The FBI is investigating nine robberies throughout the county linked to a suspect they’ve dubbed the “Burgundy Bandit.”

A man, usually dressed in burgundy clothes, can be seen on multiple surveillance cameras demanding money from businesses.

The suspect carried a gun hidden in his waistband as he approach employees, the FBI said.

He would often collect money from different locations within the business.

The man would case out most of the locations for a few minutes before each robbery, according to the FBI.

The suspect was seen fleeing on foot after receiving the money.

He was described by the FBI as 5 feet 8 inches tall, around 175 pounds, and in his mid-40s to early 60s.

During the robberies, he was seen wearing a burgundy sweatshirt, burgundy or black pants, and black shoes. He also wore black and white gloves, black sunglasses, and a black baseball hat, according to the FBI.

The suspect was linked to the following robberies:

• June 26: Fred Loya Insurance on North Second Street in El Cajon
• August 17: Walmart on North Second Street in El Cajon
• September 7: Walmart on Grossmont Boulevard in La Mesa
• September 18: Two separate Fred Loya Insurance buildings in Kearny Mesa and North Clairemont, both on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard
• September 19: Leslie’s Pool Supplies on Jamacha Road and Yogurtland on El Cajon Boulevard, both in San Diego
• September 20: Walmart on North Second Street in El Cajon
• October 12: Walmart on Murphy Canyon Road in San Diego

The FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force is working alongside police in San Diego, El Cajon, and La Mesa.

Anyone with information is asked to called FBI San Diego at (858) 320-1800 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

A Vista man arrested and charged with murder more than a year after his wife's "suspicious" disappearance entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment Monday.

Hector Martinez, 39, is accused of killing his wife Maria Elena Guzman-Cordova, 38, in October of 2017 and disposing her body near Palomar Mountain.

Deputies arrested Martinez last Thursday weeks after investigators found Guzman's remains, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO). Deputies said that evidence gathered over the course of their investigation linked Martinez to her death.

Cordova was last seen leaving her home on North Santa Fe Avenue on Oct. 13. Her family reported her missing the following day.

Martinez told police that Guzman left their Vista apartment that night to go for a walk after the two had had an argument. Martinez reported that Guzman didn't take anything with her.

Her family told investigators that she suffered from depression and didn't have her medication.

Prosecutors said Monday that Martinez killed his wife, possibly while their youngest daughter was in the home, and disposed of it the next day. Deputy District Attorney Marnie Layon said investigators believe Martinez had Guzman's body in the trunk of his car while he dropped his daughter off at his parent's house.

Guzman may have wanted to end their marriage at the time of her disappearance, according to the District Attorney's office.

Martinez pleaded not guilty to murder and is being held without bail. If convicted he faces 25 years to life in prison. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 6.

Layon said Martinez was a flight risk because he has a family home in Mexico.

In September of this year, after nearly a year with and no leads, Guzman's family and the Sheriff's Department held a news conference to call for a renewal in the search.

"It’s odd that someone would go missing under these circumstances, without taking a phone without taking their personal belongings, we’re definitely concerned, Maria’s family is concerned," SDSO Lt. Rich Williams said.

Martinez told a Telemundo 20 reporter that it was possible his wife could have run away. When asked if he had a message for his wife who could see it on the news, Martinez promised her a better life if she returned.

Deputies are asking anyone with information about the incident to call the department at (858) 285-6330, or at (858) 565-5200 after hours. Anonymous tips can be made to Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477, or online at crimestoppers.org. The case number is 17153719.

Gunshot wounds put an average of 8,300 kids into the hospital every year, according to an analysis released Monday.

Close to half of them were shot on purpose and another 40 percent were shot accidentally, the researchers reported. Six percent of those who made it to the hospital died, the team at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine reported.

They said while mass school shootings get the headlines, there’s a day-in, day-out toll that adds up to even more, NBC News reported.

Millions of dollars are being spent on a California proposition that impacts roughly 70,000 Californians.

Prop 8 is being called the most expensive item on the November ballot, not only in the state but in the nation.

Prop 8 is about state regulation for kidney dialysis clinics. According to the ballot, it “limits the charges to 115 percent of the costs for direct patient care and quality improvement costs, including training, patient education, and technical support.”

