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.
The 15th Annual Coconut Point New Year’s Art Festival will be held in Estero Dec. 27 and 28. This two-day outdoor art festival takes place in the parking lot along Via Villagio Drive.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles is criticizing Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case and broadly defending Donald Trump's second presidency in a series of interviews published Tuesday. Wiles told Vanity Fair that Bondi mismanaged the Epstein case with talk about a "client list" sitting on her desk. On Venezuela, Wiles says Trump will continue to be aggressive, and she also is defending Trump's retribution against people he perceives as political enemies. After the story was published, Wiles disparaged it as a "disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history." She did not deny the quotes that were attributed to her.
More than 122 million Americans are expected to travel during the busy holiday period, with generally quiet weather across much of the country but stormy conditions along the West Coast.
More men are struggling with mental health. A recent Gallup poll estimated that over 47-million Americans are struggling with depression. For many men, it can be difficult for them to seek help.