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Affordable Care Act Round-Up: 31 Million Still Uninsured

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The Affordable Care Act is expected to extend health insurance coverage to millions more Americans come Jan. 1, but there will still be millions more without coverage. 

Left behind: Stories from Obamacare's 31 million uninsured

  • The Affordable Care Act is expected to extend health coverage to 25 million Americans over the next decade, but that will still leave a projected 31 million people without coverage by 2023.
  • Among those excluded are undocumented workers and poor people living in the 21 states that have declined to expand Medicaid under the ACA.
  • As a result, free clinics are planning to step up their efforts to focus on undocumented workers who can't buy insurance on the new online marketplace. Other clinics are also thinking about offering free dental care. (The Washington Post) 

North Carolina Hospital Closes, Citing No Medicaid Expansion  

  •  A small hospital in a coastal North Carolina community will close and its parent company partially blames the state governor's decision not to expand Medicaid under the ACA. 
  • The state's Republican Gov. Pat McCrory signed legislation in March blocking Medicaid expansion and the creation of a state-run health insurance exchange. 
  • The new funding dedicated to Medicaid expansion will reduce the money that hospitals get to treat the uninsured and poor, leaving hospitals with a shortfall. (The Huffington Post) 


Photo Credit: Getty Images

Cal Worthington, Famed Car Salesman, Dies at 92

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Cal Worthington, the famed car salesman who appeared in TV commercials urging viewers to "Go see Cal," has died at 92.

Worthington, a decorated World War II bomber pilot who went on to build a car sales empire that grew to about two dozen dealerships in five states, was widely known for his wacky commericals featuring his "dog" Spot. His trademark ads, a fixture on the West Coast airwaves, starred Worthington and a rotating cast of exotic animals, including an elephant, a tiger and a killer whale, standing in for an actual dog.

Worthington died Sunday after watching football with his family in his home in Orland, a small town about 100 miles north of Sacramento, Worthington's lawyers said. No cause of death was released.

The Oklahoma native left his home to join the war, eventually flying 29 missions over Europe and serving as lead pilot over some of the first American attacks on Berlin, according to a statement prepared with Worthington's family. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroism.

After the war, Worthington began selling used cars outside of a post office in Corpus Christi, Texas, according to The Sacramento Bee. He made his way to Los Angeles in the 1950s, where he opened a dealership and later made a fortune in car sales. At its peak in the 1980s, his company was reportedly bringing in $323 million in annual sales.

He is survived by six children and nine grandchildren.

More Southern California Stories:

 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Mt. Diablo Fire Downgraded to 3,200 Acres, 45% Contained

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Hundreds of firefighters from across California's Bay Area region and state worked furiously to contain 45 percent of the "Morgan Fire" near Mount Diablo State Park on Tuesday morning, downgrading the size of the fire to a little more than 3,200 acres.

"Last night was a turning point," Cal Fire spokeswoman Tina Rose told NBC Bay Area. "We're not out of the woods, but we had a really aggressive firefight and they just put it into the box."

The  manpower, coupled with cooler temperatures and more humidity, helped the 700-strong firefighting team get the upper hand on the fire, which was only 20 percent contained late Monday.

MORE: Weather Forecast for Morgan Fire

Airplanes with special infrared technology also assessed the actual fire damage and revised the charred acreage from 3,700 acres - reported Monday - down to 3,243 acres on Tuesday morning.

The fire's lack of growth was a relief for the 100 homeowners whose homes were threatened by the brush fire, which had quadrupled in size since it started on Sunday at 1 p.m. along Morgan Territory Road, the local landmark for which it is named.

"You sort of freeze up," said Paul Seaman, who lives four miles from the fire and worried that if the winds changed, his home and property could be affected. He then pondered aloud:  "What's the most precious thing to take with you?"

Four firefighters have suffered minor injuries battling the blaze.

MORE: Morgan Fire Prompts Smoke Advisory

Since Sunday, the dry weather, high temperatures and the steep rugged terrain of the mountainous area had presented major challenges for Cal Fire, the East Contra Costa and Contra Costa fire protection districts, San Ramon Valley Fire, East Bay Regional Parks and other law enforcement agencies working the blaze. And on Tuesday, faced with better weather conditions, Rose said teams would be "hitting it really hard from the air and from the ground" to get the fire fully under control.

