There are more than 40 days until Black Friday and retailers are putting out the call for more employees with five big-name stores planning on adding hundreds of associates. 

Target will be hosting a seasonal hiring event October 12 - 14 to fill 1,200 positions for 23 stores in San Diego County. The hours for the hiring push will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The positions include store employees as well as roles in the distribution and fulfillment centers.

JCPenney is preparing to hire more than 450 people to fill seasonal positions in San Diego. Jobs include cashier, replenishment specialist and SEPHORA inside JCPenney beauty consultant.

Applicants can take part in an in-store event on Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 2-8 p.m. Individuals are encouraged to apply online at jcpcareers.com or using an in-store kiosk.

BevMo! announced its plan to hire more than 500 people at 163 stores in California, Arizona and Washington. Interested applicants are encouraged to visit a local store to submit an application, or click on the employment link at bevmo.com.

Kohl’s will hold hiring events on Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27, at select stores. Anyone interested is advised to stop by a store and ask to interview for a seasonal position.

Macy's will also be holding a nationwide hiring day on Thursday, Oct. 18. Anyone interested in working for the company as a sales associate or in seasonal receiving should plan on stopping by participating stores for an interview between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. that day. 

President Donald Trump's lawyers are preparing answers to questions submitted by special counsel Robert Mueller, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News on Thursday.

The questions are focused on the issue of whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 presidential race, the source said. However, the source stressed that these questions are a refined version of questions that have gone back and forth between the two sides for months.

CNN was first to report that the president's legal team was preparing answers to the written questions submitted by Mueller.

Bigger jets could be coming to McClellan-Palomar Airport in the near future — near being a relative term.

The County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Wednesday to approve an updated Master Plan for the airport, which includes an expansion of the runway by up to 800 feet. That would allow the airport to lengthen its runway to accommodate larger jets.

Board Chairwoman Kristin Gaspar abstained because her family owns property near the airport.

The Master Plan is scheduled for completion by 2036.

While longer runway would bring more jobs and more flights to the area, nearby residents have some concerns.

"The noise is probably the No. 1 concern for most of us," Raj Patel said. He lives about two miles from the airport.

Another concern he and his neighbors have is the traffic. They wonder if the existing roads can handle the added traffic.

But Patel does admit that the updated plan does have some benefits.

"Selfishly, since we live here it would be nice to not to have to travel a whole lot living a couple miles away," he said.

It takes him about 45 minutes to travel to Lindbergh Field and about an hour to John Wayne Airport in Orange County. While the idea is nice, whether Patel uses it or not boils down to one thing.

"Ultimately, we always worry about the cost," he said. "I think if the costs are comparable to the cost at San Diego or John Wayne or LAX, then, of course, we'd love to stay close to home."

The battle over the Mission Valley stadium site took a musical turn on Thursday when the backers of the SoccerCity initiative (Measure E on the Nov. 6 election ballot), who are seeking a 99-year lease with an option to buy some of the stadium property, held a news conference at the beer hall/restaurant Nolita Hall in Little Italy.

The event was plugged by organizers as an opportunity “to unveil a vision for a sports and entertainment district” which would be "a mix of Austin, Nashville and LA Live."

On hand for the announcement were SoccerCity project manager Nick Stone and Brian Wahlstrom, the president of GigTown, a locally based music-booking and listings platform founded by former Qualcomm exec Steve Altman and his son, Andy Altman.

The SoccerCity supporters are facing off against the SDSU West (Measure G) proposal in a fight for the 166-acre site formerly employed eight days a year by the former San Diego Chargers. For its part, SDSU West asks, “Shall the city sell Mission Valley stadium property to San Diego State University or any SDSU auxiliary organization, etc."

Stone said the entertainment district was a key differentiator between SoccerCity and SDSU West.

"One of the key features of the SoccerCity plan is the construction of a sports-entertainment district," Stone said. "We think it adds something incredibly vibrant for San Diego... It’s particularly focused around music and the opportunity to reframe San Diego’s music scene to become a real hub for live music on the West Coast. There isn’t really a place that does that today. We think San Diego has the opportunity to do it. We are huge live music fans. Mike Stone plays in a band. He plays keyboards in a band. We’re actually part-investors in Fender. Steve Altman has hosted Rock the Cure, bringing awesome rock bands to the city for the past 10 years."

