6 Nov 2023

Minnesotans can share negative impact of social media at online site

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Minnesotans who have personally seen the negative effects of social media on kids and teens have an opportunity to share their experiences.

The office of Attorney General Keith Ellison has launched an online form for sharing personal stories about mental and physical health problems tied to platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram.

The move comes as Ellison takes part in a multi-state lawsuit alleging Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta use features aimed at addicting children. In October, Ellison announced he would join a coalition of more than 40 other states in the action.

“By sharing your stories, you will help us understand the harm these platforms are causing so we can better stop that bad behavior moving forward,” Ellison said in a statement Monday.

Social media has come under increased scrutiny from health experts and government officials in recent decades for its addictiveness and potential threat to children’s mental health.

In 2021, a group of state attorneys general, including Ellison, asked Facebook to create a separate Instagram platform for children under 13.

In a 2023 health advisory, the American Psychological Association recommended a greater degree of parental supervision on social media in early adolescence and screening for harmful content that encourages dangerous behavior and discrimination.

The APA also noted signs of problematic social media use, including a tendency to use social media when it interferes with necessary tasks, repeatedly spending more time on social media than intended and lying or deceptive behavior to retain access to social media.

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6 Nov 2023

Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka lists Streeterville condo for nearly $600,000

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Hall of Fame former Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka and his wife, Diana, have placed their longtime two-bedroom, 1,904-square-foot condominium on the 39th floor of a Streeterville high-rise on the market for $599,900.

Known as “Iron Mike,” Ditka, 84, was a six-time All-Pro tight end for the Bears. He later was the team’s head coach from 1982 until 1992, during which he led the Bears to their only Super Bowl victory ever, in 1986. Ditka maintained a presence in the Chicago area even after his time as the Bears head coach came to an end, as he kept a house in Bannockburn until selling it in 1997.

Also in 1997, Ditka lent his name to a Magnificent Mile steakhouse — the first of several that eventually would open — in which he was an investor. After Ditka’s second and final head coaching stint, with the New Orleans Saints, concluded in early 2000, he and his wife resumed being area homeowners, paying $700,000 several months later for their Streeterville condo.

Located in the Olympia Centre building, the corner-unit condo has two bathrooms, a grand foyer, hardwood floors, a kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops and a primary bedroom suite with two walk-in closets and plenty of built-ins. The unit also has access to the building’s common rooftop deck on the 64th floor.

“The energy in the apartment is palpable,” listing agent Emily Sachs Wong of @properties told Elite Street. “Great ideas happened here. The custom woodwork, reminiscent of old city clubs, makes it feel 100 percent Chicago.”

Wong told Elite Street that the couple listed the condo because they no longer live in the city. Indeed, records show that they continue to own and live in a 4,294-square-foot house in Naples, Fla., that they built in 2002.

The Ditkas first listed the condo on Oct. 13, and it currently has a contract pending to sell it.

The condo had a $14,613 property tax bill in the 2022 tax year.

Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.

Join our Chicago Dream Homes Facebook group for more luxury listings and real estate news.

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6 Nov 2023

Thanksgiving dinner costs are up even as turkey prices tumble

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Deena Shanker | Bloomberg News (TNS)

Inflation is slowing, turkey prices are dropping and yet, somehow, Thanksgiving dinners will still cost more than they did last year.

“Don’t expect tremendous savings,” a new report from Wells Fargo’s Agri-Food Institute warns, noting that food-at-home prices are still up 2.4% compared with last October. “This year’s celebration will not be less expensive.”

Still, not all Thanksgiving mainstays are going to cost more, and the price of the traditional roasted-turkey centerpiece is falling. Retail prices for whole fresh turkeys were down 9% the week of Oct. 23, when the report was written, but have dropped even more since then, down 13% as of Oct. 30, said Michael Swanson, the institute’s chief agricultural economist. “We expect those prices to fall even more.”

While turkey prices are falling, consumers aren’t getting the full benefit of the lower price tag retailers are seeing: Wholesale prices are down 30%, according to the report. “The retailer has more expenses,” said Swanson, one of the report’s authors, citing high labor costs as an example. Swanson also pointed out that low prices on turkeys hurt the farmers who raise them.

Not everyone is so optimistic on the cost of gobblers. Lower turkey stocks as a result of avian flu could hurt supply and support prices, said Justin Barlup, an analyst at Bloomberg’s Green Markets.

Ham prices, meanwhile, have gone up 5.2% since last year, according to the report. Canned foods are way up, too, Swanson said, with canned pumpkin up 30% and green beans rising 9% compared with a year ago. Canned cranberries are up 60%, but those willing to spend more time cooking can save some money: Fresh cranberries are down 20%, year over year.

Cream supplies are tight across the country, pressuring milk and dairy prices, according to the latest U.S. Foods Farmer’s Report. The report, from Oct. 27, also says that green beans from Georgia have seen crop damage due to hurricanes and rains over the past couple of months — crimping supplies headed into the Thanksgiving holiday.

Swanson attributes the variability to a range of factors: Farmers put a lot of turkeys into their barns over the summer, so supply is high and retailers are competing with each other to bring down prices. Packaging and transportation costs are still making canned items more expensive. Finally, the COVID supply-chain impacts have subsided, and retailers can go back to forcing competition between suppliers, rather than simply hoping to keep their own shelves stocked.

With ingredient shortages over, low prices are once again how supermarkets will try to bring in shoppers. Expect plenty of discounts, but don’t bank on them being particularly deep, said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Jennifer Bartashus.

Prices can vary a lot by store, she said, as grocers look to get customers through their doors, and maybe keep them coming back even after the holiday. “For retailers, it’s an opportunity to offer great value — and to inspire loyalty,” Bartashus said.

—With assistance from Leslie Patton.

©2023 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

6 Nov 2023

Recipe: Seaweed chips with sesame oil and sea salt

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Taku Kondo is a San Francisco sushi chef-turned expert forager from Northern California who runs the popular YouTube channel Outdoor Chef Life. (See our interview with him here.) This is Kondo’s recipe for seaweed chips (or seasoning) that you can make yourself using seaweed harvested right from the ocean.

First, a couple of caveats. People who try this recipe “should definitely know what they’re eating,” Kondo says. “A couple easy-to-identify seaweeds would be sea lettuce and laver (nori). In California, there are two types of seaweed that are illegal to take: eel grass and sea palm. Although all seaweed is technically edible, they’re not all good to eat.”

Also, you must have a fishing license to harvest seaweed legally. “The current seaweed limit is 10 pounds wet weight,” Kondo says, “You must avoid harvesting in Marine Protected Areas. All information is available on the California Department of Fish and Wildlife website.”

If you want to learn more about identifying edible seaweeds, a good book to start with is Pacific Seaweeds from Harbour Publishing. Kondo’s own book about foraging and fishing, “The Coastal Harvest” from DK Penguin Random House, should be out in spring of 2025.

Seaweed Chips

This works with any kind of edible seaweed.

Step 1: Thoroughly rinse and clean the seaweed in fresh water.

Step 2: Spread them around on a sheet tray and bake at 300 degrees for 20 minutes or until crispy.

Step 3: Toss in 1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil and a generous pinch of sea salt.

Enjoy delicious, healthy seaweed chips.

Or:

Crush seaweed chips into a bowl and add sesame seeds. Enjoy it as furikake (rice seasoning) over rice or eggs.