A man extradited from Hawaii to face charges in a San Diego cold case has admitted to his wife's murder.

Anthony Simoneau, 46, entered a guilty plea Thursday to one count of voluntary manslaughter in the murder of his wife, Fumiko Ogawa.

Ogawa, 41, was last seen in 2007 and her body was unearthed in the Anza Borrego Desert four years later.

Family members in Japan reported her missing, not her husband, officials said.

Under the plea agreement, Simoneau will be sentenced to 11 years behind bars minus time served when he's sentenced on April 30.

He also gives up any rights to Ogawa's remains.

San Diego police have arrested one person in connection with the deadly stabbing of a man in Oak Park, officials confirmed Thursday.

The San Diego Police Department said Marcel Jervon Love, 25, has been charged with first-degree murder for the killing of Samuel Lee, 24.

Lee was stabbed to death Saturday at around 1:45 a.m. in the 1600 block of Pentecost Way in Oak Park. He suffered stab wounds to his upper torso and died at the scene.

On Wednesday night homicide investigators arrested Love in the 5000 block of Marilou Road, less than half a mile away from the crime scene.

Love was booked into San Diego County Jail for the murder. A motive has not yet been released by police. Love is set to appear in court Friday.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with details related to the case should contact the SDPD Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
 

A Metropolitan Transit System bus crashed into a truck Thursday, causing it to roll over and trap those inside.

The crash happened at 11:20 a.m. at Pacific Highway and Enterprise Street in the Midway District when the bus hit the pickup truck, San Diego police say.

As the truck rolled onto its side, two people became trapped. Firefighters had to use the jaws of life to put the roof off the red truck. Both people were taken to the hospital for minor injuries, as were three people from the bus.

The intersection was closed for a time while police investigated the crash. There is no word on who is at fault.

An American healthcare worker infected with Ebola in West Africa arrived at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland Friday morning.

The patient is in serious condition and was flown in isolation from Sierra Leone on a chartered plane and admitted at 4:44 a.m., NIH officials said in a statement. The patient's name, age and gender were not released.

The patient had been volunteering at an Ebola treatment unit in Sierra Leone when he or she contracted the disease. The patient was flown to the United States on a chartered flight and then traveled to the hospital via private charter medevac.

The NIH Clinical Center's Special Clinical Studies Unit (SCSU) is designed for high-level isolation capabilities and is staffed by specialists in infectious diseases and critical care, the NIH said.

The person is the second to be treated for Ebola at NIH. Last fall, Texas nurse Nina Pham was treated there after contracting the disease while treating the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S.

The NIH has also cared for two other people who had high-risk exposures to Ebola, but were later determined to not be infected.

The World Health Organization estimated Thursday that the virus has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly in the West African nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The current outbreak is the largest ever for the disease. While deaths have slowed dramatically in recent months, the virus appears stubbornly entrenched in parts of Guinea and Sierra Leone.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
 

A SoCal Powerball winner turned loser after failing to claim his $1 million winnings.

California Lottery officials said they were working to help the man get his hands on his massive wad of cash after he bought a winning ticket, which he is thought to have lost, in the Rosemead Supermarket at 8800 East Valley Boulevard on Sept. 13.

However it was confirmed Thursday that he failed to come forward and claim his money, meaning it will now go towards California's schools.

Officials also said store workers has identified the man they believed had won, and that he himself knew he was a winner but has so far been unable to locate his slip.

He had to claim the prize at a lottery district office by 5 p.m. Thursday. He could have still have got the cash if he could prove he bought the ticket in the event it was lost, however he would have been subjected to extensive interviews to prevent a fraudulent claim.

The winning numbers were 1, 6, 16, 34, and 53. The powerball itself was 27 and was the only number he did not get, or he would have lost out on an even bigger prize.

Family, friends and colleagues celebrated the life of a San Diego Police Department detective Thursday who died earlier this month from injuries sustained in a bicycling accident.

An afternoon memorial was held for Det. Tim Williams at Maranatha Chapel in Rancho Bernardo where he was remembered as a family man both in and outside of his workplace at the San Diego Police Department.

