President Obama said the historic nuclear deal between world powers and Iran "demonstrates that American diplomacy can bring real and meaningful change" and ensures that "every pathway to a nuclear weapon is cut off."

"Today, because America negotiated from a position of strength and principle we have stopped the spread of nuclear weapons in this region," Obama said Tuesday in a statement from the White House.

He said he welcomes a debate in Congress on the deal, but warned lawmakers that he would veto any legislation that prevents a successful implementation of this deal.

"I remind Congress, you don't make deals like this with your friends," Obama said.

Iran and world powers reached the agreement early Tuesday for Tehran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the easing of economic sanctions. Tehran has been negotiating with the U.S., Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China for years, with diplomats extending a series of deadlines in hopes of arriving at a workable plan.

The comprehensive agreement — which runs more than 80 pages — capped negotiations and overcame stiff opposition from close U.S. allies like Israel and Saudi Arabia, who say Iran cannot be trusted with a nuclear program of any kind.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif called the agreement a "historic moment" and a "win-win solution" that could usher in a "new chapter of hope" in relations between Tehran and the West.

Autumn Sandeen’s military career spans 20 years. The U.S. Navy veteran who fought in the Persian Gulf War is proud of her service as a man and as a woman.

“Especially during my last four years, I knew I was a closeted trans woman,” Sandeen told NBC 7 Monday. “I was sexually harassed during my last year because I couldn’t hide my feminine behavior, and I was presumed gay.”

“I know what it is to hide,” she said.

Monday’s announcement by the Department of Defense regarding planned policy change regarding transgender service members strikes a chord with Sandeen.

In a statement, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter wrote “current regulations regarding transgender service members are outdated and are causing uncertainty that distracts commanders from our core missions.”

Carter announced he has issued two directives:
1) To "create a working group to study over the next six months the policy and readiness implications of welcoming transgender person to serve openly.
2) That “decision authority in all administrative discharges for those diagnosed with gender dysphoria, or who identify themselves as transgender, be elevated to Under Secretary Carson, who will make determinations on all potential separation.”

Allyson Robinson says that means the Department of Defense will, “bring up to date the current outdated policy that classifies transgender people as mentally ill or sexually deviant.”

Robinson is with SPARTA, an advocacy group for LGBT active-duty military members and veterans. She says SPARTA has worked with the DOD closely for two years on this issue.

“My only concern is that opponents of inclusion outside of the Department of Defense, in Congress for example, may try and force their will on the experts and military policy at the Pentagon and try to derail the changes that are being made.”

“But, I think that is unlikely at this point,” Robinson added.

Autumn Sandeen said her experience in the military as a closeted trans woman was very difficult. However, she is confident current active-duty members will follow these expected new orders.

“Military people are professionals. When 'Don’t Ask Don’t Tell' was repealed, we didn’t see a mass exodus of people. The military adapted…We are going to see people doing their jobs just as they always have,” she said.

“[Transgender] soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines will be able to serve with integrity finally. That’s the key part of this,“ she said.

Conservative Christian group The Family Research questions Carter’s decision asking, “Why is this the top priority for the Obama administration?”

Secretary of Defense Carter wrote, “our military’s future strength depends on it.”

Four cheetah cubs at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in Escondido enjoyed bloody, meat-filled birthday cakes Monday.

Males Wgasa and Refu and females Mahala and Pumzika, who all turned one on July 13, initially hesitated before licking through the blood and chicken broth flavored ice layers of their birthday cakes according to zoo officials.

The cubs had never seen ice cake before, but after their mother began to enjoy the meat pastry, they tucked into their desserts. The cake included a “one” written in ground meat and a cupcake and candle shaped topper made of ground beef and frozen blood and sprinkled with chucks of meat.

The keepers gave the cakes as an enrichment item made by the nutritional team to keep the cheetahs energetic and active and allow them to engage in natural behaviors.

