This story on health care costs was produced by CalMatters, an independent public journalism venture covering California politics and government. For more info, visit calmatters.org. By Kristen Hwang (for CalMatters) You won’t notice it right away, but a new California state agency took a major step this week toward reining in the seemingly uncontrollable costs of health care.  The Office of Health Care Affordability approved the state’s first cap on health industry spending increases, limiting growth to 3 percent by 2029. This means that hospitals, doctors and health insurers will need t ..read more

What concerts, plays, art shows and other events are coming this week? Chico News & Review has you covered with the highlights of what’s on tap at all the local clubs, theaters, galleries and performance venues. Visit the CN&R’s FREE online calendar for all of the listings in Butte County. Life is short, get out there and have some fun! Gold Nugget Days April 26-28 Paradise In 1859, Phineas Willard, Ira Weatherbee and Wyatt M. Smith pulled a 54-pound gold nugget out of the Feather River Canyon—in an area known as Dogtown—and rode it into Paradise on a mule. They eventually took it to ..read more

For the local music scene in Chico to remain vital, there has to be new blood injected from time to time. There also has to be a handful of people who are putting energy into keeping the happenings happening, and it’s a beautiful thing to witness the moment when a young instigator’s efforts break through, creating a new a new vein of possibilities for them and the scene. Derrien Evans appears to be on the cusp of his moment. The singer/rapper/songwriter—who goes by his first name only on stage—has been cultivating something new for the past two years, promoting his own music as well as an ecle ..read more

This story on Supreme Court case of whether or not 8th Amendment protects the unhoused was produced by CalMatters, an independent public journalism venture covering California state politics and government. For more info, visit calmatters.org. By Marisa Kendall (for CalMatters) In a case that could drastically alter how cities in California and beyond deal with homeless encampments, U.S. Supreme Court justices yesterday weighed whether to allow broader punishment for people camping in public spaces. “Laws like ours, they really do serve an essential purpose,” said Theane Evangelis, arguing on ..read more

In 1945, Charlie Robinson scored his first guitar gig, playing Saturday night dances at The Diamond Springs Hotel, in the heart of California’s Gold Country, for $5 a week. “The band was booked to play from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., but I could only play until midnight because of the child labor laws,” Robinson said during a recent phone interview. “I was only 12 years old at the time.” —from “Just play music,” by Ken Smith [Chico News & Review, 11/29/2022] Butte County lost a legend last week. On April 10, Charlie Robinson died peacefully, surrounded by his family. He was 90 years old. Robinson’s ..read more

What happening this week? Chico News & Review has you covered with highlights of what’s on tap at local clubs, theaters, galleries and performance venues. Visit the CN&R’s FREE online calendar for all of the listings in Butte County. Talib Kweli Friday, April 19, 7pm Sierra Nevada Big Room 1075 E. 20th St. This is a big one, Chico. One of the legends of hip-hop who kicked the doors open as a member of the duo Black Thought, with Mos Def, and their acclaimed debut, Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Thought (1998). A life of constant creation, touring and activism followed, with dozens ..read more

This story on a targeted homeless encampment ban was produced by CalMatters, an independent public journalism venture covering California state politics and government. For more info, visit calmatters.org. By Marisa Kendall (for CalMatters) On Thursday, state Democrats voted down a bill that sought to ban homeless encampments near schools, transit stops and other areas throughout California. Despite the fact that cities up and down the state are grappling with a proliferation of homeless camps, legislators said they oppose penalizing down-and-out residents who sleep on public property.  ..read more

This story on low-wage workers in California is produced by the award-winning journalism nonprofit Capital & Main and co-published here with permission. By Mark Kreidler California’s new $20 minimum wage for most fast-food workers provoked plenty of conversation around the state, most of it focused on the economic impact either to franchise owners or the people who buy food there. Lost in the conversation around those numbers, and what to do about them, is any mention of who actually gets paid these low wages, let alone the millions of Californians who work in other jobs at the s ..read more

Before the In-Flux: Recalibrating The Unknown group exhibit came to MONCA this month, I hadn’t heard that the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) had shut down. In 2022, the beloved art school closed and in 2023 filed for bankruptcy. SFAI was the oldest U.S. art school west of the Mississippi. Founded in 1871, it boasted a who’s-who of faculty over the years—Ansel Adams, Mark Rothko, Angela Davis, to name a few—and had an impressive list of notable former students, such as Annie Leibovitz, Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead, and any number of leaders of the countless cutting-edge art and music m ..read more

What happening this week? Chico News & Review has you covered with highlights of what’s on tap at local clubs, theaters, galleries and performance venues. Visit the CN&R’s FREE online calendar for all of the listings in Butte County. Derrien headlines the Goodforthesoul Music Fest at Idea Fab Labs on April 12. Goodforthesoul Music Festival Friday, April 12, 5-11pm Idea Fab Labs 603 Orange St. If you’re a local music fan who says to oneself, “Where are the new local bands at? I wanna hear some new original music!” Tonight (April 12) is your lucky night. The Goodforthesoul Music Festival ..read more