Thursday that President Donald Trump asked advisers about his power to pardon aides, family members and even himself in connection with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia. NBC has not confirmed the report.

Trump's lawyer, John Dowd, called the story "nonsense." "The president’s lawyers are cooperating with Mueller on behalf of the president," Dowd said.

But could the president even pardon himself? There isn't court precedent on the question, NBC News reported. The Department of Justice has in the past provided legal guidance stating that the president cannot be indicted in office, but can be indicted when he leaves office.

Federal precedent suggests a government official cannot sit in judgment of himself, but the issue is not legally settled.

A revolutionary new surgery out of UCLA recently helped a basketball coach regain his hearing - and get ready to head back the court.

Last December, Richard Barron, the women's basketball coach for the University of Maine began to experience a problem known as "super hearing." Everyday sounds, like a chip bag opening or the door clicking, became unbearable to him.

"I felt like I was dying honestly," Barron said. "I would hear the bones in my feet move. If I turned my neck, I would hear it."

Barron was bedridden for months, with no one able to figure out what was wrong.

That was, until doctors at UCLA finally diagnosed him with Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence, a rare condition that causes deafness in one ear, and unwanted super hearing.

Last week, ear surgeon Quinton Gopen and neurosurgeon Isaac Yang, restored Barron's hearing to normal using a cutting-edge technique. Making a small incision behind the cartilage of Barron's ear, they were able to lift his brain and patch up a tiny hole in his ear.

The method, which is only performed at UCLA, is less invasive than other surgeries for the condition, which leave patients with long scars that stretch from their ear to the top of their head.

Barron's recovery was so rapid that he was able to go out eat with his wife the evening after the surgery - a noisy activity he couldn't do when he was suffering from super hearing.

"Now I feel like I've got just this whole world opened up to me it's exciting," Barron said. "I want to use it in a positive way."

Barron's doctors estimate that he will be fully recovered and back coaching in a couple of months.

Rep. Alan Lowenthal, D-Long Beach, vowed Wednesday to fight a federal lawsuit attempting to force him and three other congressional colleagues to remove "Pride Flags" from their Washington, D.C., offices.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Washington by Chris Sevier, who describes himself in the lawsuit as a "former Judge Advocate General, combat Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, DC lobbyist, overseas missionary, whistleblower and recording artist."

Lowenthal is named as a defendant along with Reps. Susan Davis, D-San Diego, Donald Beyer, D-Virginia, and Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon.

In his 36-page complaint, Sevier said he was offended by the defendants displaying the banner, a symbol of gay and lesbian pride, outside their offices but was not opposed to the flag being displayed inside congressional offices. The suit "respectfully asks" that a judge force the four lawmakers to "remove the Gay Pride Rainbow Colored Flag on display."

Among other things, Sevier asked the court to declare homosexuality a religion and strike down rulings that led to the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing same-sex marriage. He also seeks damages of $1 and to recoup legal fees.

In his court papers, Sevier argues that "homosexuality" is a "religion," so the display of the flag violates the 1st Amendment establishment clause.

Lowenthal said he was the first to raise the Pride flag in his office in March 2013.

"I fly the Pride Flag outside my office in support of every LGBTQ individual —those in my district, those in our nation, and those around the world," Lowenthal said. "It is a symbol of both how far we have come on equality for all Americans and, as these incidents illustrate, how far we still have to go. It is a symbol of love, of peace and diversity. I will fight this hateful attempt to silence equality and justice. We have come too far to allow the voices of bigotry and hate to win."

Davis also released a statement, saying it was "disheartening that in this day and age this is still an issue." 

"Be assured that hateful lawsuits are not going to stop me from celebrating our nation's diversity. If anything, this lawsuit is a reminder of the need for us to work even harder for full equality for all Americans," she said. "As the proud representative of the heart of LGBTQ San Diego, the rainbow flag in front of my D.C. office is a source of pride for me and my constituents. It is a symbol of our commitment to full equality."

In his complaint, Sevier said that he feels unwelcome in public areas of federal buildings where rainbow flags are displayed and is unable to approach the defendants to perform his lobbying duties.

According to news reports, Sevier has filed suit in Utah and other states demanding the right to marry his laptop computer, in light of the same- sex marriage ruling.

Palestinians in Jerusalem are protesting new security measures imposed by Israeli authorities at one of the city's holiest sites in what some are calling a "day of rage."