"This has been an unusually dry season,"  Cal Fire Capt. Steve Kaufmann told NBC Bay Area. "It's dramatic fire behavior. It definitely presents a new hazard for us."

Mount Diablo, which stands more than 3,800-feet high and appears to be a double pyramid from many angles, is part of a state park that consists of 20,000 acres. The site, which is about a 45 miles outside of San Francisco, a popular hiking spot for many in the Bay Area.

PHOTOS: Mt. Diablo Morgan Fire

The fast and furious pace of the smoke billowing in and around the mountaintop on Monday prompted the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue warnings for residents of Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties. Spokesman Tom Flanningan said people who smelled the smoke should shut their windows and stay indoors. Ash was falling from the sky like snowflakes in East Bay cities such as Danville and Dublin.

MORE: Cal Fire Incident Command Details

Fire officials said the fire's size should not reach the size of the Rim Fire, which has burned more than 250,000 acres in the Stanislaus National Forest near Yosemite since Aug. 17. But to be sure, a total of 500 firefighters were expected to help on the lines Monday, and special crews were being positioned to protect historic buildings in the area.

Because of the fire's initial reach, the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office has issued more evacuations:  Trail Ride Road, Russelmann Park Road, East Trail Road, Upper Trail Road and Lower Trail Road, in addition to Curry Canyon Road and Oak Hill Lane, are under mandatory evacuation.

Roads were also closed to anyone except residents. Those included portions of Marsh Creek Road, Morgan Territory Road and Deer Valley Road.

The Clayton Community Library at 6125 Clayton Road  was set up as an evacuation center, and the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds was being used as a safe place to take horses, cattle, hogs, sheep and  goats. (For information call 925-673-0659 and 925-757-4400). The Heather Farms Equestrian Center in Walnut Creek was also taking in large animals. (For more information, please visit: www.ecwc.org or call 925-939-2929.)

 

NBC Bay Area's Jodi Hernandez, Kyle Bonagura, Vince Cestone, Tim Bollinger and Shawn Murphy contributed to this report.



Photo Credit: NBC Bay Area

TS Humberto Expected to Become Hurricane Soon

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Tropical Storm Humberto keeps strengthening and has almost become a hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

As of 5 p.m., Humberto was moving northwest at 8 mph about 245 miles west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands.

It could become the first hurricane of the 2013 season Tuesday night or on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A turn toward the north-northwest at a faster speed is expected on Wednesday, with Humberto forecast to head northward Wednesday night and Thursday.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect for Humberto.

Meanwhile, tropical storm conditions are occurring on Bermuda as the reformed Tropical Storm Gabrielle nears the island. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda, which Gabrielle was expected to pass over or near in the next few hours, according to the NHC.

Gabrielle, which formed and dissipated last week, regenerated Tuesday morning near Bermuda. By 8 p.m., it had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph as it moved north at 10 mph about 45 miles south-southwest of Bermuda.

Gabrielle was expected to keep moving north Tuesday night, then turn toward the north-northwest with a decrease in speed on Wednesday.


Gabrielle is expected to pass over or near Bermuda by Wednesday morning and some strengthening is forecast over the next 48 hours, according to the NHC.

A storm surge of two to three feet above normal tide levels is expected on Bermuda and rough surf conditions will continue to affect Bermuda through Wednesday. Rainfall will be between two and four inches with isolated maximum totals of six inches possible.

More Weather Content:

 



Photo Credit: National Hurricane Center

Lyons Fire Grows to 450 Acres

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A brush fire that threatened homes near a small community east of San Diego has grown to 450 acres fire officials said Tuesday.

The Lyons Fire, sparked just after 1 p.m. near Jamul, prompted the evacuation of six homes near Lyons Valley Road and Honey Springs Road.

Cal Fire reports the fire was 15-percent contained as of 7 a.m. with no structures damaged.

The fire started on the side of the road on Skyline Truck Trail. Smoke could be seen pouring from the mountains Monday afternoon.

Bob Johnston runs the trading post not far from the fire line. Residents go there for information and often get emotional support.

“They still have memories of what happened several years ago and so when the plume of smoke came up, I think there was a lot of concern,” he said.

In 2007 the Harris Fire scorched much of this land and property. The remote area is home to many ranchers and horse breeders.

“Everyone has a concern for their homes but immediately for getting all the animals out, that’s a tough one,” Johnston said.

