joining us live now to discuss this issue is tony thurmond, state superintendent of public instruction, and jim steyer, ceo and founder of common sense media. jim, superintendent thurmond, thank you both so much for your time today. >> great to be here. >> so, jim, i'll start with you, because the governor's letter cited numbers from your organization and from pew research in his plea to school leaders. so tell us about those statistics and what they're saying. >> well, basically, what it shows is, as superintendent thurmond and i both know as parents and educators, is that kids spend their lives on cell phones and that in school they can be incredibly distracting from learning. they can also, in some cases, create social and emotional issues for kids that also prevent them from learning. and therefore we need to have some common sense restrictions on cell phone use in schools. every parent out there knows this. every school superintendent, the state superintendent knows this. so this is the time for us to put some logical, common sense rules in place, district by district. >> as a par

the state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond, just wrapped up a meeting on that issue in sacramento. he's reconvening the closing the digital divide task force. it is a push by state leaders to limit cell phone use in schools to reduce distractions and address the impacts of social media on the mental health of children and teens. experts, district leaders and students are sharing their experiences >>>>push things forward. it can't just be sort of the outlier. school districts or the those who have the privilege to sort of get ahead of this crisis. we have to close this equity divide as well before we go whole new generation of students >ryan >as the new school year kicks off, many districts across california are rolling out district wide cell phone bans. that includes mount diablo, ignacio valley high schools in concord, students at richmond schools started to theirs. started your year off at a different campus. stagg elementary school unexpectedly closed a month ago, while the west contra costa unified school district cleans up environmental hazards discovered on cam

should be banned in classrooms today in sacramento state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond is holding a hearing on the issue. he's reconvening the closing the digital divide task force. it's a push by state leaders to limit cell phone use in schools to reduce distractions in the classroom and address the impacts of social media on the mental health of children and teens experts, district leaders and students will share their experiences at the hearing. san francisco teachers will be protesting ahead of the school district's meeting today. leading up to a mid-september announcement about school closures. navigating all of this including low enrollment and financial deficits is newly appointed board of education member phil kim. he's filling out the remainder of the former president's term after an abrupt resignation. well, students at an east bay school started their year off at a different campus. stege elementary school unexpectedly closed a month ago, while the west contra costa unified school district cleans up environmental hazards discovered on campus. so for now, steg

superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond spoke about what's being done currently in schools, including having narcan on campus. >> people sometimes think, well, we don't need this in our school. i've heard people say, we don't need narcan in our school. and i tell them we have to have an honest conversation about drug use is everywhere. it is not unique to any one zip code. any one group of people, and many times, even in more affluent communities, there's more money, there's more access to get access to drugs. >> thurmond says california saw 82 fentanyl deaths in 2012, in just over a decade, that number soared to roughly 6000 deaths in 2023 hotel to housing coming up next, the project in downtown san jose, that's set to welcome hundreds of college students for the new school year. later tonight on the 10:00 news, a standoff with oakland police, the incident that unfolded on a busy street, plus security preparations underway for the democratic national convention in chicago. those stories z's baking the house special. arisa's styling a new look. and steve's filling his bigge

state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond organized this hearing. it comes just weeks after governor gavin newsom sent all school districts across the state. this letter urging them to restrict cell phones in the classroom. fast forward to this meeting included input from the public, including from this student at her school and all the others within the san mateo foster city school district. they require each student to use one of these known as a yondr pouch. once a student places the phone inside the pouch, it automatically locks until the school day ends really does help increase focus. and i myself have felt that i only focus on my schoolwork. >> went on a school data and our metrics. >> teen rates of depression and anxiety and bowling have all improved dramatically as a result of this policy. in addition of that democratic and republican lawmakers who spoke at the meeting urged support for several bills, including one that would require social media companies to apply to schools during investigations involving cyber bullying. >> and another pi

and today, state superintendent of school tony thurmond held a meeting to figure out how to do it. back in 2020, california lawmakers passed a bill that allows school districts to restrict students from using cell phones in school. earlier this month, the governor wrote a letter reminding california school leaders about that law, urging schools to restrict smartphone use on campus. he says studies show that phone use is linked to anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. in today's meeting, thurmond reviewed the findings of those studies, says he's joining the statewide effort to encourage schools to restrict students from using their phones. it will soon be a little easier to return your empty beverage containers. more than 250 new recycling sites are coming to 30 counties across california, including the bay area. it's all part of $70 million in grants awarded by cal recycle. the funds will also go toward modernizing recycling methods, including adding vending machine drop sites, mobile recycling units and bag drop sites. newly released census data shows that san franci