So far, the two sides have already poured in close to $120 million to the campaign.

Those sides include the Service Employees International Union, one of the largest health care labor groups in California, and DaVita and Fresenius Medical Care, the two companies that control the majority of the dialysis market in California.

Proponents say Prop 8 will increase quality care to patients.

Amar Bajwa is a dialysis patient who complains of understaffing at the clinic he goes to three times a week.

“This is going to give me and the people taking care of me enough power to do what we want to do,” Bajwa said.

But opponents argue Prop 8 will make it harder for clinics to stay afloat, which in turn could make it harder for patients to get the care they need.

“This is about labor and dollars, not about healthcare,” says Ted Mazer, M.D. and former president of the California Medical Association.

Dr. Mazer says Prop 8 is being improperly used in a labor dispute over unionization and he fears patients’ healthcare is jeopardized because of it.

San Diegans will get to vote on Prop 8 and others in the general election on November 6.

Antibiotics are lifesaving medicine, but nearly 70,000 children end up in emergency rooms each year because of the side effects of taking them.

While antibiotics are generally considered safe, Consumer Reports outlines what parents should know about reactions to antibiotics and when to get your child to the ER.

Most reactions to antibiotics are minor; that’s something like a rash. But kids can actually have very serious reactions like anaphylactic shock, a life-threatening allergic reaction that usually is associated with peanuts or bee stings. 

A CDC study found that up to 81 percent of visits kids made to the ER due to antibiotic reactions were for mild allergic events like rashes. However, you should take your child to the hospital immediately if severe symptoms arise.

Children two and under are the most likely to end up in the ER with an adverse reaction. And if you see anything like trouble breathing or a weak pulse, seizure, a loss of consciousness or even severe hives, you want to take them to the ER right away.

Even with possible side effects, antibiotics are generally considered safe. When used properly, these life-saving drugs far outweigh the risks. 

CR says because of the possible side effects of antibiotics, it’s important to talk to your child’s pediatrician about whether an antibiotic is even necessary. Antibiotics should never be used for viral illnesses, like colds. We’ve put more info from CR on when and when not to use an antibiotic on our website.

All Consumer Reports Material Copyright © 2018_ Consumer Reports, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Children eight and younger spend an average of about 2.25 hours per day on smartphones, tablets, computers, and TV and parents often struggle with how much is too much.

With all that time on devices, young eyes and ears could be harmed. Consumer Reports has what you need to know for safer screen time and audio levels.

Eye doctors are seeing a marked increase in dry eye, nearsightedness, and other conditions in children. Looking at screens up close can cause the eye to shift focus, and over time that can cause the eyeball to lengthen, which can lead to or worsen nearsightedness.

And new research suggests that the blue light emitted by smartphones, tablets, computers, and TVs can, over time, damage the retina, the thin layer at the back of the eye that contains light-sensitive cells.

Experts agree that children’s eyes need regular breaks from tech activities. They suggest what’s called the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, kids should look out a window or at an object that’s at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

When it comes to hearing, audiologists are concerned that the continuous use of headphones at unsafe volume levels may lead to an increase in problems in children and teens.

Experts recommend that if you can hear the music coming from your kids’ headphones when they’re listening, it’s too loud. Or if you’re talking and they’re listening to their headphones and can’t hear you, the music is too loud.

When it comes to hearing safety, experts suggest the 80-90 rule: Children and teens shouldn’t listen to music at 80 percent of the volume on their devices for more than 90 minutes per day.

There are more strategies on our website outlined by Consumer Reports that can help keep children's eyes and ears safe.

All Consumer Reports Material Copyright © 2018_ Consumer Reports, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Chula Vista police are reminding the public that they should call 911 to report crimes and suspicious activity before posting about them on social media.

The reminder comes after NBC 7 contacted the Chula Vista Police Department about a report of an attempted abduction.

CVPD Captain Phil Collum told NBC 7 two men in a black SUV approached two boys near the Hillsborough Park in eastern Chula Vista on Oct. 16. One of the men promised the boys a new skateboard if they got in the SUV and went with the men to their house.

Captain Collum said the boys declined, ran home, and the SUV drove away. No crime was committed, but it was “obviously strange and suspicious,” which is why the department assigned a detective to investigate the incident, according to Collum.

