Ben's Chili Bowl has painted over its famous mural featuring Bill Cosby, and the restaurant's owners say it has nothing to do with the numerous sexual assault allegations against the comedian.

The owners of the flagship U Street NW restaurant quietly painted the entire wall overnight, leaving behind a white wall with the messages "I love Ben's [since] 58" and "New Year New Mural."

The old mural featured Cosby, former President Barack Obama, radio host Donnie Simpson and music legend Chuck Brown.

Ben's drew criticism from some of its customers when it had previously declined to take the mural down after dozens of women came forward with accusations Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted them.

But members of the Ali family, who own the restaurant founded by Ben Ali, said the ongoing Cosby scandal was not responsible for their decision to remove the mural.

"It wasn't about that," Sonya Ali said, referring to the scandal. "We thought the weather has beaten up that mural over the last five years. This is a great time to refresh."

Her husband, Kamal Ali, echoed her statement, saying the mural "needed a refresh anyway."

"He [Cosby] hasn't come up for years really in terms of the public. It's only the news reporters who ask," he said. "Mr. Cosby is still our brother. Despite any actions, he's still our brother. We love him dearly and want nothing but the best for him."

Now, the Alis are asking their customers to chime in and vote for who should be depicted on a new mural.

They've created an online poll with a long list of famous historical and contemporary figures for voters to choose from. Posted Thursday morning, Sonya Ali boasted the poll had already received over 600 votes by that afternoon.

Some names on the list are predictable -- Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. and Obama -- but other inclusions are more surprising: Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias, Rachael Ray and Jimmy Fallon.

Also on the list: Bill Cosby.

"We have no idea who's gonna end up on the wall. But we're excited, we're really excited," Sonya Ali said. So far, Barack and Michelle Obama are trending "really hard," according to Kamal Ali.

"What we really want is expressions of peace, love, hope, that type of theme," he said. "We would like this country and this world to come together as one so it's gonna be what the people decide."

Passerby Julie Wenah was encouraged by the idea of a new mural, and hopes that something "thoughtful" will be on the wall soon.

"I definitely love President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama," she said. "I would ask Ben’s to be thoughtful about who encourages and what inspires them and what represents unity for the nation."

According to Sonya Ali, the restaurant is hoping work on a new mural will begin by spring.

To vote on which six people should grace the new mural, visit Ben's Chili Bowl's website.

Ramapo's Chief Building Inspector has been indicted on 188 counts, including charges of grand larceny and falsifying business records, officials from the Rockland County District Attorney's office announced Wednesday.

Anthony Mallia, of Airmont, faced charges of grand larceny, tampering with public records, falsifying business records, issuing a false certficate and official misconduct, authorities said. 

The 52-year-old allegedly stole over $150,000 in a yearlong scheme to falsify building permits and building permit applications.

Officials said Mallia allegedly approved building permit applications that grossly underestimated the cost of construction, resulting in him undercharging contractors throughout 2015. The phony records were filed with the town's Building, Planning and Zoning department, which shorted fees legally owed to the town.

Building permit fees are determined by the value of the construction project, officials said.

Mallia is also accused of overcharging the Moleston Fire District $75,000 for a building permit.

His arriagnment on the indictment is pending. If convicted, authorities say he could face up to 25 years in state prison.

The investigation is ongoing.

A suspect in a deadly shooting in Newark was shot by police when he tried to flee officers on the scene Wednesday afternoon, authorities say. 

Police were responding to a report of a fatal shooting on Bloomfield Avenue and Kearny Street at about 4:45 p.m. when they noticed a suspect vehicle racing from the scene, sources tell NBC 4 New York. 

Police pursued the vehicle for three blocks, and one person got out of the fleeing vehicle -- and that's when police fired, apparently hitting one man in the leg, sources say. That happened in the area of Broadway and Kearny Street, Essex County prosecutors say. 

Police are searching for other suspects. 

It's not clear if anyone was in custody, but Chopper 4 over the scene shows police canvassing the area, going through backyards and streets with K-9s while holding flashlights. 

A man wearing glasses with a hood pulled over his head.

That’s what a sketch released by Chester County police shows the man accused of assaulting a Rite Aid worker during an armed robbery last week.

The nationwide pharmacy chain offered a $5,000 reward for the arrest of the man who attacked a Rite Aid manager in the vestibule of the Phoenixville Pike store in West Goshen on Jan. 27. The attack left the worker hurt, said police.

