After an internal investigation, leaders of The Silicon Valley Organization said the posting of a racist political ad on its website was the result of a lack of communication, and held no one accountable. In releasing some results of an investigation today, The SVO named Glenn Perkins as board chair and said it is launching...
New San Jose job program brings hope to workers displaced by COVID-19
Angellina Duran was scheduling appointments for a cardiologist prior to the pandemic. Things started to fall apart when she and her stepfather came down with COVID-19. Her stepfather, who was her primary childcare provider, was in the hospital for several weeks fighting for his life. He returned in a weakened state. After she recovered from...
COVID-19 may cause merchants to see less holiday cheer this year
The end-of-the-year Christmas and holiday shopping season is traditionally a time retailers of all sizes rely on to bring in strong sales, and in some cases, make their entire year a success. But the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to put a damper on the season’s usual good tidings this year as merchants are limited to...
UPDATE: San Jose extends outdoor business hours through winter
San Jose businesses can continue operating outdoors through next spring and summer, thanks to a unanimous City Council vote to extend the city’s Al Fresco program and loosened restrictions on hours of operation. Until now, outdoor activity was required to shut down by 10 p.m. but the new rules allow businesses to operate past midnight...
Khanna introduces $900 billion bill to expand jobs in science, technology
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, has introduced a bill aimed at expanding job opportunities in science and technology. The 21st Century Jobs Act would allocate $900 billion over 10 years for research and development in emerging technologies, such as climate science, synthetic biology, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing. It would further create a...
Free speech vs. censorship: Silicon Valley tech giants questioned by Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Republicans accused Silicon Valley tech giants of censorship during a hearing Wednesday intended to examine whether a provision in the Communications Decency Act gives internet companies too much protection. Section 230 has become controversial in recent years because it provides tech companies with broad legal immunity for what their users post...
Furor builds over racist post by San Jose business group
A chorus of community leaders gathered at San Jose City Hall to express their outrage over a racist image posted on the website of The Silicon Valley Organization and demanded politicians backed by the group return campaign donations. “We stand here today to condemn the racist actions of The SVO and to call on all...
Silicon Valley Organization CEO Matt Mahood placed on leave as board members quit
Silicon Valley Organization President and CEO Matt Mahood has been placed on an administrative leave, one day after the organization came under fire for a racist image posted on its website. “A qualified third-party investigator has been engaged to conduct a top down investigation to determine how and why such an image was posted,” Madison...
Beloved San Jose museum names its first female president
The Tech Interactive — the innovative downtown San Jose museum that’s brought family-friendly STEM education to Silicon Valley since the 1980s — will soon see an innovation to its leadership. Earlier this month, the center named Katrina Stevens — the director of learning science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative — as The Tech’s new president and CEO,...
Economists cautiously optimistic about recovery while Santa Clara County employment improves
As the Bay Area takes more steps to reopen amid the pandemic, a new report is taking a cautiously optimistic approach to the ability of the region’s economy to recover from its biggest shock since the Great Recession more than a decade ago. But, according to officials with the Bay Area Council (BAC), a possible...