Dionne lim, and im dan ashley. Thanks for joining us. Its been a controversial topic because the proposed name change wouldnt be San Francisco bay, Oakland Airport and San FranciscoOfficials Say it would cause confusion, and they have threatened to sue if the name change moves forward. So for the very latest on this, lets go to abc seven News Reporter tim johns, who has been monitoring todays vote. Tim. Yeah. Dan dion, i just stepped outside this Board Meeting literally just minutes ago. They are still in discussions over whether to vote aye, yay or nay on this name change. I have to tell you, though, there were a lot of folks who came out for public comment, of course, very impassioned both for and against wanting to make their voices heard. Ahead of its Board Meeting thursday, the port of oakland, standing by its recommendation to change the name of Oakland Airport, really, its about bringing the geographical location to oakland , uh, getting people to understand where oakland sits in the bay area. We continue to hear from our airlines and our Airline Partners that they struggle getting people on airplanes inbound to the to Oakland Airport. If approved by the ports board of commissioners, the facility would be renamed San Francisco bay. Oakland international airport, a move thats drawn Harsh Criticism from officials across the bay. In San Francisco on monday, the City Attorney even telling abc seven news theyd take legal action in order to protect the name they believe belongs to them. Weve had these trademarks for so long that theyre incontestable under federal law, the possible legal repercussions unfazed to the ports interim director of aviation, craig simon, its unfortunate that that they would take that stance, you know, weve been on the San Francisco bay area, on the bay itself, for, you know, the entire time weve been in existence almost 100 years, the potential name switch has gotten pushback from more than just city officials, though. In a Statement Released thursday, the Oakland Branch of the naacp expressing their concern, stating in part, while some officials may see the renaming as a simple rebranding effort, we view it as a reflection of ongoing gentrification in oakland. Aviation analyst and marketing expert henry hertefeld also has reservations, studies show. We skim, but dont read thoroughly online. Im concerned that people will end up booking the wrong airport by mistake. Hertefeld says he thinks the name change could ultimately do more harm than good for the east bay airport and the passengers it serves. Instead, he thinks the port of oakland should find other alternatives to make okay flourish. If they were to flip the arrangement and put oakland, San Francisco bay, i think at least that would reduce the potential for consumer confusion while still providing the geographic uh association the airport is seeking. And dan dionne, like i said, we are expecting a vote to come down any minute now. We will, of course, be standing by waiting to hear what is happening. But for now, im live in oakland. Tim johns, abc seven news. Very interesting there. Tim. Thanks so much. The number of plaintiffs in a legal action against San Francisco over those Controversial Center running bike lanes on valencia street is now up to seven. Three more businesses are expected to file suit. Lawyers say businesses on the corridor have been decimated, and they place the blame squarely on the sfmtas bike lane and the impact its having on traffic. Mta Officials Say theyre open to modifications. San francisco City Attorneys office has not yet responded to our request for a comment on this. A plea deal has been accepted in the case against a drunk driver who killed a champion cyclist. Ethan. Boys. Boys was cycling in San Franciscos presidio when he was struck and killed last april. 81 year old arnold low pleaded guilty last month to vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol. The San Francisco chronicle reports. The judge in the case accepted the plea, but criticized prosecutors for failing to charge low with a felony, fearing it could become a problem in future drunk driving cases. Lets move now to the death of oj simpson, who has died at the age of 76 after battling Prostate Cancer in the 60s and 70s. The juice, as he was nicknamed, was the pride of San Francisco, gaining stardom for his accomplishments on the football field, first as a usc Heisman Trophy winner and later an nfl hall of famer. But not, of course, his legacy would be tarnished in the 90s during the socalled trial of the century. As he became the murder suspect in the deaths of his exwife and her friend. The case, as you well know, captivated the nation, starting with the slow speed chase of his white bronco. The dream team of attorneys and that bloody glove. The most notable impact of the trial was the racial divide it exposed across the country and in the fallout from his acquittal. All right. Joining us now to talk more about the impact is reporter ryan curry. You actually went back to the Old Neighborhood where he grew up. Yeah, very polarizing case when you really boil this down. And he had such a long history here in San Francisco, we know for years he was an honored athlete, incredible athlete, coming from a poor neighborhood in San Francisco. And turned into a superstar. We know his legacy changed during that murder trial in the mid 90s. Outside the betrayal Hill Recreation Center is an old faded mural. One of the athletes on the mural is