An evacuation center has been set up at Jamul Primary School at 14567 Lyons Valley Road. Officials say the evacuations were just precautionary.

Cal Fire said 75-percent of the scorched earth is federal land and crews expect the U.S. Forest Service to take control of the effort to control the fire.

Lyons Valley Road remains closed between Honey Springs and Japatul due to fire activity, county officials said.

 

 



Photo Credit: NBC 7

Prison for Man Arrested in Cop Killing

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Patrick Luangrath, who pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of San Diego police officer Christopher Wilson, was sentenced to 21 years in prison Tuesday.

Luangrath and Melissa Ortiz were charged with murder, attempted murder and other felonies for their roles in the October 2010 parole sweep that ended in the veteran officer’s death.

At the sentencing hearing, a San Diego police officer whose locker was near Wilson's spoke about the slain cop.

"When did you ever put your life on the line for someone you didn't know," Officer Travis Whipple asked the defendant. "It sounds harsh but it's meant to be. When you live for yourself or for money you live a life not worth living. At the end of your life when you look back what will stand out?"

Luangrath was sentenced to another 16 months for an unrelated crime.

The charges fall under the same theory that resulted in the conviction of Alex Charfauros last month – that the defendants knowingly aided the two people who were accused of the actual shooting Holim Lee and Lucky Xayasene. Investigators said Lee and Xayasene killed themselves before their capture by police.

In August, jurors found that Charfauros failed to warn police of the weapons and ammunition awaiting them inside the Bay Terraces apartment.

Ortiz admitted to investigators during a videotaped interrogation that she turned out a bedroom light that gave Lee and Xayasene the advantage in the standoff with police.

Questioned by police after the shooting, Luangrath told them he and Ortiz stopped by the apartment that night to talk with Xayasene.

Luangrath and Ortiz told police they hid in the bedroom closet when the gun battle broke out.

“I’m in the closet laying down and in the next room I’m hearing gunshots,” Luangrath said in the police interrogation video.

However investigators say the closet was too small and too crowded to hold the couple.

Video taken inside the apartment before the shooting shows Luangrath in the apartment holding a handgun and an ammunition clip.

Wilson, 50, died from a gunshot wound to the head. An investigation revealed the fatal shot was fired by Lee or Xayasene who had barricaded themselves in a bedroom of the apartment on South Meadowbrook Drive.

San Diego Police were providing backup for probation officers on Oct. 27. 2010 as they searched for Lee, a dangerous parole violator.

Charfauros will be sentenced later this year. He faces 25 years to life in prison for Wilson's death, and 7 years to life for the attempted murder of the other four officers present during the shooting -- totaling a maximum of 53 years.

We Stubbed Our Toe: McCoy

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How new San Diego Chargers Head Coach Mike McCoy handled Monday's tough loss to the Houston Texans.

Rumors of Filner, Ingram Rekindling Relationship Untrue: Attorney

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Are former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner and his ex-fiancée Bronwyn Ingram back together again?

Special Section: Mayor Under Fire

That’s the question poised in this column from the San Diego Union-Tribune. The newspaper posted a blurry image reportedly taken in San Francisco and said to be showing Filner and Ingram seated at a restaurant.

The paper also quoted another columnist from San Diego LGBT Weekly as having spotted the couple arm-in-arm around Fisherman’s Wharf.

NBC 7 News reached out to Gloria Allred, who was representing Bronwyn Ingram when they both appeared at a news conference to call for Filner’s resignation in August.

Filner resigned effective Aug. 30 amidst allegations of sexual harassment. In his last public statement as mayor, he emotionally apologized to his former fiancée.

“Bob Filner and Bronwyn are not back together,” Allred said.

Allred said she believes Bronwyn was with Filner because he had asked to apologize in person.

“He did apologize tearfully and profusely,” Allred said.

She said Ingram, who was in San Francisco visiting her niece, does not plan to see the former mayor again.

Ingram was introduced to San Diegans in 2012 during Filner’s campaign for mayor. Once he was elected, he called her the “First Lady of San Diego.”

The 48-year-old Ingram was in a three-year relationship with the 70-year-old former Congressman and planning for an October wedding when she called it off in July.


Woman Texting While Driving Crashes Into Lake

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The driver of a car that crashed into a lake Tuesday afternoon reportedly was texting while driving, authorities said.

