San Jose Inside

Construction on a proposed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Gilroy has been temporarily paused while federal attorneys prepare their response to a lawsuit challenging the project, according to opponents of the facility. The pause comes after California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Santa Clara County filed suit seeking to stop the project, arguing it violates state law.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office has filed murder charges against a 31-year-old San Jose man who was driving his Telsa more than 140 mph on Highway 87 before he smashed into the back of a car, killing a woman and her 2-year-old child. Prosecutors said Zachary Chernicky was speeding on the northbound side of the road at 142 mph 15 seconds before the crash, 126 mph 5 seconds before the crash, and 102 when he plowed into the back of the Lexus that had stopped in traffic.

Santa Clara County agricultural officials plan to begin collecting recalled grapevine plants this week that were sold at Costco stores after the plants were found to potentially harbor an invasive insect capable of devastating vineyards and other crops. Beginning this week, the county’s Division of Agriculture began going door-to-door to customers who purchased the grapevines during April and May, providing collection supplies and pickup instructions, according to a press release from the county.

With just a high school diploma in hand, and no additional training or education, the average Californian is currently expected to earn about $18 an hour, or $36,000 a year — just above the state’s minimum wage. Effective this month, all colleges, universities and short-term certificate programs in the U.S. must prove that their graduates earn at least the median wage of someone in their state with only a high school diploma. Otherwise, their students will soon become ineligible for federal loans.

One month after after three men stole a Corvette while pointing a gun at the car owner in his driveway at 4:30am, San Jose police announced today they have arrested two of the suspects. On June 21, at 4:29am, San José patrol officers responded to a report of an armed carjacking that occurred at a residence in north San José. Police said three male suspects forced entry into a silver Corvette parked in the adult male victim's driveway.

The U.S. Justice Department announced the arrest of a San Jose State University graduate student for posting hateful, anti-Semitic and racist threatening messages on campus last fall. Federal prosecutors said that the student, 30-year-old Ziheng “Tony” Fang of San Jose, was arrested July 9 on federal charges of false information and hoaxes. Fang made an initial appearance in federal court last Friday in San Jose.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office is seeking applications for its annual “Bend the Arc” program, which provides grants to help battle racial discrimination in the county. Since the program’s inception, the DA’s office has successfully distributed more than $280,000 in grants to almost 60 local organizations increasing opportunities for everyone and making Santa Clara County better and more fair.

The changes were enshrined in the state budget for 2026-27 that the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom approved this month. Students were also major beneficiaries, as lawmakers continued to support one of the nation’s most generous state financial aid programs.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and his family have had a long and complicated relationship with the oil industry. The latest chapter in the saga, a legal and political dispute over state aid to the California’s refineries, could affect Newsom’s presidential ambitions. The roots of this situation date back to the 1940s, when Gordon Getty, a son of oil magnate J. Paul Getty, lived with the Newsom family while attending school in San Francisco.

A San Jose man was sentenced today to 60 days in county jail for trying to profit from his road rage by submitting to his insurance company a claim for damage he caused to his own car. Prosecutors said Ken Pham Tran, 53, told Progressive Insurance Co. that the damage to his white Jeep Wrangler Rubicon was caused by an accident. It happened because he repeatedly slammed on his brakes in front of a semi-truck he thought had cut him off on the freeway.