In the wake of the tumultuous shut down of Silicon Valley Bank and a weekend of uncertainty that has made national headlines, the local impact of the financial institution’s collapse in the tech-driven region was clear by the dozens of people who lined up outside the bank’s Santa Clara branch Monday. Everyone was hoping to...
San Jose mayor blasts ‘weak’ government response to Silicon Valley Bank collapse
In the aftermath of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is blasting the federal government’s approach to the crisis — calling it “weak” and “half-hearted.” U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said during a Sunday morning broadcast of Face the Nation that the government could not commit to guaranteeing the deposits...
The Biz Beat: San Jose restaurant serves up Uyghur cuisine
As befits the culture of Northern Chinese tribes who traveled Asia’s fabled Silk Road trading route, Uyghur cuisine shows a mix of influences that stretch from Damascus through Central Asia to Hong Kong. San Jose’s Kusan Uyghur Cuisine has spent the last four years focused on dishes that bring authenticity and accessibility in a style...
San Jose small businesses can still apply for COVID rent relief
San Jose has opened its next wave of grants for small businesses to pay off their rent debts accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Small business owners can now apply for grants of up to $15,000 to help pay off the back rent they owe to commercial landlords. San Jose opened applications for the grants last week,...
The Biz Beat: Community spirit at San Jose’s The Barbers Inc is a cut above
The owner of The Barbers Inc is portrayed in the mural on the side of his shop cutting Muhammad Ali’s hair—something that never happened, though David Diggs wished it had. “I remember my grandmother telling the story about when she was in his presence at a fight—him walking by her and just how remarkable he was to...
Proposed tax law threatens billions in San Jose funding
The San Jose City Council will decide whether to oppose a state ballot initiative Tuesday, which officials say would hobble the city’s ability to provide basic services. The initiative, dubbed the Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act, would make it more difficult for state and local governments to pass new taxes and fees. If passed, local governments...
San Jose officials call for street vendor protections
San Jose officials have a message for street vendors: report any attacks, because the city is listening. San Jose’s Latino councilmembers and a coalition of a dozen local advocates gathered Thursday to reassert their commitment to protect street vendors and highlighted services available to them following recent attacks on two vendors near downtown. “Street vendors...
San Jose’s low-budget airline could boost tourism
San Jose Mineta International Airport is adding Spirit Airlines to its carriers—and some say that’s not necessarily the best news. “I’ve flown on Spirit a couple times, and it wasn’t a good experience,” said Christian Hoang, a San Jose resident going to school out of state. “If you’re looking for the best price, they have...
Downtown San Jose theater faces final curtain call
A San Jose art institution in downtown is closing its curtains later this year. The Tabard Theatre is closing indefinitely on April 2, according to Jonathan Rhys Williams, executive artistic director of the Tabard Theatre Company. “After three years of battling increasing costs, decreasing ticket sales and the ongoing effects of a global pandemic, we are...
Booms and busts: Silicon Valley economy divided
Silicon Valley’s economy is waiting to see how recent changes like remote work culture and the slowdown of pandemic-driven booms in the tech sector play out, according to a new regional report. Even with that in play, the most consistent indicators show Silicon Valley is still a place of drastic divides, with gaps between the haves...