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Real World Economics: Don’t cry for U.S. if we become Argentina

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:50:32 GMT

Edward LottermanThe victory last week of eccentric populist politician Javier Milei in Argentina’s recent presidential election is more important to our country than it might seem to most of us.That is because when we look at Argentina, much of the fecklessness and chaos that we see is a mirror image of our own.Argentina has perennial economic problems because its political system perennially fails. Could the same be true for the United States? The similarities are closer than our pride lets us admit.The news from Argentina could have been headlined in various ways:“Authoritarian populism returns to Argentina”“Argentina’s new president promises radical economic changes”“Argentina’s elections follow Donald Trump’s political model”“Lenders fear yet another default as Argentina chooses radical path”“Continued deadlock between Peronists and free marketers leads to radical third party president”All of these headlines are essentially true. Yet none capture anywhere near the entirety of th...

Cupertino collects coats for Sacred Heart

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:50:32 GMT

Holiday coat driveThe city of Cupertino, in cooperation with Recology, is hosting its annual coat drive this holiday season. Community members can drop off new or gently used coats between until Friday, Dec. 29, at the Cupertino Library lobby, 10800 Torre Ave.Donated items will be given to Sacred Heart Community Service, which will distribute them to those in need this holiday season.Holiday assemblyState Assemblymember Evan Low is hosting a holiday open house Dec. 8 for his constituents in District 26. The event is an opportunity to discuss local and state issues or bill ideas.The open house is set for 4-7 p.m. at the Triton Museum of Art, 1505 Warburton Ave., Santa Clara. For more information, call 408-446-2810.Second Harvest campaignTo meet the high need for food assistance in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley announced its holiday campaign to raise $30 million by year’s end. The number of people Second Harvest serves doubled during the pandemic...

South Bay politician assembles constituents for holiday event

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:50:32 GMT

Holiday assemblyState Assemblymember Evan Low is hosting a holiday open house Dec. 8 for his constituents in District 26. The event is an opportunity to discuss local and state issues or bill ideas.The open house is set for 4-7 p.m. at the Triton Museum of Art, 1505 Warburton Ave., Santa Clara. For more information, call 408-446-2810.Storm repairs doneA sequence of intense winter storms resulted in a significant erosion event at the junction of Stevens Creek and Mockingbird Lane on March 18. This erosion led to the loss of a stormwater outfall and a substantial portion of the upstream storm pipe, forming a steep cliff beneath the cul-de-sac. City employees stabilized the embankment’s base, aiming to prevent further erosion in anticipation of an imminent storm, and began repair work with the goal of completing it before the onset of the 2023-24 rainy season. The project was successfully completed it on Nov. 10, just ahead of an approaching storm.For more information, contact di...

San Jose: Pedestrian dies after being hit by car early Sunday

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:50:32 GMT

A pedestrian died after being hit by a car in South San Jose early Sunday morning, San Jose police said.Related ArticlesCrashes and Disasters | Caltrain fatally strikes pedestrian in Brisbane. It was the second fatal collision in two days Crashes and Disasters | 86-year-old man dies in head-on crash Thanksgiving evening in Concord Crashes and Disasters | Man killed in crash along Highway 1 near San Gregorio Crashes and Disasters | Man killed by Caltrain near Brewster Avenue in Redwood City Crashes and Disasters | Driver arrested in fatal hit-and-run that killed woman on Highway 4 The collision occurred at the intersection of Copperfield Drive and Capitol Expressway, near a shopping center. The pedestrian was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and was later pronounced dead.This is the 44th fatal collision in the city this year and the 25th pedestrian death, according to San Jose po...

History Club of Los Gatos hosts holiday boutique

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:50:32 GMT

Boutique has a historyThe History Club of Los Gatos is hosting a holiday boutique Dec. 2-3 at 123 Los Gatos Blvd. Hours are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. both days.Merchandise will include original art, handcrafted toys, children’s books, vintage items, wine glasses, birdhouses, ornaments, scarves, knitted hats and handcrafted items for babies.Proceeds go to support the club’s rental facilities. A portion of the proceeds from the rentals goes to community charities supporting women and children in Santa Clara County.For more information, visit historyclublosgatos.org.Second Harvest campaignTo meet the high need for food assistance in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley announced its holiday campaign to raise $30 million by year’s end. The number of people Second Harvest serves doubled during the pandemic—from 250,000 to 500,000 a month—and although the pandemic has waned, the need for food assistance has spiked back to record levels, due in part to inflation and re...

