Health

Don't call it a tripledemic—yet.  Influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Covid-19 are circulating this fall, but not yet at the rate that worried public health agencies a year ago.  As we approach the time of winter when these diseases usually peak, around December to February,...

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...

One person died and another suffered major injuries in a crash on Highway 101 in San Martin in Santa Clara County on Thursday morning, a California Highway Patrol spokesperson said. The crash was reported shortly before noon April 6 on southbound Highway 101 south of...

Hundreds of registered nurses gathered Dec. 16 outside four Santa Clara County hospitals to protest what they describe as dangerous staffing cuts that threaten patient safety across the countywide hospital system. The rally, organized by the Registered Nurses Professional Association, brought together nurses from multiple...

With 100% of precinct ballots counted, Santa Clara County voters on Nov. 4 overwhelmingly supported adding 0.625% to the county sales tax rate for five years. As of 10am, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters office reported 200,430 YES votes and 152,850 NO votes,...

The California State Assembly Select Committee on Fentanyl, Opioid Addiction and Overdose Prevention on Aug. 12 during an informational hearing discussed the urgency of combating the rise in overdose deaths among youth in recent years primarily due to ingesting fentanyl.  Between 2019 and 2021, drug...

By late morning on Monday, temperatures around the Bay Area and Central Coast are forecast to rise rapidly and a heat advisory will be in effect for the entire region. “A fall heat wave kicks off today and will last for several days,” the National...

The rain-weary Central Coast and Bay Area are being asked, again, to prepare for another round of soaking storms this week, as another atmospheric river system is expected to drench the region.  According to the National Weather Service, the atmospheric river is forecast to make...

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved amping up services and resources to combat the fentanyl crisis with money from opioid lawsuit settlements and other grants.  San Jose has been dubbed a “fentanyl hub,” and Supervisor Cindy Chavez established the county’s...

Santa Clara County on Dec. 2 launched its new “CARE Court” process, a 24-month program that offers support for people facing mental health challenges and are at risk of becoming embroiled in the criminal court system.   Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court provides an...