Deputies with the Charles County Sheriff's Office were called to Waldorf, Md., about 12:25 p.m. for a report of a car that drove into a lake.

The 25-year-old driver of the Hyundai was northbound on St. Charles Parkway near St. Thomas Drive when she drove off the roadway, struck a tree and drove about 60 feet into the lake, becoming submerged in about 5 feet of water.

The driver was out of the car when emergency crews arrived. She was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

The car has been removed from the lake.

Dad of Slain Girl: "I Have to Bury My Daughter"

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Tyrell Ricks, 26, said Monday that he doesn't know why a man gunned down his 6-year-old daughter.

He brought the girl, Tiana, to a celebration at a relative's Moreno Valley, Calif. home on Saturday night. One of his cousins was going off to college.

Tiana told her dad she was thirsty, so Ricks fetched her something to drink and she followed him into the home's open garage, where people gathered.

About 9:30 p.m., two men stormed up the driveway from the street – one shouted, another opened fire. Bullets smashed holes in the windshield of a car parked in the driveway, struck Ricks' pelvis and fatally wounded Tiana.

A relative said the little girl didn't seem to understand she'd been shot. She just kept asking if her father was OK.

"That was the last time I saw my baby's face," Ricks said Monday, crying and trembling in a wheelchair.

Tiana died less than three hours later, just after midnight on Sunday.

"I have to bury my daughter."

Ricks met with investigators on Monday to give them whatever information he could about the attack.

Before that, he told NBC4 Southern California he had no idea why anyone would attack him and kill his little girl.

Ricks recently moved to California from the Midwest and said he had no gang ties. He didn't know anyone outside of his family in Moreno Valley.

Tiana's birthday would have been just a few weeks away. She asked her father for a cell phone and some moccasins.

"I could care less about my well-being," he said. "I loved her so much, and now she's gone."

Exit Polls Show de Blasio Leading Democrats

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With polls closed and election officials counting results, exit polling indicates that Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is holding a large lead over his Democratic opponents in the New York mayoral primary – but he may still end up in a runoff against former Comptroller Bill Thompson or City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.

It isn’t clear whether de Blasio will win the 40 percent of votes to avoid a runoff. If he doesn’t hit that mark, the competition for the second runoff spot is tight.

The exit polls were conducted by Edison Research/Marist.

On the Republican side, former MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota is facing off against John Catsimatidis.

The final word on winners -- or whether there will be runoffs -- may still take a while, due in part to widespread reports of problems with the city’s 1960s-era lever-operated voting machines, rushed back into use after the Board of Elections warned they couldn’t certify results from the city’s new electronic machines in time for a runoff.

All over the city, voters reported encountering jammed or broken machines, causing longer lines at the working machines, and forcing many people to have to fill out paper ballots. The reliance on paper ballots has heightened concerns that every vote gets counted, which could lead to a long wait for results.

Lhota was among those who had to vote by pen and paper, at his voting place, Congregation of Mount Sinai in Brooklyn Heights.

“It may be a long night based on the fact that, at least in my election district, the machines weren’t working,” Lhota told reporters.

Of the 3 million or so registered Democrats, less than a third were expected to cast ballots. There are fewer than 500,000 registered Republicans in the city, but a small fraction, maybe a tenth, are expected to vote in the primary.

This year is arguably the Democrats' best shot in decades to take the mayor's office from the GOP, which has won each of the last five elections. Bloomberg switched from the GOP to an independent while in office.

Primary day arrived with de Blasio completing a steady, summer-long rise from the middle of the pack, portraying himself as the most progressive of the candidates and pounding at the city’s economic inequalities and offering the cleanest break from the policies – particularly stop and frisk -- of three-term Mayor Bloomberg. He also benefited from campaign advertisements that featured his black wife and mixed-race children, notably his teenage Afro-wearing son, Dante.  

De Blasio’s surge left Quinn, the one-time front-runner, fighting for her political life. Aiming to be the first openly gay mayor, and the first woman to hold the office, Quinn is the most politically powerful of the candidates. She said Tuesday that she was confident she’d make a runoff.

She is the one responsible for making council deals and negotiating with Bloomberg, but that record has dogged her for much of the campaign. De Blasio accused her of making backroom deals with the mayor, and for backing his bid to change city law to allow him to run for a third term. Quinn pointed out that de Blasio, as a council candidate, once spoke in favor of overturning term limits, but that argument did not seem to hold much traction. It is as if she is burdened with many of the negatives associated with the sitting mayor, and little of the positives.

