Money is pouring into the race to represent San Jose’s downtown District 3 on the City Council, with less than two weeks before Election Day. Planning Commission Chair Anthony Tordillos has a fundraising lead of more than $90,000 over his opponent, Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley Executive Director Gabby Chavez-Lopez. Campaign finance documents filed Thursday...
East San Jose youth center garners support for remodel
Community efforts to save the Mexican American Community Services Agency youth center in East San Jose are paying off. The Alum Rock Union School District board of trustees on Thursday voted unanimously 4-0, with Trustee Minh Nguyen absent, to extend the deadline for deciding the youth center’s fate. This will allow time for forging a...
San Jose restaurant to be replaced by Chick-fil-A
Neighborhood-wide efforts to save a San Jose restaurant have been quashed in favor of a new fast-food eatery. Planning Director Christopher Burton on Wednesday approved a Chick-fil-A at 255 Race St. off West San Carlos Street because the location is considered underused — despite a longstanding family restaurant operating at the site. The decision solidifies...
West Valley residents angry over hotel turning to homeless housing
More than 100 people packed the Camden Community Center Wednesday to speak against a West Valley hotel converting to temporary homes for homeless women and children. They stood against the walls when seats ran out, booed, shouted over each other and yelled at San Jose officials, “You’re our elected officials! You need to listen to...
California lawmakers saw Sen. Alex Padilla’s forceful removal as ‘lawless’
California Democrats are calling for committee hearings and an investigation into how Sen. Alex Padilla was treated by federal agents when he was forcibly removed from a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. The incident occurred at a press conference Thursday in Los Angeles. It immediately captured the attention of the rest of the...
San Jose residents win fight to stop housing project
City officials have sided with homeowners opposed to a proposed 17-story apartment complex that would have added hundreds of homes in West San Jose. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to deny plans to construct 135 homes and 15,000 square feet of commercial retail space at 826 N. Winchester Blvd. Neighborhood residents who...
San Jose fire to resume drug oversight program after tampering
San Jose leaders are temporarily reinstating a drug oversight program they scrapped while firefighter medics internally flagged narcotics thefts and patient exposure to tampered morphine, revelations exposed by San José Spotlight’s reporting. The City Council on Tuesday approved the revival of San Jose’s paramedic coordinator program, known as Med 30, with new funding for seven...
Silver Taube: Militarized workplace immigration raids batter the economy
In recent days, we have seen an escalation and militarization of workplace raids as the Trump administration has grown frustrated at the pace of deportations. One ICE official told the Washington Examiner last month that Stephen Miller asked ICE staff: ‘Why aren’t you at Home Depot? Why aren’t you at 7-Eleven?’ On June 6, ICE...
Trump may shield undocumented farm workers from deportation
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he may create a carveout to his mass deportation efforts for hospitality and farm workers. After facing criticism over immigration raids that picked up people who have lived in the U.S. for years, Trump said the White House is looking at executive action that would exempt employees of some...
Silicon Valley transit agency looks for solutions to looming deficit
VTA plans to get more aggressive expanding its revenue sources with reserves expected to be depleted by the mid-2030s. The VTA board of directors on June 5 unanimously approved its $599 million budget for fiscal year 2025-26 and a $610 million budget for 2026-27. Deficits up to $14.9 million are expected by 2027. Plans include...