San José Spotlight

San José Spotlight is the first nonprofit news organization in the city, dedicated to providing independent coverage of political and business affairs. Our goal is to transform local journalism by creating a newsroom supported by the community, which encourages civic involvement, informs residents, and strengthens democracy. There's a need for another perspective in our community, a trustworthy source for quality local news. Our reporting aims to uncover the truth, expose misconduct, and hold those in power accountable. We serve as the community's own newsroom, relying on your support and contributions. San José Spotlight operates under the San José News Bureau, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization | Tax ID: 82-5355128. It is also fiscally sponsored by the Institute for Nonprofit News | Tax ID: 27-2614911. Contributions are tax-deductible.

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Silicon Valley lawmaker may punt bipartisan Iran war powers resolution

3 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Samuel Larreal

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie are taking a “wait-and-see approach” on their bipartisan resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s ability to further involve the U.S. in Iran without congressional approval. But as a tenuous ceasefire agreement appears to be in place between Israel and Iran, Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, said he wants to keep the pathway to force the House of Representatives to vote on the resolution open.
East San Jose cultural district nets $50K grant

4 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Vicente Vera

The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza is gearing up to launch San Jose’s first distinct cultural district. Housing Trust Silicon Valley, a nonprofit community development group, announced on June 11 it will award a $50,000 grant to the School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza.
Cupertino all inclusive playground welcomes everyone

5 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Annalise Freimarck

Cupertino resident Alicia Schober got teary-eyed at the opening of a new, all-inclusive playground at Jollyman Park earlier this month. It would have provided another outlet for her son’s sensory needs if it had been available when he was growing up. As soon as the playground’s gate opened on June 13, children, adults and older people rushed in to hop on the spherical spinner, scale the blue climbing tower and kick their feet on the swings.
San Jose landmark project dropped

6 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Vicente Vera

Silicon Valley nonprofit leaders are going back to the drawing board after recently announcing the cancellation of a long-anticipated San Jose landmark project. San José Spotlight reported in May that nonprofit Urban Confluence raised more than $3.3 million over several years to build a towering art installation dubbed “The Breeze of Innovation” within Plaza de Cesar Chavez. The group’s funding had dwindled to about $35,000 and the project never got off the ground.
Santa Clara County homelessness hits new high

1 week ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Joyce Chu |B. Sakura Cannestra |Annalise Freimarck

Homelessness has increased in one of the most expensive regions in the nation, a tell-tale sign of what could come. Santa Clara County has 10,711 homeless residents, up 8.2% from two years ago, according to preliminary results from this year’s point in time count conducted in January 2025.
Editorial: Immigrants are the backbone of Santa Clara County

1 week ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Moryt Milo |Ramona Giwargis

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 covered windows to hide the people inside. Those were my parents.
Mountain View ekes out balanced budget amid economic uncertainties

1 week ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Emily Margaretten

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 the trimmed down budget to the City Council Tuesday, June 10.
San Jose bans homeless people renting RVs

1 week ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Vicente Vera

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 homeless residents intending to use the recreational vehicles as homes. These RVs are prohibited from parking and sleeping on city streets and private property after August.
San Jose cancels Almaden Lake Park 4th of July festival

1 week ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Annalise Freimarck

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 fireworks display near her home. The fire destroyed Bacosa’s kitchen and backyard, forcing her and her family to live in a hotel for five months.
San Jose allocates money for immigrant defense

1 week ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Vicente Vera

San Jose officials have squeezed funding out of the 2025-26 budget to support education and legal services in defense of the city’s immigrant community. The San Jose City Council on June 10 unanimously approved $1 million going to immigrant defense organizations like Amigos de Guadalupe and the Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network (SIREN) — out of its $5.5 billion budget.