Survey: Most teens feel happy, peaceful without a smartphone

By Barbara Ortutay | Associated Press Nearly three-quarters of U.S. teens say they feel happy or peaceful when they don’t have their phones with them, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center. In a survey published Monday, Pew also found that despite the positive associations with going phone-free, most teens have not limited their phone or social media use. The survey comes as policymakers and children’s advocates are growing increasingly concerned with teens’ relationships with their phones and social media. Last fall, dozens of states, including California and New York, sued Instagram and Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. for harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features that addict children. In January, the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies went before the Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about their platforms’ harms to young people. Despite the increasing concerns, most teens say smartphones make it easier be creative and pursue hobbies, while 45% said it helps them do well in school. Most teens said the benefits of having a smartphone

Best Online Gambling Sites (2024) Ranked by Bonuses, Real Money Gambling Options, & Payouts

Sponsored Content Every gambling site for real money out there offers something different – and we’re here to help you choose one that matches your specific needs. We’ve updated our list of the best online gambling sites based on how fast they handle payouts, the quality of their casino games, other gambling options, and their reputation. Slots.lv climbed to the top of our list this time around, having scored the highest marks across all of the most important benchmarks – but stick around for the full list. Let’s dive into some reviews, shall we? Slots.lv: $5,000 welcome bonus Red Dog: 225% welcome offer Bovada: $3,000 sign up bonus Cafe Casino: 250% promo up to $1,500 SuperSlots: 400% up to $4,000 BTC Ignition: $3,000 combined welcome bonus Everygame: 125% welcome bonus Las Atlantis: Up to $14,000 welcome bonus Wild Casino: Up to $3,000 BTC welcome offer mBit: Up to 1 BTC + 300 free spins Heads up about our links! Adblock might get confused so please disable it if you have any issues. 1. Slots.lv: Best Gambling Site Overall Pros: Welcome package up to $5,000 Big

With medical debt burdening millions, a financial regulator steps in to help

Noam N. Levey | (TNS) KFF Health News When President Barack Obama signed legislation in 2010 to create the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, he said the new agency had one priority: “looking out for people, not big banks, not lenders, not investment houses.” Since then, the CFPB has done its share of policing mortgage brokers, student loan companies, and banks. But as the U.S. health care system turns tens of millions of Americans into debtors, this financial watchdog is increasingly working to protect beleaguered patients, adding hospitals, nursing homes, and patient financing companies to the list of institutions that regulators are probing. In the past two years, the CFPB has penalized medical debt collectors, issued stern warnings to health care providers and lenders that target patients, and published reams of reports on how the health care system is undermining the financial security of Americans. In its most ambitious move to date, the agency is developing rules to bar medical debt from consumer credit reports, a sweeping change that could make it easier for Americans burdened by medical debt to rent a home, buy a car, even get

Walnut Creek man charged with attempted murder, torture of girlfriend

WALNUT CREEK — A local resident is due in court soon for a preliminary hearing on charges of attempted murder and torture for allegedly firing a gun at his girlfriend as she attempted to flee their apartment. Police say they arrested a 23-year-old Walnut Creek resident on suspicion of domestic violence and firing a gun at his girlfriend. He was later charged with torture, attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and causing injury to a cohabitant, according to court records. The man was arrested on Jan. 1, and charged days later. At a court appearance earlier this month, attorneys confirmed an April preliminary hearing date, where a judge will review evidence and determine if there’s enough to allow the charges to stand. Police searched the couple’s Lincoln Avenue apartment and recovered a pistol, multiple magazines and two boxes of ammunition, as well as evidence that the gun had been recently fired, authorities said. Several neighbors called 911 to say they heard a loud fight at the apartment. When officers arrived, they reportedly found the woman outside, in obvious distress, reporting that her boyfriend had

