A former Vice President of Operations for two airline mechanic staffing companies pleaded guilty Thursday to immigration fraud for employee applications.

Eleno Quinteros Jr., 45, a Chula Vista resident, was responsible for recruiting mechanics from Mexico and helping them obtain work visas in the U.S. 

According to the indictment, Quinteros allegedly made demands for money from at least 85 mechanics and collected thousands of dollars in exchange for helping them obtain legal permanent residency.

Quinteros told many of the mechanics to deposit the money into his wife's bank account or give him blank money orders to avoid being detected.

He used a portion of the money to pay attorneys helping with applications and took the rest for himself.

Thursday, Quinteros admitted that he falsely stated he received no payments from mechanics but had actually collected nearly $547,480 from them.

His sentencing is set for Nov. 6.

A continued effort is underway to prevent suicides off the Coronado Bay Bridge.

Thursday night, a meeting was packed as Caltrans went over possible suicide deterrents.

Chuck Leek said he is one of the many who has lost a loved one on the Coronado Bridge. Last October, his son committed suicide by jumping off the bridge.

"We can't keep letting people have such easy access to a means to kill themselves. Something has to happen to change it. Please, please change it," Leek said in front of the crowd.

The 200-foot bridge has a guardrail that's just 34-inches tall. Many, like Leek, said it makes it too easy for someone to jump off.

"If there was something that had caused a pause or had prevented him from easy access to this dreadful fall that he took, he would still be here and I know that," Leek said.

City leaders said it's not just the aftermath of a suicide that's a major problem. Approximately 90,000 cars travel the bridge each day.

Last year, the bridge was shut down 35 times because of attempted suicide.

"The bridge is shut down for hours, disrupting traffic throughout our entire region. It is time for a solution," said Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey.

Caltrans presented possible alternatives, like a curved glass panel barrier used in New Zealand, or a mesh barrier in Santa Barbara. Another option is a cable grid net system, like the one on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

"If this was done prior to last October 25, my son would probably still be here," Leek added.

Eleven people have jumped off the bridge this year--there were 19 last year.

The study conducted by Caltrans will continue until the spring of next year. The next steps will be taking a look at environmental impacts and funding allocation.

The mother of one of seven teenagers injured in a rollover crash in Rancho Santa Fe Tuesday morning said the scene at the emergency room was terrifying.

"It was like a nightmare. I didn't know what to expect," said Ursula Perrone. "It was more walking into that craziness."

Peronne's daughter, 17-year-old Daniela suffered several injuries in the crash and will likely spend the rest of her summer recovering. Daniela will be a senior at San Marcos High School in the fall.

"She has a fracture on her spine but that will heal. She's got a broken elbow, a broken hand," Perrone said. 

The crash happened at approximately 8:30 a.m. Tuesday when firefighters, paramedics, and EMTs from Rancho Santa Fe to Encinitas to Escondido to San Marcos first responded to a crash near Elfin Forest Road and Harmony Grove Road.

According to some witnesses, the driver of the red SUV had failed to negotiate the turn and flipped the vehicle on its side.

When officials arrived on the scene, they found that a red SUV with seven teenagers inside had flipped onto its side. A split second later, the overturned vehicle was hit by the oncoming black SUV driven by Celia Ebrahimi.

Ebrahimi was accompanied by her two children in the SUV, who were also injured.

"The last thing [Daniela] remembers is the car flipping and waking up in the ambulance," Perrone said.

Ebrahimi told NBC 7 in a previous interview that she saw the driver the vehicle driving recklessly and that is what led to the crash.

But at this point, authorities have not cited anyone for the accident.

However, Perrone agrees there are lessons to be learned from this frightening crash, including the importance of seatbelts.

“Had she not had that seatbelt on, she probably would not be here," Perrone said.

Daniela is expected to be released from Palomar Hospital sometime Friday. Her friend Ava remains in intensive care and one of the teen age boys also remains hospitalized.

Wall Street reaction to threats between President Donald Trump and officials in North Korea was muted earlier in the week, but cracks are beginning to show, NBC News reported.

The Dow saw its biggest dip since mid-May on Thursday, down 205 points, following similar drops in the Asian and European markets.

The VIX, or volatility index widely used as a proxy to gauge market fear, soared by 44 percent to its highest level since Trump was elected. Still, some market observers downplayed the tensions as verbal bluster.

Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute, attributed this week’s downturn in the major indices mainly to economic indicators rather than geopolitical brinkmanship.

Kent Boydston, a research analyst at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said that "historically, there’s relatively little volatility when it comes to stock market and North Korean provocations.” But if North Korea were to launch missiles toward Guam or Hawaii "that would certainly be more of an escalation" that could potentially roil markets more.

Security cameras were rolling when a BMW plunged off a Texas parking deck, nearly crushing an SUV on the ground below.

The incident happened in an Austin alley on July 13.

The driver of a Chevrolet Tahoe was turning around when he heard a noise and suddenly braked. That noise turned out to be a BMW falling seven stories from a parking garage.

Security camera footage showed the front end of the sedan crashing into the pavement before bouncing onto the rear of the Tahoe. People nearby are then seen running to help the woman inside the upside-down wreckage.

KXAN reported the woman driving the BMW mistook the gas pedal for the brakes and crashed through the garage barriers. She was seriously wounded from the crash.

The driver of the Tahoe was not hurt.

In September 2016, a 24-year-old man crashed through the barriers on the top level of the same garage. The wire barrier caught the SUV as it was falling, leaving it hanging over the side of the garage.

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The garage was later cited by the Austin Code Department for unsafe barrier cable systems, according to the KXAN report.

An affiliate of Los Angeles-based homebuilder KB Home has acquired a 3.47-acre land parcel in San Diego’s Pacific Highlands Ranch community for $9.73 million, with plans to develop 69 townhomes, according to brokerage firm Colliers International Group Inc.

The seller of the property, on the north side of Village Center Loop Road near state Route 56, was Pacific Carmel AFG LLC of San Diego. The buyer and seller were represented by Colliers’ David Santistevan.

Brokers said KB Home Coastal, an entity of KB Home, plans to begin construction on the upscale for-sale townhomes before the end of 2017. The site is adjacent to The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch, a retail center serving the growing master-planned community within Carmel Valley. 

At least five people have died after receiving gastric balloons to help them lose weight, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. 

It’s unclear whether the balloons or the surgery to implant them could have caused the deaths, but the FDA issued an alert to doctors to monitor patients who have the devices, according to NBC News. The balloons are intended to treat severe obesity by reducing how much a person can eat by filling the stomach, closing off part of the stomach or surgically reducing stomach volume.

Two different balloon devices have been involved in reports of the deaths, which came as quickly as a day after surgery: one made by Apollo Endo-Surgery, the other by ReShape.

Apollo said the company has sold 180,000 of Orbera balloon devices worldwide.

A San Diego police officer has accomplished a goal only two other women in the department have achieved, thus far: serving as a SWAT officer.

