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.

Long-Time Sports Broadcaster Pat Summerall Dies At 82

Richard Gonzales — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:42:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

If you grew up watching football, you know the voice we're about to hear. If you grew up watching the Masters, you likely also know this voice. In fact, if you ever walked into a restaurant that just had its TV on over the bar, there's a good chance you heard the voice of Pat Summerall.

(SOUNDBITE OF SUPER BOWL BROADCAST)

PAT SUMMERALL: We're in the magic city of New Orleans. The buildup has been incredible for Super Bowl 31.

INSKEEP: Pat Summerall called more NFL championship games in his storied career than any other broadcaster.

In Bankruptcy, Stockton Must Decide Pension Issue

Richard Gonzales — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:18:00 +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.

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 22:00:00 +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.

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 21:21:00 +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.