After more than a year of debate, San Diegans living in Bankers Hill now can use a new solar-powered flashing crosswalk near Balboa Park.
The Uptown Community Parking District funded the project to make the 6th Avenue crossing safer, especially for those headed to the expanded children’s park.
Pedestrians push a button on the corner to activate the flashing lights on the pedestrian-crossing sign to get the attention of oncoming drivers.
Bankers Hill residents demanded the newly-designed crosswalks to help build a connection between the community and Balboa Park.
Bankers Hill Residents Group member Jim Frost said they worked for more than a year, possibly two years to see the system in operation.
“It’s taken some time but it has come to fruition and we’re absolutely delighted,” Frost said.
“We want to increase access to Balboa Park,” Interim Mayor Todd Gloria said before walking across the street with the group on a celebratory crossing.
“This is one down payment toward making it easier to walk there.”
Residents hope to bring more, similar crosswalks to the area in the near future.
Some of the unsung heroes in the NFL are getting their chance in the spotlight and it's pointed directly at their posteriors.
Dollar Shave Club, a monthly subscription service for men's razor blades, is enlisting the help of several offensive linemen in the NFL to endorse the company's new flushable wet wipes.
"Everybody's got their eye on the center's ass all season long," Dollar Shave CEO Mike Dubin told adage.com. "That's why we picked them. They have to keep that area clean, not just on the field but off the field."
Dubin said offensive linemen, who don't typically get many endorsement deals, determine the outcome of games, making them the perfect spokesmen for the brand that considers itself the "softest, manliest way to wipe your ass."
The billboard and radio ads for One Wipe Charlies will feature NFL centers Travis Frederick of the Dallas Cowboys; John Sullivan of the Minnesota Vikings; Eric Wood of the Buffalo Bills; and Nick Hardwick of the San Diego Chargers. And it comes with a witty tagline: "Every great play starts with a clean snap."
Dubin did not say how much the players are getting paid for the for the "Clean Snap" ad campaign.
"Let's say they're more affordable than the quarterback," he said.
Police have identified all of the victims of Monday's fatal shooting at the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard.
The gunman, 34-year-old Aaron Alexis of Fort Worth, Texas, acted alone in killing 12 people and injuring eight others before he was also killed Monday. The shooting is one of the worst mass shootings ever at a U.S. military facility and one of the deadliest single events ever in the nation's capital.
Police have identified those killed as:
Among the eight injured was a D.C. police officer, identified as Scott Williams, who was shot in the leg while responding to the shooting, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray reported late Monday. Doctors say they hope Williams will be able to walk again after undergoing hours of surgery.
None of the fatalities is reported to be military personnel. The rest of the injured individuals suffered non-life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover.
Road closures in the area were lifted before the Tuesday morning rush hour.
Only essential personnel are allowed back at Navy Yard Tuesday.
Who was Aaron Alexis?
FBI and ATF agents searched a D.C. hotel Monday night where Alexis, who recently began work as a civilian contractor, was reportedly staying with five co-workers in town for business.
Alexis, who served as a petty officer in the Navy between 2007 and 2011, had been previously arrested in gun-related incidents. He moved to the D.C. area about four months ago from Fort Worth and was working for The Experts, a subcontractor of Hewlett Packard that had been hired to work on computers at the Navy Yard.
Originally from New York City, Alexis has siblings who still live there.
"No one saw it coming," said Alexis' brother-in-law Anthony Little. "No one knew anything, so all of this, it's just shocking."
Alexis opened fire before 8:30 a.m. Monday in the lobby and on the third and fourth floors of Building 197 of the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters in southeast D.C. Survivors recalled sprinting from the sound of gunfire. Bullets hit walls, and people fell to the floor, bleeding.
Officials reported Alexis had "legitimate access" to enter the Navy Yard at the time as a civilian contractor, using a valid pass.
"I was in the cafeteria, just paid for my breakfast," Patricia Ward said. "I was waiting for my friend to pay for hers when we heard the gunshot. It was three gunshots straight in a row, pop pop pop. Three seconds later, it was pop pop pop pop pop, so it was like about a total of seven gunshots, and we just started running."
