Chatting up a foodie friend about the foodstuffs you fancy?

It's a lovely way to pass the time, but then the moment arrives: Your eats-obsessed pal asks you about a sandwich you especially dig, one you have to gobble often, and suddenly your mind goes blank and your spirit sinks, just a little.

Being put on the sandwich spot can be intense.

Let not your spirit sink, however, for there's now a way to always, always, and we do mean always remember the meaty must-have in your life, if you're an Arby's aficionado: Get a free tattoo of it, so the image and happy memory of it remains forever close.

And if you do adore Arby's, the roast-beefy company wants to help you out on the whole showing-the-world-your-favorite-nosh front: There's an Arby's-themed complimentary tattoo event, at Port City Tattoo in Long Beach, on Saturday, Sept. 22.

The artist behind these pay-nothing, forever-and-always additions to your person? The acclaimed Miguel Montgomery.

The ink-it-up choices? They're plentiful, if you're looking for something a bit fierce, a bit fun, and very, very sandwich-centered.

But while the theme of this "a free sandwich for life," that free sandwich is in the form of a tattoo, not actual free sandwiches at Arby's.

Good? Understood?

Yay. Now here's more free meat-a-tude, of the you-can-eat-it kind: There shall be Arby's for attendees to enjoy during the free tattoo-giving event, which is on from 11 a.m. through to 8 in the evening on the 22nd.

While the free Arby's tattoos will begin and end on Sept. 22 at Port City Tattoo, there is a flash sheet, online, of the designs, should you want to take your pick elsewhere, to another studio, on another day.

Nope, that tattoo won't be free, but it will remind you, for your own personal eternity, just what you love to lunch upon, when you're Arby's-adjacent and hankering for something to stave off the savory cravings.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday he "feels terribly" for Judge Brett Kavanaugh and his family. The Senate is trying to schedule a hearing to hear from Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, who alleges Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a high school party about 35 years ago.

A U.S. appeals court is siding with bartenders and waiters in a fight over whether restaurants can pay them less because they receive tips.

Under federal law, an employer can pay workers who receive tips as little as $2.13 an hour as long as their tips bring their earnings to minimum wage.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday said employers cannot use that tip credit when the workers are engaged in tasks such as cleaning toilets that don't offer tips and are not related to bartending or serving.

The ruling revived a lawsuit by 14 bartenders and servers accusing restaurant chains including P.F. Chang's China Bistro and J. Alexander's of failing to pay minimum wage.

Emails to attorneys for the two restaurant chains were not immediately returned.

Some holidays on the calendar?

What they represent, and what they deliver, can only be enjoyed on the exact day in question.

Halloween, for example? People are only going to graciously hand out candy, at their door, on the last day of October, no matter how much you may wheedle on every other evening that isn't Oct. 31.

But pretty much any day of the year is Talk Like a Pirate Day, if you drop an "arrrr" or two into a conversation, or squawk like a parrot, or rhapsodize, with salty poetry, about your decades sailing the wide ocean.

Those may occur, we mean arrrr-cur, at any time. But Talk Like a Pirate Day, or TLaPD, should you need to say it in snappier fashion, is actually and truly on the 19th day of September, each and every year.

Including this one. 

So where can you yo, ho, and ho on the 19th, or, if not on TLaPD, then soon after?

Good news: This is Southern California, which A) happens to neighbor a rather sizable ocean and B) happens to be home to theme parks and entertainment options galore.

Meaning you can always ride Pirates of the Caribbean, at Disneyland Resort, or set sail on a Pirate's Dinner Adventure, in Buena Park, or actually take a harbor cruise, up and down our coast, which may be pirate-free, but will put you out on the Pacific.

But there are other pirate-centered celebrations throughout the calendar, around the Golden State, and two are just ahead.

The Northern California Renaissance Faire's Pirate Invasion Theme Weekend raises the masts at Casa de Fruta in Hollister on Sept. 22 and 23, while Buccaneer's Weekend drops anchor in Two Harbors, on Catalina Island, over the first weekend of October 2018.

Any spyglass will inform you that those bashes are flying as fast as a galleon in this direction, so better practice all of your over-the-top pirate patter, all day long, on Sept. 19.

Arrrr-kay? Arrrr-kay.

Sabrina Jales St. Pierre has modeled for some of the biggest names in the beauty business, but she says a stay at a Southern California hotel left her unable to work for more than two months due to bug bites.