Vote now: Bay Area News Group boys athlete of the week

Editor’s note: We prohibit the use of bots and any other artificial methods of voting. Suspicious activity could lead to the disqualification of candidates and a permanent suspension of the Athlete of the Week poll. No voting by email: Votes by email and after 5 p.m. Wednesday are not counted. Welcome to the Bay Area News Group ( Mercury News & East Bay Times ) boys Athlete of the Week poll. For the entire academic year, we will provide a list of candidates who stood out over the previous week and allow you, the reader, to vote for the winner. This week, we consider performances from March 11-16. Polls close at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Vote as many times as you’d like until then without using bots or any other artificial methods of voting. Votes by email and after 5 p.m. Wednesday are not counted. Scroll to the bottom for the poll. Winners are announced each Friday online and in the print edition of the Mercury News and East Bay Times sports sections. Candidates for future Athlete of the Week polls can be nominated at highschools@bayareanewsgroup.com.

49ers free agency: Brandon Allen returning as Brock Purdy’s potential backup

SANTA CLARA — Brandon Allen is coming back as Brock Purdy’s backup, possibly with a move up the quarterback depth chart from the emergency, No. 3 role. Sam Darnold, last year’s No. 2 quarterback, was among those free to discuss a move as NFL free agency talks opened today at 9 a.m. Allen’s return, first reported by NFL Network, assures that the 49ers will have someone with experience behind Purdy, who overcame last spring’s elbow repair to lead the 49ers all the way up to an overtime lead in the Super Bowl before they fell in last month’s title game to Kansas City. Allen, 31, did not play a regular-season snap last season, but he showed well enough in the preseason to secure a job as the 49ers traded Trey Lance to the Dallas Cowboys. Allen is 2-7 all-time as a starter (1-2 with the 2019 Denver Broncos, 1-4 with the 2020 Cincinnati Bengals). Allen and backup offensive lineman Ben Bartch have agreed to return on one-year deals, according to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, who also reported that linebacker Fred Warner has agreed to restructure his contract

10 Best Online Roulette Sites in Canada for Live & Virtual Roulette Games (2024)

Fellow roulette enthusiasts, you’re in the right place – we’ve put together a list of the best roulette sites in Canada, no matter whether you’re looking to spin a virtual roulette wheel or play with real live dealers. If you give our guide a quick spin (no pun intended), you’ll find our criteria for rating each site, reviews of the top 10 roulette sites, and then a summary of our findings, including the best-overall pick, JackpotCity. Let’s begin, shall we? First Look: Best roulette site in Canada overall – JackpotCity Best game providers – Spin Casino Best roulette variations – Royal Panda Top site for beginners – Genesis Best mobile casino – LeoVegas Best regular promotions – QueenSpins Top new roulette site – Casino Lab #1 live dealer roulette – Casumo Best VIP program – PlayOJO  Best for game fairness – Casinonic Best Roulette Sites in Canada Reviewed 1. JackpotCity – Best Roulette Site in Canada Overall Servers based in Canada, and licensed by the Canada Kahnawake Gaming Commission All roulette games are from top software providers like Microgaming and Ezugi 50+ live casino games

Safest Online Casinos in Canada: Top 10 Legit & Trustworthy Canadian Casino Sites

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Bay Area’s ‘Top Chef’ contestants: Where are these TV favorites now?

Bravo’s wildly popular, enduring “Top Chef” competition series launched in 2006 in the foodie capital of San Francisco without a single local “cheftestant.” But in the years since, a sizeable number of NorCal contestants have participated in the fast-paced competition. Although all but one were asked to “pack your knives and go,” the show propelled them to do great things in the culinary world, including owning their own restaurants, writing cookbooks and inspiring the next generation of chefs. As we await the Season 21 premiere, here’s a look at where some of our favorites are now: Michael Midgley earned celeb-chef status on foodie TV shows, including “Top Chef” and “Cutthroat Kitchen.” These days he owns and operates Midgley’s Public House in Stockton — and often cooks at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwwalk’s clam chowder and chili competitions, professional division. (Photo courtesy of VisitStockton)  MICHAEL MIDGLEY (Season 2, Los Angeles, 2006): This Stockton chef was one of the first Northern California cheftestants to compete on “Top Chef” back in the day. Midgley started cooking at age 14, attended the California Culinary Academy, then dove into the