While a letter distributed among the community’s homeowner association said the incident was reported to police immediately, Collum told NBC7 it wasn’t reported to CVPD until the following day. He also said posts about the incident surfaced on social media shortly thereafter.

“When we don’t get a call, it’s much more challenging to investigate,” he said.

Collum added police agencies typically don’t scour social media for crime tips, and instead rely on the community to call 911 to report them as soon as possible.

“People think that posting it on Facebook or any social media is one form of reporting,” Chula Vista resident Henry Martinez said. “That’s not the official channels.”

An immediate 911 call gives police a better shot at tracking down witnesses before they leave the scene and allows investigators seek out security video before it’s deleted, which both help officers find and apprehend potential suspects, Collum said.

San Diego’s own Phil Mickelson was giving back to his hometown Monday at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club.

Mickelson, a World Golf Hall of Famer, was the featured guest at the Freedom to Live charity golf tournament.

Freedom to Live helps people who have suffered catastrophic injuries, many of them quadriplegic.

For years, Mickelson has donated to Freedom to Live but this was his first year attending the tournament.

Before teeing off, everyone got a free clinic from the 5-time Major champion, who called the event very important to him.

“It’s fun for me to be a part of this, it’s an awesome event that really helps out some people in need and it’s fun for me to be a part of it," he said.

Mickelson did swing demonstrations, answered questions, and shared some chipping tips.

Short game secrets from a short game legend!

“I hope it helps, I hope that it improves their game, but golf is such an individual sport there’s so many different ways to swing a club you have to siphon through what works best for you. In chipping, there’s a pretty good rule of thumb for what works and what doesn’t, and hopefully these will help out," he said.

Of course, Mickelson posed for pictures and signed autographs. No one was happier about that than little Ethan Elleraas, a huge Phil Fan.

“That was cool that I got to see him in person," Elleraas said. "He signed my hat for me and he gave me his glove and signed it.”

You can be sure that Ethan was listening to Mickelson’s chipping tips.

“If you want to flop it put your feet back behind the ball, or your toe with the ball,” said Ethan.

Mickelson is gearing up for a Nov. 23 made for TV $9 million match play event against Tiger Woods.

”I’m really excited about the match. We’ve got three weeks, I’m working in the gym right now, then in about four days I’ll get back on the golf course," Mickelson said. "I’m excited to get back on the course at Shadow Creek and play Tiger, it’s a fun event. It’s been great for me this off season, because it’s kept me working on my game even though I’m not playing in tournaments, I’ve had to get my club speed up and just work on the right things, hopefully this will help not only in the match, but for a great 2019 season.”

The gambling odds on the Tiger Phil match have Tiger as a 2-1 favorite, meaning any money wagered on Mickelson could be a big winner.

How does Mickelson feel about being the underdog?

“I like it, the payoff on my side is very good, I like it.”

Will Mickelson be money in that head up match with Tiger Woods? Who knows, but we do know that Mickelson was money Monday as he stepped up to aid the local charity Freedom to Live.

A man pleaded not guilty Monday to felony charges of illegally disposing hazardous materials as related hazmat investigations spanned throughout the county.

The Environmental Protection Agency told NBC 7 the man was trying to extract gold from ore and other metals using mercury and illegally disposed the material.

Michael Starr, 49, left a short-term rental house in Pacific Beach in disarray in early October, according to prosecutors.

When clean-up crews came in, they noticed awful smells coming from the oven and called the police.

While bomb and arson investigators found no threat, law enforcement found signs of mercury having been illegally disposed down drains and in trash chutes.

Prosecutors said Starr also contaminated a house on La Jolla Farms Road with mercury.

Starr cooperated and led law enforcement to Golden Triangle Self Storage in Sorrento Valley, where he was storing mercury and other chemicals.

The EPA, San Diego Fire Department, and San Diego County Environmental Health all responded to the storage facility, investigating and cleaning for the past four days.

While extracting gold in this way is not illegal, disposing the mercury improperly is against the law.

Mercury contamination is dangerous because when the familiar metallic liquid metal gets warm, it turns into a gas and can be inhaled, causing health problems, according to Robert Wise with the EPA Emergency Response Section.

