An animated Gavin Newsom on Wednesday shared his pitch for how to turn around the Democrats’ brand and better oppose President Donald Trump’s administration, identifying the party’s ailments with a one-word diagnosis. “At the end of the day, to me, the essence of the challenges of the party is weakness,” the California governor told Politico...
Fines to skyrocket for San Jose blighted property owners
San Jose leaders are raising the maximum daily fines for absentee landowners whose properties attract blight and crime — an aggressive signal that one official says makes the city’s penalties some of the highest in the state. The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved raising daily penalties from $2,500 to a maximum of $20,000 for...
Controversial Santa Clara County dam expansion scrapped
One of Valley Water’s most controversial and costly projects has been shelved indefinitely. The water district’s board of directors unanimously voted Tuesday to suspend the Pacheco Dam expansion project after eight years, which would have brought the dam’s water capacity from 5,500 acre feet of water to 140,000 acre feet of water. Directors cited the...
High-end downtown San Jose restaurant closes
An upscale San Jose restaurant has closed less than two years after it opened, as the city grapples with attracting people to the downtown core. Rollati Ristorante, an Italian-American restaurant across from San Jose City Hall, abruptly closed Tuesday due to declining revenues. Customer foot traffic dropped 30% from last year, according to Alistair Levine,...
State bill to increase housing near transit draws scrutiny in Mountain View
Yard signs are popping up around Mountain View drawing attention to a contentious state bill that could allow for denser housing in areas near train, light rail and bus stops. Senate Bill 79, which was introduced by state Sen. Scott Wiener, would set statewide zoning standards within a half-mile of major transit stops. In Mountain View, the...
California may lose fed funding for not enforcing trucker English rules
By David Fischer, Kate Payne, Morgan Lee and Eugene Johnson, AP writers California, Washington and New Mexico could lose millions of dollars of federal funding if they continue failing to enforce English language requirements for truckers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Tuesday. An investigation launched after a deadly Florida crash involving a foreign truck driver who made...
San Jose students get free bikes to commute to school
Two nonprofits have teamed up to make it easier for students in East San Jose to get to school. Good Karma Bikes is partnering with YMCA Silicon Valley to provide third through fifth grade students in the Berryessa Union School District with bicycles, many of whom have a longer distance to travel after the closure...
UPDATE: San Jose approves Sharks deal amid criticism
San Jose leaders have approved a deal to keep the Sharks in town through 2051 — including a $351 million subsidy for arena upgrades. Critics question how the city plans to finance the proposal during a structural budget deficit. The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously in support of a deal that would keep the...
Cupertino spars with state over developments
The state is not on board with Cupertino’s interpretation of legislation that determines when a development proposal expires. The city is fighting back despite legal uncertainty. Cupertino officials sent a response to the California Department of Housing and Community Development earlier this month, defending their reading of the timeline developers have to resubmit a preliminary...
San Jose hires new city attorney
San Jose officials have chosen Sacramento City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood to replace retiring City Attorney Nora Frimann. The City Council selected Wood in closed session Tuesday to help advise and defend new city laws. She’s the third woman city attorney in San Jose history after Frimann, who is stepping down after five years in...