The other Stone here is Mike Stone – no relation to Nick -- the leader of FS Investors, the major force behind SoccerCity who is, according to SoccerCity publicist Rachel Laing, a member of the band the Lost Prophets [SoundDiego has a request in for more information about the band – Ed.].

Neither Mike Stone nor Steve Altman, who according to published reports is also a major investor in the SoccerCity proposal, attended Thursday’s event. Altman's Rock the Cure fundraisers are credited with raising millions of dollars "for research aimed at finding a cure" for Type 1 diabetes, according to a Rock the Cure Facebook page, and the events, held at the Altmans' La Jolla residence, included appearances by the likes of Kansas and Sugar Ray. The last concert was in 2017, according to a report in "Ranch and Coast Magazine," and featured appearances by the Struts and the Doobie Brothers.

Nick Stone said the district would feature multiple live-music sites, both connected to soccer games and not.

"Live music is a huge part of who we are," Stone said. "It’s a key part of our plan -- from the very beginning -- and we think we can create something that truly elevates the San Diego music scene … there will be venues of varying different sizes, from the small … intimate all the way up through concert-size stadium, in conjunction with great restaurants, great breweries…. In what's loosely termed San Diego Live, right outside of our stadium, at the end of every soccer game, we will have live music available for the fans. We’ve actually designed it into our stadium so that the main entry of the layout becomes a stage and bands could be positioned on the stage performing for people in the square. Not only will there be live music at the end of every game, we’re also going to put a broadcast studio there and emulate some of the parts of L.A. Live and tailor it specifically to the climate here in San Diego."

[Hmm -- "San Diego Live" as a name is a little close to home for some of us; speaking of which, have you signed up for our FREE SoundDiego LIVE Halloween party at Seven Grand on Oct. 27? -- Ed.]

After Stone's remarks, microphone duties were taken over by Whalstrom, who, in addition to his Gigtown gig, plays in the North County-based band Gods of Mount Olympus, which are on the bill of the Casbah’s Halloween show the Lafayette on Oct. 27 with Pinback and Buckfast Superbee. He said the SoccerCity plan would address some of the challenges that he perceives are facing San Diego music fans and musicians

"While our city has and continues to produce exceptional artists and venues, geography is simply not in our favor," Whalstrom said. "Because our city is so spread out, it makes it virtually impossible to organically discover new music on a regular basis. Now we have a chance to change that. Music scenes thrive not only when the fans can easily access live music but when artists themselves come together to interact, collaborate and perform with each other. A concentrated entertainment district would be an incubator for San Diego’s artists, providing new opportunities to perform frequently and earn a real income while perfecting their craft. Working at GigTown has been incredibly eye-opening, as I’ve come to understand the vastness and diversity of San Diego’s musician population. The talent is truly endless. While I’m constantly encouraged and inspired by the artistic output – and by venues like the Casbah, just around the corner, that have been supporting local artists for decades – it’s time we can do more."

While not currently a home to an entertainment district, per se, San Diego County boasts dozens of live music venues, some of which are clustered relatively closely together -- like the nightclubs of the Gaslamp or the many venues in North Park-- but others are more isolated, like the Belly Up in Solana Beach. And the Casbah? That’s three blocks from the Kava Lounge. Not addressed at the news conference was the fact that there are two large venues –- the Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre (which seats 4,600) and Viejas Arena (12,514) –- sited on the campus of San Diego State not far up the hill from the Mission Valley stadium.

In addition to the proposed "sports and entertainment district," the SoccerCity initiative also plans a “new stadium for Major League Soccer and SDSU Football, a sprawling river park, housing… and room for SDSU to expand.”

On Nov. 6, voters, of course, will have the final say whether either – or neither – plan for Mission Valley proceeds.

The Metropolitan Transit Service (MTS) will move forward with a housing development program that would allow for their underutilized parking lots to be turned into apartment buildings.

The transit system's board voted unanimously Thursday to move forward with a recommendation from Circulate SD, a pro-transportation and growth group, to update their "Joint Development Program."

