Nearly 40 years ago, two parents clutched their frightened daughters’ hands to make a treacherous overnight escape from war-torn Iran in the 1980s. The family couldn’t carry more than a suitcase of family photos and mementos. They narrowly fled air bombs dropped by Saddam Hussein’s regime on their country, fleeing buildings and hospitals where tarps...
State could strip Silicon Valley’s homeless funding
The progress San Jose and Santa Clara County have made to reduce homelessness could be halted as the state cuts crucial funding for housing and homeless services. The California Legislature on June 13 passed a $325 billion preliminary budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, and the state’s main source of homelessness funding — the Homelessness...
San Jose clinics push Black health to the forefront
For many, stepping through the doors of Ujima Adult & Family Services and Roots Community Health feels like a Black oasis. Portraits of important Black figures — Malcom X, Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and Marcus Garvey — greet visitors when they walk through the halls. African symbols such as masks and the...
Mountain View ekes out balanced budget amid economic uncertainties
Mountain View is getting ready to greenlight a budget that is narrowly balanced, with little wiggle room to shore up money for new expenses as it grapples with an economic slowdown and the possibility of federal funding cuts. “Our budget is less robust than it has been in prior years,” said City Manager Kimbra McCarthy, who presented...
Gonzales: Closing Silicon Valley’s digital divide is a moral and economic imperative
Silicon Valley has earned its reputation as the epicenter of global innovation. This region has consistently pushed boundaries and opened doors, from artificial intelligence breakthroughs to world-changing startups. As president of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, I’ve seen firsthand how access to technology and opportunity can transform lives, especially for our youth pursuing high-demand...
San Jose bans homeless people renting RVs
A new San Jose policy intended to target individuals who rent RVs to homeless residents is being extended to penalize people sleeping in their vehicles. The San Jose City Council voted 9-1 on Tuesday to approve the “vanlording” policy, as it was written last week, to ban the advertising and renting out of RVs to...
Lawmakers predict Trump will send troops to more states over immigration
Democratic senators are grappling with the possibility that cities they represent could become the center of the next fight over the military being used against American civilians. President Donald Trump’s weekend post calling for expanded deportation efforts in the biggest U.S. cities raised alarms for the Democratic lawmakers who represent California, Illinois and New York....
San Jose cancels Almaden Lake Park 4th of July festival
San Jose resident Cathie Bacosa woke up around midnight last year to a fire ravaging her backyard in the neighborhood she’s lived in for 28 years. She thinks it was likely from fireworks. It was July 4, and more than 30,000 people had crowded into the small neighborhood to watch the annual Almaden Lake Park...
UPDATE: San Jose leaders say “No” to stronger police oversight
San Jose’s independent police auditor wants to review every use-of-force case — a level of oversight the county sheriff already accepts. But city officials unanimously rejected the idea at Police Chief Paul Joseph’s request. Out of 400 total incidents where San Jose police used their weapons or hands on people in 2024, 13 resulted in...
Palo Alto adopts $1B budget, revamps ambulance service
Facing a turbulent financial outlook, Palo Alto adopted on Monday a $1-billion budget that revamps the Fire Department’s ambulance service, expands funding for nonprofit groups and delays decisions on budget cuts until later this year. The spending plan that the City Council adopted by a 6-0 vote, with Councilmember Greer Stone absent, includes one major...