On the afternoon protesters shut down Southbound 101 in San Jose, I was working in a mobile clinic parked by the local jail, where COVID-19, law enforcement and race converge in real time. Examining my patient, I paused for a few seconds, stethoscope hovering over his chest, as the whir of a helicopter passed. My...

Traffic congestion will return. When it does, we need a better plan. What could that possibly be? Spending billions of dollars and decades of delays, to get only minor improvements, should no longer be acceptable. How about a little innovation? Can we make it faster, easier and cheaper? Let’s be frank, we’re not going to...

This is a difficult time for our country. I remain outraged by the scene of brutality and reckless disregard for human life we witnessed at the hands of the since-fired Minneapolis police officer, now charged with second-degree murder. We must acknowledge this is not the first incident of injustice affecting our black community, and I...

Dear Chief Eddie Garcia, I find myself enraged, exhausted and emotionally broken in the midst of social unrest from yet another public execution of a black man by state sanctioned officers. And I’m further enraged by San Jose leadership’s failure to recognize their own role in perpetuating said conditions seen across the country. I am...

If you see something, say something. Every police force has a certain degree of “Blue Silence” — good cops who see bad behavior by fellow officers, and say nothing. The high school bully that becomes a cop, and applies just a little more force than necessary against a minority or vulnerable citizen. The cop who...

Can you imagine schoolchildren learning unrestricted by the complications of asthma because the air is clean every day? Ten weeks into the historic pandemic, and clean air looks like the new normal. Sheltering in place has resulted in a significant drop in traffic that has cleaned up the air. The shutdown has achieved in 10...

A recent op-ed published by San José Spotlight is rife with misinformation and unsubstantiated claims about San Jose–Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) and our efforts to serve the community with higher education programs and services. We value community feedback and are always looking for ways to improve our offerings, but facts matter, and the claims...

COVID-19 illuminates the ongoing suffering felt by so many in San Jose. Many citizens struggle to provide housing and food for themselves and their families. Now, the loss of income and access to good medical care has only intensified that struggle. The intensity of that suffering will continue to increase if we fail to address...

A fully developed human being has the resources and time to care for self and family; to learn throughout life with accurate information; to participate actively in key family, work and civic institutions; to self-actualize; and, of course, to contribute to society producing necessary goods or services for our consumption. This vision of Human Agenda...

The nation’s largest hospital chain HCA is gambling with the lives and health of women and newborns with its plan to end maternal-child health services at Regional Medical Center. As of May 30, Regional will no longer provide prenatal, postpartum, labor and delivery care for expectant mothers and neonatal intensive care for at-risk newborns. HCA...