First-time mother Addison gave birth to the cubs on July 13, 2014 at the Safari Park’s off-site breeding center. They now live at the Okavango Outpost within the park.

Classified as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature, cheetahs are found in Africa and a small portion of Iran. The zoo has been breeding cubs for forty years, with cheetahs giving birth to more than 150 cubs in that time.
 

A San Diego man who served as a hospital orderly will serve six months in jail after pleading guilty to having sex with a woman confined to a psychiatric hospital.

Shane Michael Cochran, 36, of Pacific Beach worked at Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital in Kearny Mesa when he engaged in sexual activity with a 20-year-old woman undergoing involuntary treatment for psychosis.

He admitted guilt on Tuesday to three counts of sexual activity with a person confined to a health facility.

The sex acts occurred over several weeks in October 2014, prosecutors said.

In addition to six months in jail, Cochran will serve five years’ probation, must register as a sex offender for five years and must undergo GPS monitoring. He must also pay $1,503 in fines and fees.

Deputy City Attorney Miriam Milstein said in a news release that the situation had a “significant impact on his victim, who no longer trusts the medical professionals seeking to help her.”

A news release from the City Attorney’s Office indicated Cochran no longer works at the hospital.

Law enforcement is searching for a Santee driver who grabbed a woman’s arm and dragged her alongside his truck as she recorded him with her cellphone.

The incident started at 1 p.m. on July 10 as an 18-year-old woman was walking in the 8700 block of Mesa Drive in Santee.

A man pulled up in a white truck and started making comments about her sexuality, according to San Diego County Crime Stoppers.

In response, the woman pulled out her cellphone and started recording the man, walking up to the driver’s side of the truck.

Investigators say the man got hold of the victim’s arm, pulled her partially into the truck’s window and hit the gas. Hanging out the window, the woman was dragged several feet, falling to the ground when the man stopped his truck. She suffered cuts and bruising to her body.

Before driving away, the man threw the woman’s cellphone at her head. It hit her in the temple, Crime Stoppers says.

The victim told officials that the suspect’s vehicle may be a white, two-door Ford Ranger truck with a ladder on top. It has small purple stripes running along its sides.

Investigators believe the suspect lives in the area of Mesa Road and Prospect Avenue in Santee, and he is described as a white man between 40 and 50 years old, sporting a goatee.

If you know anything about the man’s identity or location, call Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477.

A 12-year-old Oceanside girl was found safe after she was reported missing for three hours, police say.

The missing, at-risk girl has a serious medical condition that requires regular medication for treatment. She was last seen at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 500 block of Greenbrier Drive.

Oceanside police deployed multiple officers through Oceanside and Vista, using the police helicopter to make PA announcements.

At about 6:50 p.m., police said the girl had been located and was safe. 

A U.S. citizen who says he was pistol-whipped in Mexico was rushed to the hospital after collapsing on a bus bench Tuesday evening, San Diego police say.

The man in his 40s first drew attention as he walked into the U.S. with a large head wound through the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Customs and Border Protection officers asked him if he needed help, but he declined, police say.

"He came across with a serious head injury. It looked like, to the medics at the time who were here, that it was a gunshot wound," said Lt. Dan Smyth with the SDPD.

But the man told investigators he had been pistol-whipped while in Mexico.

Witness Faustino Cipriano said he watched the stranger stagger down the sidewalk, covered in blood. 

Medical staff followed him as he walked down the street. When he reached a bus stop on Via de la Amistad, he collapsed.

Emergency crews took the man to Mercy Hospital for non-life threatening injuries.

Smyth said the SDPD will take a courtesy report for violent crimes that happen in Mexico, but it will be up to the man to decide if he wants to file a report across the border.

"We won't do any investigating for a crime that happened in Mexico, but we will assist Mexican authorities in their investigation," said the lieutenant.

Syphilis among infants in California has more than tripled in the last three years.