The Victoria's Secret model is suing the Palm Desert Embassy Suites by Hilton after staying there in 2016. The hotel was among those included in an I-Team investigation exposing problems with sanitation at Southern California hotels.

"I literally wanted to rip my skin off," Jales St. Pierre said. "The first morning, when I woke up, I noticed a couple of bites on my arm, but I didn’t think anything of it. And then, the second morning is when I noticed all the bites, and that’s when it got worse."

Jales St. Pierre said she had about 90 bites, forcing her to take a two-month break from modeling.

"She absolutely got massacred," said her attorney, Brian Virag.

Her allegations are similar to those of another hotel guest, former Santa Ana Police sergeant Gary Bruce. Bruce, who was in one of the lead cars during the infamous 1994 OJ Simpson pursuit, checked into the same hotel in June and said he noticed red bite marks after his stay.

"There's no doubt in my mind it was definitely bed bugs," he said.

Bruce also is represented by Virag and filing a lawsuit.

In a statement, Embassy Suites said it inspected both rooms in each separate incident and brought in an outside pest control company that said there was not evidence of any pest in the rooms, including bed bugs.

The NBC4 I-Team spoke with experts about what to know when you check into a hotel room.

Places to Check for Bed Bugs in Hotels

• Mattress
• Box spring
• Behind picture frames
• Nightstands
• Baseboards

Round and round we go, where we stop, nobody knows. 

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts glanced over at his lineup card with a furtive smile on Tuesday afternoon. An all right-handed lineup with his ace, Clayton Kershaw, on the mound to counter the Colorado Rockies ace and Cy Young candidate, Kyle Freeland.

In the opposing dugout was Roberts friend and mentor, Rockies manager Bud Black. The 61-year-old former pitcher sat relaxed, with his legs crossed, addressing the horde of media that had arrived to ask about the UCL ligament of his All-Star shortstop, Trevor Story. 

Black delivered good news regarding his MVP candidate, no ligament damage, and a possible return this season. Without Story, the merry-go-round taking place in the National League West would have been far less exhilarating. 

Since the start of September, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, and Arizona Diamondbacks have been interlocked in a game of musical chairs with high-stakes implications. The winner of this game will win the NL West, the two losers, possibly missing out on the postseason altogether.

All three teams made the MLB playoffs last season, but with the Milwaukee Brewers comfortably in the driver's seat of the first Wild Card spot, the probability of all three teams making it again this year is slim to none.

After the Dodgers took three of four from the Snakes at Chavez Ravine at the beginning of the month, they leapfrogged both teams in to first place for the first time since August 3^rd. Since that date, the Dodgers and Rockies have quietly runaway from the Diamondbacks, entranced in a two-team dance that is sure to come down to the wire.

The dos-si-do division dance has been repeated for most of the month. Last Friday, the Rockies were in first place. Saturday it was the Dodgers, Sunday it was the Rockies, and on Monday it was the Dodgers again as each team took turns taking a half-game lead over their rivals.

For all intents and purposes, the NL West is the only pennant chase worth watching with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season. The American League appears to be all but sewn up, as is the NL East. The Chicago Cubs lead the NL Central by 2.5 games over the Brewers, but the Dodgers and Rockies are the race to watch.

The Rockies and Dodgers will face each other two more times on Tuesday and Wednesday, before their fates are decided by other teams looking to play the role of spoiler down the stretch. With this information firmly in hand, both teams have stacked up their starting rotation for these pivotal final two games that could decide if the Dodgers win the West for the sixth straight season, or if the Rockies win it for the first time in franchise history.

Clayton Kershaw toes the rubber on Tuesday night in the second game of a three-game series against Colorado's ace, Kyle Freeland. A Dodgers victory guarantees them first place heading into the weekend, a Rockies victory puts Colorado back in first place for the rubber match on Wednesday, which features red-hot rookie Walker Buehler against left-handed pitcher (LA's Achilles heel), Tyler Anderson.

After that, it's anybody's guess what will go down in the division as the Dodgers finish the season with three games against the San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants.

Colorado will head to the desert for a three-game series with Arizona, before heading home to the Mile High City for a four-game series with the suddenly fading Philadelphia Phillies and three with the Washington Nationals. That series will be important to both teams fate in the division, as the Rockies have a game in-hand over Los Angeles and the outcome of that game on Thursday, Sept. 27 could present a much clearer picture heading into the final three games of the season.