Williams was finishing a 30-mile bike ride on Feb. 27 when he was seriously injured. He was transported to Palomar Hospital where he was put on life support. On March 4, he was taken off life support, losing his battle.

According to a press release from the SDPD, Williams’ wish was to donate his organs if he were ever involved in a fatal accident. His wish was granted and three people were given a second chance at life thanks to the detective’s organ donations.

Williams spent nearly 30 years at the SDPD where he was promoted to detective within 10 years of working in patrol. He previously worked in the vice, domestic violence and child abuse units, and was recently serving as an Internal Affairs detective under the Chief’s Office.

Williams is remembered as a man who loved his job and the people he worked with, and they loved him right back. His passing has weighed heavily not only on his family, but also his co-workers.
 

A Wendy’s restaurant employee in Southern California has filed a claim as a precursor to a lawsuit against the restaurant franchise, claiming her managers implemented a “no bathroom breaks” policy during the lunch rush, aggravating a medical condition.

In her claim, the woman, Maria Rivas, says she was denied access to the bathroom at a Wendy's in Sanee between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in October 2014. Rivas — who is on medication that makes bladder control difficult — she repeatedly asked her supervisor to leave her work station to use the restroom, but was told she could not. 

Rivas said she accidentally urinated on herself and the supervisor forced her to work in soiled clothes for the remainder of her shift, despite potential health code concerns.

In Spanish, Rivas told NBC 7: “He didn’t care and none of the other managers cared to tell me, ‘Mari, go to your house and change.’”

Rivas said her medical problems — diabetes, high cholesterol and thyroid disorder — make frequent bathroom breaks necessary.

Reached for comment, the Wendy’s manager told NBC 7 he was unable to speak on camera, but confirmed a written version of events that he drafted for the restaurant’s attorneys.

In it, he stated that Wendy’s policy is that no one can move from their positions unless an operation leader approves it during the three-hour lunch rush.

In the email, the manager wrote he was unaware of Rivas’ accident until she told him about it at the end of her shift.

NBC 7 also reached out to Wendy’s corporate offices and the HR director sent a statement, and said because it was a personnel matter, the company couldn’t comment on the specifics.

“This is an isolated situation involving one employee at one restaurant,” said Donna Townsend “Our franchise strives to provide a positive working environment for all employees. We promptly investigated complaints arising out of this situation and believe that is was handled appropriately. When an employee request to go to the bathroom, permission is granted, as it is here.”

Rivas’ attorney has filed a claim to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, alleging that the restaurant denied Rivas a reasonable accommodation for her medical condition.

The attorney told NBC 7 that Wendy’s has offered several settlement offers, but Rivas has refused the offers because they were not satisfactory amounts. She remains employed at the restaurant.

Asked why she couldn’t just go to the bathroom anyway or quit, Rivas said she simply cannot afford to be fired or unemployed.

“I depend on this job,” she said. “I don’t have another one.”

A big, ice cake-filled birthday bash filled the San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s gorilla habitat Thursday as the smallest member celebrated her first birthday.

Little Joanne had a hard welcome to the world a year ago. Born via emergency C-section, she was treated for both a collapsed lung and pneumonia within her first week. But under the watchful eye of zoo caretakers, she recovered and was reintroduced to her troop at the Gorilla Forest.

Thursday morning, Joanne rode in like a queen on her mother Imani’s back. But when the older gorilla became distracted by a peanut butter-smeared toy, the 1-year-old jumped down and went for a Joanne-sized ice cake, made of oranges, orange juice, pureed yams and sweet potatoes. Another, larger cake was shared among the rest of the troop.

"When the gorillas arrived outside to the party area, the first thing they all went for is the cupcakes, and those are made with ground-up yams and different fruits and vegetables, and they love those," said Animal Care Manager Peggy Sexton.

Caretakers spared no effort in making sure this was a special birthday. A volunteer created a cardboard doll house for the little gorilla, and the grassy yard was filled with gift boxes. Inside, the animals found some of their favorite treats: sunflower seeds, peanuts, fruit slices and vegetable.

