Following San Jose’s recent decision to return online public comment to City Council meetings, city officials have opted to restore such access for its various commissions and committees as well. Tuesday’s unanimous council vote means that San Jose’s 15 commissions — which play a hand in shaping policy, approving permits and adjudicating appeals to city decisions...
West Valley-Mission community colleges offer 4-year degrees
A local community college is providing bachelor’s degrees for students — for free. West Valley-Mission Community College District is offering bachelor’s degrees in land stewardship and sustainability, as well as emergency services administration. As tuition is free for students living within the district’s service areas, this means they’re able to earn a four-year degree close...
Head of San Jose’s police watchdog office is out
San Jose Independent Police Auditor Eddie Aubrey is set to retire at the end of the month, marking an abrupt end to his two-year tenure in the oversight role. The Tuesday announcement comes one week after the Mercury News reported the city had placed Aubrey on leave. City officials have not offered any explanation about Aubrey’s...
Silicon Valley tech layoffs in 2026 close to 2025 total
Tech companies in Silicon Valley have jettisoned a noteworthy number of employees in the first half of 2026. Companies in the sector have laid off 7,295 employees in the first half 2026 — just 9% short of the number of jobs cut by tech companies during all of 2025, according to an analysis from Joint...
Santa Clara residents struggle with neighborhood parking
Santa Clara residents living along Calle Del Mundo and Calle De Luna say finding a place to park has become one of the neighborhood’s biggest challenges as development continues to reshape the city’s Clara District. After finishing late-night Uber shifts, 69-year-old Saiprakash Thirunagari often parks his car streets away from St. Anton Apartments because he can’t...
Stanford drops Flock cameras amid national backlash
Stanford University has terminated its contract with Flock Safety, a company whose license plate cameras have prompted backlash from privacy advocates across the U.S. Earlier this month, the university announced it ended its agreement with Flock and has replaced the Flock system with one that does not allow data to be accessible by any third...
State dollars ease Santa Clara County public hospital cuts
Public hospitals in California have been thrown a lifeline thanks to the advocacy work of Silicon Valley lawmakers, but more is needed to save the bleeding caused by federal budget cuts. State Assemblymembers Patrick Ahrens, who represents North San Jose, Sunnyvale and Cupertino, and Ash Kalra, whose district includes East San Jose and South County,...
Mountain View residents face eviction to make way for condos
On a recent summer afternoon, an ice cream vendor pushed a brightly colored cart along a residential street in Mountain View. But the chiming music did not draw any customers outside, not even a child — likely because most of the homes on the street sat vacant. For the past several years, tenants have been...
San Jose wants to set standards for data center development
As San Jose begins to create standards for building data centers, residents, advocates and researchers warn the city needs to develop robust safeguards for community health before approving any new projects. San Jose is kickstarting its community engagement process this month through September, gathering input on what these standards should look like. Outreach will consist...
Palo Alto train horn ‘quiet zone’ delayed over traffic concerns
Palo Alto residents living near the city’s northernmost Caltrain crossing will have to wait a bit longer for relief from the horn that blares each time a train passes by. The city has been pursuing “quiet zones,” a federal designation, at each of its four rail crossings where car and bike traffic intersect with the...