This winter, businesses, commercial property owners and multi-family residences in San Jose can apply for steep discounts on electric vehicle charging stations as a result of an energy partnership’s efforts to bolster green infrastructure in the city. San Jose Clean Energy (SJCE) and the California Energy Commission’s California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) committed $14...
Why San Jose schools aren’t opening for the rest of the year
Saying they are ill equipped to take on the burden of testing students for COVID-19, San Jose officials extended distance learning through the end of December — and may not reopen classes until 2021. San Jose Unified School District Superintendent Nancy Albarrán said there are now more COVID-19 cases than in March when schools first closed, especially...
New program guides East San Jose parents through online learning
As school districts across Silicon Valley extend online learning to stop the spread of COVID-19, one local school district is helping parents — mostly immigrants and communities of color — get comfortable with the technology. This week, the San Jose Evergreen Community College District began its Parent Academy, a series of courses that train East...
South Bay expert among witnesses at subcommittee hearing on postal chief
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The head of the U.S. Postal Service is unfit for the job, according to multiple witnesses and lawmakers who spoke at a heated House subcommittee hearing on Monday. “We have a crony at the helm of our nation’s postal service, a man rife with conflicts of interest and potential violations of law,”...
How can San Jose improve public transportation? The city wants to know
Transportation officials in San Jose are asking residents to help craft the future of the city’s public transportation to increase accessibility, reduce greenhouse emissions and improve quality of life. A survey on the city’s website is encouraging the public to share what transportation changes would improve the city and increase options for getting around San...
After COVID-19, artificial intelligence is next challenge facing US jobseekers, lawmakers told
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Those looking for employment in the post-coronavirus job market may face additional challenges due to the emergence of artificial intelligence, according to witnesses and lawmakers who spoke at a Thursday House Budget Committee hearing. “As the economy eventually recovers, workers may find it difficult to get their jobs back as companies replace...
South Bay legislators weigh-in as latest coronavirus relief measure flops
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a roughly $500 billion GOP coronavirus relief bill, leaving little hope for a bipartisan solution prior to the November election. But Silicon Valley legislators said Democrats had no other choice. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, told San José Spotlight the bill was entirely inadequate. “The Senate waited...
Bay Area transit leaders, unions butt heads on safety of public transit
A plan to address safety for public transit workers that is drawing harsh union criticism faces more scrutiny next week as transit leaders continue efforts to get people back on the roads during COVID-19. James Lindsay, international vice president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, said five members have died across California in the past two...
Santa Clara County supports pushback on attempts to cut the census short
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Santa Clara County has joined the legal effort to challenge the Trump administration’s decision to move up the census deadline. Due to coronavirus-related delays, the Trump administration initially requested additional time for the census with field activities slated to stop at the end of October. But Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and...
Khanna pressed on protests, coronavirus aid in virtual town hall
Rep. Ro Khanna fielded questions from more than a dozen constituents Tuesday at a town hall, many of which centered around the election, coronavirus relief or the nationwide protests calling for police reform. The virtual event, which was live-streamed on Facebook, garnered nearly 1,000 views. One constituent asked the Fremont Democrat why some politicians who...