Surveillance video shows the suspect – described by investigators as a man 26 to 40 years old; standing around 6-feet tall; and weighing between 180 to 200 pounds who wore a black hoodie and glasses – attack the employee just moments after the manager lifted the security gate and deactivated the alarm. A struggle ensued as they entered the store. [[412527403, C]]

The suspect then forced the worker to open the safe at gunpoint, said police. The suspect filled up a plastic Rite Aid bag with cash then fled the scene on foot after knocking the employee down, said investigators.

The injured worker was treated at an area hospital and released, said police.

Armed robberies are rare in West Goshen where only two were reported in 2016. In total there were 140 robberies throughout Chester County last year, according to state Uniformed Crime Report information.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the West Goshen Police Department at (610) 696-7400. [[238427591, C]]

Here are the 10 things you need to know to start your day from your friends at NBC10.

TODAY'S TOP STORY

Prisoners Hold 2 Workers Hostage at Delaware Prison: Two Department of Corrections employees who were taken hostage by inmates at a Delaware state prison remained held against their will overnight as negotiations continued. The hostage situation at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center (JTVCC), a Level 5 maximum security prison in Smyrna, began shortly after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday when a corrections officer radioed for help from inside the center's Building C, which houses more than 100 inmates, Delaware State Police spokesman Sgt. Richard Bratz said at a news conference. Officers responded to help and the prison, which houses about 2,500 inmates in all, was placed on lockdown. Bratz initially said five employees were taken hostage, but authorities at a later news conference said the number had been revised to four after one person thought to be among the hostages was found in another part of the prison. Emergency responders, including police from neighboring Pennsylvania and Delaware, converged on the prison Wednesday afternoon. The FBI and Delaware State Police continued to negotiate into Thursday morning.

• MORE ON THE HOSTAGE SITUATION

YOUR FIRST ALERT FORECAST  

Thursday is expected to be sunny but temperatures will stay cool. The wind will make it feel cold as well. Friday and Saturday are expected to be cold with temperatues in the 30s and 40s but sunny. Sunday could see some light snow. High Temp: 42 degrees. Get your full NBC10 First Alert forecast here.

WHAT YOU MISSED YESTERDAY

Main Line Teacher Sexual Assaults Student: Police on suburban Philadelphia's Main Line revealed details Wednesday about a teacher facing charges of repeatedly sexually assaulting a juvenile student she considered "her girlfriend.” Nina Scott, 28, taught at Presbyterian Children's Village on Roberts Road in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, said Radnor Township police. She was fired late last year, said the school. "The only way I can describe what this teacher did is downright disgusting," said Radnor police Superintendent William Colarulo at a news conference Wednesday. The sexual encounters between Scott and a female student took place from February 2016 to October 2016 on school property, at public parks in Philadelphia while the girl was on home leave and at Scott's home, said police. Scott faces 70 total counts including 34 total counts of institutional sexual assault of a minor, said court records.

• MORE ON THE CHARGES

AROUND THE WORLD

Trump, Austrailian PM Offer Mixed Messages on Refugee Deal: President Donald Trump has branded an Obama administration deal that would allow mostly Muslim refugees rejected by Australia to be resettled in the U.S. as "dumb" and vowed to review it. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull insisted Thursday that the agreement was still on. However, he declined  to comment on his first telephone call with Trump as national leader. "It's better that these things — these conversations — are conducted candidly, frankly, privately," Turnbull told reporters. Later, however,  he denied during an interview with Sydney radio station 2GB that Trump had hung up on him, saying the conversation had ended "courteously.” Turnbull told reporters the strength of the relationship between the two nations was evident in that Trump had agreed to honor the deal to resettle refugees from among around 1,600 asylum seekers, most of whom are on island camps on the Pacific nations of Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Australia has refused to accept them and instead pays for them to be housed on the impoverished islands. In return, Australia would resettle refugees from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

• MORE ON THE DEAL

Milo Yiannopoulos Responds to Violent UC Berkeley Protests: A visit from Milo Yiannopoulos got many UC Berkeley students into a frenzy on Wednesday, triggering violent protests and forcing officials to cancel his speech and lock down the campus. The polarizing Breitbart technology editor took to Facebook Live a short while after being evacuated alongside his team, and said that it was "ironic and sad" to witness such a reaction at a university that has historically been known as the home of free speech. "Something very disturbing happened tonight, and it was an expression of political violence in response to a not particularly conservative gay speaker on an American college campus," said Yiannpoulos, who admitted to being "stunned" by the turn of events. The 32-year-old has been criticized as a racist, sexist, misogynist and white supremacist, but denied all those allegations on Facebook Live. "They do that in order to legitimize their own violence against you," he said. In this case, "they" in broad brushstrokes includes feminists, supporters of Black Lives Matter, progressives and the "social justice left," according to Yiannapoulos. People who identify with these groups have "become so utterly antithetical to free speech," he accused.

