Richard Gonzales

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

Richard Gonzales — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:50:00 +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.

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.

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.

Berkeley Receives $1M For Undocumented Students

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

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

School District Owes $1 Billion On $100 Million Loan

Richard Gonzales — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 21:24:00 +0000

More than 200 school districts across California are taking a second look at the high price of the debt they've taken on using risky financial arrangements. Collectively, the districts have borrowed billions in loans that defer payments for years — leaving many districts owing far more than they borrowed.

In 2010, officials at the West Contra Costa School District, just east of San Francisco, were in a bind.

California Examines Disaster Plans

Richard Gonzales — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:49:00 +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 16:29:00 +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.

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.