San Jose’s leaders are taking a victory lap following the release of new figures gauging the impact of two major sporting events that took place in the South Bay earlier this year — Super Bowl 60 and NCAA’s March Madness games. Across several business sectors — hotels, restaurants, retail and air travel — officials said...
Immigrant defense funds slashed in San Jose budget cuts
San Jose is planning to slash its funding for immigrant protection services in half amid a budget deficit, while immigrants continue to face fear of federal enforcement. The city’s proposed operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year allocates $500,000 for legal defense services and education — half of what the city allocated last year. Immigration advocates...
Escalating sign spat riles San Jose District 9 candidates
Campaign signs go missing in just about every election cycle in San Jose — and accusations begin to swirl of theft and sabotage. Usually, the sign takers go to great lengths to hide their identities. But in the ongoing race for the District 9 City Council seat, the man behind a rash of sign disappearances...
Santa Clara County sues Meta over alleged scam ads
Santa Clara County leaders are suing Meta, alleging the company has engaged in a worldwide, systematic campaign to litter vulnerable Facebook and Instagram users’ feeds with billions of scam ads by fraudulent companies. The lawsuit filed Monday alleges that instead of cracking down on deceptive ads designed to trick users out of their money, Meta...
Campbell Library opens after two years of construction
Lion dancers, story time with characters, a musical performance and a bubble show were part of the festivities surrounding the long-awaited grand opening of the Campbell Library on Saturday. Librarians led hundreds of residents on tours to highlight the special features of the building. The May 9 celebration, hosted by the Santa Clara County Library...
Silicon Valley DA calls out ‘nonessential’ spending amid budget cuts
As Santa Clara County leaders ask their top prosecutor to make cuts during a crushing budget deficit, District Attorney Jeff Rosen is instead questioning county spending he considers nonessential — such as summer leadership camps for county executives. Rosen and a coalition of local law enforcement union leaders on Monday called on the county to review...
Months after opening, Palo Alto police headquarters is largely empty
It’s been nearly six months since Palo Alto leaders celebrated the grand opening of the city’s new public safety building, a $123.5-million facility near California Avenue that took decades of planning and five years of construction. Most of the work on the three-story building at 250 Sherman Ave. was completed by the summer of 2025,...
Santa Clara shifts minor public right-of-way changes to staff
Santa Clara officials are shifting decision-making over certain public right-of-way areas from elected leaders to city staff, with some residents sharing concerns about transparency and accountability. The City Council on Tuesday voted 4-3 to have the city manager approve minor public right-of-way changes, such as fences or structures near sidewalks, without needing to hold a...
Budget cuts will close San Jose safe sleeping site
San Jose plans to decommission its only sanctioned tent homeless encampment months after it opened. The Taylor Street Navigation Hub is scheduled to close by next January as San Jose grapples with its $50 million deficit. The move comes as a shock to homeless advocates, as San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan threw his weight behind the...
Proposed San Jose hotel tax critical to avoid cutting services
Faced with a punishing budget shortfall, San Jose voters are being asked to increase the city’s hotel tax by 2% on the June 2 primary election ballot. San Jose’s Measure A, which will increase the city tax levied on hotel guests from 10% to 12%, has opened up a familiar debate for the consistently cash...