Santa Clara County Local News

The chemical, used for decades, can harm babies’ developing brains. Farmworkers and people living near fields are most at risk. The EPA issued a rare emergency order.

The City of Palo Alto is working out how to shift parking to accommodate bike lanes on El Camino Real.

Testing of wastewater shows sharp increases of COVID circulating in Santa Clara County.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles granted approval for Mountain View-based self-driving car company Nuro to test a new model of autonomous vehicle on local streets.

The Senate appropriations committee sent dozens upon dozens of bills — that have a price tag of at least $50,000 to $150,000 and that may also be politically dicey — to the dreaded suspense file, where many could die quickly on Aug. 15.

A critical new federal audit calls out California for doing too little to prevent fraudulent spending of homelessness funds. Nearly $320 million was at risk.

So many intense wildfires all at once require an intricate chess game for maneuvering firefighters and equipment around the U.S.

In its August 5 meeting, the Palo Alto City Council adopted the North Ventura Coordinated Area Plan, which calls for denser and taller housing.

In their August 5 meeting, the Los Altos School District approved placing a $350 million bond for upgrades and new facilities on the November ballot.

In their August 5 meeting, the Milpitas City Council voted to add a measure to the November ballot asking residents to extend the existing Measure F sales tax.

Over a hundred unregulated group homes in Santa Clara County are housing formerly incarcerated people on parole or those released from mental health or addiction programs, often in overcrowded or unsanitary conditions.

Many landlords in California can only raise the rent a certain amount. On August 1, they — and their tenants — found out how high.

Legislators and Gov. Newsom are working behind the scenes to draft energy legislation before the end-of-the-month deadline.

About 80 Californians die every year after contracting Valley fever, a fungal disease that typically affects the lungs. A recent outbreak was traced to a music festival in Kern County.

Arson is the suspected cause of four Santa Cruz Mountain fires over 11 days.

A 25 acre lot in north San Jose once considered for an office campus is being proposed for development of housing, including more than 100 affordable units.

A voter at a polling center at Santa Ana College in Santa Ana on March 5, 2024. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters

Whether they mean to or not, people are responsible for about 95% of the state’s wildfires. While arson accounts for about 10% of the fires, others can start in a myriad of ways.

The City of Palo Alto's latest Housing Element plan has support from a longtime critic.

Although the initiative process — proposing new laws via ballot measures — has been in California’s constitution for more than a century, its use was fairly uncommon until the 1970s.