More than two dozen children have died in hot cars this year. It is a statistic that compelled the makers of Waze, a popular traffic app, to add a feature that reminds drivers when they are traveling with a child.

Users can opt to set an alert that will remind them to take their child or pet out of their vehicle when they reach the destination they navigated to with Waze.

"Time driving is usually spent planning next steps. What we'll do when we reach our destination, what to make for dinner, which route to take?" the company said on its blog. "We hope this feature serves as a reminder to be present and remember any little ones who cannot speak up when it's time to get out of the car."

Heatwaves across the country have sent temperatures soaring to dangerous marks, especially inside cars left in the sun. Twenty-six children have died in hot cars this year, according to data collected by noheatstroke.org, up from 24 total deaths in 2015.

Last week, a father in Georgia left his twin daughters in an SUV and has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for their deaths. A 4-year-old girl died in a hot car in Pennsylvania just days prior to the Georgia death. In Falls Church, Virginia, a dog died after his owner left him in a car outside a pet store.

Babies have a particularly difficult time regulating their body temperature, which can quickly rise over the usually fatal level of 107 degrees, according to the National Institutes of Health. Both the NIH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend drivers never leave children or pets unattended in the car, even if the windows are down or if the weather feels cool and comfortable.

A South Jersey man shot his wife and 10-year-old son to death, then turned the gun on himself, authorities in Burlington Township said Tuesday.

The murder-suicide is the second in which a family has died in the Philadelphia area in a span of three days, after a family of five was found dead in their Berks County home on Saturday.

The Burlington Township murder-suicide was discovered the same way as the one in Berks County: After a call from a concerned relative, police officers went to a home on Sunflower Circle in Burlington Township about 10:15 p.m. Monday, according to the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office.

At the home, police found Ruben Johnson Jr., 50, his wife, Mishanda, 48, and their 10-year-old son dead of gunshot wounds. An investigation determined that Ruben Johnson shot his wife and son to death, then fatally shot himself, according to the prosecutor's office.

The murder-suicide came on the heels of that of the Short family in Sinking Spring, Berks County. Investigators have not yet said which adult they believe was responsible for the shooting in that case.

Philly’s own, Nia Ali, has overcome hurdles both on and off the track to become one of the top 100 meter hurdlers in the world. Ali was an all-around high school athlete in Philadelphia and Pleasantville, N.J. before committing to Track & Field.

In 2009, while Ali was running for the University of Southern California, her life was rocked by news that her father died in a murder-suicide back home in Philadelphia. After taking a year off, Ali came back to earn a championship title. This summer, she's representing Team USA in the Rio Olympics. It'll be a family affair for Ali who has a 2-year-old son with Michael Tinsley, who took silver in the 2012 London Olympics in the 400M hurdles. He's back for a second run in Rio. Their son, Titus, will cheer from the stands. We caught up with 27-year-old Nia a couple days after she qualified for the Olympics as she traveled from Oregon to Los Angeles.

Q: Nia, has it sunk in yet that you’re actually going to Rio?

I keep telling people maybe when I get back to LA. It hasn’t really sunk in completely because I keep talking to new people and people who helped me in my career. It is always a new feeling talking to each person and I haven’t gotten a chance to take it all in. I am still grinding for the gold. So it’s hard to kind of relish in the moment because you’re always on the go and there’s always something coming up. I’m still in shock.

Q: Elite athletes like yourself, we know you're physically capable, but at this level, so much of it is mental. What got you over that finish line during the Olympic trials?

That was the first time I really thought about how many people were watching and that kind of made me nervous but also made me really want to do it. And I never know until I cross the line and look at my phone and see so much love and support from people and I’m like, "Wait you were watching?" There were people from middle school and teachers watching. So it made me really want to do it. And I went out there. I prayed to God and said "I know a lot of people want you to be with them right now but I need you." So, my faith is strong and I believe that I was one of the chosen ones.

Q: You have a huge family back in Philly and you often talk about the emotional boost you get from them. What was your family's reaction after the Olympic trials?

