A video posted to YouTube appears to show footage of Monday's Blue Line train derailment at O'Hare International Airport.

The video, which was deleted just hours after being posted Tuesday night and was re-posted Wednesday morning, shows a train coming into the Chicago station and crashing into escalators.

Wednesday's video was posted by user SuccessHab on YouTube. While the footage is the same, it is not clear if it was posted by the same user or where the footage came from.

The CTA could not be reached for comment about the video.

Thirty-two people were injured, none seriously, when an eight-car train continued through the end of the platform and struck the escalators leading to the terminals at O'Hare International Airport early Monday morning.

"The train actually climbed over the last stop, jumped up on the sidewalk and then went up the stairs and escalators," Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Jose Santiago said of the crash, which happened just before 3 a.m. on the CTA's Blue Line.

Lawsuits were filed Tuesday, one of which claims the Chicago Transit Authority was negligent and blames "a reported combination of operator inattention and excessive speed" for the crash.

Niakesha Thomas, 22, claims her "job requires her to stand continuously and her injuries have left her currently unable to walk."

"I can't use bathroom by myself, I can't take a bath," Thomas told NBC 5.

Thomas says she was sitting in the third car of the train when the accident occurred.

"I heard a big noise, I felt my chest hit the seat in front of me, and then my back hit the seat behind me and then the lights went out," Thomas said. "I got up, I walked out and I hollered, I got scared, I started shaking, I was a nervous wreck."

A National Transportation Safety Board spokesman said Tuesday an emergency stop system activated as it should have but failed to stop the train.

Twenty-three-year-old Dalila Jefferson, a security officer at O'Hare, also filed a lawsuit Tuesday. She was riding in the first car when the train jumped the tracks and landed on the stairs and escalators leading to the airport terminals.

“It’s clear there was a failure on multiple levels. We hope this lawsuit helps bring answers as to how this could happen and to prevent it from happening again,” Jefferson's attorney Matthew Jenkins said. “Millions of people ride the CTA to and from work and they deserve to feel safe."

CTA union president Robert Kelly told reporters Monday afternoon that the operator of the train may have dozed off.

"The indication is there, yes," Kelly said. "She has worked a lot of hours in the past weekend, and the indication is there."

The operator was interviewed by the NTSB Tuesday for about two hours.

Padres baseball season is upon us, and so is one heck of a block party in downtown San Diego.

Opening Day is this Sunday when the Padres take on the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. To celebrate the start of the season, a free Opening Day Block Party will take over downtown’s East Village – on J Street, between 6th and 10th avenues – from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The family-friendly outdoor event will feature live entertainment from local bands and DJs, interactive games and activities and food from various local eateries and food trucks. Between 7th and 8th avenues, a special country-themed block will host line dancing at 1:30 p.m.

A microbrew beer garden will set up shop between 8th and 9th avenues, boasting cold, delicious craft brews from Mission Brewery, Monkey Paw and Stone Brewery.

• Special Section: San Diego Padres

Now, while general admission tickets to Opening Day at Petco Park may be sold out, baseball fans still have a chance to swoop in on a limited number of VIP ticket packages available for the game through the East Village Association.

The package, selling for $250, includes two game tickets behind the Padres dugout and four drink tickets to the beer garden at the Opening Day Block Party. To nab this package, click here.

By the way, proceeds from the party will support the East Village Association and its mission to promote the downtown community. This year, the association is working hard to raise funds for their very own community landmark sign, just like the ones that currently mark hip, urban neighborhoods like Little Italy, North Park and Hillcrest.

Okay, San Diego, now play ball -- and have a ball at the party.
 

As Petco Park celebrates 10 years since opening in 2004, the effects of the Padres’ home ballpark are mixed, according to a new study by the National University System Institute for Policy Research (NUSIPR).

The stadium has transformed a run-down neighborhood into an attraction for both tourists and residents.

That's where the study found the greatest impact. The area added more than 15,000 residents – nearly doubling to 32,544 – and 14,700 housing units (to 24,168) between 2000 and 2013.

“The ballpark really activated downtown at least 81 days a year,” said Erik Bruvold, a policy researcher at National University. “It created more street traffic, more vibrancy. And that really encouraged people to move into the community.”