Which team has the advantage is up for debate. After Arizona, the Rockies will finish their season at home in the offensive powerhouse that is Coors Field against two NL East opponents.

The Dodgers will play their final games on the road against divisional opponents who not only know them intimately, but in stadiums they've struggled at this season in Chase Field and AT&T Park.

The Rockies face three teams all currently above .500, with a combined record of 230-221. Whereas the Dodgers face only one opponent in Arizona that is over .500 and a combined record of 209-244.

Both teams have similar records both home and away, so deciding the division will likely come down to the final three game series of the season. Plenty of action, excitement, and gut-wrenching moments are sure to occur over the final two weeks as both teams jockey for divisional supremacy, the postseason, and possibly home field advantage in the first round of the NLDS.

Buckle up, it's sure to be a thrilling ride.

Sabrina Jales St. Pierre has modeled for some of the biggest names in the beauty business, but she says a stay at a Southern California hotel left her unable to work for more than two months due to bug bites.

The Victoria's Secret model is suing the Palm Desert Embassy Suites by Hilton after staying there in 2016. The hotel was among those included in an I-Team investigation exposing problems with sanitation at Southern California hotels.

"I literally wanted to rip my skin off," Jales St. Pierre said. "The first morning, when I woke up, I noticed a couple of bites on my arm, but I didn’t think anything of it. And then, the second morning is when I noticed all the bites, and that’s when it got worse."

Jales St. Pierre said she had about 90 bites, forcing her to take a two-month break from modeling.

"She absolutely got massacred," said her attorney, Brian Virag.

Her allegations are similar to those of another hotel guest, former Santa Ana Police sergeant Gary Bruce. Bruce, who was in one of the lead cars during the infamous 1994 OJ Simpson pursuit, checked into the same hotel in June and said he noticed red bite marks after his stay.

"There's no doubt in my mind it was definitely bed bugs," he said.

Bruce also is represented by Virag and filing a lawsuit.

In a statement, Embassy Suites said it inspected both rooms in each separate incident and brought in an outside pest control company that said there was not evidence of any pest in the rooms, including bed bugs.

The NBC4 I-Team spoke with experts about what to know when you check into a hotel room.

Places to Check for Bed Bugs in Hotels

• Mattress
• Box spring
• Behind picture frames
• Nightstands
• Baseboards

Numerous last-minute errands and must-dos can easily be performed in the autumn, from picking up a pot of chrysanthemums before going to visit your mom to running by the costume store for a wig on Halloween morning.

But there is zero chance that any participant competing in The Great Pumpkin Weigh-Off at Irvine Park Railroad on Saturday, Sept. 22 will be engaging in any down-to-the-wire tasks.

Because growing a gourd that is too large to put one's arms around? That's can't be lifted by a single person? That seems as heavy and as large as boulder?

That's not something you can start, like, now. Or even yesterday. Or even 100 yesterdays ago.

And you can bet that the pumpkin growers showing up at the annual squash-centered showdown started months back, and have tended to their ever-growing vines and tendrils all summer long.

Grow time is over, however, and showtime is here, and the person with the biggest pumpkin will snag $5,000, the day's top prize.

That's a whole lot of seeds, you betcha.

There are other honors and case prizes to net, including one for new grower and prettiest pumpkin.

And the "top 3" of the batch? They'll be on view, at Irvine Park Railroad, through Oct. 15, perhaps inspiring other pumpkin-fascinated gardeners out there. 

These are some giants, believe it, and the word "forklift" is on the site, so you know you'll spy some humongous, stem-topped specimens.

A bonus? You'll be at the fam-sweet railroad, an Orange classic, should you and the kids want to board the train or take part in another autumnal activity.

It's free to watch the weigh-off, and enter the Irvine Park Railroad, too, but show with money for the train and stuff to do. Plus parking, too, has a fee.

Of course, keep a few bucks in your pocket, should you want to buy seeds in a couple of months to try and grow your own backyard giant in the spring and summer of 2019.

Do you have what it takes to coax a colossal pumpkin into being?

The federal government is hoping it can scare American teens away from e-cigarette use.

The Food and Drug Administration is rolling out a new campaign of videos aimed at graphically illustrating the dangers of e-cigarettes and so-called “vaping.”