Post-vote surveys provided some insight into that divide. Only 22 percent of Democrats told an Edison Research/Marist exit poll that they wanted a candidate who would continue Bloomberg’s policies, while 73 percent said they wanted the next mayor to move the city in a different direction. The ongoing survey, which at that point had included about 500 voters, has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Asked to choose what issue mattered most to them in deciding who should be mayor, 30 percent said jobs and unemployment, 20 percent said education, 16 percent said crime, 12 percent said the city’s finances and 11 percent said housing.

Thompson, who won the Democratic primary in 2009 before narrowly losing to Bloomberg, has run a cautious but steady campaign, remaining in second or third place for most of the race. The race's only black candidate, Thompson spent primary day wrapping up another of his 24-hour campaign marathons, which ended with his proclamation that he felt “energized.”

The primary could turn out to be the end of former New York Rep. Anthony Weiner’s political career. Weiner has longed for the mayor’s office, and has been derailed twice before, in 2005 and 2009. In 2011, he resigned from Congress amid revelations that he’d sexted with women, but chose the 2013 mayoral primary to try for redemption. 

Weiner enjoyed an early spike in the polls, and sparked an avalanche of late-night talk-show jokes. Then things turned dark again, when he was forced to admit that he’d continued online relationships with women after his resignation. He’s been near the cellar ever since.

The only major Democratic candidate to consistently poll worse than Weiner is Comptroller John Liu, who has been dogged by a federal investigation into fundraising improprieties.

De Blasio, the one candidate who seems in a position to potentially win the primary outright, said he wasn’t expecting that to happen. To assume otherwise would be folly, he said.

That was why, he said, he’d be up and campaigning again on Wednesday.

Mayoral Race Grows to Potential Record-Sized Field

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A second San Diego City Councilmember has now become an official candidate for mayor.

On Monday, David Alvarez also became the fourth "name" Democrat to announce, or file "notice of intent," to run.

Almost three years into his freshman term, Alvarez has built a populist brand advocating for "under-served" neighborhoods over "well-connected" businesses.

He said he wants to change a lot of fortunes.

“I'm running for mayor because I believe that San Diego is bigger than any one special interest," Alvarez told reporters at a noon-hour news conference in Presidio Park-- site of San Diego’s first Spanish settlement and the place where his family would celebrate Easter every year.

“We don't need any more slick politicians, we need trusted public servants,” Alvarez said. “"The city has neglected the needs of neighborhoods and vital infrastructure and has focused instead on giving taxpayer dollars, subsidies, to a few special interests. The city has been best by corruption, conflict and scandal.”

Among dozens of sign-bearing campaign volunteers who formed a backdrop for Alvarez was Anabel Salcedo, who pronounced herself “super-excited” to take part of in Alvarez’s Nov. 19 special election bid.

"He's very sincere. He holds the values that I grew up with as a child,” Salcedo said in a post-conference interview. ”I'm a mother of three; I grew up in San Ysidro. I would love to see a mayor like David Alvarez who came from a community like I did…a progressive mayor who’s going to be good for the future of my children and for the future of San Diego.”

Alvarez – endorsed by the region’s influential Labor Council -- represents San Diego's 8th District, comprising the city’s near-downtown and southernmost neighborhoods, stretching from Barrio Logan to the border-area communities of San Ysidro and Otay Mesa.

His background as a child of poverty has inspired an approach to public service that'll be reflected in progressive, grassroots campaign themes.

"We are the residents who want to have a voice in the planning decisions affecting all of our neighborhoods,” Alvarez said in announcing his candidacy. “We are the bicyclists and pedestrians who are tired of the cracked sidewalks, or just missing sidewalks, the bad roads, broken roads and snarled traffic."

Alvarez chairs the Council's Natural Resources & Culture Committee, which has taken up issues such as water supplies and climate change.

And while he was a close ally of former Mayor Bob Filner, buying into many of his initiatives, Alvarez was quick to call for the mayor's resignation once word of Filner's sexual harassment scandal broke.

Political observers say that with three other prominent Democrats -- each of whom has held elected office -- in the increasingly crowded race (which includes the GOP’s Alpha-Dog Republican, Kevin Faulconer), Alvarez has to build a major campaign structure quickly to make a two-way runoff.