Alexis entered the building armed with a shotgun, FBI Washington Field Office Assistant Director Valerie Parlave said. There is no evidence that he had an AR-15 assault rifle - the type of weapon first-responding D.C. police officers had - at any point during the shootings.
But one source told News4 Washington's Shomari Stone - and two sources deeply embedded in the investigation confirmed - that he did use a pistol acquired from a security officer he shot, but it is unclear if he hit anyone with shots fired from that pistol.
Alexis had purchased a shotgun lawfully in Lorton, Va., during the past week or so, NBC News correspondent Pete Williams reported.
"In light of the many questions surrounding the event, it is not appropriate to provide any comment at this time, except to affirm that Sharpshooters fully complies with all requirements to conduct background checks on all potential purchasers as required by law, and to further affirm that all purchasers are required to comply with all laws concerning allowed purchases," read an emailed statement from Sharpshooters Small Arms Range of Lorton, which is cooperating with investigators.
The FBI said Alexis used a valid pass to enter the biuilding along the Anacostia River, where 3,000 Navy employees go to work each day, many of them carrying authorized firearms. Next to Alexis' body was an ID of a man who used to work at the Navy Yard.
The pandemonium continued after the suspected gunman was killed, as authorities for several hours investigated the possibility of more than one gunman. Eight nearby schools were put on lockdown before authorities gave the all-clear.
D.C. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy Lanier said Tuesday the decision to shelter-in-place was the best decision while they investigated that possibility.
Terrie Durham, a civilian employee in the Office of Naval Sea Systems Command, was looking for a way out and glimpsed the gunman down a hallway, about 40 feet away. He was wearing blue, a uniform, maybe, and held a rifle. He said nothing. Then he fired.
"He aimed high and missed," Durham said. "I saw where the shot missed. It was a few feet ahead of us and a foot or above where we would have been standing."
She took off into a stairwell, hollering, "There is a man shooting in the building, get out, get out!"
Multiple weapons
Surveillance video shows the gunman entered the NAVSEA building, at 1336 Isaac Hull Ave., with a shotgun, law enforcement officials told News4 Washington's Jackie Bensen.
He shot a security officer in the head, killing him, and took the officer's 9 mm pistol and a magazine of ammunition, Bensen reported. The shooter then continued through the building and seemed to target his victims.
MPD and several other law enforcement agencies responded with active shooter teams after a call at 8:23 a.m. reporting the sound of gunshots. Two nearby MPD units with AR-15s were at Navy Yard in two minutes, MPD Chief Cathy Lanier said. Four-to-five minutes after the report of shots fired, five-to-seven units were passing through the Navy Yard gates. At the time, police had conflicting reports about which building the shots were fired in, but seven minutes after the report, two-to-four units outside Building 197 heard more shots fired and entered.
From the report of shots fired to the final shots fire by police took more than an a half hour, Lanier said, but an exact timeframe can't be disclosed until forensics are complete.
“The response by uniformed police officers from both the Metropolitan Police Department and United States Park Police was absolutely nothing short of heroic,” Lanier said.
After Alexis was shot to death by officers, Navy Yard personnel remained on lockdown amid fears two other "possible" gunmen were still at large. Investigators later ruled one of them out as a suspect by watching video that tracked the man through the building and realizing that no harm resulted from his movements.
By late Monday evening, D.C. police canceled the lookout for the second possible suspect earlier described as armed with a "long gun," saying they felt comfortable they had the "single and sole person responsible."
Mayor Gray said suspected gunman Alexis' motive was unknown, though there were reports that he may have had a grudge against the Navy. Gray said while there is no reason to suspect terrorism, it couldn't be ruled out yet.
The FBI is leading the investigation into what is the deadliest single incident within D.C. borders since 1982, when Air Florida Flight 90 crashed, killing 78 people.
Obama: 'They're patriots'
Flags will remain at half-staff until Friday at sunset in the wake of the devastating events at the Washington Navy Yard. President Barack Obama made the order for all flags to fly at half-staff at military installations and public buildings Monday evening over what he called "yet another mass shooting."
“We do know that several people have been shot, and some have been killed,” President Obama said from the White House early Monday. “So we are confronting yet another mass shooting, and today it happened on a military installation in our nation’s capital. It’s a shooting that targeted military and civilian personnel.
