Silicon Valley has earned its reputation as the epicenter of global innovation. This region has consistently pushed boundaries and opened doors, from artificial intelligence breakthroughs to world-changing startups. As president of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, I’ve seen firsthand how access to technology and opportunity can transform lives, especially for our youth pursuing high-demand...

Californians are paying a steep price — not just in courtrooms, but at the cash register — because of a broken civil justice system that allows systemic abuse of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Small businesses, the backbone of our neighborhoods, are under siege from waves of lawsuits often filed over minor, technical violations....

Individuals who received emergency financial assistance were 81% less likely to become homeless within six months, according to a major study from the University of Notre Dame. But instead of investing in real prevention, San Jose is moving to arrest, cite and displace people for being poor — policies that hurt far more than they...

As a professional dedicated to the well-being of older adults, I am deeply troubled by the recent decision by the current federal administration to dismantle the Administration for Community Living (ACL). This move sends millions of seniors nationwide a disheartening message: you are not important. The ACL has been a cornerstone in supporting older adults...

Valley Water provides safe, clean water to homes, businesses and farms throughout Santa Clara County. A dependable water supply is something we rely on every day, even if we don’t always think about it. Safe, clean water is essential to our health, economy and the innovation that drives Silicon Valley. However, much of our water...

Last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision in City of Grants Pass v Johnson ruled city governments could sweep homeless encampments without violating individuals’ rights. Before this ruling, cities were prohibited from removing unhoused people from public spaces if they had no shelters available. In Silicon Valley, the debate following the Grants Pass decision focused on...

Sleight-of-hand. It’s the trick of making something appear and disappear without the object traveling anywhere. You may have experienced your grandfather pulling a quarter out of your ear when you were a kid or watched a skilled magician pull a rabbit out of a hat at a circus. But neither your grandfather or a magician...

When it comes to the Bay Area’s air quality report card, there’s little to smile about. The grades show failure across the board. Again. The American Lung Association has ranked the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland metropolitan area among the nation’s worst for air pollution: 14th for ozone pollution, 11th for short-term particle pollution and sixth for year-round particle...

I am sitting with a group of second graders at a rainbow table. I’m a reading interventionist and these students have been selected to work with me because of their reading difficulties. I pass out a sheet personalized with their first name so they can practice letter formation. One by one, I ask each student...

Infrastructure isn’t often associated with beauty or inspiration — but in the case of nature, it’s both. The natural environment does more for us than most of us understand. Earth Month reminds us nature isn’t an abstract concept, it’s an asset we must steward and invest in because nature is the most resilient, cost-effective and...