The zoo says scattering the gifts help encourage the gorillas to forage for their own food, and Joanna could be spotted foraging on her own, eating flowers and plant trimmings.

The youngster has become a rambunctious part of the gorilla habitat. She often runs and plays with the other troop members, especially 3-year-old Monroe and 6-year-old Frank. While Imani is protective of her little girl, she’ll let Frank hold her from time to time, the zoo says. Monroe plays the part of an obnoxious older brother, poking and prodding Joanne and then running away.

Joanne still gets most of her nutrition from nursing, but she has started to mimic her mother’s foraging, taking an interest in what Imani eats. She’s taken a special liking to kale and grapes.

Surveillance photos show the man who may be responsible for a series of car burglaries in La Jolla over the past few months, San Diego police say.

From October 2014 to now, police have seen a rise in vehicle break-ins at parking lots near 3700 La Jolla Village Drive and 8700 Costa Verde Boulevard.

Police released photos of a man they believe is a suspect in the cases.

If you know who this person may be, call the SDPD at 619-531-2000 or Crime Stoppers at 888-850-8477.

Another brand-new restaurant has landed at the San Diego International Airport: The Prado at the Airport, an eatery based on the popular Prado at Balboa Park.

The Cohn Restaurant Group’s 1900-square-foot eatery is located post-security and is the final of 14 restaurants to open at the gateway.

Thursday’s opening of the business marked the completion of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority’s Concession Development Program (CDP), which has revamped the shopping and dining offerings at the airport over the past two-and-a-half years.

With the upgrades, Lindbergh Field's dining options have increased from 55 to 84 eateries.

According to Thella F. Bowens, president and CEO of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, The Prado at the Airport really represents the spirit of America's Finest City.

“One of our key goals was to seek out dining concepts that pay homage to the kinds of things that make San Diego special, with The Prado being a prime example,” Bowens said.

The original Prado at Balboa Park has been located in the heart of the San Diego landmark for the past 15 years. It is one of many restaurants owned by the Cohn Restaurant Group, considered the “heart and soul” of the company.

The spinoff eatery at the airport will feature a full-service menu of modern American grill classics combined with seasonal California influences, the Airport Authority said.

The Cohn Restaurant Group – founded by David and Lesley Cohn – also owns popular eateries such as Blue Point Coastal Cuisine in downtown’s Gaslamp Quarter, Indigo Grill in Little Italy and Corvette Diner at Liberty Station among many other restaurants.
 

San Francisco 49ers fullback Bruce Miller was arrested after a fight at a South Bay bagel shop, where he allegedly pushed a woman to the ground and destroyed her cell phone, a Santa Clara police report indicates.

CSN's Matt Maiocco first tweeted the story. NBC  Bay Area obtained the condensed one-page report from police outlining some of the details. The altercation occurred on March 5 at Posh Bagel in the Rivermark Plaza, the reports indicate. The woman's identity was not revealed, and the report, signed by the police chief, does not indicate what the fight was about.

Miller, 27, was arrested on the same day shortly before midnight on at the Santa Clara Marriott on Mission College Boulevard on one count of spousal battery, and released on $10,000 bail. Spousal battery could mean a spouse or a "co-habitant." The woman's relationship to Miller was not spelled out in the report. The Mercury News reports that Miller got engaged in August.

Miller has not been charged with any crime. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Miller’s case is under review.

The 49er could face up to one year in county jail and a $2,000 fine if he is charged and convicted of the offense.

In a statement earlier this week , the team said: "The San Francisco 49ers organization is aware of the matter involving Bruce Miller. We were disappointed to learn of these reports and will do our due diligence in collecting all relevant information."

Miller's arrest is the 11th arrest for the team since 2012.

In two of the more recent cases, former defensive lineman Ray McDonald was arrested twice since August, on suspicion of domestic violence and sexual assault. No charges were filed in first case, and the December "rape by intoxication" arrest is still being reviewed by the Santa Clara County District Attorney. Last week, reports surfaced through McDonald's agent that he would not be charged, though he has been released by the team.

Also, linebacker Aldon Smith was convicted of DUI and weapons offenses in July, which led to a nine-game suspension last season and 11 days in a work program.