But that didn’t really translate into more jobs. About 64,000 people worked downtown in 2014, about the same as in 2004. Kris Michell, CEO of the Downtown San Diego Partnership, said that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“We have been through the worst recession since the great depression so the fact that we've stayed even is good,” she said.

What about actual baseball fans? After spiking to 3 million in the inaugural 2004 season – setting the team record by more than 400,000 – the number of fans walking through the gates has dropped by almost a million fans a year.

Attendance dipped below 2 million in 2009 but has topped 2.1 million every year since.

A drop is to be expected after a new ballpark opens, and the Padres’ attendance hasn’t been that far off from the league average. Of course, anyone who has been to a game knows that more often than not the opposing team is supplying a majority of fans.

That led to $67.6 million in out-of-facility spending in 2013, according to the study. That includes restaurants, non-ballpark entertainment and hotels.

So, if the ballpark brings in money, why not put it into use more often? Aside from the 81 home games and a handful of concerts, the stadium doesn’t get a whole lot of action.

The recent Davis Cup tennis tournament was an interesting example of finding other ways to get fans in the park. Whether or not that could be considered a hit, it at least drew attention to Petco in the offseason.

Other stadiums have experimented with events like the recent National Hockey League Stadium Series game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, which was a huge success.

Iconic ballparks like Wrigley Field in Chicago and Fenway Park in Boston have hosted concert events with big names like Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones, drawing sellout crowds.

Operas fans are fighting to keep the San Diego Opera from going dark.

On March, 19, the opera announced it was shutting down after nearly 50 years in San Diego.

Now, an online petition is being circulated to keep the San Diego Opera alive. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, the petition had more than 6,900 signatures.

The San Diego Opera Board of Directors voted 33-1 to close instead of going bankrupt, according to CEO Ian Campbell. The opera employs about 120 people, including seasonal workers.

The opera’s final performance, “Don Quixote,” is scheduled for April 5, 8, 11 and 13.

According to the opera’s website, Opera America ranked the San Diego Opera as one of the top 10 operas in the U.S.
 

A 2-year-old child was injured Monday after a dozen razor blades were glued to playground equipment at a park in East Moline, Ill.

According to NBC affiliate KQWC, the child suffered a cut to the hand but was not injured seriously.

After treating the boy at home, the victim's father and police went back to the park, where they discovered additional razor blades attached to the playground equipment with white putty.

Police closed the park until all of the razor blades were found and removed from the monkey bars, a slide and the ground. Each blade was affixed to the equipment with the putty-like substance.

Police are looking for suspects in the case and searching other area parks for similar pranks.

East Moline is 162 miles west of Chicago.

San Diego High School of Science and Technology is taking the next step in its robotics competition, and could use your help.

Only two years into the program, and the team is going to the nationals.

Students tell NBC 7 that when it comes to math and science, this is a win for everyone.

“Everyone who is in program learns a lot of skills like problem solving, engineering obviously, programming,” said Olivia Down, a robotics team member. “You basically learn how to work as a team to accomplish a goal and that's important to everyone's future.”

San Diego’s Sci-Tech won the San Diego regionals this year after being recognized as the highest rookie last year. Their robot, named “Robosaurus,” received points for dunking a ball – and assisting other robots.

“We go out there and think, ‘What's the solution? What are we going to do to make things right?’” said Jonatan Rivera, former president of the robotics team. “We don't go out there and doubt ourselves, and I think that's a major point in any sport or competition.”

Team member Alexander Surks said the name of the game is Aerial Assist, and they are ready to win.

“The purpose of our robot is to assist other teams and assisting is where you get the most points and that's why we’re going to win,” said Surks.

The national competition will be held next month in St. Louis. Students need $20,000 to send the team to the competition. The school is accepting donations and holding fundraisers to raise money. To contribute, click here.
 

The tanker trucks arrive in a convoy of three at the banks of the Sacramento Delta, near the small river town of Rio Vista. The vehicles then back up to the river’s edge, ready to spew their contents into one of California’s most vital waterways.

A long white plastic tube is already tethered to the dock, waiting to link-up with the truck. The tube turns dark as the truck’s contents spill through it into the river. Suddenly the water churns as the delivery comes to life -- thousands of tiny, darting salmon smolt begin their journey to the ocean.

With California in the grip of a vicious drought, state and federal fishery managers have begun to truck infant salmon to the Delta, bypassing 275 miles of their normal migration from the Coleman federal fish hatchery in Redding.

