Silicon Valley office space vacancies remain high post-pandemic, despite nationwide rates leveling out. Would it be beneficial and realistic to kill two birds with one stone by converting empty offices for unhoused residents? While it has been successfully enacted on local individual bases, repurposing office space is not without drawbacks and reasonable criticism. Multiple perspectives from various press below.

Nonprofit Do Not Harm, which exposes Wokeism in the medical discipline, recently reported on UCSD’s School of Medicine. With hardly a side glance from CA’n residents, this department pushes affirmative action hiring practices and teaches that race permeates healthcare—all to uphold an ideologically-biased anti-racist stance, as encouraged by SJ’s Racial Equity Office. National Review breaks down Do No Harm’s report on UCSD’s racially discriminatory practices, which presumably engender “a lower quality in medical outcomes.”

This Nov., incumbent Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond may get the boot from local “parent advocate” Lance Christensen. California Globe’s Katy Grimes dives into why Christensen (with a modest budget/grassroots campaign) is even a contender against Thurmond, to whom CTA donated $2.2 million. Are parents’ demands for open, CRT-free schools slowly but surely overcoming teachers unions’ agendas?

Local consulting firms’ dismal prediction of 30% primary election voter turnout in California was overly optimistic by two times, as the real number was 16% (though SCC performed fairly well in comparison with 33.3%—our new record low). Why? Evan Symon from the California Globe discusses two potential culprits of low turnout: races perceived as inevitably tipped in one candidate’s favor, and individualized political disappointment or disinterestedness.

The pandemic-related failure of local public schools to provide appropriate education to schoolchildren has greatly increased attendance at and interest in local charter/private schools. But does School Choice go far enough if it lets the structural impact of huge school districts continue? Howard Husock at the American Enterprise Institute explores.

Perhaps San Jose is past the pandemic-vogue talk of removing police officers from our schools (especially considering the damage it’s wreaked on nearby districts and cities like LA/SF). In a July 7th SJUSD board meeting, members voted to continue an $800,000 contract until next June, which permits individual schools to employ SJ police on campus if/as they wish. Annalise Freimarck of the San José Spotlight covers this exciting vote and SJ’s tumultuous recent history of police–school relations.

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association published their yearly “Follow the Money” report, which catalogues state mismanagement of taxpayer money. 2021’s report details key examples of corrupt bureaucratic spending, all closely intertwined with statewide exoduses (that are disproportionately observed in the SF Bay Area, representing 42.9% of CA’n population loss last year). If local leaders continue sidestepping consequences of financial fraud and waste, can further disaster be averted?

Why does California have one of the highest poverty rates in the country? Part of the answer: the state's very high costs for necessities such as rent, gasoline, and utilities. Dan Walters of CalMatters explores how gov't policies make it even more expensive to live in the state, worsening the condition of our low-income neighbors.

Howard Blume at the LA Times offers a glimpse into the recent Los Angeles County Superior Court ruling on the school district’s over-the-top COVID-19 vaccination mandate. The case’s judge cited that only CA state gov’t holds the power to impose stricter rules and eliminate personal belief exemptions.