Category: Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — Two days after overcoming a 16-point deficit to stun Arkansas in the Sweet 16, Texas Tech will face its biggest challenge of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.  The third-seeded Red Raiders will play top-seeded Florida, led by former Saint Mary’s guard and University of San Francisco coach Todd Golden, in the Elite Eight at Chase Center. At stake: A spot in the Final Four.  Florida has been a juggernaut through the first three rounds of the tournament, defeating Norfolk State, two-time defending champion UConn and Maryland . The Gators (33-4) have won nine in a row and 15 of 16. Texas Tech understands the challenge that awaits. “They have a plan that I think they execute as good as anybody in the country,” Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland after his team’s 85-83 victory over Arkansas in overtime on Thursday. “I watched a little bit of the SEC championship and watched them basically just play their best basketball of the year. I’ve heard consistently from coaches that they’re playing the best of anybody in the country. “This is what you sign up for

MARTINEZ — Citing “insufficient evidence,” the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office has declined to charge an East Bay tennis coach arrested in a sex abuse investigation last year. Michael Roy Howard, 65, was arrested last November after a girl’s mother complaint to Moraga police. Prosecutors reviewed the case against him on Feb. 18, and found “insufficient evidence to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt in court,” a spokesman for the office said. However, the issue doesn’t necessarily end here. Prosecutors say it’s possible they could revisit the decision, and noted a 10-year statute of limitations. Still, the passage of time makes such a filing less likely. Howard was arrested in November on suspicion of sexual abuse and meeting a minor with lewd intent, court records show. The police investigation started with a teen girl’s mother’s claim that her daughter’s tennis coach had been texting and eventually sexually abused the girl. Police said at the time they interviewed the girl who alleged she’d been abused at Howard’s Moraga home. Prosecutors didn’t detail the decision not to charge Howard beyond the brief statement. Howard was released

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor. Chronically underfunded schools need Measure T Re: “Voters should stop Acalanes’ latest tax hike” (Page A6, March 25). I am disheartened that the decision made by the editorial board to urge voters to reject Acalanes High School District Measure T. The decision seems to have been based on the wording of the measure by county counsel and the timing of the election rather than the financial need of the district and the direct impact the additional needed resources would have on students and teachers. While your non-endorsement hints at a possible conspiracy to fool voters, the known truth is that our California public schools are underfunded and will cease to exist without continued local support. This is particularly true for AUHSD schools, which receive some of the lowest per-pupil financial support in California — about half as much as nearby Oakland (whose most recent parcel tax your editorial board endorsed). Measure T is a reasonable ask (the first in 15 years) that will ensure ongoing quality student learning and teaching.

Why won’t Brooklinen refund Tracy Brom’s “hot and scratchy” sheets? After all, it promised her a refund. Q: I bought sheets from Brooklinen.com a few years ago. The bottom sheet had a tear and they sent me a replacement. But every two years or so a new tear would appear, so they’ve replaced them three or four times. The sheets I got from them this time are not the same quality as the ones in the past. They’re hot and scratchy. I’ve returned those, but since the credit card I used to pay for them is now closed, they refuse to give me a check. Brooklinen.com has repeated, ad nauseam, “We can only refund to the original payment method.” They will give me store credit, but since they don’t have any cooler sheets, the credit is worthless to me. I’m a disabled senior citizen and could really use the money. — Tracy Brom, Jasper, Ala. A: Tracy, I think you’ve gotten a lot of use out of your linens. Hotels replace their sheets every two to three years because of wear, and some of them

Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor. Bay Area owes Cody thanks for swift action Re: “Public health: Officials lament breakdown in trust, but most would do it again in similar circumstances” (Page A1, March 16). In response to your article on Mar. 21, I believe we owe Santa Clara County Health Officer Sara Cody a thank you for potentially saving thousands of lives. Due to her rapid response to the spread of the COVID pandemic, the San Francisco Bay Area earned the distinction of having among the lowest death rates in the country. Other states were envious but unwilling to follow our lead. Despite much criticism and personal threats, she advised closing schools and nonessential businesses, avoiding large groups, wearing masks, and keeping 6 feet of spacing between people. These precautions kept the hospitalization and death rates down. Fortunately, many of her colleagues agreed. Unfortunately, some people were more concerned about their finances and their kids falling behind in school. It is surprising that a parent would be more concerned about their child’s academic progress than their