"If he succeeds in that, I think he has a real shot at becoming the Number Two in there,” said Scott Lewis, CEO and columnist for Voice of San Diego. “The problem is that a lot of his natural constituency might be within (Democrat) Lori Saldana's camp or Mike Aguirre’s' camp, if not in Nathan Fletcher's camp. And so to get to the second spot is going to be a really tough fight."

Added political strategist Johh Dadian: "If you go with the maxim that there's definitely going to be a runoff, then I think it's good you have more Democrats in it because that shows who the strongest Democrat is…clearly, as it gets very close to the election, it's going to get pretty rough. All campaigns do. People say they don't like negative campaigning, but political consultants use it because it works."

Right now, 29 names are on file with the City Clerk's office as “potential candidates” in the race.

The largest number of candidates ever to qualify for a mayoral ballot in San Diego was 20, in the 1983 special primary election.

On Friday, the ‘potentials’ can start submitting petition signatures from at least 200 city voters, registered for a minimum of 30 days prior to signing.

And, pay a $500 filing fee-- or submit 2,000 more signatures instead.

Those requirements tend to weed out all but the most avid and determined ‘wanna-be’ mayors.
 

Critically Endangered Lizard Hatched by SD Zoo

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The San Diego Zoo Institute for Research has reached a major milestone: The institute has bred the world’s three most endangered lizards, according to zoo officials.

A Jamaican iguana (pictured above) hatched on August 30, according to a release from the zoo. This is the first time a Jamaican iguana was born at the zoo institute.

According to the release, the species was thought to have gone extinct in the 1940s, until a colony was discovered in 1990. The Jamaican iguana is still critically endangered because of deforestation and predators, such as cats, dogs and pigs.

The research institute has also hatched two other critically endangered lizards: the Grand Cayman iguana and the Anegada iguana.



Photo Credit: Ken Bohn/San Diego Zoo Global

Body of Diver Found in Mission Bay

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A glowing light spotted in the water led to the discovery of a body in Mission Bay, lifeguards said.

A boater was traveling near Ventura Bridge around 4:20 a.m. Tuesday when he saw the dive light underwater and noticed it wasn’t moving.

“I'm out here all the time with my spotlight looking in the water, it's like my personal aquarium,” the boater told NBC 7 News.

The man, who asked us not to identify him, said something just didn’t look right when he came across one of the pilings and saw a light under water.

“The guy jumped in the water and man he came out in a heartbeat and said ‘Hey, we got a body,’” the boater said.

Divers were called in to the bridge to recover the body.

“It’s an untold story at this point,” said San Diego Lifeguards Lt. Andy Lerum.

Three divers will go into the water and there will be support team members in the boat above to help document what the dive team finds once they move the body, Lerum said.

While they have not identified the diver, officials say they believe they may have found a car belonging to the person.

Lerum said rich marine life makes the area a common dive spot but the boater who spoke with NBC 7 said inexperienced divers should stay away.

"We had a diver opening day of lobster season last year do the same thing," he said. "Got caught under there cause it's nasty."

Check back for updates.
 

Hillary Clinton Honored ln Philly

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One of the most recognized women in national politics was honored in Philadelphia tonight as the 2013 Liberty Medal recipient.

Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton received the award "in recognition of her lifelong career in public service and her ongoing advocacy efforts on behalf of women and girls around the globe," according to the National Constitution Center's website.

A ceremony where Clinton will receive the honor took place at 7 tonight outside the Constitution Center across from Independence Hall. The National Constitution Center's chairman, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, spoke at the start of the event.

“The Liberty Medal recognizes individuals who have furthered the ideals of freedom, democracy, and equality, often against great odds,” said National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen. “Hillary Clinton has devoted her life to expanding opportunities for ‘We the People’ not just in this country but around the globe.”

Clinton, 65, has been in the public eye for more than two decades and is considered a likely Democratic candidate in the 2016 presidential campaign. First she was first lady of the United States. Then in 2000, she was elected to the United States Senate, representing New York. It was an historic event because Clinton was the first first lady to ever reach that goal. She ran for president in 2008 and then served in the Obama Administration as secretary of state.

“Former Secretary Clinton has dedicated her life to serving and engaging people across the world in democracy,” said Bush. “These efforts as a citizen, an activist, and a leader have earned Secretary Clinton this year’s Liberty Medal.”