oj simpson. This park and this gym is where he spent a lot of time playing sports as a kid. There is simpson on a Baseball Team in the late 50s. There he is again years later, posting with kids outside the ballpark. Everybody in San Francisco was so, so proud that he was a san franciscan. He attended Galileo High School before playing at city college. He finished his collegiate career at usc and spent 11 seasons in the nfl, finishing with the 40 niners. But for the neighborhood, he left behind, there are questions about the impact he had. That man should have brought some of that money back to the community. He did though. He was giving us trophies, though. I play sports up there where he used to play at, and he brought us trophies every year basketball, football and baseball. He didnt put enough, gets a great block and oj simpson has done it a career. Many say they hadnt seen from a running back. I just wonder if the three of us at this moment fully realized what it has been. Our great privilege to watch oj simpson run for 2000 yards in one season. His athletic achievements were remarkable. I mean, he 2000 yards rushing was considered absolutely unattainable. And he did that and he did it in buffalo where it was snowing and it was raining. It was a terrible conditions. He became a pop culture icon, starring in several movies in the 80s. And then everything changed in 1994 from Police Headquarters in los angeles, where there is a manhunt underway for oj simpson. Ill have that story. It was just such a big figure, larger than life figure to see him in the back of a bronco riding down the freeway. It just was. It was surreal. The trial about the death of simpsons wife grabbed the whole worlds attention, impacting simpsons family here in San Francisco. I should like to think that i brought them through their challenges. Reverend amos brown knows the Simpson Family well and says his life and legacy is bigger than one moment. Mr. Simpsons life mirrored the human predicament, triumphs and tragedies brown went on to mention he had been a close friend of the Simpson Family for years. He says no matter what someone has been through, there is always a chance to treat them with kindness. Ryan curry, abc seven news. Thanks, ryan. Now telling us more about ojs legacy. We had Timothy Allen simon on our 3 00 pm program called getting answers. Hes a San Francisco attorney and friend of the Simpson Family. Oj is not a tragic story that oj, yes, he may have had trouble. I dont know anybody that didnt. I know very few African American young men who do not have contact with law enforcement. Thats the reality of our history, that someone as great as willie mays, San Franciscos greatest athlete, greater than steph, greater than barry, took this young man under his wing and said, let me show you how to be a great athlete and a great man like me. Thats a great story. This great childhood that this man had in this neighborhood that we call potrero hill. And simon says that whether or not he believes oj killed anyone is irrelevant to his legacy, saying that we operate in a society of law, not public opinion. All right. And dan noyes covered the end of the trial. We got to hear about that. We did, and i did as well. In fact, i was there the last two weeks of the trial when the verdict was read. And i can tell you it was just a surreal scene, chaotic scene. Hundreds of people on the day the verdict was read surrounding the courthouse. There we are at the end of the trial. The final two weeks, there was a bomb threat while we were there, and they evacuated the media compound. But my photographer and i were the only ones that didnt leave. We actually hid and didnt evacuate as instructed. So we could keep reporting from there. But when the verdict was actually read, everyone was confused. Reporters were many were expecting a hung jury and that we would go around for another trial, and we almost had to catch ourselves that we did, we hear correctly, not guilty before we went on to broadcast and the eruption from the crowd of cheers. When that verdict was read and it said settled in. Really stayed with me for a long time and id like to ask you, because we are now in this age of 24 over seven, news content all the time. Twitter, social media, etc. What was it like . Also, knowing that you had to be ready at a moments notice . You know, its a great point. We did have to be ready at a moments notice. And we were. And this was before we tweeted the results or anything that was happening or were on facebook or any kind of social media live on television is what we were doing, and its what we did in an instant. As soon as something broke, and certainly during the o. J. Simpson trial, every time something significant happened, we went on the air well, and all at the drop of a hat. And being there for that final two weeks was really a remarkable was a circus. And it felt strange to be there. But you knew you were part of something that was historic. And im sure the world watching at it and the extra level of pressure, well, in a way, but it also an extra sense of obligation because you knew so many people watching because this was a time when a lot of people were watching television, because we didnt have other ways to get their information. Exactly. And for more on oj simpsons life and death, you can check out all of our stories at abc seven news. Com. All right. Were coming up here. Federal officials now say his crimes date back to 2018 and that he stolen