By Dave Collins | Associated Press David Childs, the lead architect of the One World Trade Center skyscraper that rose from the site where the Twin Towers collapsed in New York City during the 9/11 attacks, has died. He was 83. Childs died on Wednesday in Pelham, New York, from Lewy body dementia, which had been diagnosed in September, his son, Nicholas Childs said. While he was perhaps best known for his work on One World Trade Center, considered to be the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, Childs also was instrumental in other important projects, including a new master plan for the National Mall in Washington, D.C., an expansion of Dulles International Airport in Virginia and the 7 World Trade Center building in Manhattan, according to his firm, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. “David’s contribution to the firm was extensive and profound, and we will always be grateful to David for his leadership, his impact, and his friendship,” Skidmore, Owings & Merrill said in a statement. “We will miss him dearly and extend our condolences and deepest sympathies to his family.” A fond memory that

New York bagel lovers rejoice: Boichik Bagels is preparing to open a store in Concord at the end of April. “I’ve had people asking for a Walnut Creek spot since I opened,” said founder Emily Winston. “There are a lot of people who want one closer to them and don’t want to have to brave the tunnel traffic.” It’ll be the 11th Boichik Bagels outpost, but the first east of Berkeley. A New Jersey native, Winston opened the original Berkeley store in 2019. Within months there were lines around the block. When the New York Times caught wind of the bagels in 2021, the newspaper proclaimed, “The best bagels are in California (sorry, New York).” Winston said she began experimenting with bagel-making after moving to the Bay Area in 2010 and being “disappointed” by the bagel scene. She hoped to recreate her favorite bagels from childhood, the bagels from the since-closed H&H Bagels in Manhattan. “It was my obsessive new hobby,” she said. “I’d keep trying it every few weeks, taste them, bring them to my friends, we’d talk about it and I kept playing

Sunnyvale Public Safety Chief Phan Ngo will hang up his belt this April, ending his 36-year career in law enforcement in Santa Clara County and prompting the city to search for a new head public safety officer. During his eight-year stint at the department, Ngo, 58, led the city through its COVID-19 emergency response and several high-profile police cases. He also oversaw several new programs related to recruiting officers and modernizing the department’s headquarters, while bolstering community engagement in the city by creating the Youth Leadership Academy and Public Safety Citizens Academy. An interim chief will be appointed while officials search for Ngo’s replacement, according to the city. “It’s been an honor to be the chief here,” Ngo said. “Since day one I have been fully embraced by the community, supported by the officers and supported by the council. Its been everything that I could want in a position to lead a public safety department.” Ngo was selected for the role in 2017 after Sunnyvale conducted a national search to replace outgoing Chief Frank Grgurina. Previously, Ngo served 27 years at the San Jose Police

The Hotline mailbag publishes weekly. Send questions to wilnerhotline@bayareanewsgroup.com and include ‘mailbag’ in the subject line. Or hit me on the social media platform X: @WilnerHotline Some questions have been edited for clarity and brevity. The Pac-12 is telling us that none of the available schools will move the media rights needle, so what’s the reason for waiting to add a team to become compliant with NCAA regulations? Will the dollars impact the teams they add? The Mountain West expanded first, so there’s precedent for doing it that way. — @brycetacoma The Mountain West was operating from a position of weakness, having been raided and fighting for survival, while the Pac-12 is operating from a position of (relative) strength with its core intact for the next media rights cycle. Those differing dynamics account for the contrasting strategies since September. In terms of the Pac-12’s broad strategy, it’s critical to recognize that the media rights negotiations and the membership question are, to a large extent, unfolding together. The conference has a list of schools under consideration. It’s a matter of wrapping up expansion once the media rights deal

Amid Gwyneth Paltrow’s latest, headline-making “press dump,” the actor/lifestyle guru didn’t just talk up her hot sex scenes with Timothée Chalamet in an upcoming movie, snark about intimacy coordinators in some shade to the Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni scandal or tease her support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s polarizing “MAHA worldview,” as one report noted.  Paltrow also showed her command “of the narrative” by resolving a media-imagined feud with Meghan Markle, her globally famous Montecito neighbor and ascendant lifestyle guru of the moment, according to a new report in Puck. Not surprisingly, the women resolved the faux feud with dual social media appearances that suggested they had been trolling the internet trolls all along. This image released by Netflix shows Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in a scene from “With Love, Meghan.” (Netflix via AP)But Paltrow’s PR partnership with Markle this week underscores the serious challenges the two celebrities face as ” female founders” of their own lifestyle brands. A new Variety Fair cover story on Paltrow, as well as other reports, have described the various ways that Markle wants to emulate Paltrow’s supposed success with Goop

