The City Council signed off on a $3.5 million, six-year agreement with Ladris Technologies to purchase a system its creators said can distill vast quantities of data to determine which route will most quickly lead evacuees to safety. The purchase comes just in time for the technology to aid in emergency preparations for a series of major sports events expected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to San Jose next year.
California has withdrawn a lawsuit against the Trump administration that sought to recover roughly $4 billion in federal funds pulled from the state's long-delayed high-speed rail project, after concluding it can no longer rely on the federal government to help deliver the system. The suit was filed after the Federal Railroad Administration began canceling federal grants for the project totaling about $4 billion, arguing the California High-Speed Rail Authority had failed to deliver on commitments amid years of delays and cost overruns.
High winds and heavy rain Christmas Eve and into Christmas Day brought down trees, power lines, flooded roads and left thousands of North Bay residents without power for the holiday. The storm system, the second in a row, swept across the North Bay late Wednesday into Thursday bringing periods of heavy rain, gusty winds, thunderstorms and even pockets of hail, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Dylan Flynn.
As the Chronicle reports, a gasoline tanker carrying two four-thousand-gallon tanks traveling at an allegedly unsafe speed collided with a pickup truck around 5:30 am Friday near Hellyer Avenue on southbound US Highway 101, causing the tanker to overturn, according to the California Highway Patrol. Per Bay City News, the driver of the pickup truck, who had slowed down to avoid flooding on the freeway, was uninjured, but the big rig driver was taken to the hospital for assessment.
State data show that, between 2017 and 2019 - the latest years for which state data is available - about 28% of Latinas reported taking folic acid the month before becoming pregnant. White women took the vitamin at a higher rate, with 46% of them reporting consuming folic acid, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Flooding shut down some lanes of state Highway 87 near state Highway 85 in San Jose early Thursday morning, prompting authorities to urge drivers to avoid the area. Around 5:10 a.m., the California Highway Patrol said two southbound lanes of Highway 87 north of Highway 85 were flooded, creating risky driving conditions. An estimated time for reopening was not immediately available.
SHERIFF OUSTED: The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors removed Sheriff Christina Corpus from office in October 2025 due to allegations and findings that she misused public funds, retaliated against subordinates and violated conflict-of-interest laws, particularly concerning her chief of staff, Victor Aenlle. Following her removal, former Santa Clara County Sheriff Ken Binder was appointed as the new sheriff. He's the brother of Palo Alto police chief Andrew Binder.
Leading 21-0 midway through the second quarter at the Hawaii Bowl, Cal was positioned to generate valuable momentum heading into the start of the Tosh Lupoi coaching era. Instead, the Bears' 35-31 loss to Hawaii on Wednesday night was more evidence that the program needs a leadership change that can toss aside a tired and familiar narrative. The Bears teased their fans with a dynamite dash out of the starting blocks in front of a capacity crowd of 15,194 at cozy Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex.
Peak rainfall in parts of the region is expected to reach as high as 1.5 inches per hour, according to the National Weather Service. The foothills and mountains south of Point Conception, which include parts of Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, are projected to receive up to nine inches (25 centimeters) of rain by 10 p.m. local time on Christmas Eve. The rain will continue to fall on Thursday, Christmas Day, and a total of 14 inches could soak the region (35 centimeters) by Friday.
Wednesday, 7:25 a.m. - Menlo Park police are reporting flooding in the 1300 block of Hamilton Avenue between Willow Road and Henderson Avenue. Residents were told to stay in their homes, while people outside the neighborhood were urged to stay away. Flooding was also reported on the 1300 block of Carlton Avenue. Travel in the area should be avoided until further notice.
Prosecutors claim Thao and Jones were bribed by the Duongs, who were seeking a multi-million dollar deal with Oakland to build shipping container housing units for the homeless. They also allegedly wanted their lucrative recycling contract extended. In exchange, Jones allegedly landed a cushy "no-show job," and the Duongs allegedly paid for attack mailers against Thao's opponents in the 2022 mayor's race.
RICHMOND - Structures at a public storage facility were heavily damaged in a three-alarm fire Wednesday morning that also left one firefighter with minor injuries, authorities said. The fire at Public Storage, 398 Carlson Blvd., erupted about 12:16 a.m. and was brought under control by 35 firefighters about 6:30 a.m., said Deputy fire Chief Rico Rincon. Firefighters expected to be at the facility well into the day Wednesday making sure there were no flareups.
He has served as acting public defender since December 2024. "Damon has served the county Office of the Public Defender for nearly three decades, and his longstanding commitment to public service clearly demonstrates that he is exceptionally well-suited for this role," said Board President Otto Lee. "We are proud to see a leader with such deep institutional knowledge and community partnership rise to lead the Public Defender's Office."
The DMV does not require an on-the-road driving test for driver's license renewal applicants past any certain age, spokesperson Ronald Ongtoaboc said. This is in the California Vehicle Code, in section 12814 (a), which says, The age of a licensee, by itself, may not constitute evidence of a condition requiring an examination of the driving ability. The DMV can, however, restrict driving privileges for a driver of any age who demonstrates they are unsafe to operate a vehicle.
RELATED: Waymo robotaxis blink out and block traffic in SF blackout. What happens in the next emergency? Though the DMV's approval progresses the deployment of vehicles, the company still requires a permit from the California Public Utilities Commission before it can start officially offering paid public rides in these new areas. The thought of Waymo vehicles soon navigating Solano County roads, however, brought mixed emotions from residents.
Driverless vehicles no longer exist solely in spy movies and futuristic dreams. In fact, Solano County streets are one step closer to a future that features these self-driving robotaxis. The autonomous driving technology company, Waymo formerly the Google self-driving car project recently received approval by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to begin testing in seven Solano County cities. Approved locations are: Vallejo Vacaville Fairfield Benicia Dixon Suisun City Rio Vista The news comes as part of a major wave of approval to expand testing in Northern California areas, including several cities in the Sacramento region and Yolo County. RELATED: Waymo robotaxis blink out and block traffic in SF blackout. What happens in the next emergency? Though the DMV's approval progresses the deployment of vehicles, the company still requires a permit from the California Public Utilities Commission before it can start officially offering paid public rides in these new areas.
Larry Stone, who has been assessor for 30 years, decided to step down now rather than at the end of his term a year from now. Had he waited for the end of his term, the office of assessor would have appeared on next year's ballot along with many other races. Instead, by leaving now, he's creating a single-office, small turnout race, with the person he endorsed having a head start over outside candidates.