This past May, San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Officer Moriah Roberge, 26, was one of 30 recruits who passed the physical qualifications and interviews in a 4-week SWAT Academy. She was the only woman among the recruits.

"We had five women apply for this academy. We had four go through the tryouts," said SDPD SWAT Commanding Officer Robert Daun. "Moriah was the only one who passed the physical qualifications." 

Roberge said the academy was tiring and "mentally wearing" on the body.

"I know it's like that for everybody, but I know being a smaller individual you're carrying around just as much as everyone else," Roberge told NBC 7.

Daun said Roberge qualified for SWAT for a number of reasons, including her hard work and dedication.

"Moriah qualified because she was a good officer," explained Daun. "She came recommended from her command. She prepared herself physically. She prepared herself with her shooting skills. And she interviewed well. With a combination of these three things, it was easy for us to select her for the SWAT Academy." 

Nineteen of the 30 recruits in Roberge's bunch graduated from the academy.

Lt. Daun explained why the other 11 recruits didn't make it. 

"Once they get into the SWAT Academy, from day one until graduation day, they're being evaluated," said Daun. "We teach a kind of building block approach. So if somebody is having trouble with the basics and they're not able to move on the to next level that we're teaching, we'll let them go." 

The SWAT training cadre, which includes the SWAT command staff and the Special Response Team (SWAT's full-time unit), also test the recruits on their ability to lead in various stressful, tactical scenarios. 

"They try to fatigue you, so when you're tired, [you can see] how you're going to handle the situation," said Roberge. "Are you going to make the correct choices when you enter a house or when you're on a perimeter?"

Roberge joined the police department four years ago, after graduating from San Diego State University on a track scholarship. She's a pole vaulter, with the speed and upper body strength to take on the substantial physical demands of the unit.

But that's only part of the challenge. 

"You have to be strong in all aspects, not only physically, but mentally," she explained. "Because when times get tough, you have to know that okay, I can do this." 

Unlike patrol duties, when an officer's gender or appearance can sometimes impact the public's perception, in SWAT, none of that matters. 

"The day after they graduate from the SWAT Academy and they're wearing that SWAT pin, they're going to be looked at in a position of leadership," said Daun. "Supervisors and other officers look to SWAT officers to help with some of these incidents that happen out in the field. Gender doesn't matter to us."

As Roberge trained for qualifications, she sought the advice of her commanding officer at Northern Division, Capt. Tina Williams.

Williams just so happens to be the second woman at SDPD to make it on SWAT. She served in the unit between 1999 and 2013, then became part of the SWAT command staff from 2015 until January 2017. 

Roberge learned from Williams that while leadership in the unit is expected, preparation and logistics are also crucial. 

"Packing your lunch, having extra items in your car so if you do run out of something or something breaks when you're in training, you have that extra item to use, or for your teammates to give to," said Roberge.

The officer also has support on the homefront, in her husband. He's a fellow SDPD officer who made SWAT last year. Roberge said he played a crucial role in her advancement.

"If I didn't have him helping me, especially in the SWAT Academy -- just that support -- I don't know if I would have made it," she said.

Like any successful partnership, the success of a SWAT mission relies on a collective mindset and trust.   

"When officers work patrol, they usually work with a partner," explained Daun. "If it's a bigger incident, maybe you'll have some teams set up. But when they come to SWAT, we have to teach them to now be part of the team. Everything we do on SWAT is team oriented."

SDPD's SWAT, also known as the Special Weapons And Tactics unit, was established in 1968. The first woman to become a SWAT officer was Kelly Johnson, who served in the unit from 1994 until 2005. She has since retired.

An Oakland cancer nurse and her family are facing deportation after living a law-abiding, productive life in the United States for the past 23 years.

Maria Mendoza-Sanchez, a nurse at Highland Hospital in Oakland, and her husband Eusebio, who works nights so he can take care of their children by day, are facing deportation to Mexico next week.

The couple has three U.S.-citizen children and an adult Dreamer daughter who plan to attend medical school.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and a representative of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., visited the Mendoza-Sanchez home on Plymouth Street Thursday afternoon to meet with the family. 

The Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a statement Thursday, saying in part the courts long ago deemed the couple was in the U.S. illegally, and their case is not exempt from the law.

"Over the last 15 years, this couple’s immigration case has undergone exhaustive review at multiple levels of the Department of Justice’s immigration court system," the ICE statement said. "The courts have consistently held that neither of these individuals has a legal basis to remain in the U.S."

Feinstein also released a statement Thursday before her meeting with the family. She said tearing the family apart doesn't make the U.S. safer, it merely creates a hardship for their three children who will be left behind.

"Maria and Eusebio Sanchez have lived in this country for more than 20 years. They are hardworking parents raising four children, three citizens and one protected by DACA," Feinstein said. "They have no criminal records. They pay taxes, own their home and contribute to this country. These are the kind of people we should welcome into the United States with open arms."

Feinstein added that the Sanchez family has tried for two decades to obtain legal status.

Mendoza-Sanchez worked as a housekeeper in a nursing home before earning her nursing degree. She now provides urgently needed care to cancer and heart patients at Highland Hospital.

The Justice Department said this week that 57,069 people have been ordered for removal from the country in the first six months of Trump’s presidency. That’s up nearly 31 percent since the same period in 2016 under former President Barack Obama.

Here is the full statement from ICE:

“Over the last 15 years, this couple’s immigration case has undergone exhaustive review at multiple levels of the Department of Justice’s immigration court system, which is administered by the Executive Office for Immigration Review. The courts have consistently held that neither of these individuals has a legal basis to remain in the U.S.

"Since Mr. Sanchez’s court-issued removal order became final in 2013, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has granted the couple two one-year stays of removal. In May of this year the agency granted them a third stay of removal, for a period of 90 days, to afford them additional time to get their personal affairs in order and make preparations for their departure.

"While ICE continues to prioritize its enforcement resources to focus on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security, the agency’s Acting Director has made it clear that ICE will not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. All of those in violation of our nation’s immigration laws may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by the immigration courts, as this couple was, removal from the United States.

"This administration is committed to the rule of law and to enforcing the laws established by Congress. When we fail to enforce those laws, what message are we sending to the millions of people who respect that process and are waiting outside the U.S. now for visas that will enable them to enter the country lawfully."

TGI Weekend! Live music? Check. Outdoor movies? Check. Beach? Check. Festivals and food? Double check. It’s going to be another memorable weekend in San Diego with a lot to do across the county, so start making those plans. Get up. Get out. Play! 

Thursday, Aug. 10

Nighttime Zoo
9 a.m. to 9 p.m., San Diego Zoo
The San Diego Zoo has extended its hours to 9 p.m. now through Sept. 4 so families can enjoy the annual “Nighttime Zoo.” Visitors can hear live music, check out special keeper talks and entertainment, and end the night by watching a parade of elaborate animal puppets. Nighttime Zoo activities are included with paid admission or zoo memberships.

