The Dead Sea, which lies between Israel and Jordan, is retreating by more than three feet a year, creating sinkholes that swallow up buildings and roads, and causing upheaval in tourism industry, NBC News reported.

Damming and mineral extraction have contributed to the decline, along with evaporating seawater.

A $1.5-billion project to build a desalination facility in Jordan aims to transform Red Sea water into drinking water and pump the remaining salty brine into the Dead Sea. The best-case scenario would see construction begin in early 2021 and take around three-and-a-half years to complete.

Click here for more information on why the dead sea is dying and efforts at a solution. 

A grizzly bear killed a woman and her 10-month-old baby girl at their cabin in remote northwest Canada this week, NBC News reported.

Gjermund Roesholt found the bodies of his wife, local teacher Valerie Theoret, and their daughter Adele on Monday around 3 p.m., according to the chief coroner of the Yukon.

The bear charged at Roesholt as he returned to the cabin from fur trapping. He fatally shot the animal, the coroner said, then discovered his family's bodies outside the cabin — Theoret and Adele had apparently been taking a walk when they were attacked.

"Valerie Theoret was a valued educator, and students and staff will miss her dearly. Our heartfelt condolences are with her family and friends, as well as staff and students who are grieving," said a Yukon department of education official in a statement.

You can go to Walmart to buy toothpaste and shampoo, order glasses or fulfill a drug prescription. Now, some customers can also get therapy, Today.com reported.

A new outpatient mental health clinic has opened inside a Walmart store in Carrollton, Texas, north of Dallas. People can walk in, call or make an appointment online to see a licensed mental health professional about problems such as anxiety, depression, grief, relationship troubles or the stresses of everyday living. 

Beacon Health Options, a Boston-based behavioral health services company, is leasing space in the store and runs the clinic. It’s the first such practice Beacon has opened in a retail setting, the company announced in a news release this week, noting the location was chosen for its convenience. More than 10 million Texans live in an area considered to have a shortage of mental health care professionals, the company added.

Executives said the goal is to offer mental health services to people in rural communities who might otherwise not get care.

While a number of Ebenezer Scrooge's classic chestnuts are repeated by fans each year come December, the line that encapsulates "A Christmas Carol," at least for many aficionados of the Charles Dickens tale, is spoken by Marley's ghost.

"Mankind was my business," rattles the wraith, giving readers a deep and reflective look as to what is at the beating heart of the iconic yuletide yarn.

What if you could visit a Victorian-era world to ponder that life-important topic, all while being guided by a host of ghosts, spirits that are quietly but insistently eager for you to ponder what's at the center of the season?

You can, via a Victorian "nightmare" that is debuting at GreatCo on Beverly Boulevard, not far from downtown, on Friday, Nov. 30.

"Chained: A Victorian Nightmare" finds elegant inspiration in what is inarguably the most famous fable of Christmastime, but gives room for the original story to take on the imprint of the leading role player.

That would be you, in this imaginative immersive experience.

With a combination of colorful sets, at-the-forefront motion-capture technology, lush VR-created worlds, and talented actors who ably encapsulate an ethereal otherworldliness, "Chained" not only brings the story to life, but welcomes you to step into the shoes of the person taking the life-look-back journey.

Unlike some immersive experiences, which put you in charge of the action, even as the story runs on a loosely held-to rail, this is a singly enjoyed event.

Which means that, yes, you alone must enter to face any phantoms, real or from your past.

A ticket is $40, and time slots are already being gobbled up faster than a turkey leg on Christmas night. More tickets will be released, with an ultimate final date of Jan. 6, 2019.

MMM Immersive, which worked on Jon Favreau's "Gnomes & Goblins" as well as other nifty projects, is the future-forward outfit behind "Chained: A Victorian Nightmare."

And if you saw "Legion" at Comic-Con International in 2017, then you know the work of Justin Denton, the director and writer behind "Chained," which finds a producer in Ethan Stearns, another pioneering creator in the world of immersive entertainment.

