San Jose Rep. Zoe Lofgren earlier this month joined San José Spotlight for an exclusive Q&A webinar as part of the San Jose Speaks series. The congresswoman fielded questions from the community about a variety of topics including police reform, the coronavirus pandemic and the upcoming presidential election. COVID-19 When it comes to decisions related...
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San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo drops his ‘strong mayor’ plan
After a month of pressure and community outcry, Mayor Sam Liccardo on Monday quietly dropped his push for a ‘strong mayor’ initiative that would extend his term by two years and increase his powers. In a memo released Monday — a day before the San Jose City Council was set to vote on the controversial...
‘Enough is enough’: Activists reimagine public safety in San Jose
Sunday was not a day of rest in downtown San Jose. Instead, a faith-based coalition of South Bay community leaders lept into action, recounting personal histories with law enforcement and reimagining public safety in San Jose. Dozens of attendees and thousands of online viewers listened to speeches from Santa Clara County organizations, including the NAACP, CAIR,...
UPDATE: San Jose officer involved with kicking, dragging woman placed on leave
An officer involved with a traffic stop that ended with a woman being kicked and dragged through the parking lot of a San Jose McDonald’s was put on administrative leave on Friday. San Jose resident Josh Gil shot the video Wednesday while picking up a DoorDash order. He said he was organizing the meals he...
How redistricting could shift political power for San Jose neighborhoods
As COVID-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement have cast renewed focus on racial inequities plaguing San Jose for years, some say redistricting has the potential to improve or compromise representation for the city’s most disenfranchised residents. After the completion of the U.S. Census every decade, the City Council must appoint a redistricting committee to redraw the...
San Jose takes pride in its diversity but has no in-house translators
With more than half the households in San Jose speaking a language other than English, the nation’s 10th largest city doesn’t have full-time staff dedicated to translation and interpretation at City Hall. Without full-time translators on staff, San Jose Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco, whose constituents include many monolingual Spanish speakers, has come to expect her own...
San Jose narrowing down designs for iconic landmark
After a yearlong international competition yielded almost 1,000 designs, San Jose is one step closer to getting its iconic landmark. The Urban Confluence Silicon Valley competition, hosted by the nonprofit San Jose Light Tower Corporation, was launched last July with the goal of creating an “impressive and recognizable” structure unique to San Jose that will transform the Arena...
A rift in the labor camp: San Jose unions break on ‘strong mayor’ measure
Several San Jose city union representatives fear that city leaders will be beholden to political agendas if a ballot measure in November expands the authority of Mayor Sam Liccardo. That measure, which last month was narrowly advanced in a 6-5 vote, would give the mayor the ability to hire and fire the city manager and would allow...
Alum Rock community demand answers after DA Jeff Rosen declines to charge contractor
Community leaders on Monday demanded an explanation for why criminal charges won’t be filed against a contractor accused of mismanaging millions of dollars and violating the law while under contract with the Alum Rock Union School District. Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen announced last week he wouldn’t pursue legal action against Del Terra...
As country grapples with racism, activists renew call for justice in SJSU killing
In the early fall 2008, Gregory Johnson Jr. could be found riding around the San Jose State University campus on his longboard, going from his classes to his job as a personal trainer at Bally’s Total Fitness nearby. He was an exemplary student, excelling in his classes and on the school’s wrestling team. He aspired...