"These are men and women going to work, doing their job protecting all of us," Obama said. "They’re patriots, and they know the dangers of serving abroad, but today they faced the unimaginable violence that they wouldn’t have expected here at home."
Treating the victims
MedStar Washington Hospital Center said MPD Officer Williams and two women who work for the Navy had been transported to that hospital. The officer was shot in the legs; one woman was shot in the shoulder and the other was shot in the head and hand.
Dr. Janis Orlowski, the chief medical officer at the hospital, told the Today Show's Matt Lauer Tuesday morning that all three were doing well.
Officer Williams is listed in fair condition. Orlowski said Williams was "having pain around the lower legs" but was doing well.
The woman who was shot in the shoulder was also listed in fair condition.
Orlowski said the other did not require surgery as the bullet did not penetrate the skull. She was shot in the finger and right behind her right ear, Orlowski explained, but the bullet only penetrated her scalp.
"She's doing well. She's anxious about her colleagues," Orlowski said. She is listed in good condition.
George Washington University Hospital said they had also received a victim, a man in his 60s who had been shot in the temple. Despite efforts at CPR, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
"There's something evil in our society that we as Americans have to work to try and eradicate," Orlowski said. "I have to say, I may see this everyday, I may be the chief medical officer of a very large trauma center, but there's something wrong when we have these multiple shootings, these multiple injuries. There's something wrong. The only thing that I can say is we have to work together to get rid of it."
Honoring those we lost
As the nation takes a breath and the reality of Monday's mass shooting starts to settle in, several events around the area are planned to honor the victims.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel laid a wreath at the Navy Memorial to honor the victims. A short ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. Hagel will also make a brief statement there.
Cardinal Donald Wuerl and the Archbishop of Washington held a Mass of Consolation Tuesday afternoon at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle on Rhode Island Avenue in Northwest with the Archbishop of Washington giving the main homily and Cardinal Wuerl leading the mass. The church welcomed anyone who needed any kind of support.
Monday night, the National Cathedral held a service to remember the victims. The Cathedral offered a special prayer for their families and special responders. Cathedral officials say the cathedral will make ministries available to anyone who needs consolation and refuge.
Tuesday evening, the floor of the House of Representatives will fall silent in remembrance of those who died Monday. D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton will lead a moment of silence at 7 p.m.
Call 1-800-CALL-FBI
Anyone with information about this incident should call 1-800-CALL-FBI. The FBI wants to talk to anyone who knew Alexis. No piece of information regarding his recent movements, contacts and associates is too small.
The investigation extends to the various cities nationwide where Alexis had connections. The FBI is looking into his past, including his medical and criminal histories.
The Navy created a family support center to assist personnel or family members affected by the shootings. Call 1-855-677-1755. Family members also can log into NAVY Accountability and Assessment System to muster and fill out a needs assessment and a fleet and family support center emergency case manager will call and offer assistance.
Stay with NBCWashington on-air and online for more on this developing story.
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As the nation reels in the aftermath of Monday's mass shooting at the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard, new questions arose about the gunman and a possible motive behind one of the deadliest shootings at a military base in U.S. history.
The gunman -- identified by authorities as 34-year-old Aaron Alexis -- served on active duty in the Navy until 2011 and had moved to D.C only recently.
Back in Texas, he volunteered at a Buddhist temple but also played violent video games, said a friend.
Alexis died Monday inside the heavily secured Building 197 of the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters in Southeast D.C. Authorities say he was the sole person responsible for fatally shooting 12 civilians in the building and injuring eight others.
A brother-in-law said no one had any indication Alexis could do something like this.
But after a 2004 incident in which Alexis shot out another man's tires, his father told authorities that Alexis had been a first responder on 9/11 and had developed post-traumatic stress disorder.
A motive remains unknown as officials work to piece together Alexis' history.
Michael Ritrovato, a friend of Alexis who spoke with NBC Dallas Forth Worth, said Alexis may have been upset that a contractor had been slow to pay him for several months' of work he'd performed in Tokyo.
"This company that he worked for said they were going to pay him and they didn't pay him," Ritrovato said. "...He called and he was very upset about it. This was several months ago."
Ritrovato said he couldn't remember the name of the company.
