Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson continued to defend his recollection of his past on NBC's "Meet the Press" amid mounting questions about biographical discrepancies.

Carson brushed off criticism over a piece in the Wall Street Journal which said that after dozens of interviews with classmates, nobody remembered his role in sheltering students during race riots at his high school.

"Why would they know about that, unless they were one of those students," Carson told NBC's Chris Jansing.

Carson said he was expecting to be vetted, but the kind of scrutiny he is experiencing is born out of the "secular progressive movement in this country," adding that he is a threat to that because he and his campaign are attracting "a great diversity of people and it worries them."

Investigators probing the cause of last week's plane crash in the Sinai Peninsula pushed back Sunday on reports that they have detected the sound of an explosion at the end of the Russian jet's voice recordings, urging people not to jump conclusions, NBC News reported.

Ayman al-Muqaddam, the head of the investigation committee into the crash, said Saturday that investigators were working to identify a "noise" that was heard in the final second of the Airbus A321's data recording.

But Sunday Egypt's Ministry of Aviation pointed out that the 58 inspectors involved in the investigation — which includes officials from Russia, Ireland, Germany and France — signed a statement of findings that didn't include that the noise heard on the recorder sounded like an explosion.

"The committee is continuing to work transparently and is under nobody's supervision from Egypt or others and nobody can force it to have an opinion or a direction," the statement said, adding that the sound will need to undergo "wave length analysis" before its source is determined.

New Haven firefighters responded to a blaze at a home in the city early Sunday morning.

The call came in as a house fire on Fulton Street, but police updated the firefighters it was possibly a garage fire at a home on Laura Street, New Haven fire officials tweeted at about 2 a.m. on Sunday.

When firefighters arrived they found a working fire in the garage with smoke showing, New Haven fire officials said.

Crews extinguished the fire.

The cause is unknown.

Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina defended not having presented a detailed tax plan, saying that politicians put out comprehensive plans all the time for things that never end up happening.

“Show us what you’re gonna do. Why won’t you show us your work?” asked “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd.

Instead, Fiorina offers an "Answers" page on her website, allowing visitors to submit questions on various issues, which she answers through her appearances on the campaign trail. She explained that her remarks to voters hold her more accountable than a written plan.

"Anybody can write a plan,” she said.

Hours after a passenger plunged into the ocean, Royal Caribbean released a statement alleging 35-year-old Bernardo Elbaz jumped off the Oasis of the Sea cruise ship intentionally. According to his family's lawyer, however, this is not the case.

"It was not a suicide," says Michael Winkleman, an attorney for the Elbaz family. "Bernardo did not jump."

Winkleman says it was anti-gay comments from crewmembers that led to the horrifying moment, captured on cellphone video, of the Brazilian dangling on the edge of the ship. 

According to Winkleman, staff aboard the ship made repeatedly made "anti-gay remarks" against the couple, including calling them "Hi, lipstick." Elbaz and his husband Eric were legally married a year ago in New York State.

The lawyer says Elbaz was at one of the ship's bars when another anti-gay comment was direct at him, leading to a "huge altercation." 

"He ended up in his cabin where he is furious and ultimately Royal Caribbean security comes on the scene," Winkleman says. "As a result of an altercation in his cabin, Bernardo ends up somehow falling off his balcony onto the life boat area."

It was at this point, Winkleman says, you can hear in the video captured by a fellow passenger, Elbaz's husband Eric screaming at the security guards while Elbaz hangs on for his life. 

Winkleman also told reporters that the family wants Elbaz found. 

"[The U.S. Coast Guard] did find a body matching the description of Bernardo that was spotted by an airplane but they were not able to recover the body."

Royal Caribbean issued a statement denying the allegation that crewmembers were involved in a physical alteration with Elbaz. 

"Our onboard security team responded to the guest's stateroom after a neighboring guest complained about a domestic dispute on the guest's balcony," the statement read. "Our staff did not have a physical altercation with the guest and were unable to prevent his jumping from the stateroom balcony." 

