A woman says a racial slur was written on her bill while she was staying at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel. Now the hotel is taking action while the woman is speaking out.

Funeral services will be held for five children who were killed in a raging New Jersey house fire earlier this month.

A public visitation that began at noon on Tuesday will continue through 9 a.m. Wednesday. It will be followed by a public Mass at St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Union City.

The children - 2-year-old Jason Gonzalez, 4-year-old Shamira Lopez, 5-year-old Mayli Wood, 7-year-old Christian Josue Mendez and 13-year-old Jose Felipe Tejada - died from injuries suffered in the July 13 fire. Officials have said four of the children were siblings, while the fifth was a relative.

A man and a woman were injured in the fire and are recovering.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The city will pay for the funeral expenses through the Union City Fire Victims Fund, which has raised over $43,400.

Leber Funeral Home director Jim Leber said, "It's difficult. This is the toughest thing I've handled. Unfortunately, we've had children pass away from fires but to have four members of one family and their cousin, it's just absolutely devastating." 

City officials said the building was zoned for two residential units and one commercial unit, but the landlord did not conform. The landlord now faces $60,000 in fines and about a dozen building and fire code violations, with more to come. 

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With so many devices distracting children today one summer camp is taking away the technology and making kids spend more time outside. Upper Dublin Township's camp for middle schoolers possibly found the secret to getting kids away from their phones and experiencing the outdoors.

The NBC10 Weather Team has issued a First Alert through Wednesday night for bands of heavy rain and potential flooding for much of the region, including Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania suburbs, the Lehigh Valley and northern Delaware.

Since Saturday the flow of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean has been streaming northward up the east coast bringing periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms.

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Between Saturday and Tuesday much of the greater Philadelphia area got 2 to 5 inches of rain, including several localized flooding events.

The communities of Wilmington, Pottstown, Reading and Mt. Pocono have already reported high amounts of rain and are expecting more. The soil is saturated and any additional rain has nowhere to go other than running off and creating additional flooding issues for rivers, roads and even basements.

You may have been woken up overnight by heavy downpours. A band of heavy rain swept through early Wednesday with many neighborhood across the region picking up a quick half inch of rain.

Additional moisture is expected to stream into the area Wednesday. By late Wednesday night, many neighborhoods in New Jersey could see more than an inch of rain.

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The heaviest rain on the east coast between now and Thursday morning is denoted on this map with purple and red shades across southeast Pennsylvania and northern Delaware:

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Areas in South Jersey, the Jersey shore and southern Delaware will receive periods of rain, but at this time are not included in the First Alert for possible flooding.

Most roads were passable for the Wednesday morning commute but sudden downpours could quickly change that.

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Remember “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” when encountering flooded roads. A foot of water can float most cars and minivans. Also, keep children away from creeks or rivers which are swollen and flowing quickly. Finally, keep an eye out for toppling trees or rocks. The recent rains have loosened the soil in many places.

There is good news… we catch a break this weekend, Saturday and Sunday with sunshine and highs near 90 with only isolated showers.

Next week the wet pattern looks to return to our area.

Stick with the NBC10 First Alert Weather Team on air and on the NBC10 app for the latest on the storms.

Long-term water damage likely caused a central New Jersey home to collapse, killing a woman and injuring her two daughters, according to preliminary findings from a licensed engineer.

Officials released the report from consulting engineer Robert Busch, who was hired to investigate the deadly collapse of a three-story home that once stood along South Broad Street near Joseph Street in Hamilton Township, New Jersey.

"We believe chronic, long-term water penetration through the east side exterior wall led to the extensive deterioration and crumbling of at least one course of block probably over a wide area," Busch wrote.

The home collapsed around 7 a.m. Monday. Neighbor James Feig found a woman chest deep in bricks and debris where the house once stood.

That 20-year-old woman was on her cellphone with dispatchers moments after the collapse, Feig said. He comforted her until crews were able to free her from the rubble.

"I could see that she was physically OK, but she was very much upset," Feig said.

The woman, who had suffered scrapes and bruises, said her family members were trapped in the rubble.

Firefighters, rescue teams and search dogs found 38-year-old Tika Justice dead on top of her 16-year-old daughter, who survived, on the second floor, according to investigators.

Both the daughters were listed in serious, but stable condition at the hospital. The 20-year-old said she heard a cracking noise and was running out of the home when it collapsed, police said.

State police, local police, firefighters and utilities responded to the scene. PSE&G turned off gas to the area as part of standard routine after a collapse.

Neighbors in the area told NBC10's Pamela Osborne that they didn't feel or hear an explosion.

