Last year, it was a photo of a dress that left viral internet watchers questioning their color perception. Now it’s a picture of actor Bill Murray — or is it Tom Hanks? — with a crying toddler and a photo of paint-spattered — or shiny? — legs that have internet users scratching their heads. 

The first image shows a pair of legs with what looks to be light bouncing off of them. Some wondered if the legs were wet, while others thought they were covered in oil.

The photo was originally posted online in September, but was re-posted this week and went viral in a matter of hours.

The second image is of actor Bill Murray standing behind a crying toddler. But some viewers are convinced the man behind the baby is actually actor Tom Hanks.

The photo was apparently taken three years ago in St. Andrew's, Scotland, but has since resurfaced. After the debate raged, the toddler's mother confirmed on Facebook that it is indeed Murray in the photo. 

The owner of a quirky roadside attraction in central Vermont that was destroyed by fire Tuesday said his first priority is figuring out how to get a massive pile of charred debris removed from his property.

"It's a tragedy," Will Knight said Wednesday of the loss of his Spider Web Farm in Williamstown.

Flames swallowed the three-story barn late Tuesday morning. Investigators blamed the flames on a mistake operating the wood stove inside the 150-year-old structure.

For nearly 40 years, Knight's Spider Web Farm attracted visitors from all over who wanted to see how he preserved real spider webs on wooden plaques.

necn visited the attraction October 30, 2015, and asked Knight if the business had been a good one for him.

"Yeah, sure," Knight answered. "My wife bought a new car!"

The spider web farmer explained his preserved webs are tributes to the beauty of the natural world.

"I appreciate nature," Knight said in 2015.

But today, the showroom where Knight displayed his wares is gone. The damage was estimated to be at least $300,000, fire investigators said.

Still, the 90-year-old was trying to stay positive Wednesday.

"Everything depends on your attitude," Knight said. "And the attitude is, keep happy."

Asked if he's been able to keep happy since the loss of his building, Knight choked back tears as he said, "Things always get better. Can't get worse, right? So, they'll get better."

Knight said he was very grateful his house next door wasn't damaged.

What is still uncertain is if this web farmer will be able to continue his craft.

"We've got to do something else," Knight said. "And that something else right now is clean up this mess."

The senior citizen said friends and neighbors have been calling him with suggestions of ways he may be able to have the debris removed. He said he may inquire with the fire department about the possibility of a controlled burn.

The Spider Web Farm, which billed itself as "the original web site" had operated in Williamstown since 1977; in its most recent location since 1983, Will Knight's son said.

Apple is holding its latest event, the presentation where the tech giant launches new products. 

Click here to watch the broadcast and refresh this page to follow along with NBC Bay Area tech reporter Scott Budman — rumor has it that Apple will be revealing new Mac computers with updated features.

The announcement comes just days after Apple announced its quarterly sales fell, a rare slump for one of the most successful companies in the world. 

10:20 AM

Apple just announced a new app .. called "TV."

A way to cruise through your Apple TV.

Interestingly, they just brought up someone from Twitter to talk about streaming Thursday Night Football on Twitter and Apple TV.

10:10 AM

Tim Cook now on stage.

Introduces a new accessibility website, as part of the Apple page.

Also updating iPhone 7 .. new Apple Pay features.

Still waiting for new products.

Apple stock price (AAPL) 114.99 (-60 cents)

9:57 AM

...By the way, lots of talk about the death of Vine.

Not huge among journalists (not huge enough among anybody, apparently), but Twitter is huge, so a small chill falls over the creative part of the crowd. They're bummed they can't send out Vines about the Apple event.

9:49 AM

Good morning.

Inside the latest Apple event.

(#AppleEvent)

Rumors are that today we'll see new laptops and desktops.

Will there be "One more thing...?"

Important for Apple to show that it can move forward; recent earnings showed a whole lot of dependence on the iPhone. Just yesterday, Microsoft came out with an upgraded lineup of laptops - getting good reviews.

See it here and on Twitter (@scottbudman) for live updates

A 2011 memo from Douglas Band, a longtime aide to Bill Clinton, makes the case that his "multiple roles had served the interests of the Clinton family and its charity" and "detailed a circle of enrichment," the Washington Post reported.

The memo, which is part of the WikiLeaks dump of hacked emails, makes clear how inseparable the Clinton Foundation was to business interests, according to NBC's First Read team.

It reinforces the worst perceptions of the Clintons, but it's possible that the memo is already "baked into the cake of this presidential race," according to First Read.

While the Clinton campaign has refused to acknowledge the authenticity of the previous WikiLeaks emails, this one was confirmed by Teneo, the company that Band co-founded.

That puts pressure on Clinton and her campaign to address it, according to First Read.