Del Mar Racing
12 p.m., Del Mar Racetrack
Still “cool as ever,” the Del Mar Racing season returns to the seaside track in the North County. Gates open daily at 12 p.m., with the first post at 2 p.m. The season runs through Sept. 4, with track closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Once again, the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club’s racing season will also include concerts and other fun festivities. General admission is between $6 and $10.

Liberty Public Farmers Market
2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Near Liberty Public Market at Liberty Station
Liberty Station’s brand-new weekly farmers market goes down every Thursday near Liberty Public Market, off Perry Road. The farmers market features more than 60 vendors, from local produce growers and specialty food purveyors, to artisan gift merchants. While you peruse vendors, enjoy live performances from local musicians.

Cooking Class: Recipe for a Healthy & Delicious Summer
5:30 p.m., Jimbo’s…Naturally in Horton Plaza
Jimbo’s…Naturally in Horton Plaza will host this free, all-ages cooking class Thursday night, taught by certified nutritionists from Scripps and staffers from the grocery store. The menu includes easy summertime recipes like raw pancakes, a pressed roast beef sandwich, and prosciutto, peach and sweet lettuce salad. Students will be treated to samples during the class.

California Dreaming Beach Party
6 p.m. to 9 p.m., The Bahia Hotel
Every Thursday this summer – through Aug. 31 – The Bahia Hotel in Mission Bay will host its “California Dreaming” Beach Party, which includes a clam bake, BBQ, brews and live beachside concert performed by The Mar Dels. Tickets are $49 for adults and $26 for kids ages 5 to 12; children age 5 and under get in free. This is summer, SoCal style, that’s for sure.

Santee Summer Concerts
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Town Center Community Park East
Wingstock, playing music from the epic summer of 1969, will take the stage for Santee’s weekly summer concert series this Thursday. The event is free; there will be food trucks on-hand selling dinner and family-friendly activities for the kids. Bring a blanket or chairs and snag a spot on the grass. 

Cardiff Music Nights
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Pappalecco in Cardiff-by-the-Sea
Italian eatery Pappalecco is hosting “Cardiff Music Nights” this summer at its Cardiff-by-the-Sea location (2101 San Elijo Ave.), showcasing free concerts each Thursday evening. Guests can enjoy the tunes al fresco as if they were in Italy. A different artist is featured each week.

Sunset Poolside Jazz Series
6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., The Westgate Hotel
Downtown’s Westgate Hotel continues its “Sunset Poolside Jazz Series,” a summertime series featuring a different performance every Thursday night, through Aug. 31, from Southern California’s finest jazz talents at the hotel’s pool. The event includes drinks and appetizers, available for purchase. Attendees are asked to spend at least $25 on drinks and food; the entertainment is free. The Holly Hofmann Trio performs on Aug. 10.

Sam Hunt, Maren Morris & Chris Janson
7 p.m., Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
This Thursday night country music mega-ticket will put three artists on stage at Chula Vista’s Mattress Firm Amphitheatre: Sam Hunt, Maren Morris, and Chris Janson. Tickets are $56.

Latin Jazz Masters
7:30 p.m., Embarcadero Marina Park South
Part of the Bayside Summer Nights concert series, this Latin Jazz Masters show will bring bongos, timbales, congas, trumpets, saxophones, guitars and more to the scenic stage at Embarcadero Marina Park South Thursday night. The concert will feature about a dozen musicians, all experts in the world of Latin jazz, playing the music of Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria and more. Tickets range from $18 (lawn seating) to $71.

Flicks at the Fountain
8 p.m., Carlsbad Village
Every Thursday night in July and August, the Carlsbad Village Association will host a free outdoor movie screening behind the famous fountain at the corner of State Street and Grand Avenue. The community’s annual summer movie series continues Thursday night with a screening of “The LEGO Batman Movie.” Bring blankets, low-back lawn chairs, a picnic and enjoy the entertainment under the stars. Films begin at dusk – between 7:45 p.m. and 8 p.m.; seating starts at 6 p.m.

Latin Thursdays
9 p.m., Harrah’s Resort Southern California
Enjoy live Latin music at Harrah’s Resort Southern California every Thursday night this month at this 21+ fiesta. The shows cost $10 and are available at the door.

Friday, Aug. 11

Coronado’s Free Summer Shuttle Service
8:57 a.m. to 9:42 p.m. (shuttle service times), Coronado
Coronado’s free summer shuttle service is back, running now through Labor Day. The service aims to make it easier for locals and visitors to cruise around Coronado and catch a ride to popular spots during the busy summer months. Hop on!

Food Truck Friday
4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Plaza de Panama at Balboa Park
Balboa Park’s “Food Truck Friday” is a summertime event that brings more than a dozen food trucks to the Plaza de Panama and El Prado walkway every Friday evening through Sept. 29. As you grab some food, you’ll also be able to enjoy live entertainment at the park. Stick around and check out “Balboa Park After Dark” (see below), happening simultaneously at the park Friday nights this summer.

Cruisin’ Grand Escondido
5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Downtown Escondido(235 East Grand Ave.)
Downtown Escondido’s free, weekly vintage car show continues, running every Friday night through Sept. 29. Cruisin’ Grand Escondido takes over historic Grand Avenue, with more than 500 cool cars lining the streets. The event, now in its 18th year, draws thousands of attendees. Each Friday night, awards are given to the most impressive pre-1973 American-made cars. Musical entertainment includes performances across four stages: Broadway; Juniper Street; Maple Street Plaza; Kalmia & Grand.

Balboa Park After Dark
5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Balboa Park
Balboa Park’s sundown summertime program continues, with eight museums offering extended late-night hours every Friday through Sept. 29. Some museums are even offering $5 admission deals. Food vendors and live entertainment will also fill the landmark during this “Balboa Park After Dark” series.

Summer Movies in the Park
5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Multiple Locations
San Diego’s fun and free “Summer Movies in the Park” presents family-friendly movies Friday night at several places across the county, usually at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. This week, the lineup includes “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” at Otay Lakes County Park and “The LEGO Batman Movie” at Robert Egger Sr. South Bay Community Park and at Pine Valley County Park. “Sing” will screen at both Sage Canyon Neighborhood Park and 4S Ranch Patriot Park, while “Ratatouille” plays at Nobel Community Park.

Point Loma Summer Concerts: Battle of the Brits
5 p.m., Point Loma Park
The Point Loma Summer Concerts series wraps up its 17th season with bands paying tribute to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The Battle of the Brits-themed evening will put hits from the Fab Four and The Stones on one stage for “the greatest show that never was.” The concert is free. 

Sunset Luau on the Bay
6 p.m., Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa
Dreaming of Hawaii? The Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa in Pacific Beach hosts its 16th season of Sunset Luaus on the shores of Mission Bay, a Friday night event complete with tropical drinks, Polynesian cuisine, and authentic island-inspired music and dancing. The Sunset Luau series runs through Sept. 1; tickets are $69 for adults, $32 for kids ages 5 to 12, and free for little one 5 and younger.

Incubus & Jimmy Eat World
6:30 p.m., Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
Rockers Incubus and pop punk pioneers, Jimmy Eat World, join forces Friday night for this concert in Chula Vista. Tickets start at $38.