In doing so, MTS will transform some of the 57 acres Circulate SD identified as underutilized property into housing developments.

Circulate SD estimated in a report released in April called "Real Opportunity," that the property could support about 8,000 new living units. An MTS spokesman said the number will be "difficult to achieve".

Circulate SD and MTS agree that 20 percent of the new housing stock, or about 1,600 apartments, will be set aside for low and very-low income renters.

The location of this new housing could reduce traffic congestion, air pollution and parking problems.

"Instead of having people go farther and farther out east in order to find someplace affordable, allowing people to live close in, near transit, is going to allow people to get around without using a car, and get around without generating more traffic," Colin Parent of Circulate San Diego said.

An MTS spokesman told NBC 7 in April that the agency supports the idea.

Before the Circulate SD report was released, MTS was already moving forward with its own housing development projects. More than 500 apartments have already been build on MTS property near the Morena/Linda Vista and Grossmont trolley stations.

"It's all in an effort to get the best and highest use of our property, and we're supportive of that," MTS spokesperson Rob Schupp said in April.

Minutes from a September board meeting confirm that representatives supported the idea as well, though they wanted to be sure there's enough parking left for commuters. Board members also want to save room for public restrooms at MTS stations.

What do you get when two scientists walk into a bar? The Fleet Science Center is answering that question with their quarterly event Thursday. 

50 scientists from biology to geology to computer science gathered in 25 bars around San Diego to answer scientific questions from the public. 

The free event is part of the Fleet Science Center's "Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar" series to promote science education. 

"It lets the public know that scientists are human too and come in all different forms," said Eric Meyer, a wildlife biologist. "The questions might also give scientists ideas for research in their own fields." 

The event starts in most bars at 5:30 p.m. from Chula Vista to Barrio Logan to Poway.  

"There's a lot of fascinating things going on in science right now," said Meyer. "One thing is 3-D printing of replacement organs for people." 

For a full list of the locations and times that you can ask a researcher science-related questions, click here. 

"It's a really interesting discussion about the challenges we face as a society and how we can solve them by thinking and talking together," Meyer added. 

If you could ask any scientist one question, what would it be? 

A raging fire at a scrap yard near Otay Mesa was billowing thick black smoke into the evening air Thursday.

The fire sparked at the Tapatio Auto and Trucking yard on Datsun Street at around 5:30 p.m.

San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesperson Jose Ysea said that at one point, at least seven fire engines were fighting the blaze.

Ysea said the fire started in a mobile home on the property. The fire appeared to have spread from the mobile home to several nearby cars.

No injuries have been reported.

No other information was available.

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

Thousands of San Diego Gas and Electric customers were furious over their high electric bill this summer and the utility company said it is doing something about it.

This past summer's heat wave took a major toll out of the pocketbook of a lot of SDG&E customers. Customers such as Cate Helm of Chula Vista.

"Our normal month (bill) is maybe $60 to $90," she said.

That was until this summer's heat wave kicked in and Helm was slapped with a high-usage fee. July was sweltering and August was the hottest month on record.

"Yeah, we’ve heard a lot of concerns and frustrations from our customers," SDG&E spokesman Wes Jones Said.

Helm's bill shot up to $455. 

"I thought, ‘Maybe there was a mistake,’" she said. "Then once I called the company and they explained that everything was correct, I was pretty much outraged."

The high-usage charge was something the California Public Utility Commission instituted last year. It charges customers a much higher rate if they use four times the amount of electricity they were alloted for each month.

SDG&E spokesman Wes Jones said more than 80,000 people were hit with the high-usage charge. He said the company is petitioning the CPUC to get rid of the fee.

"We’re going to be looking to get rid of it," he said. "Any relief we can provide I’m sure our customers will be happy to receive."

The higher rate forced Helm to be militant when it comes to energy use. She unplugged all the lamps in her home that's not being used. Reduced the light bulbs needed in each room, whatever it takes to lower her energy cost.

And it worked. 

"We went from $455 to our next bill was only $93," she said.

But Helm still can't forgive SDG&E for what it did.