A man who had an ax to grind with Donald Trump was arrested Thursday morning after he destroyed the presidential candidate's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

James Otis, an heir to the Otis Elevator Company fortune, surrendered to police Thursday morning, his attorney said. Los Angeles police confirmed Otis was arrested.

More details about the arrest are expected Thursday morning, police said.

Otis said he's been arrested over two dozen times in the past for protesting various causes. He appeared Wednesday in a Deadline Hollywood video dressed as a construction worker in work boots, a high-visibility safety vest and helmet smashing the Trump star with an ax and sledgehammer.

"It was an act of civil disobedience, freedom of expression," Otis told NBC4.

Otis said his intent was to remove the star and auction it off to raise money for the women who accused the presidential candidate of sexually assaulting them.

"I did it, and I'm very happy I did it, and I'm proud that I did it," Otis said.

The Republican presidential candidate and former "Apprentice" host received the star in January 2007 for his role on the NBC show. The star is in the 6800 block of Hollywood Boulevard, a prominent location on the Walk of Fame not far from the Hollywood and Highland Center, and was discovered broken into pieces early Wednesday morning.

Otis said he camped out for several nights by the star to plan. On Wednesday, he brought his vest, helmet, tools and other items and went to work on clobbering the star. 

Otis said he takes full responsibility for his actions and promises to surrender to authorities, who were waiting to arrest him on charges of felony vandalism.

"This area has been identified as a California historical landmark location, and we are looking at any additional penalties or charges that could be attached," said Capt. Cory Palka of the Los Angeles Police Department Hollywood Division.

Trump has faced accusations from 11 women of sexual misconduct in recent weeks as the presidential campaign enters its final stages. He has denied the accusations.

"I admitted I've broken the law, I've vandalized, I've stolen, and now I'm going to go get my punishment," Otis said. "And that's something Mr. Trump has never done."

The Hollywood star belonging to the New York business magnate and reality show personality has become a target during the presidential campaign, ever since Trump announced his candidacy last year. It has been defaced with spray paint and surrounded by a miniature wall in protest of Trump's plan to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Walk of Fame star recipients are selected by a committee that considers hundreds of applications each year. The stars are purchased for a $30,000, rather than gifted.

The Walk of Fame is administered by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which said in a statement that the star will be repaired immediately. The repairs will take several days, and the star will be covered to protect it during that time.

"The Hollywood Walk of Fame is an institution celebrating the positive contributions of the inductees," said Leron Gubler, President-CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. "When people are unhappy with one of our honorees, we would hope that they would project their anger in more positive ways than to vandalize a California state landmark. Our democracy is based on respect for the law. People can make a difference by voting and not destroying public property."

NBC4's Nyree Arabian and Kim Baldonado contributed to this report.

A federal judge has approved a $265 million settlement for the victims of last May's deadly Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia.

The ruling from U.S. Judge Legrome D. Davis released Thursday sets up a settlement program where attorneys for each victim and Amtrak will negotiate how much money Amtrak will compensate each of the injured passengers.

There are more than 125 pending cases from the May 12, 2015, disaster. A speeding Northeast Regional train jumped a sharp curve in the city's Port Richmond neighborhood late that night, killing eight people and injuring more than 200.

The train broke apart after leaving the rails at more than 100 mph. Some cars overturned, others sliced through steel electrical structures and one was crushed like a aluminum can. Four of the passengers killed were ejected from the train.

Federal investigators said the train was traveling at twice the speed limit as it prepared to turn north toward New York City following a stop at 30th Street Station.

Engineer Brandon Bostain lost his bearings after a rock hit the windshield of another train, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled. Bostain told investigators he didn't remember the derailment.

The settlement ruling calls for all pending cases to be settled within 2 1/2 years. The settlement is $30 million shy of a $295 million federal cap on damages. Last year, the cap was raised from $200 million following the derailment

Davis and attorneys leading the litigation — Thomas Kline, Fredrick Eisenberg and Robert Mongeluzzi — call the amount fair and say victims will be spared years of court proceedings.

"While no amount of compensation can replace the loss of human life, or heal the injured, it is immensely significant that the legal aspect of an incident of this magnitude will be resolved in a fraction of the time it could have taken," Mongeluzzi said in a statement.

Two American brothers arrested in Tunisia on suspicion of belonging to a terrorist organization were released without charge Thursday, NBC News reported.

Officials interrogated the brothers — both aged in their 30s and originally from Michigan — and searched their laptops, judicial spokesman Sofiene Sliti confirmed to NBC News.

"The preliminary investigation led by the judicial police revealed that the two individuals have no link with any terrorist organization," Sliti earlier told the state-run Tunisia Press Agency.