A new season of ‘Top Chef’ brings a new host, new rules and … running sausages

And then there were … 21. Seasons of “Top Chef,” that is. A new season of Bravo’s “Top Chef” kicks off at 9 p.m. March 20 in a flurry of novelty that includes a new location, new rules, a new host and racing sausages. (Yes, really.) Fan fave and season 10 winner Kristen Kish takes on host duties this season, joining judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons in Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin. This season of “Quickfires” and elimination challenges take the cheftestants to cherry country, cranberry bogs and a Milwaukee Brewers game, where a race among sausage mascots is apparently a thing. Kristen Kish is the new host of Bravo-TV’s popular “Top Chef” series, which launches its 21st season on March 20, 2024. (Courtesy Natalie Engel/Bravo TV)  This season’s 15 contestants include James Beard nominees and rising stars from across the country, including  three with Bay Area ties. Among them: Rasika Venkatesa, whose resume includes stints at Yountville’s triple Michelin-starred French Laundry and San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Mourad, where she was chef de cuisine. TOP CHEF — Season:21 — Pictured: Laura Ozyilmaz — (Photo by: Stephanie Diani/Bravo) 

Calling all ‘Top Chef’ nerds: Here are 6 more ways to feed your inner foodie

So you’re a “Top Chef” nerd. Maybe you loyally followed each season on Bravo, or perhaps you’re a newcomer who connected with the show via a favorite celebrity chef or recipe. But you’re hooked. Now, with a new season kicking off on March 20, here are six ways to delve a little deeper. 1 — Let the winner of the first “Top Chef: All Stars” season teach you how to eat more plants. Richard Blais and his wife, Jazmin, filled last fall’s “Plant Forward” cookbook (Victory Belt Publishing, $39.95) with 100 recipes to help home chefs shift their cooking toward a more plant-centric diet. Recipes are built around both Blais’ creative food style, with approachable recipes for zucchini fritters, eggplant and chickpea samosas, jerk cauliflower steaks and a blended mushroom burger.  2 — Pre-order a copy of the new Viet-Cajun “Dac Biet: An Extra Special Vietnamese Cookbook” (Knopf, $38), due out this August. It’s by Nini Nguyen, a chef-testant from seasons 16 and 17, who brings her unique Vientamese-New Orleans fusion sensibilities to her new cookbook, co-written with Sarah Zorn. It draws on the Vietnamese

 Is a Berkeley cat really trying to kill his owner by dropping heavy objects on his head?

DEAR JOAN: I think my cat is trying to kill me and/or destroy my house. My male Siamese cat, Larry, is about 3 years old. He belonged to my mom, but in January  I took him in when she moved into assisted living. I’ve always gotten along with Larry, but he’s started systematically breaking my things by knocking them off the shelves, bar and tables. I have a collection of large seashells on shelves above my bed, and a few times, he’s knocked the biggest ones off in the middle of the night. I’ve been lucky that they haven’t hit me, although last night, one landed square on my head. Obviously, I don’t think Larry is really homicidal, but I wonder what’s going on with him. I’ve had cats before and none of them did this. Is he upset that he’s in a new place? Is this common in Siamese cats? Other than gluing everything down or packing it away, is there anything I can do to change his destructive behavior? — Ron C., Berkeley DEAR RON: I, too, had a Siamese cat who often made me

