Over $100,000 poured into Meals on Wheels' coffers from donors online in the two days after the release of the White House's budget proposal, showing dozens of social programs defunded, NBC News reported.

On a typical day, Meals on Wheels America says it receives about $1,000 in unsolicited online donations.

"One would assume that concerned individuals who see the value in Meals on Wheels want it [to continue] to serve seniors in need," spokeswoman Jenny Bertolette told NBC News.

Meals on Wheels is a public-private partnership with more than 5,000 local and state delivery programs that provide food to isolated, disabled or poor seniors while also offering safety and medical checks. The program served about 2.4 million seniors last year, including more than 500,000 veterans, and says it spends $1.43 billion on nutritional programs while saving the federal government $34 billion in Medicare and Medicaid costs.

An appeals court on Saturday refused a request from Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes for an "emergency" order that would prevent oil from flowing through Dakota Access pipeline.

The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit means the $3.8 billion pipeline to move North Dakota oil to a distribution point in Illinois could be operating as early as Monday, even as the tribes' lawsuit challenging the project moves forward.

The tribes challenged an earlier ruling by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg not to stop final construction of the pipeline, and they wanted the appeals court to halt any oil flow until that's resolved.

The company is wrapping up pipe work under the lake and has said oil could start flowing between Monday and Wednesday.

A man is charged with a hate crime in the beating of two transgender women in Jackson Heights on St. Patrick's Day, police said Saturday. 

The women were approached by a man who called them gay slurs, threw one of them to the ground and punched her repeatedly, according to a criminal complaint. He left and came back with a cane, struck the other woman with the cane and punched her in the face, police said. 

The women suffered cuts and one suffered a broken ankle, according to a criminal complaint. Both were taken to hospitals. 

Patrick O'Meara, 38, of Oakdale, New York, was arrested hours later and charged with assault and a hate crime. He has eight prior arrests, police said. 

O'Meara was arraigned Saturday and bond was set at $5,000 or $2,500 cash bail. His next court appearance is March 31. 

It was not clear whether O'Meara has an attorney.

Bianey García, LGBTQ Justice organizer at Make the Road New York, said: "We are horrified that transgender individuals in our community have suffered yet another hate attack."

Garcia continued, "We will continue to organize in our communities and send the message that Jackson Heights and New York City must welcome and embrace all of us, and that hate has no place in our neighborhood and our City."

One of Philadelphia’s most prominent Latin American events, El Carnaval de Puebla, has been canceled this year because of what one organizer called “the severe conditions affecting the immigrant community.”

The annual parade through South Philadelphia has taken place in late April or early May for the last decade and is the city’s largest Cinco de Mayo celebration. Organizer Edgar Ramirez said as many as 15,000 gather from as far as New England and Chicago.

The decision to cancel El Carnaval, Ramirez said in an interview Friday, was “sad but responsible” in light of the immigration crackdown by federal authorities.

He said the entire Mexican-American community, both those here legally and those undocumented, are disheartened by reports of large-scale arrests and detainments by officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

This week, ICE announced that 248 people in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia are now in federal custody awaiting deportation after a two-week sweep.

“The group of six organizers decided to cancel unanimously,” Ramirez said. “Everyone is offended by the actions of ICE. They did not feel comfortable holding the event.”

The fear of federal immigration officers targeting the well-known celebration would have cast a dark cloud over what is among the most colorful and joyful on Philadelphia’s Latin American calendar, he said. Carnaval celebrates the May 5, 1862, Battle of Puebla, at which Mexican forces defeated French invaders.

Some 450 carnavaleros, or marchers, take part in the parade. Some of the carnavaleros made history on New Year’s Day 2016 when they marched in the city’s well-known Mummers Parade. Carnaval itself has often taken place on Ninth Street between Wolf Street and Washington Avenue, though it spills onto many of the side streets.

“We have people who travel all the way from Chicago, Connecticut and New York. We don’t want anything to happen to them,” he said.

ICE Officer Khaalid Walls of the agency's Philadelphia office said in an email that "ICE’s enforcement actions are targeted and lead driven. ICE does not conduct sweeps or raids that target aliens indiscriminately."