Both McDonald and Smith have sold their San Jose homes.
 

A new form of alcohol could be on store shelves by this summer. Powdered alcohol or “Palcohol” just received final approval to be sold in stores.

The concept sounds strange. Alcohol that isn't liquid, at least not at first. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau approved four varieties of Palcohol this week.

In a video on the Palcohol website creator Mark Phillips shows just how easy it is to turn the powder into a cocktail. It comes in a pouch and water is added to make one drink.

“It’s simple, one shot of alcohol in powdered form,” he says.

The new product comes as a bit of a surprise to those in the business.

Alvin Habib owns Park Boulevard Liquor and Deli in San Diego. His shelves are stocked with everything from wine and beer to spirits.

"When I first heard about it I was kind of like, ‘No, there's no way. This is just another thing that the FDA probably isn't going to approve,’” Habib told NBC 7.

He’s not sure if he’ll start selling Palcohol at his store.

"I haven't had anybody ask for it. No vendors have come in willing to bring it in. So, it's still kind of under the radar,” he explained.

Some local consumers told NBC 7 the concept of powered alcohol sounds odd and not exactly appealing.

“It’s not the first thing that comes to mind, so I’d definitely say [it sounds] disgusting,” said Tyler Hardrick.

“I’d have to hear more about it. Not knowing about it – it sounds just really weird,” said Nicholas O’Connor.

Concerns have been raised about the alcoholic beverage. Health officials and some others believe it could land in the wrong hands.

"It's a delivery system that we don't know anything about and we fear that it will be made available to people who should not be consuming alcohol,” said Dr. George Koob with the National Institutes of Health during an interview with NBC Chicago in December.

The Palcohol website says since the product is not on the market yet, there is no evidence suggesting it will be used or abused any different than liquid alcohol.

There is still no word on the exact date of its availability. Some states are already looking to ban the product, including lawmakers in Colorado.
 

Donors and recipients involved in a groundbreaking eight-way kidney swap in Connecticut came face to face for the first time Thursday, greeting each other with hugs, tears and laughter.

Four women donated kidneys to four men during a series of hours-long procedures at the Yale-New Haven Transplantation Center on March 3. The group included three sets of husbands and wives.

NBC Connecticut gained exclusive access to the surgeries, and our cameras were rolling during the life-saving procedures, which began at 7:30 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m. that day.

"All eight surgeries occurred on the same day and all procedures were deemed a success," said Dr. David Mulligan, director of the Yale-New Haven Transplantation Center and professor of surgery at the Yale School of Medicine, noting that the procedure "represents the largest internal kidney transplant exchange performed in Connecticut."

It started with "altruistic donor" Patricia Menno-Coveney, 61, of Mystic, Connecticut, who said she was inspired to donate by a woman at her church who gave one of her kidneys.

What she didn't know is that she would initiate an eight-person kidney chain, including three sets of husbands and wives.

Since the husbands didn't match their respective wives, doctors used computers to pair up the donors and recipients.

Menno-Coveney was matched to Shelton resident David Rennie, whose wife, Margaret Rennie, donated a kidney to Raymond Murphy, of Old Saybrook.

In turn, Murphy's wife, Sylvie Murphy, gave a kidney to Mario Garcia, of New Haven, and Garcia's wife, Hilary Grant, donated her kidney to Stamford resident Edward Brakoniecki.

Without the swap, the men would have endured years of waiting and dialysis. Brakoniecki had already waited five years for a transplant from a deceased donor.

But the generosity of one woman from Mystic sparked a chain that quite likely saved four lives. Nine days later, everyone is in good spirits.

"Look at me," said donor Hillary Grant. "This is a week and two days later. I feel absolutely normal."

Dr. Peter Schulam, professor and chair of urology at Yale-New Haven Hospital and the Yale School of Medicine, explained that the donors and recipients seem to be well on their way to recovery.

"They're usually in the hospital one or two nights," Schulam said. "They're able to return to work in two to four weeks depending on what their occupation is."

The donors and recipients met in person for the first time Thursday ahead of a news conference at Yale-New Haven Hospital. They hugged, cried, swapped contact information and promised to stay in touch.