"(The bills) had spiked for everyone in Chula Vista," Helm said. "They took all trust that we had to begin with them."

She said whatever SDG&E was not enough because it was unwilling to help when it mattered most.

"More people need to continue speaking up about these charges," she said. "Even if they're going to decrease and take that back. That trust is gone."

San Diego police released a sketch of a woman who was shot and killed in a strip mall parking lot Tuesday hoping the public can help investigators identify her.

Police say a man and a woman were in the parking lot of Baron’s Market on W. Point Loma Boulevard late Tuesday when witnesses heard yelling and one gunshot, SDPD Lt. Anthony Dupree said.

The woman, believed to be in her late 20s or early 30s, was found on the ground and witnesses saw a black sedan leaving eastbound on W. Point Loma Boulevard, according to Dupree.

Medics transported the woman to UC San Diego Medical Center where she was pronounced dead around 2:45 a.m. Wednesday.

She is described as 5 feet 9 inches, weighing 156 pounds. Police say she may have given birth in the last few months.

Investigators say she and the suspect may have known each other.

Police were searching the Point Loma Heights area for the suspect, who is possibly in his late 30s or early 40s. Investigators are working to get surveillance video from surrounding businesses. 

"We're hoping [Domino's Pizza does] have cameras. We're waiting for a manager to come who has access to it. Hopefully, give us some additional information we can put out," Dupree said.

Domino's employees told police the suspect and victim entered the store briefly but returned to the parking lot where they talked for about 15 minutes.

A delivery driver who wished not to be identified told NBC 7 victim and suspected shooter came in as a couple, but not customers.

The woman asked if she could use the restaurant restroom and when she came out the two went outside to talk. The driver said the conversation turned into some sort of disagreement, but he didn't know the topic.

Minutes later he heard a single gunshot from inside the store and ran out to help.

"She was still alive," he said. "She was kinda looking at me having convulsions and it was a very shocking experience."

He says the woman was unable to speak.

Police say the suspect drove off in a dark-colored sedan.

No other information was available.

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

Family and friends of a slain East Village flooring store owner say he was a warm and welcoming man and are having trouble accepting the brutality surrounding his death.

Forty-nine-year-old Tony Radda was loved by many. You can tell by the number of people who stopped by Bottom Price Flooring on G Street in the 24 hours since his death.

More than just business transactions took place inside Bottom Price, Radda's niece Nicole Mansour said.

"You might not have known him for too long but he made you feel like you had known him his whole life because he was so warm and personable," Monsour said. Her uncle was the one she'd go to for wisdom and counsel.

Officers responded to reports of a stabbing at Radda's business at around 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, according to the San Diego Police Department. A customer found him inside and called 911.

Police said Radda wasn't breathing and had no pulse when they arrived. Firefighters arrived minutes later and performed CPR but could not resuscitate him, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from inside the store and saw a man wearing a mask resembling an older woman with grey hair and a woman wearing what appeared to be a purple hair wig. SDPD considers the pair suspects in the killing.

Though they haven't been found, the family's focus right now is to grieve. One of the most painful things for Monsour is realizing someone didn't value her uncle's life.

"They found more importance in material things than the life of a family member," she said. "They forever have ruined a family dynamic."

Radda leaves behind a wife and two daughters, ages 5 and 8.

"They were everything to him," Monsour said. "Alexa is 8 and everyone calls her his mini-me. She is very sweet but feisty. She looks just like him. Melanie is so beautiful.

An online fundraising page has been established and says, "While he was tragically found alone on (sic) the afternoon his life was taken, he was never alone at heart."

Radda's manner of death has not been confirmed. Police say the suspects fled the warehouse on foot in an unknown direction.

SDPD's Homicide Unit is handling the investigation.

For the third time in the last 10 years, voters in the San Diego Unified School District are being asked to approve a school improvement bond.

In November they’ll decide on Proposition Y-Y, a $3.5 billion bond that will increase property taxes by $60 per $100,000 of assessed home value for 39 years.

The District is presenting Prop Y-Y as part of its master plan to make all schools a place where students can feel safe.

