The country’s top political leaders are weighing in on who should fill an open Silicon Valley congressional seat. California Sen. Laphonza Butler is the latest national leader to voice who should represent the state’s 16th congressional district — and her pick is Assemblymember Evan Low. Gov. Gavin Newsom selected Butler to fill the seat in...
San Jose lawsuit sparks legislation to bolster government transparency
From Stockton to Anaheim and San Jose, government officials across California use personal email accounts and texts to do the public’s business—and those messages often never see the light of day because public agencies can’t access them. Now, a San Jose legislator is working to change that. State Sen. Dave Cortese on Monday introduced a...
Silicon Valley Vietnamese community organizes its political voice
Democratic members of San Jose’s Vietnamese community are building a club to mobilize its political front. The Vietnamese American Democratic Club of Silicon Valley wants to be chartered within the Santa Clara County Democratic Party to organize and empower like-minded members within its community. The party’s executive board gave approval in December, sending the the...
Billboard giant wins lawsuit against San Jose
A billboard conglomerate alleged San Jose violated its own rules with an advertising contract—and a judge agreed. Outfront Media won its lawsuit against the city last month after contending that San Jose did not follow proper procedure and bid out the construction of two digital billboards south of Highway 101 on San Jose Mineta International...
Former San Jose mayor staffer sues for defamation
A former executive team member of San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s office is suing the mayor, his chief of staff and the city for defamation nearly a year after she was fired. Stacey Katz Brown alleges that Mahan and his chief of staff, Jim Reed, damaged her reputation by wrongfully accusing her of leaking confidential...
Santa Clara County cautions against winter illness surge
Santa Clara County is seeing a surge of COVID-like illnesses this winter, as the weather cools and people travel and gather for the holidays. The county is experiencing a spike in respiratory illnesses, such as COVID, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The Santa Clara County Public Health Department tracks all three in wastewater and...
‘Disgraceful’: San Jose struggles with records law years after landmark case
In the six years since San Jose made national headlines for losing a pivotal lawsuit that changed state transparency laws, the city’s been sued over public records numerous times and paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to settle. An analysis by San José Spotlight found the city faced at least six lawsuits—half from news organizations—accusing...
South Bay boosters want bigger bump from 2026 Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is returning to the South Bay in 2026, and local movers and shakers hope to get the region more shine than it received last time around, when San Francisco drew the lion’s share of the fans and revenue. Some leaders suggest San Jose and its boosters should work to undercut and outcompete...
San Jose safe parking for homeless residents delayed
San Jose is spending nearly $2 million to lease land it has yet to use for homeless people living in their vehicles—and councilmembers, residents and advocates want things done quicker. Land at 1300 Berryessa Road has sat vacant since last July. The city agreed to lease the 6.3-acre parcel at $1.7 million annually for at least...
San Jose homeless housing expansion highlights cost concerns
San Jose is allocating millions of dollars to double the capacity of its oldest temporary housing site for homeless residents, pushing long-term operating costs into overdrive. The Rue Ferrari site, located in South San Jose, is adding 134 beds at a cost of more than $30 million. The San Jose City Council unanimously approved the...