California's Revolutionary Culture

Santa Clara is planning a major facelift of its 5-acre downtown after years of neglect, thanks to a determined group of residents.

The Santa Clara City Council approved placing ballot wording for a charter amendment that would turn the police chief and city clerk positions into positions appointed by the city manager.

A beaver that was recolonizing the Matadero Creek in Palo Alto was taken to the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley after being spotted immobile in a pile of leaves, officials said.

Palo Alto's latest citizen survey points at a welcome shift over the past year in residents' opinions about the local government, as well as a more concerning one when it comes to municipal utilities.

A proposed Sunnyvale housing development may be put on hold over concerns about exposure to cancerous chemicals.

A Silicon Valley developer is scaling back its plans for a massive and controversial development of offices, housing, retail, dining and park spaces on the site of the former Vallco Mall in Cupertino.

Over the impassioned pleas of orchard preservationists, the Los Altos City Council last week approved a new Los Altos main library expansion plan that will use space intended for a heritage apricot orchard.

Despite a recent uprising of residents calling for his job, Los Altos Hills Mayor Linda Swan said last week that Peter Pirnejad has the unanimous backing of the City Council and will continue to serve as city manager.

The majority of the Los Altos City Council agreed that going further in the process to determine the feasibility of such a partnership would involve too much staff time and perhaps cause more headaches when having to answer to a community with different priorities.

Former city manager Deanna Santana is threatening to sue Santa Clara, claiming that the city has failed to pay the compensation and benefits specified in her contract when she was dismissed in February 2022.

Environmentalists are urging San Jose leaders to reconsider plans for a new cemetery in Coyote Valley, claiming it will harm large swaths of natural habitats. 

By declining to hear a conservative group’s challenge, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a California ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth. California is one of 22 states to ban this practice.

An estimated 100,000 pizza boxes have been removed from Yosemite’s waste stream. This is because the famed park now serves pizza on trays and puts to-go portions in compostable bags, part of a move to reduce food-related waste.

Californians have said they experienced added difficulty over the past year in getting car insurance. Insurer rates have gone up more than usual.

The California Department of Water Resources released an environmental impact report for a tunnel that the state would like to build through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The report identifies potential impacts to farmland, tribal remains and endangered species of fish.

A coyote recently was found at the $27 million Russian Hill home of AI mogul Sam Altman. This relates to a study, which found that coyote sightings were more frequent in higher-income areas of San Francisco.

Even though California is facing a crippling housing shortage, one potential source remains untapped. The state allows thousands of apartments used for part of the year by farmworkers to otherwise sit vacant for three to six months.

Although the federal government is providing four free COVID tests per month, that’s not the only way to get them. Aetna and Blue Shield of California members can be reimbursed for up to eight at-home tests per month, while Kaiser Permanente is offering discounts on tests.

The Fort Independence Indian Community is getting the Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at no cost in 2024. Native Americans had lived on this land for centuries before the hatchery’s construction.

California energy regulators are considering requiring homeowners to replace broken air-conditioning systems with heat pumps or HVAC systems that are more energy efficient. The change would go into effect in 2026.

California’s “failure to protect” law allows child welfare agencies to take kids from households scarred by domestic violence. Advocates say the separation can worsen a family’s trauma.

Private company Brightline secured a $3 billion grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation toward a 218-mile high-speed rail line from Rancho Cucamonga to Las Vegas. The line would allow people to make the trip to Sin City in a little over two hours.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles changed its voter registration process in 2019 to put a party selection dropdown on the same page. Since then, the number of people registering as Republicans or Democrats has jumped close to 20 points.

With nine months’ experience in the Assembly, Liz Ortega will lead the Labor committee after a strike-filled summer and several wins for low-wage workers.

An Alameda County judge ruled on Nov. 22 that the city of Oakland thwarted a proposed coal export terminal. The judge will rule if the developer who sued is entitled to $159 million in damages or moving forward with the project.