TasteFood: Oven-roasted feta with blistered tomatoes and peppers

Bring a spot of sunshine to your table with this Mediterranean-inspired dish. Don’t let its summery components fool you. While you can easily serve this dish in the heat of summer, it’s also a warm and bright meal on a cool spring evening. Slabs of feta cheese are braised in a jammy compote of blistered tomatoes, sweet peppers and red onion and studded with pops of olives. It makes for a fresh and light vegetarian meal or a family-style appetizer that encourages everyone to dig in. The versatility of this recipe doesn’t end there. Feel free to adjust the vegetables to your taste. You can make it exclusively with tomatoes or add more peppers and onion to the mix. The key is to cook the vegetables until they are a sweet, sludgy relish. The salty, briny cheese and olives will balance the natural sweetness. Serve it over couscous or with salad greens; or plunk the dish in the center of the table and serve it as an appetizer with pita wedges and crusty bread for sopping up the juices. Tip: Let the braised cheese cool

Wish You Were Here: A trip to Brazil explores Rio and Paraty

In this post-pandemic era, Bay Area News Group readers have been making up for lost time with some pretty wonderful adventures. Just in the last year, they’ve explored rivers in Alaska, road-tripped through Tuscany and toured some of India’s most spectacular landmarks. Then they shared their travel stories and helpful tips, in case you’re interested in heading that way too. The latest “Wish You Were Here” installment hails from Brazil. Wish You Were Here BRAZIL: San Rafael residents and avid travelers Howard and Evi Rachelson spent two weeks in Brazil — their 97th country — over new year’s. Traveling with their son Gadiel, who teaches at the American School in Mexico City, and his girlfriend, Rocio, they visited Rio de Janeiro, Petropolis and Paraty. “Rio is colorful, energetic, diversified, lively and musical, with glorious views everywhere,” Howard says. “The food is great and not expensive, and restaurants are ubiquitous. Ubers and taxis will take you everywhere. “Petropolis is a city designed in the 1850s by German immigrants to Brazil. The city is peaceful and safe, with interesting architecture, and it’s located in the jungly hills about

New Walnut Creek restaurant offers pork buns, dan dan noodles and more

Dough Zone Dumpling House is now open in Walnut Creek, offering Contra Costa County its selection of specialty dim sum dumplings. Known for its Q-Bao dumplings — which are steamed, pan-fried and filled with pork and a secret-recipe aspic — alongside its soup dumplings and dan dan noodles, the restaurant hosted its grand opening last month. This is the sixth Bay Area location of Dough Zone, a national dim sum chain that originated in 2014 in Bellevue, Washington, and now boasts at least 15 locations including eateries in San Mateo, Cupertino, North and South San Jose and San Leandro, with several more on the way. The new restaurant, which replaces the former Veggie Grill, rounds out Walnut Creek’s dim sum scene, which includes Dumpling Hours (1389B N. Main St.), Peony Garden (1448 S. Main St.) and Modern China Cafe (1525 N. Main St.) Details: Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 1320 Locust St. in Walnut Creek; doughzonedumplinghouse.com.

Bridge: March 11, 2024

“If life shuts a door, open it. It’s a door. That’s how they work.” — graffiti Today’s North could have settled for a try for slam, raising South’s 2NT to 4NT and leaving the decision to his partner. But North preferred a different slam-try: “Bid slam and hope partner makes it.” South won the first heart with the ace and led a diamond — and West threw a spade. Declarer took the ace and tried leading the five of clubs to finesse with his queen. When West took the king and led another heart, South did well to go down only two. “The 5-0 diamond break was a door-shutter,” declarer sighed. DIFFERENT When the diamond door closed, South should have tried a different door. At Trick Three he leads the ten of clubs, planning to let it ride if East plays low. If as the cards lie East covers with the jack, South’s queen loses to West. South wins the next heart in dummy and leads a second club to his eight. He wins four clubs, three diamonds, two hearts and three spades. DAILY QUESTION