Glow-in-the-Dark Golf + Beer
7 p.m. to 11 p.m., The Loma Club
The Loma Club in Point Loma (2660 Truxtun Rd.) will host another installment of Glow-in-the-Dark Golf Friday night, accompanied by craft brews from 32 North Brewing Co. The $35 ticket includes a pint at check-in, plus nine holes of golf, four beer tastings, and a glow necklace. The event also includes live music.

Jazz Jam Sessions: Darryl Williams
7 p.m., California Center for the Arts Escondido
Head over to Lyric Court at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido Friday for an evening of jazz music performed by Temecula-based bassist and composer, Darryl Williams. The event is free, but reservations are recommended.

Legally Blonde: The Musical
7 p.m., Lyceum Theatre
The Young Actors’ Theatre tells the story of the ambitious and bubbly Elle Woods and her journey from the sorority house to the courtroom. The musical runs through Aug. 13; tickets to the Friday night performance are $32.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial in Concert
7:30 p.m., Embarcadero Marina Park South
Relive the magic of Steven Spielberg’s family classic, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” in a new way: with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra performing the film’s entire Oscar-winning score live, while the movie is shown on a big HD screen at Embarcadero Marina Park South. The concert – part of Bayside Summer Nights – will be led by conductor Sarah Hicks. Tickets start at $25; there will be family-friendly activities for the kids before the concert.

Saturday, Aug. 12

DayBreak
8 a.m., Del Mar Racetrack
It can be difficult to wake up early on a Saturday morning. But here’s something to help get you out of bed this Saturday morning: DayBreak at the racetrack. Grab some breakfast while watching morning workouts at the racetrack. Horse racing fanatics will also be able to pick the brain of former jockey and event announcer Jeff Bloom. Bloom will be there answering questions. Tickets cost $10.

Snorkel with the Leopard Sharks
8 a.m., Scripps Institution of Oceanography
It’s a unique experience you don’t want to miss. Join aquarium naturalists as they head out off of the La Jolla coast to snorkel with leopard sharks in their natural habitat. To participate, you must have intermediate knowledge of swimming and have previous snorkeling experience. Participants must be 10 years or older and must supply their own gear. Tickets start at $25.

Arctic Zero’s Taste of Fitness
9 a.m., Coronado Tidelands Park
Natural, healthy food and beverages come together at this local showcase along the Coronado Bay. San Diegans who attend will be able to participate in a bootcamp class, a Vinyasa Yoga class, and CorePower Yoga. There will be prizes, a photo booth, live music, and tastings. The $7 ticket is a donation to support Heartland San Diego and the American Diabetes Association.

ArtWalk 2017
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Arts District at Liberty Station
The Arts District at Liberty Station will celebrate local artists in the fields of visual arts, music and more at this ArtWalk in the Ingram Plaza (2751 Dewey Rd.) on Saturday. The event is free; there will be food available for purchase in a street food vendors area, plus a wine and beer pavilion for the 21+ crowd.

Back to School Carnival
12 p.m., Imperial Beach Pier Plaza
Head over to the Imperial Beach Pier this Saturday for a fun-filled back to school carnival. More than 40 vendors will set up shop with food, local products and more. As you grab some lunch, listen to live music, or even play outdoor laser tag. The event is free.

Burgers & Brews
1 p.m., Del Mar Racetrack
What’s better than burgers and beer at one of San Diego’s classic spots, the Racetrack? Stop by the Del Mar Racetrack this Saturday to sample some of the city’s best burgers from favorites like Hodad’s, Slaters 50/50 and more. Plus, pair your meal with local craft beer. A $40 ticket gets you unlimited burgers, gourmet fries, five craft beer samples and admission to the track.

Ludacris
After the Final Race, Del Mar Race Track
Rapper Ludacris performs at the Del Mar Race Track Saturday night, at the Seaside Stage, right after the final horse race of the day. The 18+ concert is free with paid admission to the track. 

San Diego Sights and Sips
5:30 p.m., Hornblower Cruises and Events
Sunshine, sailing, and cocktails come together on this Hornblower cocktail cruise. Hop on board for a two-hour cruise with champagne, light Hors oeuvres and more as you enjoy a beautiful view of the Bay during sunset. The boat leaves at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $37.50 per person.

Spirits at Sunset: Summer Cocktail Cruise
5:30 p.m., Flagship Cruises and Events
Treat yourself to a lovely evening on the Bay this Saturday for the all-new Spirits at Sunset cruise. Board an 82-foot yacht for an evening for 360 views of the beautiful San Diego and bay and your favorite cocktails. Tickets start at $42.50. 

America
7:30 p.m., Humphreys by the Bay
Classic rockers, America, celebrate their 47th anniversary making music with this show at Humphreys on Saturday night. Founding members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell will be on stage, along with new band members, grooving to tunes like “A Horse With No Name,” “I Need You,” and “Ventura Highway,” to name a few.

Steve Martin & Martin Short
7:30 p.m., Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre at SDSU
Comedy icons and “Saturday Night Live” pals Steve Martin and Martin Short bring their variety tour to San Diego for a night of laughter, skits and live music. Tickets start at $39.50.

Little Italy Summer Film Festival
8 p.m., Amici Park
Every Saturday night this summer (through Aug. 26), stop by San Diego’s Little Italy Amici Park and enjoy a series of Italian films with English subtitles. The screenings start at 8 p.m. The entry fee is a $5 donation. 

Sunday, Aug. 13

Sea Chantey Festival
9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Maritime Museum of San Diego
Local, regional and national performers will come together on Sunday at the Maritime Museum of San Diego for the 25th annual Sea Chantey Fest, which celebrates “Songs of the Sea” and the “chanteys” sung by sailors for centuries. Traditional folk music will be performed by groups like The Jackstraws and The Bilge Pump Band while sail crews from the Star of India demonstrate shipboard skills. Visitors will even get a chance to join in and raise the sails of the ship. The festival is included with admission to the Maritime Museum: $18 for adults; $13 for seniors, military and students ages 13 to 17; $8 for children ages 3 to 12. A family package for two adults and two children costs $45; kids age 2 and under get in free.

Guided Nature Walk: Featherless Fliers
8:30 a.m., Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor’s Center
Catch a glimpse of some of the wild birds in Mission Trails Regional Park this Sunday morning during a guided walk. A tour guide will take you along a trail, explaining parts of the park to you. The trek is free. 

Art in the Village
9 a.m., Carlsbad Village
Two blocks from the beach this Sunday, you’ll find an open-air art experience like no other. This annual festival features more than 120 local and regional fine artists exhibiting their work, from oil painting to watercolor to contemporary sculpture and more. You’ll find more than just art, though: there will also be jewelry, woodworking, furniture, pottery and so much more. As you browse, listen to live acoustic music, artist demos and more. The event is free.

