Author: Luke Johnson (Luke Johnson)

LIVE BLOG: Polls close, early results posted in Santa Clara County

South Bay voters headed to the polls Tuesday after a long and often divisive campaign season that saw deep division between Silicon Valley’s two powerful political camps — business and labor — and widespread fallout from a racist campaign image from business lobby. READ MORE: Find a vote center or ballot drop box here. Like...

Santa Clara lawmaker calls herself environmental candidate but owns lucrative oil and coal stock

Teresa O’Neill has touted herself the environmental candidate for Santa Clara City Council but a review by this news organization found the councilmember owns up to $1.02 million in stocks in oil and coal-mining companies, according to her recent Form 700 disclosures. On her ballot statement and in various interviews, O’Neill has cited fighting climate...

Service workers caravan from San Jose to Sacramento for labor protections

More than a dozen drivers honked their horns as they circled around Cesar Chavez Park in downtown San Jose with “sign AB 3216” inscribed on their car windows. Their message was directed to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who they want to sign Assembly Bill 3216, which is designed to provide significant labor protections for hotel, janitorial,...

Protesters vandalize San Jose mayor’s house

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo’s home was vandalized Friday night by protesters who marched to the mayor’s house after spending the afternoon protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Liccardo, along with a handful of his neighbors, scrubbed off the graffiti late Friday after protesters ran off. Earlier Friday, about 150 protesters marched near San...

COVID-19 workplace complaints pile up in South Bay but lack follow-up

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated. Workers showed up to work sick with COVID-19 symptoms. Management hid positive test results from employees. Supervisors banned phones to prevent documenting unsafe facilities. These are some of the allegations many South Bay workers have made since Santa Clara County began to ease shelter-in-place restrictions to allow some businesses to...