The CZU Lightning Complex wildfire that burned through the Santa Cruz Mountains in late summer 2020 was a wakeup call for Frank Bäuerle. He wasted no time fireproofing his Ben Lomond home and neighborhood, clearing brush and screening vents against flying embers to bolster his property’s resistance to flames. But even as his neighborhood got … Read more
At every step, the process of finding Oakland’s new police chief was fraught with political tensions between the city’s police commission, which shortlisted the job candidates, and Mayor Sheng Thao, who made the final call in hiring the city’s top cop. Those relations may become only more strained by the mayor’s next move. Thao, fresh … Read more
The San Jose City Council this week unanimously approved a new “tenant preference” policy meant to keep low-income tenants at risk of displacement in the city. Under the law, 20% of affordable apartments in new city-funded properties will be reserved for lower-income applicants living in “high-displacement” areas. Additionally, 15% of affordable apartments will be set … Read more
The Fremont Union High School District — which includes parts of Cupertino, Los Altos, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale — is implementing a new system for electing trustees to avoid a potential voting rights lawsuit, a move that has some residents upset. The district is planning to transition from its at-large election process, … Read more
OAKLAND — The city’s civilian-led police oversight body was expected to whittle down a shortlist of four finalists to be Oakland’s next top cop on Thursday night — perhaps to just a single candidate. Whoever is selected by the volunteers on the Oakland Police Commission would next be assessed by Mayor Sheng Thao, the final … Read more
SAN FRANCISCO – Topping off his record-setting re-election war chest, President Biden landed in the Bay Area on Wednesday for a two-day fundraising trip, complete with $100,000-a-pop tickets, showing he can still energize donors two weeks before Super Tuesday. The bigger question is: Can he energize voters? Hundreds of onlookers lined Marina Boulevard, three deep … Read more
Six candidates are vying for the state Senate seat currently held by Nancy Skinner, a Berkeley Democrat who will term out in 2024. Skinner has represented 847,000 residents in Contra Costa and Alameda counties along the I-880 corridor, including Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and Alameda, since 2016. She built a reputation as a reliable progressive and … Read more
Ballots are being mailed out this week, and California’s March 5 primary election is officially underway. That’s right. You can vote — and mail it in (no postage necessary) — as soon as you get yours. There are just some weird rules to keep in mind on who you can vote for and how — … Read more
A poll Monday found former President Donald Trump has gained support since last fall among California Republicans for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination, which under new party rules adopted last summer could deliver him the state’s entire haul of delegates. The poll by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found support among likely California Republican … Read more
Sierra Rivera and her older sister, Dahlia, were thrilled at the idea of baking up a batch of their grandmother’s pumpkin cookies last month for Thanksgiving, but when their dad gave them the handwritten recipe, they froze. Letters of each word gracefully flowed from one to the next in a style familiar to those of … Read more