Demonstrations were initially triggered by the installation of two metal detectors outside the complex, which is known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount.

In response to expected protests, Israeli police banned men under the age of 50 from entering the complex -- which includes the Al-Aqsa mosque -- on Friday, the holiest day of the week for Muslims.

But this move has spurred tensions, as a Muslim leader called on his community to pray outside the site and Israeli border guards threw stun grenades at Palestinians pushing toward a police roadblock.

NBC 7 Gaby Rodriguez talks with longtime volunteer Bill Glover at the 30th annual Stand Down for Veterans event in San Diego.

After Sen. John McCain's brain cancer diagnosis, the six-term Arizona senator, declared he would "be back soon" to attend to his duties in the legislative branch but the political ramifications of his exit could be substantial, NBC News reported.

According to Arizona law, the state governor would appoint a member of the same party to fill a Senate vacancy until the next regularly scheduled general election, which would be in November 2018. 

If McCain left the Senate seat vacant before the midterms elections, Arizona would have two Senate elections in 2018 — an extremely rare event.

Elections would be contentious between Democrats and Republicans in a state where voter demographics are rapidly changing -- raising the stakes for both parties, NBC News reported. 

A look at a person's search history can reveal their genuine curiosities. A country's search history has the power to unveil what's on the minds of an entire nation.

Americans have a lot of questions about President Donald Trump, who completes his first six months in office this week. It turns out that a much smaller group of people have Googled "Trump Russia" than "George Clooney Trump." 

Google Trends is a tool offered by the search engine that looks at data from searches. A team from Google News Labs compiled search data for NBC related to the topic "Donald Trump" from January 20 to July 14 and included searches with a reference to the president. The service then broke down the search results by major cities and states for a glimpse at what people around the country want to know about Trump.

Patterns emerged from the top Trump-related Google searches, in both English and Spanish, in the president's first six months in office. For both languages, people wanted to know most about news related to the president.

A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll revealed that 62 percent of people who live in counties that carried Trump to victory oppose his use of Twitter. But that doesn't mean Americans aren't interested in what he has to say on the platform. "Trump Twitter" was the second most popular Google search.

The times where "Trump news" and "Trump twitter" searches peaked often came in the wake of blockbuster news stories, such as the aftermath of the firing of FBI Director James Comey and the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller in May. 

Along with searches like "approval rating" and "inauguration speech," some celebrity searches also made it into the top 10.

"George Clooney Trump" appeared third on the top Google searches in English and even beat out "Trump Twitter" for Spanish searches, a reference to the actor's interview with French outlet Canal+ where he called the president a "Hollywood elitist" in February. "Kathy Griffin Trump" came sixth on the English list, perhaps due to people's curiosity about the comedian's controversial photo shoot where she held a mock decapitated head of the president.

"Trump impeachment" appears in the top five English searches in most major cities in the U.S., while Spanish lists do not include searches for impeachment. And in certain places, the searches cross a line into the unusual.

Dover, Delaware's list includes a "Trump moves things" English search in its top five. "Snoop dogg Trump," came in third on Atlantic City, New Jersey's list of top English searches, referring to the controversy over a Snoop Dogg music video that shows the rapper pointing a fake pistol at a Trump-like clown.

For Spanish speakers, searches on the president often included the names of Spanish-speaking countries, such as Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela. While both English and Spanish searchers sought information on immigration, Spanish searches had more specific inquiries rise to the top that were not present on the English lists, such as searches on D.A.C.A., sanctuary cities, the travel ban, and mass deportations.

Searches related to President Trump and an immediate family member were virtually absent from the English search lists, while Spanish speakers searched for first lady Melania Trump and the president's son, Barron in places like Chicago, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (For the purpose of this exercise, a search on a family member like Donald Trump Jr. would be filtered out of the lists unless the search also included the word "son.")

With news about possible collusion between President Trump's campaign and Russia a fixture in national media, a relatively small number of American cities included in Google's search roundup appear to be looking for information on the subject the same way. Russia-related Trump searches were among top searches in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Boston and Salt Lake City. The issue did not make the national Top 10 list in either language. 

Some Google users are looking for humor amid the Trump presidency.

"SNL Trump" appears in the top searches for English users in America, while "memes" related to the president are among the most popular searches for Spanish speakers.