From 2012 to 2014, cases of congenital syphilis, where an infected mother transfers the disease during pregnancy, shot up from 30 to 100, and the trend is continuing into 2015 according to the California Department of Public Health.

Syphilis among women in California doubled between 2012 and 2014 in California from 248 in to 594.
Most of the congenital syphilis cases center around the Central Valley - Los Angeles County region, and although health officials cannot attribute a cause to the rise, most of the infected mothers did not receive proper prenatal care.

"The increase in congenital syphilis is particularly concerning," State Health Officer Dr. KarenSmith said Tuesday in a statement. "Congenital syphilis occurs when syphilis is transmitted from an infected mother to her child during pregnancy. It is a needless tragedy that can be prevented with good prenatal care and timely and effective treatment."

CDPH is reaching out to local health departments to determine causes, as well as to treat infected pregnant women and those of childbearing age. They are also trying to provide more information and increase healthcare enrollment for women.

For more information go to www.cdph.ca.gov.

In California, there are more than five million cars that have unfixed recalls, according to Christopher Basso with Carfax.  He said minivans and SUVs have the highest rate of unfixed recalls.

But Basso said a feature on the company's My Carfax mobile app makes it easy to find recall information. The app allows you to check recalls by simply typing in a car's license plate.

"You plug in you license plate once, and you find out if there are recalls," said Basso, "but also get alerts for recalls in the future."

We walked through a parking lot at San Diego's Balboa Park and checked licensed plates. Nearly half of the cars had an outstanding recall, the app said. One vehicle belonged to Joan McCann who didn't know there was a recall on her Hyundai.

"They usually send postcards in the mail saying whatever recall it is," said McCann.

Amber Gray did not have a recall on her car but said it's not always easy to get recalls fixed when you have two young children.

"It's hard to get to the dealership to get it fixed when you're busy," said Gray.

Steven Stratton said he doesn't remember getting a recall notice.  "I'm glad I ran into you," said Stratton.

The My Carfax app is free and also keeps track of your car's oil changes and tire rotations.  As for the time it takes to fix a recall?

"The little bit of time that it takes to get a recall fixed really pales in comparison to what can happen if you don't," said Basso.

The California Highway Patrol is seeking volunteers in North County for its Senior Volunteer Program.

The program, which is open to San Diego residents over the age of 55, supports the Highway Patrol in an auxiliary role.

The volunteers assist with traffic control, public relations, DUI checkpoints and administrative and office assistance, as well as other duties. It gives seniors a chance to contribute to the community, freeing up officers to deal with more urgent matters.

Applicants must be in good health, able to stand for extended periods of time, willing to adhere to CHP standards and able to pass a background check.

Applications can be picked up at the CHP Area Office at 435 La Tortuga Drive in Vista.

Accepted applicants must attend a weeklong training academy.
 

NBC 7's Gene Cubbison offers this analysis on the latest dealings behind the Chargers stadium scramble.

In the wake of the City Council’s approval of $2.1 million for a stadium “capital improvement” plan, officials now have to scare up $225 million that’s just been taken out of construction financing in order to qualify for a quick EIR approach.

The reason the city did that?

The money represents what private buyers would have been expected to pay for 75 acres to create “ancillary development” on the current Qualcomm Stadium site -- hotels, commercial and retail facilities -- which would have required a more extensive, time-consuming EIR process.

New taxes, cuts in city services and mega-bonds would seem off the table for filling the new construction funding gap.

Informed sources tell NBC 7 that one approach could be selling off millions of dollars’ worth of city property.

Prime example, and probably the largest readily developable site that would raise the most money?

The Valley View Casino Center site, formerly known as the San Diego Sports Arena complex, a relatively under-performing city asset that the Chargers themselves have called for 'leveraging' in the past.

It covers more than 100 acres that encompass a three dozen commercial businesses and two apartment complexes to the north.