MOVED TO D.C. 4 MONTHS AGO; WAS STILL STAYING IN HOTEL
Aaron Alexis -- a New York native -- had been living in Fort Worth, Texas before moving to Washington about four months ago. He was working as a civilian contractor for The Experts, a subcontractor of Hewlett Packard that had been hired to work on computers at the Navy Yard.
It's unknown how long he had planned to stay in the area, but Alexis had not put down permanent roots. He was still driving a rental car and had been staying in a Residence Inn in Southwest D.C. hotel with five other coworkers.
After Monday's deadly shooting, authorities searched both his hotel room and the rental car, and were in the process of interviewing his roommates.
"We are deeply saddened by today's tragic events at the Washington Navy Yard. Our thoughts and sympathies are with all those who have been affected," read a statement by Hewlett-Packard in part. "...HP is cooperating fully with law enforcement as requested."
4 YEARS OF NAVY SERVICE INCLUDED OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT
Alexis enlisted in the Navy in New York in May 2007, and served four years of active duty based in Fort Worth, Texas.
He graduated from boot camp at Great Lakes, Ill., as an airman recruit, and eventually became an aviation electrician's mate, a Petty Officer Third Class, reported NBC Dallas Fort Worth.
He served at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth and was honorably discharged in January 2011.
While enlisted, Alexis received the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. The former is a medal awarded to anyone who served during a national emergency.
The latter was created by President George W. Bush for members of the military who served overseas in the War on Terror since Sept. 11, 2001.
It's unknown where Alexis served overseas.
ARRESTED IN 2 PREVIOUS GUN-RELATED INCIDENTS
Aaron Alexis had two previous brushes with the law over incidents involving guns in the past decade.
In September 2010, Alexis was arrested for discharging a firearm within Fort Worth city limits, a Class A misdemeanor. He wasn't charged, but officials said the incident contributed to his discharge from the Navy.
Alexis told officers he was cleaning the weapon when it slipped and accidentally discharged.
Two bullets lodged in the floor and ceiling of his upstairs neighbor's apartment, and she called police.
According to a police report, the neighbor told authorities that Alexis had called the police several times on her for being too loud; "however the police always said they didn't hear anything and no action was taken. She said that several days ago Aaron confronted her in the parking lot about making too much noise. [The neighbor] told me that she is terrified of Aaron and feels that this was done intentionally," wrote an officer in the police report.
Alexis was not charged in that case because local prosecutors said it did not appear reckless.
In May 2004, Alexis was arrested for shooting out the tires of another man's car in a dispute about parking near a construction site, Seattle police said.
Alexis told authorities he shot at the car in "a blackout" fueled by anger and didn't remember pulling the trigger until about an hour later, according to a police report.
At the time, he was living in Washington state with his grandmother.
He was charged with malicious mischief. The outcome of the case is currently unknown.
Alexis told authorities that he had been was an active participant in rescue attempts on 9/11 and had post-traumatic stress disorder.
His father later confirmed those facts to police.
"Those events had disturbed him," Alexis' father said.
In October 2000, Alexis applied for a shotgun permit while living in Flushing. The permit was canceled in 2003 because he failed to renew it. It's not clear whether Alexis actually bought a weapon, reported NBC New York.
Alexis had purchased a shotgun in Lorton, Va., during the past week or so, NBC News correspondent Pete Williams reported.
WAS PRACTICING BUDDHIST, BUT PLAYED SHOOTER GAMES
During his time in Forth Worth, Alexis reportedly became close with a family who owned a Thai restaurant near the air base and began working as a waiter there.
They remembered Alexis as a peaceful man who helped out at a nearby Buddhist temple, where he was said to be a practicing member.
Michael Ritrovato, a friend who spoke with NBC Dallas Forth Worth, said Alexis was fluent in Thai and conversed with customers at the restaurant.
Ritrovato said Alexis had expressed an interest in moving into management for the restaurant.
Although Alexis was good-natured, Ritrovato said he spent a lot of time playing violent video games.
"I saw the video games just the one time, and when I did, I was like, 'I can't believe you play that stuff.' It was like shooting, you know, where you're shooting them, they're shooting you," Ritrovato said.