Sunday Champagne Brunch Cruise
10:30 a.m., Flagship Cruises and Events
Settle into the New Year in style by hopping abroad a luxury yacht and cruising around the San Diego Bay. The two-hour cruise will take brunchers past the Downtown San Diego bay as they enjoy a gourmet buffet, mimosas, and live music. Tickets start at $38.70. 

'No Borders' Ceviche Showdown
1 p.m., 57 Degrees in Middletown
Ceviche fans, this one is for you! Taste and vote for your favorite ceviche in the region during this casual, walk-around ceviche competition. This year, restaurants from Mexico to San Diego will participate in the competition. A panel of local celebrity judges will conduct blind tastings and present an award, plus, attendees’ votes will be tallied for a People’s Choice award. Tickets start at $25.

Guys and Dolls
2 p.m., The Old Globe Theater
This Broadway classic, considered one of the greatest musicals of all time, comes to San Diego's Old Globe Theatre. The show follows Nathan Detroit, New York's infamous game organizer, who makes a bet with a notorious gambler: take mission girl Sarah Brown to dinner in Cuba. The beloved upbeat musical is directed by rising director and choreographer Josh Rhodes, who tells NBC 7 he went back to basics for his fresh take of a classic musical. The final show is on Sunday.

Avenue Q
3 p.m., OB Playhouse
A bright-eyed Princeton graduate comes to New York City with big dreams and a small bank account in this Tony Award-winning musical, back by popular demand. Laugh and cry-laugh as you follow the (often slightly raunchy and outrageous) lives of the neighborhood’s residents. The show is billed as a Sesame Streets for adults. Tickets start at $29; its run at the OB Playhouse ends Sunday.

Ken Ludwig’s "Robin Hood" 
7 p.m., The Old Globe
See the timeless story of hero Robin Hood in a new light: on stage, in this brand-new, Globe-commissioned play by Ken Ledwig. Ludwig, a playwright whose works have appeared on Broadway and London's West End ("Crazy For You," "Lend Me a Tenor," "An American in Paris," and more), comes back to The Globe in this world premiere comedy. Ludwig most recently premiered "Baskerville" at the Globe, bringing Sherlock Holmes to San Diego. The piece promises thrills, romance, laughter and more. The piece runs through Aug. 27. 

Free or Cheap Things to Do in San Diego
Times and locations vary

Looking to save some cash, but still enjoy the city? In San Diego, there are still plenty of activities to enjoy for free or on the cheap. Go for a hike at Torrey Pines State Park or Cowles Mountain, stroll Balboa Park, try a new craft brewery, admire the murals of Chicano Park or read a book at a downtown park. Get out there and explore America’s Finest City.

The U.S. Marine Corps commandant has ordered a 24-hour stand down of all flight operations or "an operational reset," USMC officials confirmed Friday.

The pause in flight operations will not happen immediately but at some point within the next two weeks, according to a statement.

General Robert. B. Neller directed all aviation units to perform the operational reset where no flights will take place but no operational commitments would be impacted, USMC officials said. 

An MV-22 Osprey was conducting regularly scheduled operations on Saturday when it crashed into the water. The wreckage was found two days later. Three U.S. Marines died in the crash. 

A Camp Pendleton-based U.S. Marine was one of the victims.

Pfc. Ruben Velasco, 19, was assigned to the Battery G, Battalion Landing Team for the third Battalion, fifth Marines based out of Camp Pendleton, according to the U.S. Marine Corps.

The other victims were identified as first Lt. Benjamin Cross, 26, from Oxford, Maine and Cpl. Nathaniel Ordway, 21, from Kansas.

Twenty-three other personnel who were on board the Osprey when it crashed were rescued. 

The Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter but flies like an airplane. The aircraft has been involved in a series of high-profile crashes in recent years.

The number of construction accidents damaging gas lines in San Diego has increased dramatically, with potentially dangerous consequences, according to San Diego Gas and Electric.

Since 2010, there have been twice as many preventable accidents than usual causing damage to gas lines, according to SDG&E.

SDG&E officials said San Diegans need to be more careful about avoiding gas lines when they are working on construction projects around their homes. They said it's important to "call before you dig." If you call SDG&E at 8-11, they will send utility crews to mark any gas lines around your home at no expense.

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"Already, we've had more than 200 incidents this year. Those numbers really need to come down and we really need the public's help to do that," said SDG&E spokesperson Joe Britton.

A loud hissing sound -- that's the first clue that you may have struck a gas line. SDG&E workers demonstrated a mock gas leak at their training facility Friday to remind customers of the warning signs.

Their facility trains SDG&E workers to respond to broken and blowing gas lines, using technology to detect leaks. Last year, SDG&E crews responded to 350 pipe lines damaged because of construction or landscaping work.

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Currently, they are on track to surpass that number this year.

"Unfortunately, we're on track to repeat that statistic this year," added Britton. "So I think a lot of people don't know that SDG&E will come out and mark their underground utility lines free of charge before they begin any work. So it's really a public awareness issue."

Last year, crews responded to 150,000 requests to mark underground gas lines in San Diego.

Ice cream enthusiasts, this might actually make you scream with glee: Portland’s beloved ice cream shop, Salt & Straw, is expanding to San Diego, with a scoop shop planned for Little Italy.

The company announced this week that it will open up shop at 1670 India St. this winter, in the space formerly occupied by YogurtLand. The shop is right below the PrepKitchen restaurant. The location will be the first-ever Salt & Straw in San Diego. Construction on the 1,350-square-foot space begins this fall.

The ice cream company is known for its handcrafted, small-batch scoops, in cool, gourmet flavors like Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons, Honey Lavender, Freckled Woodblock Chocolate and Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache. The recipes are made with all-natural cream from Scott Brothers Dairy in Southern California, churned in small five to 10-gallon batches.

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The menu also features seasonal flavors, which rotate monthly, created with locally-sourced ingredients. The company says the San Diego location will include flavors inspired by the food scene in America’s Finest City, utilizing produce from local farmers and ingredients from local artisans.

The flavors will be created by Salt & Straw co-founder Tyler Malek.

“It's a dream come true to have the opportunity to work in the San Diego food community,” Malek said in a press release. “When you look at the success and innovation of local chefs, breweries, farmers, fishermen, wineries, bakers, etc., it's hard not to get excited about jumping in to build on this creative food scene and develop menus in partnership with these amazing folks.”

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“When I look at chefs like Brian Malarkey, the farmers markets like Little Italy Mercato and nonprofits like Feeding San Diego, it’s clear San Diego has become an incubator for pushing the limits on how food should be grown, prepared, served and shared. It's hard not to look at San Diego as a sister-city to Portland...maybe with slightly warmer weather and an entirely new crop of ingredients to play with,” he added.

If you ever visit Salt & Straw’s flagship location in Portland, you’ll likely be met with a long line that, at times, extends out the front door.

To build that same kind of buzz for the San Diego scoop shop, the company plans to host a series of pop-up events in the months leading to the grand opening. Those events will be announced on the company’s Facebook page.

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In addition to ice cream, Salt & Straw is rooted in the communities it serves, including supporting local schools and raising awareness for issues like equal rights and childhood hunger. Its founders – cousins Kim and Tyler Malek – plan to bring that mission to San Diego, too, and get involved with local organizations.

