Rent is due again in two weeks, but Santa Clara city residents who aren’t able to pay because of COVID-19 will be able to stay in their homes through the end of September. The Santa Clara City Council Aug. 18 approved a temporary eviction moratorium through Sept. 30 to protect public health, preserve affordable housing...
Santa Clara County to test 5,000 daily at fairgrounds for COVID-19
Santa Clara County opened a new drive-through COVID-19 site at the County Fairgrounds with the aim of testing 5,000 people a day — the largest in the Bay Area. Announced Aug. 18, the appointment-only, high-capacity location is expected to complete 1,000 daily tests by the end of this week and continue to expand. Tests are...
Democrats show united front as National Convention begins
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Democratic National Convention kicked off this week with San Francisco resident Kristin Urquiza solemnly telling audiences her father died of the coronavirus in May after he listened to President Donald Trump’s advice and ignored social distancing guidelines. “My dad was a healthy 65-year-old. His only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump,...
FPPC complaint alleges Chu skirted campaign finance laws
California Assemblymember Kansen Chu, who is running for Santa Clara County supervisor, is the subject of a complaint filed with the Fair Political Practices Commission. The complaint, filed by former Assemblymember Paul Fong, alleges Chu violated the Political Reform Act by using his campaign for state Assembly to skirt the donation limits on candidates for...
PG&E power outages burn out San Jose
As thousands of people lost electricity in the South Bay on Monday, some are enduring hours of a scorching heat wave waiting for power to be restored. PG&E said excessive heat and power use have caused the outages, which started over the weekend. But some people say the energy supplier has been ill-prepared for heat waves...
Santa Clara County supervisors face staggering budget shortfall
Santa Clara County supervisors started the daunting task of addessing an anticipated budget deficit of between $200 million and $600 million, with jobs as the first place to cut. Before kicking off discussion Aug. 17 of the specifics of how to address the shortfall, supervisors reviewed their challenges, including uncertainty in federal and state funding...
UPDATE: San Jose City Council demands release of more police videos
After the police killing of George Floyd sparked protests nationwide filled with tear gas and rubber bullets, San Jose lawmakers demanded transparency from the police department — and, to an extent, they got it. The public can now view footage capturing police use of force at recent protests. On Tuesday, the City Council reviewed which...
San Jose mayor wants unauthorized Black Lives Matter mural to stay
A Black Lives Matter mural spanning three blocks of San Jose sidewalk is still standing despite being painted illegally — and the city’s mayor wants to keep it. “I’d be happy to leave the mural right where it is actually, in my neighborhood,” Mayor Sam Liccardo told San José Spotlight. “I’ve got a Black Lives...
Dave Cortese scores endorsement from outgoing Sen. Jim Beall
After remaining mum for months, outgoing San Jose Sen. Jim Beall has endorsed Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese in the neck-and-neck senate race, Cortese’s campaign confirmed late Thursday evening. The highly-anticipated decision came as the race between the local veteran lawmaker and Ann Ravel, the Obama-backed attorney, heats up in the last few weeks....
Santa Clara County takes steps to connect older adults to technology
Santa Clara County leaders this week set in motion a plan to connect older adults to technology, a need that has become more urgent since widespread shelter-in-place orders went into effect. Concerns about the impact of social isolation have grown as the majority of senior services have transitioned online. The increasing use of telehealth and...