• MORE ON THE PROTESTS

SPORTS SPOT

Sixers Lose to Mavericks: The Sixers lost 95 to 113 against the Dallas Mavericks. Get your full sports news at CSNPhilly.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

See more Top News Photos here.

THROUGH IGER'S EYES

@verozani captured this photo at the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Have an awesome Instagram photo you'd like to share? Tag it with #NBC10Buzz.

TODAY'S VIRAL VIDEO

Here is how to cut an avocado. Watch more here.

Crowds Gather on Gobbler's Knob: The handlers of Pennsylvania's most famous groundhog are set to announce whether the rodent will predict an early spring or six more weeks of winter. Members of Punxsutawney Phil's top hat-wearing inner circle plan to reveal their forecast at sunrise, just before 7:30 a.m. Thursday. The festivities have their origin in a German legend that says if a furry rodent casts a shadow on Feb. 2, winter continues. If not, spring comes early. Read more.

That's what you need to know. We've got more stories worthy of your time in the Breakfast Buzz section. Click here to check them out. 

An NBC 10 investigation discovered tens of millions of tons of medical waste, asbestos and municipal trash shipped to Pennsylvania for disposal from out of state.

Records from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection show since 2010, the state collected $289 million in fees by allowing 46.2 million tons of waste into state borders.

“If waste is being imported for profit, we need to ask the question who is it really profiting,” Bucks County resident Tom Smith said.

Smith lives less than one mile from the most prolific waste importer. The G.R.O.W.S. North landfill, operated by waste management, disposed of 8.7 million tons of imported waste since 2010 according to the Pennsylvania DEP.

“We cover the waste every night to prevent odors and prevent litter,” Waste Management spokesman John Hambrose said.

State records show landfills expanding in Pennsylvania. Since 1996 the state has added a landfill every other year while regulators have approved thousands of expansion and modification requests.

The state’s newest landfill is a 196-acre facility in Bucks County. Operator Waste Management projects it will be full in 13 years.

The NBC10 Investigators found waste shipped to Pennsylvania from as far as Puerto Rico, California and Canada.

According to state records, no state sends the Commonwealth more waste than New Jersey.

See Mitch Blacher’s full report tonight at 5.

A power outage knocked out power to part of Montgomery County's biggest mall for about an hour midday Thursday.

A fire a nearby PECO substation knocked out power to the King of Prussia Mall, said police and a mall spokesman.

"There was a fire at PECO’s First Avenue Electric Substation located about two miles from the property," said a statement from Karma Agency, which represents the mall. "As a result of the fire, power was cut to the mall. Electricians on scene at the mall were able to restore power to parts of the mall initially… although it did take longer to restore other areas of the mall in the area around Nordstrom. All power has been restored as of 1240 p.m."

Karma Agency said the entire incident lasted less than one hour but some social media posts made it look as though it may have taken a little longer for the power to return to some stores.

The KOP Mall -- just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Schuylkill Expressway -- features around 400 stores making it one of the biggest malls on the East Coast.

A Jitney bus flipped over on the northbound Garden State Parkway near the Colonia Service area in Woodbridge Thursday morning, blocking two left lanes of the busy highway as emergency crews responded.

Seven passengers were on the bus en route to a medical facility when it overturned after an accident involving a commuter van near exit 135 shortly before 9 a.m., according to New Jersey State Police. 

"Right as we were skidding, I just braced myself," said Dayan Steward, who suvived the crash with cuts to his hand. "It felt like 2 to 3 minutes we were rolling."

At least half a dozen emergency vehicles were spotted at the scene. Four passengers were taken to John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison. Crews surrounded the small bus, which was on its side in the median as police officers directed traffic away from the accident site.

Traffic was backed up for miles on the Garden State Parkway during the morning rush hour. Rescue crews and onlookers expected the worst, but no serious injuries were reported.

Survivors say off-duty nurses pulled over to help crash victims. Now, they're thinking back to the series of small miracles that allowed them to walk away with barely a scratch.

"There were people there within seconds helping, pulling people out," said Kendra McKenzie, a passenger who suffered a neck sprain. "Somebody was watching over us today."