"Royal Caribbean is deeply saddened by this event.  We will continue to provide assistance to the family as well as law enforcement," the company added.

Connecticut is holding its annual Veterans parade in downtown Hartford Sunday. While tens of thousands of spectators are expected to line the streets in their red, white, and blue, thousands more will march in the parade.

“We get out there and the townspeople we love to hear them cheer for us. We know the price of freedom isn’t free so this is their way of saying thanks to us, and we just enjoy it,” said Randall Henry, the chair of the Blind Veterans Association.

Thousands of people are expected to line up for this patriotic parade, waving flags and holding signs thanking the veterans for their service and sacrifice.

“Kids especially out here getting educated on the great service of our veterans,” said Lt. Col. Sean Connolly, the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs.

The three thousand participants who step off every year make Connecticut’s Veterans parade the largest in New England.

The Salvation Army’s “donut girls” are handing out sweet treats to our military men and women. The organization has a long history of serving the troops starting in World War I, when they brought a taste of home to the battlefield.

“They were right on the front lines. They were helping take care of the sick, they were writing letters, they were mending socks, they were baking,” explained the Salvation Army’s Secretary of Veteran Affairs for Southern Connecticut, Janet Gonzalez.

A wreath-laying ceremony at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch honors those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, before the parade. The parade will culminate in a military fly-over and moment of silence. A C-130 flew over the crowd, for the first time at the parade since 2008.

Many of the marchers are veterans themselves.

“It was such a nice deal that we just keep coming back,” said Army First Class Brendan Sniffin, the Commander of the Korean War Veterans of Danbury.

Members of AMVETS, who rode in a homemade train, were a new entry this year.

“One thing we have is a bond. The day that you raise your hand and say, ‘I will,’ that gives you a special bond that no other person in the United States understands,” said Dana Dillon, the former commander of the Connecticut AMVETS.

That is what many of these veterans said brings them back year after year.

Crews responded to a brush fire in Waterford on Sunday afternoon.

A large brush fire broke out in the area of 40 Scotch Cap Road, near Mohegan and Maple avenues, the Quaker Hill Fire Department said.

No further information was immediately available.

State police issued Silver Alert for a missing 90-year-old New Britain woman on Sunday, but they have since found her. .

Beulah White, 90, was last seen on Saturday and reported missing on Sunday.

It wasn't long before state police reported she was located and safe.

Interstate 91 north has reopened in Wallingford after a crash that sent at least four people to the hospital and required one to be airlifted by LifeStar.

Alberto Torres-Aguilar, 25, of Meriden, was driving a 2003 Lincoln Navigato when he rear-ended a 2008 Nissan Altima 2 stopped in the left lane before exit 15 at about 5:29 a.m. Sunday, state police said. The collision pushed the Nissan into the grassy median and the Lincoln Navigato "came to an uncontrolled final rest" on the exit 15 ramp, state police said.

EMS personnel transported Torres-Aguilar, his passenger, Tony Perez-Silva, 25, of Meriden,and Courtland V. Wright, 28, of Manchester, the driver of the Nissan, to Yale-New Haven Hospital. LifeStar airlifted Wright's passenger, Pearl A. Locket, 25, of Hartford, who owns the Nissan, to Hartford Hospital to be treated for serious injuries. Wright's injuries were also listed as serious.

Lockett was wearing her seatbelt, but it's unknown if the others were, state police said.

Plunskies towed both vehicles.

The highway was closed for several hours between exits 13 and 15, but it has since reopened.

State police continue to investigate the crash. No charges have been filed at this time.

LifeStar responded to a crash on Route 66 in Columbia Sunday morning that shut down the road.

A car struck a pole, causing Route 66 to close between Route 87 and the Hebron town line.The road has since reopened.

There is no word on the extent of the injuries or how many people were hurt.

Three Michigan teens have been arrested and face a conspiracy to commit first-degree murder charge over an alleged school-shooting plot, police said.

