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The Podlight is a podcast collaboration by San José Spotlight and Silicon Valley Synergy. The Podlight features a weekly look at the top headlines and in-depth conversations with San José Spotlight reporters about South Bay policy, politics and government, delving into critical issues such as housing, technology, business, homelessness, land use and development. On this...
Indoor dining brings normalcy back to San Jose restaurants
Restaurants returning to indoor dining can breathe easier as customers come back inside and some normalcy takes shape. Before the pandemic, Anabel Nguyen and Alex Huynh’s family restaurant hadn’t taken a break in 25 years. But in March 2020, they closed for one month. “It was really stressful for all of us,” Nguyen said. Since...
Silicon Valley congressman tackles Black maternal mortalities
Washington, D.C.—Charles Johnson said he quickly notified hospital staff when his wife’s catheter turned pink with blood. His wife, Kira Johnson, had just given birth to their second son during a scheduled cesarean section at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Staff examined his wife and ordered a CT scan, he said, but hours passed...
Randles, Lee, Reyes & Reese: The educational future of Evergreen Valley College
A lot has changed over the past several years regarding the vacant 27 acres at Evergreen Valley College. The San Jose Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) is hosting a Zoom community meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday and it’s an opportunity for residents to discuss a reset of the SJECCD’s educational policies for the future uses...
Silicon Valley education leader pays legal fees with campaign funds
After dropping a lawsuit against the Santa Clara County Board of Education, Trustee Joseph Di Salvo had one last thing to wrap up: legal fees, which he paid off with campaign funds. According to Di Salvo’s latest campaign statement covering Oct. 18 to Dec. 31, 2020, he owes $4,885 to law firm Berliner & Cohen, which represented...
South Bay parents hesitant about COVID-19 vaccine for kids
Most parents in a new survey said no to immediately getting their kids vaccinated against COVID-19. The survey by Invisibly found 74% of parents will either wait or not vaccinate their kids against the coronavirus. Only 26% of parents said they will have their children inoculated right away, 41% will wait a few months and 33%...
Vargas: California’s experiment with direct democracy has failed
For more than a century, California has been an experiment in a form of direct democracy, giving “the people” unparalleled and extensive power to shape their laws and rebuke their politicians through initiatives, referendums and recalls. Just 5% of Californians working together can force a proposition onto the ballot, a referendum on a piece of...
Do grand jury reports influence change in Silicon Valley?
Santa Clara County’s Civil Grand Jury for decades has attempted to improve government and investigate corruption, but whether it’s meeting those goals isn’t so clear. And most of the people lining up to serve on it are older white people. The Civil Grand Jury investigates complaints made by county residents, but not all complaints are...
San Jose Planning Commission OKs Berryessa public market plan
Vendors worried about the future of the San Jose Flea Market were dealt a blow Wednesday night. The San Jose Planning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend a revised development plan for the Berryessa BART Urban Village Plan, a 61.5-acre portion of the flea market site located on Berryessa Road near Highway 101. The site is...
San Jose’s Happy Hollow hangs on during the pandemic
The theater and rides at San Jose’s Happy Hollow Park & Zoo might be closed, but that didn’t dampen 4-year-old Zayden’s enthusiasm for his first time at the zoo. “I’m so excited!” said Zayden as he made his way from the ticket booth to the exhibits. Happy Hollow is owned and operated by San Jose’s Parks,...