There are more members of the LGBTQ community taking active roles in the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia than any other political convention in the party's history.

LGBT Caucus chair Earl Fowlks proclaimed the four day spectacle was the "gayest convention in history" at the group's meeting inside the Pennsylvania Convention Center Tuesday afternoon.

The meet-up was packed with high-profile speakers like New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and former NBA star Jason Collins and his brother, Jerome, who is an assistant NBA coach with the Golden State Warriors.

Raucous applause often interrupted speeches as accomplishments of equality for the LGBTQ community — like the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage — were mentioned.

More than 11 percent of the delegates this year identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or queer. Twenty-eight of them are transgender.

Delegates see strength in the numbers, offering an opportunity to continue to fight for equal rights in more ways than saying ‘I Do.’

“I should have a choice, if I was a transgender person, to choose whatever bathroom that I identify,” said David Tomlinson, a delegate from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Tomlinson, a 40-year-old black Hillary Clinton supporter who owns an all-gay entertainment firm, says there’s many disparities especially among LGBTQ people of color. Homelessness continues to be an issue for youth who come out to their families and STD rates among minorities remain high.

This year, the Democratic Party put forth a progressive platform that includes many charges to further protect the LGBTQ community by pushing for an expansive federal rights bill to prevent discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation. The "Equality Act" is currently on hold in Congress. It would add sex and sexual orientation to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Donovan Hawk says the caucus and community need to make sure politicians need to be held accountable so that they make good on their promises.

“We just want equality in every single state. We just don’t want to be special. We want to be equal,” said the 35-year-old from Butte, Montana.

Both Hawk and Tomlinson are first time delegates and relish the opportunity to further the LGBTQ cause by getting involved in the political process.

Tomlinson describes his position as a delegate as unique.

“It’s something that as a person of color, as an LGBTQ person, this is how we have to educate our communities, we have to get involved in this process,” he said.

“In the room, it looks like we’re all together and that needs to reflect outside of here.”

Facing increased pressure from Democrats in Congress, the Food and Drug Administration began to officially reconsider its policy limiting blood donations from gay and bisexual men on Tuesday, NBC News reported.

The current policy forbids blood donations from men who have had sex with other men within the past year.

The ban was originally put in place with the intention of limiting the risk of getting the AIDS virus in blood, but activists say it's unfair and discriminatory.

The issue came to greater prominence after a June shooting killed 49 people at an Orlando, Florida, club favored by the LGBT community in June. LGBT groups complained that the restrictions made it difficult for friends and loved ones to give their blood.

A Philadelphia Eagle has used a little magic to soar into the live round of NBC's popular reality show "America's Got Talent." Now he needs Eagles fans to help him advance.

Jon Dorenbos, the team’s long snapper, performed a mind-blowing prediction in a bottle for judges Simon Cowell, Mel B, Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum live on Tuesday night. [[388350442, C]]

The judges were wowed as Dorenbos read their minds even Cowell's famous "No." The veteran snapper got a standing ovation from the crowd as he yelled "I'm Jon Dorenbos, peace out!"

"He represents us, the organization, this city on that show," said Eagles head coach Doug Pedersen.

If Dorenbos moves on, it's unclear how he will balance his magic fame with his duties as Eagles long-snapper since Eagles veterans report for training camp Wednesday. He is due in Philly for the first set of training tests Thursday.

If he advances, he would need to make the trip between Philadelphia and Los Angeles again, luckily for him, the Eagles don't have practice scheduled for next Tuesday.

Dorenbos has performed card tricks for teammates during his time as a Pro Bowl long-snapper. He regularly performs as a motivational speaker and comedy magician in the off-season, according to the Eagles’ website.

A teenage victim of a South Philadelphia shootout that sent people diving for cover is apparently a suspect in the armed carjacking of a Philadelphia Police officer’s daughter just about 24 hours earlier.