Starr declined to talk to NBC 7 about his case, and pleaded not guilty to the felony charges.

A sense of sadness and loss was palpable in the San Diego Jewish community this week after the so-called Synagogue Shooting Saturday that left 11 people dead at a congregation in Pittsburgh. Six more were injured. 

“It’s very scary,” said Liudmala Serniai, who lives in San Diego. “It’s not right.” 

At the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in University City, locals were in shock at the violence. 

“I think it's appalling," said Jim Koziol, a member of the JCC in University City. "It's something that our country should not be standing for, should not be tolerating." 

Betzy Lynch, CEO of the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in University City said there were extra police patrol cars on campus Monday. 

"We have excellent support from local and federal law enforcement," said Lynch. "Anytime there is an act against any Jewish community, they increase their patrols of all the areas." 

Lynch said anti-Semitism is still an issue in San Diego. In 2017, her JCC received a bomb threat that led to evacuations. 

The Anti-Defamation League said in 2017 there was a 57 percent increase in Anti-Semitic violence in the United States. 

Local psychologist Dr. Edwin Yager said it is important not to live in fear during these events. 

"All of the sensationalism seems to encourage the incidents," said Dr. Yager. 

He said it is especially important for parents to stay calm in front of their kids. 

"Children live in a very suggestible state," said Dr. Yager. "When mom reacts with fear, that's a fundamental communication to the child. We mustn't live in a state of fear." 

A vigil was held at Beth El Temple in La Jolla Monday night to honor the victims of Pittsburgh. 

There will be increased security at Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley on Tuesday in response to a threatening message found on a bathroom wall.

The Grossmont Union High School District sent a letter to the Monte Vista community Monday explaining the threat and the increased security.

The message included a reference to a possible act of violence but lacked any specifics, the letter said.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident out of an abundance of caution.

The letter said patrols in the area of the school would be increased, as would on-campus supervision.

We urge parents to talk with their student about the potential perils of making any threats of violence. Even a seemingly harmless joke can result in arrest and school consequences,” the letter said.

A San Diego-based U.S. Navy military police officer accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl he met on a social networking app for minors was found guilty.

According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Isaiah Smallwood-Jackson posed as a teenager on the "SpotaFriend" app, created for minors between 13 and 19, and began a conversation with a 14-year-old girl.

Communicating through the app, Smallwood-Jackson told the girl he was 21 and that he didn't she was a minor.

A Federal complaint filed last year alleges that Smallwood-Jackson exchanged cell phone numbers with the teen and convinced her to send him sexually explicit photos and share her address.

The teen repeatedly told Smallwood-Jackson she wasn't sure about meeting up with him but he told her to "take a leap of faith."

After she agreed, he went to her house and engaged in sexual activity with her, the U.S. Attorney's office said.

In text messages following the encounter, Smallwood-Jackson apologized to the victim for hurting her.

The victim reportedly disclosed the event to her sister who reported it to law enforcement.

Smallwood-Jackson was found guilty by a jury of production of child pornography and enticement of a minor. The mandatory minimum sentence for the convictions are 15 and 10 years, respectively, in prison.

“Internet predators beware: the Department of Justice is committed to striking back against repugnant crimes against innocent children," U.S. Attorney Adam Braverman said. “No child should ever have to endure sexual abuse. The United States will utilize every tool available to it to hold these predators accountable.”

Smallwood-Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 28.

For the first time ever, the Keller High School Marching band will be in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and they'll be the only high school from Texas there in 2018.

Freshman member Drew Bell is "very excited, like very excited" to be taking part. He's been playing the trumpet for four years, but how much has he practiced?

"Not as much as I should," he said with a laugh.

Right by his side will be senior and section leader Kailey Summons, and she has practiced as much as she should — not to play, but to serve as Bell's legs during their big performance, all because of a birth defect that left him in a wheelchair. And she's one of Bell's biggest fans.

"Oh he's great, very positive attitude. He's so funny," Summons said. I mean he makes the best out of every situation. So, he's a good, he's a good kid."

On a Thursday afternoon at Keller High School, the two are getting ready to perform before the football game in the band’s "Spirit Show."

