WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Zoe Lofgren called for immigration reform this week during a congressional hearing examining the role of undocumented immigrants in the essential workforce. The San Jose Democrat said essential workers, such as those working in agriculture or food processing, have risked their lives by continuing to work in-person throughout the coronavirus pandemic....
Santa Clara County education leader drops lawsuit against board
Education leader Joseph Di Salvo is dropping his lawsuit against the Santa Clara County Board of Education and fellow trustees who voted in July to censure him, but Di Salvo says the fight is far from over. “I am 100 percent innocent of the alleged charges,” Di Salvo told San Jose Spotlight Sept. 24. “The...
South Bay lawmaker calls on Republicans to end fight against the Affordable Care Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Health experts warned House lawmakers this week that repealing the Affordable Care Act amid the coronavirus pandemic would have devastating consequences for millions of Americans. Dr. Benjamin Sommers, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a professor of health care economics for Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, explained...
Santa Clara County supervisors pump $13 million to help people quarantine
Santa Clara County residents who are exposed or have contracted COVID-19 are getting more financial help to cover the cost of isolating and quarantining. Supervisors on Sept. 22 approved a $13 million infusion to the county’s cities to pay for motel costs, at-home support and financial assistance related to mandatory quarantine if residents get the...
Route 22 overnight bus service once again on chopping block in Santa Clara County
The Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority is proposing to reduce or eliminate overnight services of the bus line dubbed Hotel 22, the only 24-hour bus route in the county that is often used by homeless residents seeking shelter at night. The transit agency has proposed several scenarios for Route 22, which is part of the...
Why indoor dining is still not an option in Santa Clara County
In Santa Clara County, you can walk into a business and get your hair and nails done, work out and even get a tattoo. But you can’t eat. The county recently got the OK to move into the red tier of the state’s categories that allow more businesses to reopen and is taking steps toward...
‘Hellhole’: Santa Clara County suspect who got COVID-19 in jail describes conditions
Raul Covarrubias has sat in the Santa Clara County Main Jail awaiting trial since June 6, 2019. While his right to a speedy trial promised a decision by July 3, COVID-19 threw everything out the window. Covarrubias, who had no previous criminal history, tested positive in jail two days later. In an interview from the...
‘You are missing in action’ — South Bay lawmaker takes FCC to task
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Anna Eshoo took the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission to task during a contentious Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing on Thursday. The Palo Alto Democrat told Chairman Ajit Pai he had failed her constituents, who are currently struggling with the wildfires in northern California. There are 77,000 evacuees, she said,...
Steep discounts to install charging stations coming soon to San Jose
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...
Latest eviction moratoriums a double-edged sword for South Bay tenants, landlords
New state and federal laws approved this month would punish landlords with steep fines and even jail time if they try to evict someone behind on rent. But that’s not necessarily reassuring news for tenants. While housing attorneys and tenants’ rights activists say the laws will shield more renters from property owners who want to force...