The Argentine Township Police department said that the force intercepted information on Oct. 28 about an alleged plan to carry out mass shootings at Linden High School and Linden Middle School.

"As a result of the investigation, three suspects were identified and information was obtained concerned the related purchase of firearms and evidence of certain targets," the Argentine Township police department said in a statement.

That led to felony charges against 18-year-old Ryan Stevens and Lamar Dukes and Cody Brewer, both 15 and charged as adults.

Police have issued a Silver Alert for a missing 11-year-old Hartford boy.

Devon Dean, 11, was last seen on Nov. 6 wearing a purple shirt, khaki pants and black and gray Nikes, state police said. He was carrying a black and blue back pack and his black hair is in cornrolls, according to state police. Dean has brown eyes and is 4-foot-11 and weighs 89 pounds, state police said. 

Hartford police ask anyone with information to contact the department at 860-757-4000.

The drummer of a heavy metal band playing when a fire broke out at a nightclub has died, bringing the death toll from last week's tragedy to 45.

Bogdan Enache, drummer in the Goodbye to Gravity band that was playing in Colectiv on Oct. 30, died on Sunday evening, said the medical director of the state burns hospital, Cristian Nitescu.

Enache was being transported on a military plane to Zurich, Switzerland, on Sunday afternoon for treatment for his burns, when he went into cardiorespiratory failure, the Interior Ministry said. The plane headed back to Bucharest, while medics tried to resuscitate him for 70 minutes. He died after he landed in Romania.

Dozens of people injured in the blaze remain hospitalized with serious burns as authorities warn that the death toll could continue to rise. 

A 9-year-old girl died Sunday after a pit bull attacked her while she played with friends in a Long Island backyard, authorities said.

Nassau County police officers responded to a 911 call at a Holland Avenue house in Elmont at around 10:30 a.m. and found the dog attacking the girl. When one of the officers entered the yard from the house, the dog charged at the officer, who shot and killed the animal, said Detective Michael Bitsko.

The girl had been visiting the home and playing with two other girls and the dog at the time of the attack, Bitsko said. A woman inside the house rushed out and tried to pull the dog off the girl, but failed.

"It was a violent attack," he said. "They had to put the dog down."

The girl's identity hasn't been disclosed by police.

There had been no previous complaints to police about the dog, Bitsko said, adding that he didn't know why the dog attacked the girl.

The dog's owner, Carlyle Arnold, 29, lives in a second-floor apartment of the house. He was arrested on an unrelated charge of violating an order of protection and was being questioned about the attack.

One child and three adults have died, and 14 more people were injured, after a car crash in the 2600 block of Chillum Road in Hyattsville, Maryland, Prince George's County Police reported. 

According to a witness, a pickup truck collided with another vehicle and burst into flames, then sped down the road on fire.

The fiery truck smashed into a van full of people—trapping, injuring and killing passengers. The witness was not sure if the truck's gas tank exploded before or during the devastating collision.

Three people were flown by helicopter from the scene, which was littered with debris from the wrecked vehicles.

In addition to those who died, six children were hurt, four critically, according to the Prince George's County Fire Department. Eight adults were hurt, four critically.

Fire Chief Marc Bashoor described the crash as "horrific" in a tweet.

Montgomery County emergency services is providing assistance to the Hyattsville and Prince George's first responders.

Stay with News4 and NBCWashington for more on this developing story.

A man took out a butter knife and tried to rob a woman near the Yale campus on Friday night, according to Yale police.

Yale Police Chief Ronnell A. Higgins wrote to the Yale community on Friday at 6:52 p.m. to inform them of the attempted robbery near Mansfield and Woodland streets.

A woman was walking on Mansfield when a man came up behind her and demanded money at knifepoint, Higgins said. The would-be robber was carrying a butter knife and pushed her, he said.

The victim got away and ran to her house, escaping uninjured, Higgins said.

There is no word on whether the man faces any charges or is still at large.

