Surging gas prices will cut $1.1 billion from household income in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties this year and eliminate 2,600 jobs, according to estimates from a San Jose economic think tank. A recent report from Joint Venture Silicon Valley shows total economic output in the two counties will drop by $706 million if...
Silicon Valley homeless nonprofit CEO is out
One of Silicon Valley’s most prolific homeless service providers is changing leadership, after reports of its mismanagement of a large South San Jose shelter led to a terminated contract. Nonprofit LifeMoves announced CEO Aubrey Merriman is transitioning out of his role in an April 8 email sent to workers. Chief Operating Officer Nick Hodges is replacing Merriman...
Medi-Cal cuts create problems for Silicon Valley immigrants
Budget cuts to Medi-Cal are threatening the fabric of Silicon Valley’s health care system — and immigrants are among the hardest hit populations. Some immigrants have experienced delays in services, medication cuts, difficulties navigating the new health care landscape and uncertainties about available services. Others have dropped coverage completely for fear of having their information...
Silicon Valley lawmakers want Trump removed under 25th Amendment
President Donald Trump reneged this week on public threats to wipe out “a whole civilization” after reaching an 11th hour ceasefire with Iran. But the bell has been rung in Silicon Valley. Santa Clara County’s congressional delegation isn’t backing down from calls to start Trump’s removal proceedings under the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,...
Silicon Valley farmworkers hit by federal wage cuts
A Silicon Valley lawmaker is calling for the federal government to overturn actions that will drive down wages for seasonal agricultural workers in the region. Rep. Zoe Lofgren introduced a March 26 resolution to block the lowering of hourly wages for seasonal agricultural workers. The U.S. Department of Labor in October implemented new rules, before...
Santa Clara County faces state investigation for Measure A mailers
California’s election watchdog is investigating Santa Clara County leaders over the campaign for a voter-approved sales tax increase, marketed as a way to shield the region’s public hospitals from massive federal spending cuts. In a Tuesday letter, the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) informed two regional anti-tax groups it would probe the county over allegations...
Rod Diridon remembered as Santa Clara County transit pioneer
If the state of California was a person, its name would be Rod Diridon Sr., who will be remembered as the “father” of Santa Clara County’s modern transit system. He died Friday at age 87. Diridon succumbed to sepsis and an underlying cancer of the thorax. He had been hospitalized for more than two weeks,...
Santa Clara County sheriff reports drop in use of force cases
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office is reporting a continuous, year-over-year decline in instances of use of force. Sheriff Bob Jonsen‘s deputies used force on people in the jails and out in the community 603 times last year, a slight decrease from 621 incidents in 2024, according to an annual report for 2025. Deputies killed...
VTA could block ICE from using its properties
Property owned by a local public transit agency may become the latest territory federal immigration agents are blocked from using in Santa Clara County. VTA’s board of directors on Thursday asked staff to explore a policy to prohibit U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity on property it owns, including parking lots, and to continue...
Silicon Valley teachers union leader faces ‘hostile’ conduct complaint
The Santa Clara County Office of Education has placed the leader of a teachers union on administrative leave over a whistleblower complaint about “hostile” conduct — right as the union considers a strike. Association of County Educators (ACE) President Riju Krishna — who frequently speaks at Board of Education meetings to advocate for better working...