Economy

In a step toward building the first massive wind farms off California’s coast, three Assemblymembers on Feb. 12 proposed a $1 billion bond act to help pay for the expansion of ports. The bill, if approved, would place a bond before voters aimed at helping...

With seemingly constant rain storms pummeling the South Bay so far this winter, a federal drought monitoring program recently downgraded most of Santa Clara County from “Severe” to “Moderate” drought. But local water supply authorities warn that residents and property owners should continue to...

After celebrating the holidays with her family and recovering from a bout of Covid, Zoe Lofgren flew back to Washington, DC on Jan. 2 to begin her new term representing California’s 18th Congressional District in the US Congress. The district follows Highway 101 from...

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Sen. Nancy Skinner announced a proposal Dec. 5 to penalize oil companies in an effort to deter gas price gouging. The proposal would make it illegal for oil companies to charge excessive refining margins—the price difference between the cost of...

California’s homeless population remains the biggest in the nation, but the crisis is growing more slowly here than in most of the rest of the country, according to new federal data.  The number of homeless Californians increased just over 3% last year compared to the...

The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band last week announced that it has filed a lawsuit against San Benito County to halt development of a new commercial project on Betabel Road, which sits on property that “holds significant historical, cultural and religious value” to the tribe.  The...

To call Keith Larson a superfan of “A Christmas Story” might be an understatement. The San Jose native still remembers that clear winter day as a 9-year-old in 1983, when the power tripped off in his neighborhood without a known reason. On a whim, the family...

Santa Clara County planning officials have released the draft Environmental Impact Report for the 403-acre Sargent Ranch quarry project that is proposed south of Gilroy. The public comment period on the EIR began July 25 and will continue until Sept. 26, according to county staff. Representatives...

Hundreds of people rallied against a proposed mining project south of Gilroy in front of Santa Clara County government buildings on Sept. 10, at an event co-sponsored by 70 area organizations that advocate for human rights and environmental protection. During the rally, about 75 members...

Although farm and food production workers were considered essential workers during the pandemic, many of California's food employers endangered those workers, violating Cal/OSHA's Covid-19 guidelines more often than most industries, a new report said. The California Institute for Rural Studies’ report said farm and food...