The one-of-a-kind seasonal spectacular, which runs over 20 minutes per person, is expected to float, with ghost-like charm, into several other cities soon.

But Los Angeles, playing ye olde London in your VR headset, is first.

Dare you face a raft of phantoms as you contemplate the actions of your life? Step inside a fantasy that is filled with Victorian imagery and magic and the chance to venture to a deeper place, not in the past, but inside you.

A November storm is bringing heavy rain to parts of Southern California Thursday, forcing evacuations in wildfire burn areas due to mudflow concerns and road closures.

Note: The lists below will be updated.

Evacuations

Holy Fire Burn Area: Evacuation orders were issued late Wednesday afternoon for some areas of Lake Elsinore in Riverside County. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the Holy Fire burn area, including Amorose, Alberhill, Glen Ivy A, Glen Ivy B, Glen Eden, Grace, Horsethief A, Laguna A, Matri, McVicker A, Rice and Withrow A. 

Orange County: The sheriff's department issued a mandatory evacuation order for homes within Trabuco Creek. Residents of Rose Canyon are under voluntary evacuation warnings.

Los Angeles County: Residents were making evacuation preparations in Malibu, devastated by the Woolsey Fire this month. 

Road Closures

Ventura: Harbor Boulevard between Sanjon Road and the Ventura Pier has been closed due to flooding

118 Freeway: Part of the freeway was closed early Thursday due to a crash in Simi Valley.

Cahuenga Pass: Lanes on the 101 Freeway were closed near Barham Boulevard during the morning drive due to a crash.

134 Freeway: The eastbound side of the freeway was closed early Thursday due to an overturned big rig in the Eagle Rock area.

Malibu: Heavy rain and rocks were reported on Kanan and Malibu Canyon roads, but no closures were in effect early Thursday.

School Closures

Pepperdine University: The campus is closed Thursday due to rain and road conditions.

A new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that headlights on nearly half of 2018 model cars tested by the group do not adequately light the road, and most “good-rated” headlights only come with optional packages or an upgraded trim.

According to the IIHS, out of 424 headlight possibilities across trims on 2018 models tested by the group, 67 percent earned a "marginal" or "poor" rating because of inadequate visibility for drivers, excessive glare from low beams for oncoming drivers, or both.

The IIHS, an insurance industry-funded organization that evaluates automotive safety, said that 32 of 165 models tested earned the highest rating of good for their best-available headlights, while 58 models earned the second-highest rating of "acceptable" on their best-available lights.

The study also found that many base-line models have lower-than-average quality headlights, with good-quality lights only available on certain trims or as an optional feature that can often cost consumers a lot more.

The Kia Soul, for instance, earned a good rating for its best-available headlights, but consumers must pay an additional $3,000 to $6,000 for a package on one of the top two trim lines to get them. This increases the Soul’s base model — and it’s poor-rated headlights — from $16,000 to nearly $26,000.

"Consumers shouldn't have to buy a fully loaded vehicle to get the headlights they need to safely drive at night," said IIHS spokesman David Aylor. "All new vehicles should come with good headlights."

The only 2018 models that the IIHS found to come with good-rated headlights, no matter the trim line or options package, are the Genesis G90 and the Lexus NX.

The Chevrolet Volt, Mercedes Benz E class, Genesis G80 and Toyota Camry had "good" best-available headlights while its less expensive trims still earned an "acceptable" rating, the IIHS said.

Meanwhile, some manufacturers are leaving drivers in the dark. Poor-rated headlights are the only ones available on 43 models evaluated by the IIHS.

"Headlights are essential crash avoidance technology," IIHS said in a news release announcing the study's findings. "About half of all fatal crashes in the U.S. occur in the dark, and more than a quarter occur on unlit roads. Headlights have an obvious role to play in preventing nighttime crashes, but not all headlights perform their job equally."

