live now at nine. mayoral race ramping up this morning, san francisco mayor london breed kicking off her reelection campaign. plus the investigation into a church fire taking a turn now the response from an oakland pastor while authorities search for more answers. and we're taking a live look outside right now. if you're driving in san francisco this weekend, you might come across some street

closures. it's all because the popular bay to breakers race is back. good morning everybody. it's saturday, may 18th. alisa is here and more of that may gray yes, but you know it is beginning to brighten up in parts of the bay area. >> so today will be the cooler day out of the weekend. you can see all the fog there from san francisco, all the way down into southern california. a couple of features to pick out a system to the north, allowing for the cooler weather. as we get into that, expanding marine layer this morning and there is a look at all the sea lions and the gray in san francisco, where it is 54 degrees, it is 60 in hayward, and the sun is shining in the south bay. emeryville is still gray with low 50s in petaluma, and the breeze has kicked up from half moon bay up to 20 miles an hour. so we'll see that sea breeze, sunny skies for everyone today except at the coast and upper 70s in our warmest locations. stephanie. lisa, thank you. >> today, san francisco mayor london breed is kicking off her

reelection campaign at the fillmore. breed is expected to share more about her vision for another term as mayor. special guests will also appear, including the former giants announcer renel brooks-moon. breed is running against supervisors aaron peskin, asha safai along with philanthropist daniel lurie and former interim mayor mark farrell. breed's event begins at 10:00 this morning. all right. right now we are following thousands of students at sonoma state university getting ready to walk the stage and graduate. this is a live picture. you see, the chairs are empty now, but in a few minutes here, we're going to start to see that stage filling up a lot of excitement. but it is coming amidst some controversy. the commencement services come one day after the school's president announced he's retired. mike lee was put on administrative leave wednesday for insubordination. lee received a controversial agreement with pro-palestinian student protesters without

proper approval. he apologized, but in his original message, he endorsed student activism, protest and dissent csu chancellor mildred garcia issued the following statement, saying president mingtang mike lee has informed me of his decision to retire from his role. i thank president lee for his years of service to the california state university. now the university system is trying to get the state to stop what it calls an illegal strike. a union for uc workers authorized the strike earlier this week over how the university system has handled pro-palestinian protests on campus. the uc system says the strike would be in violation of the united auto workers contract. uaw does represent uc employees now. the college system is asking a state board to issue a cease and desist. at uc santa cruz, workers are said to be the first to walk off the job come monday. new this morning, police have arrested

pro-palestinian protesters after a demonstration on university of pennsylvania's campus members of the penn solidarity group said they want to occupy a building on campus. you see this massive crowd here? a university official says the group entered the building last night and tried to occupy it before officers arrived and made arrests. the group then marched on campus, where commencement ceremonies will be held this weekend. it's unclear how many people were arrested. stay with us for continuing coverage of the college campus protests across the bay area and the nation. you can get the latest anytime at abc seven news.com. we've been following the story of an oakland church that went up in flames one week ago, and this morning we're hearing from the pastor and his mother as the investigation takes a turn. it happened on 27th and west streets. while the congregation was preparing for services. abc seven news reporter tara campbell has more from investigators on why it's deemed

suspicious and outside the remainder of the church. >> it's all it's just smoke damage. >> pastor robert lacey is talking about the devastating damage to saint andrew missionary baptist church in west oakland. this was the scene one week ago. a fire started outside on the property spreading to the church where the pastor and parishioners were inside rehearsing for services. >> myself and one of the other parishioners thought it was small enough for us to fight it. and at that point, windows started exploding inside and we it was time to leave. it's time to go. >> the oakland fire department telling us they believe the start of the fire is suspicious and that they are still investigating. >> we're just at a point now where, you know, we're still numb to the fact that the fire was set. it wasn't because of any structural errors or whatever. >> and now they're trying to salvage what they can of the designated landmark. it was nominated, i believe, in 2007.