A senior police official based in Jendoubo, were the two were arrested Tuesday, said he disagreed with the decision by authorities in Tunis to release the pair, citing jihad-relted material found by police who raided the place where they were staying.

America's most famed gymnastic coaches were accused in a lawsuit Thursday of "turning a blind eye" to sexual abuse at their training center in Texas.

The suit filed in California by an unidentified athlete is the first time Bela and Marta Karolyi have been named in the scandal roiling USA Gymnastics.

The Karolyis, who have served as national team coordinators and coached many champions and Olympic medalists, did not respond to a recent call and an email to their gym seeking comment, NBC News reported.

The gymnast, once a member of the U.S. national team, alleges she was abused by former team doctor Larry Nassar — who is being investigated by the FBI and the Michigan Attorney General — at the so-called Karolyi Ranch.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, while continuing to deny the Kremlin has sought to meddle in the United States election, praised Donald Trump on Thursday for energizing American voters "tired of the elites," NBC News reported.

"Is America some sort of banana republic? America is a great power. Please correct me if I'm wrong," Putin said at the Valdai Club, an annual gathering of world policy experts. "Does anyone really think that Russia can influence the choice of the American people in any way?"

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security accused the Russian government of hacking the email servers of the Democratic National Committee. Putin denied Russia's involvement. 

Trump has also spoken positively of Putin and indicated his willingness to work with him as president. On Thursday, the Associated Press reported, Trump criticized rival Hillary Clinton at a rally in Ohio for speaking "very badly of Putin, and I don't think that's smart."

A senior U.S. military official warns that ISIS fighters in Mosul are likely to resort to even more extreme actions as they face more military pressure on the city.

"Unfortunately, ISIS will likely grow more oppressive to the population in areas they control," the official said, adding, "they will either leave or they will be more oppressive and force folks to fight that shouldn't fight."

"I imagine we will see some of that as we get closer to Mosul," the official said, "ISIS comes down and comes down hard."

In an exclusive interview with NBC News, the commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Joseph Votel, warned that ending an ISIS reign over the city of Mosul will not end its presence in the country.

"Mosul, while it's absolutely essential to complete that operation successfully, it will not mean the end of the Islamic State in Iraq," Votel said.

About 3,000 Peg Perego children's riding vehicles have been recalled due to fire and burn hazards.

Peg Perego recalled the battery-operated Polaris Sportsman vehicle after reports that a circuit board can fail and cause the motor to overheat and ignite, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The company said it has received three reports of overheating, including one report of a burn.

The ATV-style vehicles were intended for children ages 5 to 7 years old. They were sold online at Amazon.com, Cabelas.com, Target.com, ToysRUs.com and Walmart.com from October 2014 through May 2015 for $500 and $600 and came in silver, red and black.

Recalled vehicles have date codes 651016, 651017, 651020, 651021, 651022, 651023, 651024, 651027, 651028, 651029, 651030, 660304, 660305, 661123, 661124, 661125 and 661130. The date code is found underneath the seat.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vehicles and contact Peg Perego for a free replacement circuit board with instructions. For more information, call 877-737-3464 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, email 850recall@pegperego.com or visit us.pegperego.com.

Authorities had arrested 141 people who were protesting a controversial North Dakota oil pipeline early on Friday, NBC News reported.

The arrests came after a more than six-hour standoff over the stretch of private land lying in pipeline's path, the Morton County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.

Demonstrators blockaded roads and bridges by setting fire to bales of hay and construction equipment. The sheriff's department said at least seven protesters used "sleeping dragon" devices, which typically involve PVC or other pipe, to physically latch themselves onto vehicles and large concrete. According to police, some protesters threw rocks and improvised fire bombs as law enforcement officers closed in.

Police forces responded by using pepper spray and firing bean bags on protesters.

Vice President Joe Biden is under consideration for secretary of state if Hillary Clinton wins the White House, a trusted source confirmed to NBC News Thursday night.

Politico first reported that Biden is "at the top of the internal short list" of the Clinton's transition team's list for the post.

Biden, a senator for 36 years who has served as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before becoming vice president, has hammered Donald Trump over his cozy statements about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Bill Cosby’s attorneys say he is “legally blind” and has officially registered with a state commission for the blind, NBC News reported.

Cosby’s eyesight will have an effect on the cases of sexual abuse filed against him because he will be unable to recognize his accusers, lawyers said. They also mentioned that a doctor’s report will be provided that the pretrial that is scheduled to begin Tuesday. In Massachusetts, where Cosby registered, legal blindness is defined as 20/200 or less while wearing glasses.

"No 79-year-old blind man could possibly defend himself against a claim that he sexually assaulted someone he supposedly met once, half a century ago," his attorneys wrote in a court document.