Teen e-cigarette use rose to 12 percent in 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which found that more than 2 million middle and high school students used the devices that year, making them the most popular cigarette problem in the group for the fourth straight year.

The campaign, called "The Real Cost," will feature posters in school bathrooms and advertisements on social media sites popular among children, like YouTube and Facebook. The FDA's Kathy Crosby said it would be "snarky and irreverent," with messages like, "Strangely enough, some kids come here to put crap into their bodies," according to NBC News.

The JUUL brand e-cigarettes have grown especially popular among teens, in part because of the easy to hide design and fruit-flavored liquid nicotine. That popularity led to a nationwide blitz by the FDA on retailers who sell to teens. The agency issues monetary penalties and sent warning letters to more than 1,300 retailers nationwide who sold to children, including eight in Connecticut.

Wolcott mom Christy Bisaillon says she’s encouraged her teen daughters not to try vaping, despite what their classmates are doing and the misconception among some teens that vaping is less harmful than traditional cigarettes.

“Say no just like a regular drug. It’s still nicotine no matter what it is” said Bisaillon. “They think it's not addicting. They think it's not ruining their health. I’m just hoping they stay away from it.”

Even as this anti-vaping campaign rolls out, the clock is still ticking for the makers of e-cigarettes. Last week the FDA gave the five major manufacturers of e-cigarettes two months to come up with a plan to keep their products away from kids.

Former First Lady, Michelle Obama, will be in San Diego Wednesday as part of a three-day conference promoting health and wellness. 

The BOLD MINDBODY Conference from September 18-20 will be at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront downtown. 

The conference will feature speakers in the realm of wellness, exercise, and fitness. There will also be yoga, cardio, and dance classes at the event. 

Obama has been a longtime proponent of fitness. While in the White House, she launched the 'Let's Move!' initiative to address childhood obesity. 

Other keynote speakers include sports icon, Billy Jean King and Mindbody CEO, Rick Strollmeyer. 

Three years ago, Juan Camilo Salazar was just a kid in Colombia with dreams. One of those dreams was to play pro soccer.

“I want to be a professional soccer player, that’s my dream,” Camilo Salazar said those words to his mom three years ago while sitting at his dining room table in Colombia.

To make his dream come true, Camilo Salazar felt he had to leave Colombia and come to America where there was more opportunity.

“I wanted to look for something new. My sister was living in the states, I said to my mom why don’t we just go to the United States to see what happens. She said yes out of nowhere.”

In three months, Juan and his mom Martha Gallo packed everything they had and took a plane to San Diego.

“When I got here I didn’t have anything, just my mom and a suitcase next to me. That’s it. No English, nothing. It was just an adventure, when you feel inside that this is the right way to go.”

After arriving in San Diego in 2016, then 16-year-old Juan and his mom stayed with family, but finding their way in America was not easy.

"I was really nervous, the first 6 months were really tough," Juan said.

Martha worked multiple jobs, often 50 hours a week and struggled to make enough money to live. Meanwhile, Juan struggled to learn the English.

When asked how much English he knew, Juan said, “Nothing, none, the first week I was google translating everything.”

While language and culture were barriers, Juan found no borders with the soccer ball.

“The beautiful game you know, and that’s just play with the ball, have fun!" he said.

Juan’s soccer skills earned him spots on San Diego's elite club teams.

Off the field, things began to improve. His mom found a fulltime job as a caregiver. Juan and his mom moved into their own place. Juan enrolled at Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, took extra language classes and within a year he'd passed an English fluency test.

“So when I passed it, I got a paper that says I’m an official English speaker."

Life in America was good and it was about to get better, because then someone told Juan his soccer skills could get him into college for free.

"When I start to know that dude you can actually go for free to college, I said that’s insane! I felt really happy when I started getting recruiting calls."

After fielding calls from college recruiters, Juan accepted a scholarship to Cal State University San Marcos. Shortly after that he graduated from high school. Pretty amazing for a kid who didn't even speak English two years ago.

“The day I graduated and the day I committed [to CSUSM] are happiest moments in my life," he said.

Six games into Juan’s first college season, and things are perfect on the pitch.

Cal State San Marcos is undefeated, Juan is one of the team’s best players, and Juan’s mom is often in the stands cheering on her son.