A spokesman with the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia said they are aware of Carnaval’s cancellation and that consular officials are not surprised about the current demeanor of citizens and undocumented immigrants alike.

“I would understand why people are scared or worried,” Carlos Torres, a consular spokesman said. “But our message is that we are with them. People should try to continue to live their lives as regular as possible, but in a well-informed matter.”

Torres said the consulate has established a Center for Legal Defense that anyone can use for immigration advice. The center also holds seminars throughout the year.

As for a return of Carnaval, organizers will decide sometime in the future if the parade once again dances its way through the heavily Latino Pennsport neighborhood, Ramirez said.

“Let's see how things are next year," he said.

NBC10.com's Roy Aguilar contributed to this report.

An inflammatory graffiti display threatening President Donald Trump was found on a wall on the shoulder of eastbound Interstate 8 in between Los Coches Road and Lake Jennings Park Road in San Diego, California.

The graffiti reads “Murder Trump ASAP."

NBC 7 was made aware of the graffiti on Saturday and confirmed its existence at around 7:50 p.m. PST. It is unknown how long the graffiti has been up.

Criminal defense lawyer Vik Monder told NBC 7 that the person behind the graffiti can be prosecuted under California State Law Penal Code 422, California's criminal threat law, only "if it was intended to entice a hate crime or criminal act."

Monder said if it was meant to entice violence, then the culprit's First Amendment protection is voided. A federal charge would be brought under Title 18 section 871, or Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000.

As of 10 p.m., no complaints had been filed with the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, which has acknowledged that the location of the graffiti is within its jurisdiction.

Nearby resident Rex McNeil recognizes freedom of speech, but feels the graffiti may have gone overboard.

“I'm disappointed," McNeil said. "Not even being a citizen, I'm extremely disappointed that we would have that. We have freedom of speech but you can’t just say and do anything you'd like to do. There are still limits as far as that's concerned and this is definitely over the line."

Other residents of the area were fearful of the graffiti's potential impact on their children.

"I'm shocked," Jeremy Axelson said. "I don’t want my kids to see something like that on their way going to school, why do we want to, why do we want to murder the president?"

Bristol police are investigating a suspicious fire that occurred on Terryville Road early Sunday morning.

According to police, police and the fire department responded to a fire at 470 Terryville Road around 3:20 a.m. No injuries were reported, but the blaze has been determined to be suspicious.

Bristol police are actively investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact Bristol police at 860-584-3011.

In Bob Seger’s 1977 single “Rock and Roll Never Forgets,” his driving ode to rock’s timeless place in our lives, he reminds us that “all of Chuck’s children are out there, playing his licks.”

Seger didn’t need to drop a last name: Chuck, to anyone whose pulse ever thumped to a guitar played just like ringing a bell, could only be Chuck Berry.

Berry’s death Saturday at age 90 spurred an outpouring of accolades for a man praised variously as a legend, pioneer and king who led us to hail, hail rock 'n' roll. But Seger sang it most accurately all those years ago: Berry’s the father of the ageless music that changed the world.

Using a mere three chords, syncopated with his lefty pinky forever reaching down and tapping the neck of his Gibson guitar, the son of St. Louis not only redefined music, but the very power and possibility of youth. From “Johnny B. Goode” to “Sweet Little Sixteen” to “Maybellene,” the duck-walking Berry bent strings —freeing the feet and the soul while unleashing the spirit lurking in the psyche of post-war teenagers.

It’s tempting, but an oversimplification, to view Berry as a musical bridge between early rhythm-and-blues and the 1960s rock explosion. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Berry rose to fame in the 1950s as the American interstate system began connecting, at least physically, the divided country.

All musical roads led to and sprouted anew from Berry, who took blues, gospel, big band and country and, wielding the power of electrification, melded them into a rollicking creation that traveled at lightening speed across the globe.

Sure, Elvis Presley — Berry’s 1950s peer in playing alchemy with genres — sold more records. But fans can argue Berry forged a longer and stronger influence on the musical titans who followed.

Berry became the common primary inspiration linking the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys, three disparate and dominant acts. "If you tried to give rock 'n' roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'," John Lennon once declared.