The family-run ice cream company founded in Portland got its start in 2011 as a red-and-white striped ice cream cart. Today, Salt & Straw operates shops in Portland, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Later this year, a location will open in Seattle and then, comes San Diego.

José Palma fled from El Salvador to Lynn, Massachusetts, as a last hope. After his family was displaced from their farm by a bloody civil war, he crossed the border at age 21 and did any work he could get — as a dishwasher, a deliveryman, a factory worker — to try and rebuild his life.

In 2001, he received temporary protected status, giving him the right to stay and work in the country legally. He earned his associate’s degree and found a job as a paralegal. But under the Trump administration, those rights are in jeopardy.

Now, he is one of many TPS holders lobbying the Department of Homeland Security to renew his legal status — or push Congress to come up with a long-term solution for people like him.

“The end of TPS would destroy the life we’ve been building up for the past 19 years and give us an uncertain future,” he said. “Fighting to maintain our legal status is fighting for the future of our families, for the future of our children.”

TPS, a temporary humanitarian designation, protects people from countries in the midst of natural disasters or civil war until they are able to return home. Honduras received TPS status in 1998, after a series of deadly earthquakes, while El Salvador received it in 2001 following Hurricane Mitch.

In total, experts say there are roughly 265,000 immigrants from these two Central American countries living in the U.S. with TPS protection, forming about 80 percent of all TPS holders.

Other countries that currently benefit from the program include Haiti and Nicaragua. Three West African nations — Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone — were protected by TPS until their status was terminated in May.

As the TPS designations for Honduras and El Salvador come up for renewal early next year, Sharon Scheidhauer, a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Custom Services, said in a statement that DHS “will review conditions in these countries and determine” what decision is warranted.

But former Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly has already made several indications that the future of the program is uncertain under the Trump administration, particularly when it comes to TPS designation for Haiti.

Before becoming the White House chief of staff, Kelly announced that Haiti’s designation would be extended for only six months, rather than the more common 18-month extension.

He later told the Miami Herald that immigrants protected by the program “need to start thinking about returning.”

His comments came as the Trump administration has been trying to deliver on a campaign promise of stricter immigration enforcement. Orders of removal and voluntary departures are up 30 percent. In addition Trump has proposed limiting legal immigration, proposing a new system that would cut the number of visas issued by half and set new requirements. 

For Sonia Paz, returning from Los Angeles to Honduras would mean giving up the ties she’s developed to the United States since arriving in 1985, and saying goodbye to her three adult children and seven grandchildren, all of whom are U.S. citizens.

“My kids don’t have any family except for me, and I don’t have anyone except them,” she said. “To have to disappear from their lives, that would be a disaster.”

And it would also mean facing the threat of violence in a country that’s been ravaged by gangs. Two of her brothers have been shot and killed by gang members since she came to the U.S.

Like her, many “tepesianos” — as they’re known in Spanish — arrived in the United States during the 1990s seeking refuge from political upheaval and the aftermath of civil war.

“It’s still so violent there. When people go back from the U.S., the first thing they [the gangs] do is threaten those families for money,” she said. “My family could get kidnapped, or I could get shot.”

Eric Olson, the deputy director of the Latin American program at the Wilson Center in D.C., said that conditions in the region are so unstable that deporting current TPS recipients would be like “pouring gasoline in a fire.”

“You’re putting people in a situation where things could only get worse,” he said. “These are countries that face tremendous challenges in terms of crime, in terms of violence, in terms of a lack of economic opportunity.”

At a Miami summit in June, the presidents of Honduras and El Salvador urged Vice President Mike Pence to push for a TPS extension for their respective countries, arguing that tepesianos are tax-paying, law-abiding immigrants who have integrated into U.S. society.

Trump himself has brought up the gang responsible for the region’s rampant violence, saying at a speech in July that MS-13 — a criminal gang formed in Los Angeles with ties to El Salvador — has “transformed peaceful parks and beautiful quiet neighborhoods into bloodstained killing fields.”

And while Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited the region in July in an effort to coordinate enforcement with governments there, the administraton may end TPS status despite the violence.

Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, D-Ill., said that he fears for current TPS holders after a meeting between Kelly and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Kelly, at the time still secretary of Homeland Security, said he was not sure he would extend the program, according to a July 12 statement from Gutierrez.

“I think we have to prepare for the worst and get ready to fight mass deportation,” the representative said.

And that’s exactly what people like Evelyn Hernández, a TPS holder living in Los Angeles, are aiming to do.

As an organizer with the Central American Resource Center in L.A., Hernández is working with a multi-ethnic coalition of immigrant groups to raise awareness about the role and contributions of TPS holders, she said.

“We will meet with whoever we need until we find someone who wants to listen to us, who wants to speak for us,” she said.

The groups are targeting members of Congress to express support for TPS renewal or to take legislative action to reform the program independently of the Trump administration, ideally granting permanent residency.

They’re also working at the local level. The town boards of Cambridge, and Somerville, Massachusetts, have both passed resolutions urging DHS to extend TPS protection.

Cecilia Menjívar, a sociology professor at Kansas University, said that one of the main arguments for preserving TPS is the economic and social impact that immigrants have, particularly in areas with large Central American populations.

A May 2017 survey by Menjívar of 2,000 Salvadorans and Hondurans protected under TPS found that 80.3 percent pays income taxes, with nearly 30 percent volunteering in civic organizations, committees, or community groups.

A report from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco said that ending TPS for Honduras and El Salvador would result in a $6.5 billion reduction to social security and Medicare contributions over the next decade, in addition to a $42 billion reduction in GDP.

In addition, Menjívar said, the termination of TPS status would force these immigrants into the shadows, making them lose their health care and ability to drive and forcing them to search for under-the-table work.

Doris Meissner, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute in D.C., said that while the U.S.’s foreign policy interests in Central America may complicate the decision, Kelly and Trump have made their views clear.

“The prevailing view with the administration is that the enforcement of these immigration laws had been weak and insufficient,” she said. “The statute does not envision anything like the kinds of duration that had unfolded in the cases of these long-held TPS.”

Congress, meanwhile, will likely be debating the immigration sections in an appropriations bill before it could take legislative action to renew or reform the TPS program, Meissner said.

Still, Hernández said that’s not deterring her or other members of the campaign.

“I will fight however I can for staying here,” she said. I’m not just going to be home crying and depressed. I have to fight to find a way to keep my documents.”

NBC 7 has learned a physician shot and killed in her office in Tijuana, Mexico, was not the killer's intended victim. The killing may be a case of mistaken identity.

Dr. Alma Angelica Ciani González was shot and killed in her office on July 3.

Now, a colleague of the doctor is saying she was the intended target of the killer, not Ciani.

Telemundo 20 sat down with Dr. María Isabel González at an undisclosed location Thursday evening.

María Isabel González had her psychology office one floor below the office where the shooting took place. She told Telemundo 20 the man accused in the killing called her, posing as a patient, and asked for an appointment. 

