Richard Gonzales

Credit Steve Barrett

Richard Gonzales is NPR's National Desk Correspondent based in San Francisco. Along with covering the daily news of region, Gonzales' reporting has included medical marijuana, gay marriage, drive-by shootings, Jerry Brown, Willie Brown, the U.S. Ninth Circuit, the California State Supreme Court and any other legal, political, or social development occurring in Northern California relevant to the rest of the country.

Gonzales joined NPR in May 1986. He covered the U.S. State Department during the Iran-Contra Affair and the fall of apartheid in South Africa. Four years later, he assumed the post of White House Correspondent and reported on the prelude to the Gulf War and President George W. Bush's unsuccessful re-election bid. Gonzales covered the U.S. Congress for NPR from 1993-94, focusing on NAFTA and immigration and welfare reform.

In September 1995, Gonzales moved to his current position after spending a year as a John S. Knight Fellow Journalism at Stanford University.

In 2009, Gonzales won the Broadcast Journalism Award from the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. He also received the PASS Award in 2004 and 2005 from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency for reports on California's juvenile and adult criminal justice systems.

Prior to NPR, Gonzales was a freelance producer at public television station KQED in San Francisco. From 1979 to 1985, he held positions as a reporter, producer, and later, public affairs director at KPFA, a radio station in Berkeley, CA.

Gonzales graduated from Harvard College with a bachelor's degree in psychology and social relations. He is a co-founder of Familias Unidas, a bi-lingual social services program in his hometown of Richmond, California.

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4:32am

Wed October 10, 2012
Business

California's Gas Prices Begin To Stabilize

Originally published on Wed October 10, 2012 6:48 am

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.

4:39pm

Wed October 3, 2012
Around the Nation

Did Man Who Armed Black Panthers Lead Two Lives?

Originally published on Fri October 5, 2012 11:39 am

3:40am

Thu September 27, 2012
Business

In Solyndra's Wake, Solar Company Sees Bright Spot

Originally published on Thu September 27, 2012 9:59 am

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.

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4:29pm

Fri September 14, 2012
Around the Nation

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

Originally published on Fri September 14, 2012 5:50 pm

Credit Courtesy of Samantha Moreno

5:10pm

Mon September 3, 2012
Politics

Kamala Harris Among The Rising Dem Stars At DNC

California Attorney General Kamala Harris is a rising star in the Democratic Party who is scheduled to speak at its national convention in Charlotte, N.C., this week.

6:43am

Wed August 29, 2012
Around the Nation

Calif. Leaders Agree To Overhaul Pension System

Originally published on Thu August 30, 2012 4:04 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

California's governor, Jerry Brown, has announced a set of long-awaited reforms to his state's underfunded public pension system. The Democratic governor says the package will save the state about $30 billion in the future. More details of the cost savings are expected later today.

Brown is hoping the reforms will pave the way for another of his policy goals, as NPR's Richard Gonzales reports.

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4:54pm

Fri August 17, 2012
U.S.

Budgets Tight, States Ask Voters To Raise Taxes

Originally published on Fri August 17, 2012 6:03 pm

Credit Rich Pedroncelli / AP

Tax increases will join political candidates on the November ballot in several states struggling to plug some big holes in their budgets.

One of the most closely watched measures is in California, where Gov. Jerry Brown has staked his reputation on closing his state's multibillion-dollar budget gap.

On Wednesday in Sacramento, Brown officially kicked off his campaign to get voter approval to raise taxes via the Schools Public Safety Protection Act, also known as Proposition 30.

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5:27am

Wed August 8, 2012
Business

Chevron Fire May Lead To Higher Calif. Gas Prices

Originally published on Wed August 8, 2012 11:52 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Here in the U.S., analysts are trying to figure out what affect an oil refinery fire could have on gasoline prices. The fire erupted Monday night at an important refinery in Richmond, California. It's owned by Chevron Corporation. It was extinguished within five hours, but could have a lasting impact.

NPR's Richard Gonzales reports that gas prices are expected to shoot up in an already expensive market.

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3:18pm

Tue July 3, 2012
NPR Cities: Urban Life In The 21st Century

Oakland Turns A Corner As Calif. Faces Budget Woes

Originally published on Thu July 5, 2012 2:17 pm

The city of Oakland, Calif. has long been associated with crime, poverty, urban decay and, more recently, violent protests tied to the Occupy movement.

So it may have been a surprise to New York Times readers when the newspaper listed Oakland as No. 5 among its top "places to go" in 2012.

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3:50am

Fri May 25, 2012
Around the Nation

Walk This Way: Crossing The Golden Gate Bridge

Originally published on Fri May 25, 2012 2:12 pm

On May 27, 1937, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge opened, connecting bustling San Francisco to sleepy Marin County to the north. The Oakland-Bay Bridge had opened six months earlier — but the Golden Gate was an engineering triumph. It straddles the Golden Gate Strait, the passage from the Pacific Ocean into the San Francisco Bay, where rough currents prevail and winds can reach 70 mph.

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