ROOTS IN NEW YORK
Alexis' family is "very distraught," his brother-in-law, Anthony Little, told NBC New York.
"It's a shocking experience; nobody expected this," Little said. "No one saw it coming, no one knew anything. So all of this is just shocking."
Little -- who is married to Alexis' 32-year-old sister -- said he'd never met the alleged gunman and had never had contact with him.
He said Alexis was not close with the family and that it had been years since his wife had last spoken with her brother.
"From what I know, he was a regular guy," said Little. "Went to school, was in the service, from what I know, he was in the Navy."
Little and his wife; Alexis' mother, and Alexis' 34-year-old brother live in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Little told NBC New York. Another sister, in her late 20s, lives elsewhere.
The NYPD and the FBI visited Cathleen Alexis' home Monday to gather information in the wake of the shooting, reported NBC New York.
"I didn't really hear anything that would make me feel like, as a newcomer to the family, that somebody should be watching him," Little said. "No one mentioned anything about him being aggressive or being this type of way or anything like that."
Alexis lived in Flushing, Queens from at least 2000 to 2002, where he was last registered to vote, according to public records.
A neighbor who had lived below Alexis and his family in Flushing said they were "very quiet" and that she couldn't recall "any problems" with them.
"You really don't know who you live next to," said Wendy Lopez, a neighbor. "I'm shocked."
MORE COVERAGE ON NBCWASHINGTON.COM:
For the first time in more than 30 years, San Diego city leaders are considering zoning changes to the area south of downtown known for industrial and shipbuilding businesses.
The San Diego City Council will discuss the Barrio Logan Community Plan Tuesday. The proposal includes zoning changes to keep polluting industries a safe distance from homes, schools, parks and hospitals.
Even though shipbuilding and heavy industry dominate the real estate along San Diego Bay, homes and schools are close by.
The new community plan on the table will change the mix.
The shipyards argue that if homes are built, businesses could eventually be force to close. The companies have asked San Diego Port commissioners to support a buffer zone between heavy industry and residential.
Proponents of the zoning changes claim shipyard owners are twisting the truth and actually want to move even more heavy industry on the crowded bayfront.
The Environmental Health Coalition said the area has a children's asthma hospitalization rate three times higher than the rest of San Diego County.
The EHC has been working for years to put together the plan they call “Alternative 1” that they believe makes room for both industrial and residential uses of the area.
Councilmembers are scheduled to vote on the plan at 2 p.m. Check back for updates.
Three men pretended to be police officers, including flashing badges and driving a car with lights and a siren, to cut a line at the Staten Island Mall to buy the latest version of "Grand Theft Auto," police said.
Officers were patrolling the mall overnight Monday into Tuesday as a large crowd had gathered, awaiting the release of "Grand Theft Auto V."
Police saw three men pull up and get out of a car, approach security and get into the mall -- which was still closed -- while about 500 people waited outside.
Authorities say the men, two 19-year-olds and a 20-year-old, flashed fake police badges and told mall security they were with the NYPD. They were then able to buy the video game early.
Police said the men then sped away, running several traffic lights. After officers pulled them over, they found the car had working police lights and sirens.
One of the men, who works as an auxiliary police officer, had handcuffs on him. Officials said Wednesday he has been suspended.
The men were arrested and charged with criminal impersonation.
The Children's Place is recalling nearly 40,000 footed pajamas after finding they failed to meet federal flammability standards.
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission says the pajamas pose a burn hazard to children because they do not meet the tight-fitting sizing requirements needed to pass flammability standards.
The recall involves three styles of bunny-themed, one-piece cotton footed pajamas sold between January 2012 through May 2013. More details on the specific pajama styles and sizes can be found by clicking here.
Customers with the recalled garments can return them to any location of The Children's Place for a full refund.
A San Diego teenager who was homeless in her younger years had one of her biggest dreams come true on Tuesday: she was given the keys to her very own brand new car.
Brittnie Pemberton, who just turned 16, was awarded the first-ever “Spark of Hope Award” by photojournalist Linda Solomon and Chevrolet for her work mentoring children.
After being honored with the award at Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet on Balboa Avenue, the teen was also presented with a brand new 2014 Chevy Spark, much to her surprise.