Engineers at IIHS measure how far light is projected from the low beams and the high beams as the vehicle travels straight and around curves. They also consider the amount of visibility provided by both high and low beams and whether they are creating excessive glare for oncoming drivers.

In its evaluations, IIHS engineers found LEDs or high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, scored better than halogen projector headlights. They are also more expensive.

The IIHS says since it started grading headlights two years ago, manufacturers have made improvements to improve ratings. That’s because good-rated headlights are required to qualify for a Top Safety Pick award.

A full list of tested vehicles and their rating is available here.

The homeless man who became famous, and then notorious, for allegedly fabricating a story in order to raise money for himself and his conspirators is headed to New Jersey where the scheme apparently unfolded, according to prosecutors.

Johnny Bobbitt waived extradition back to Burlington County at a brief hearing in Philadelphia Thursday morning.

The 35-year-old will be sent to New Jersey once his pending legal matters in Pennsylvania are resolved to face fraud charges stemming from an elaborate GoFundMe scheme.

The Marine vet won't be sent back to New Jersey until he attends a probation violation hearing that's scheduled for Monday in Philadelphia.

Bail has also been revoked for Bobbitt, who has remained behind bars since his Nov. 14 arrest.

Bobbitt was charged in Burlington County with conspiracy and theft by deception for an alleged GoFundMe plot that "hoodwinked an awful lot of people," authorities said.

The so-called conspiracy involved South Jersey residents Kate McClure and Mark D'Amico. A photo circulated on the internet showing McClure and Bobbitt on the side of Interstate 95 last year after Bobbitt had supposedly used his last $20 to help the woman fill her gas tank.

Soon, the heartwarming story landed on a GoFundMe campaign that went viral and raised raised more than $400,000 from thousands of people.

But once the relationship soured, law enforcement officials investigating the case stumbled on a 2012 Facebook post from Bobbitt. It was of a photo, very similar to the one of Bobbitt and McClure, featuring the homeless man with a different woman in North Carolina. That woman had apparently run out of gas and had a flat tire in a Walmart parking lot, prosecutors said.

Bobbitt claimed to have used the last of his “supper money” to help her out, Burlington County prosecutor Scott Coffina said.

“I don’t think that’s a coincidence,” he said.

The accusation is part of an ongoing investigation into Bobbitt, McClure and D’Amico. Prosecutors contend that the trio conspired to create a fraudulent GoFundMe campaign and keep the money for themselves.

The scheme could have worked had McClure and D'Amico not kept more than agreed for themselves, fraud and forensic expert Howard Silverstone said.

“If the three of them would have … divvied up the money and gone about their business, no one would have any reason to question it,” he said.

Instead, the group became entangled in a bitter court battle that has led investigators to charge all of them for fraud.

McClure and D'Amico had been dating at the time of the conspiracy, but they have since broken up. McClure has publicly blamed her ex-boyfriend for masterminding the plot and is claiming innocence. 

Earlier this month, McClure's attorney released audio of her and D'Amico fighting about who was responsible for defrauding well-intentioned donors. 

The exchanges between the former couple grew increasingly heated throughout the 11-minute recording. At one point, McClure cried as D’Amico screamed that she was a “weak slob” and letting a “junky” get between them.

A door-to-door census is always a massive and impressive undertaking, for sure.

But consider that other censuses exist in this world, beyond the ones involving us, and many of these counts have nothing to do with one human taking extensive notes about another human.

Well, hold up.

Humans are involved, on the census-taking side, at least, and they're wielding binoculars, and warm jackets, and rain hats, too, sometimes.

And the censusees, in this case? They're birds, lots of birds, and finding them up in the branches of a sequoia, or nestled along a rocky cliffside, is key to the count's success.

Such counts come along around December and January, and volunteering to keep an eye out for our sky friends is as easy as determining when your favorite natural area will be holding its annual Christmas Bird Count.

