California State Parks bought the 153‑acre NoraBella tract for $2.415M, expanding Big Basin to protect watersheds and anchor a Saddle Mountain welcome area.

Trustees narrowly approved a plan to send preliminary layoff notices that could affect roughly 300 AUSD employees as officials try to close an estimated $30M gap. Parents and staff warned the cuts would hollow out student supports.

San Jose told current and former workers that a USB lost in January may have contained Social Security numbers. Critics say the city waited too long and one year of monitoring may not be enough.

Billionaire-backed and boutique proposals have pushed a statewide debate: build whole new cities or force denser housing into existing ones. Costs, water and population math complicate the choice.

A packed Yountville study session turned contentious after French Laundry chef Thomas Keller and local employers urged the town to slow the Commons housing plan. Officials laid out costs, unit mixes and funding gaps as the council moves toward votes in March.

Woodside's council voted 4‑1 to seek an independent audit of requests for Flock Safety license‑plate camera data after local residents raised alarms about out‑of‑state access.

A Sentient Futures summit in San Francisco pushed a headline question: could advanced AIs ever qualify for legal rights — even as states move to ban AI personhood.

Duck Donuts — the Outer Banks‑born, made‑to‑order doughnut chain — is opening at 2920 N Main St in Walnut Creek. Signage is up and the shop is hiring ahead of an early‑2026 debut.

A Santa Clara judge tentatively denied TikTok's bid to dismiss California's claims that the app's features addict children, keeping the state's case alive for further hearings.

GA.RA, a garage‑born Vietnamese cafe from three siblings, is opening on Telegraph Avenue with family‑roasted beans, phin coffee and a menu of pandan waffles and nước mắm wings.

A neighborhood group sued Belmont after the council upheld approval for a 140‑unit Prometheus project at 500–580 Masonic Way, arguing the design lacks promised public ground‑floor amenities.

The SFPD has authorized a $175,000 reward for information that leads to the identification, arrest and filing of charges in the 2001 killing of Paula Brien.

Half Moon Bay's city leaders paused a decision on local rent control, asking staff for enforcement details and unit‑level data before choosing between keeping, changing or scrapping the rules.