The man did not arrive at her office but went one floor upstairs to the office of Dr. Alma Angelica Ciani González. 

Ciani was shot twice in the heart, family members said. 

Officials with the State Attorney General's Office in Mexico have detained David "N" as alleged material author of Ciani's death. Officials also say they have determined the July 3 shooting was a mistake.

A phone left at the crime scene led to the arrest of the suspect and the unraveling of the plot, González said.

She also has received numerous death threats, evidence she says that the people who hired Ciani's killer still want to see her dead.

Advised by a lawyer, she has already gone to the Procuraduría General de Justicia del Estado de Baja California (PGJE) to tell them who she believes is responsible. No one has been arrested.

González says she has been unable to sleep because no one has been able to protect her from the people who want to kill her.

Because she still feels threatened, González left Tijuana to live elsewhere with her teenage son.

Telemundo 20 contacted the PGJE about the complaint and has not yet received a response.

In the days after Ciani's killing, her brother, Odin Ciani, spoke about the case. He works as a sports announcer for ESPN and is well-known throughout Mexico.

“My sister was a good woman,” Ciani told Telemundo 20 in Spanish. “She was a doctor. She had no conflicts with anyone."

Although he says he is satisfied with the capture of the alleged killer, Ciani said in the July 17 interview that the case was not closed.

Susan Franz’s kennels landed on the Humane Society of the United States’ “Horrible Hundred” list for the third time this year after an inspection found a multitude of fleas and a dog with a crusted lesion on her neck and red, inflamed skin on her rear legs. Four dogs listed in her records were nowhere to be seen. One was dead, Franz said, and the others had been “donated,” the report said.

Franz’s Belton, Texas, business was among 55 repeat offenders in the 2017 report, intended to warn the public of problem puppy mills and puppy dealers in the United States.

Earlier inspections of the kennels turned up a dehydrated puppy and piles of abnormal looking feces on the floor of one kennel that were crawling with worms, according to the Humane Society.

A woman who answered the telephone at the number listed for the kennels hung up and a message seeking comment was not returned.

Five years after the Humane Society’s first report, it continues to find horrendous conditions across the country — emaciated dogs with open, festering wounds, rats feces in food, and puppies with mange. Its “Horrible Hundred” is not meant to be comprehensive, but to expose conditions prevalent among disreputable dog breeders and brokers.

The Humane Society publishes the list each year to draw attention to the persistence of problem, but this year the task was more difficult than in the past. In February, the U.S. Department of Agriculture removed thousands of animal welfare inspection reports from its website, citing privacy concerns and litigation.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said it has reposted many of the inspection reports, except those that contain personal information that is protected by the federal Privacy Act. Only reports involving individuals or homestead businesses have not been restored, said Lyndsay Cole, a spokeswoman for the inspection service. She said the USDA did not know how many reports had been reposted versus how many had not.

“They put a tiny sliver of the inspection reports up in a difficult search format,” countered John Goodwin, the senior director of the society’s Stop Puppy Mills campaign, who accused the USDA of protecting breeders who had abused or neglected animals.

This year’s report was compiled from state inspection records in those states that inspect puppy mills, USDA records preserved before the agency removed them, court records, consumer complaints, investigator visits and media reports, the Humane Society said.

It showed Missouri topping the list for the fifth year with 19 kennels followed by a three-way time among Ohio, Kansas and Pennsylvania, each with 12. Last year, Iowa had the second largest number of kennels, then Kansas, Ohio, Nebraska and Pennsylvania.

But if the USDA has made it more difficult for the public to obtain inspection reports, progress in curbing puppy mills has been made in cities and towns across the country, Goodwin said. Two hundred and fifty-one local governments have outlawed the sale of commercially raised puppies in pet stores, up from 100 at the beginning of last year.

Opponents of the legislation — who argue such laws could shut down businesses — have backed state-wide laws pre-empting such local laws. Arizona and Ohio have approved pre-emption laws, though they are under appeal, Goodwin said. 

Goodwin noted that of the top 25 pet retailers, only one, Petland, still sells puppies, and it questioned the USDA’s decision to remove the inspection reports and called for a balance between privacy and transparency.

“As a responsible pet store chain, Petland has established buying standards that are based on inspections conducted and reported by USDA inspectors,” its president, Joseph J. Watson, wrote in a letter to the USDA in February. “Petland stores are required to obtain USDA inspection reports for every puppy that originated from a regulated kennel. Access to reports via the (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) website is critical in this effort.”

Dog sales make up less than 2 percent of the pet industry’s $70 billion yearly business, Goodwin said.

Puppy mills typically keep their dogs in overcrowded and unsanitary kennels, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. To maximize profits, female dogs are bred repeatedly with little time to recover between litters and they are killed when they can no longer reproduce, it says. Puppies often arrive at pet shops or in new homes with diseases ranging from parasites to pneumonia, it says.

Many people do not know that the mother of a puppy bought in a pet store is trapped in a cage at a puppy mill, according to Goodwin. And dogs ordered online sight unseen were also likely born in a puppy mill. He recommends adopting a pet through a shelter or a rescue organization or if bought from a breeder, insist on seeing how the mother dog lives. Reputable dealers want to screen potential buyers to make sure their puppies are going to good homes and so do not sell them in stores.

There could be up to 10,000 puppy mills in the United States, although an accurate count is difficult because breeders often operate out of view and with no oversight, the ASPCA says. Some 1.8 million puppies are born in such conditions each year, according to estimates.

Many of the puppy mills are in the Midwest, especially in rural areas where family farms have been devastated by industrial agriculture and some have turned to breeding dogs to make a living.

Missouri is centrally located and has more than 100,000 farms. In the 1980s, most of the dogs were being raised in chicken coops because the chicken business had been taken over by conglomerates, Missouri Alliance for Animal Legislation. In the 1990s, the same situation occurred with hogs. The problem has been hard to tackle because many kennels are hidden away, according to the alliance.

Missouri has made progress in eliminating more than half of its puppy mills — from 2,000 kennels in 2011 to 800 now, according to the alliance. There are 50,000 fewer breeding dogs confined in puppy mills as a result.

The drop was a result of the Canine Cruelty Prevention Act, passed in 2011, which increased the standards of care and for the first time gave the state’s attorney general the power to prosecute kennels, according to the alliance. A special unit was established in the Attorney General’s Office, the governor appropriated an additional $1.3 million and the number of inspectors was increased from seven to 18.

The state began requiring continuous access to water and the outdoors for the dogs, hands-on veterinary exams, improved floors and space requirements that at least double the federal standard, according to the Missouri Department of Agriculture. Facilities with violations are inspected more often, and those with substantial and ongoing facilities are to be closed.

But now the alliance and other animal welfare groups are gearing up to fight any rollback of regulations. As Gov. Eric Greitens reviews all regulations with the goal of eliminating those that affect businesses negatively, they are urging the public to oppose any repeal of ones governing puppy mills.