"I was the lucky recipient in an eight-person kidney swap," David Rennie told NBC Connecticut during an exclusive interview. "It's kind of surreal, kind of like we're related now."

NBC 7's Political Reporter Gene Cubbison offers this analysis of the latest developments involving a new stadium for the Chargers.

Behind all the public statements and civic posturing in San Diego’s scramble for a new stadium is a high-stakes drama rife with political intrigue.

It may not be a stretch to see parallels to plots drawn from "House of Cards" or "Game of Thrones."

Politics and football have become a real collision sport here, and between the lines of what was said Thursday at Qualcomm Stadium is confirmation of wealthy forces operating at cross purposes.

"If you listen to those who sow seeds of division and dissent, we are doomed,” the mayor’s stadium advisory group chairman Adam Day told a news media scrum gathered in front of the late, great Jack Murphy’s statue. “However, our committee is focused on success."

Those seed-sowers weren’t identified publicly, but would seem to fit the description of a National Football League franchise that’s long been looking for a new tenancy, and a business partner whose principal once owned a Major League Baseball franchise.

"There's going to be some sort of deal on the table from the city,” said Liam Dillon, who’s extensively covered stadium issues for The Voice of San Diego and pointed out that the Mission Valley option will be short on tailgating space.

“We'll see how strong the mayor is in promoting that or not,” Dillon continued in an interview Thursday. “He could say, ‘This is mine, take it or leave it,' or he could say, 'Well, I don't know, let's let the voters decide and I'll be hands-off.’ So it takes two sides to figure something out. And wherever the more money is for the Chargers, that's what they're going to do."

And at every turn since the remodeling and re-branding of the stadium for "Qualcomm" in 1997, the Chargers have outplayed the city of San Diego -- financially speaking.

The place is a money pit and costing more every year -- at a time when the hospitality industry is desperate for funding to expand the bayfront Convention Center.

The Chargers are still touting a hybrid stadium and convention facility in downtown’s East Village, a proposal they say pencils out much better than separate projects in Mission Valley and on the bay.

"Building them separately is about $1.8 billion,” saud Steve Peace, senior adviser to former Padres owner John Moores – whose JMI Realty firm is collaborating with the Chargers on their East Village game plan.

“Building it as a joint use facility is $1.4 billion,” Peace told NBC 7, “so if you assume as a community we're going build both, you save about $400 million in construction costs by building them together."

The Chargers also dispute claims that removing the MTS bus yard from the East Village project footprint would take several years and $150 million.

So whose numbers are the city’s chief executive -- and voters -- to believe?

In an interview Thursday, Mayor Kevin Faulconer offered this guarded perspective: "The good news is that as the plan comes together, as numbers are attached to it, it becomes not just real -- really, people see the 'art of the possible'. That's what's been missing in this dialogue."

Faulconer had just spoken by phone with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

“There's a lot happening, obviously, in Los Angeles,” said the mayor. “And I said ‘What we can control in San Diego, that's what I'm focused on.’ If we get together a plan that makes sense, that taxpayers will support, we'll keep the Chargers right here for decades to come."

Now, from the Chargers' side of the equation came this emailed statement -- and only this -- from the team’s special counsel Mark Fabiani: "We've really tried to make our point of view clear on this issue repeatedly over the last couple of years, and there isn't anything new to add today."

Smart money says the Chargers will have to see superior cost savings and earnings potential to buy into the Mission Valley stadium paradigm.

Peace said JMI is doing its own research on that option.

But what would figure to matter most to the bottom line for taxpayers and voters is the city's ability to reach a shrewd deal with the Bolts.

Odds of that?

Here's some history, courtesy of Dillon: "They made a bad deal in 1997 with the ticket guarantee. They made a bad deal in 2004 which allowed the Chargers to get out of their contract every single year -- just for paying off money that wouldn't even pay for the renovations that happened in 1997. The city makes bad deals, period."

Meantime Thursday in Carson, signature-gatherers began circulating petitions for a joint-use stadium initiative.

