Cities across California are passing a slew of laws delaying rent and banning evictions for families who cannot pay during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order, but some lawmakers say the patchwork of bills don’t go far enough to protect renters. As unemployment rates across the country surge to all-time highs, San Jose Councilmembers Magdalena Carrasco and Raul...
The viral posts documenting attacks or harassment targeting Asian Americans amid the novel coronavirus pandemic are not isolated incidents, nor is the South Bay excluded from it, academic researchers and law enforcement say. While these incidents have been shown in everyday interactions ranging from grocery stores and tenant disputes, researchers say the racism has been...
At-risk homeless Californians are moving into trailers, motels and hotels, where they can isolate under a program Gov. Gavin Newsom said could become a long-term solution in California and a model for other states as COVID-19 spreads. Counties and cities, including Santa Clara County, have worked with the state to lease more than 7,000 rooms and...
A petition launched Friday to stop Santa Clara County from banning recreational cannabis sales at dispensaries under a new health order garnered thousands of signatures within hours, the latest call from advocates to overturn the controversial decision. As first reported by San José Spotlight on Wednesday, Santa Clara County leaders reversed a previous decision in...
San Jose activists on Friday called on the U.S. Supreme Court to delay a ruling on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. During a livestream hosted by immigrant rights group SIREN, Executive Director Maricela Gutiérrez led the call to salvage the Obama-era program through a Zoom call, which...
In a massive effort to replenish a COVID-19 financial assistance fund, a slew of South Bay elected, nonprofit and business leaders will host a telethon Saturday to raise funds to help low-income residents pay rent and other basic necessities. The telethon will be hosted by NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48. The widespread call for...
Surveys of life after the coronavirus pandemic paint a familiar picture of social distancing, increased hand washing and economic stress. Nearly a month ago, the Kaiser Family Foundation asked 1,216 people to detail the changes and differences they’ve made — voluntarily or not — in the weeks since cases of COVID-19 arrived in the United States. SingleCare,...
Californians are losing their incomes at record rates as residents stay inside and businesses close their doors due to a statewide stay at home order to stop the fast-spreading coronavirus that has infected 9,191 and killed 203 people across the state. But Santa Clara County and state government officials on Thursday announced new programs aimed...
Californians have gotten mixed messages about wearing face masks in public to protect against COVID-19, but state and Santa Clara County officials aligned on Thursday. Public health leaders in the Bay Area Thursday night recommended residents use non-medical, cloth face coverings when they go out for essential purposes. Covering one’s mouth and nose can reduce...
Life in Silicon Valley has changed dramatically since March 17, when a regional shelter in place order took effect, relegating workers to the four walls of their homes and shuttering businesses not deemed essential. County officials issued the order — and then extended and strengthened it Tuesday — to slow the spread of the contagious...
