Daetz and im dan ashley. Thanks for joining us. Now by missing this deadline, the city of oakland missed out on the chance to get money from a 15 million grant to fight retail theft. So what happened and whats being done to make sure it doesnt happen again . Abc seven News Reporter lena howland has the details. Absent leadership and a lack of any grants, management policy, thats what a new 37 page audit released this week says contributed to the city of oakland missing out on more than 15 million worth of state Grant Funding to help fight retail theft. There was no one who made sure that deadlines are met, that the specific task were completed at specific times. Michael houston is the acting city auditor for oakland and the author of the report. He started working on it after the community demanded answers, asking the city auditor to look into what was obviously a lack of coordination. Obviously a lack of leadership. Houston found that ultimately the city of oakland prepared, but did not successfully submit an application for the organized retail Theft Prevention grant. What we found is that there was a poor communication within departments and between departments. There were was, no project management and no one really took charge. Robert l harris of the naacp Oakland Branch says its not acceptable. And he blames mayor shengtao. We need a mayor who understands how to lead. Naacp is of the opinion that the mayor has failed us and has failed us badly. In september, mayor tao blamed others. Im infuriated and frustrated that, you know, city staff had missed a deadline. But one month later, during her state of the city address, the mayor took accountability. We missed an opportunity with the retail theft grant, and as mayor, i own that and the buck stops with me, the Mayors Office said wednesday. Her administration has improved their Grant Management process and secured millions in other grants and state support, and the City Administrators Office says they created a new position to help with grants, coordination with a new hire expected to start later this month in oakland. Lena howland abc seven news. Recent efforts to crack down on crime in oakland appear to be having an impact. Thats right, police data comparing crime during the first four months of last year to the first four months of this year show a 33 drop in crime. This includes homicides, assaults, rapes and burglaries. Burglaries are down 50, but robberies remain high. Theyre up 11 compared to the same period last year. Our abc seven News Data Team looked at similar stats over the past 12 months and found similar declines except in robberies. Theyre up 25 in the past year. Now, whether you live in oakland or elsewhere in the bay area, we want to make sure that you get the full picture of Public Safety where you live. Just check out the abc seven news neighborhood safety tracker for a wide range of statistics. Youll find it on our website. Just go to abc seven news. Com. The city of richmond is now planning to divest from companies doing business in israel. The vote from the City Council Last Night makes richmond just the second us city to do so, with hayward being the first. Abc seven News Reporter anser hassan explains what happens next. And mayor martinez, yes, the motion passes with. In a 5 to 1 vote, Richmond CityCouncil Voted to divest from companies doing business in israel, the second us city to do so after hayward. One thing we can do actively is divestment, and thanks to the student movement, they brought it up to our attention again. So it was the right time. City Council Member suhail abana coauthored the resolution. She says richmond has a pool of roughly 600 million to invest, but just a small percentage, around 7 is likely invested in portfolios that hold companies. The city will divest from defense contractors and army and others like Lockheed Martin are obvious examples. But Companies Like microsoft and airbnb are also on the list. They have uh properties in the occupied uh region and advertise it as israel, so thats why theyre in the on the list. Israeli peace activist dave baum spoke at the city council meeting. She called the vote historic because it expands the debate on where and how american tax dollars are being spent. This is what it took that uh the genocide in gaza is what it took for people of conscience here in the us to start moving money away from israeli occupation, apartheid and genocide. Bonner says. Wishman faced legal challenges after becoming the first us city to pass a Gaza Ceasefire resolution. City Council Member emails were subpoenaed. Bonner says she still faces personal threats, but california has laws against the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, or bds. Bonner says this resolution was written with future legal challenges in mind. There is nothing antisemitic about respecting human rights of everyone. Its a constitutional right uh to go for divestment and we added the specific language that this is not discriminatory enrichment anser hassan abc seven news. Protests on College Campuses demanding that schools divest from israel have led to hundreds of arrests all across the country. In los angeles, ucla canceled classes today following a violent night between propalestinian protesters and israeli supporters. The university has told the propalestinian camp that their encampment is unlawful. Theyve requested protesters to leave and if not, they could be suspended or expelled from school. In new york, Police Arrested about 300 protesters overnight at Columbia University and city college of new york. Columbia Officials Say