Lennon, with Paul McCartney, borrowed from the master on songs from “I Saw Her Standing There” (the bass line from “Talkin’ About You”) to “Come Together” (the opening lines from “You Can’t Catch Me”).

Berry also presaged the era of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and other gods of the six-string, kicking off his songs with siren-call riffs that put the lead guitar at the center of rock. And Bob Dylan might not exist without Berry, who became rock’s first poet, proving that pop lyrics could transcend sappy love songs.

Berry infused his tunes with word play (the very title of “Johnny B. Goode” is a pun). He conjured clever imagery (“You know my temperature's risin'/And the jukebox's blowin' a fuse,” Berry sang in “Roll Over Beethoven”).

He could be a little naughty, too, griping in double-entendre-filled “No Particular Place to Go,” his best guys-gals-and-cars tale: “All the way home I held a grudge/For the safety belt that wouldn't budge.”

Berry also displayed a sardonic streak that he employed to both satirize and celebrate the illusion of all-American greatness. “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” could be read as a commentary on race relations, wrapped in braggadocios (“Back ever since the world began/There's been a whole lot of good women shed a tear/For a brown eyed handsome man”).

In “Back in the U.S.A.,” Berry suggested his country didn’t always live up to its promise: “Did I miss the skyscrapers, did I miss the long freeway?/From the coast of California to the shores of Delaware Bay?/You can bet your life I did, till I got back to the U.S.A.”

Berry, who earned Kennedy Center honors in 2000, wasn’t always treated like a king in the U.S.A., growing up amid segregation and getting sentenced to prison twice. He performed well into his 80s, and even has an album coming out this year. But in later years, he always toured on his own terms, often traveling alone and fronting makeshift backing bands.

The complexity of the genius behind the deceivingly simple classic pop songs shined through in "Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll," the 1987 documentary about the all-star tribute concert Rolling Stone Keith Richards put together to mark Berry’s 60th birthday. In one remarkable sequence, Berry repeatedly schools Richards on how to play the opening riff from “Carol.”

Richards and all of Chuck’s children will be playing his licks forever. But nobody played them better then their inventor, Chuck Berry, the father of rock 'n' roll, which never forgets.

Jere Hester is Director of News Products and Projects at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is also the author of "Raising a Beatle Baby: How John, Paul, George and Ringo Helped us Come Together as a Family." Follow him on Twitter.

Despite denials from some top intelligence officials that there was any evidence of collusion between associates of Donald Trump's presidential campaign and Russian operatives while Moscow tried to interfere with the 2016 election, Rep. Adam Schiff on Sunday defended the House Intelligence Committee continuing to look into the matter, NBC News reported.

Two weeks ago on Meet The Press, James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence under President Obama, denied that any evidence of such collusion existed while he oversaw the work of U.S. intelligence agencies. The Trump administration has also reiterated those denials.

But this Sunday on "Meet The Press," Schiff, D-Calif., told host Chuck Todd, "I was surprised to see Director Clapper say that because I don't think you can make that claim categorically as he did. I would characterize it this way at the outset of the investigation: there is circumstantial evidence of collusion. There is direct evidence I think of deception and that's where we begin the investigation."

An 18-year-old man was killed in a shooting in Bridgeport Saturday, according to Bridgeport police.

Police said the victim, Gregory Francilme, and a second person were shot outside 201 Bretton Street around 2 p.m. Saturday. Francilme was shot in the head and died of his injuries at St. Vincent’s Medical Center.

The second victim is expected to survive, police said.

Police said they have identified a person of interest and expect to make an arrest.

April the giraffe's appetite "remains strong", but her hungry calf has calmed down, her keepers at an upstate New York zoo say.

The mom-to-be is now carrying everything closer to her rear, which keepers say is exactly what they want. April's calf has calmed down, a stark change from the active kicking and moving keepers have observed over the past couple of days.

"Keepers have noted a calming down of the calf and April carrying everything a bit towards the rear. This is exactly what we want!" the zoo said in a Sunday morning Facebook post. "Appetite remains strong."