Mumford & Sons is back in action. The U.K folk-pop band just released its fifth studio album, “Rushmere,” today and will support the effort with a major North American tour later this year. Support acts include Japanese Breakfast, Gregory Alan Isakov, Michael Kiwanuka, Sierra Ferrell, Gigi Perez, Margo Price, Lucius, Madison Cunningham, Good Neighbours and Divorce. The trek includes a stop at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley on June 9. Mumford & Sons tickets go on sale April 4, www.mumfordandsons.com. Here are the complete tour dates: May 25—Liverpool, U.K.—Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2025 June 5—Bend, OR—Hayden Homes Amphitheater* June 9—Berkeley, CA—The Greek Theatre* June 12—Los Angeles, CA—Hollywood Bowl† June 14—West Valley City, UT—Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre† June 17—Noblesville, IN—Ruoff Music Center† June 18—Cuyahoga Falls, OH—Blossom Music Center† June 20—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center† June 21—Saratoga Springs, NY— Broadview Stage at SPAC‡ June 22—Columbia, MD—Merriweather Post Pavilion† June 24—Toronto, ON—Budweiser Stage† July 4—Dublin, Ireland—Malahide Castle (SOLD OUT) July 7—Verona, Italy—Arena di Verona July 18—Quincy, WA—The Gorge Amphitheatre§ July 19—Whitefish, MT—Under The Big Sky Festival July 21—Morrison, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre^ July 22—Morrison, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre^ July 24—Bonner Springs, KS—Azura

Len Dell’Amico, left, and Jerry Garcia at a press conference for the “So Far” video in 1987. (Photo by Susana Millman) 1 of 4 Len Dell’Amico, left, and Jerry Garcia at a press conference for the “So Far” video in 1987. (Photo by Susana Millman) Expand Len Dell’Amico, the Grateful Dead’s longtime videographer, writes about his friendship with Jerry Garcia in a new memoir that portrays the charismatic guitarist as a Christ-like figure who achieved great wealth and fame and yet lived like a Zen monk, disdaining the trappings of rock stardom. In “Friend of the Devil: My Wild Ride with Jerry Garcia and Grateful Dead” Dell’Amico describes the band’s concerts as “fundamentally a spiritual experience, more like going to church than any other musical act I have ever worked with.” In that framing, Garcia is seen as the de facto leader not only of the Grateful Dead, but also as a kind of high priest — no pun intended — of what Dell’Amico calls “a spiritual movement” with Deadhead followers as its tie-dyed congregation. Admiring Garcia’s wisdom, intelligence and kindness, Dell’Amico describes his friend

Housing advocates and San Jose neighborhood groups are pushing back against a proposed Chick-fil-A at the corner of Race and West San Carlos Streets, asserting the project does not fulfill the vision of an urban village while citing the fast food retailer’s past controversial donations to anti-LGBTQ organizations. The developer has proposed demolishing the existing commercial building, which would displace businesses like Sharper Cuts and Taqueria Eduardo, and replace it with a one-story, 5,139-square-foot restaurant with an outdoor dining patio. But while Chick-fil-A representatives said the building would be unique from other locations and have a mid-century design to comply with the West San Carlos urban village plan, detractors of the project told the city and developer’s representatives Thursday that it was a missed opportunity for higher-density housing and bringing in businesses that are pedestrian-friendly or encourage transit use. “There’s also an unusual amount of consensus between the groups here tonight that aren’t always aligned, and that should send a message on its own,” said Jake Wilde, manager of development projects at CatalyzeSV. “We and our members do not believe that this project conforms with the

A former San Diego-area Navy detective who was sentenced to federal prison last month for choking a sailor unconscious and lying about his misuses of force while an El Cajon police officer is facing a new charge related to the production of child sex abuse material. Federal agents arrested Jonathan Christopher LaRoche on Wednesday in La Mesa on a charge of attempted production of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The 41-year-old Spring Valley resident, who was due to report to prison in about three weeks to serve a 15-month sentence in his previous case, made his first appearance on the new charge Thursday in San Diego federal court. According to a criminal complaint and a related search warrant, LaRoche used an encrypted email server on the dark web to discuss sexually abusing a child and filming and photographing the abuse, and also expressed a desire to meet up with other children. The court documents indicate that law enforcement agents believe the abuse occurred, that LaRoche shared the files and that they have strong circumstantial evidence — including delivery records for sex toys

The Hotline is delighted to provide college football fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Seattle-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on March 27 … Look who’s No. 1 For all the grief USC has received on the recruiting front in recent years — often, it was well deserved — the Trojans aren’t messing around with the class of 2026. On the heels of hiring general manager Chad Bowden away from Notre Dame, they are on top of 247Sports’ team recruiting rankings, well ahead of No. 2 Clemson. USC has a nation-leading 16 commitments so far in the class, and the total could continue to grow in the next two weeks (more on that later). Ten of the 16 are in the current Top 247 for the ’26 class, and eight are in the top 10 at their positions. With spring practices underway, several more elite recruits are visiting campus — a chance for coach Lincoln Riley to build on his momentum. One key to the success: Riley realizing