Pemberton had no idea she would be getting her own new set of wheels.
When U.S. Vice President of Chevrolet Don Johnson gave the teenager the keys, she was speechless and could not stop smiling.
“My heart just stopped. I mean, it’s amazing. It’s like every 16-year-old’s wish – a car,” said Pemberton. “It’s awesome because a car was on my [wish] list that I made when I was 9 and it came true.”
The big gift was extra meaningful to Pemberton because her young life has been far from easy.
When she was 9 years old, Pemberton was homeless. While living at The Salvation Army’s Door of Hope with her mother and brother, Pemberton became involved with Solomon and the photojournalist’s project, “Pictures of Hope.”
The project encourages children living in shelters in San Diego and other cities to share their hopes and dreams through photography. The photos are then turned into greeting cards, and the proceeds benefit shelters and facilities in each city.
At age 9, Pemberton was given a disposable camera and told to take pictures of her aspirations. The child photographed the entrance to San Diego State University in order to illustrate her dream of one day attending college.
Over the years, Pemberton has mentored other children through Solomon’s “Pictures of Hope” program and Salvation Army Programs, including volunteering at a summer camp for low-income children.
Her family is also no longer homeless.
On Tuesday, Solomon was thrilled to present Pemberton with the “Spark of Hope Award” and commended the teen for her determination, hard work and triumph over adversity.
“Brittnie is a wonderful young lady and her photograph changed all of our lives,” said Solomon.
As Pemberton’s family looked on, Johnson then gave the teen the brand new car.
“It was a huge surprise,” Pemberton said. “I thought we were giving an award to Linda Solomon for her ‘Pictures of Hope,’ and it turned out I was getting a car.”
Sitting in her shiny new ride for the first time, Pemberton was overwhelmed with joy.
She also had a message for kids going through tough times, just as she once did:
“I would say that there’s hope for the future, and things get better – always – and time really makes everything better,” she said. “[Kids] need to have their hopes and dreams and never give up on them because they do come true.”
In the future, Pemberton plans to continue her work with children.
She said she’d like to one day become a child psychologist and help children who went through similar situations as her. Of course, she plans to attend SDSU to earn her degree in psychology.
“I just really hope to bring joy to other kids, like Ms. Solomon has,” she said. “Things do get better, no matter what, and there’s always hope for the future.”
Pemberton’s dream of going to SDSU is within reach, too.
When the SDSU Alumni Association saw that photograph Pemberton snapped at age 9, they worked with the college president to grant Pemberton a four-year, fully-paid scholarship if she stayed in school and kept up her grades -- which she has.
In the meantime, between helping kids and working towards college, Pemberton will be enjoying her new car. The teen said she plans to “show it off” and cruise around town, though she admits she’s not sure where, exactly, she’ll drive to first.
Apple is scheduled to roll out its latest and much-awaited mobile operating system Wednesday.
The new update to the tech-giant's platform, iOS 7, is the company's first major overhaul since 2007.
The update is available for the iPhone 4 and later models, the iPad 2 and later, the iPad mini, and the fifth generation iPod touch, according to AllThingsD.
Free for all Apple users, the update boasts of some 200 new features.
Apple unveiled its latest iPhone models - the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S - last week at an event in Cupertino, Calif. The phones are scheduled to go on sale Friday.
There have been reports that stores aren't packed with the product, perhaps an indication that Apple isn't expecting blockbuster sales.
Preorder sales have not been "overwhelming" for the 5C, a U.S. wireless carrier source told Reuters. The phone comes in blue, green, pink, yellow and white and starts at $99 with a contract in the U.S. The pricier 5S phone begins at $199 with a contract.
One of the new features that comes with Apple's new iOS is Airdrop, which lets users share photos, videos, and contacts by clicking share and selecting another iOS 7 user from their contacts list. All of the transfers are encrypted and items can be sent using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, according to MailOnline.
There is also a revamped Notification Center and the addition of a Control Center, which can be opened by swiping from the bottom of the screen, letting users tweak different settings.
The software update also boasts of improvements to the Compass app, the way photos are organized, and a flashlight app called Torch has also been added.