The zoo shared an adorable photo captured last summer of the lovers extending their slick black tongues as they fight over a guest's carrot offering.

April's wax caps are still in place. As for when she'll deliver, only time will tell, Animal Adventure Park says. 

Some viewers got excited Saturday when both a veterinarian and the park owner visited April, but the zoo said it was just a checkup. 

Several signs point in the right direction: April's growing belly was "very low" and seemed to be shaped like an egg Saturday morning, but by nightfall it was "high and tight," the zoo said Saturday evening. Her backside swelled to nearly twice its size days prior. 

Watch the live stream below (NOTE: weather conditions may cause intermittent disruptions).

Nearly 90,000 people were watching April as the sun beamed Sunday morning.

The long-necked beauty peered over Oliver's pen and gazed longingly at him as she chewed the last of her breakfast. She then began to nibble at and lick the wood divider for a few moments before taking a drink of water.

Intrigued, Oliver poked his head above his pen to watch her snack on a clump of hay. The two were seen interacting and swinging their tails for a moment before moving to the opposite ends of their respective pens.

April has had periods of edginess in recent weeks brought on by stretches of cold weather and her active calf. Neither she nor Oliver have been able to roam freely outdoors because of the bitter cold and heaps of snow covering the tri-state.

Nevertheless, April is in “great physical and mental condition,” and the vets who have been monitoring her say they’re pleased with her progress.

April's pregnancy was catapulted into global headlines late last month after YouTube briefly yanked the zoo's stream following complaints by animal activists that it violated the site's policies concerning "nudity and sexual content." Thousands upon thousands of commenters voiced their frustration on Facebook and YouTube, and the stream was restored within an hour or so.

Jordan Patch, owner of the Animal Adventure Park, says the natural curiosity surrounding giraffes and their birthing process has been a huge factor in drawing crowds.

"I think the fact that she's a giraffe and she's a neat species that people are interested in, that's fostered a lot of the attention," he said. "The fact that you're gonna get to witness the miracle of birth from an animal that you really don't get to see give birth — that's neat."

He added that April's pregnancy is not just live entertainment, but a teachable moment and source for education.

Giraffe pregnancies last up to 15 months. Labor lasts anywhere from a few hours to a few days. The calf, which will be the first born at Animal Adventure Park, will be about 150 pounds and 6 feet tall at birth and up and walking in about an hour.

The zoo said it will hold an online competition to name the baby giraffe once it's born.

President Trump's Director of the Office of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney on Sunday defended the administration's budget blueprint for not reducing the federal deficit — despite his past reputation as a deficit hawk member of Congress, NBC News reported.

"Keep in mind, the administration is different than members of the Hill, the members of the House and the Senate," Mulvaney told host Chuck Todd on "Meet The Press."

"Every House member, which I used to be, has a constituency," said Mulvaney. "We have a group of people we represent. Senators represent the whole state. There's also a lot of special interests, a lot of lobbying involved. The president's not beholden to any of that. The president represents everybody."

One person was killed in a crash on Interstate 91 in North Haven early Sunday morning, according to Connecticut State Police.

Police said they responded to a three-vehicle accident on I-91 north near exit 11 around 2:40 a.m. When they arrived one car was on fire. Police confirmed that the driver of one of the vehicles, identified as Benjamin Franklin Morant, Jr.,  34, of New Haven, was pronounced dead on scene.

Six other people were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The highway was closed from about 2:40 a.m. to 7 a.m. while crews investigated. At this time it's not clear what caused the crash, police said.

More details were not immediately available. Anyone with information about this accident is asked to call state police Troop I at 203-393-4200.

A woman is dead after a house fire in North Haven Saturday night, according to fire officials.

According to fire Chief Paul Januszewski, the North Haven Fire Department received a 911 call from a neighbor to report heavy smoke at a house on the corner of Ridge Rd. and Cooper Rd. at 10:34 p.m. 

When they arrived, fire crews encountered heavy smoke in the rear of the house. The immediately began to search for occupants inside.

While searching, they located one victim who was later pronounced dead at the scene. Fire officials confirmed the victim was a woman and that she died of smoke inhalation.