Past recipients include Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, filmmaker Steven Spielberg, former South African President Nelson Mandela, rocker Bono and sports icon Muhammad Ali.



Photo Credit: AP

NBC 7 San Diego News Live Stream

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If you're seeing black, chances are the broadcast is in commercial. Stay tuned.

NBC 7 can not live stream sports video because of licensing restrictions imposed by professional sports leagues.

If you have a news story you want to share, send an email to limsandiegonewstips@nbcuni.com.

If you have images of breaking news or weather around San Diego County upload them here.

Rockefeller Creates SD, Japan School Partnership

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A member of one of America’s most well-known families visited a local elementary school Tuesday morning.

David Rockefeller, Jr. is chairman of Sailors for the Sea, an organization that encourages sailors and boaters to keep the ocean clean.

“Boaters should protect the oceans because they depend on the oceans to sail upon,” Rockefeller said.

During a recent trip to Yokohama, Japan, Rockefeller visited Shinohara Elementary School. He was inspired by students who took field trips to the beach and studied water quality. The Japanese students also made artwork with the garbage they found in the ocean.

“They showed us this very impressive demonstration that out of ugly things you can make beautiful things, and in the process, clean up the beaches,” Rockefeller said.

Because Yokohama is one of San Diego’s sister cities, Rockefeller set out to connect the school he visited with a local elementary school.

Now, students at Morning Creek Elementary School in Poway will become pen pals with kids at Shinohara, an entire ocean away.

“This is just another way for them to branch out and meet another culture, to learn about what they’re doing and show what we’re doing here,” Morning Creek principal Amy Smith-Richardson said.

On Tuesday, Rockefeller visited Mrs. Brown’s fifth grade class. He was joined by Minako Iue, who runs Sailors for the Sea-Japan.

After the tsunami struck Japan in 2011, water quality has been a big concern. Also, Iue said people in Japan aren’t aware of mercury dangers like Americans are.

“In Japan, we started this project called the Blue Seafood List, which is to educate everyone in the country what’s the safe fish we can consume,” Iue said.

Sailors for the Sea was founded 10 years ago.

2nd Tween Runaway Reunited With Family

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Two boys who walked from their San Diego-area middle school to the U.S.-Mexico border and hid out in Tijuana for three days have both been reunited with their families, officials confirmed.

Jermayn Navarro and Sammy Saunders were reported missing Friday, Sept. 6.

Chula Vista police said the boys had gotten into some trouble at school, left Rancho del Rey Middle School around 11 a.m. and did not go home that night.

Saunders was reunited with his family early Tuesday after spending the long weekend on the run with his friend and spending his 13th birthday away from home. Saunders said he and Navarro slept in an RV and outside for a few days before he decided to head back home.

Saunders and his friend Jermayn Navarro planned to run away after school on Friday, Saunders told NBC 7 News in an exclusive interview. His family said grades and other challenges were starting to come to a breaking point and Sammy wasn't prepared to face the consequences.

Seated between his parents on his family room couch, Saunders told how the boys walked more than 11 miles to the San Ysidro Port of Entry and then, along with two adults, made it through the pedestrian crossing into Tijuana.

“We stood next to an adult and walked through,” he explained.

“My plan was like to follow him,” Sammy said of his friend. “But once I got to Mexico, I knew that was the wrong decision.”

They ended up sleeping in an RV lent to them by a friend of Navarro’s, the boy said.

Sammy, who had never been to Mexico, said he was fascinated by the experience at first.

But he didn't speak the language and after seeing what he described as scary things, he decided it was time to return home.

On Monday, he saw a Mexican police patrol car and turned himself in. The officer then contacted the U.S. Border Patrol and Chula Vista police.

After a series of phone calls, the Saunders family was reunited in the early morning hours Tuesday.

“Just happy to see him,” said father, Terry Saunders. “Happy that he was in one piece.”

Terry and Clara Saunders did everything they could to get the word out about their missing son. They used Facebook to alert friends and family, posted flyers, called friends and law enforcement agencies.

When they learned their son had been found by the authorities in Mexico, they were thrilled.

“We just couldn’t believe that he’s alive and he’s here and he’s well,” Clara said.

Sammy had this advice to other children considering the same kind of adventure, “Stay home and deal with it.”