An overnight fire gutted an abandoned mansion in Colts Neck, New Jersey, that, despite becoming the subject of internet fame last year, had long dogged police in the wealthy neighborhood. 

Dramatic photos taken by volunteer firefighters showed incredible flames as the blaze consumed the 20,000-square-foot building on Cedar Street. 

No injuries were reported in the blaze, and the cause of the fire at the home -- once valued at around $8 million -- is under investigation. 

The vacant, graffiti-marred mansion became an internet sensation in September when a videographer who goes by the name "The Unknown Cameraman" toured it and posted the video on YouTube. In less than three months, it was viewed nearly 1 million times. 

"This was such a weird story," the videographer, who wanted to remain anonymous, told NBC 4 New York in December. "If you’re familiar with the area, there are houses there for $2 million, $3 million -- and then this house was almost like a joke." 

Colts Neck police had their hands full with the mansion long before the video. Officers have responded to the property 40 times since 2011 for problems ranging from drugs to vandalism. 

The home is owned by David Findel, a once high-flying banker who was convicted of mortgage fraud in 2011 and sentenced to five years in prison. He’s been released and has launched an executive coaching business. Findel has told NBC 4 New York he wants to sell the property, but a legal battle over insurance payments stands in the way.

Identity fraud hit a record 15.4 million Americans last year, NBC News reported. The number is up 16 percent from 2015, according to a study from Javelin Strategy and Research.

Despite widespread efforts to fight identity theft, crooks successfully netted two million more victims and stole $16 billion.  

"Criminals are getting much better at committing fraud online," said Al Pascual, research director and head of fraud and security at Javelin Strategy & Research. "Their skill sets are improving and the tools that they're using are much more sophisticated."

Hundreds of Comcast employees walked out of Philadelphia's tallest skyscraper Thursday afternoon to protest President Donald Trump's partial ban on immigration.

The workers marched along JFK Boulevard and Market Street with a police escort at 2 p.m.

A Comcast spokesman called it a "rally," noting that the cable and entertainment giant's workers were supporting colleagues who have come from other countries and are affected by the president's executive order. Trump last week temporarily halted travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries, and indefinitely banned travel from Syria.

“We understand that some of our employees are concerned and we respect their desire to express their opinions. Our primary focus is to make sure that all of our employees feel safe in their jobs, including while traveling," company spokesman John Demming said. "We have assured our employees that no one will be asked to travel to a place that would result in them feeling vulnerable in any way. And, we have enhanced our employee resources programs to help any concerned employee navigate through this matter."

NBC10 is part of NBCUniversal, which is owned by Comcast.

Need a job for the spring?

Lowe's is hiring 45,000 seasonal employees nationwide, the company said Thursday. Spring is the home improvement giant's busiest time of the year.

Of the total open jobs, the home improvement chain has 3,232 open positions in Pennsylvania, and 1,323 in the Philadelphia area.

Available positions include cashiers, lawn and garden associates, stockers and assemblers of outdoor products.

Due to the increasing number of internet shoppers, the company also plans to hire loaders to assist online customers who go to their local store and pick up their items. 

For more information on Lowe's seasonal hiring, click here.  

"I'm shocked -- shocked! -- to find there's gambling going on here!"

That’s one of the many great lines in my all-time favorite movie, "Casablanca." It comes from Claude Rains, who plays corrupt Captain Renault as he closes the nightclub owned by Rick (Humphrey Bogart). As Renault says the line, Rick gives him his cut of the profits from the very gambling he just condemned. Of course Renault isn’t shocked-the gambling happens every day. Not only is he aware of it-he profits from it!

So, when I saw a tweet from the National Weather Service in Minneapolis on Wednesday, I thought of “Casablanca”:

[[412594043, C]]

SEVENTEEN months in a row of above normal temperatures? I’m shocked, SHOCKED that this has happened. What are the odds on that happening? That’s like flipping a coin and getting heads seventeen times in a row! It just so happens I have the answer to that question: odds are 1 in 131,072. That’s .000763%. That also means that in a million years, this would happen about 8 times. So, unless the coin is “rigged,” any rational person has to realize that this is NOT a coincidence! The reason this is happening is that the climate of Minneapolis is getting warmer. Period.

WHAT ABOUT PHILADELPHIA?

In Philadelphia, we have now had above normal temperatures EIGHT months in a row. That’s not nearly as much as Minneapolis, but it still has odds of 1 in 256. The last month with below normal temperatures was May 2016, with a mere -0.9 degrees. Before that, we had TWELVE straight months of above normal temperatures (odds 1 in 4116, or a .02% chance).