Two groups began shooting at each other just before 11 p.m. Tuesday in the area of 5th and Moore streets, said Philadelphia Police.

Multiple gunmen fired at least three dozen shots, leaving a 17-year-old boy shot in the abdomen and 27- and 40-year-old men shot in the legs. Doctors at Jefferson Hospital treated all three in stable condition. The teen underwent surgery.

Some of the stray bullets struck parked vehicles and one struck a home nearby causing residents inside to hit the floor, said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.

"Luckily none of the occupants of that house were struck by gunfire," said Small.

Around the same time that the boy arrived at Jefferson for treatment, the woman who was carjacked nearby under Interstate 95 less than 24 hours earlier was picking out the 17-year-old boy’s photo from a lineup, said police.

Two armed teens on bicycles carjacked the woman than drove off to Southwest Philly before crashing into multiple cars and running off. No word yet, if police have a second suspect in the carjacking. [[388242002, C]]

As for Tuesday night's shootout, the 17-year-old boy appears to also be a shooter or with one of the shooter’s, said Small.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact Philadelphia Police.

Comedian Sarah Silverman said Wednesday on Twitter that her account had been hacked, after an earlier message linked to a YouTube video criticizing Hillary Clinton.

"MY TWITTER ACCT GOT HACKED THIS IS NOT ME," Silverman wrote in response to a tweet from 8:48 a.m. ET.

The since deleted post had said "America, are you awakening?" It also included language in the Cyrillic alphabet and linked to a YouTube video from the hacker group Anonymous on April 9 in opposition to Clinton.

[[388178162, C]]

Silverman, a former Bernie Sanders supporter, joined Sen. Al Franken Monday night to urge Democratic National Convention delegates to unite behind Clinton.

She also responded to Sanders die-hards who had booed Clinton's name at convention events by saying: "To the Bernie or bust people, you're being ridiculous."

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Police in Philadelphia say that a 34-year-old man has been charged in a hit-and-run crash that left a 40-year-old mother dead and six other people injured, including her husband and young son.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports charges against George McGoldrick include involuntary manslaughter and drunken driving in the crash that killed Suryani Tjung on Friday night.

Police say he ran from the scene after crashing into another vehicle and three pedestrians, killing a mother and wounding several others. Police say he was drunk at the time.

It was around 8:30 p.m. when the white Toyota Avalon, driven by McGoldrick, sped westbound along Jackson Street near 21st and slammed into a minivan, carrying a man and three kids, at the intersection, police said.[[388041082, C]]

The Avalon then careened out of control onto the sidewalk where three people were standing, killing 40-year-old Suryani Tjung and injuring her husband and 2-year-old son.

The Toyota hit the minivan with such force that the car's driver's side door lodged onto the green van's fender, breaking away from the sedan.

The car traveled another block to Snyder Avenue, where the driver jumped out and ran home. Police said a family member called 911 after McGoldrick told them about the crash.

In all, seven people were hurt, police said.[[388001002, C]]

Tjung, who was from the neighborhood, was left in extremely critical condition after the crash. She was rushed to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, but could not be saved, police said.

The husband and their son as well as four people from the minivan were treated at Jefferson for minor injuries.

Police didn't immediately identify a 28-year-old woman who was with McGoldrick. They say McGoldrick was arrested after a family member he told about the crash contacted police.

Pennsylvania’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention didn’t get to hear from a premiere speaker as first anticipated.

Former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., canceled his appearance at the breakfast at the Double Tree Hotel on Broad street Wednesday morning.

It wasn’t immediately clear why Sanders spurned the Keystone State Delegates.

He did keep a speaking engagement with delegates from New England (his home state of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine) and Texas, however.

Media gathered at the Pennsylvania Delegation's breakfast were told to expect actor Danny Glover to speak but also also failed to appear.

Police in a South Jersey community alerted residents Wednesday morning after a large snake got away from them.

Paulsboro Police were sent to the 200 block of E Jefferson Street Tuesday night for the "report of a large snake under a porch," the department posted on Facebook.