“We’re trying to give them a jump start to get them past problem areas upstream,” said Stafford Lehr with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

• Drought Plan Calls for Salmon to Be Moved By Trucks

The drought has left water levels in the state’s tributaries low and warm, which stresses the tiny salmon. The lack of rain is also forcing state water managers to prematurely open some gates in the Delta, which would divert the migrating fish into other parts of the Delta. That left fishery managers with few alternatives.

“If these fish migrated normally down through the river system, there’s a strong likelihood a lot of them would be drawn into the interior and south Delta," Lehr said. “We know that their chances of survival out to the ocean and adulthood are highly limited.”

Fishery managers expect to haul 30 million hatchery fish to the river over the next 10 weeks, equaling another 240 truckloads.

“If we were to release them at Coleman and they were all to perish on the trip,” said Bob Clark of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “we could be forced with no commercial or recreational fish in 2016.”

The potential collapse of the state's salmon fishing is a major concern for an industry still reeling from the closure of the 2008 salmon season, following low fish returns. The closure cost hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars to the state.

“This will affect 2016, 2017 which may have been a closed season,” said Victor Gonella, of the Golden Gate Salmon Association, who applaud the use of trucks to haul the fish down river. “There may not have been any fish.”

• Drought Could Push Endangered Salmon to the Brink

But scientists warn trucking the fish down river will make it nearly impossible for adult fish to find their way back to the place of their birth in a few years.

“The science bears out, when you truck fish you have higher straying rates,” said Howard Brown of N.O.A.A. “After the fish go out to the ocean and they return back to spawn, they’re a little lost. They don’t know exactly where to go back.”

But Brown said the drought has left state officials with no other alternative, other than to truck.

Clark said fishery managers are researching alternative methods of moving the salmon safely down river, including using nets on barges to haul them the entire length of their river migration, allowing them to mentally map their route – a process known as imprinting.

But with the drought bearing down, and alternatives years away, the tanker trucks continue to file into Rio Vista – offering a shortcut for thousands of needy travelers.

One person was injured in a hit and run Monday night in Hillcrest.

The San Diego Police Department said a pedestrian was hit by a white Mazda sedan at around 10:30 p.m. on Sixth and Pennsylvania avenues.

While the victim was bleeding from the head, police said the injuries were minor.

SDPD is still investigating the incident and searching for the suspect. Anyone with information on this hit and run collision should contact police.
 

A crash involving several vehicles shut down three lanes of traffic on Interstate 15 in Rancho Bernardo Wednesday amid morning rush hour.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the accident happened around 7:35 a.m. on northbound I-15 at Rancho Bernardo Road, blocking three left lanes. A SigAlert was issued on the freeway at 7:40 a.m. so officials could work to clear the accident.

At this point, it is unknown how long the SigAlert will remain in effect. Check here for traffic updates.

Family, friends, classmates and members of the community will gather in East County Wednesday for a candlelight vigil dedicated to a 16-year-old student killed in a tragic head-on crash last week.

At 7 p.m., the group will gather in front of Steele Canyon High School at 12440 Campo Rd. to honor the memory of Julian Fraire.

Fraire, a junior at the high school, was killed on his way to school in a head-on collision on Mar. 20.
The deadly crash happened around 7:20 a.m. in the 2900-block of Steele Canyon Road just north of Campo Road, about two miles away from the high school.

According to California Highway Patrol investigators, Fraire was driving his Chrysler minivan south on Steele Canyon Road when, for unknown reasons, he got distracted behind the wheel and crossed the double yellow lines into the path of an oncoming Ford F-450 truck. The vehicles collided head-on and Fraire was killed in the impact.

The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the truck was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.

The crash remains under investigation. Last week, officials were reviewing the teen’s phone records to see if texting and driving could have caused the crash. Speed, drugs or alcohol on the part of both drivers did not appear to be factors in the accident.

Officials said Fraire was new to driving. The teen had just gotten his driver’s license last September. One day before the crash that took his life, authorities said Fraire was involved in a rear-end collision.

Since the student’s sudden death, extra crisis counselors have been on hand at Steele Canyon High School to help students cope with their grief.

Meanwhile, the school’s Parent Teacher Organization has established a memorial fund to help support the Fraire family. Donations can be made out to “Mission Federal Credit Union – The Julian Fraire Memorial Fund,” and can be dropped off at either Steele Canyon High School or any Mission Federal Credit Union branch.

