San Jose Unified School District’s “Schools of Tomorrow” initiative proposes closing up to nine elementary schools that act as community hubs for generations of San Jose residents. As a district parent, I am following the initiative with concern and frustration. It is framed as a process to create ideal schools to develop “the thinkers, leaders,...

The week leading up to the Super Bowl may have been one of the most significant displays of unity against an external threat Santa Clara County had seen in generations. From elected politicians speaking at podiums, to high school students belting “ICE Outta the Bay!” from bullhorns during walk outs, Santa Clara County made our...

Local Congressman Ro Khanna used his immunity from the House floor to out child-rapists and protect the victims of Jeffrey Epstein. His courage must acknowledged. To date, very few victims have come forward with names of individual perpetrators. They are literally scared to death. Katie Johnson in a taped deposition described in detail how Donald...

The San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD) is taking steps to close up to nine elementary schools as early as August. Thousands of parents have asked to stop the school closures, but Superintendent Nancy Albarrán has not shown willingness to take this input. This demonstrates the need for new district leadership. Unlike many districts facing...

As ICE and other federal agencies continue their assault on civil liberties, local leaders are stepping up to protect their communities. This includes pushing back against automated license plate readers, or ALPRs, which are tools of mass surveillance that can be weaponized against immigrants, political dissidents and other targets. In recent weeks, Mountain View, Los...

As a physician, I am often confronted with the myriad of ways in which our social safety net has become hopelessly inadequate. Every minute of every day in the Bay Area, we are all witnessing a health care crisis playing out in our streets. It is a crisis that has become an issue for public...

San Jose is preparing residents for the largest technological shift since the rise of the internet. With the launch of “AI for All,” the city signals that artificial intelligence should be accessible to everyone. But San Jose is not alone in facing this moment. Across America, two forces are shaping the next generation. One is...

Compliments to San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan for his inciteful, humane and more affordable program for meeting the homeless challenge — a great first step. But the Santa Clara County Health Department estimates that 15% to 20% of the homeless population does not have the capacity to live alone and will not stay in unsupervised...

“She was such a force of nature in her enthusiasm for making our city, county and the whole Bay Area a better place.” One of many comments shared about Roma Dawson, a dynamic activist who succumbed to cancer last December. Many knew Roma as a longtime dedicated League of Women Voters and community member for...

Santa Clara is on the verge of repeating one of the most painful mistakes in its history. For those new citizens to Santa Clara, the city has the distinction of being the only city in America to demolish its own downtown. In the 2017 Mercury News article “The worst local decisions of the last 50...