The Cleveland Indians have given a young Cubs fans who was accidentally knocked out by an Indians fan at the start of Game 1 tickets to see Game 3 of the World Series, the boy's family said. 

David Wallach said the Indians called his family Thursday and offered his 7-year-old son Johnny two tickets to Friday's game at Wrigley Field. 

[[398955051, C, 484, 600]]

The tickets follow a dream-turned-nightmare for the father and son, who traveled from a Chicago suburb to Cleveland to see their favorite team in their first World Series game in 71 years. 

Sitting in the bleachers before Game 1 in Cleveland, things couldn’t have started better for the pair, who was celebrating Johnny's upcoming 8th birthday. 

“There was no way to describe how amazing it was,” said David Wallach, of Northfield. “It was everything you could ever dream of. Everything I’ve ever dreamed of was coming true.”

[[247269581, C]]

The father-son duo was stunned by the history they were witnessing — their beloved team in a World Series for the first time in 71 years.

[[397242041, C]]

“It was really cool,” Wallach said. “The game started, it was electric and it was insane and we were having a blast.”

But things quickly took a turn for the worse – just as the Indians scored their first home run of the game.

Indians fans were quick to celebrate, and one of them elbowed Johnny in the head while cheering, knocking the young boy out for about 30 seconds.

“He spun around and I caught him, he was crying hysterically,” Wallach said. “That’s when things kind of went off the rails. Things went from being a dream to a nightmare so quickly.”

With no help in sight, David Wallach took his son out of the stands before flagging down a police officer. The officer started bringing them into a tunnel when Johnny’s knees buckled and the young boy could no longer walk.

“Fans were heckling him,” Wallach said. “Here I am on the ground with my 7-year-old son and they’re shouting, ‘Cubs suck.’”

Eventually, paramedics arrived and decided Johnny needed to be transported to a hospital for treatment.

[[398776501, L]]

Meanwhile, Wallach’s wife was calling the field to see if they could retrieve the family’s belongings, which they left at their seats as they searched for help. 

No answer, they said.

“There was no one that ever showed up to help us,” Wallach said.

When they were finally discharged from the hospital at 1 a.m. Wednesday, Wallach said, he and his son were stranded, unsure of where they were or how to get back to their car. And still, no word from officials at the field. 

“It was scary and confusing and awful and I felt like we were just hung out to dry,” he said. “You don’t see that in Chicago. I would never expect that in Chicago in a million years.”

Johnny was left with a concussion and a birthday gift wasted on a World Series he didn’t even get to see.

[[393634811, C]]

“The best thing about it is, he said, ‘Dad I still had a great time and I forgive the man who hit me,’” Wallach said. “From a little boy, that’s a great lesson for all of us.”

Wallach said he was later contacted by StubHub, which agreed to refund 50 percent of their ticket purchase. He also said the Cubs contacted the family and offered them support and sent Johnny a gift. 

“I think I’m just used to the way Chicago fans act,” Wallach said. “Just kind of shocking.”

[[398776731, C]]

A spokesperson for the Indians did later call the family to apologize, Wallach said, and offered them tickets to a game in Cleveland.

The team is expected to hold a press conference with Johnny Wallach at 4 p.m. CT Friday at Wrigley Field, the family says. 

A spokesman for the Cleveland Indians confirmed the team provided the tickets but would not confirm the team's plans for a press conference.

One man was taken into custody after scaling a tower on the George Washington Bridge Friday morning, shutting down the upper level of the span at the height of rush hour for the second time this week. 

Traffic cameras appeared to show someone climbing one of the towers on the New Jersey side of the bridge shortly after 8:30 a.m. Chopper 4 later showed emergency crews take the man, who was not wearing a shirt, into custody. At least half a dozen law enforcement personnel surrounded the man on a bridge landing as emergency vehicles swarmed the roadway below. 

The NYPD described the man, later identified as Alberto Hernandez, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, as an emotionally disturbed jumper, and tweeted dramatic images of ESU and police officers negotiating him off a ledge to safety. 

The upper levels of the span were shut down for about 40 minutes, the Port Authority said; the lower levels remained open. By 9:30 a.m., at least one or two lanes of traffic appeared to be moving again, creeping by the swarm of emergency vehicles, but delays topped 90 minutes.

Hernandez was charged with interference with transportation, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

The delays Friday marked the second time this week an intruder blocked traffic on the upper level of the bridge - one of the region's most important arteries - during rush hour. 

The inbound upper level of the George Washington Bridge was closed by an immigrant rights protest Wednesday morning, creating a traffic nightmare at the height of rush hour. Ten people were arrested in that case.