Here are the numbers:

Jan. 2017 +5.5 degrees

Dec. 2016 +1.3

Nov. +2.4

Oct. +2.9

Sep. +4.4

Aug. +4.4

Jul. +3.1

Jun. +0.9

May -0.9

Apr. +0.5

Mar. +7.5

Feb. +2.9

Jan. +1.2

Dec. 2015 +13.7

Nov. +5.6

Oct. +1.0

Sep. +5.4

Aug. +2.4

Jul. +1.1

Jun. +1.5

May +6.2

The average month in that 21-month stretch has been 3.5 degrees above normal. That’s a lot. “Normal” is the average of each month between 1981-2010. What makes these stats even more impressive is that 1981-2010 is considered an unusually warm 30-year period to start with. Then go above that for 20 of 21 months. Remember, for Minneapolis, it is 17 straight.

We can’t be “shocked, SHOCKED, that a lot of places are much warmer than they used to be. This is what has been predicted for a couple of centuries. Increase carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and both the land and ocean will warm. And for the Arctic, that’s a real “no-brainer."

SPEAKING OF THE ARCTIC

Yikes! It’s hard to even imagine how fast and how extreme the area has changed. We’re talking about temperatures AND sea ice.

TEMPERATURE. Here’s a map of temperatures compared to normal for January 2017 in an area that stretches from Canada at the bottom to the North Pole in the middle, and Russia at the top. Temperature “anomalies” are incredibly high literally from the U.S./Canadian border to beyond the North Pole! That includes practically all of Canada and all of the Arctic. Some areas have been 30 to 50 degrees above normal. That’s not normal!

[[412594153, C]]

You might wonder: “who cares if it’s warm compared to normal in Canada and the Arctic in winter? Wouldn’t they like it to be less frigid?” And if ice in the Arctic Ocean melts, that won’t even raise sea level (like an ice cube melting in a glass doesn’t raise the water level).

THE ICE. Here’s the main problem: Ice reflects sunlight very well, which helps keep the earth cool. When ice is replaced by water, more sunlight is absorbed. That helps warm the earth, which helps melt more ice, which helps warm the earth, which helps melt…..you get the idea. This is called a “positive feedback”, and the great majority of climate scientists are plenty worried about it. This melting and warming is happening even faster than their computer models have been suggesting.

Here is the result of the recent extreme warmth. The extent that Arctic sea ice has dropped is at an incredible rate.

[[412594343, C]]

Here’s a quote from the guy who is Director of the organization responsible for the above graphic, the NSIDC (National Snow & Ice Data Center), Mark Serreze:

“After studying the Arctic and its climate for three and a half decades, I have concluded that what has happened over the last year goes beyond even the extreme.”

(By the way, the NSIDC is “supported by NASA, the National Science Foundation, NOAA, and other federal agencies”. Just a reminder about how involved the U.S. Government is in climate change research.)

A developer's plan for 48 new townhomes on vacant land surrounding an historic property in Whitemarsh known as Abolition Hall remains on hold after a zoning hearing Tuesday.

The project is opposed by a group of nearby residents, even though the developer's lawyer says the plan calls for leaving both the antislavery meeting hall and a nearby building known as the Hovenden House intact.

A lawyer for the seven neighbors challenging the development plan successfully argued at the meeting for a delay in the Whitemarsh zoning board's vote, according to one of the residents, Sydelle Zove.

The board will hold another hearing March 16, Zove said.

The residents are challenging the project based on a particular part of the plan having to do with parking. The township zoning officer has already approved the project, Zove said.

A lawyer for K. Hovnanian Homes, which would buy the property and historic buildings on it if development plans are approved, said she didn't want to discuss too much about the current objection by residents.

She did say the site would maintain its historic significance.

"The historic buildings will remain as is," attorney Julie Von Spreckelsen, of the law firm Eastburn and Gray, said. "Untouched. Unaltered."

Abolition Hall, at 4006 Butler Pike, dates to 1856 and was a gathering place for up to 200 people in the years leading up to the Civil War. The antislavery roots of the homestead dates all the way back to the 1760s when the Corson family established it as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

The nearby Hovenden House at the corner of Butler and Germantown pikes gets its name from a son-in-law of the Corson family, who worked as an artist in the 1800s at the site.

K. Hovnanian's plans date to late 2015 when the project was first publicly announced. The current owners of the hall and house are descendants of the Corsons, according to published reports.