Living in rural America certainly comes with a number of benefits, including less crime and a lower cost of living. But rural Americans also face disparity in health care, exacerbated in part by insurance carriers and the networks they put together for their consumers.

In August, Visit Sacramento became the latest entrant in the podcasting craze with a six-episode series dedicated to the farm-to-fork movement that has ingrained itself into the identity of California’s capital city.

Several public and private sector partnerships are helping to position the Capital Region as a leader in the new mobility revolution. 

Part of this month’s Innovation issue

In California, where 90 percent of American strawberries are grown, the time is ripe for a faster, better way to pick them. That’s the idea behind Advanced Farm Technologies, a Davis-based startup that uses customized tools to lend farmers a helping robotic hand.

Physicians say the law’s constraints on what insurers now pay has given the companies an unfair advantage in negotiations with doctors, which is leading to major changes that may affect patients.

Every year, the United States generates around 260 million tons of trash. And no one knows what to do with it. No one, that is, except serial entrepreneur Mike Hart, the CEO of Davis-based Sierra Energy.

Part of this month’s Innovation issue

The neighboring cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento have the opportunity to create an iconic and innovative bridge crossing the Sacramento River.

Students are being lured by full-ride scholarships to medical schools, and full-fledged doctors are being offered loan repayment programs to serve low-income residents or work in underserved areas.

Pensions put the risk on employers, who are on the hook to pay retirees an agreed amount no matter what happens to the underlying investment.

It is difficult to build anything — especially homes and apartments — in California. Even simple projects like constructing a playground come with frustrating hurdles.