By the time animal control showed up the snake – it appeared to be about a 60-pound boa constrictor measuring around 10 to 12 feet long – had escaped into a hole in the ground but not before a photo was snapped of the large reptile, said police.

Boas aren’t venomous but they can cause harm to people and pets by cutting off the blood supply, according to National Geographic.

Police asked that residents in the area to keep pets inside and call 911 if you spot the snake.

A number of local hunger-relief organizations are coming together this week during the Democratic National Convention to rescue food leftover from DNC events throughout the city and ensure it gets donated to people who need it.

In the City of Philadelphia, one in four people are food insecure -- twice the national average -- according to the Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger. The Coalition and other local groups saw the DNC, projected to draw some 50,000 visitors to the city for numerous events all week, as the perfect opportunity to save leftover food to donate to food banks and other support organizations.

"We know from the Pope's visit last year that large events lead to increased tourism, which also leads to increased food waste," said Megha Kulshreshtha, founder of Food Connect, which is also participating in the effort. "With an estimated 70 billion pounds of food wasted in America each year, we knew we needed to form a collaboration to rescue as much of it as possible for those facing hunger in our area."

The collaborative effort to save the leftover DNC food also includes Philbundance, the Philadelphia Food Policy Advisory Council, SHARE Food Program and the Mayor's Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity.

People wishing to donate excess food or volunteer can do so via an app: Download it for iPhone here or for Android here.

Philadelphia has more than 500 food pantries and soup kitchens, and in a 2015 study, according to the Coalition Against Hunger, almost 90 percent either ran out of food or had to provide less to people in need at some point in a year.

A mother was seriously injured and her 3-year-old daughter was killed after the two were hit by a car in New Jersey on Wednesday morning, authorities said.

The mother and child were crossing the road at Park Avenue and West Second Street in Plainfield when they were hit by a car headed south on Park Avenue, police said.

Footage from the scene showed a red sedan and a baby stroller inside a perimeter of police tape.

It's not clear if the child that was killed was in the stroller. 

The driver of the car wasn't hurt and remained at the scene. No arrests have been made. 

Questlove, the drummer for The Roots, the house band on "The Tonight Show," recalled that while growing up in Philadelphia, his parents enforced the "Oprah rule" to keep him off the streets after school.

He was expected to be home before Oprah Winfrey’s talk show came on at 4 p.m.

"My parents were like, 'you want to come straight home. Do not let that 'Oprah' theme come on and you're not in this house," Questlove, whose birth name is Ahmir Thompson, told "Today's" Matt Lauer in an interview that aired Wednesday morning.

The Roots, Questlove said, started out by busking on Philadelphia streets in 1987 with the aim of "earning date money." The word spread about them in the hip-hop community, leading to bigger shows. The Roots served as the house band on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" from 2009 to 2014, and in the same role on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon", since 2014.

Questlove, who's also a music producer and a DJ, discussed some of his favorite moments on "The Tonight Show," describing one performance with Bruce Springsteen that drove the audience wild.

"It looked like the yuppie version of the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video," he said.

Questlove reminisced about weekends where he would go with his father, a doo-wop singer, to the record store and return home with a trunk full of vinyl.

"He'd buy like 200 records at a time," said Questlove. "I was in a house with 5000 records."

He said his family's dedication to music is what made him successful.

"They literally saved my life, he said. 

It all started with spray paint and a parking lot.

Joe Kovacs didn’t practice in top-notch facilities. He didn’t have the best equipment, not even the best shoes. His high school, Bethlehem Catholic, didn’t even have a track.

“This is where it all started,” Kovac’s mom, Joanne, said, standing in the old parking lot, a can of spray paint in her hand.

Joe grew up in Nazareth, a small town that he says gave him a humble beginning. In a parking lot, Joanne would spray paint a circle on the edge of the pavement for Joe to stand in. From there, he'd throw the shot put into the adjacent field. 