“This bond measure will allow us to complete work that has started 10 years ago,” said Trustee Richard Barrera, who claims the measure also would “allow us to respond to things that have happened in society since we passed a measure in 2012.”

Barrera pointed to the mass school shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. and at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Barrera said the new bond would pay for a master security plan for every school “that would provide physical security that can be very important in terms of slowing down a situation that might be underway.”

Barrera also said in the wake of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, more attention has to be paid to the discovery of lead in the drinking water in some San Diego schools.

“We’re committed to actually bringing our water in our schools down to a level to what is in bottled water or even cleaner,” he said.

He added that “to secure the facilities, to make sure we completely eliminate lead In the water, that costs money, that’s what this bond will allow us to do.”

The San Diego County Taxpayers Association opposes the measure.

“No one wants worse security in the schools,” said President Haney Hong, but he said voters do not have a line item veto, and must take the bond as a whole, not in pieces. “This is the third time they’re going to the taxpayer asking for money to do a lot of the same stuff, said Hong. “They’ve already got two mortgages…This is like taking a third mortgage on the back of taxpayers.”

Hong said based on the Association’s analysis “There’s a lot of the same maintenance that’s going to get funded with money already given them by the taxpayers, and that’s a challenge. That’s a problem.”

Barrera’s answer to that argument is that “This is a different house,” with different projects that need to be done.

“The money has been spent or allocated from the previous two bond measures, but those projects are not the entire slate of projects that need to be done in a district that has 200 campuses. This bond has been managed incredibly well. We have had perfect audits over the last seven years. We have the highest bond rating a school district can have with investors and the Taxpayers Association themselves have given us awards for transparency,” he said.

Barrera blames politics for the Taxpayers Association is not supporting the bond.

“The board has made the decision that if a school bond measure is done with union workers who have benefits they will not support that because they have contractors on their board who don’t want to support that,” he said.

Barrera says the Taxpayers Association’s analysis has nothing to do with whether this is good for the taxpayers, which is the purpose of that organization and says “every other taxpayer advocate is supporting this bond.”

That includes, Barrera says, the Middle-Class Taxpayers Association and even members of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association.

Hong said fair and open competition is just one of many components considered when deciding whether to support or oppose a measure.

“When we oppose something it’s because it doesn’t meet our criteria, and they did not demonstrate they could effectively deliver.”

Hong said “Money does not grow on trees. We, the taxpayer, only have so much money we can keep giving to various governments to solve problems. We don’t want homeless on the street, we don’t want our roads crumbling. We have a lot of priorities and there’s only so much money governments can keep asking the taxpayer for.”

Barrera said, “What voters tell us is we know it’s a sacrifice to invest in our schools, but we’re willing to do it because we know the work has to be done.”

Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of the embattled archbishop of Washington, D.C., the Vatican announced Friday.

Wuerl apologized again for "any past errors in judgment." His resignation comes amid a massive sex abuse scandal roiling the Catholic Church.

"Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, has accepted the resignation first offered on November 12, 2015, when I reached my 75th birthday," Cardinal Donald Wuerl said in a statement. "I am profoundly grateful for his devoted commitment to the well-being of the Archdiocese of Washington and also deeply touched by his gracious words of understanding.

"The Holy Father's decision to provide new leadership to the Archdiocese can allow all of the faithful clergy, religious and lay, to focus on healing and the future. It permits this local Church to move forward. Once again for any past errors in judgment I apologize and ask for pardon. My resignation is one way to express my great abiding love for you the people of the Church of Washington."

Wuerl will now move into an Apostolic administrative role and will help with the transition to the next Archbishop of Washington. Because of the time it took to accept Wuerl's resignation, it's likely the Vatican or the pope has a successor in mind, church experts say.

Wuerl had said he would ask Francis to accept his resignation after facing a storm of criticism and calls for his resignation after a Pennsylvania grand jury report said he allowed priests accused of sexually abusing children to be reassigned or reinstated when he was the bishop of Pittsburgh.

He submitted his resignation three years ago when he reached the church-stipulated retirement age for bishops of 75. While bishops are requested to submit a resignation at that age, the pope is not required to accept it, and they continue in their positions unless the pope does accept it.