"There's Drew!" she yells as he comes into the cafeteria where the band is gathering. "You're just gonna be right here," Summons says to Bell.

She looks after him, and he often needs it.

“Wait, where's your gloves and gauntlets ... do you have your jug?" Summons asks through the course of getting ready.

"I make sure he's ready for everything, so then it's just not me focused on me, it's me and him,” Summons says.

For Bell, becoming a member of this marching band is a big deal. With its 400 members, it's one of the best in the country.

"When did you know you wanted to be on the marching band at Keller?" he was asked.

"For as long as I can remember. I just like this band," Bell said.

Before becoming a member of this prestigious group, Bell faced challenges greater than most, including seven surgeries. He has spina bifida, meaning his spine didn't fully develop in the womb.

"So I was born like this. So, I'm stuck with it and going to be stuck with it forever, till I die,” Bell said.

Are there ever times when it frustrates him? 

"No ... because I know that there's people way worse than me,” Bell said.

And he doesn't let it get in his way of anything — including the biggest obstacle when it came to being on a marching band. Bell can't play his instrument and push his wheelchair at the same time. Someone needed to step up.

"And then my private teacher and my band directors were kind of like, 'Well, if we can just get someone to be his feet and he can be the trumpet player,' and I was like, 'I'll do it!’" Summons said with enthusiasm.

She didn't hesitate, and the entire band welcomed him with enthusiasm.

"I wasn't expecting it,” Bell said. “I would think that they would like, maybe not like me, but now I know that they do. So it's really, it's really good."

"You know, you just worry that he's going to be over on the side or something, you know what I mean?” said Bryan Bell, Drew’s father. “But since the first day I called Mr. McGahey [the Keller High School director of bands], I expressed those concerns and he said, 'Bryan, no. He's going to be a part of the band and we're excited about it.’"

Bell is the first student on the Keller Marching Band to perform in a wheelchair. As a freshman, he'll play alongside the band in New York City in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which is also a first for the school.

"It's very exciting,” Summons said. “I never thought that I would be in any parade, let alone the Macy's Day Parade."

Summons still gets to perform with the varsity marching band in competitions and at halftime of football games, but for the "Spirit Show," which is sometimes before a game, she skips playing her trumpet so Bell can be the one to shine.

When they perform together, Summons is the one who has to memorize all of their movements, and she takes Bell where he needs to be on the field.

She doesn't play so he can. And she means a lot to Bell.

"Well, I wouldn't be able to march without her," he said. "She didn't have to do it, she wanted to—and that means a lot to me, and she doesn't get to play because of it."

“I mean, it’s not really a sacrifice when you like doing it,” Summons said. “I just did it to make sure he knew that he always had a place in the band, and he always will.”

Each choreographed step is a symbol of the day-to-day partnership between Summons and Bell, because their individual actions give way to a bigger message.

When asked what Summons has learned from this experience, she said, "Just because someone is different from you, doesn't mean you have to treat them differently."

Summons said no matter what field they play on, there are usually obstacles that take them a little longer, but they always find their way together.

"You're still strapped in," Summons said to Bell as they waited at the bottom of the stadium’s stairs. "I know," he answered.

She took his hand and together they climbed the stadium steps together to their seats with the rest of the band.

"She's doing it because she felt it in her heart that she wanted to do it, and I think it's blessing her too,” said Bryan Bell. "A lesson is when you give of yourself and sacrifice, it blesses you and it makes you happy, more than it's helping — more than the other person is happy."

It's a friendship that began with a selfless act of service and because the Keller marching band welcomes every student.

Even though Summons is a senior this year, McGahey said he has no doubt that someone else will step up next year to help Bell as he continues his dream with the Keller High School Band.

Three children, believed to be all from the same family, were struck and killed at a school bus stop in Indiana Tuesday morning, police said.

The crash happened around 7:30 a.m. in Fulton County near 4600 N. State Road 25, according to Indiana State Police. 

Authorities said the children were at the bus stop on the west side of the road and the stop-arm on the bus was out when a pickup truck hit and killed the kids. 

There were no children on the schools bus at the time of the crash. One other injury was also reported and that child was airlifted to Fort Wayne Hospital. Their condition were not immediately known. 