the state superintendent of schools, tony thurmond, hosted a hearing this morning. he wants to ban students from using their phones at schools. he says phones harm students mental health and academic performance. the hearing is built on legislation enacted in 2020, which allowed districts to restrict students from using their phones at school. earlier this month, the governor released a letter written to california school district. he writes that students show excessive smartphone use linked to anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. you've likely heard a heat wave complicating back to school plans. the midwest and ohio valley could see some of the hottest weather they've had all year. the heat alerts stretch across nearly two dozen states. officials said. 63 philadelphia schools without adequate air conditioning will dismiss early today and tomorrow. same goes for schools in michigan. officials there say that while they're nearly all of their buildings have air conditioning, rising temperatures really could be a strain on the schools cooling systems. it

state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond echoed governor newsom's concerns over mentallth. >> it is clear when you look at the rates of depression and anxiety that our kids have, they need less time on the phone and more time focused, and they'll do better academically and mentally. >> on mount diablo and valley high schools in concord are one week into their no phone pilot program. students have to put their phones in locked pouches during the school day. >> ultimately, i think that the kids will, you know, probably see that they, you know, enjoy their peers more. they, you know, have better interactions. and yeah, i think it's going to be a good thing. >> now, one criticism of the phone limits is the ability to communicate in an emergency. thurmond told us today there are plenty of possible solutions for that, and it's something they will work through. >> and more school news in the south bay, a high school in san jose is starting the school year with a huge hit to its football program. the coach says someone broke in and stole virtually everything, including the wiri

state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond echoed governor newsom's concerns over mental>> it is clear when you look at the rates of depression and anxiety that our kids have, they need less time on the phone and more time focused, and they'll do better academically and mentally. >> on mount diablo and valley high schools in concord are one week into their no phone pilot program. students have to put their phones in locked pouches during the school day. >> ultimately, i think that the kids will, you know, probably see that they, you know, enjoy their peers more. they, you know, have better interactions. and yeah, i think it's going to be a good thing. >> now, one criticism of the phone limits is the ability to communicate in an emergency. thurmond told us today there are plenty of possible solutions for that, and it's something they will work through. >> and more school news in the south bay, a high school in san jose is starting the school year with a huge hit to its football program. the coach says someone broke in and stole virtually everything, including the wiring th

negatively impacted student performance and mental health state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond organize today's hearing as part of what he has called the close. the digital divide task force. >> and then getting cell phones during schools have shown to provide tremendous benefit to student learning and to student mental health and that we want to accelerate those efforts by not having phones and not having access to it. >> it really does help increase focus. and i myself have felt that i only focus on my schoolwork, went on a school. >> today's hearing comes just weeks after governor newsom sent this letter to school districts across the state urging them to restrict phones in schools. and while the hearing today was only informational lawmakers at the hearing called on the legislature to approve a bipartisan package of bills that would require school districts to come up with policies to address cell phone use in schools. a lot more ahead today at 2. it is the first day of school at east bay elementary school that was forced to relocate. we'll take a look at. >> the temporary

state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond echoed the governor's concerns over mental health it is clear when you look at the rates of depression and anxiety that our kids have, they need less time on the phone and more time focused, and they'll do better academically and mentally. >> diablo and ignacio valley high schools in concord are one week into their no phone pilot programs. students have to put their phones in locked pouches during the school day. >> ultimately, i think that the kids will, you know, probably see that they, you know, enjoy their peers more. they, you know, have better interactions. and yeah, i think it's going to be a good thing. >> one criticism of phone limits is the ability to communicate in an emergency. thurmond says there are many solutions for that, and it's something they will work through. back to you. kumasi >> thanks, amanda. in the south bay, a high school in san jose is starting the new school year with a huge hit to its football program. the coach says thieves broke in and stole almost everything, including the wiring that powers the foot

can be a great tool to aid learning, but california state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmondows that these tools have consequences that can negatively impact student well-being and achievement, such as cyberbullying. >> thousands and thousands of reports are entered every day in california from teachers, principals, students, parents. no response. so tech needs to actually be accountable here for the ills of their platform. >> california state senator henry stern authored state bill 1283, which is still making its way through the assembly. it would give local school districts the authority to restrict the use of social media on school campuses. not just limit what apps are allowed, but also how students use their cell phones. >> when students were in the bathroom using the restroom, people taking videos and posting them on snapchat, just to sort of shame and talk about how disgusting they are. >> students and school officials also spoke on pilot programs already implemented. stern says policies need to be designed to bring tech to the table, even considering legal recourse fo

can be a great tool to aid learning, but california state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond also knows that these tools have consequences that can negatively impact student well-being and achievement, such as cyberbullying. >> thousands and thousands of reports are entered every day in california from teachers, principals, students, parents. no response. so tech needs to actually be accountable here for the ills of their platform. >> california state senator henry stern authored state bill 1283, which is still making its way through the assembly. it would give local school districts the authority to restrict the use of social media on school campuses. not just limit what apps are allowed, but also how students use their cell phones. >> if students go to the bathroom using the restroom, people are taking videos and posting them on snapchat, just to sort of shame and talk about how disgusting they are. >> students and school officials also spoke on pilot programs already implemented. stern says policies need to be designed to bring tech to the table, even considering legal rec

