A new California law that went into effect Thursday ups the smoking age from 18 to 21. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill last month.

Santa Clara County’s Main Jail went on lockdown this morning after a fight broke out in the southern wing, according to the sheriff’s office.

A series of egregious wage theft cases show how Silicon Valley’s disruptive industries can open the door for employee abuse.

New research out of Stanford shows clear academic benefits to ethnic studies, especially for younger students who are on the cusp of dropping out of school.

Sean Parker plunked down $250,000 and recruited other techies to fund a ballot measure to legalize marijuana in California.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District has appointed John Varela to its South County seat. The former Morgan Hill mayor was sworn in Thursday.

A political action committee has revived an effort to replace San Jose’s pot ordinance with one approved by voters.

Kansen Chu has run through quite a few staffers as a state assemblyman, a trend carried over from his days on San Jose's City Council.

As the world reels from terrorist attacks in Paris, Bay Area leaders have urged the U.S. to help Syrian refugees escaping a common enemy.

In response to the beating death of a mentally ill inmate, Santa Clara County will make require crisis intervention training for sheriff’s deputies.

The owner of a local collective claims California's new marijuana regulations violate the state's constitution.

A sweeping package of bills signed by Gov. Jerry Brown will transform California’s billion-dollar medical marijuana sector.

While a growing number of states across the country are taking measures to make it more difficult to vote, Gov. Jerry Brown just made voter registration in California a breeze.

Under an amnesty program that starts Oct. 1, drivers struggling to pay off traffic fines will have a chance to settle for a fraction of what they owe.

Santa Clara County proposes an equal pay ordinance, while Gov. Jerry Brown pledges to sign bill meant to close the state’s pay gap between men and women.

At the Vatican this morning and before an audience that included Pope Francis, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo spoke about affordable housing as a solution to Silicon Valley's chasmic gap between rich and poor.