Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein spoke Thursday night at the Naglee Park home of Karen and Richard Ajluni, an event attended by more than 30 persons, amongst which the local Palestinian American community was well represented. She was introduced by longtime nonprofit executive Ajluni, who cited the ongoing deaths of children in the current Middle East war and said that the two-party system would not change unless voters had the courage to walk away. Stein, sporting a black-and-white kaffiyeh draped around her neck, launched a blistering attack on the Democratic Party, accusing its leaders of selling out to large corporations and oil companies by failing to adequately address the climate crisis, suppressing progressive voices and complicity in what she repetitively described as a genocide.

The more than 1 million registered voters in Santa Clara County are voting by mail at the pace of about 20,000 per day. The 26 voting centers open this weekend for in-person voting, with 13 days until the polls close.

Torres’ council chair was again conspicuously empty, and he continues to be a no-show at various boards and committees.

Joseph has served as acting chief of police since former Chief Anthony Mata’s retirement on March 31.

When San Jose police officers with the Metro and Violent Crimes Enforcement Teams served a fentanyl-related search warrant at an unhoused encampment in south San Jose on Sunday, they discovered a big haul of cash and illegal drugs. Two primary suspects were taken into custody nearby and the subsequent search yielded two firearms, narcotics for sale, drug paraphernalia, and over $17,000 in cash, according to police. Both suspects had been prohibited from owning firearms because of prior criminal records, police said.

The mayor said that for the past two weeks, Torres has not shown up to any council meetings, community meetings or committees to which he has been assigned.

The split vote Wednesday evening came hours after a Superior Court judge turned down a request from Dewan’s lawyers for an order blocking a board vote.

The pleas from business groups are based on revelations in an Oct. 1 police affidavit of sexually explicit comments by Councilmember Omar Torres about young boys.

The restrictions on political ads around Election Day are being reinstated out of concern for political misinformation, heightened by the use of AI.

The Santa Clara County Board of Education, which voted to dismiss Dewan on Oct. 2, is slated to appoint an Orange County educator, Charles Hinman as the interim superintendent at its meeting tonight.

Omar Torres’ attorney affirmed that the first-term council member has engaged in sexually explicit social media activities revealed in graphic detail in an affidavit filed in connection with search warrants on Torres’ property.

The sudden disappearance of half a billion dollars of state money meant to help community land trusts has left some housing advocates questioning California’s commitment to preserving existing affordable housing.

A CalMatters analysis shows that California’s campaign finance watchdog has sometimes taken years to resolve cases, sometimes after politicians have won election or left office.

The San Jose police union accused City Manager Jennifer Maguire of attempting to divert police resources from the investigation of Omar Torres to instead go after media for leaking an affidavit that was on file with the court.

As a gasoline reserve bill faced a final vote today, labor advocates warned the bill’s safety measures don’t go far enough.

Pastas, frozen meals, wraps and salads, have been added to the list of products sold in the Bay Area and nationally now included in a meat and poultry recall first announced last week.