Find Your Daily Voice
20°
Dialing It Back: NY Students Would Be Barred From Using Phones During School Day Under Proposal
Students could soon go from scrolling to schooling.
A bold initiative unveiled by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday, Jan. 22, would restrict smartphone use in all K-12 schools during the entire school day, including lunch time.
The proposal, introduced as part of the governor’s 2026 Executive Budget, aims to prioritize student learning and mental health, Hochul’s office said.
“From parents and teachers, to social justice and law enforcement leaders, New Yorkers agree that our young people succeed when they’re learning and growing, not clicking and scrolling,” Hochul said.
Under the…
Anthem Reverses Anesthesia Coverage Cap After Outcry In NY, CT
New York and Connecticut residents can breathe easier: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has reversed its decision to impose time limits on anesthesia coverage during procedures, officials announced Thursday, Dec. 5.
The policy, initially set to take effect on Feb. 1, 2025, would have capped anesthesia coverage if a procedure exceeded an arbitrary time limit, regardless of medical necessity, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists. The decision applied to residents in Connecticut, New York, and Missouri.
Facing backlash from patients, healthcare advocates, and state leaders, Anth…
Israeli-American Citizen From NY, Thought Taken Hostage, Confirmed Killed In Oct. 7 Attack
More than a year of agonizing uncertainty has come to a tragic end for the family of a New York native thought to have been taken hostage during the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Omer Neutra, from Long Island’s Plainview, was killed during the attacks that claimed the lives of another 1,200 men, women, and children, the Israeli government confirmed Monday, Dec. 2.
The 21-year-old moved to Israel when he was 18 to join the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during a gap year, his parents Orna and Ronen said in a video shared by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
…