Sunnyvale residents can now literally get on board with one of the newest public transportation trends: hailing a ride with a local microtransit service. City officials on Tuesday officially launched Sunnyvale Beam with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at City Hall, two weeks after the service quietly started operating. Through the Beam app or with a phone call,...
East San Jose hospital adds more emergency beds
An East San Jose hospital continues to increase services under Santa Clara County’s ownership — including the latest expansion of its emergency department. This comes after the hospital faced years of divestment under a previous corporate owner. The county has increased emergency beds at Regional Medical Center from 34 to 54 at a time when...
San Jose event celebrates Chicano identity and history
For some Mexican Americans, identifying as Chicano means carrying the history of a civil rights movement that challenged war, discrimination and police brutality. For others, it is a way to reconnect with Indigenous roots, honor family histories and build solidarity with their communities. Multiple generations of San Jose residents reflected on what the identity means...
Federal vote-by-mail challenges unlikely to affect Santa Clara County
As the legal battle over federal mail-in ballot restrictions continues to progress through the courts, Santa Clara County’s top election official is reassuring voters — the November elections will proceed as normal. A series of back-to-back legal rulings set off by a U.S. Supreme Court decision last week ended with a judge placing a temporary block...
South Bay coalition wants to protect workers from tech
From artificial intelligence to algorithmic surveillance, recent tech advances are rapidly reshaping the workplace. South Bay labor leaders are alarmed — and drawing together an industry-spanning coalition intended to give workers more say in how these technologies are deployed. Dozens of workers gathered in front of San Jose City Hall on Tuesday to unveil the...
The Biz Beat: Indian bakery pop-up in Cupertino specializes in vegan pastries
On Sunday mornings at the De Anza College Farmers Market in Cupertino, a crowd forms around a stall selling Indian-inspired pastries such as mango lassi bundt cakes and chai oatmeal cookies. A display of colorful bundt cakes are infused with flavors like rose, pistachio, orange and saffron. The baked goods at Orange Elaichi are plant-forward,...
Santa Clara County aims to protect voting rights
As voting rights become diminished, Santa Clara County officials and advocates are pushing back. The Board of Supervisors is working with Black community leaders to encourage residents to participate in local elections, after officials recently approved a plan to draft a resolution to protect voting rights, which will go before supervisors on Sept. 15. Supervisors...
Mountain View City Council candidates square off at forum
Ahead of the November election, the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce held a recent forum to give voters an early look at the policy positions of eight candidates vying for a seat on the City Council. The three candidates who win the most votes Nov. 3 will get the chance to weigh in on top...
Redevelopment plan draws backlash in South San Jose
Residents of a South San Jose neighborhood are organizing against plans to redevelop a single-family lot, accusing the developer behind the project of misusing state housing laws. Opponents fear the precedent the project might set if it’s allowed to move forward. An LLC linked to Redwood City-based development firm Samara has filed permit applications to demolish a...
Santa Clara County home aid workers see pay increase
After years of meager wage increases, thousands of home aid workers in Santa Clara County will receive a bump in their hourly pay amid a tight budget cycle — a move advocates said is necessary but falls short to cover rapidly rising costs of living. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a new two-year...