On Tuesday, military spouse Heather Boyd was busy networking with companies at the Hiring Our Heroes job fair at Camp Pendleton. Boyd has a Master's of education and teaching experience-- yet she still can't find a job.

“It's incredibly challenging,” Boyd said. “I have invested a lot of time and energy in myself, and it was a career I loved.”

Boyd has moved from state to state and needs different credentials to teach in each. Add that to education budget cuts in California, and she has found herself looking for new options.

Boyd isn't alone. More than 450 spouses in similar situations also attended the job fair.

“You have to move around with your spouse, and you can't really focus on the things you're trying to do,” military spouse Loriale Brown said.

A new, online tool to help military spouses get an edge was unveiled at Tuesday’s event. It’s called Career Spark.

“What Career Spark will do is sort of aggregate all of their experiences, their paid experience as well as their volunteer experience, and put it in a skills-based functional resume,” said Noreen O’Neil, Director of the Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Program.

A functional resume highlights achievements and reduces the appearance of job gaps from frequent moves. It’s perfect for Boyd who volunteered as president of a Family Readiness Group (FRG.)

“I was a leader in volunteering, and that does translate into a position at a company,” she said.

The Graybill Medical Group sees the benefit in hiring military spouses based on their unique experience.

"They really understand how to make that patient feel warm and welcome because they know what that is like, coming to a new city and needing to feel warm welcome, too,” said Jackie Craw with Graybill.

Toyota sponsored the Camp Pendleton job fair and the Career Spark tool.

NBC 7 Investigates has learned San Diego animal control is now investigating the death of a mix breed Chihuahua found in a freezer.

Investigators confirm the animal was discovered last week by a tenant living in the home of 90-year-old Robert Stella.

• See the image here (WARNING graphic image) 

The Avenida de las Pescas house was raided three weeks ago by police and animal control. Investigators found some 20 dogs and cats living in the house.

Police say Stella’s wife , Victoria Turner, is currently the subject of an investigation into possible animal and elder abuse.

Details of the dog's death including why he was put in a garage freezer have not been disclosed.

• Read: New Details in Elder Abuse Investigation

An animal control investigator tells NBC 7 Investigates an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.

Former tenants say Turner was running her Animal Rescue Coalition in the La Jolla home.

Despite several attempts to learn more about this rescue operation and what was going on in the home, Turner declined to comment and avoided our cameras.

San Diegans woke up Wednesday to rain and a wet morning commute as spring showers moved in across the county.

NBC 7 meteorologist Jodi Kodesh said moderate rain had swept parts of the North County, Eastlake and South Bay during the early morning. Light, spotty showers are expected across San Diego County throughout the day, including mist and drizzle in the downtown San Diego area.

“Take an umbrella and jacket with you. Our high temperatures are 63 or 64 degrees today,” she added.

Weather: Interactive Radar

Kodesh said the brunt of Wednesday’s rain was more likely to hit in the early morning hours. By 11 a.m., the chance of light showers will drop to about 50 percent and conditions will likely stay this way for the remainder of the day, as well as overnight.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a wind advisory in San Diego County mountains and deserts in effect through 11 a.m. Thursday. The advisory means west winds from 20 to 35 mph are expected in those areas, with potential gusts of up to 50 mph.

The NWS says the strongest winds will hit local mountains and deserts Wednesday afternoon and could impact some visibility for drivers out there.

Kodesh said the chance of rain will decrease to about 30 percent Thursday. By this weekend, the skies should be nice and clear and the temperatures will be higher.

Get weather updates here.
 

For years, federal agents have looked out, across and under to find drug smugglers entering San Diego County. Nowadays, however, they’re increasingly looking up.

That’s because ultralight aircraft are frequently being used to smuggle drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border.

The use of ultralight aircraft flying under the radar and at night presents an increasingly concerning problem for U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents tasked with protecting our nation’s borders.

“They just come in, drop, and go right back,” explained Deputy Special Agent in Charge Joe Garcia with San Diego’s branch of Homeland Security Investigations.

• Read: Aircraft Carrying 250 Pounds of Pot Crashes in Mountains

Ultralight aircraft are like gliders, but with engines and the pilots are seated.