state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond echoed the governor's concerns over mental health. >> it is clear when you look at the rates of depression and anxiety that our kids have, they need less time on the phone and more time focused, and they'll do better academically and mentally. >> mount diablo and ignacio valley high schools in concord are one week into their no phone pilot programs. students have to put their phones in locked pouches during the school day. >> ultimately, i think that the kids will, you know, probably see that they, you know, enjoy their peers more. they, you know, have better interactions. and yeah, i think it's going to be a good thing. >> and one criticism of phone limits is the ability to communicate in an emergency. thurmond says there are many solutions for that. and it's something they will work through. now let's get to reggie. >> thanks, amanda. in the south bay, a high school in san jose is starting the new school year with a huge hit to its football program. the coach says thieves broke in. they stole almost everything, including the wiring

all drug related deaths among young people in california, superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond about what's being done currently in california classrooms to bring down those numbers. >> people sometimes think, well, we don't need this in our school. i've heard people say, we don't need narcan in our school. and i tell them we have to have an honest conversation about drug use. it is everywhere. it is not unique to any one zip code. any one group of people, and many times, even in more affluent communities, there's more money, there's more access to get access to drugs. >> thurmond says california saw 82 fentanyl deaths in 2012. in just over a decade, that number soared to roughly 6000 deaths in 2023. uc regents are considering a plan to help students who are battling drug and alcohol addiction by putting recovery centers on every campus. right now, they're small drug recovery programs at half of the uc campuses, including berkeley, the university of california student association is mounting a campaign to bring funding and a larger scale program to all ten campuses. it would in

this is where today's state school superintendent, tony thurmond is hosting a hearing on smartphone, social media and youth wellness. thurmond wants to consider new ways to keep children safe and healthy in the digital world. that hearing will also build on legislation enacted back in 2022 2020, allowing the district to restrict students from using cell phones while in school. some speakers are expected to share their own personal insights. this is all going to get underway this morning at 830. we've been talking about the heat wave in the bay area. well, it's actually complicating back to school plans in the midwest and ohio. they could actually see some of the hottest weather they've had all year. the heat alert stretched across nearly two dozen states. officials say 63 philadelphia schools are without adequate air conditioning. they'll be dismissed early today and tomorrow. same goes for schools in michigan. officials there say while nearly all buildings have air conditioning, rising temperatures could be a strain on the schools cooling systems. it's a struggle with how warm it is

the superintendent of public instruction, tony thurmond, spoke about what's being done right now in schools, including having narcan on campuses. >> people sometimes think, well, we don't need this in our school. i've heard people say, we don't need narcan in our school. and i tell them we have to have an honest conversation about drug use, that it is everywhere. it is not unique to any one zip code, any one group of people, and many times, even in more affluent communities, there's more money, there's more access to get access to drugs. >> thurmond says california saw 82 fentanyl deaths in 2012. in just over a decade, that number has soared to roughly 6000 deaths in 2023. >> a south bay lawmaker today detailed his proposal to protect farm workers from extreme heat. san jose state senator dave cortese is partnering with the united farm workers to make sure agricultural employers are complying with existing heat prevention, injury and illness laws. cortese introduced senate bill 1299, which would provide enforcement of strict cal osha rules already on the books that require shade, water, and

state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond organized this hearing.comes just weeks after governor gavin newsom sent all school districts across the state. this letter urging them to restrict cell phones in the classroom. fast forward to this meeting included input from the public, including from this student at her school and all the others within the san mateo foster city school district. they require each student to use one of these known as a yondr pouch. once a student places the phone inside the pouch, it automatically locks until the school day really does help increase focus. and i myself have felt that i only focus on my schoolwork. >> went on a school data and our metrics. >> teen rates of depression and anxiety and boeing have all improved dramatically as a result of this policy. in addition to democratic and republican lawmakers who spoke at the meeting urged support for several bills, including one that would require social media companies to apply to schools during investigations involving cyber bullying. >> and another piece of legislat

housing kicks off later this morning at 11, and it comes just after the state superintendent, tony thurmondde his announcement that the state plans to build affordable housing on california school properties. so this is really something that's you can say a little bit ahead of its game in daly city, ginger conejero saab, today in the bay make it easier to live. people will stay. all right. thanks so much, ginger. well, new developments this morning in elon musk's tug of war with san francisco. looks like the days are numbered for his mid-market x headquarters today in the bay's kris sanchez in our newsroom this morning. okay, so, kris, from the sound of it, all, the holdovers will not necessarily be moving from the bay area to texas. right? so this might go from a business report to kind of a traffic report. mike's department, because some employees who used to show up for work in san francisco will now be heading to work in san jose and palo alto and soon over the next few weeks, according to an internal email. in that email, obtained by the new york times, x chief executive linda yaccarin