Broad Street was closed between Lily Street and New Cedar Lane as crews responded to the scene.

Through his preliminary investigation, Busch determined that disintegrating block in the home gave way leading to several floor joists slipping off their supports and the home collapsing.

"In conclusion and with a reasonable degree of engineering certainty, we believe the proximate cause of the catastrophic collapse of 1804 South Broad Street was from the failure of deteriorated concrete block due to long-term water penetration," Busch wrote.

Justice likely died while saving her daughter's life by shielding her from the debris, according to investigators. 

"She's that type of person," Justice's brother Brushaun Davis said. "She'll save her kid before she saves herself."

Family members say Justice's daughters also lost their father years ago.

"They don't have nobody but us," Davis said. "But of course we're going to do what we've got to do."

The 16-year-old girl suffered the worst injuries. Her sister plans to remain by her bedside in the hospital until she's okay to come home.

The Kraft Heinz Company is recalling about 59,000 jars of its Taco Bell Salsa Con Queso Mild Cheese Dip that could potentially lead to botulism if eaten.

Kraft is voluntarily recalling 15-ounce glass jars with "best when used by" dates of Dec. 27, 2018, and Jan. 23, 2019. The affected items are showing signs of product separation, which can allow for the growth of the bacteria that causes botulism, the company said on its website.

Botulism is rare but can be fatal, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The illness can cause difficulty breathing and muscle paralysis. Symptoms include blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, a thick-feeling tongue, dry mouth and muscle weakness.

Kraft said there have been no complaints or reports of illness related to the products. The company said it is working with the Food and Drug Administration.

The affected items were produced and distributed by Kraft in the U.S. The company urged customers not to eat the dip and return it to the store for an exchange or refund.

A teacher from the Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School is trying show students the difference between making something on a computer as opposed to real life.

The midterm election in November includes the Pennsylvania governor's race, which pits a pro-choice Democratic governor against a pro-life Republican challenger. A nomination by President Trump to fulfill a Supreme Court vacancy has pushed abortion rights to the top of the agenda in the governor's race.

An alleged drunken driver smashed into 36 vehicles on a multi-block tear through New Jersey Wednesday, causing thousands of dollars in damage, before cops found him disoriented on the street he ripped apart, authorities say. 

The driver, 22-year-old Miguel Aleman of Union City, was charged with DWI, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and other offenses in the 1:30 a.m. parked car-smash spree on Bloomfield Street in Hoboken. 

Cops say they got multiple 911 calls about a driver hitting parked cars while traveling north on Bloomfield, and responding officers found the 2010 white Honda mentioned in the calls on that street. The vehicle had heavy damage; the passenger side windshield was broken and all air bags had been deployed. 

Police say Aleman seemed out of it and couldn't balance while standing in the street; they also say they smelled a strong odor of alcohol on him. Officials say it appeared he barreled along seven blocks, from First to Eighth on Bloomfield, before he as stopped. 

Aleman had two passengers in his vehicle when cops arrived; all three of them were taken to a hospital for evaluation. The two passengers remained hospitalized later Wednesday in unknown condition. No one else was hurt.

Aleman, who had been unable to complete a sobriety test at the crash scene, provided blood and urine samples at the hospital before he was treated and released. He then returned to police headquarters to finish getting processed and was released to another person.

It wasn't immediately clear if Aleman had an attorney.

Passengers flying from Newark Liberty International Airport to Mumbai on an Air India flight last week said in a series of tweets that the plane was infested with bed bugs, leaving the travelers with bites across their bodies.

Air India responded to customer complaints in a statement, and the airline plans to temporarily ground flights between Newark and Mumbai, according to The Independent.

“Experienced experts have carried out extensive service on the aircraft from fumigation to overhaul of the upholstery/ seat covers/carpets etc to ensure that passengers keep enjoying their in-flight experience with us as always without any complaint of inconvenience,” the airline said in a statement to NBC News.

New Zealand news outlet Stuff reported that a passenger surveyed the area around the seats after her daughter complained of a rash. The woman reportedly noticed a bed bug on her husband’s seat before takeoff but dismissed it.

The passengers who tweeted about the incident said they were sitting in business class. One-way adult ticket prices on the route exceed $1,000, according to Air India’s website.

Pravin Tonsekar posted pictures of the bugs on Air India flight 144 on Twitter.

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Saumya Shetty posted an image of multiple large bites on her arm and wrote in a tweet “AI still has to get in touch with me [sic] inspite if my repeated attempts to get in touch with them.”

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Another Twitter user said his wife and three kids were sitting in business class and had bed bug bites “all over their body” after paying more than $10,000 for the flight tickets.