Tip jar thief thwarted by employees, customers at Campbell business

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:50:32 GMT

Nov. 134:15 a.m. in the 2600 block of South Bascom Avenue: Two suspects cut the locks to a storage unit and took construction equipment and tools.10:25 p.m. in John D. Morgan Park: Officers located a stolen Honda Civic. A man was arrested for the vehicle theft and for threats he made earlier in the day. Additionally, he possessed methamphetamine and was found to be under the influence of a stimulant.8:30 p.m. in the 1100 block of East Hamilton Avenue: Someone defeated a secured tarp concealing three cars in the carport. The suspect then forced entry into one of the cars, but nothing appears to have been taken.Nov. 147:30 a.m. in the 300 block of Union Avenue: A gray 2023 Honda Civic was stolen. The victim said she had left items and car keys inside her vehicle.7:21 p.m. in the 1700 block of South Bascom Avenue: An officer found a stolen Mazda occupied by a man, 31. During his arrest, a woman, 33, approached officers. Officers determined that both suspects were in possession of the s...

Second Harvest launches holiday campaign to raise $30 million by year’s end

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:50:32 GMT

Second Harvest campaignTo meet the high need for food assistance in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley launched its holiday campaign to raise $30 million by year’s end. The number of people Second Harvest serves doubled during the pandemic—from 250,000 to 500,000 a month—and although the pandemic has waned, the need for food assistance has spiked back to record levels, due in part to inflation and reduced government support. One in six people in Silicon Valley are turning to Second Harvest for support as working parents, college students and seniors on fixed incomes struggle to make ends meet.A $50 donation helps provide enough food for 100 meals. Last year Second Harvest distributed 125 million pounds of food, enough for more than 104 million meals. Much of the distribution was done through its network of nearly 400 nonprofit and agency partners such as local food pantries, meal programs, schools and churches that provide groceries and meals.To don...

Art project deeply explores the people who make up Silicon Valley

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:50:32 GMT

Several years ago, British artist and photographer Marcus Lyon approached Cathy Kimball — then executive director at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art — about exhibiting his “human atlas” project called “Somos Brasil.” Kimball thought about it and then presented him with a challenge: How about doing a similar project about the people of Silicon Valley?That started a four-year journey that led to “De.Coded: A Human Atlas of Silicon Valley,” which explores 101 Bay Area residents through portraits, interviews and an analysis of their birthplaces and ancestral DNA. It’s presented in a weighty book — available to purchase at Books Inc. in Mountain View. But it’s also available online (ahumanatlas.com/artworks/de-coded) where visitors can view the portraits, look at the data and hear the stories of the “decoders,” as Lyon calls them, in their own words.“A human atlas we like to think of as a socia...

Fire department issues cooking, decorating safety tips as holiday nears

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:50:32 GMT

(BCN) -- The San Francisco Fire Department issued Saturday some cooking and decorating safety tips for the public as the holiday season approaches.In an advisory posted on its Facebook account, the SFFD said adopting safe cooking and decorating practices reduces the risk of holiday home fires, noting that cooking is the leading cause of home fires in the United States. Fairfield PD, Solano Town Center partner to ensure a safe holiday shopping It advised the public not to leave an active cooking area unattended. Turn off the stove if there is a need to leave the kitchen, or use a timer to be alerted about a stove or oven that is turned on.Keep kids and pets away from the cooking area, or at least three feet away from the stove, the SFFD said.Wearing loose clothes or sleeves that dangle while cooking is discouraged, and anything that can catch fire like potholders, paper or plastic bags, and towels, among others, must be kept away from heat-generating appliances in the kitchen.Befor...

Pedestrian in vehicle collision dies in San Jose

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 11:50:32 GMT

(BCN) -- A pedestrian died after figuring in a vehicle collision at the intersection of Capitol Expressway and Copperfield Drive in San Jose, police said early Sunday morning.The person was pronounced dead at the hospital, San Jose Police said.Officers continue to investigate the incident, which is the 44th fatal collision in the city this year and the 25th pedestrian death, police said.Police advised the public to still avoid the area.Copyright © 2023 Bay City News, Inc.