The Pennsylvania grand jury report found that some 300 priests abused more than 1,000 children since the 1940s, and Wuerl is one of a string of bishops in six dioceses the report says covered up for them.

Most of the victims were boys. Some were teens, while others were prepubescent. Several alleged victims were lured with alcohol or pornography. Afterward, they turned to substance abuse and even suicide to escape the lingering trauma.

Wuerl has asked for prayers and forgiveness for what he calls his lapse of judgment in dealing with reports of abuse by priests.

The archbishop recently called for a "Season of Healing," inviting parishes and parishioners to observe six weeks of Friday prayers in recognition of the pain of the victims and the need for healing.

Last month, a man stood in a Mass Wuerl was celebrating in D.C. and yelled "Shame on you" after Wuerl asked parishioners to keep Pope Francis in their prayers.

Pope Francis summoned the presidents of every bishops conference around the world for a February summit to discuss preventing clergy sex abuse and protecting children — evidence that he realizes the scandal is global and that inaction threatens to undermine his legacy.

The Feb. 21-24 meeting of the presidents of the more than 100 bishops conferences is believed to be the first of its kind and signals a realization at the highest levels of the church that clergy sex abuse is a global problem and not restricted to the Anglo-Saxon world, as many church leaders have long tried to insist.

A former WeWork employee was sexually assaulted by two fellow WeWork employees at company-wide events — incidents enabled by the coworking giant's "entitled, frat-boy culture," a new lawsuit charges. 

Ruby Anaya, 33, who lives in New York City, started working in WeWork’s technology department as a director of product management in 2014, a lawsuit filed against the company and its co-founder Miguel McKelvey in Manhattan Supreme Court on Thursday says.

In 2017, Anaya became WeWork’s Director of Culture, according to the suit.

The lawsuit claims Anaya had just left the stage at a company-wide "Summit" event in January 2018 after presenting an award when she tripped over one of her heels and stumbled as she was trying to “navigate the large and alcohol-infused crowd,” the lawsuit says.

Anaya put her hand on a man’s shoulder to steady herself, then apologized and told the man she’d almost tripped, at which point the man grabbed her waist, pulled her toward him and “forcibly kissed her,” the suit claims.

She pushed the man away and slapped him, but he “just smiled at her,” according to the suit.

Anaya told her coworkers what had happened after the incident and reported it to WeWork's human resources department, but didn’t hear anything after a month, the suit says.

When Anaya reached out to an HR employee about the investigation, the employee told her the company had interviewed the male employee, who'd said he "had ‘no recollection’ of the incident and… ‘would have remembered if he had been slapped,’” the suit says.

The HR employee told Anaya the man was a “high performer,” and said the company had “closed out” the investigation, according to the suit.

Distraught, Anaya sent a text message to McKelvey and to WeWork's Chief People Officer about the incident, but McKelvey never responded, the suit claims.

The January incident wasn’t the first time Anaya was sexually assaulted by a male WeWork employee, according to the lawsuit.

At a "Summer Camp" event in August 2017, Anaya was in a crowd of employees when one of them grabbed her from behind “in a sexual manner,” the lawsuit claims.

Anaya took his hands off of her and told him not to touch her, but the employee “just smiled and walked away,” the suit says.

Anaya reported the incident to HR the next day, but the employee later told HR he “was black-out drunk and had no recollection of the incident,” according to the lawsuit.

The HR department told Anaya the man would take a sexual harassment prevention course, the suit says.

Both men still work at the company today, according to the suit.

“The sexual harassment and assaults of [Anaya] did not happen in a vacuum,” the suit says. “They are product in part of the entitled, frat-boy culture that permeates WeWork from the top down.”

The lawsuit claims WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann asked Anaya whether she drank tequila during her interview with the company, pouring her shots when she said she did.

WeWork also stocks free beer at its outposts and “has a mandated happy hour for employees every Friday,” which employees are pressured to attend, according to the suit.

The "Summits," for which attendance is mandatory, are “a huge, three-day, alcohol- and drug-laden party for all employees at the company,” the lawsuit claims.