And how’s this for a welcome to America moment? Just a few games into his first season, Juan scored his first career collegiate goal. After scoring goal number one, Juan ran over and hugged a friend waving the Colombian flag, then came over and gave his mom a kiss.

“You dream about moments like that. I thought about the Colombian flag first because Colombia is a country that I love, but I left there to find something new, but it’s in my heart. Then I went to my mom to dedicate it to her because without her I wouldn’t be here. She makes me be who I am. Every day I see my mom I have to be the best I can be, because I see her waking up at 6 a.m. to work, I don’t even have to worry about anything, she worries about everything. I just have to worry about being the best at soccer and school and that’s it. So it’s amazing.”

That first goal, a magical moment for Juan and mom too.

“Excited and so, so proud,” said Martha Gallo said when asked about her emotions after seeing Juan’s first collegiate goal.

A mom who took a chance to make her son's dreams come true, and Juan, a dreamer, who's living the American dream he dreamed of back in Colombia.

“This country is the best for dreamers like me. This country is the best for dreamers like me to make their dreams a reality. I am living proof that the American dream is still alive for people that are willing to work hard, this country gives you everything you need if you work hard and do the right thing.”

Of course, Juan's not yet a pro soccer player, but is anyone going to bet against him?

“I can’t wait to see what this journey brings me, I am really happy, I’m living my best life right now.”

A high-speed rail network operator is trying to get a project designed to connect Las Vegas and Southern California back on track.

Miami-based Brightline Trains LLC announced Tuesday that it is acquiring XpressWest in an effort to provide rail service between the densely populated SoCal region and the Nevada entertainment destination. The project has faced delays, but the new owners might jump start the process.

The company will take over project development construction and operation, working with federal and local transportation agencies on a rail line that would connect Victorville, located about 80 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles in San Bernardino County, and Las Vegas.

The trip should take less than two hours, according to the company's news release. Depending on traffic, the drive from Victorville to Las Vegas takes about three hours. 

Brightline said it has future plans to extend the line to the Los Angeles area, but did not have a specific location.

Construction is expected to begin next year along the 15 Freeway. Initial service will begin in 2022, the company said.

The company, which currently operates rail service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Florida, has plans for a station next to the Las Vegas Strip.

It's a project that has been long on vision, but short on capital and government involvement. XpressWest said in 2015 that it had partnered with China Railway International USA on the project, but investment never materalized, according to the Los Angeles Times.

President Donald Trump launched an aggressive new attack against Jeff Sessions on Wednesday, going so far as to suggest that his attorney general's job performance has been so disappointing, it borders on the nonexistent, NBC News reported.

"I don't have an attorney general. It's very sad," Trump told Hill.TV in an exclusive Oval Office interview that was described as "free-wheeling" on the outlet's website Wednesday.

Trump has railed against Sessions regularly since the attorney general's March 2017 decision to recuse himself from the federal investigation into Russian election meddling, which includes probing contacts between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin.

"I'm so sad over Jeff Sessions because he came to me. He was the first senator that endorsed me. And he wanted to be attorney general, and I didn't see it,” he told Hill.TV. Trump also made clear that he thought Sessions performed poorly during his Senate confirmation hearings, saying his answers were "confusing."

The California Department of Motor Vehicles is expanding vehicle registration services to three more Los Angeles-area grocery stores.

Customers can get their vehicle registration and license plate stickers at the new sites in Superior Grocers listed below.

• Fontana, 16055 Foothill Blvd.
• Pico Rivera, 9100 Whittier Blvd.
• Rialto, 151 W. Base Line Ave.

You'll need a vehicle registration renewal notice or most recent vehicle registration card to conduct transactions. 

The locations bring the number of self-service locations in LA to more than 60, including nearly 30 in grocery stores. 

Use the map to find a location near you. 

The west San Fernando Valley home of Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig was burglarized late Tuesday, according to a report.

Citing law enforcement sources, TMZ reported that police responded to Puig's Encino home when one of his associates reported the crime. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that officers responded at about 8 p.m. Tuesday to a home in the 5300 block of Louise Avenue in Encino for a burglary report.

Puig's home is located in the area.

No arrests were reported early Wednesday.

Three men in their 20s left the location in a four-door Toyota sedan, police said. A detailed description of the men was not immediately available.

It was not immediately clear whether anything was stolen. 

The burglary marks at least the third such report involving a Puig home in the last two years. Puig was at Dodger Stadium during three of the burglaries and at spring training for another. 