The arena’s operating leaseholder is the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which developed the "L.A. Live" complex and Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

AEG once came close to forming a partnership that would have housed the Chargers in their proposed Farmers Field stadium complex, before negotiations with the team fell through.

It could make sense, sources say, for AEG to invest more in the Sports Arena site property – so as to develop not only a new, buffed-out arena seating perhaps 25,000, but a satellite convention center that could handle overflow Comic-Con events.

Conventioneers would be attracted stay in newly developed hotels on the sold-off property, along with the many hotels in Mission Valley and Mission Bay.

A leading Bolts backer, for starters, is intrigued by the idea.

“It's beautiful property, closer to the ocean and a lot nicer than a little inland,” said Sean Farrell, organizer of the “Save our Bolts” movement. “I think it's a definite possibility to be a great proposal."

But we're also told of so-called "devils in the details," which don't necessarily amount to deal-breakers.

“The coastal (building) height limit in San Diego is 30 feet, and it's nothing you can penetrate very easily except with a vote of the people,” said Scott Lewis, editor of Voice of San Diego.

“Maybe that would be a way to get buy-in to the project and get through the height limit,” Lewis exlained in an interview Tuesday. “The next thing they have to deal with is neighbors (in Point Loma and Loma Portal) are not looking forward to more traffic in that area. It could be a big-time controversy."

Lewis also points out that city property sales involving 80 acres or more would necessitate a public vote, but that could be avoided by carving 20-some acres out of the footprint of the Sports Arena property.

A spokesman for Mayor Kevin Faulconer declined comment on alternative funding options, or other ideas suggested by the mayor’s stadium advisors that could generate “in excess of $50 million over a 30-year period.”

Those sources include naming rights within the stadium, contributions from concession vendors and “supportive-services” sponsors – even crowdfunding.

Firefighters are trying to put out a car fire before it spreads to a garage and connected house in Rancho Penasquitos, fire officials said Tuesday night.

The car parked in a garage became fully involved in flames in the 14400 block of Corte Lampara at 10 p.m.

Fire crews are worried the flames may spread to its enclosure and the rest of the house.

They are attacking the blaze, hoping to extinguish it before it causes more damage.

A woman tried to rob a San Diego Victoria's Secret store by threatening an employee with a knife, San Diego police say.

Armed with her weapon, the 32-year-old woman walked into the lingerie store at the Westfield Mission Valley Mall Tuesday at 5:50 p.m.

The suspect marched to the employee behind the counter, raised her knife and demanded money, police say.

Other employees and customers were able to escape while someone called 911.

Officers arrived before the woman could run or hurt anyone. She has been taken into custody.

One person is dead after ramming into a light pole in Serra Mesa Tuesday night, according to San Diego police. 

The single-vehicle collision took place near Sandrock Road and Gramercy Drive at 6:30 p.m. 

The victim died a short time later. It's unclear if there was anyone else in the car.

Officers are investigating the crash. 

Check back here for details on this developing story. 

The Coast Guard says it has rescued 113 people from a grounded ferry boat off Cape Cod.

The Pied Piper ran aground shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday near Woods Hole. It had 106 passengers and seven crew members aboard. There were no injuries or pollution from the boat, according to Daniel McGracey of the USCG.

Coast Guard rescue crews and the Falmouth Police responded to a 911 call from the vessel. By midnight, all the passengers and crew had been taken to shore.

Coast Guard Capt. John Kondratowicz says a "quick and successful rescue" took place.

Incoming high tide allowed the charter boat to be refloated and towed back to the Woods Hole Oceanographic Dock.

The cause of the grounding is under investigation.

A Caltrans employee died early Tuesday morning in a single-car accident after he lost control of his department pickup truck and crashed into an embankment on Interstate 8. 

29-year veteran of the department Oscar Vargas, 54, of Chula Vista, died in the crash that happened around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday morning. He was the only person in the truck. 

“This is devastating news. Oscar Vargas was a well-liked co-worker and friend to many employees in the Department. Our hearts and thoughts go out to his family,” said Caltrans District 11 Director Laurie Berman in a statement. 