states and at hundreds of colleges and schools across the country, state school superintendent tony thurmond, standing behind his support of the controversial transgender notification ban, recently signed into law. >> assembly bill 1955 prohibits california school districts from notifying parents about a student's desire to change sexual orientation or gender identity. last night, superintendent thurmond, who is running for governor in 2026, debated riverside county sheriff chad bianco, who says he is considering running. thurmond said the bill does not violate parents rights. >> support this. why is it a good idea? >> actually, it does nothing to block the rights of parents. it actually says that when there are any discussions that are going to take place about a child's sexual orientation, that that conversation should happen between that child and their parent. >> thurmond and bianco also talked about the november ballot measure, prop 36, that one would amend prop 47, which was approved by voters in 2014, to reclassify certain nonviolent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. bianco called

negatively impacted student performance and mental health state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond organize the hearing as part of what he has dubbed the close, the digital divide task force. >> and then getting cell phones during schools have shown to provide tremendous benefit to student learning and to student mental health and that we want to accelerate those efforts by not having phones and not having access to it. >> it really does help increase focus. and i myself have felt that i only focus on my schoolwork, went on a school. >> well, the hearing comes just weeks after governor gavin newsom sent this letter to school districts across the state, urging them to restrict phones in schools. while the hearing on tuesday was only informational. lawmakers called on the legislature to approve a bipartisan package of bills that would require school districts to come up with policies to address phone use in the classroom. >> in the east bay of students and staff at stage of country. they had their first day back on tuesday, but not in their own building. they're still using to john a

the state superintendent of schools, tony thurmond, hosted a hearing this morning.ones on campus. he says phones harm students mental health and academic performances. hearing is built on the legislation enacted in 2020, which allows districts to restrict students from using their phones at school. earlier this month, the governor released a letter written to california school districts. he wrote that studies show excessive smartphone use is linked to anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. all right, all lanes of the bay bridge are back open after an overnight fire involving a chp cruiser. this happened a little before 230 this morning. chp says that the cruiser was disabled and officer got out of the vehicle, saw the engine compartment on fire. thankfully, no one was hurt. all eastbound lanes were shut down because of that fire, but they have since reopened. okay on to the weather and higher temperatures returning to the bay area. here's meteorologist kari hall with our forecast. we are headed for some warm temperatures today. take a look at our south

state superintendent of public instruction tony thurmond organized this hearing. it comes just weeks after governor gavin newsom sent all school districts across the state. this letter urging them to restrict cell phones in the classroom. fast forward to this meeting included input from the public, including from this student at her school and all the others within the san mateo foster city school district. they require each student to use one of these known as a yondr pouch. once a student places their phone inside the pouch, it automatically locks until the school day and really does help increase focus. and i myself have felt that i only focus on my school with. >>went on a school data and our metrics >>teen rates of depression and anxiety and bullying have all improved dramatically as a result of this policy. in addition of that democratic and republican lawmakers who spoke at the meeting urged support for several bills, including one that would require social media companies to apply to schools during investigations involving cyber bullying. and another piece

now, governor gavin newsom and the superintendent of schools, tony thurmond, say other schools acrossa need to do the same in a letter sent to california public school districts yesterday, the governor called on administrators to restrict cell phone use on campuses. now, this academic year, the letter cites a study from common sense media that found 97% of students who have a cell phone use it during the school day for at least 45 minutes a day. >> i know just from my own kids, like, you know, they're young, they have a cell phone. they really want to be on it all the time, and that can take away from the experience in the classroom. so i do think there should be stricter restrictions emergency wise. >> i think it is something that they should carry around. >> there are obviously mixed feelings about this from parents and school districts as well. some bay area school districts have restricted cell phones already. we mentioned san mateo high school, but just last week mount diablo unified school district enacted a cell phone free campus policy for the first day of school. there last w

. >> our time is now. 647 state school superintendent tony thurmond is standing behind his support ofban recently signed into law. now, state assembly bill 1955 bans california school districts from requiring teachers to notify parents about a student's desire to change their sexual orientation or their gender identity. last night, superintendent thurmond, who's running for governor in 2026, debated riverside county sheriff chad bianco, who says he's considering running. thurmond said the bill does not violate the rights of parents. >> support this. why is it a good idea? >> actually, it does nothing to block the rights of parents. it actually says that when there are any discussions that are going to take place about a child's sexual orientation, that that conversation should happen between that child and their parent. >> now, thurmond and bianco also talked about the november ballot measure, prop 36. it would amend prop 47, which was approved by voters in 2014, to reclassify certain nonviolent crimes from felonies to misdemeanors. bianco called it the beginning of the end for public