“Essentially it’s a lawn mower with wings,” said Garcia, who is worried about public safety given the increased use by cartels in the past decade.

The pilots fly at night to avoid detection and carry hundreds of pounds of drugs in a basket-type contraption beneath the aircraft. A lever allows the pilot to release the drugs from the air at a designated drop zone. The plane rarely touches the ground.

“It never lands physically in the U.S., unless it crashes,” said Garcia, pointing to Friday’s crash in the Laguna Mountains as a perfect example.

In that incident, federal agents found roughly 250 pounds of marijuana along with a busted ultralight aircraft in the remote area of eastern San Diego County.

The aircraft had slammed into a dead oak tree before crashing onto the ground. There were no traces of blood, so authorities believe the pilot walked away from the wreck without serious injuries.

“We believe the pilot walked away, but what if he hit a house? Hit a car?” said Garcia.

A newly released California Attorney General Report cites more than 200 incidents involving ultralight aircraft and drug smuggling since 2008, when the first sightings were reported. While the use of ultralight aircraft isn't expected to outpace panga boats, another popular smuggling conduit, the report says smuggling by air could become more difficult to combat as technology surrounding drones advances.

Local agents say most of those cases occurred outside San Diego County but authorities now working to find new ways to combat the problem before someone on the ground gets hurt.
 

A Southern California environmental group is taking a cue from Australia to help prevent drought-related tree deaths.

"Trees are starting to die. Trees outside of irrigation zones, in the hills, in the parks are already starting to fail and die," TreePeople Director Andy Lipkis said.

• California Drought: FAQs

The Los Angeles-based conservation group TreePeople detailed the efforts, which include using street barriers to create temporary irrigation systems and launching a mobile app to connect residents with trees in need of attention, during a forum on the impact of green infrastructure on climate change and heat reduction Tuesday at City Hall.

Trees fight pollution, cool neighborhoods, stop erosion and anchor hillsides, which is why TreePeople is making an effort to ensure trees are protected from the severe California drought.

• California Drought Hurts Tricolored Blackbird

Australia experienced a multi-year drought and implemented certain precautions, such a capturing rainwater runoff.

"It’s just a huge wasted resource that can be used for all sorts of things," Dr. Nigel Tapper, of Monash University in Australia, said.

Another Australian idea involves taking hollowed out plastic k-rails, normally used as street barriers, to help irrigate distressed trees. TreePeople are already experimenting with this type of irrigation at Coldwater Canyon Park in Studio City.

• CA School Attendance May Drop in Drought

"The rain water that we are using to fill this system is now flowing out this dripline and into the ground around these trees that are suffering," a TreePeople representative said.

In the next few weeks, TreePeople plans to introduce an app that will help individuals adopt a tree in their neighborhood in need of help. A similar effort was effective in Melbourne and Sydney.

Two people were killed, and more than a dozen were injured, in chain-reaction crashes involving approximately 40 vehicles on both sides of a snowy West Virginia interstate Wednesday morning.

Interstate 81 near between Spring Mills and Falling Waters was experiencing white-out conditions from a quickly moving snow squall at the time of two separate, serious crashes, WHAG first reported.

The pile-up accidents began in the northbound lanes around 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, and spread out into the southbound lanes as more drivers began to brake and skid, said 1st Sergeant Chris Zerkle of West Virginia State Police.

Two people were killed in the pile-up crashes, Zerkle confirmed to NBC Washington. Another 14 were taken to area hospitals, including some who were airlifted. A few of the patients were in serious but stable condition, Zerkle said.

"It was white-out conditions, and from what the preliminary investigation indicates, the people were driving at normal speed and [the weather] got so bad so quick," he said. "It was a chain reaction, basically."

The crashes happened between milemarkers 21 and 24, said Carrie Bly of the West Virginia Department of Transportation.

Between 35 and 45 vehicles were involved, and 15 to 20 sustained damage so serious they need to be towed or otherwise physically removed from the interstate.

"It was weather-related for sure," Zerkle said. "It was so hectic there at one time we had every police officer in the area [responding]."

Police had to call in off-duty officers, and so many people were using cell phones at the chaotic scene that the nearby cellphone towers couldn't cope with demand, leading to communication difficulties among the officers.

All lanes of Interstate 81 in the area of the crashes were shut down for several hours.