Police said they believe the children killed were all from the same family. NBC affiliate WNDU reported the children were identified as two twin 6-year-old boys and their 9-year-old sister. 

"Obviously that compounds this situation even more," said Sgt. Tony Slocum with the Indiana State Police's Peru District. "I just can't imagine the pain that family is going through. The one thing I'd like to tell people - we all have a responsibility to share the road in a safe manner. I don't know why this crash - why this person did not see the stop arm extended but we all need to pay a little more attention because it's all our responsibility to make sure our children get to and from school safely."

Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation said all four children struck were students. 

"Our school corporation has suffered a tragedy this morning," the group said in a statement. "We have learned of three student fatalities and one student seriously injured and airlifted to a Fort Wayne hospital as they were hit by a vehicle while boarding their bus. We have deployed all school counselors to meet the emotional needs of our staff, students and parents. We are awaiting to learn more confirmed details but wish to ask the community to come together to pray for the families, our students and our staff."

One witness said her grandchildren were supposed to be at the bus stop as well but a last-minute change of plans kept them from being at the scene. 

"I knew something bad happened," she said. 

Police are interviewing the woman who was driving the pickup, according to the Associated Press. The accident happened near Rochester, about 100 miles north of Indianapolis. 

Check back for more on this developing story. 

The world's vertebrate population has dropped by an average of 60 percent since 1970, according to a new report from the conservation group WWF.

NBC News reported that the decline was most stark in South and Central America, where the population of vertebrates has dropped nearly 90 percent, with freshwater species falling nearly as much over the same period.

"There cannot be a healthy, happy and prosperous future for people on a planet with a destabilized climate, depleted oceans and rivers, degraded land and empty forests, all stripped of biodiversity, the web of life that sustains us all," WWF Director General Marco Lambertin wrote in the report.

It also detailed how humans have hurt the health of the planet, including that 90 percent of the world's seabirds are estimated to have plastic in their stomachs, up from 5 percent six decades ago.

A man was shot by a Paradise Hills homeowner Tuesday when he began smashing the home's front door with a rock, police said.

An investigation was underway into the incident at a home on S. 58th Street near Mariposa Place at about 3 a.m., the San Diego Police Department said.

The homeowner said he awoke just before 3 a.m. to a noise in his yard and spotted a man pounding on his door with a rock.

He was pounding with such force that at one point he shattered the home's security door, SDPD said.

The resident grabbed a gun and shouted at the man to leave or he would shoot.

When the man continued to pound on the door, the homeowner opened fire, striking the man in the left shoulder.

SDPD arrived to the scene and located the injured suspect nearby. He was transported to the hospital and was expected to survive his injuries. 

Police did not say if the man was suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time. 

It is not clear what charges the 25-year-old suspect will be facing. 

No other information was available.

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

What's better than sleep? An extra hour of it.

It’s that time of the year when clocks "fall back" an hour, marking the end of daylight saving time. The change takes place at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 4.

When you go to bed on Saturday night, don’t forget to turn your clock back an hour. But don't worry about electronic devices like cellphones. By default, they are set to automatically update the time as it changes.

In observance of the biannual switch in time, here are some things you may not have known about this event.

It Has an Impact on Your Health
Switching into and out of daylight saving can disturb people’s sleeping routines, making them more restless at night, according to U.S. News and World Report. However, morning people tend to be less bothered by the changes. Studies have shown that during the first week of daylight saving time there is a spike in the number of reported heart attacks. Some experts suggest, according to the report, that the loss of an hour’s rest may make people more vulnerable to an attack. Nonetheless, when people get an extra hour in the fall, the incidents of heart attacks are less than usual.

When Was DST Implemented
Before President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act in 1966, which established a uniform daylight saving time, local governments could start and end daylight saving time as they desired. For five weeks a year Boston, New York and Philadelphia were not on the same time as Washington, D.C., Cleveland or Baltimore. Different daylight saving times also caused confusion for travelers going from the Midwest to Northeast.

In 2005, President George W. Bush extended the daylight saving time for an extra four weeks through an energy bill. Since 2007, daylight saving time has begun on the second Sunday of March, ending on the first Sunday of November.

Not All States Observe DST
Arizona and Hawaii are the only two states that do not observe daylight saving time. Indiana did not observe the practice until 2005. The American territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands also do not participate.