more than 16 million from dodgers superstar shohei ohtani. Details on the charges agains i live in bloomington, illinois. Im not an actor. Im just a regular person. Some people say, why should i take prevagen . I dont have a problem with my memory. Memory loss is, is not something that occurs overnight. I started noticing subtle lapses in memory. I want people to know that prevagen has worked for me. Its helped my memory. Its helped my cognitive qualities. Give it a try. I want it to help you just like it has helped me. Prevagen. At stores everywhere without a prescription. Died of overdoses last month. Thats about two each day. Still a terrible number, but it is a slight decrease from the 68 who died in march of 2023. Last year, more than 800 people died of overdoses in San Francisco. Thats an all time high. This year, the city is projected to see fewer deaths, but still many more than in 2021 and 22. A state law that prohibits guns on playgrounds, in hospitals and several other locations is now being argued in federal appeals court. The law was signed by Governor Newsom in september, but in december, a us district judge temporarily blocked it, calling it a violation of the second amendment. The law prohibits people from carrying concealed guns in 26 socalled sensitive locations like schools, churches and banks, regardless of whether that person has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Stunning new developments in the investigation into the former interpreter for la dodgers star shohei ohtani. Today, the u. S. Attorney announced federal charges against the man accused of stealing 16 million from the slugger. Abc News ReporterJacqueline Lee has the latest. Reporter the fbi, irs and department of Homeland Security announced new federal charges against ippei mizuhara. The former interpreter and de facto manager for Los Angeles Dodgers superstar shohei ohtani, who they allege stole 16 million to use for illegal sports betting. Ohtani, flying around third base. Federal officials are charging 39 year old mizuhara with bank fraud for allegedly stealing the money from ohtani to finance a socalled voracious appetite. Authorities say the dodgers pitcher was in the dark about what was happening. Mr. Ohtani is considered a victim in this case. There is no evidence to indicate that mr. Ohtani authorized the over 16 million of transfers from his account to the bookmakers. In a press conference on thursday, officials said mizuhara served as a translator because ohtani could not speak or understand english. They say he had unique access to otanis bank account, but wouldnt give anyone else access, Officials Say. Mizuhara then placed sports bets with bookmakers that were linked to illegal gambling and illegally conducted transfers out of otanis bank account. Sugiura spoke with bank employees, lied to them about being mr. Ohtani, gave personal biographical information for mr. Ohtani in order to impersonate him, and thereby convince the bank to approve large wire transfers of large amounts of money to the bookmakers. Mizuhara denies ever betting on baseball, something officials confirmed today they also add that after reviewing years of Text Messages between mizuhara and ohtani, its clear ohtani had no knowledge of the Bank Transfers or the illegal betting. Mizuhara is facing a maximum of 30 years in prison if convicted. Jacqueline lee abc news, los angeles. Coming up, stanford Scientists Say its a camera so powerful it can capture a picture of a golf ball on the moon from earth. Still ahead, well tell you how the Worlds Largest two decades of developing it. Stanford scientists are sending it to south america. Thats where the next phase of study will begin. Abc7 news south bay reporter Dustin Dorsey explains how the camera will give scientists a look at the universe like never before. Smile big for the camera. Like really big. This is the largest digital camera ever built. And yes, the Slovak NationalAccelerator Laboratory has the Guinness World record to prove it. We like to say that the quality of the camera is roughly about 250 iphone cameras. One of our scientists did a calculation that it would be able to see a golf ball from the distance from earth to the moon. This is the 3200 megapixel Legacy Survey of space and time camera. It could capture images faster and with better quality than any camera before creating Something Like this was not easy. It took two decades mechanical engineer hannah pollack helped install the cameras unique and expensive sensors. These sensors are so close together that if we scaled it up a little bit, it would be as if you were parking Million Dollar sports cars within one inch of each other over and over and over through this whole grid of the focal plane. So its really exciting to see it all coming to a close. Now that work on this camera is complete, its not going to be taking selfies. Its purpose has cosmic implications from slack to chile at the rubin observatory, the lsst camera will be mounted on top of a telescope to take images of space seven times wider than the width of a full moon, and over ten years, we expect to see every part of the sky a thousand times. And with that, well be able to study uh stars, galaxies, asteroids in the solar system and really, you know, study an enormous amount about our universe. Scientists know a lot about our universe, but not everything. Whats unknown is dark matter and dark energy. This camera hopes to fill in the gaps of knowledge to give scie