More than one WeWork employee in the company’s New York office “has commented to [Anaya]... that ‘it’s only a matter of time until someone gets raped’” at one of the company's events, the suit says.

The suit claims Anaya was fired on Aug. 3, after she’d voiced “disagreement and distress” over WeWork’s decision not to fire the second WeWork employee who allegedly assaulted her, and brought up concerns about women at WeWork not receiving the same pay as men.

McKelvey told Anaya she had “not been showing up for her team” when he fired her, according to the suit, but she claims that the “timing of [her] termination was no accident.”

“Aug. 3 was just before the company’s 2018 Summer Camp event, and just before [Anaya] was to vest in another tranche of her stock options — options that have increased tremendously in value since she began working,” the suit says.

A WeWork spokesperson on Thursday called Anaya’s claims “meritless,” adding that the company would “fight this lawsuit.”

"WeWork has always been committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive and safe workplace," the spokesperson said in a statement. "WeWork investigated this employee’s complaints, took appropriate action, and this employee was terminated solely because of her poor performance."

The spokesperson claimed Anaya “received negative performance reviews, including one more than a year before she was terminated,” adding that she was “rated as one of the lowest performers on her team, based on feedback from her peers and managers.”

“Upon being terminated, she acknowledged her poor performance and that she hadn’t been showing up to work regularly,” the statement added. “She even expressed concerns about her performance to a colleague shortly before her termination.”

The lawsuit, however, claims Anaya “received almost exclusively positive feedback on her work efforts and performance” and “only positive performance reviews” up until she was fired.

Anaya's attorney Seth Rafkin on Thursday said his client "denies the statement's WeWork's unidentified spokesperson has asserted." 

"We also note the obvious: if our client had been a poor performer for a year or more, why didn't WeWork ever give her a warning or a performance plan, something human resources professionals will tell you is typical practice?" he asked in a statement. "And why did the decision to fire her come only after she complained again about a sexual assault and the way it was handled?" 

WeWork's spokesperson on Thursday noted that WeWork's "Summits" are three-day business meetings, with a single evening event. 

Friday happy hours, the spokesperson added, are not mandatory. 

Anaya is seeking damages including lost wages and benefits, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs of suit.

WeWork provides shared office space for rent by entrepreneurs, freelancers, artists and other businesses.

Montgomery Elementary School in Chula Vista is transforming its school with a mosaic of students and positive messages.

It's all part of the "Turnaround arts program," which uses the arts to build culture and community at schools across the country.

In Chula Vista, students were randomly picked to take a picture with a character trait they identified with and on Thursday, the black and white portraits were posted all over campus.

"School is the number one indicator for success for children, especially those that are marginalized," Principal Monica Ruiz said of the event. "Our Hispanic population and having that connection to school is extremely important for their academic success."

Montgomery Elementary was one of the 27 schools in California and over 80 nationwide selected as a "Turnaround Arts partner school."

The third largest jackpot in Mega Millions history is on tap for Friday’s drawing.

Last won on July 24, the jackpot has been growing for 22 consecutive games and reached $548 million after no winning tickets matched all six numbers drawn on Oct. 9.

The lucky winner who choose to take the cash option will receive $309 million.

Mega Millions tickets cost $2 and have odds of 1 in 302.6 million to win the jackpot. Players must select five numbers from 1 to 70 and one Mega Ball from 1 to 25.

The winning numbers will be drawn Friday at 11 p.m. ET. 

Mega Millions is one of two national lottery games. It's played in 44 states plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The largest jackpot in U.S. history was a $1.6 billion Powerball jackpot won in January 2016 by players in three states. The record prize for Mega Millions was $656 million for the March 30, 2012, drawing, in which there were also three winning tickets.

A man who bought a stolen male French mastiff puppy helped bring him home Wednesday to be reunited with his owners and dog parents.

Mesquite police are still investigating after two men were captured on surveillance video this week taking "Chipper" from behind the fence of a breeder's home.

Bryan Vazquez said a man, who he is certain is the same person shown in the video, sold him the dog for $300 at the tire shop he works at in east Dallas. He said he suspected the dog was stolen and that's why he decided to buy it. 

