Cities across Silicon Valley may be on the cusp of cutting ties with a surveillance company linked to local police departments’ cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Santa Clara County officials this week signaled growing distrust with Flock Safety, a company that sells license plate reading cameras to cities across California, over concerns the...
Op-ed: Roma Dawson was a force of nature
“She was such a force of nature in her enthusiasm for making our city, county and the whole Bay Area a better place.” One of many comments shared about Roma Dawson, a dynamic activist who succumbed to cancer last December. Many knew Roma as a longtime dedicated League of Women Voters and community member for...
Silicon Valley groups help nonprofits navigate federal changes
As nonprofits fall under the bludgeon of President Donald Trump’s federal spending cuts, groups in Silicon Valley are working to provide resources to soften the blow. The Law Foundation of Silicon Valley is offering up to 10 hours of free legal services to help nonprofits navigate shifting federal grant rules, funding freezes, restructuring and other advice nonprofit...
Silicon Valley lawmakers take stand against ICE violence
Silicon Valley lawmakers are speaking out against violence involving federal agents as the region prepares for potential conflict during the upcoming Super Bowl. Reps. Zoe Lofgren and Sam Liccardo, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, Santa Clara County Sheriff Bob Jonsen and immigration advocates held a press conference Thursday, where they talked about potential immigration enforcement...
Will Santa Clara County arrest ICE agents at Super Bowl?
As the clock ticks toward the Super Bowl, one Santa Clara County leader’s vow to arrest ICE agents may force officials across the valley to confront their own rhetoric — pitting local cops against federal ones. There was no mistaking Board of Supervisors President Otto Lee’s emotional threat Tuesday. Now some city and public safety...
Collins: Where is the local housing market heading in 2026?
The 2026 housing market is shaping up to be anything but predictable. With expectations that President Donald Trump’s administration will appoint a new Federal Reserve chair this year, questions remain about the potential impact on monetary policy. If the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates, will mortgage lenders follow suit? Recent history suggests the relationship between...
Cupertino’s sheriff contract hike upends budget
Cupertino is looking at a problematic increase in its contract with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, its public safety arm. The situation could force the city to consider a tax increase or budget cuts. Rather than maintain its own police force, Cupertino has always contracted with the sheriff’s office to provide law enforcement. The...
San Jose mayor jumps into governor’s race
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan on Thursday joined the race for California governor, putting to rest months of will-he-won’t-he speculation about his gubernatorial ambitions. “We need to stand up for our rights, for our freedoms and for our neighbors. We need to use the tools we have at hand to protect our democracy,” Mahan posted...
Citizen group to oversee Santa Clara County’s Measure A spending
Santa Clara County leaders promised their voter-approved sales tax increase would save local public hospitals from closure. That commitment will now be tested. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to form a citizen oversight committee to ensure that $330 million in Measure A revenue will be spent as advertised. County leaders last year vowed Measure...
UPDATE: San Jose eases housing development requirements
The San Jose City Council has approved a trio of housing measures intended to spur local development by adjusting certain requirements that homebuilders say have stymied new projects. Two of the measures expand incentive programs that reduce construction taxes and ease affordable housing requirements for developers. A third measure revamps San Jose’s inclusionary housing policy,...