"We didn't have a track, we didn't have a throwing ring," Joe said of his high school. [[388265382, C]]

Joe started out playing football but practiced sprinting a lot to work on his speed. After sprinting practice, Joanne would practice shot put with Joe and a couple of his friends, working on building strength and ultimately becoming their coach. After graduating high school in 2007, Kovacs went on to Penn State University. But the training didn’t stop. And now, Joe is on his way to Rio.

“The only thing I’m thinking about is gold,” Joe told NBC Sports.

Preparing to wear the USA jersey, Joe says there’s no better feeling. And Joanne couldn’t be more proud. [[377968171, C]]

“I’m just proud to see him wearing red, white and blue,” she said. “He’s in the right place, and I just feel good.”

Joe hasn't forgotten about Nazareth though, saying he's thankful for the supportive community and is excited to be back. Mostly, though, he's excited for the Nazareth Diner.

"Three french toasts, golden-brown, and they're perfect every time I go," Joe said, smiling. 

Joe isn't the only Penn Stater headed to Rio, though. 

Darby, Pennsylvania's Darrell Hill makes it a Philly-area two-fer competing in shot put in Rio. The duo will compete in the qualifying round on the morning of Aug. 18. The final round is later that night. 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar perfected the skyhook shot during his days in the NBA. But could he pull off a SkyCoaster shot?

A member of the Harlem Globetrotters nailed the impressive feat Tuesday at Morey’s Piers in Wildwood, N.J.

What is a SkyCoaster shot, you may ask? Oh, it just involves being lifted 110 feet into the air, pulling a ripcord and swinging at a top speed of 60 mph before draining a shot through a hoop on the beach below.

Need to see it to believe it? Here’s the proof.

From waaaaaaay downtown Wildwood -- bang!

Bullard’s no stranger to extreme challenges. Besides putting his basketball skills on display like he will this week with the Globetrotters in Wildwood, he’s also made it to the finals of "American Ninja Warrior."

A Montgomery County teacher was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting two teenage girls, both former students at Springfield Township Middle School where he is a social studies teacher. 

Jason Todd Gattuso, 39, of Chalfont, Pennsylvania, was charged with statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors and other related offenses. Gattuso was arraigned and is currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail after failing to post bail.

Both victims were in the 9th grade -- 14 and 15 -- when Gattuso started texting them, according to the criminal complaint. He was having sex with the teens at various locations, including his car, one of the victim's homes and other locations, according to Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele.

Police began investigating in June after one of the students told police Gattuso started texting her during the school year. When the teen was studying for mid-terms in January of 2015, she said Gattuso offered to come to her home and help her study. Gattuso sexually assaulted the teen, according to the criminal complaint.

The second victim told police she was sexually assaulted 15-20 times by Gattuso in numerous parking lots around Montgomery County, including train stations, hotels and a university. She was 14 when the assaults began.

According to the criminal complaint, Gattuso admitted having sex with both girls and trading sexual text messages and photos.

Gattuso is an 8th grade World History teacher at the school in Oreland, Pennsylvania. Dr. Nancy Hacker, the superintendent of the Springfield Township School District, released a statement to parents saying he was placed on "immediate and indefinite" administrative leave.

"The information we have received indicates that he has confessed to all charges against him," Hacker wrote. "Our district has been cooperating fully with law enforcement officials, including the Springfield Township Police Department and the Montgomery county District Attorney’s Office, in their ongoing investigation, which began at the end of this current school year."

The DA is asking anyone who may have additional information to call Springfield Twp. Police Corporal Robert Chiarlanza at 215-836-1601, ext. 275.

According to Gattuso's bio on the Springfield Township Middle School website, he played football at Villanova University and served in the military prior to working at the school.

Gattuso was sued in federal court in 2015 after he was accused of injuring a 12-year-old boy during a touch football game.

Gattuso was jailed on a $500,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is set for August 9.