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"Air India is deeply concerned with a few reports of "bugs" causing inconvenience to its esteemed passengers,” the airline said. “The issue has been viewed seriously and every possible step is being taken to closely inspect and further strengthen our system at every level to ensure that such isolated incidents of passenger discomfiture do not affect our consistent performance.”

Bed bugs aren’t known to spread diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but their bites can create swelling, itching and skin irritation.

Restaurant owners say they were about to pay scammers thousands of dollars for fear of being left in the dark. However, some warning signs gave the scammers away.

NBC10 is one of 19 news organizations producing BROKE in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the city’s push towards economic justice. Follow us at @BrokeInPhilly.

People feel happier and less depressed when vacant lots in their neighborhood are cleared of trash or "greened up," according to what might be a first-of-a-kind study of public space's effects on mental health.

NBC News reported that Philadelphia residents who lived near vacant lots that were filled in with trees and grass or simply cleaned up reported to University of Pennsylvania researchers a decrease in feelings of depression, poor mental health and feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness.

Renee Holly, a 54-year-old custodian, is in charge of keeping her greened-up North Philadelphia lot in good condition after the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society cleaned it up.

"It's a beautiful thing to have a clean lot, it makes me happy," she said. "Now, our neighborhood kids don't have to play in a lot with glass and trash."

Get More at NBC News

Two people were killed while two others were hurt in a car crash in Berlin, New Jersey Wednesday.

The crash occurred on the White Horse Pike in the area of Ellis Avenue just after 5 p.m. Two people in one vehicle died in the accident while two people in the other vehicle were injured and taken to the hospital. Police have not yet revealed their conditions.

White Horse Pike was closed in both directions at the scene of the crash but later reopened. Police have not yet revealed the identities of the victims who died but say they were both in their 20s.

Just about every high school student wishes that their favorite hobby could turn into a college scholarship. For a recent Delaware high school grad, it happened.

Jackson Staib, 18, from Concord High School in Wilmington, received a scholarship from Bethel University in Tennessee to join the bass fishing team.

Bethel University is the top-ranked bass fishing team in the country, according to their website. They are one of eight American colleges to offer scholarships for bass fishing.

"We are extremely excited to sign Jackson. He had a fantastic high school career and we feel his passion and talents will fit right in with our championship program," Bethel Coach Garry Mason said in a release last week.

Staib won the Delaware B.A.S.S Nation's High School State Championship in 2016 and 2017 on the Nanticoke River, according to the competition's website.

Last year, Bethel's bass fishing team included 11 freshman. Out of the team's 34 anglers, none were from the state of Delaware.

Staib could not be reached for comment.

A man attacked a librarian and broke her back while robbing a library in Darby Borough, Pennsylvania, police said.

Terrell Carter, a 40-year-old homeless man, entered the Darby Free Library back on July 11 and snatched a donation jar, according to investigators. Librarian Joyce Anderson Taylor, 60, had just arrived at the library with her 6-year-old great grandson.

Carter allegedly grabbed Taylor, threw her down several steps and trampled her, fracturing her back and lower body in five places.

“He was determined,” Taylor said. "He was getting out with that jug one way or another."

Taylor said her great grandson witnessed the attack.

“That was traumatizing to him because this is a place he loves to come to,” she said. “It was just unfortunate.”

Taylor was hospitalized for two weeks after the attack. She was released from the hospital Wednesday, a day after undergoing back surgery. Police continue to search for Carter who also goes by the alias name “Lanell MCeachin,” according to investigators.

“If he does it to somebody else, that’s on our watch,” Darby Borough Police Chief Robert Smythe said. “That’s on my watch. This guy needs to get off the street.”

Carter has a gambling problem and frequents libraries in Philadelphia and Delaware County, police said. Taylor also said she had seen him at the library before but had never had any problems with him prior to July 11.

“I think I was just at the right place at the wrong time,” she said. “I was a distraction to him.”

If you have any information on Carter’s whereabouts, please call Darby Borough Police at 610-586-1100.

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Gov. Tom Wolf, who is seeking a second term in office in the November election, stopped Wednesday in Philadelphia to lend support to women's access to reproductive health rights and reiterated his long-standing pro-choice stance.

The issue of abortion became front-and-center in the Pennsylvania governor's race this month when President Donald Trump announced Brett Kavanaugh as his nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy in the wake of Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy's pending retirement.

Kavanaugh is a longtime federal judge whose appointment, some legal observers believe, could lead to a reversal of Roe v. Wade, the 1974 Supreme Court decision that bars states from banning abortions.