The California Highway Patrol’s (CHP) Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team is investigating the crash, which happened on eastbound Interstate 8 near the community of In-Ko-Pah. 

“Anne and I were saddened to learn of the death of Oscar Vargas, who worked day in and day out to make the roads safer for Californians. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues mourning this tragedy," said Gov. Edmund J. Brown Jr. in a statement. 

Vargas worked most recently as a transportation civil engineer. 

He is survived by his wife Marie and two grown children, Oskar and Christian. 

Flags at the Capitol will be flown at half-staff in honor of Vargas. 

A new website will make picking a parking spot easier in Downtown San Diego.

ParkItDTSD.com has detailed information, including addresses, hours of operation, capacity and rates, on 75 percent of parking lots and structures downtown.

Users can search parking options by neighborhoods, destinations and what is nearby. The website also features notifications about upcoming events that may have an impact on parking.

“Our goal is to use technology solutions to make life easier and continue to showcase San Diego’s position as a ‘smart city’ by serving anyone in the downtown area with easy, accessible and affordable parking information,” said Stephanie Shook, project manager, Civic San Diego, in a statement.

The creation of the website was funding by the Downtown Community Parking District, led by Civic San Diego.

Two public parking garages, the 6th and K Parkade and the Park It On Market lots, have real-time data available on the website. In the next year, officials will work on integrating real-time data for additional lots.

In the future, the site plans also include valet options, parking validation and integration with mobile payment systems in addition to parking meters.

To visit the site, click here.

The man inside a camper police and SWAT surrounded for more than three hours came out with his hands up and surrendered to police. 

Officials surrounded the home of a possible parolee at large near 28th Street and Broadway Tuesday morning when police said a man they believed was the parolee slammed a door on an officer.

The sounds of flash bangs and bullhorns went off throughout the standoff as a San Diego Police officers and SWAT officials asked the man to come out. 

Police shut down all of the 2700 block of Broadway between 27th and 28th street, all of the 2700 block of E Street, and all of the 900 block of 28th Street. 

Several nearby homes were evacuated. 

Check back for updates on this breaking news story. 

A La Jolla woman was watching TV Sunday night when suddenly she heard noises.

Wandering out of her bedroom to check, 82-year-old Barbara Bobbie Philips said she came face to face with an intruder.

"He grabbed me by the neck and of course I screamed and he said, 'Be quiet,'" she said.

Police are searching for two men, possibly three, who invaded the woman’s home in the La Jolla area on Sunday night, ransacked the residence and stole belongings.

The incident happened in the 1400 block of Rodeo Drive just after 11:30 p.m.

She said one of the intruders sat her in a little chair and had a giant flashlight that he shined in her face, telling her to put her head down and not move.

Another man was ransacking the home as the first man continued to watch her, she said.

"This one, I will say, sounds crazy, but he was polite, (saying), 'Now ma'am, careful ma'am. Don't get upset. Just take it calm,'" she said. "The other one was going through all my stuff he was screaming, 'Where is everything? Don't you lie to me. Don't you lie.'"

Another man was ransacking the home as the first man continued to watch her, police said.

The suspects took off with several belongings, including four TVs, cash, jewelry, silverware and drawers in which it was kept.

"I was frightened. I won't say I wasn't," she said. "The only thing that really bothers me is that silly chest they ruined by taking it."

She said the entire ordeal lasted about 15 minutes, though it felt like forever. Before they left, one of the intruders yanked her necklace off, telling her to sit still.

"Of course it hurts and my husband had given me the necklace and I treasured it," she said.

Philips could not provide suspect information other than the fact they were both males.

Anyone with information is asked to call the San Diego Police Department’s robbery unit at 619-531-2299 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477.

A $1,000 reward is offered to anyone with information leading to an arrest.