In March of 2017, a Sherman Oaks house belonging to Puig was targeted in a burglary that resulted in the loss of about $170,000 worth of jewelry. He was at spring training with the team in Arizona. 

In November of 2017, the residence was burglarized following a Game 7 loss to the Houston Astros in the World Series. 

Other burglaries have been reported over the past two years targeting celebrities in the Los Angeles area, including Alanis Morissette, Nicki Minaj, Emmy Rossum, Jaime Pressly, David Spade, Laker Lonzo Ball and former Lakers Nick Young, Byron Scott and Derek Fisher.

The chasm between "scary" and "spooky"? 

It can be pretty wide, especially if you're a younger Halloween aficionado who loves all of the pumpkins and costumes and treats of this time of year, but not the startles and frightening sights that are tailored to a grown-up crowd. 

Finding a place that can cater to both sides of the eerie occasion can be a bit tricky, unless you're a famous and historic destination known for both adult-pleasing thrills as well as attractions that summon smiles from the smallest of tots.

It's Knott's, we're speaking about, as in Knott's Berry Farm, and the Buena Park destination will once again feature its monster-filled Knott's Scary Farm on select evenings, beginning on Sept. 20, and Knott's Spooky Farm over several weekend days.

Knott's Spooky Farm opens for 2018 on Saturday, Sept. 29, and frolics, merrily, each weekend day through Sunday, Oct. 28, as well as on Halloween.

It's all about the family fun, and the kid-cute happenings, so no scare shall be found within the Knott's gates, at least while the farm is "spooky" and not "scary."

Happy highlights include pumpkin decorating, a costume contest (oh yes, there's a Peanuts theme), and the "newly expanded" trick-or-treating in Ghost Town.

Want to see some Creepy Critters of Calico? Oh boy, you can.

Eager to behold a perfect-for-young'uns magic show at the Calico Saloon? That's happening, too, as is the Halloween Hootenanny inside the Timber Mountain Log Ride.

A Trip to Camp Spooky, Spooky Story Time, and cookie decorating are also on the schedule. 

How to attend all of this under-the-sun spookiness? Admission to Knott's Berry Farm is your ticket to the not-at-all-terrifying to-dos.

To-dos that are daytime happenings, keep in mind, for after dark? Knott's Spooky Farm magically transmogrifies into Knott's Scary Farm.

A homeless student in Washington, D.C., who has an offer to play college football was kicked off his high school football team because he doesn't have a permanent address.

Jamal Speaks, a football player for the Ballou High School Knights, is being recruited by Temple University, the school confirmed in an email to NBC.

The senior said Temple coaches attended a Ballou game on Saturday to see him in action. But before the 18-year-old stepped onto the field, Speaks said he was sidelined because of concerns with his residency status. 

"It's a heartbreak," Speaks told News4. "I can't even practice right now."

D.C. Public Schools officials say the District of Columbia State Athletic Association determined that Speaks is eligible to play, but they say the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association ruled that he is ineligible because they could not verify his address.

Speaks said his father is deceased and he doesn't have a relationship with his mother. With no family support, the teen sleeps on friends' couches. 

He said he faced a similar problem two years ago, but thought the issue had been resolved.

"I already proved that I was a homeless resident," he said.

According to The Washington Post, Ballou Principal Willie Jackson pulled Speaks from Saturday's game and threatened to fire the football coach if he let him play.

"It was demeaning to the young man," said reporter Monet Anderson, who covers high school football games in the region for Top Sports.

Ward 8 Council Member Trayon White wrote a letter to the school system in support of Speaks.

"It’s incumbent upon me to get this boy support he needs to not only play football but to be successful in life and go to college," White said.

Speaks says he just hopes to practice with teammates, graduate and attend Temple University.

Asked if the DCIAA's decision will affect Speaks' eligibility to receive an athletic  scholarship, a spokesman for Temple University Athletics told NBC, "Due to NCAA regulations concerning high school student athletes, we are not permitted to comment further."

An intense fire burning in a Boyle Heights commercial building was sending heavy smoke into the air Wednesday, as one firefighter was being treated for an injury.

The fire was reported at 1 p.m. in the 2800 block of Pico Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

More than 100 firefighters were battling the blaze. A firefighter was being evaluated after suffering an injury, but a condition was immediately available. 

Refresh for updates.