A state audit found EDD paid about $4.6 million in monthly fees for thousands of cellphones and hotspots that went unused. Auditors urged tighter monitoring and a 90‑day cutoff rule.

A nonpartisan report warns California could face a more than $1.8B shortfall next year as cap‑and‑trade receipts fall short of new fixed spending rules. Lawmakers may have to trim programs or shift costs.

Salinas' City Council unanimously approved sending officers to guard Super Bowl LX and six World Cup matches at Levi's Stadium, with officials promising local patrols won't be affected.

San Jose officials are pushing local rules and funding to shield immigrant residents as the city prepares for the 2026 Super Bowl and World Cup. Councilmember Peter Ortiz has authored a memo and wants $1.5M for immigration defense.

Mayor Matt Mahan led gubernatorial hopefuls through the new Cherry Avenue tiny‑home village and blamed Sacramento for cutting homelessness funding. He urged the next governor to step in.

Palo Alto city leaders voted to ban "vanlording," prohibiting renting RVs on public streets, with violators facing fines and towing. Concerns were raised about the impact on those reliant on RVs for housing due to costly traditional housing.

City staff warned of a widening $14.9M shortfall as sales-tax receipts slump, and presented cuts and other options to close ongoing budget gaps. Forecasts show persistent deficits into the late 2020s.

A California federal judge's Nov. 25 order could open bond hearings for thousands detained under a summer DHS policy; attorneys say more than 36,000 cases may be affected. Courts are already split on how to apply the ruling.

Santa Clara’s assistant city manager, Chuck Baker, will leave by year-end — before the Super Bowl and months before World Cup matches. The timing raises staffing and ethics questions as the city accelerates event preparations.

A Bay Area‑led petition launches a third attempt to undo Prop. 19's inheritance reassessments, arguing heirs are being hit with steep tax increases in high‑cost counties.

San Mateo County obtained a $49 million settlement from opioid manufacturers, including the Sacklers, for addiction recovery efforts and damages caused by the opioid crisis.

Santa Clara police confirm an active investigation into Councilmember Kevin Park over an alleged court‑order violation. Details remain limited as the department probes the claim.

A U.S. District Court judge issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Trump administration from imposing conditions on disaster preparedness funding linked to immigration enforcement and abandoning diversity initiatives.