San Diego’s City Council voted Tuesday to spend $2.1 million in an attempt to stay in the NFL stadium game and keep the Chargers in town.

When city leaders met with NFL officials in June, the message was clear — fast tracking an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is key to the project moving forward.

The money approved by the city council will be spent on an EIR for the Mission Valley stadium site proposed by the mayor’s Citizens Stadium Advisory Group (CSAG).

“Regardless of what ultimately happens with the team, this environmental impact report is valuable to taxpayers," said Mayor Kevin Faulconer in a release. "Whether a new stadium is built or Qualcomm Stadium is simply demolished, this environmental analysis can be used.”

Other city leaders and the Chargers team itself disagreed. Councilmembers Todd Gloria, David Alvarez and Marti Emerald voted against funding the EIR, and Chargers' special counsel Mark Fabiani said the team wanted nothing to do with this "debacle" that is a sequel of the convention center saga. He was referring to a proposed expansion of the convention center that was tossed out after lawsuit challenges.

"All of this begs the question: What part of 'no' do stadium boosters not understand?" said Emerald. "The Chargers say they want no part of this and I say it's time to listen. Take them seriously and let them go to Carson."

The EIR, which assesses the environmental cost of destroying the current Qualcomm Stadium and building a new one, usually takes a year to complete.

This report can be expedited, the mayor's office said, because the project would be the same type of facility on the same site. Work on the EIR started on June 22.

Fabiani said a "fast-tracked" EIR process in San Diego is impossible because even if it does get finished in a few weeks for under $3 million, the issue will still get tied up in the courts and eventually invalidated, just like the convention center.

Faulconer’s office said the money for the report would be from unrestricted state funds that were previously owed to the city. The money will pay for city staff time and the professional services of planning firm AECOM to create the EIR.

However, NBC 7’s partners at the VoiceofSanDiego report that now that the City Council approved the expense, the plan to use retail development money to help pay for the new stadium would no longer be an option.

When CSAG delivered the completed proposal for a new NFL stadium in Mission Valley, their proposal included $225 million from development of some of the land at the current Qualcomm Stadium site.

“They are taking major piece of the puzzle that we all thought was going to help pay for the stadium off the table,” said reporter Liam Dillon. “This is a major development.”

However, spokesperson Matt Awbrey denied the mayor’s plan includes money from the sale of space for retail shops and condos.

“Our plan will not include new taxes, does not rely on the development that’s around it and we need to keep moving forward,” Awbrey said.

Tuesday's vote commits the city to moving forward with stadium plans. According to the mayor's office, if a lawsuit is filed, the city council will see the litigation in a closed session and direct the city attorney on how to proceed.

Negotiations between Chargers team owners and city officials kicked into high gear five months ago when it was announced that the Chargers and Oakland Raiders were involved in negotiations to build a joint-use complex in Carson.

CSAG proposed a plan to build a 65,000-seat stadium at the current Qualcomm stadium site. The financing plan would include a $1.1 billion price tag and has the Chargers paying for $300 million of it.

The Chargers have said the teams' owners prefer a downtown stadium site.

Moving forward with an environmental review of the Mission Valley site only shows the NFL that when it comes to keeping the team in town, San Diego means business, Awbrey added.

He said an EIR for a multiuse stadium would be valuable for the city because such a site could be used for other purposes “if things don’t work out with the Chargers.”

Fans in support of keeping the Chargers in San Diego held a rally in front of city hall before the vote.

A planning meeting is slated for July 15 at Qualcomm Stadium to go over a draft EIR for the Mission Valley site recommended by CSAG.

City officials say it's possible to get environmental approval for the stadium in Mission Valley and be able to put the issue to an anticipated special election on January 12, 2016.

A downtown stadium is not off the table, officials said, but if the Chargers do decide to go with the idea, the timeline would increase and the costs would increase by at least $150 million.

The Chargers have said an NFL owners' special meeting in August may offer insight into what is likely to occur during the remainder of 2015.