As for Navarro, authorities say he ran away when he spotted police officers in Mexico Monday night. On Tuesday morning, detectives said they believed Navarro was with extended family in Mexico.

By 4:05 p.m., officials confirmed Navarro was safe, and had been reunited with his immediate family.

NBC 7 spoke with the boy on Tuesday who said he ran away because a teacher took his laptop away and allegedly called him stupid.

Navarros said he crossed the border and befriended homeless people, who gave him money for food.

On the streets of Mexico, Navarro said he saw gangs and was very scared.

NBC 7 spoke with Navarro's grandmother on Tuesday, who said the boy has never done anything like this before. The grandmother said that days before Navarro ran away, his mother took away his iPod because he was misbehaving in school.

SeaWorld San Diego to Limit Part-Time Hours

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A local company that relies heavily on part-time and seasonal workers said it will be capping the hours for those workers to just below 28 beginning in 2014.

The parent company of SeaWorld San Diego will be limiting hours for part-time employees.

The move would enable the Orlando-based company to avoid paying healthcare costs for its 18,000 seasonal or part-time workers.

NBC 7 News contacted SeaWorld San Diego to find out if the decision to limit the hours of part-time workers was connected to the new healthcare legislation known commonly as Obamacare.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is set to go into effect on Oct. 1. The 2010 health reform law requires anyone with 50 or more workers provide health insurance to full-time employees.

SeaWorld San Diego did not say if the ACA is a factor.

A company spokesperson said the park will be hiring a significant number of full-time staffers but did not say how many.

A recent report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research suggests few employers are planning to slash workers hours to get them below what’s considered full-time under ACA.

Another survey, published by International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, suggests few organizations plan to change their workforce hiring or reduction plans as a result of ACA.

The survey reported 16-percent have adjusted to or plan to adjust hours so fewer employees qualify as full-time.

Instead, more than half of employers surveyed by IFEBP said they plan to deal with the increased costs from ACA by shifting the cost to employees. More than a third of the companies surveyed said they plan to increase wellness plans to encourage employee participation.
 



Photo Credit: Getty Images

Bust Nets 65 Arrests, $2.1M in Drugs

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A law enforcement sweep stemming from a year-long undercover drug operation culminated with the arrests of 65 people on Tuesday and the seizure of various types of drugs, officials confirmed.

Approximately 150 law enforcement officials from the San Diego Sheriff’s Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other agencies took part in the takedown as part of “Operation Mountain Shadow” in Ramona and Poway.

Officials served 12 search warrants from 6 a.m. to noon, and arrested suspects on drug charges, including conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

The operation and sweep netted a whole lot of evidence as well.

According to officials, evidence seized during Operation Mountain Shadow includes 14 pounds of heroin, 56 pounds of cocaine, 93 pounds of methamphetamine, 30 grams of marijuana and 5 pounds of prescription pills.

In all, the drugs have an estimated street value of $2.1 million. In addition, 76 firearms and 1 live grenade were seized by investigators, as well as $230,000 in cash.

Officials say Operation Mountain Shadow was launched in October 2012 in response to numerous citizen complaints.

During the crackdown, undercover deputies and agents conducted “buy-walk” operations, in which they bought meth, heroin, cocaine and firearms from suspects.

The suspects arrested in this operation face federal drug charges and possibly state charges. They face varied sentences depending on their criminal background, ranging from probation to 25 years in prison, officials said.

On Tuesday, the office of U.S. Attorney Laura E. Duffy confirmed that 12 suspects arrested in Operation Mountain Shadow have been charged with federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses.

Those in federal custody include: Paulino Aguirre, 68; Johnny Castillo, 42; Christopher Maldonado, 38; John Caudle, 40; Oscar Rodriguez-Torres, 41; Miguel Rodriguez-Torres, 41; Todd Young, 47; Jose Tyoran, 40; and Israel Ornelas, 40.

The defendants hail from Ramona, Vista, Poway and Spring Valley. Most have been charged with distribution of methamphetamine and conspiracy, while some also face a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm.

In addition to the DEA and sheriff’s department, agencies that assisted in the year-long operation and Tuesday’s successful sweep included: the U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Attorney’s Office; U.S. Border Patrol; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); the Regional Auto Theft Task Force (RATT); the San Diego County District Attorney's Office; the Narcotics Task Force (NTF) and the FBI Violent Gang Task Force.
 

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