If the 30-day statutory effort falls short of the required number of valid signatures from registered voters, the city council there could put it on the ballot – theoretically creating more urgency for the stadium timeline in San Diego.

Kia is recalling nearly 209,000 Soul small SUVs because the gas pedals can bend or break.

The recall covers certain Soul and Soul electric vehicles from the 2014 and 2015 model years.

If the gas pedal bends or breaks, it can be hard to accelerate the SUVs, increasing the risk of a crash.

Kia Motors America says in documents filed with the government that an unsupported section of the pedal can bend if a driver stomps on it too hard when the vehicle isn't moving.

The problem was discovered through warranty claims. Kia says no crashes or injuries have been reported.

Dealers will add rubber supports beneath the pedal stopper at no cost to owners.

The recall is expected to start on March 24. To see if your vehicle is being recalled, click here.

Elizabeth Doran has been named president and chief executive officer of San Diego Theatres, the organization that manages the Civic Theatre and the historic Balboa Theatre downtown.

She succeeds Donald Telford, who is retiring after 40 years with the group.

Doran currently serves as executive director of The Pasadena Playhouse. She has 20 years of executive experience in the arts and previously worked at the La Jolla Playhouse. She will begin her duties on May 1.

“We are thrilled to have Elizabeth join San Diego Theatres,” said Faye Wilson, chairwoman of the San Diego Theatres Board of Directors. “Her passion for the arts is palpable, and her strong executive experience will lead us into the next phase of what promises to be a thriving future for the arts in San Diego. We are pleased to have found a unique, qualified, dynamic and visionary person to lead our organization.”
 

A controversial guardrail lining highways in California and across the country, has met all crash test criteria, a U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration official said.

The ET-Plus, manufactured by Trinity Industries, was retested earlier this year after the FHWA ordered the Dallas-based company to conduct new crash tests for the highway safety product. The demand for new testing came in October, after a jury in a federal whistleblower case found the company was liable for defrauding the federal government.

FHWA outlined the results of four crash tests conducted by Southwest Research Institute on Trinity Industries’ ET-Plus guardrail end terminal in a conference call with the media Friday.

FHWA is the agency responsible for certifying which road safety products are eligible for federal reimbursement and states look to the agency for which products are approved for use on their highways.

Trinity, a highway manufacturing heavyweight, has been accused in lawsuits and complaints across the country for making a change to a widely used version of its guardrail end terminals, the ET-Plus.

The changes, according to the lawsuits, cause the metal railing of the guardrail to jam up inside the terminal chute, instead of passing through the chute and pigtailing out the side, away from the vehicle. The metal then sometimes pierces through a vehicle like a spear, cutting through cars and sometimes the people inside.

Click here for more about the controversy surrounding the ET-Plus.

Tony Furst, FHWA Associate Administrator for Safety pointed out two specific anomalies in the testing. According to the test results:

• In the angle test of the pickup truck, speeds were below the average impact speeds for this kind of test by 2 mph. Furst said, experts came to the conclusion that is was unlikely any vehicle traveling 3 mph or higher would have impacted the safety of that crash test or had different results.
• The last crash, involving the smaller car, showed impact from the guardrail into the vehicle. Furst said according to the testing criteria there “should be no penetration. If it does (penetrate) it fails.” The testing criteria also requires no serious injuries to be caused by the crash. FHWA with help from NHTSA determined the risk of serious injury from the impact into the driver side door, similar to what was seen in the last crash test, is 0.3%, Furst said.
• Keith Cota, wtih the New Hampshire DOT described the last crash test involving the smaller car as “uniquely different.” He said it was “not surprising to see it react the way it did,” but was very supportive of the crash test.

More than 40 states, including California, have banned future installation of the ET-Plus guardrail system. The company has also stopped selling the product pending the outcome of these retests.

Greg Nadeau, FHWA Deputy Administrator said the data from these tests “is going to be useful” for states to make any decisions about continuing to install these on roadways.

Nadeau would not say whether the department would recommend states continue to install the ET-Plus. He said the decision is up to each individual state DOT but the end terminal “remains eligible for federal funding.”

It is estimated there are 200,000 of the guardrail end terminals on roadways across the country.

