The Podlight

San José Spotlight
  • 5.0 (11)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

The Podlight is produced by San José Spotlight, the city's award-winning nonprofit news organization dedicated to independent political and business reporting. Hosted by editor Nick Preciado and senior reporter Joseph Geha, our show features in-depth conversations with South Bay leaders, lawmakers and influencers about policy, politics and government, delving into critical issues such as housing, technology, business, homelessness, education and development.

  1. The cost of cutting SNAP: Families on the brink in Silicon Valley

    11/07/2025

    The cost of cutting SNAP: Families on the brink in Silicon Valley

    With federal SNAP benefits stalling, food insecurity is rising sharply across Silicon Valley. In this episode, we sit down with Leslie Bacho, CEO of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, to talk about the growing demand for food assistance, the human toll of federal funding cuts and what can be done to ensure no one in our community goes hungry.

    11 min
  2. County top boss on Measure A and the future of public health

    09/30/2025

    County top boss on Measure A and the future of public health

    As voters consider a measure to fund public health, host Nick Preciado sits down with Santa Clara County CEO James Williams to explain the proposal and why it matters.

    26 min
  3. New downtown San Jose councilman hits the ground running

    09/10/2025

    New downtown San Jose councilman hits the ground running

    Just weeks after taking office, San Jose Councilmember Anthony Tordillos sits down with editor Nick Preciado to discuss his historic election, policy ideas and priorities for the downtown district.

    19 min
  4. Inside VTA's historic strike and lessons learned

    06/16/2025

    Inside VTA's historic strike and lessons learned

    VTA Board Chair and Campbell Mayor Sergio Lopez joins host Nick Preciado for a candid conversation about the historic VTA strike, his perspective on the labor negotiations and lessons learned by leadership.

    24 min
  5. Who will be San Jose's next downtown councilmember?

    05/15/2025

    Who will be San Jose's next downtown councilmember?

    A dramatic special election to elect San Jose's next downtown councilmember was decided by a handful of votes, sending two contenders to a June runoff. Who is poised to win the San Jose City Council seat, and how will voter turnout impact the outcome? Host Nick Preciado sits down with political expert Garrick Percival to take a closer look.

    19 min
  6. How a new Santa Clara County supervisor is making her mark

    04/09/2025

    How a new Santa Clara County supervisor is making her mark

    Newly-elected Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga sits down with host Nick Preciado to detail her legislative priorities and how she's tackling some of the region's biggest challenges.

    18 min
  7. Meet Silicon Valley's first Vietnamese-American county supervisor

    03/12/2025

    Meet Silicon Valley's first Vietnamese-American county supervisor

    Betty Duong made history in November by becoming the first Vietnamese-American leader elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Host Nick Preciado chats with Duong about her background and vision for the future.

    25 min
  8. Homelessness in the West Valley

    01/09/2025

    Homelessness in the West Valley

    In this special edition of The Podlight, West Valley reporter Annalise Freimarck takes a look at how cities in the region like Campbell, Cupertino and Los Gatos are tackling a rise in homelessness.

    7 min
See All (109)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

The Podlight is produced by San José Spotlight, the city's award-winning nonprofit news organization dedicated to independent political and business reporting. Hosted by editor Nick Preciado and senior reporter Joseph Geha, our show features in-depth conversations with South Bay leaders, lawmakers and influencers about policy, politics and government, delving into critical issues such as housing, technology, business, homelessness, education and development.

Information

  • Creator
    San José Spotlight
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    109
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The Podlight