Reviewers have been calling the latest iOS incarnation a huge success, with Apple's Senior Vice President of Engineering, Craig Federighi, predicting that anyone installing iOS 7 will feel as if they're "getting an all-new device."
A woman accused of killing her two children and leaving their bodies in a Southern California hotel room asked for the death penalty Tuesday during her first court appearance in connection with the slayings.
Arraignment for Marilyn Kay Edge, of Arizona, was continued to next month. She remained jailed without bail after appearing via video feed from jail for a Tuesday court proceeding.
"Only if you promise me the death penalty," Edge responded twice to the judge after he asked a question about her scheduled arraignment.
Edge did not enter a plea. Her attorney requested the case be continued and for permission to speak with doctors treating Edge.
The 42-year-old Scottsdale, Ariz. woman was arrested Friday after she crashed her car -- police said propane tanks were found in the front seat -- into an electrical box near a Costa Mesa supermarket. Police said she tried to strangle herself with an electrical cord after officers arrived.
The bodies of her son, Jaelen, 13, and daughter, Faith, 10, were found after the crash in a third-floor hotel room at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Santa Ana.
Edge was in a custody dispute with her husband in a Georgia court after the couple divorced in 2007, according to records.
Prosecutors filed two felony counts of special circumstances murder charges against Edge. The special circumstances sentencing enhancements include committing multiple murders and murder by poison.
She faces a sentence of life in state prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.
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Investigators are exploring whether a gas leak is to blame for the Tuesday explosion that destroyed a sprawling, 6,000-square-foot Connecticut home valued at $1.1 million.
The explosion and fire at the Stamford residence, described by one official as a “scene out of hell,” shook the Webbs Hill Road neighborhood at around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, bringing in firefighters from Greenwich and New Canaan to assist Stamford firefighters, according to the mayor's office.
City officials said during a news conference held a couple hours after the explosion that a 500-gallon underground propane tank was burning and firefighters could not put it out.
"They sent a machine up there to start probing to see if there were any clues for another theory, but it look very strongly that it was a gas explosion," Stamford Mayor Michael Pavia said.
The road to the home is still blocked off Wednesday morning as officials continue to dig through the debris and a portion of the property is still burning as part of a controlled burn.
No injuries were initially reported, but the homeowner, Guiseppe Cardillo, was out by the pool house when the explosion happened and was taken to the hospital as a precaution, city officials said. He was alert when he was transported from the scene and has since been released.
A firefighter was also later taken to the hospital to be treated for a minor injury, fire officials said.
Pavia said it a miracle no one was seriously injured or worse.
"It's amazing, if you look at photos of the house and the crater that's left there now it's just incredible," he said.
The explosion destroyed the house and helicopter footage from WNBC showed a massive amount of smoke billowing over the remains of the demolished house soon after it happened.
Neighbors who were home at the time of the explosion said they had no idea what was happening.
"All of the sudden, there was a massive explosion and the whole house shook right down to the foundation," said Peter Gow, who lives just a few yards away.
Gow was the first at the scene and rushed to call 911 after seeing the demolished home.
"I ran through the woods towards where the alarm was, thinking maybe someone's boiler had exploded and came across something much worse," Gow said.
There was only one fire, despite some earlier reports, but the blast propelled material from the house to nearby properties and one other nearby house was slightly damaged.
"We were able to get our chief building inspector up there right away, who evaluated the other homes for structural integrity and found them to be safe to live in," Pavia said.
Officials said it could be days before they know for sure what caused the explosion.
North stamford house explosion @News12CT @stamfordctnews pic.twitter.com/gpau1j9oAg
— Colin (@Colin_MacL) September 17, 2013
This is the assessor's record photo of the house.
An unfortunate slide into second base has made Jonathan Villar the butt of social media jokes.
The Houston Astros shortstop came face-to-face -- or rather, face-to-butt -- with Cincinnati Reds infielder Brandon Phillips on Tuesday night when Villar tried to stretch a single into a double.
Brandon Phillips took the throw from center field and got a little more than he bargained for when he tried to tag Villar through his legs: Villar plowed his face straight into Phillips' derrière.
At first, Phillips wasn't aware that Villar was making a run for second base.
"The crowd let me know that he was coming to second base," Phillips told The Associated Press. "I just had to quickly put the tag between my legs. That's the only reason I tagged him. If I didn't hear the crowd, I would have just caught it and looked around and he would have been safe."