The southbound lanes reopened during the afternoon, but traffic remained slow as of 4 p.m. Only one northbound lane had reopened as of that time.

The National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday ruled college athletes are considered employees, a decision that moves Northwestern University football players a step closer to forming the nation's first college athletes' union.

The agency was tasked with deciding whether the football players qualify as employees under U.S. law, and hearings were held in Chicago. The decision gives the players rights to unionize.

"So proud of my teammates, Ramogi, lawyers, and supporters around the nation! This is a HUGE win for ALL college athletes!" Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter tweeted after the decision.

The regional director of the NLRB directed a secret ballot election be held to determine whether the players should be represented by the College Athletes Players Association (CAPA).

Northwestern University spokesman Alan K. Cubbage called the decision disappointing.

"While we respect the NLRB process and the regional director’s opinion," Cubbage said, "we disagree with it. Northwestern believes strongly that our student-athletes are not employees, but students. Unionization and collective bargaining are not the appropriate methods to address the concerns raised by student-athletes."

Northwestern plans to appeal the decision, Cubbage said.

"Northwestern considers its students who participate in NCAA Division I sports, including those who receive athletic scholarships, to be students, first and foremost," he said. "We believe that participation in athletic events is part of the overall educational experience for those students, not a separate activity."

CAPA's creation was announced in January after an "overwhelming majority" of Northwestern's team signed cards to apply for labor rights and representation by the union.

Colter co-founded CAPA and serves on its board of directors with former UCLA football player Ramogi Huma, who founded the union, and former basketball player Luke Bonner.

CAPA says the new union is necessary to "challenge the treatment of players under the current pay-for-play system for college athletes." It cites a court case in which the NCAA stated it has no legal duty to protect college athletes from injury.

The NCAA has said the move undermines the purpose of college to get an education.

"Student-athletes are not employees," the NCAA said in a statement, "and their participation in college sports is voluntary. We stand for all student-athletes, not just those the unions want to professionalize."

A U.S. Navy commander, who spent years in San Diego, has been found dead in the aftermath of a devastating mudflow in Washington state, his father confirmed to NBC 7.

Cmdr. Leon “John” Regelbrugge III had been in the Navy for 32 years. He spent about eight years stationed at Naval Air Station North Island, according to his father, John Regelbrugge Sr.

“He was a commander and would have made captain shortly, too,” Regelbrugge Sr. said.

His father said that on Saturday morning, Regelbrugge and his wife were supposed to leave the house, but slept in instead.

As they slept, mud covered one square mile around the towns of Oso and Darrington, about 55 miles from Seattle.

“If that mudslide had been a half-mile the other way, there would be no homes to wipe out,” Regelbrugge Sr. said.

• Read: San Diego Crews Headed to Washington

Regelbrugge Sr. said his son and daughter-in-law had five children. He said his grandson who lives at home was at work that morning, narrowly missing the mudflow.

The victim’s brothers and sons joined the search efforts in Oso. His father said they discovered the bodies of Regelbrugge, his wife and the family dog Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday night, officials reported the death toll had risen to 16. Eight more bodies were believed to have been found, but hadn’t been recovered, according to Snohomish County District Fire Chief Travis Holt. They did not find any survivors.

A San Diego City Council committee approved a ballot measure that would increase the minimum wage above the current statewide minimum for businesses operating here.

In a 2-1 vote, the committee approved an increase in the minimum hourly rate, but didn’t state what that raise would be, leaving that to further study by the city’s budget analyst. The proposal goes to the City Attorney’s Office to write a draft measure that would need City Council approval before it is placed on the Nov. 4 ballot. A majority vote is needed to adopt the proposed law.

Councilman Todd Gloria, using some of the positive leverage he gained during his seven-month stint as interim mayor, pushed for the wage hike, saying that nearly 40 percent of all households in San Diego County “cannot afford to meet basic needs without public or private assistance.”

“No one who works hard at a full-time job should be unable to pay for their shelter or food,” he said.

The proposed law also includes the requirement that every business provide a minimum of five paid sick days annually to long-term workers.

The current minimum wage in California is $8 an hour, but it rises to $9 on July 1, and again to $10 on Jan. 1, 2016.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and was last raised in 2009. The highest hourly wage among the 50 states is Washington at $9.32. San Francisco pays the highest minimum wage of any city in the nation at $10.74 hourly.

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