San Jose

San Jose

San Jose Mayor Liccardo calls for Trump to be ‘tried for sedition’ after rioters storm U.S. Capitol

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo thinks President Donald Trump should be charged and tried for conspiring to overthrow the U.S. government, after his supporters violently confronted Capitol police and forced their way into the U.S. Capitol. The rioters — at Trump’s repeated encouragement, including at a rally earlier on Jan. 6 — were seeking to...

Members of San Jose’s Diridon advisory group say the city isn’t listening to them anymore

When San Jose first convened a community advisory group to weigh the massive redevelopment of Diridon Station, members were hopeful they’d have a voice in setting expectations for new construction around the city’s transit hub. The Diridon Station Area Advisory Group — or SAAG, as it’s commonly called — was formed in 2018 and has 38 members, ranging from...

UPDATE: San Jose approves naming street after Barack Obama

San Jose will join cities like Los Angeles and Milpitas in naming a street after Barack Obama, elected leaders unanimously decided Jan. 5. The renamed boulevard will include portions of Bird Avenue, South Montgomery Street, South Autumn Street and North Autumn. The plan has been more than three years in the making. Community leader Alex...

UPDATE: San Jose joins lobbying group to protect its casinos

San Jose has long had a love-hate relationship with its two casinos. But with those businesses threatened by new state regulations, the City Council voted 10-1 this week to join a group of other California municipalities to try to stave off the new rules. The reason comes down to simple dollars and cents — San Jose’s...

San Jose airport could raise rental car fees to make up for financial loss

Those looking to rent a car at San Jose’s downtown airport may soon face a heftier bill if city leaders vote to approve fee hikes for travelers. San Jose’s airport has struggled financially amid COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. In a memo, John Aitken, director of aviation, said increasing Customer Facility Charge fees — daily fees charged to customers...

Look back: Google’s San Jose project endured rocky road in 2020

This past year has been stressful for everyone, even Google. As the tech giant’s real estate development team tried to push forward plans for its 80-acre megacampus near downtown San Jose, it was hit with bureaucratic snags and opposition from many quarters, including the Bay Area’s beloved hockey team. Still, the project passed some significant...

San Jose mayor focuses on COVID-19 recovery in State of the City speech

In a year-end State of the City address, Mayor Sam Liccardo painted a somber— yet resilient — picture of San Jose battling the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires and civil unrest. His sixth such address, originally scheduled for Spring, was postponed until an in-person speech was possible. Because that time never came, Liccardo gave the speech via...

In 2020, San Jose leaders contended with protests, a pandemic, housing shortages — and their own flubs

In 2020, San Jose endured weeks of protest, a housing crisis, a historic election and a pandemic that led to the deaths of more than 650 area residents. Local lawmakers were forced to make tough decisions to keep the city running. Here are some of the year’s most contentious and impactful political moments. George Floyd’s death leads...