It's a super-important event, one that clues scientists into what is happening with our bird populations, how they fluctuate, what fluctuations might mean, and so forth.

In fact, let's just truck out its mondo billing: The Audobon-helmed count is "... the nation's longest-running community science bird project," one that "... fuels Audubon's work throughout the year."

Where to start? 

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count around the San Bernardino Valley begins on Saturday, Dec. 15, and locations that day include Idyllwild and Mill Creek at Redlands. 

There are later counts in the month, too, like the one happening at Salton Sea North on the final Saturday of 2018.

If you'll be up in the Eastern Sierra soon, look into joining the Mono Basin bird count on Dec. 18 or the one in Death Valley on the first day of winter, Dec. 21.

Not to ruffle any feathers, but do keep in mind that the Christmas Bird Count is different from Audubon's Great Backyard Bird Count, which flaps into view each February.

For more information on that, turn your beak in the direction of the Great Backyard Bird Count site now.

A judge in downtown Los Angeles Thursday sentenced suspected serial burglar Anthony Rauda to 160 days in jail for violating the terms of his court-supervised release.

He was given credit for 102 days in custody, so the 42-year-old Rauda only has to serve an additional 58 days. He will return to court Dec. 13 to face a possible additional sentence for allegedly being a felon in possession of a gun when he was arrested Oct. 10 near Malibu Creek State Park. Rauda was on post-release-conviction-supervision, or PRCS, after serving prison terms for burglary and weapons possession.

LA County Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau detectives caught Rauda in a wilderness area north of the park after a series of unusual early-morning break-ins, during which an armed, masked burglar stole food from a number of buildings in the area.

Major Crimes and Homicide Bureau detectives have been investigating whether Rauda could also be responsible for a series of seemingly-random shootings in the same area over the last two years, including the killing of a camper in June. 

No new criminal charges have been filed in those cases. 

Rauda was armed with a long gun or rifle when he was arrested, the officials said. The armed, masked man on the security video became the focus of an intensive wilderness manhunt after an early-morning burglary Sept. 30 at a construction office near the intersection of Las Virgenes and Mulholland Highway.

Security cameras captured video of a masked man with a rifle slung over his left shoulder prying open a window and climbing inside. NBC News obtained still images from that video that showed the burglar was wearing a battery-powered headlamp and tactical-style clothing. Investigators also told NBC4 food was stolen, but valuables including cash were left behind.

The break-in was similar to several other food thefts in the same area, authorities said, leading detectives to consider whether the burglar was hiding out somewhere in the brush-covered hills of Malibu. 

The gun seen on the security video also raised questions about whether the burglar could be responsible for a some of the seemingly random shootings reported in the same area over the last year, including the killing of

Beaudette, who was shot while he slept next to his 2- and 4-year-old daughters in a closed tent at Malibu Creek State Park.

More than one type of gun was used in the series of shootings, law enforcement sources have said, so it was not immediately clear how many - if any - incidents might be linked to the gun seen in the security video.

Los Angeles officials will consider raising speed limits on more than 100 miles of city streets, saying the changes are the only way to resolve a years-long problem that has prevented police officers from ticketing speeding drivers, it was reported this morning.  

If the Los Angeles City Council approves the increases, speed limits would rise on some of the Southland's most familiar thoroughfares, including San Vicente Boulevard through Mid-Wilshire and stretches of Reseda, Victory and Chandler boulevards in the San Fernando Valley, the Los Angeles Times reported.  

The increases, introduced Wednesday, reflect a Catch-22 that city officials have faced for decades on dozens of miles of major streets: Raise the speed limit, or lose the ability to write most speeding tickets.  

The dilemma stems from a decades-old California law designed to protect drivers from speed traps, which requires cities to post speed limits that reflect the natural speed of traffic. If a speed limit is too low, or if it is more than 7 years old, the police can't use radar guns or other electronic devices to write speeding tickets there. 

