Documents obtained by San José Spotlight reveal General Plan Task Force co-chair David Pandori tried to delay a vote on a controversial housing measure last month, pushing the boundaries of appropriate conduct for the role. This news organization made a public records request for communications between Pandori and his fellow co-chair, Teresa Alvarado, of urban...

San Jose lawmakers approved a series of steps that will lead to police reforms after 1,000 people contacted the San Jose Police Department between May 28 and June 30 to complain about officer use of force. The steps, approved at the City Council meeting Aug. 18, include conducting independent, in-depth use of force reviews and...

School’s starting, heat’s soaring and more than 10,000 people were out of power in San Jose on Aug. 18 as PG&E blackouts shrouded downtown homes in darkness. “We are in the middle of a pandemic and we cannot even stay at home comfortably,” said Luis Ortiz, a downtown San Jose resident. “The heat is unbearable...

Downtown high-rise developers will receive a huge discount during the pandemic but their savings will come at the expense of low-income housing. As COVID-19 worsens economic conditions for those looking to build in San Jose, city leaders voted 7-4  Aug. 18 to eliminate a fee that helps fund affordable housing. Councilmembers Sergio Jimenez, Magdalena Carrasco,...

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...

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...

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...

“Why are you on that side?” yelled a protester at San Jose Police Officer Jared Yuen. “Shut up, b—-!” Yuen shouted back. Months have passed since Yuen’s comments during this year’s protests against the police killing of George Floyd went viral. A petition demanding the city fire Yuen has circulated since June and gathered nearly...

As virtual meetings become the new norm, San Jose leaders voted unanimously Tuesday to make local government more efficient and accessible. Attendees of the July 28 and Aug. 3 City Council sessions might have noticed the meetings are now translated into Spanish and Vietnamese. However, to listen to the Vietnamese translation, Zoom users must select...