police moved in after protesters broke into an Academic Building and destroyed property. Im very angry and disappointed by what the administration has decided to do, and i want them to know that we will not stop until we get divestment, arrests were also made during propalestinian protests at Tulane University in new orleans and the university of wisconsin, madison. The campus protests reached Santa Clara University today. Students on campus held a teachin on gaza. Theyre calling for a permanent cease fire and for the Jesuit University to divest from companies doing business with israel. University Officials Say they met with the organizers to make sure it doesnt present a safety risk for other students. One of the expectations is that expressive activities dont block access, so that the students who have class or have other commitments across the campus are able to access those those spaces. Student organizers say they want to build solidarity with palestinians. Santa Clara University has a contingency plan in place in case the event gets rowdy. With counter protests at cal, the student encampment outside sproul hall entered its 10th day. Today, supporters held a poetry reading. They want the university to create a Palestinian Studies Program and to divest from companies doing business with israel. Ucs board of regents is considering a new policy to prevent faculty from making political statements on university owned websites. At uc santa cruz, hundreds of students marched through campus for a may day rally that focused primarily on propalestinian demonstrations. Some students also set up a barricade to protect a tent encampment near quarry plaza. The events continue throughout the evening, with a poetry reading, a community forum, and a movie on independence movements. Today is also may 1st, of course, known as may day. So many of the propalestinian rallies have combined with the annual events calling for rights for the working class. Abc seven News Reporter tim johns has been following several of the protests today, and joins us live now from one of them outside a west oakland bart station. Hi, tim. Yeah, dan, thats absolutely right. Now, this protest actually just ended a few minutes ago, and it was a little bit different than what we had anticipated. Folks were initially supposed to meet here at the bart station, and then marched down to the port of oakland, where the plan was to shut it down. However that got derailed because the port was already shut down for what they are calling a preplanned work stop day. Now, that means that these protesters who were out here today instead turned what would be a march into a socalled victory rally. However, this isnt the only protest thats currently going on here in oakland. Want to show you guys the sky seven video of this large crowd of marchers that left the oakland Federal Building just earlier this afternoon, when they began marching down several streets here in the east bay and are now coalescing around downtown oakland and around a dozen demonstrations happening around the bay area wednesday in honor of may day. The annual protests, always on may 1st, trace their roots back to the Labor Movement of the late 1800s. First is solidarity with all workers struggles, then is solidarity with immigrant workers, and for the right to be here in San Francisco. Sky seven video shows hundreds gathering at a bart station before marching down to city hall in the morning, people calling for greater rights and protections for working class people amid growing struggles. May day 2024 is a struggle for survival for workers and especially with ai and robotics, because the plan is to get rid of large numbers of workers. This years demonstrations also merging with propalestinian protests to at another rally outside San Franciscos Ferry Building in the afternoon, activists calling for an end to the war in gaza and u. S. Support for israel. All the money that is going to support the genocide in palestine is yours and my tax money. Many protesters specifically telling us they believe that money would be better spent tackling problems here at home. People are homeless in San Francisco. They cant get health care. Why isnt that money being spent here . Different protests are expected to continue throughout the day wednesday. Workers here say they hope that helps to spread their message. There hasnt been a general strike in the United States since 1946. In oakland, its time for another general strike, because that unites the entire working class. And thats when all workers can join unions. Protests to continue throughout the rest of the day today. But for now, im live in oakland. Tim johns, abc seven news. All right, tim, thank you so much. Hotel workers in san jose marked this may day by marching for a new contract. This rally started just about 45 minutes ago in front of the convention center. About 300 employees from five Downtown Hotels want better pay and benefits, and for hotels to reverse staffing cuts. Workers say many hotels have kept covid era service cuts in place. None of the hotels involved has responded to our request for comment. Still ahead here, the impact of a Home Insurance crisis in one particular east bay city. Well tell you where. Nearly a quarter of all of the citys homeowners will likely have their insurance policies canceled, plus disappointment for a High School Swim team. Why they wont be able to compete at this weekends championship meet. Jardiance its a little pill with a big story to tell i take oncedaily jardiance at each days start as time went on it was easy to see im lowering my a1c jardiance works twentyfour seven in your body to flush out some sugar. And for adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease, jardiance can lower the risk of cardiovascular death, too. Serious side effects may include ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration that can lead to sudden worsening of kidney function, and genital yeast or urinary tract infections. A rare, lifethreatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. Stop jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection ketoacidosis, or an allergic reaction. You may have an increased risk for lower limb loss. Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of infection in your legs or feet. Taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Jardiance is really swell the little pill with a big story to tell and ballers released fresh renderings of their 1. 6 million renovation at raymond park. The team plans to reactivate the park in time for their home opener, which is on june the 4th. Theyll play 48 games this season, and when the team is off the field, will be used as an open Community Space in lafayette. 13 swimmers at Aquinas High School wont be competing in this weekends championship swim meet, and its all because their coach didnt submit their entries in time. But as the coach and his swimmers tell abc seven News Reporter ryan curry, the submission system is filled with flaws. Towel pooling conquered the sight of one of the biggest swim meets in the bay area. The north coast Section High School championships begin friday, but right now, one of the top teams wont be competing. Weve all been working for this for a really long time, and having our first year taken away from covid, and then now this being stripped away from us as well is just devastating. 13 swimmers from Acalanes High School qualified for the meet, but when their coach went to submit their names, he encountered an issue. Thats when i noticed that essentially the vast majority of my entries were undone. It was all incomplete and it was past the deadline, so i no longer had an ability to make any changes. Head coach Brett Usinger thought he submitted the entries by sunday morning, well before the afternoon deadline, but there was no way for him to know if the submissions went through. Theres no, like, email confirmation that goes out or submit button, or i dont email entries to any particular person. Its just you can imagine it looking like a google sheet or excel. He asked for help from the meet directors and the ncs, but says no one got back to him and the deadline passed. The commissioner for the ncs told us in a statement. Acalanes high school did not submit their ncs swim team entries for this weekends championships before the mandatory deadline of april 28th at 1 15 p. M. This occurred after a reminder was sent out to all ncs member schools by the Section Office that the deadline was mandatory and no exceptions for late entries would be made. The swimmers trained all season for this meet some of them say they were going to use this meet to qualify for the state championships. Some of our relays this year, i think we actually had a really good shot at qualifying, qualifying for state, and i even myself think i could have qualified for state. So its just its too bad since we dont have the opportunity anymore. None of them are blaming their coach. These athletes want the ncs to make an exception to let them swim, especially since they believe the system is flawed. There needs to be a new system, and the way this is getting handled is just feels very unfair and its hard to deal with. I believe him, he did it even though theres no proof of it, i believe him. He wouldnt be the type of guy to mess that up in lafayette. Ryan curry, abc seven news. Coming up, 90 off makeup. Were going to tell you about the massive Liquidation Sale underway at an east bay mall. As a popular cosmetic store gets ready t huge closing deals. Ulta says its shutting down its location on emery street in emeryville on saturday. The sign was posted on the front door of the business. You see it there. There are currently deals of 90 off all items. We talked to one customer who was there scoring some deals, but still frustrated with the recent bay Area Business closures. Its absurd that all of these different businesses have to close, because so many people are stealing and theyre getting away with it. Ultas nearby locations in alameda and pinole will remain open. The Homeowners Insurance crisis is hitting the east bay city of orinda hard. According to analysis by the San Francisco chronicle, nearly 1700 homes will likely have their insurance policies canceled by state farm. Thats about a quarter of all homes in the city, which is nestled in the hills between oakland and walnut creek, an area that can be prone to brush fires. Some homeowners say theyre having a hard time finding replacement policies. Not easy. Nope. Definitely not all right, well, it was warm today, and that breeze died down so you could feel it. Yeah, it was lovely. Meteorologist sandyha patel is here to let us know if it will continue. Sandy. You know what . Since youre both so happy and smiling, were going to keep it going. I thought, yeah, i know a lot of people are loving this. I certainly enjoyed it this morning. Let me show you a live picture from our santa cruz camera, where some people have the opportunity to hit the beach and enjoy the sunshine. Right now, lets take a look at your high temperatures so far. Santa rosa airport hitting 81 degrees San Francisco 68. In the mid 70s and Oakland San Jose 78 degrees along wit