Yale Police ask anyone with information to call 203-432-4400 or to send and anonymous tip by text through the Bulldog Mobile (LiveSafe) mobile application. Members of the Yale community can register for the app at publicsafety.yale.edu.

"As a general reminder, it is important to walk with others when possible in well-lit and populated areas," Higgins wrote in his message to the community. "Avoid displaying valuables such as cash or portable electronic devices. It is also a good idea to note the location of blue phones along your route. Make use of security services including shuttles and security escorts by calling (203) 432-9455."

You can find more crime prevention and safety tips at http://publicsafety.yale.edu/safety-tips.

Crime victims can also call Yale Police to utilize services and information by calling 203-432-4400.

State police are investigating an untimely death at a Pomfret state park.

A 60-year-old man  was found dead at Mashamoquet Brook State Park, which is located at 147 Wolf Den Drive in Pomfret Center.

Trooper Kelly Grant, a state police spokesperson, said there "is no criminal aspect" to the death.

The circumstances of his death are unknown and state police haven't released his identity.

No further details were immediately available.

One of four emus that escaped from a farm on Seymour Road in Woodbridge, Connecticut, has died and another remains on the loose.

Four emus escaped from Walking Wood Farm at 5:40 p.m. last Saturday, according to their owner Woozie Wikfors, who keeps the birds as pets. One of them was recaptured Tuesday, another was caught on Wednesday at 4 a.m. leaving two emus on the loose.

Wikfors said the two still missing were the "grandparents" -- a female named Mnck, pronounced "monk" and a male named Stella.

When Wikfors, her husband and a neighbor tried to recapture Mnck early Saturday afternoon at Carriage Hill Road in Woodbridge, Mnck died in the attempt to bring her home. Wikfors said she assumes exhaustion caused Mnck to have a heart attack.

However, Stella remains missing.

People around town reported seeing an emu in Seymour, Bethany and Woodbridge during the week and tried to help catch the flightless, ostrich-like bird.

"You know you hear about people not wanting to get involved but that simply is not the case this time," Wikfors previously said.

Animal control officers were on the lookout for any emu sightings in the area – but they'll have to be fast. Emus can sprint up to 30 mph and are the only birds that have calf muscles, according to the San Diego Zoo.

UConn is set to crack down on drivers who park on campus with a permit incorrectly placed on their car.

The parking permit is supposed to be attached at the bottom right side on the inside of the front windshield.

The school’s Parking Services sent out an email last week that appears to show some frustration that a number of drivers are not following the rules.

“I guess some students had placed them in the wrong spots,” says Joe Socci, a UConn junior.

In the email, Parking Services wrote, in part:
“Our attempts to issue warning tickets for this infraction to gain permit holder cooperation has, unfortunately, been ineffective.”

People were given a week notice to move the permit into the right spot or face a fine. If they had to rip off their old one, they could bring the scraps to Parking Services to exchange them for a new one.

Starting Monday, drivers with their permit in the wrong location could face a parking ticket.

One the Parking Services’ website, the fine is $25 for the improper display of a permit or decal.
 

A driver was killed after crashing into a concrete barrier on Interstate 84 west in Waterbury late Saturday night.

Richard Hyman, 60, of Oxford, was driving in the right of two lanes between exits 23 and 22 on the highway when he hit a concrete barrier on the right side of the road in his 2002 Toyota Tacoma X multiple times, state police said. The crash happened at 10:09 p.m.

An ambulance transported him to Saint Mary's Hospital in Waterbury, where he later died.

The cause of the accident is unknown. It was dark at the time, but the weather was clear and the roads were dry, state police said. Hyman was wearing a seat belt, but his airbag didn't deploy, state police said.

It happened a couple hours before state police shut down the highway at exit 25 in Waterbury for five hours as part of a highway redevelopment project in the area.

State police are investigating the crashand ask anyone with information to call Trooper Wildman at Troop A in Southbury at 203-267-2200, extension 4372.