Officials did not publicly identify the victim, but Stephen Accetura, who identified himself as a friend of hers, said the woman lived alone in the home after her husband died.

“She always was nice to me. She always needed something so she made sure I came back here, and I was happy I did,” Accetura said.

Officials said the fire appears to have started in the kitchen. Neighbors said it appeared to have been burning for a long time.

“The back of the house was fully engulfed. There was actually a really great Good Samaritan who called the fire in, who was driving by and saw - a young couple,” said Rick Johnson, who lives in the area.

“There were people who tried opening the door but they couldn’t get in because the smoke just rushed right out,” said neighbor Cameron Owens.

The Connecticut State Police and North Haven Police are assisting in the investigation. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Two groups of opposing protesters at a North Texas mosque ended up banding together and even sharing a meal after a third group began insulting some of the demonstrators.

The Bureau of American Islamic Relations had previously announced plans to stage a "Trump is Your President" protest outside the Islamic Association of North Texas on Abrams Road in Richardson.

Members and supporters of the mosque then planned a counter protest.

But on Saturday, before the two opposing sides could voice their opinions with signs and words, a third group of protesters showed up and hijacked the event.

The group of about 20 people called themselves the "Dallas Workers Front." They were dressed in all black, wore masks and many were armed with guns or pipes.

They blocked members of BAIR from protesting, hurled insults and chanted, "No safe space for fascists." 

The comments prompted members of the mosque to step in and ask "Dallas Workers Front" members to back off and allow BAIR the freedom to exercise their right to free speech.

"I believe they have the full right to protest," said Omair Siddiqi, a community activist and member of the mosque.

When that didn't work, the two opposing sides unexpectedly left the rowdy group behind and decided to share lunch together.

The two sides talked to one another at Halal Guys Restaurant.

"I want what's best for this society," said one member of the mosque. "I don't want terrorists coming in here."

Another told members of BAIR that a number of Islamic scholars across the country condemn ISIS and don't believe they're following the principles of Islam.

"When these terrorists see this they hate it," said a Muslim man. "They despise that we get to sit together and we can have a conversation."

Two hours later, the two sides found common ground and a common enemy.

"I've wanted to speak with them for two years now," David Wright of BAIR said. "It's just stuff I already knew, but now we're talking and there's a dialog."

Siddiqi said what he wanted people to take away from the lunch is that "love will win and hate doesn't belong anywhere in any community."

Both groups told NBC 5 they will now plan a march to protest together against ISIS.

This is not the first time BAIR has demonstrated outside of the mosque.

A member told NBC 5 another demonstration was already in the works, but members will meet and discuss whether to move forward or cancel the protest.

A waiter at a Southern California restaurant was fired after patrons say they were asked to show "proof of residency" before being served.

Diana Carrillo, 23, said she had often gone to Saint Marc, a pub-café in the Paradise Shopping Center on Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach.

On March 11, Carrillo went to the upscale eatery with her sister and two other friends and asked to order some drinks. According to Carrillo, the waiter allegedly asked them to show proof of residency.

When they asked him to explain what he meant, the waiter replied that he needed to make sure they were legally allowed to be there, Carrillo said.

She said the group complained to the manager — who called the waiter "one of their best" — and was offered to be seated in another section.

They declined and left.

"At this point, it's more about bringing light to the issue. I feel like this is something we're leaning toward, that every time you go to a restaurant they're going to ask for your proof of residency or just because you speak Spanish, or anyone else if they're speaking a different language, they think it's okay to ask for proof of residency. And that's not okay," the Irvine resident said.

The restaurant announced Tuesday afternoon that they fired the employees involved. 

After Carrillo detailed her experience in a Yelp review post, the restaurant took to Facebook to respond:

"We are deeply saddened by this guest's experience and have made the decision to terminate the employees in question. This type of behavior is not representative of the Saint Marc brand and it will not be tolerated. We have established our restaurant in a wonderfully diverse community and intend to uphold our standards of universal acceptance."

A restaurant spokesperson said they'd like for Carrillo and her friends to return and have a face-to-face conversation about the incident.

She said she'd only be willing to do that if Saint Marc is willing to turn that into a larger community conversation.