“If I don’t get it, who knows what happen with it," he told NBC 5 he was thinking. "Let me go ahead and buy it from him and then I’ll figure it out afterward.”

Vazquez said he had no idea a search was underway for the dog until his wife saw the surveillance video posted online. Video of the snatching was widely distributed and picked up by news outlets. 

The dog's owner, Ivy Bordeaux, posted the video on social media, which shows two men approaching the fence.

A man in a dark-colored shirt calls the puppy over, grabs it by the neck and lifts it up over the gate. The two men then drive off in a dark-colored SUV.

Vazquez says he didn't hesitate to return "Chipper" when he learned the puppy was stolen.

"It feels good to have returned the dog and to have everything for the dog to be back where it belongs," Vazquez said.

On Wednesday night, Vazquez returned the dog to the breeder's home where it was stolen.

The puppy was adopted Thursday to a family from Dripping Springs.

Watch Lester Holt as he broadcasts live from San Diego on NBC 7 at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. 

NBC Nightly News' Lester Holt was in San Diego Friday as part of the road for 'Across America,' his third nationwide tour. 

Holt is an award-winning journalist and anchor of "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt," the network's flagship broadcast currently celebrating its 70th anniversary. Holt also leads NBC News’ special reports, breaking news and primetime political coverage.

Holt was named to the role of “NBC Nightly News” anchor in June 2015 after eight years as anchor of "NBC Nightly News" weekend editions and 12 years as co-anchor of "Weekend TODAY." In addition, Holt has served as principal anchor of "Dateline NBC" since September 2011.

Holt began the week with a stop in Montgomery, Alabama. He was detoured from his expected stop in Tampa, Florida to cover the arrival of Hurricane Michael in the Florida panhandle. 

He will anchor his newscast from a U.S. Navy ship in San Diego Bay Friday at 5:30 p.m. You can watch the broadcast on NBC 7 or online here.  

Stay up to date with his visit by downloading the free NBC 7 mobile app to your mobile device.

A man who was struck by a car in Pacific Beach early Friday appeared to be heading for his ride-share vehicle, according to one witness.

Damien Bailey was standing near Hoboken on Garnet Avenue near Haines Street at 2 a.m. when an Infinity struck the man who was crossing the street.

Bailey witnessed the collision and heard the impact.

“He ran right in front of a car and it pretty much hit him right away,” he said.

The victim, a 25-year-old man, was crossing the street in an attempt to catch an Uber, San Diego police said.

He suffered a head injury and was transported to a nearby hospital, police said.

The 2005 Infinity was traveling westbound and had the green light, according to the witness. The driver was not injured but the vehicle sustained significant damage to its bumper and windshield.

Bailey said it’s not unusual for pedestrians to dart out into traffic in this part of Pacific Beach.

“When I drive down this street at this time of night, I do 10 mph, 15 mph max because there’s always people running in front of the cars,” he said.

Alcohol was not a factor in the incident, police said.

Anyone with information can call San Diego Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

When Alvin Quarles was sentenced to prison for his crimes in 1989 it was for 50 years.

However, the man nicknamed the "Bolder Than Most Rapist" may soon call Jacumba Hot Springs home.

The recent decision by a judge to grant Quarles parole and the decision by the Department of State Hospitals to place him in the remote community east of San Diego has residents upset.

In July 2014, Quarles was civilly committed as a Sexually Violent Predator. He was convicted in a series of sexual assaults in the 1980s that involved 14 different victims. Four of his victims were raped at knifepoint. 

Quarles has been diagnosed with Sexual Sadism Disorder, Voyeuristic Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office which opposes his release.

In 2015, two of his victims told NBC 7 they were happy Quarles was committed to the Department of State Hospitals to undergo sex offender treatment. 

"No community, no community should have to live with this -- knowing that someone has a history of doing this is there with the opportunity to do this again,” victim Mary Taylor said in a previous interview.

The Department of State Hospitals has proposed a placement for Quarles of 43050 Desert Rose Ranch Road, Jacumba Hot Springs, CA 91934.

On Friday, residents will have an opportunity to share their thoughts about the placement.

The location is near where the state placed convicted rapist and child molester Herman Smith in April.