>> okay. to be a historic landmark because of the significance of the building. >> the church was built in 1910 to house african american oaklanders displaced by the 1906 earthquake, later becoming a home to the black panther movement and more recently serving as a school which did encounter some scandal. it now serves a small congregation. do you have any reason to believe anybody? like why anybody would want to do this? >> no, i'm just this this this is a this is an area prone to, you know, this kind of activity. >> it was just a total shock, i couldn't believe that this was really taking place. >> elizabeth curry is the mother of pastor lacey and has a long history with the church. so you don't you don't see anybody who would want to do this or have a reason to do this on purpose. no not at all. >> i never even dreamed of such a thing. >> the pastor turning his focus to restoring what they can as fast as they can. >> but there are seniors that

take advantage of the computer lab, community members that fill out applications. they come here for support, and now we can't provide that support because of what has happened. so we're moving as fast as we can to at least get ourselves back. >> tara campbell, abc seven news the man who attacked paul pelosi with a hammer will spend decades in prison. >> a federal judge sentenced david depape to 30 years over the assault on then house speaker nancy pelosi's husband today. >> sentence reflects david depapes lack of remorse and contrition for violently assaulting mr. pelosi. >> a jury convicted apap back in november on the assault of paul pelosi and attempting to kidnap nancy pelosi at their san francisco residence in 2022, though she ended up not being home at the time, prosecutors wanted a 40 year sentence for the crime. the defense argued for 14 years in court. pelosi's daughter read letters from her parents saying her father still suffers from dizziness and

headaches. depapes ex-wife says they plan to appeal with his son, describing it as a death sentence. >> i think that's a really long time because if you think about it right, he's already nearly 50. he's he's basically it's just a death sentence. >> depape is still facing state charges. he's pleaded not guilty in that case, facing other charges, including attempted murder. his trial in state court is set for next week. new this morning, santa clara county supervisor cindy chavez is considering legal action against san diego county after being passed for a job twice. attorneys for chavez allege that she was not selected for a position as chief administrative officer in the county last year, and again this year. in a letter to the county, her attorneys also allege that county supervisors discussed chavez's race and ethnicity and shared private information about the hiring process with outside sources. now to this a growing

problem in the bay area, mail carriers targeted and attacked people looking to steal their keys and swipe mail, leading to other concerns about financial crimes. abc seven news reporter lauren martinez has a closer look. thieves are targeting letter carriers for their mailbox keys. palo alto police and the u.s. postal service are investigating a strong armed robbery that happened at this apartment complex off middlefield road on thursday, police said. the carrier was approached by two men who demanded his postal keys. when they then asked for his wallet and cell phone, a fight ensued and then the suspects fled towards the parking garage. >> these incidents do turn really needlessly violent, so this is not something that carriers should have to be worried about. their job is already physically and mentally demanding, u.s. postal inspector matthew norfleet said. >> this is not the most recent incident. over the weekend, two arrests were made after mail carriers were robbed in belmont and palo alto. >> and in these cases, we're

seeing the robbers are also traveling across the bay area using cars that were stolen in the sacramento area, according to the analysis by the abc7 data journalism team. >> in 2023, there were 145 postal robberies in california. approximately 61% occurred in the bay area. >> the people who steal mail are criminals. they are dangerous. when we catch up with them, they are often armed. >> back at the apartment complex in palo alto, residents had no idea a mail carrier had been robbed. on thursday, we spoke with one man who walks regularly to a nearby park. >> i'm very surprised. i would say i never heard about in all my all my time that i'm here in palo alto. i never heard about any of this type of thing. >> in light of these robberies, police are asking the public to keep a watchful eye out for carriers and their postal service vehicles. >> we usually do see the cars the robbers are using follow the

carriers for a ways before they get ready to do the robbery. looking looking for that opportunity, the postal inspection service offers a significant reward of up to $150,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of suspects in palo alto, lauren martinez abc seven news happening now if you're heading to wine country this weekend, you may need some extra time. >> yeah, that eastbound highway 37 from sears port in sonoma county to highway 29 in vallejo is closed again for repaving work. the detour you can see on this map is outlined in green. it is scheduled to reopen at 5:00 monday morning, and i want to note this is the last scheduled closure of the highway. all right, let's get you outside with lisa. good morning. >> good morning stephanie. we're looking at a drizzly start in santa cruz, where it is 55 degrees, a high of 61 today. but i've talked about a warm up. it's going to be along the coast

