Take It to the Bank

With rows of board games prominently displayed on shelves, a new community space opened in downtown Mountain View that aims to bring people together over casual fare, beverages and tabletop fun.

The San Jose City Council unanimously voted to reduce fines on dispensaries that violate city policy. Councilmembers also expanded hours of operation from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Once an auto repair shop, a new three-story commercial development is going up in downtown Mountain View, despite the developer raising some eyebrows by sharing only part of the project plans online prior to the vote.

Santa Clara County has agreed to a $90,000 settlement with a Muslim woman who said her hijab was inappropriately removed when she was being booked into jail last year.

San Jose is preparing to pay half a million dollars to San José Spotlight and the First Amendment Coalition, two organizations that prevailed in a public records lawsuit over the city.

A San Jose police officer running for a seat on the San Jose City Council is being sued for mortgage fraud, marking another chapter of legal trouble for the political hopeful.

As Palo Alto prepares to adopt a rental registry to track vacancies, rent hikes and property turnover, one type of development will likely be initially excluded from the tally: single-family homes.

San Jose leaders are green-lighting a developer's initiative that includes converting a market-rate apartment complex on The Alameda into affordable apartments.

Embarcadero Media, a 44-year-old Bay Area news publisher and the parent company of the Palo Alto Weekly and PaloAltoOnline.com, announced that it will become a non-profit organization at the start of 2024.

Santa Clara County is the second-most expensive county in the nation to buy a home, yet demand is still strong.

A dispute between Palo Alto and downtown developer Charles "Chop" Keenan over parking fees will return to court in January when a judge considers his request for a refund of more than $1 million.

Setting a precedent for future projects, the Mountain View City Council approved a new hotel and office development in East Whisman, with a request that staff do more to protect the city’s heritage trees long before it comes to a vote.

The Santa Clara City Council voted to approve plans for a low-income housing project on Civic Center Drive.

After years of worsening potholes and bumpy rides, plans are in place to repave El Camino Real from Mountain View through Palo Alto starting in May or June of 2024, Caltrans officials announced at a public meeting in Mountain View.

Sunnyvale leaders are considering opening the door for a developer to build eight, two-story homes where one currently stands.

Rep. Anna Eshoo, who has served in Congress more than 30 years and represents Silicon Valley, announced that she will not seek reelection and is retiring. Eshoo, a Democrat who turns 81 on Dec. 13, said in a video that her heart is filled with gratitude.

A new study by Forbes shows that four cities in the Golden State—Los Angeles, Fresno, San Diego and Sacramento—are among the 21 worst cities in the United States for holiday travel. Forbes looked at a variety of factors including car accidents, hotel prices and air travel.

A UC Davis study suggests that some people might get headaches from drinking wine due to an antioxidant, quercetin, that affects alcohol metabolism. This antioxidant is healthy on its own but can sometimes spur headaches when mixed with alcohol.

Families of people in jail or prison sometimes pay exorbitant amounts to accept phone calls from their incarcerated loved ones. Starting Dec. 1, these calls will be free in Los Angeles County.

HERBL, one of California’s biggest cannabis companies, collapsed earlier this year. The company, which sold $700 million of cannabis last year, reportedly shorted the state $17 million in taxes.

Alva Johnson, director of the California State Lottery has given his two weeks’ notice. Johnson had arrived in 2019, a year after a whistleblower complaint helped spur a reckoning for the agency.

Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger met Nov. 17 with Sacramento press corps members. He ruled out a U.S. Senate bid, saying the only thing he was interested in running for was president, while acknowledging he can’t do this because he was born in Austria.

Three years after the NFL's Raiders abandoned Oakland for Las Vegas, MLB's Oakland A's announced they're moving there too. The owners of the teams unanimously approved the MLB team’s move.

During a trip to San Francisco, President Biden said that California’s governor “could have the job I’m looking for.” The remarks have fueled speculation about whether Newsom might step in to run instead of Biden in 2024.

David DePape had originally targeted Pelosi’s wife, Rep. Nancy Pelosi. He was convicted in federal court on Nov. 16 and still faces state charges.

The state will offer a free mental health app beginning Jan. 1 for people ages 13-25. It is currently being tested in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.

State and local leaders gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate a new plan that will increase access to the outdoors for all Californians, regardless of who they are or where they live.

Lacking power at the state level, conservatives are leaning into local governance to protest California’s progressive politics. The fight in Huntington Beach could be a harbinger of what’s to come.

Assembly Bill 1096, taking effect Jan. 1, will let community colleges in the state provide courses in non-English languages, regardless if a student is also taking ESL. Previously, a student had to sign up for the latter to qualify for the former.

Longtime Rep. Barbara Lee trails fellow representative Katie Porter and former Rep. Adam Schiff in their race for U.S. Senate. Lee still expressed determination to not seek a 14th term in the House, saying she’s running for Senate.