Richard Gonzales

On California Prisons, It's The Governor Vs. The Courts

Richard Gonzales — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:19:00 +0000

California Gov. Jerry Brown is locked in a legal battle over control of his state's prison system. Two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling ordering the state to drastically reduce its prisoner population. Brown claims the state has made substantial progress, but the governor has stopped short of complying fully with the court order.

There's a long history of legal wrangling over California prisons.

In Bankruptcy, Stockton Must Decide Pension Issue

Richard Gonzales — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:28:00 +0000

A federal judge says Stockton, California, may continue with its bankruptcy filing. The judge ruled Monday that the city does not have to take money from its pension obligations to pay its debts. As NPR's Richard Gonzales reports, Stockton's bankruptcy could have ripple effects across the country.

How To Be The Good Guy With A Gun At School

Richard Gonzales — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 07:16:00 +0000

Ever since the Newtown, Ct., school shooting, there's been a raging debate over how to keep America's schoolchildren safe. National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre proposed stationing an armed guard in every school in the country. Critics said that idea was impractical and would be too expensive to carry out.

But many schools and school districts already have armed police officers. Since the Columbine High School massacre in 1999, about one-third of the schools in the U.S.

Rove Tells Calif. GOP To 'Get Back In The Game'

Richard Gonzales — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 10:49:00 +0000

Karl Rove had a sharp message to California's Republican Party Saturday. He implored party leaders to "get up off the mat" and work to revitalize the state GOP. Republicans hold no statewide offices in California and have given up a supermajority to Democrats in the state legislature.

Oakland To Issue IDs That Double As Debit Cards

Richard Gonzales — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:07:00 +0000

The city of Oakland, Calif., is taking a major step toward helping to bring many of its residents, especially illegal immigrants, out of the shadows.

It will issue a municipal identification card to anyone who can prove residency.

Oakland isn't the only city to issue such ID cards to illegal immigrants. New Haven, Conn., and San Francisco already do that.

The Oakland card, however, has a unique feature — it doubles as a debit card.

In Oakland's predominantly Latino Fruitvale neighborhood, a group of day laborers are gathered for their weekly meeting.

Oakland Officials Confounded By Surge In Violent Crime

Richard Gonzales — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:28:00 +0000

Oakland, Calif., is among the U.S. cities that's seen an increase in violence over the last year. The uptick in crime comes as the police department is also under pressure from a federal court to reform its ways.

After Years Of Huge Deficits, California Starts To See A Fiscal Turnaround

Richard Gonzales — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 21:57:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish.

Here's something we haven't bee able to report for a while: State budgets are looking better. Thanks to an improving economy, spending cuts and some tax increases, more than 33 states and the District of Columbia report their financial condition is stabilizing.

New Logo At University Of California Causes Uproar

Richard Gonzales — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 22:25:00 +0000

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

And I'm Robert Siegel.

The University of California is no stranger to protests over wars, tuition hikes, budget cuts, you name it.

Berkeley Receives $1M For Undocumented Students

Richard Gonzales — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 22:14:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UktXJIeB1tg

California Learns From Hurricane Sandy In Northeast

Richard Gonzales — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 10:27:00 +0000

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Emergency managers around the nation have been paying close attention to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

BBQ Support: Feeding Fellow Americans After Sandy

Richard Gonzales — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 12:33:00 +0000

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Twelve days after Hurricane Sandy smacked the eastern seaboard and beyond, tens of thousands of people still lack basic necessities - food, water, even shelter. NPR's Richard Gonzales sent us this postcard about three men from Chicago who took it upon themselves to bring some comfort to Sandy's victims.

(SOUNDBITE OF CHATTER)

RICHARD GONZALES, BYLINE: Twenty-eight-year-old Kris Schoenberger is flipping burgers and hot dogs on a large portable drill in Howard Beach, New York.

Race For Redrawn Calif. District Is Tight And Pricey

Richard Gonzales — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 09:17:00 +0000

Dan Lungren has been in and out of public office since 1979. The Republican represented a Southern California district in the '80s, served as the state's attorney general for eight years, and then returned to Congress to represent the Sacramento area in 2004.

These days, he's still the same pro-business, limited-government conservative he's always been, Lungren told a friendly audience in the Sacramento suburb of Rancho Cordova.

"There's a reason people are leaving California [and] going to Texas, leaving California [and] going to Nevada, and it's not for the weather," he told the crowd.

Giants Fever Spreads Ahead Of World Series

Richard Gonzales — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 21:41:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

Baseball fans are celebrating in San Francisco today. Their beloved Giants won the pennant.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: It's my honor to present the Warren C. Giles Trophy to the National League champion, San Francisco Giants.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

The Giants destroyed the St. Louis Cardinals last night, 9-0. They now move on to the World Series to face the Detroit Tigers.

BLOCK: San Francisco had been down three games to one in the National League Championship Series, but they rallied, thanks to impressive pitching and defense.

California's Gas Prices Begin To Stabilize

Richard Gonzales — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:32:00 +0000

Motorists should be seeing some relief from the recent record spike in gas prices. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded hit $4.67, according to AAA. That price hike sent elected officials scrambling. Some are calling for a federal investigation, while others are taking emergency steps to increase supply.

Did Man Who Armed Black Panthers Lead Two Lives?

Richard Gonzales — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 20:39:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOWR3ArCEqI

In Solyndra's Wake, Solar Company Sees Bright Spot

Richard Gonzales — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 07:40:00 +0000

A small solar power company hopes to become a winner in a market littered with losers.

San Jose, Calif.-based SoloPower is opening a $60 million manufacturing facility in Portland, Ore., Thursday as it works toward receiving a major government loan — like the one given to now-bankrupt Solyndra. SoloPower thinks it has a strategy to succeed where Solyndra failed.

SoloPower makes a niche product in a highly competitive market.

It's Hard To Tell La Familia You're Gay

Richard Gonzales — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 20:29:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2FQER7c3vU