The California Department of Transportation is in the process of taking a complete inventory of how many units are on state roadways, according to Matt Rocco, Caltrans Public Affairs Chief.

Some lawmakers are calling for new crash tests of a controversial guardrail after claiming the tests were “flawed.”

Weeks after a series of crash tests were completed on the guardrail-end terminals a document filed in federal court in Texas claims the guardrails used in the testing process could have different dimensions than the ones that line the nation’s roadways.

In a review by the FHWA Nadeau said the devices tested are “representative of what is on the roadways. Measurements (of the devices) do not support there is a second version on roadways.”

Senator Richard Blumental and Senator Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. wrote three letters to the head of the Federal Highway Administration expressing their “grave” concerns about what they called “flaws” in the testing process.

“These tests are in fact a sham,” said Sen. Blumental.

Nadeau and Furst both outlined an on-going plan to continue to study the crashes and data surrounding the ET-Plus end terminal. Part of the plan includes reviewing real-world crash data. Some of results from the studies could be done as early as this summer.

The retesting was conducted by the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. Rocco said, Caltrans pulled eight ET-Plus units from its warehouse in Sacramento to be used for the testing.

AASHTO represents all 50 state department of transportation agencies.
 

Saturday is Pi Day, a national celebration of the mathematical concept, which is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Pi equals 3.1415... and Saturday, 3-14-15, the only day this century that matches pi.

Schools and museums across the country have planned events to celebrate the concept, which has fascinated humans for centuries. Pi Day is also a good excuse for paying tribute to pies, whether sweet or savory. 

In the spirit of the holiday, here are 3.14 things you may not know about pi:

1. No one is certain who discovered pi as we know it today

But we do have some ideas. It seems that the Egyptians used pi in the construction of the Great Pyramid because when the perimeter is divided by its height, one gets a close approximation to 2&pi. It’s the same result if one divides the circumference of a circle by its radius.

But the most significant pi research might have come from the astronomer, Archimedes, around 250 B.C.

His mathematical calculation showed that pi was "between three and one seventh and three and 10 seventy firsts,” Steen Strogatz, an applied mathematics professor at Cornell University, told NBC Owned Television Stations. “He approached that putting a six sided figure into a circle, then made it 12 sided, and went all the way up to a 96-sided polygon.”

He proved that pi was found somewhere between these two numbers, which applied to all circles.

2. You can find your identity in pi

One myth is that since pi is a continuation of numbers, people’s identities can be found in the pattern: like social security numbers or birthdays. Professor Strogatz argues that yes, combinations of existing people’s identities can be found because pi is infinite—every combination of every number ever can be found in pi.

This theory became popular when this meme appeared on George Takei’s Facebook:

3. Proving pi with toothpicks

You can prove pi exists with matches, toothpicks, a pen, or anything else that is the same length, explained Johnny Ball, the author of “Why Pi? (Big Questions).”

“There’s a wonderful way to find pi for yourself. You find a floor with parallel lines; you find matches, pins, pens, exactly the same length. If you drop a hundred of them at random on the floor, the points touching a line will equal pi,” Ball said.

The matches' length must be equal to the distance of the two parallel lines. After the matches are dropped, you multiply the number of matches thrown down by two and divide it by the total number of matches that touched a line, which will equal pi.

This problem was discovered in the 18th century by French mathematician Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon.

3.14...Legislating against pi

In 1897, Indiana state legislators tried passing a Pi Bill that legally defined pi as 3.2. Edward J. Goodwin, a physician, convinced a well-known mathematical monthly newspaper that he had solved what mathematicians had tried to do for generations: squaring the circle. Simply put, squaring the circle is the impossible task of finding the area of a circle by finding the area of a square around it. Goodwin claimed that pi was 3.2 instead of a continuous number. The bill never became a law thanks to Professor C. A. Waldo who convinced the Indiana Senate that Goodwin’s discovery was not possible.

A provocative purse is being removed from the racks of a New York-area clothing chain following an NBC 4 New York investigation into one shopper's complaints.

The controversial clutch, sold by fashion chain Easy Pickins, has a realistic-looking 3-D imprint of a handgun that could make it look like the wearer is holding a real firearm.

