English
Spanish
Vietnamese
Otto Lee is making his second run at a seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Twelve years ago he lost in an election against Dave Cortese. But with the District 3 supervisor term-limited and seeking higher office, Lee finished a close second — by a margin of less than 2,000 votes —...
What you need to know about Measure G and its expansion of San Jose police watchdog’s authority
How certain investigations of police misconduct cases are reviewed in San Jose could change if voters approve a measure in November that expands the authority of the Independent Police Auditor, a civilian police watchdog. In addition, the City Council could change the auditor’s duties without requiring a public vote. Measure G also would change the...
What San Jose’s new racial equity chief aims to achieve
Zulma Maciel says she envisions a world where race no longer determines a person’s socioeconomic, education and health outcomes. Maciel, who this month was appointed as the first director of the newly-created Office of Racial Equity in San Jose, aims to advance this vision by embedding a culture of equity in city departments through incremental...
Exclusive Q&A: Santa Clara County health chief answers San José Spotlight readers
Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody sat down Oct. 8 to answer San José Spotlight readers’ questions about the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding of the virus has evolved considerably since Cody last answered reader questions in April. The advice, however, has been consistent: People should maintain physical distance from those outside their household, avoid...
San Jose to give $5,000 grants to help restaurants survive this winter
San Jose restaurants in need of financial support during the pandemic can apply for a $5,000 grant starting Oct. 16 to help them serve customers through the winter. As the weather gets colder, business owners often have steeper heating bills to pay to keep patrons comfortable. The presence of COVID-19 also means restaurants will have...
Witnesses warn Congress misinformation may disillusion voters but Santa Clara County confident
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congress must take swift action to combat voting misinformation and foreign interference in the November election, according to witnesses who testified this week before the House Subcommittee on Elections. “If foreign countries are able to interfere in our elections, it undermines faith in the entire electoral process,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena...
Vargas: When churches provide public services, they should follow the law
In June, the Supreme Court ruled LGBTQ+ people are protected from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, in a decision that is likely to have dramatic ripple effects for decades to come. Next month, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in another case that could rip a massive hole in that hard-won...
Agrihood’s urban farm housing project poised for spring groundbreaking in Santa Clara
With the final funding in place, Agrihood’s urban farm housing project in Santa Clara can move forward after years of planning. Receiving a state grant of $50 million in tax-exempt bonds from the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee on Sept. 16 put the project on track for a March or April groundbreaking, officials said. Occupancy...
New space for yoga, worship divides San Jose residents
A vacant building on 796 Delmas Avenue will soon become a place for yoga, meditation and religious worship, but residents are pushing back, saying the proposal does not fit the community’s needs. “I’m a little disappointed that further dialogue didn’t happen,” Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco said after joining the rest of the City Council Oct. 6...
Google unveils portrait of massive downtown San Jose campus
San Jose revealed scads of new details about Google’s plans to build a sprawling downtown campus with 7.3 million square feet of office space and 4,000 housing units spread out over more than 80 acres with improvements to public amenities, including 10 parks and the trails that will eventually connect them all. San Jose Downtown...