Democratic senators are grappling with the possibility that cities they represent could become the center of the next fight over the military being used against American civilians. President Donald Trump’s weekend post calling for expanded deportation efforts in the biggest U.S. cities raised alarms for the Democratic lawmakers who represent California, Illinois and New York....
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San Jose cancels Almaden Lake Park 4th of July festival
San Jose resident Cathie Bacosa woke up around midnight last year to a fire ravaging her backyard in the neighborhood she’s lived in for 28 years. She thinks it was likely from fireworks. It was July 4, and more than 30,000 people had crowded into the small neighborhood to watch the annual Almaden Lake Park...
UPDATE: San Jose leaders say “No” to stronger police oversight
San Jose’s independent police auditor wants to review every use-of-force case — a level of oversight the county sheriff already accepts. But city officials unanimously rejected the idea at Police Chief Paul Joseph’s request. Out of 400 total incidents where San Jose police used their weapons or hands on people in 2024, 13 resulted in...
Palo Alto adopts $1B budget, revamps ambulance service
Facing a turbulent financial outlook, Palo Alto adopted on Monday a $1-billion budget that revamps the Fire Department’s ambulance service, expands funding for nonprofit groups and delays decisions on budget cuts until later this year. The spending plan that the City Council adopted by a 6-0 vote, with Councilmember Greer Stone absent, includes one major...
San Jose allocates money for immigrant defense
San Jose officials have squeezed funding out of the 2025-26 budget to support education and legal services in defense of the city’s immigrant community. The San Jose City Council on June 10 unanimously approved $1 million going to immigrant defense organizations like Amigos de Guadalupe and the Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN) —...
Can new highway lanes end Los Gatos’ beach traffic nightmare?
A long-awaited project to alleviate Los Gatos beach traffic has received funding — but it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the money needed to address bumper-to-bumper gridlock on summer weekends. The VTA board of directors has allocated $11.3 million for the State Route 17 Corridor Congestion Relief Project as part of its budgets for...