As a pro-Trump mob scaled walls, smashed windows, looted lawmakers’ offices and pointed their weapons inside the U.S. Capitol, they faced little resistance from police. The stark difference between how law enforcement largely stood by as the mostly white insurrectionists destroyed public property and how they wore full riot gear in response to Black Lives Matter...
San Jose chef starts meal program to help restaurants, hungry residents
When chef Rodney Baca and his wife Madelyn saw how the COVID-19 pandemic was ravaging their community and small business owners, the philanthropic duo decided to help fellow restaurateurs, restaurant workers and food suppliers. “The inspiration came from not allowing any more of us to go down if I could help it,” said chef Rodney...
Trump supporters hold ‘stop the steal’ protest in San Jose. Unlike the one in D.C., it didn’t turn into a riot.
On the same day supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol to try and block Congress from certifying Joe Biden as his successor, his local fans held their own protest here in San Jose. Close to 80 people, mostly Vietnamese-Americans calling themselves the “Vietnamese Movement for Trump,” organized a rally and marched across...
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...
East San Jose’s political power is rising — a movement years in the making
East San Jose’s political power reached new heights in 2020 — and it keeps rising. Local leaders harnessed that power to fight for immigration reform, grow their base in local politics and convince Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill Kamala Harris’ Senate seat last month. Padilla is the...
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...