I mean everyone just kind of had the vision. My family believes in me and they are incredibly supportive. They all wanted to come to Rio and it’s been Road to Rio for over a year now. Since I got pregnant it has been Road to Rio so they have been saving up and preparing for this moment. They knew it was going to come at some point.

Q: What fuels you? Do you have special diet regimen?

I drink a lot of water. I’m not a big juice drinker but I do drink a lot of water. Non-stop. I had a lot of injuries in the past like hamstring pulls so I like to make sure a lot of fluids, electrolytes, probiotics, and fruits are in my body. I am constantly snacking, but in the past I’ve always been injured and this is the first year I’ve been completely healthy. When I used to try to go for more in training is when I usually would get hurt, so I’ve worked on listening to my body a lot more.

Q: Nia, a lot of athletes have quirks or rituals before or during competition. Do you have any superstitions?

I'm not really superstitious but I do have rituals. I don’t eat on race days regardless of when I have to compete. I could compete at 8 p.m. and I won’t eat all day. I like to put two pins in my number because I don’t really like to use four. There are a lot of things I like to keep the same because I believe that can lead to the same or better results.

Q: You've got a 2-year-old, you're training for the race of your life in Rio and so is Michael Tinsley. You were on the West Coast, he was in Texas -- with such demanding schedules, how do you two stay connected on the family front?

We're always in contact and I think the fact that we’re in the same sport and on the same level really helps. We understand the lifestyle and are always interested in how each other’s training is going. His coach is very supportive of me and vice versa. We’re a part of each other’s success and we do really well together. So if he wants to talk track then he will talk to me and I will keep him calm and I’ll talk to him. He does the same for me. So we just balance each other and don't allow outside pressures to get to us.

Q: What you've achieved on the track after having a baby is astounding. How did you come back so strong after Titus was born?

I was so motivated and I was extremely blessed with the pregnancy. I didn’t really gain any weight, it was all baby. I was able to train for four to five months into my pregnancy and even when I didn’t train I still stayed really fit. So, it never really felt like I lost a beat. After, I got back into it I felt really good and things that I thought I lost my coach Ryan Wilson was really supportive. He told me, "You’re stronger than you’ve been and your training is going better than it ever has and you’re faster -- so don’t believe what your body is trying to tell you." He kept reinforcing that I was ready and I believe in him and everything that he tells me.

Q: You basically grew up on the track, starting club track when you were 6 years old. How did your Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) experience shape you?

That is my entire family and your whole support team comes from AAU track. I feel like it gives you a good ground to stand on. Sometimes you have to travel and get tested in the rain and I’m 11 years old doing these things. So you are going through so much with these people. You are growing with these people and it really builds character.

Q: After losing your dad, what advice do you have for people going through really hard times?

You should always look to the people closest to you for support during those times. After I went through what I went through with my dad, I just wanted to be with my grandma, family and friends. And I gained a sense of what really matters. You realize everything is going to come to an end at some point. When we're here doing track, this is really a short part of our lives. It doesn’t define you and it doesn’t make you who you are. But you can help build a legacy and I think it’s important -- for people to take advantage of moments.

So I don’t look too far in the future or dwell too much in the past. Things will always fall into place the way they are supposed to fall into place.

Q: What does @ItsPooda "Oprah’s Only Child" Twitter name mean?

[Laughing] It’s just a nickname. My first college suite mate played basketball and she would always say, "It's Pooda!" every time she saw me. Or when she left me messages on my white board it would say Pooda. "Oprah’s only child" is just silly. Oprah doesn’t have any children and I love what she stands for. I am very into finance and building a brand and building a legacy for the people behind you. Her charity and everything that she does, I just love her. so I’m proud to say I’m her only child.

Nia Ali's first heat is August 16 at 10:05 a.m.

Watch out Atlantic City residents, you might be getting pulled over by Tim Tebow soon.

Just kidding. We think.