"If I saw a woman walking down the street with this purse I might look at her and say, 'Oh my god, that girl has a gun in her bag,'" said Natalia Perez, a former news reporter who told NBC 4 New York about the pocketbook.

Fernando Cacoillo, head of operations for Easy Pickins, said he was unaware his chain carried the pistol-themed bag and quickly ordered more than 20 stores to stop selling it.

"We’ll take it off the shelves right away,” Cacoillo said. “I would go out to the manufacturer of this handbag and have them take it off the market completely.”

Easy Pickins uses an outside company to choose and purchase merchandise and store managers were not immediately able to determine who manufactures the $18 handbag.

Perez says she is concerned a police officer responding to a crime in New York City might see a purse imprinted with a pistol and mistake it for a real gun.

“All of these things we’re seeing in the media about Ferguson, shootings, and police brutality — this is just not the message you want to send to young women to just go out and look cute with a gun in their purse," she said. "That looks crazy.” 

The FBI's famed and feared "Most Wanted" list is turning 65.

Saturday marks the anniversary of the launch of the "Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” program, which began on March 14, 1950. The “Top Ten” aims to publicize dangerous fugitives, garnering help from the public to capture criminals.

The idea began in 1949 when a reporter for the International News Service asked the Bureau for a list of the “toughest guys” the Bureau wanted to capture, according to the FBI. The reporter’s story gained so much interest that late FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover created the program.

As of December 2014, 504 fugitives have been named to the “Top Ten” list, the bureau says. About 470 of those have been apprehended or located. Here are some facts about the history of the list, released by the FBI ahead of the anniversary: 

Making the list:

Who decides which criminals are bad enough to make the cut? The fugitive must be considered an especially dangerous “menace to society,” according to the Department of Justice and the FBI, or have a long record of serious crimes. The Criminal Investigative Division at FBI headquarters puts together the list by contacting 56 field offices to submit candidates, who are reviewed by special agents and the office of public affairs. FBI executive management makes final approval.

As for getting off the list, in addition to being captured, found dead, or surrendering, a fugitive's name is erased if any federal process pending is dismissed or they no longer fit the criteria. Six fugitives have been removed for such reasons in the list's history.

Top crimes change over time:

The types of criminal acts committed by "most wanted" fugitives have changed over the years. The 1950s and '60s saw bank robbers, burglars, car thieves and kidnappers. In the 1970s, those involved in organized crime and murder were frequent offenders. From the '80s through the late ’90s, drug-related crimes and serial murders were top priority. In recent years, fugitives who commit violent crimes, drug trafficking, and international money laundering have made the “Top Ten.”

First "wanted" fugitive:

The first person named to the list was Thomas James Holden, who was wanted for murdering his wife, her brother and her stepbrother. Holden was listed on March 14, 1950, and located on June 23, 1951, after a citizen recognized his picture in an Oregon newspaper. Ruth Eisemann-Schier, wanted in connection with the kidnapping for ransom of a wealthy college student, was the first woman named to the list, on Dec. 28, 1968. She was located by authorities the following March and later sentenced to prison. Since then, seven other women have appeared on the “Top Ten,” with the most recent being Shauntay L. Henderson, who authorities allege was the leader of a violent Kansas City gang. Henderson, who has reportedly denied involvement in any gang, was apprehended less than 24 hours after she was placed on the list in 2007. She later pleaded guilty to a 2006 killing.

Getting caught:

The public have played a big role in catching people from the list, helping capture or locate 156 fugitives.  And those wanted criminals have been tracked down coast to coast; the bureau says it has apprehended fugitives from the list in every state except Alaska, Maine and Delaware. Some apprehensions are quicker than others. In 1969, convicted robber Billie Austin Bryant, on the run after escaping prison and killing two FBI officers, was on the list for just two hours, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Victor Manuel Gerena, meanwhile, has been on the list for more than 20 years, since May 14, 1984. He's wanted in connection with a $7 million heist from a Connecticut security company. The FBI offers a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading directly to the arrest of a “Top Ten” fugitive. In some cases, the amount is more.