Some states have tried to get rid of daylight saving time but haven't been successful. In the last year alone, 19 state legislatures have proposed bills aimed at opting out of changing their clocks. 

Earlier this year, Florida legislators approved a bill that would keep the Sunshine State under daylight saving time year-round. However, the measure won't take effect unless Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation approve it. 

Founding Father Did Not Come Up with DST
According to the History Channel, Benjamin Franklin did not come up with the idea of daylight saving time; he only suggested a change in sleep schedules.

Englishman William Willett is the one who suggested in 1905 that the United Kingdom move its clocks forward by 80 minutes between April and October, so people could enjoy the sunlight. He published "The Waste of Daylight" and spent much of his fortune and time promoting the idea.

Don't Trust Automatic Time Changes
It's good to confirm if your phone or other electronic devices have changed to the correct time. In 2013, iPhone customers experienced a daylight saving time bug. Some users saw two different times displayed on their calendar app, which was apparently caused by a change that moved daylight saving time back a week in 2007. In 2010 iPhones had another problem in which the phones did not correctly change alarm schedules when daylight saving time ended, causing some European iPhone users to wake up late for work, while Australians were woken up early.

DST is Singular Not Plural
By the way, it's "daylight saving time," not "daylight savings time."

Special counsel Robert Mueller last week asked the FBI to investigate a possible scam in which a woman would make false claims that he had sexually assaulted her, after several political reporters were contacted about doing a story on the alleged assault, NBC News reported.

Multiple reporters were contacted over the past few weeks about a woman who said she had been offered money to say she was sexually assaulted by Mueller, the special counsel who is probing possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

After investigating, according to the political website Hill Reporter, the reporters each independently determined the assault allegations were a hoax and that the woman appeared to have been offered a significant amount of money to make the claim.

Former NFL player Kellen Winslow Jr. said the accusations of sexual assault brought against him were a “money grab” after only a few minutes in court Tuesday.

The judge postponed Tuesday’s hearing by two weeks.

“My NFL friends and family and just my regular friends and family, they know who I am – I’m an innocent guy. I’m an innocent man,” Winslow, 35, said walking out of the courtroom.

When asked about how he processes the allegations, Winslow said, “It’s a money grab. Unfortunately, that’s the society we live in now.”

In September, a judge was set to hear evidence against Winslow, but his hearing was pushed back until October 15 so he could recover from a surgery, a judge said.

On the delayed date, a woman, identified as Jane Doe in court, testified that Winslow raped her one night in June 2003.

She remembered seeing a man standing in front of her while Winslow had sex with her, she testified. A third person was filming.

During that hearing, the judge said Winslow would be formally arraigned on October 30.

His arraignment is now scheduled for November 15.

A Texas man who wanted to rape, murder and cannibalize a child was arrested thanks to an investigation that was started by a Florida sheriff's office.

Alexander Barter, 21, was arrested at his home in Joaquin, Texas on Oct. 19 following an investigation started by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, including Immigration Customs Enforcement/Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Attorney’s Office and Texas authorities.

Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey told reporters at a news conference Tuesday that Barter had posted an ad on the internet looking for someone who would allow him to commit necrophilia and cannibalism.

"I would like to try necrophilia and cannibalism and see how it feels to take a life," Barter posted, according to Ivey. "I really need to do something about my intense bloodlust."

Ivey said an undercover agent responded to the ad, saying he had a minor child he could provide. The agent arranged to meet Barter at his Texas home to carry out the plan, but Barter was taken into custody.

"This case is probably one of the most unusual and most disgusting cases I've ever seen," Ivey said. "This individual is one of the most sick, disgusting and demented people I believe I have ever had the unfortunate nature to be involved with."

Ivey said Barter fully intended to carry out the plan, even bringing a knife and bags to transport the remains. Barter thanked authorities for stopping him, telling them he couldn't control his urges, Ivey said.

There is no indication Barter had been previously successful in carrying out his plan, Ivey said, but the investigation into his history is ongoing.

Barter remains in federal custody in Texas and faces charges including criminal solicitation, attempted capital murder, conspiracy to commit capital murder and attempted sexual performance of a child.