As recently as this summer, more than 200 miles of Los Angeles streets, including corridors that are among the deadliest for pedestrians and bicyclists, had expired limits and very little speed enforcement.

The Transportation Department's proposal would raise the speed limit on 101.6 miles of streets and boost the share of streets where officers can write speeding tickets to 97.5 pecent, officials told The Times.  

Nearly two-thirds of the street miles that would see higher speed limits are in the Valley, which has seen several waves of increases over the last decade on its broad, flat boulevards. Most Valley streets would see speeds rise to 40 mph and 45 mph.

The proposed increases follow the City Council' decision last December to raise speed limits on 94 miles of streets, mainly in the Valley.  

The city will also consider lowering speed limits on 11.5 miles of streets where traffic speeds have slowed, including a 2.1-mile stretch of Alvarado Street between Hoover Street and the 101 Freeway.

A new museum will pop up in Los Angeles at the beginning of 2019.

It is the first Weedmaps Marijuana Museum in California, which will show visitors the history of marijuana consumption over the years, including places, periods and manner in which it has been consumed.

Weedmaps is a company that specializes in helping medical and recreational marijuana patients find doctors, dispensaries, stores and other services since 2008.

The company revealed the museum's plans via a YouTube video, and on Twitter.

"We are very proud to announce the Weedmaps Museum of Weed, which will open in Los Angeles in early 2019," the company said in a tweet. "We are taking a step back to review the crucial moments in the #marijuana world and the historical milestones in #marijuana's history that led us to where we are today."

Fantastical stories that easily stretch hours into days, and fill the noggin with a swirl of colorful characters, and inspire a person to think larger, loopier, and in more creative ways?

They're pretty much a hallmark of the holidays, but December doesn't hold the trademark on such tales.

For Laguna Beach, come the summer, also holds a bit of a trademark on fantastical sights, thanks to its famous penchant for staging real, living, breathing, blinking humans posing inside paintings and sculptures.

It's Pageant of the Masters we're applauding here, the long- long- longggg-running "tableaux vivant" production that has become known the planet over over the last 8+ decades.

And it makes sense that an event known for imagination and whimsy makes a splashy point of announcing its upcoming theme as the most whimsical month of the year begins.

As Pageant of the Masters has now done, just ahead of December 2018.

So what's the big theme for the 2019 show, which will strike a pose nightly from July 7 through Aug. 31, 2019?

The Time Machine.

Goggles on, steampunkers and sci-fi lovers, for both genres will receive a tip o' the cap via the artworks selected to be staged. "The Time Machine," by H.G. Wells, served as an inspiration to director and producer Diane Challis Davy, so count on seeing a few fanciful pieces that pay homage to the time-traveling book's distinctive vibe.

Tickets go on sale on Saturday, Dec. 1, and, yep, they do sell out, or at least the seats nearest the stage have a way of going as fast as summertime seems to fly by.

Which means that if you'd like to see the people standing "inside" the paintings blinking, or occasionally twitching an eyelid or nose, you'll want to find your stage-close seat fast, or gift a loved one with tickets in this giftiest season.

Of course, all seats rock at the pageant, though binoculars do, of course, help out.

Board "The Time Machine" now, to the online HQ for "Pageant of the Masters," and learn more.

You can buy the cake, wedding rings and flowers in Costco for a wedding, but now add the ceremony to the list. A couple was married in San Diego's Mission Valley Costco Thursday morning. 

It's a special place for bride, Margot Schein and groom, Julian Parris: the two had their first date at that Costco. 

"It was three years ago to the day today," said Schein in her wedding dress while holding her bouquet. "We technically met online but I only messaged him because he had Costco in his profile." 

The couple said their vows in front of an intimate gathering of their friends and family at the checkout cash registers in the store. Dozens of Costco employees watched from behind the family, some filming and some holding back tears. 

"We have so much in common but Costco is the first thing," the bride laughed. 