Jokes aside, the Atlantic City Police Department apparently thinks he would “definitely be an asset” to the force.

The department tweeted out a photoshopped image of Tebow as an Atlantic City officer wishing the athlete luck in his new baseball career. But the tweet intimated he could have a Plan B in Atlantic City.

The former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback is giving baseball a try after not being able to find work in football.

A popular children’s show host has passed away at the age of 90, broadcast pioneers confirmed.

W. Carter Merbreier, better known as Captain Noah, was the co-host of the children’s television series “Captain Noah and his Magical Ark.” The show aired on WPVI from 1967 until 1994. At its peak in the early 1970s, the show was broadcast on 22 television stations throughout the US.

Merbreir and his wife and cohost, Patricia, retired in 1994 and lived in Gladwyne.

Patricia passed away in 2011 following a long illness.

A New Jersey teenager with Autism is getting the help he needs thanks to a successful GoFundMe campaign and now his family is hoping they may be able to pay it forward.

Jack Morgan, a 14-year-old from Princeton, New Jersey, has been battling a complex case of Autism in which he injures himself, sometimes severely, with bruises, black eyes and internal bleeding. He was diagnosed as a toddler and as he's gotten older, has become more of a danger to himself, his mother Laura Morgan said.

Recently Jack was offered admittance to a highly-regarded program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI) in Baltimore, Maryland. Treatment at the facility would help "address these behaviors so he and our family can start to live a happy and productive life," Morgan writes on the GoFundMe page. But it comes at a hefty six-figure price tag -- one the Morgan family's insurance company initially would only cover a fraction of. 

The GoFundMe campaign raised over $52,000, exceeding by a slight margin the $51,900 goal set. The page said 594 people gave in the last nine days.

With the help of local lawyer, Jodi Bouer, the insurance company has now agreed to cover the treatment and Jackson was admitted to KKI on Friday. However, the Morgans and Bouer caution the fight is not over.

"We can expect that our insurer will deny coverage for continuing services within the next few months of even weeks, hit us with uncovered and out-of-network medical expenses requiring another legal battle and potentially leaving us with a bill of hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses,” Morgan writes on the GoFundMe page.

The money raised will help pay for expenses during Jack's treatment at KKI, if any issues should arise.

"We have a long road ahead," Bouer said. "We're hoping for the best case scenario."

The Morgans are "thrilled and humbled" by the amount of people who helped donate to the page and said they are happy the cause has highlighted the shortage of facilities like KKI. Should any crowdfunding money be left over, the Morgan family "plans on donating it to an autism-related charity to help other kids like Jackson get the help they need."

"Jackson's future is already looking a lot brighter because of your help," Morgan writes. "We thank you from the bottom of our heart for all that you have done for our family!"

HERE WE GO AGAIN

We’ve already had four heat waves in Philadelphia this summer season (1 in May, 3 in July), combining for 25 days with 90+ degree temperatures. In short: a pretty hot summer. Now, another heat wave is about to start.

We’re not the only place about to get some excessive heat. Here’s the map of temperatures compared to normal for late Thursday and then late Saturday:

[[389661881, C]]

[[389662051, C]]

The darker the reddish color, the hotter it’s going to be than “normal.”

Here are our predictions for high temperature/highest heat index:

[[389662231, C]]

THUNDERSTORMS, TOO?

Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, combined with Atlantic moisture will lead to a LOT of rain over parts of the Eastern half of the country. Unfortunately, the prime rain areas won’t be moving a lot. So that adds up to some flood threats-especially near the Gulf Coast, and a zone from Southern Indiana to Northern PA.

[[389662311, C]]

The way the pattern is setting up, there should be a lot more rain in the Lehigh Valley, Berks County, and the Poconos than in the Philadelphia area. And there should be even less south of Philadelphia, in southern Delaware and the Jersey Shore. In fact, when you combine the heat relief with ocean breezes PLUS more sunshine, the shore will be a great place to be during this heat wave. And, as an added bonus, the ocean temperature is near 80 degrees, which is about as warm as it gets around here. That’s about 8 degrees warmer than the average ocean temperature in August.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney gave himself a birthday present that he's wanted for a while: Reading mean tweets directed at him on camera.