as well. so today staying gray and cool. but the rest of us looking at sun already, the details moments away. >> lisa thank you. also ahead, the plan to bring those pandas to the san francisco zoo now face a new hurdle. why? city leaders are

an aide is now in gaza. the israeli military says they were delivered through a new floating pier installed by the us military. according to the un humanitarian agency, gaza is facing a dire food situation. it claims more aid should be allowed to pass through checkpoints and enter gaza so it can get to civilians. the bodies of three hostages are now in israel. the israeli military said those hostages escaped from the nova festival back on october 7th. they then went to kibbutz where they were killed. and here is a live picture from gaza. right now you see smoke billowing in the distance there. we know at this hour hamas led militants killed around 1200 people and abducted 250 others. during that october seventh attack. around half of those hostages have since been freed, most in swaps for palestinian prisoners held by israel. we're

also following new developments in the saga of 20 us doctors, including some from the bay area currently trapped in gaza. there are conflicting reports about the status of the group. the white house said earlier they all left the gaza strip, but abc news reports three medical professionals have stayed behind. the council on american islamic relations says that group includes two people from the bay area. we reached out to the state department, which told us the three doctors did opt to stay. the medical workers were volunteering on a two week medical mission back here at home. new developments san francisco's public hospital nurses have voted to strike in six weeks, according to the chronicle. the union authorized a strike if a new contract is not reached by june 30th, when the current one expires, they are concerned about what they call inadequate and unsafe staffing levels at the city's hospitals and clinics. the san francisco department of public

health runs sf general and laguna honda hospital is also in the city. remember all this talk about bringing pandas to the san francisco zoo? it's on the front page of the zoo's website right now. well, those plans have hit a roadblock. mayor breed thought she sealed the deal during a trip to china last month, but a board of supervisors committee is now rejecting her fundraising plans. abc seven news reporter tim johns has a look at the political fight. >> the push to make two pandas san francisco's newest residents, has officially stalled. on thursday, a committee of the board of supervisors rejected the fundraising proposal put forward by mayor london breed supervisor dean preston, who chairs that committee, says amendments need to be made to the proposal before he would support it. >> we do need to make sure we have the information to prevent actual conflicts of interest here and make sure that this is all being done transparently. >> preston isn't the only one criticizing the mayor's plan. supervisor ashraf safai, who is running against breed in november's election, tells us he

thinks the mayor's fundraising plans are a distraction from the cuts the city is making amid a budget crisis in the same week, you're announcing all these cuts to major programs that have been a vital, vital delivery of services in our city. >> you're announcing those cuts while at the same time you're like, look over here. >> on friday, breed, responding to some of the pushback, her office sending a statement to abc seven news, which reads, in part, postponements of a vote or requests for amendments are not uncommon, and the mayor's office will work on amendments based on the feedback from supervisors. but concerns are being raised about more than just the fundraising effort. some are also worried about whether the san francisco zoo can actually accommodate the pandas. that includes justin barker, the head of a watchdog group called sf zoo watch. >> there's animal neglect, animals escaping their cages, and this is a decades long issues, barker says. >> the zoo has been mismanaged for years and is in desperate need of repairs. he tells us that even if the city can get funding, he doesn't think the

zoo will be able to actually take care of the pandas at this point, that this zoo is not meeting the needs of its animals and bringing pandas here is a terrible decision. in response, the san francisco zoo sent abc7 news a statement which reads in part, concerns about our zoo's conditions are unfounded as we undergo regular inspections by various regulatory bodies. these independent inspections are thorough and encompass aspects such as animal enclosures and exhibit spaces. freed's fundraising proposal will rely solely on donations to bring the pandas to the city, and not taxpayer money. in san francisco . tim johns, abc seven news. >> turning to weather now, let's check in with lisa and an update on the potential break from all this meg ray we're seeing. >> yes, stephanie, it's been quiet and kind of mild the way may usually is. those breezy winds taking place after the fog burns back. and that's what we're going to have again today. you can see all of the low cloud cover there along the coast. and

