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Richard Gonzales

Wednesday

National

Calif. Leaders Agree To Overhaul Pension System

California Governor Jerry Brown has reached a deal with legislators to overhaul the state's pension system. The changes include capping annual pension payments, requiring new employees to pay 50 percent of their pension costs and raising the retirement age. The package will save the state about $30 billion.

Calif. Leaders Agree To Overhaul Pension System

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Wednesday

National

Western Wildfires Continue To Grow At Record Rates

A number of large wildfires are burning throughout the Western United States and it's shaping up to be a record year for wildfires — at least by one measure.

Western Wildfires Continue To Grow At Record Rates

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Friday

Budgets Tight, States Ask Voters To Raise Taxes

California Gov. Jerry Brown, speaking in Sacramento on Wednesday, advocates a ballot initiative that would increase sales and income taxes. Several states have measures on the November ballot that seek to plug deficits by raising taxes. Rich Pedroncelli/AP hide caption

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Rich Pedroncelli/AP

National

Budgets Tight, States Ask Voters To Raise Taxes

In California and other states struggling to plug big holes in their budgets, tax increases will be on the ballot in November. Several measures ask voters to help ward off budget cuts, or to raise funds for basic functions like schools and roads.

Budgets Tight, States Ask Voters To Raise Taxes

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Wednesday

Business

Chevron Fire May Lead To Higher Calif. Gas Prices

A fire at a Chevron oil refinery near San Francisco will likely push up gasoline prices in California. The state has strict environmental rules that require a special blend of gas for motorists, so it's not as simple as merely importing gas from other states.

Chevron Fire May Lead To Higher Calif. Gas Prices

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Monday

Law

Large Calif. Pot Dispensary Threatened With Closure

There's an escalation of the battle between the government and California's medical marijuana providers. The U.S. Attorney in San Francisco has moved to close California's largest medical pot dispensary because it's too big and too profitable.

Large Calif. Pot Dispensary Threatened With Closure

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Tuesday

Oakland Turns A Corner As Calif. Faces Budget Woes

Ryan Curtis leans in for a kiss from Love Kovtun on Telegraph Avenue in Oakland's Uptown neighborhood in April. New businesses and investment have helped revitalize the city's downtown over the past decade. Laura Morton for NPR hide caption

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Laura Morton for NPR

Cities Project

Oakland Turns A Corner As Calif. Faces Budget Woes

Long associated with urban decay, Oakland, Calif., has experienced a resurgence in recent years with a revitalized downtown. The New York Times listed the city as No. 5 among its top "places to go" in 2012. But its comeback may be threatened by California's state budget tightening.

Oakland Turns A Corner As Calif. Faces Budget Woes

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Tuesday

National

Stockton Clearing Path For City's Bankruptcy

Tuesday night the city council in Stockton, Calif., is expected to clear they way for the city to declare bankruptcy. It will be the largest municipal bankruptcy ever for a city that is a poster child for the housing crisis.

Stockton Clearing Path For City's Bankruptcy

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Friday

Thursday

National

Calif. Governor: 'Pension Reform Is Imperative'

The public employee unions that unsuccessfully opposed the recall of Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker suffered two other defeats on Tuesday. Voters in San Diego and San Jose, Calif., approved measures to curb city pensions. Firefighters in those cities vow to take the matter to court but public support for the cutbacks was overwhelming.

Calif. Governor: 'Pension Reform Is Imperative'

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Friday

Economy

Dismal Job Growth Nothing New In California

The good news is that unemployment rate in California dropped down to 10.9 percent for the month of April. The bad news is that a million more workers were unemployed in April compared to a pre-recession low in October 2006. The new numbers suggest a lurching recovery without any sustained momentum.

Dismal Job Growth Nothing New In California

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Friday

Walk This Way: Crossing The Golden Gate Bridge

More than 200,000 people crossed the bridge the day it opened in 1937. Many walked. Others ran, tap-danced, roller-skated, unicycled, or strode on stilts. Courtesy of GoldenGateBridge.org hide caption

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Courtesy of GoldenGateBridge.org

National

Walk This Way: Crossing The Golden Gate Bridge

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. And on its first day, thousands of people walked across it.

Walk This Way: Crossing The Golden Gate Bridge

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Saturday

With Eye On Future, Billionaire Investor Bets On Paul

PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, who has donated more than $2.5 million to a superPAC backing GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul, speaks at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., in October. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Million-Dollar Donors

With Eye On Future, Billionaire Investor Bets On Paul

It may seem like a long shot, but that's exactly what Peter Thiel invests in. The Silicon Valley venture capitalist, who co-founded PayPal and was an early investor in Facebook, has said his support for Ron Paul is the best chance for now to encourage a libertarian movement.

With Eye On Future, Billionaire Investor Bets On Paul

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Tuesday

Business

LightSquared Files For Bankruptcy Protection

LightSquared, which had been trying for years to build a high-speed wireless broadband network, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company's plans ran afoul of government regulators who said the new network would interfere with GPS signals.

LightSquared Files For Bankruptcy Protection

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Monday

Obama's Gay Marriage Stand May Not Sway Latinos

President Obama speaks during a campaign fundraiser Monday at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. The event, co-hosted by gay- and lesbian-rights leaders and a Latino nonprofit, featured singer Ricky Martin. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

Elections

Obama's Gay Marriage Stand May Not Sway Latinos

There's a commonly held assumption that goes like this: Latinos have socially conservative views on religion and family; therefore, President Obama's support for gay marriage won't play well with Latino voters. But analysts say it's unlikely that the president's decision will make much difference.

Obama's Gay Marriage Stand May Not Sway Latinos

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Thursday

Politics

Gays Welcome Obama's Same-Sex Marriage Decision

Gays and lesbians have been largely supportive of the Obama administration due to the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" and opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act. But some had felt the president was moving too slowly on the issue of same-sex marriage.

Gays Welcome Obama's Same-Sex Marriage Decision

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