"Regardless of what happens in Washington, we here in Pennsylvania still have the ability to control womens rights and I will continue to stand tall for women's rights," Wolf said during an appearance at Jefferson University Hospital in Center City.

Wolf, a Democrat, is regarded by pro-choice advocates as the guardian of abortion rights in a state where Republicans control the Legislature. His opponent, Republican and former state Sen. Scott Wagner, is pro-life.

"While Tom Wolf is being funded by a group that prioritizes abortions, and has vetoed pro-life bills on their behalf, Scott has a strong record standing up for the unborn in the Senate and will sign pro-life legislation as governor," a spokesman for Wagner said Wednesday.

Last week the candidate himself declined to commit to a stance. 

"You know, that’s a federal issue," Wagner told WHYY on July 20. "I'm not running for president right now. I’m more focused on the problems in Pennsylvania."

When pressed on the fact that a Supreme Court ruling that overturns Roe v. Wade might put the issue over abortions back in the hands of states, Wagner again demurred.

"It may, and whatever happens, happens," he said. "Right now, in this interview, I’m not committing to anything."

Wolf last year vetoed a bill that would have banned abortions beyond 20 weeks of a pregnancy. Another bill has been introduced this year that would ban abortions beyond six weeks.

At least five more programs in Temple University's business school provided false data to improve their ranking in a national report, the school's president said Wednesday.

Earlier this month, Moshe Porat, the dean of the Fox School of Business, was forced out after the university reported the business school knowingly submitted inaccurate data to U.S. News & World Report in order to improve the rankings of its Online MBA in the magazine's "Best Grad Schools" list.

Porat was replaced and the university hired a law firm to investigate the business school’s data and processes.

On Wednesday, Temple University announced the investigation revealed five more programs in the Fox School of Business also provided false data.

“Although the review is ongoing, we have concluded that misreporting similar to that involving the Online MBA also occurred with respect to the Executive MBA, Global MBA, Part-Time MBA, Master of Science in Human Resource Management and Master of Science in Digital Innovation in Marketing,” Temple University’s president Richard M. Englert wrote.

The false information included the number of new entrants providing GRE/GMAT scores, student indebtedness and applicants’ undergraduate GPAs, according to Englert.

“As a result, we have reported to U.S. News that we cannot verify data related to these programs, and we are not participating in or submitting business school surveys at this time,” Englert wrote.

Englert also said Temple University provided U.S. News a letter verifying the accuracy of the school’s data submissions for the 2018 and 2019 "Best Colleges" rankings.

Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Josh Shapiro is also investigating the allegations against the business school. Shapiro said earlier this month that he asked the Bureau of Consumer Protection to examine the case, including Temple’s business and marketing practices.

“We are updating them as new information develops,” Englert wrote. “We continue to diligently pursue the review of rankings data and will share additional updates.”

Philadelphia Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins first raised his fist during Week 2 of the 2016 season. It was his version of the protest ignited weeks earlier by 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who decided to sit and later kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and other issues.

"At the end of the day, I'm fighting for people," Jenkins told NBC Nightly News’ Lester Holt. "I'm fighting for Americans and citizens that have been disenfranchised, that have been systemically oppressed for centuries."

The nine-year NFL veteran has repeatedly emphasized that his and other players' acts of protest were not against the military, the American flag or the national anthem itself - but about starting a productive conversation and working to address social justice issues across the country.

Local business owners say the city isn't doing enough to clean up the area weeks after a massive water main break in Center City. NBC10 finds out how they're coping with the damage.

A New Jersey father’s dance celebrating his baby boy being released from the hospital is taking the internet by storm and inspiring families from all over who are dealing with health issues.

On Saturday Kennith Thomas of Merchantville, New Jersey, learned that his 15-month-old son Kristian was able to leave the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia after 32 days. The baby boy has down syndrome and is also battling leukemia.

Thomas, a dance instructor, danced to the Ciara song "Level Up" as his son watched. Video of the dance was posted on Thomas’ Instagram and has nearly 2.5 million views as well as reposts from several celebrities, including Ciara herself.

“He’s dancing with me,” Thomas said. “He’s on beat clapping and it’s like you can’t ask for anything better than that in life. It’s priceless.”

Thomas’ wife Josilyne Thomas recorded the magical moment between father and son.

“Seeing him full of life, happy, dancing, it truly helps me to get through,” she said.

Kristian went back to the hospital Wednesday and will return for a second round of chemotherapy on Monday. Yet his parents believe his story as well as the viral video will encourage other families who are going through a similar situation to never lose hope.

“Don’t ever look at a situation and think the worst,” Thomas said. “I want people to look at their situation and flip it and change the perspective.”