By Angel Adegbesan | Bloomberg Soleno Therapeutics jumped on Thursday after the drugmaker won US approval for its drug to treat insatiable hunger caused by a genetic disorder. Shares of the Redwood City, California-based company climbed 38% — the biggest one-day gain since September 2023 — to their highest level in more than eight years. The Food and Drug Administration approved Soleno’s pill to treat hyperphagia — a condition where individuals have a sense of being hungry all the time and never feeling satisfied — in adults and children four years or older. The condition is a feature of a genetic disorder called Prader-Willi syndrome — which has no cure and affects one in every 10,000 to 30,000 children, according to the National Institutes of Health. Called Vykat XR, the drug is the first treatment to notch regulatory approval to address the extreme hunger that is associated with Prader-Willi. The regulatory win also marks a milestone for Soleno, as it is the company’s first approved drug since it went public in 2014. Wall Street analysts cheered the approval, calling it a significant win for the

Amazon’s Big Spring Sale has only just begun, and some of the hottest products are seeing significant price drops. Although the big-ticket items are flying off the shelves, we’ve got a lot of not-so-known items on our radar, including other popular ones that don’t go on sale very often. Our curated list has the best deals on items that aren’t on sale very often. That makes them worth checking out during Amazon’s Big Spring Sale. Several bestsellers, such as vacuum cleaners, tablets, smartwatches, TVs, air fryers and more, are available at a nice discount. Beats Studio Pro 49% OFF These over-ear headphones have a premium build and design, comfortable earcups, and outstanding sound quality, which is ideal for bass lovers. They have two distinct listening modes: Active Noise Canceling and Transparency mode, and dynamic head tracking delivers immersive listening. Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition 20% OFF If you’re an avid reader looking for a way to travel light, the latest Kindle is worth your time. It has a high-contrast 7-inch color display that’s easy on the eyes and a feature that lets you highlight pages in

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 slashed the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and more than doubled the federal estate tax exemption rate for married couples, from $11 million to $27 million. An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee of Taxation found that beginning in 2027, lower- and middle-class families could see a tax increase that would exceed the rate they paid before 2017. Sadly, the law is set to expire at the end of the year. It would be just awful if America’s billionaires lost the gift that this law gave them; they’ve increased their collective wealth by trillions since the tax cuts went into effect. Thankfully, Congress is in talks to protect these vulnerable individuals. The current news cycle is saturated with stories about disillusioned Trump supporters finding out what they actually voted for, as they lose jobs and benefits. Not the top 10%, though. They own 90% of all the stocks on Wall Street. They know exactly what they were voting for. There’s another notable result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: the $20-billion decrease in charitable donations. Part of the reform included

SAN FRANCISCO – A familiar scene played out Thursday when a heralded point guard, Walter Clayton Jr., swished a deep 3-pointer at Chase Center, providing Florida’s first bucket en route to a Sweet 16 win. That’s chief resident Steph Curry’s move here. Clayton is no Curry, but that hyperbolic comparison was volunteered by Maryland coach Kevin Willard some 24 hours before Clayton helped top-seeded Florida to an 87-71 win. “He reminds me of Steph a little bit of how good he is off the dribble,” Williard said ahead of the matchup before lauding Clayton’s composure. “… If he misses three in a row, his body language, it don’t matter. A lot of kids get sensitive when they miss two or three in a row. He’s just going to keep coming right at you.” “It means a lot to get those comparisons and get that little bit of recognition, but I have a long way to go until I’m even in the conversation with Steph,” Clayton humbly and correctly stated after his modest 13-point effort. Florida (32-4) is not a one-man show, and Clayton’s unselfish style

TODAY’S WORD — MONOCLES (MONOCLES: MON-oh-kuls: Eyeglasses for one eye.) Average mark 29 words Time limit 45 minutes Can you find 38 or more words in MONOCLES? The list will be published tomorrow. YESTERDAY’S WORD — DIADEMS: dais dame dead deism diadem dime idea idem ides aide aided aimed amid aside made maid mead media mesa said same seam semi side 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 Game creator Kathleen Saxe at kzsaxe@gmail.com.

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Lady Gaga, 39; Julia Stiles, 44; Vince Vaughn, 55; Reba McEntire, 70. Happy Birthday: Set goals and strive to pursue and achieve, and you won’t be disappointed. Refuse to let anyone interfere with your plans when it’s your turn to reach for the stars and shine. Make a point to do your best and to be your best. Put fitness, raising your appeal and taking control of your life and what you want to pursue first. Make a positive attitude and high energy your priorities. Your numbers are 3, 14, 22, 26, 35, 39, 42. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Take care of pending legal, financial or medical matters, and start a routine that caters to getting your life on track and your goals in line for success. Network, socialize and embrace activities or events conducive to spending time with people who have information to share. A financial investment looks promising. 3 stars TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Lift barriers, and make a move. A change at home will help you save time and money. Look inward, and you’ll discover what and