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Richard Gonzales

Thursday

In Solyndra's Wake, Solar Company Sees Bright Spot

SoloPower is betting it will succeed where others have failed with a $197 million loan from the Department of Energy. SoloPower/PRNewsFoto/AP hide caption

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SoloPower/PRNewsFoto/AP

Business

In Solyndra's Wake, Solar Company Sees Bright Spot

SoloPower is on its way to receiving a loan of $197 million from the Energy Department — the same kind given to now-bankrupt Solyndra. But SoloPower has to meet a number of benchmarks before tapping into the fund, and one step toward that is the opening of a new plant in Oregon on Thursday.

In Solyndra's Wake, Solar Company Sees Bright Spot

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Thursday

National

Census Survey: Poor Americans Increased In 2011

The Census Bureau has released the results of the American Community Survey. The bad news is that poverty is up. Nearly 16 percent of Americans live below the poverty line. Median household income is down too. The good news is that declines are not as steep as the depths of the recession.

Census Survey: Poor Americans Increased In 2011

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Tuesday

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

Samantha Moreno, in pink, with her family. "The hardest part of coming out is to know that you're about to hurt someone that you love," she says in a video featured on the website of Familia es Familia, which aims to help Latino families accept their LGBT loved ones. Courtesy of Samantha Moreno hide caption

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Courtesy of Samantha Moreno

National

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

A new national campaign called Familia es Familia is hoping to help make coming out easier for LGBT Latinos. While the majority of Latinos are accepting of gays and lesbians, foreign-born and evangelical Latinos are less tolerant and remain opposed to same-sex marriage.

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

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Monday

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.

Kamala Harris Among The Rising Dem Stars At DNC

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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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