The couple, also fans of Harry Potter, wore their respective house colors. Schein had a scarlet dress with gold flowers (made from the pages of the books) for Gryffindor. The groom had a blue and bronze tie for Ravenclaw. 

After the ceremony, a one layer white Costco cake was cut and the couple was presented with a decorated champagne bottle fresh off the shelves as a congratulations from employees. The two also received Costco nametags. 

The couple then browsed the aisles together for the first time as man and wife. 

"On our first date we got pizza and hot dogs and then spent an hour walking around," said Schein. "It was just such a good date." 

The groom holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. The two moved to North Carolina a few years ago so that Schein could pursue her master's degree, where they currently live. 

There can be a lot of guesswork when it comes to snowfall.

Do I need my heavy mittens or will a pair of light gloves suffice? Should I go beanie or wear a hat with earflaps?

And, by gosh, when will an inch of snow fall at Mountain Station, the upper terminus of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway?

That last question sends plenty of locals into a dizzy tizzy each year, as they try to surmise when enough flakes'll pile up at the high-elevation structure, which sits just above 8,500 feet.

But no more tizzying is required for 2018, for the contest ended on Nov. 29, when, yes, an inch of snow was measured at Mountain Station.

Measured precisely at 1:27 p.m., if you're curious.

The contest, which opens each year on the first of October, involves guessers sending the historic tram postcards detailing what date they think an inch of the frosty white stuff'll accumulate at Mountain Station.

The first ten postcards received naming the right date are the winners.

And those winners get some ice, we mean nice things, like four admissions to the mid-century tram.

Oh yes, plus a tram-themed snowglobe, to remind the winners of their coldly won victory.

"Coldly won" is said in the warmest sense, of course. Because if you can predict, weeks out, that snow will fall and pile up in a particular place, on a particular date, well, news flash: You just might be your own walking almanac.

Or at least a possessor of a nose for winter, one that could rival Jack Frost's.

Are you among the 2019 snow pros? The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway shared the winner list on Facebook, so have a look now.

Two San Diego teenagers and another man were killed at point-blank range in Tijuana, Mexico, over the weekend, their school's superintendent confirmed to NBC 7.

17-year-old Christopher Alexis Gomez, a high school senior at O'Farrell Charter School in Encanto and Juan Suarez Ojeda, a graduate from Ingenuity Charter School in Skyline, were shot in the head Sunday near a housing complex in Tijuana. The third man has not been identified. 

Superintendent Dr. Johnathan Dean confirmed the deaths and said the schools created a GoFundMe page to assist their families with funeral arrangements. 

Tijuana police confirmed three men were found dead with apparent gunshot wounds at 5:50 a.m. on Sunday but did not provide any details about their investigation or if any suspects were identified.

Both Ojeda and Gomez had attended the charter schools since they were in middle school. Dean said this week has been a trying time for their schools. 

Gomez was on his school's football team and had relatives that attend the school with him, Dean said.

Dean said Ojeda was visiting one of his parents, who lives in Tijuana, when the shooting occurred, according to Dean.

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

A 20-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly committing a lewd act in the view of two teenage girls as they walked to school in El Monte.  

Jaime Alejandro Delacruz was arrested Wednesday at his home in El Monte, police said.  

He allegedly drove his car and followed the two girls about 9 a.m. Monday then parked ahead of them at the corner of Friendswood Avenue and Bodger Street, according to El Monte police Lt. Ben Lowry.  

“As the victims walked by, Delacruz engaged in a lewd act within their view and asked if they wanted ‘a ride,’” Lowry alleged. “Delacruz then fled the location.”  

Information provided by the victims led detectives to identify and arrest Delacruz, Lowry said.  

Detectives fear there are additional possible victims of the suspect, who is described as Hispanic, with an average build, brown eyes, black hair and a rose tattoo in black ink on his left forearm. He was driving a white 2003 Toyota Camry four-door with the California license tag 5AUX128.  

Police urge anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Delacruz to call them at (626) 580-2135.