Word Game: March 11, 2024

TODAY’S WORD — CAMIONS (CAMIONS: KAM-ee-uns: Buses.) Average mark 14 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 19 or more words in CAMIONS? The list will be published tomorrow. SATURDAY’S WORD — HUSBANDRY hand handy hard hardy husband unary urban sand sandy shad shady shandy shard shrub shun snub sundry surah surd band bandy bard barn bash brad bran brand brandy brash bray brush bund burn bursa bury bush bushy busy absurd ashy nary darn dash daub drab dray drub rash ruby rush yard yarn yuan To purchase the Word Game book, visit WordGameBooks.com. Order it now for just $5 while supplies last! RULES OF THE GAME: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. For example, if “bake” is used, “baked” or “bakes” are not allowed, but “bake” and “baking” are admissible. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed. Contact Word

Ask Amy: My mother’s plan for my baby’s birth is bonkers

Dear Amy: My wife and I are going to have a baby in two months. We are very excited. My mother is very excited, too. This will be her first grandchild. The other day my mother brought up the idea of bringing her dog with her into the delivery room while my wife gives birth. We all love this dog (and my mom), but this seems bonkers to me. She says it will be great for the newborn baby to get used to the dog and that the dog will be like an “emotional support animal” for all of us. My wife hates this idea, but I’m not sure how to respond to my mother. We agreed to ask you for ideas of what to say. – Worried Future Dad Dear Worried: Reword the sentiment “hell to the no,” and take it from there. The hospital will not allow a dog in the delivery room. And you should not allow your mother in the delivery room, either. Your child’s birth should be shared by you and your wife as a private and intimate event. You

Harriette Cole: I didn’t deserve to be laid off. What can I do about it?

DEAR HARRIETTE: I feel disrespected because I was laid off despite being one of the best performers in my role. It is disheartening to feel undervalued and overlooked, especially when I have dedicated myself to my job and consistently produced high-quality work. The decision to let me go has left me feeling confused and demoralized; I believe I deserved better treatment given my track record. How can I regain my sense of worth and confidence after this setback? — Disrespected DEAR DISRESPECTED: Being let go is hard to accept, no matter who you are. I’m sorry it happened to you. Were you told why the company let you go? Sometimes hearing an explanation from your employer for your firing can at least help you get your head around the situation and give you something to study as you move on. You might follow up with your manager to ask what the cause was and if there is any advice on how you can perform better in the future. I know that may be the last thing you want to do, but that approach may give

The 10 most expensive homes reported sold in Hayward in the week of Feb. 26

A house that sold for $2.3 million tops the list of the most expensive residential real estate sales in Hayward in the past week. In total, 10 residential real estate sales were recorded in the area during the past week, with an average price of $1 million. The average price per square foot ended up at $643. The prices in the list below concern real estate sales where the title was recorded during the week of Feb. 26 even if the property may have been sold earlier. 10. $668K, single-family house in the 20400 block of Hathaway Ave. The 1,014 square-foot single-family house in the 20400 block of Hathaway Ave. has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in January and the total purchase price was $668,000, $659 per square foot. The house was built in 1951. The house features three bedrooms and one bathrooms. Hathaway Avenue 9. $670K, single-family home in the 22800 block of Fifth Street The 976 square-foot detached house in the 22800 block of Fifth Street in Hayward has been sold. The transfer of ownership was settled in January and

87-year-old ‘at risk’ man reported missing in Oakland

An 87-year-old “at risk” man was reported missing Sunday morning, the Oakland police Department announced in a news release. Fu Sheng Yee, was last seen at around 8:30 am in the 1900 block of 38th Avenue. He was last seen wearing a tan sweatsuit. Yee is about 5 feet tall, 110 pounds, with gray and black hair and black eyes. The Oakland resident is in good physical condition, as reported by his family, but is considered “at risk” due to his age and dementia condition. According to his family, Yee is often seen traveling around Oakland and San Leandro including Chinatown, the Eastmont AC Transit Station, Bayfair Mall and the Bayfair Mall AC Transit Station. Anyone who has information about Yee’s whereabouts may contact the Oakland Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit at (510) 238-3641.