“We know the dog breeding industry is committed to repeal of regulatory protections,” Kathy Warnick, the president of the Humane Society of Missouri, said in a statement on the group’s website. “Many caring, passionate Missourians and animal welfare organizations worked very hard for years to put into place regulations protecting the thousands of dogs in breeding facilities.”

The governor’s office did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The USDA enforces the federal Animal Welfare Act, passed in 1966 and most recently amended in 2008, and which sets basic standards for animals bred for sale. The Humane Society and other animal welfare groups have criticized the standards for being so minimal that licensed dealers can keep hundreds of dogs in small, stacked cages with no exercise as long as they are provided with basic provisions such as food and water. They want breeders to be required to provide more space for the dogs, regular exercise, better veterinary care and the removal of wire floors in the cages.

Last year, the USDA revoked the licenses of seven puppy mills that had appeared in past “Horrible Hundred” reports, but the Humane Society called such revocations rare. More than two dozen of the problem puppy mills identified in its last few reports have closed, but it charges that many puppy mills are never inspected at all and others are protected by inspectors who fail to record violations accurately.

An internal audit at the USDA in 2010 indeed found that its own enforcement process was ineffective against problem breeders and dealers. Its inspectors took little or no action against most violators, relying instead on educating them about the regulations, a strategy that seems not to have worked. The audit noted that from 2006 through 2008, when 4,250 violators were re-inspected, 2,416 had repeatedly violated the Animal Welfare Act.

In addition, the USDA inspection service leveled minimal fines even after Congress had tripled the maximum penalties allowed, and it reduced the fines awarded to encourage violators to pay rather than demand a hearing, the audit said.

And some large breeders circumvented regulations entirely by selling animals over the internet, the audit found.

After the audit, the inspection service created standard procedures for all inspectors to follow, hired a kennel specialist, and sought stiffer sanctions in cases involving problematic breeders or dealers, it said. It revised the definition of retail pet store to ensure that animals sold over the Internet and by phone- and mail-based businesses are better monitored for overall health and humane treatment, it said.

Eater San Diego shares the top stories of the week from San Diego’s food and drink scene including details on a new, large-scale Chinese restaurant in Mira Mesa specializing in dim sum, plus word on a Portland cult-favorite heading to San Diego.

10,000-Square-Foot Dim Sum Restaurant Opens in Mira Mesa
Freshly-minted in Mira Mesa is Fung Fung Yuen; a new, large-scale Chinese restaurant focused on serving dim sum all day, via tableside carts. In addition to the small plates, ranging from steamed dumplings to baked buns, the menu features Chinese specialties including Peking duck and a variety of live seafood. 

Portland's Salt & Straw Ice Cream Coming to Little Italy
Based in Portland, with additional shops in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Salt & Straw is wildly popular for its innovative ice cream flavors and "farm-to-cone" philosophy that incorporates seasonal ingredients into the sweet treats. The company is planning to expand to San Diego and will open its first store this winter on India Street in Little Italy. 

Coffee and Bagel Shop Plus Neighborhood Bar Launch in the Gaslamp
Downtown has two new adjacent eateries that offer all-day drinking and dining options. Spill the Beans is a coffee bar with a menu of scratch-made "California-style" bagels while The Smoking Gun is a bar and eatery featuring craft beer, creative cocktails, Southern-inspired food and interactive games. 

Where to Eat Barbecue in San Diego Right Now
A certified barbecue judge and blogger shares her picks for the best barbecue in San Diego. Find top spots for sweet smoked meat – ranging from recently-opened restaurants to well-established eateries and new pop-ups at farmers markets and breweries. 

Philz Coffee Brewing Up New Café in La Jolla
Opening later this month at The Shops at La Jolla Village is another location for Philz Coffee, the well-known chain that hails from the Bay Area. The company, which features over 25 signature coffee blends and baristas who customize every cup to order, debuted its first local outpost in Encinitas earlier this year. 

The San Diego City Council discussed Friday how the city is losing millions of dollars each year by operating events out of the aging Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley.

According to the report from the mayor’s office, events at Qualcomm Stadium are lined up for the next two years.

Concerts, lot sales, and other events are scheduled for the site where the San Diego Chargers played every fall for decades.

The events for this fiscal year are estimated to bring in $3.5 million. However, operational costs alone are estimated to be $10.7 million.

“We’ve been losing between $10 and $15 million a year on that stadium as it’s been sitting there now,” Council member Scott Sherman said.

San Diego State University has asked to use the site for its football program beyond that.

Sherman asks, “Who pays for it? There’s a lot of money needed to keep that thing operational to 2020. With the amount of money we make on SDSU games, it doesn’t even come close.”

Council member David Alvarez asked for a breakdown of how much money each event brings in versus the cost spent to run the event.

Council member Georgette Gomez said she would have liked to see the proposed soccer stadium in the presentation offered to the council on Friday.

SoccerCity is the most significant proposal for the land used by the football stadium.

San Diego City Council members voted unanimously to put an initiative on the November 2018 ballot, instead of approving funds for a special election.

SoccerCity supporters have said it's unlikely investors will wait around until 2018, with their plan calling for housing, hotels, a river park and a soccer stadium.

Major League Soccer officials are deciding on a city in December and won't pick San Diego if there's no soccer stadium.

The City Attorney’s Office said the proposed development was not included because voters have not yet decided on the issue.

The future of the stadium land will be discussed Saturday at an open house concerning zoning, design, and land use standards. The open house is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Westfield Mission Valley.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at the San Diego International Airport detected a live flashbang grenade inside a carry-on bag.

The explosive was reported Friday, in the TSA’s weekly blog. TSA stated flashbang grenades are not allowed in checked or carry-on baggage.

A flashbang grenade, also known as a stun grenade, is a non-lethal explosive that is used to disorient victims with a blinding light and a loud bang.

TSA also reported a total of 85 weapons detected in baggage across the country this week.

Among the weapons found were seven inert grenades. TSA said in its blog that agents treat anything resembling a grenade as live until they know for certain otherwise, which can lead to slower lines or even an airport evacuation.

TSA said anything resembling a grenade, real, inert or otherwise is not allowed in carry-ons or checked baggage.

Of the 85 weapons, 69 were firearms found in carry-ons. Fifty-eight of the firearms were loaded and 16 had rounds in the chambers, according to a statement from TSA.

TSA stated an individual with firearms detected at the security check points can be arrested and fined up to $11,000.

A statement from TSA recommends travelers check the local and state laws of each airport they expect to go through, since firearm laws may vary.

A list of the local and state laws can be found here.

Also among the weapons were five knives, two hatchets and one metal-tipped dart. Knives are allowed in checked baggage but not carry-ons, according to TSA. 

“Unfortunately, these sorts of occurrences are all too frequent,” according to the TSA blog, “which is why we talk about these finds. Sure, it’s great to share the things our officers are finding, but at the time, each time we find a dangerous item the line is slowed down and a passenger that (sic) likely had no ill intent ends up with a citation or in some cases is even arrested.”

Information on what is allowed inside carry on and checked baggage can be found on the TSA website.