Tweets included questions like, "Are you being paid to say stupid things or is this really who you are?"

"No, it's really who I am," the mayor replied.

Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for the mayor, said it was the mayor's idea to make the video and something he has always wanted to do. 

“I’m sure he’d love to do it again,” Hitt said. “Maybe we can make it a birthday tradition.”

Kenney’s birthday was actually Sunday, Aug. 7, she said.

A little girl is in critical condition Tuesday evening after she was struck by a bullet on a street in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, police said.

The 6-year-old was hit under her left arm at 7 p.m., police said. She was taken to Einstein Hospital, but was expected to be transferred to Saint Christopher's Hospital.

The unidentified victim was struck in the 6300 block of Woodstock Street.

Two SEPTA trains, filled with evening commuters, were stuck on the Paoli/Thorndale Regional Rail line for almost three hours Tuesday evening between the Malvern and Thorndale stations.

The long – and sweaty – delay was because of Amtrak downed wires, an agency spokeswoman said.

It was not known exactly how many passengers were aboard at the time, but SEPTA Media Relations spokesperson Carla Showell-Lee said the sudden halt affected two trains, each consisting of six cars.

All the passengers were eventually taken off the stranded trains, but Lee said the Paoli/Thorndale line remained suspended. She said SEPTA anticipates working through the night in hopes of restoring service by the morning rush hour.

One of those unlucky passengers stranded was Mary Beth Shuts, who takes the train daily for her commute from Downingtown into Center City.

“I went on at 5 p.m. and got off a little after 8. That commute normally takes about an hour and 15 minutes, but it was 3 hours tonight,” Shuts told NBC10.

She said it got so desperate that some riders thought about calling 9-1-1, adding that when the electricity went out, the trains’ air conditioning stopped. The lights were also out. Eventually, riders on the two stranded trains were evacuated to shuttle buses at Malvern station.

“Some people had tried to jump off the train before they put us on ‘lock down.’ We were sitting in grilling heat,” Shuts said.  “One woman wanted to call the cops. By around 7:30 p.m., there seemed to be no light. Two SEPTA officials came with flashlights to help us cross the tracks. We had to cross over two tracks to meet up with our families.”

Passengers took to Twitter expressing discomfort while waiting hours on the suspended trains:

A 6-year-old girl remained in a Philadelphia hospital Wednesday morning, recovering from serious injuries caused by a stray bullet that tore through her torso in a hail of gunfire outside her home Tuesday night.

Authorities said the girl remained in critical condition Wednesday at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, but was stabilized overnight. As she continued to recover, police hunted for the shooter -- or shooters -- they say are responsible for unleashing nearly two dozen gunshots on a residential block of Woodstock Street near Medary Avenue in East Germantown.

One bullet that police said they don't believe was meant for the child found its way under her arm and into her torso as she sat on the front steps of her home with a relative. Police found the little girl unresponsive, lying on the sidewalk.

"The bullet went under her left arm, her left armpit area. That is a bad spot to be hit by gunfire," Chief Inspector Scott Small told NBC10 at the scene.

Doctors performed emergency surgery on the little girl overnight.

Her aunt told NBC10's Matt DeLucia that she suffered a collapsed lung and other serious injuries, including broken ribs, as a result of the gunshot wound.

The child is expected to survive.

Police are investigating whether a shooting a block away and a short time later may also be connected in some way to the shootout that left the child injured.

Poilce found a car with bullet holes in it at 21st Street and Chelten Avenue and then followed a blood trail to nearby Norwood Street, where they found a man with gunshot wounds to his arm and leg. That man is in stable condition at a local hospital, and both shootings remain under investigation.

Anyone with information in either shooting is asked to contact Northwest Detectives at 215-686-3353, the police tip line at 215-686-8477 or text a tip to PPD TIP (773847).