More than half of the city’s population speaks a language other than English at home, making translation services a key pillar of accessibility.

The city of San Jose is considering expanding the use of an artificial intelligence tool that is making City Council meetings more accessible to non-native English speakers, reports Julia Edinger in GovTech.
“The tool was unveiled and first used at the April 16 council meeting; it provides real-time AI transcription in more than 50 languages.” This provides a valuable service in a city like San Jose, where 57 percent of the population speaks something other than English at home. Now, the city is collecting public feedback about the service as it evaluates other potential uses, primarily other community meetings.
San Jose leads a nationwide coalition of municipal agencies that “ aims to lead responsible adoption of AI governance and use.”
FULL STORY: San Jose AI Initiative Boosts Accessibility, but by How Much?

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.

Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.

Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
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