Getting one toddler to sleep can be hard enough. But two? That's double trouble. 

Andrew and Ryan, identical 2-year-old twins in New York state, are showing the world just what it looks like in a viral video.

The boys are seen hopping out of their cribs, climbing onto a couch, moving pillows, cushions and toys into a pile on the floor, even upturning their mattresses. 

It's enough to induce some head-shaking among parents -- if you can stop laughing, that is. 

The boys' parents condensed their seven-hour overnight adventure into about two minutes. The video has been watched more than 11 million times since it was posted to Facebook on March 13. 

Westport police have arrested a man after he was found with a stun gun in his jacket pocket, according to police.

Shawn Frazier, 53, of Bridgeport was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon and interfering with an officer.

Police said that on Friday around 4 p.m. they were called to the Saugatuck Train Station for a reported suspicious person. When they arrived they approached Fraizer, who was panhandling at the station.

According to police, Fraizer was acting strangely and ignored officer commands, at one point putting his hand inside his jacket pocket as though grabbing for something. When police searched Fraizer they found the electronic weapon in his pocket.

Fraizer was held on a $20,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on March 29.

Straphangers will be shelling out more for their daily commutes as MTA's most recent fare hike takes effect.

Unlimited Ride MetroCard fares went up from $31 to $32 for the seven-day card and from $116.50 to $121 for the 30-day card. The one-way base fare remains the same at $2.75 for subways and local buses, and the cash fare remains at $6.50 for Express buses.

Reduced-fare Unlimited Ride MetroCards cost $16.00 for a seven-day card $60.50 for a 30-day card. Single Ride Tickets stay at $3.

For both Express buses and pay-per-ride fares, a 5 percent bonus is added when commuters buy or add $5.50 more to their MetroCards.

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Drivers aren't exempt from the fare hike — bridge and tunnel tolls went up as well.

The E-ZPass toll at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge increased by 44 cents to $11.52, while cash tolls increased $1 to $17. The toll is only paid when crossing from Brooklyn to Staten Island.

At the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, the toll increased 22 cents to $5.76.

For those looking to save some cash on their daily commute, stock up on 11 percent bonus cards, specifically the $40 MetroCards with a $4.40 bonus. However, keep in mind that will only last about a year and a half.

For a complete breakdown of pricing and bonuses, visit the MTA's website for more information or click here for more fare update information.

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The fare hike was approved by the MTA board January 25. Despite straphangers' grumbles about skyrocketing fares, the transit agency says it's the lowest fare and toll increase in eight years. 

The agency added that of the 180,000 vehicles that cross the narrows daily, roughly 77 percent already avail of discounts.

Over half of the MTA's $15.6 billion annual operating budget is derived from fares and tolls, according to BKYLNER.

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Uber President Jeff Jones has resigned just six months after joining its ranks.

"We want to thank Jeff for his six months at the company and wish him all the best," Uber spokeswoman Sophie Schmidt said in a statement to NBC News confirming Jones' departure.

The No. 2 executive at the San Francisco-based ride-hailing company cited differences in "beliefs and approach to leadership," technology news site ReCode reported.

“After we announced our intention to hire a COO, Jeff came to the tough decision that he doesn’t see his future at Uber," CEO Travis Kalanick wrote in an internal email to company employees. "It is unfortunate that this was announced through the press but I thought it was important to send all of you an email before providing comment publicly."

Kalanick praised Jones' contributions to Uber, including the company's "first brand reputation study, which will help set our course in the coming months and year."

Sources with Uber told NBC News the departure is effective immediately.

Jones is the latest in a string of high-level executives to leave the company. Earlier this month, Uber asked engineering executive Amit Singhai to resign amid allegations of sexual harassment during his tenure at Google, NBC News reported. 

Ed Baker, Uber's VP of product and growth, also quit Uber this month, according to Recode. 

In a statement to Recode, Jones offered a harsh review of the company.

“It is now clear, however, that the beliefs and approach to leadership that have guided my career are inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber, and I can no longer continue as president of the ride-sharing business."

Jones was Target's chief marketing officer before joining Uber in August 2016.