then with high pressure so far away and a trough to the north, we're getting a lot of fog, even mist and drizzle at the coast. this is santa cruz where it is going to be a cool and gray day there. and you can see the moisture. 56, san francisco 57. in oakland it is 62 with sunshine in san jose. and there's a look at oakland where you can see still pretty cloudy. 52 petaluma roof camera shows the view downtown. partly sunny and cool right now. mainly sunny, breezy today except at the shoreline. we warm up sunday, monday and tuesday, our warmest days out of the next seven. looking at upper 60s today. near average in oakland, 72 palo alto. and as we look at the accuweather seven day forecast, you notice we're warmer tomorrow by a few degrees, bright and sunny monday. and tuesday. the 80s continue inland. cooler. the second half of

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outfielder jungwoo lee is not expected to return to the lineup anytime soon. here's abc seven sports director larry beil. >> good morning. the giants spent over $100 million to sign jeong ho lee. his season is already over. he needs surgery on a torn labrum after crashing into the fence on sunday. recovery time is going to be about six months. giants and rockies. orange friday. yes. helping out the grounds crew. i got your i got your stuff here. giants often struggling as of late, but an explosion in the fifth. the big blast. thairo estrada three run. jack giants up six five. estrada with three hits. and the kids, they're playing coming through. luis matos drove in five in this game. a two run double on an zero two count. down the line. giants snap the rocks seven game win streak ten five. how about the a's in kansas city in the sixth. here it comes for michael masi. and there it goes two run homer. the royals score five times in the inning and coast to a62 victory. scottie scheffler shot a 66 in his second round of

the pga championship. amazing, given the fact he started the day being arrested. now a man was killed after being hit by a bus in the morning. a short time later, scheffler tried to drive into the course. police stopped him, but the golfer said he was confused in the chaos of the moment. it was pitch black, as you can see was raining, police claimed that scheffler dragged. the officer was trying to stop him. the top ranked golfer in the world was arrested and taken to jail, released a short time later and now is facing assault charges. >> i can't really explain what happened this morning, i did spend some time stretching in a jail cell. that was the first for me. i started going through my routine and i tried to get my heart rate down as much as i could today. but like i said, you know, i still feel like my head's spinning a little bit. >> a normal person would have been completely rattled, but scheffler made it to the course about an hour before his tee time. he played really well starting on the back nine. here he is on 1220 seven foot birdie. he had six birdies on the day. on for the wedge to set up a short tap in on his way to a

second round 66. he's tied for fourth at eight under par after starting the day in jail. the former cal bear collin morikawa. big move. long birdie on six. part of five birdies in a row for morikawa. he's 11 under one back of this man. the leader xander schauffele from the bunker on seven. nice touch. second round 68. he leads by a stroke at 12 under par. and tiger woods missed the cut. nba playoffs game six knicks and pacers in indy must win for the pacers. pascal siakam to evan turner with authority. siakam led the way with 25. pacers up by ten at the break. third quarter obi toppin air ball. but tj mcconnell says i got you i got you reverses it up and in. pacers win 116 103. and it's on to game seven in new york. we're kicking it with bay fc taking on the san diego wave. bay fc was down one nothing. they came back 87th minute rachel kundananji racing in the ball. it looks like she touches it. but it went off a wave player. so technically that's an own goal nonetheless. bay fc wins two one. they snap a five game

losing streak. that's a wrap on morning sports. have a great

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mugs. ♪ bmo ♪ to see fun and wacky costumes as thousands of runners hit the pavement. the city is counting on the event to be a huge economic boost because it attracts many out of town visitors. you may notice no parking signs and stacked up barricades already set up around the city. tomorrow the race will begin at howard and main streets and run down market street starting at 8:00. the race continues through golden gate park before finishing up at ocean beach. it's about 7.54 miles. not bad. it's going to be a lot of fun and i always enjoy seeing those costumes. yeah or lack of right or lack of exactly. there's both. thank you all for joining us on abc seven mornings. we'll see you back here at 430.

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