(video by Alex Grant)
Chico commits to a fossil-free future Council declares climate emergency as storm rages
photo by Karen Laslo
Alma Miranda
by Leslie Layton
Pounding hail, bolts of lightning and tornado alarms drowned out plaintive voices of the shyest of the teens who spoke before the Chico City Council Tuesday night.
To many in the chamber, nature had also spoken in a thundering, biblical voice.
To others, of course, the racket was produced by a mere flash flood.
As rain water filled the streets of Chico, trapping a few vehicle passengers and flooding some homes and businesses, the City Council voted 5-1 to pass a resolution declaring a climate emergency. It commits the city to act on climate change and prepare for extreme weather events.
To people of color, Chico seems less friendly, more hostile Chico State promises "Safety Summit"
photo courtesy of Vickie Nailing
by Leslie Layton and Denise Minor
When Vickie Nailing first came to Chico to pursue a master’s degree in 2015, she was taken aback by how friendly people were. She loved the community’s “hippy vibe” that reminded her of the 1970s.
“When I would pass strangers they would look me in the eyes and smile,” said Nailing, a graduate student in the Teaching International Languages program. “I’m from L.A. I wasn’t used to that.”
Nailing left Chico one year later to train English teachers in Ukraine on a Peace Corps program. When she returned in January, she sensed that something in the city had changed. Nailing, an African-American re-entry student, says she sometimes found herself facing upfront hostility and defensiveness.
Governor shares his views on death penalty, race bias Gavin Newsom explains why he imposed a moratorium on capital punishment
photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
The San Quentin death chamber has been shut down, as well as the state’s lethal injection program.
by Leslie Layton
Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a passionate defense of his moratorium on use of the death penalty in California, pointed Tuesday to well-documented inequities in the criminal justice system that helped lead him to his decision.
The process that places convicts on Death Row is “error prone,” Newsom said in a telebriefing with members of the ethnic media. “I think it’s a racist system that disproportionally affects black and brown people.”
Newsom told journalists belonging to the Ethnic Media Services network that economic and geographic inequities in the criminal justice system also played a role in his decision, as well as practical and moral considerations.
Justice for Desmond group marks second anniversary of killing Families again gather to demand reform
photo by Karen Laslo
David Phillips, father of Desmond Phillips.
Community members gathered Sunday to mark the second anniversary of the killing of 25-year-old Desmond Phillips, shot multiple times by Chico police officers in his father’s living room. Other parents frustrated with Butte County’s criminal justice system again joined the Phillips family for a march, potluck dinner and a program that included speakers and performances.
Scott Rushing, father of Tyler Rushing who was killed in a shooting that involved Chico police and an armed security guard in July 2017, traveled from Ventura to attend the Sunday gathering.
Chicoans take part in a national action against U.S. intervention in Venezuela At the Saturday Chico Peace Vigil, protesters demand a halt to U.S. meddling
photo by Chris Nelson
About 30 people showed up this morning in downtown Chico to demand a halt to U.S. intervention in Venezuela and in solidarity with the #HandsoffVenezuela March in Washington, D.C. The United States has imposed tough sanctions on Venezuela and recognized Juan Guaido, who represents a right-wing political party, as president. The Trump Administration has also indicated it would like to see U.S. oil companies actively engaged in Venezuela’s oil production.
“Instead of starving the Venezuelans into submission, we should be engaging with them,” writes the Rev. Jesse Jackson in a letter distributed by A.N.S.W.E.R., the organization that sponsored today’s Capitol march. “Instead of seeking to control their oil, we should recognize their national sovereignty. Instead of fanning coup attempts, we should be leading international negotiations to seek a diplomatic settlement that might lead to new elections.”