Not knowing that Phillips already had the ball, Villar started sliding.
"That's the way I play," Villar told the AP. "I'm aggressive. I was trying to make something happen, motivate my team. It's hard to change because that's the way I've always played."
The story of Villar's "Butt Slide," which has taken social media by storm, is being compared to a "Butt Fumble" gaffe by Mark Sanchez, who famously slammed his head into his teammate's backside during a game against the New England Patriots last year.
Check out the play in the video below:
A Newark Airport cargo worker was questioned Wednesday after he got into a dispute with his boss and threatened to "come back with a surprise for you," according to law enforcement officials.
The United Airlines worker then jumped into a truck and sped off.
The supervisor notified Port Authority police, who began searching for the worker.
He was later found and questioned, but released without being charged.
The Port Authority says airport operations were not disrupted.
The Illinois-based creator of Beanie Babies was charged Wednesday for allegedly failing to report earnings from a secret offshore bank account.
H. Ty Warner, owner of the Westmont company that designs and sells the plush toys, plans to plead guilty to federal tax evasion and will pay a $53.5 million civil penalty, his lawyer said.
“This is an unfortunate situation that Mr. Warner has been trying to resolve for several years now," Warner’s attorney, Gregory Scandaglia, said, "including through an attempt to enroll in the IRS’s Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program in 2009. Mr. Warner accepts full responsibility for his actions with this plea agreement.”
Prosecutors said Warner maintained a secret offshore account with UBS starting in 1996 then transferred the assets in 2002 to a second Swiss financial institution. The account's balance at the time was about $93,630,083.
Warner allegedly earned $3.1 million through investments held in his UBS account and he allegedly failed to tell his accountants about the income.
“Regardless of wealth, everyone must pay taxes on all of their income, not just the amount they choose to report," Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, said in a statement.
Shapiro said Warner allegedly "went to great lengths to hide from his accountants and the IRS more than $3.1 million in foreign income generated in a secret Swiss account."
"Such conduct invites federal prosecution,” he said, noting Warner is the second person charged in federal court in Chicago in connection with an investigation of U.S. clients of Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) and other overseas banks hiding foreign accounts from the Internal Revenue Service.
Shapiro says tax evasion carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Grover Gordon is a survivor. He bears the scars of war. But these days, this 82-year-old Korean War veteran is fighting another battle, a battle over a stolen inheritance.
"She had me completely buffaloed," said Gordon. "And since you don't know nothing, you can't say anything."
Gordon is talking about Sydney Kirkland, an Escondido, Calif. attorney hired to take care of Gordon's finances. But she did more than that.
Gordon received more than $280,000 from a trust that was left to him after the death of his good friend, Bobbi Letman.
Kirkland was Letman's attorney, so when the money changed hands, Kirkland added her own name as a co-trustee and beneficiary of the trust.
"He didn't have a family, he needed someone to trust," said Escondido police detective Tom Phelps. "And this person totally took advantage of him."
Within weeks of adding her name to the trust, Sydney Kirkland started taking money out of the inheritance. After just a few months, the $285,729 was down to $10,096. She had taken more than $275,000 without Gordon's knowledge.
"He didn't understand how trusts work," said Detective Phelps. "He feels totally betrayed."
But Grover Gordon noticed something was wrong.
He got a property bill that he thought was paid for by his attorney. That prompted him to hire a second attorney to investigate, and that's when the deception started to unravel.
"I'm telling you, boy, it's a shock, a terrible shock," said Gordon.
The Missouri native quickly found out that his money was gone. Investigators were called in, and eventually Kirkland admitted what she had done.
Det. Phelps said Kirkland had started living the high life, paying off debts, donating to charity and flying to Europe with her antique Packard to drive around France.
She even posted photos of the trip on her Facebook page.
"I did something horrible, I can't imagine how this could have happened," Kirkland told Vista Superior Court Judge Aaron Katz on Monday.
She pleaded guilty to three felony charges including grand theft, embezzlement and financial abuse of an elder and was sentenced to 18 months in jail.
Kirkland has also been ordered to pay back the money to Gordon that she stole from him.
