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How will this impact student journalists?

What will happen to students who need phones for medical purposes/reasons?

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Sacramento - In a letter to California schools, Governor Gavin Newsom today called on every school district to restrict smartphone use in classrooms as the new academic year begins. In his letter, the Governor applauds districts that have already implemented cell phone restrictions, like Los Angeles Unified, and reminded education leaders of the mental health, scholastic, and social risks of cell phone use in classrooms.

In 2019, Governor Newsom signed AB 272 (Muratsuchi) into law, which grants school districts the authority to regulate the use of smartphones during school hours. Building on that legislation, he is currently working with the California Legislature to further limit student smartphone use on campuses. In June, the Governor announced efforts to restrict the use of smartphones during the school day.

A copy of the letter can be found here and below:

Dear School Leaders,

As we strive to create the best learning environment for all students this new academic year, I write today to raise an urgent issue that affects their well-being: the pervasive use of smartphones in schools.

Excessive smartphone use among youth is linked to increased anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 72% of high school and 33% of middle school teachers report cell phone distractions as a major problem. Common Sense Media found that 97% of students use their phones during the school day for a median of 43 minutes. Combined with the U.S. Surgeon General's warning about the risks of social media, it is urgent to provide reasonable guardrails for smartphone use in schools.

As I work with the Legislature to further limit student smartphone use on campus, there is no reason for schools to wait. In 2019, I signed AB 272 (Muratsuchi) into law, which grants school districts the authority to regulate the use of smartphones during school hours. This legislation was a crucial step in our efforts to minimize distractions and foster a more conducive environment for our students to learn. It is imperative that school districts take full advantage of this law to address the growing concerns surrounding student well-being and academic performance.

Leveraging the tools of this law, I urge every school district to act now to restrict smartphone use on campus as we begin the new academic year. The evidence is clear: reducing phone use in class leads to improved concentration, better academic outcomes, and enhanced social interactions. Schools and districts, including Santa Barbara Unified and Bullard High in Fresno, have seen positive impacts of limiting smartphones on campus, with some reporting higher test scores, grades, and student engagement, and less bullying and damage to school facilities. I applaud these districts, and others like LA Unified, for their leadership.

Every classroom should be a place of focus, learning, and growth. Working together, educators, administrators, and parents can create an environment where students are fully engaged in their education, free from the distractions on the phones and pressures of social media.

Thank you for your continued dedication to our students and support in making our schools the best they can be.

Sincerely,

Governor Gavin Newsom

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Governor Newsom urges schools to immediately restrict cell phones in the classroom ahead of the new school year | Governor of California

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Pros & Cons of the new system implemented.

Is it more efficient?

Are the breaks too short? etc.

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The photographer solving immigration problems through photograph and telling the individuals' stories.

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Immigration is a hot-button issue this election year, but for Menlo Park photographer Mark Tuschman, it is a personal subject. His grandparents came to the United States from Ukraine, and he has vivid childhood memories of living with them in their apartment in the lower East Side of New York City. Tuschman will speak about his personal history and his latest book, "Together We Rise: Immigrants in America," at Kepler's Books on Aug. 22.

The book is a photo-documentary that includes portraits of people from various occupations who have come to the United States in search of a better life. Accompanying the pictures are first-person narratives that give the background story about how and why they found their way here and what living and working in the U.S. means to them.

Tuschman explained that besides being inspired by his grandparents, he was greatly affected by current events that seemed to vilify immigrants. "In my experience, immigrants work hard to improve their lives and their families' lives. I felt it was all very distorted."

Tuschman is not new to the medium of documentary photography, having published "Faces of Courage: Intimate Portraits of Women on the Edge" a decade ago. But his path to becoming a photographer was quirky and unusual.

After attending Cornell University as an undergraduate, Tuschman came west to study computer science at University of California, Berkeley. He embarked upon obtaining his Ph.D., preparing for a career in the neurophysiology of vision but decided to make a change. "I realized I did not have the temperament for it," he explained. At about the same time, he obtained his first camera and, thanks to a friend with a darkroom, began printing his pictures. "I got an instant result," he laughed, "unlike in the lab."

He began reading all of the Ansel Adams books and, essentially, taught himself how to be a photographer. He was inspired by the work of Jacob Riis and Lewis Hine (both of whom had captured the plight of immigrants in New York City) and decided he would focus on being a fine-art social documentary photographer. He hoped his work would take the form of books and gallery exhibitions, but it soon became apparent that being a photographer was a difficult way to make a living and support a family.

Over the years, he has relied upon his knowledge of computer science to pay the bills, taking a position at Stanford University where he created a program to assess radiation therapy. He eventually became a commercial photographer, working for health-related industries and NGOs like the Global Fund for Women. "I had a natural talent for the work," he explained. On the side, he continued to do his own photography, because "the desire to do the work never left me."

The photography for "Together We Rise" began back in 2018, with the thought that the prints would be displayed in exhibitions around the time of the 2020 election. The spread of COVID soon altered those plans. Some of the photographs were actually on view in various exhibitions in other states but then the shut-down was announced. "When COVID hit they were orphaned," said Tuschman, "and the project was put on hold for 18 months."

As soon as he was able, Tuschman began taking more photographs and collecting stories, this time with the intention of creating a book. "Even though the book has been delayed, the topic is still as relevant as ever," he said.

His commercial work over the years in the health and social justice fields, as well as contacts at Stanford - and even local farmers markets - provided a means to meet his subjects. He shared that he had several criteria for the project: to include people from as many countries as possible and to have a diversity in citizenship status. Due to financial constraints, he had to limit his search to people in California.

Taking his Sony A7 camera into fields, offices and kitchens, Tuschman was able to capture a variety of immigration stories. "I wanted to place the person in an environment that tells a story about them."

He explained that he first met with the individual and recorded their story using his cell phone. Although he speaks some Spanish, he was usually accompanied by an interpreter to fully explain the purpose of the interview. Later, the interview was transcribed by another interpreter.

He returned to take the portrait later, usually spending about 30 minutes in the subject's workplace. When asked why he decided to use black-and-white film, Tuschman said, "It has more gravitas; I didn't want color to get in the way."

The prints in the book are divided by occupational categories such as Food, Health and Educators. The subjects look directly at the lens, for the most part, and follow Tuschman's urging to "look proud of who you are." He aimed to find people with different careers and jobs with farmworkers like Javier, Theresa and Roberto, who are captured in the fields where they work, and Maria Sanchez, who is an oncology nurse and Prerna Lal, an attorney. All of their stories reinforce the idea that they came to this country to work and to contribute. Many mention their gratitude for the opportunities they found here but also the discrimination they have faced. As Juliana, a Ph.D. student from Brazil shared, "My hope is that more compassionate immigration policies can be made. No child should have to face all the fears that I faced when I was younger and still face now."

Tuschman said that combining the narrative accounts with the portraits is an integral part of his message, even in the face of dissenting opinions about the value of immigrants to this country. "You can't argue about a person's story - it's their story."

Tuschman felt so passionately about the value of the project that, when his publisher backed out at the last minute, he decided to cover the cost himself. He ordered 450 books, about 100 of which have been distributed. He would like to find someone else to get the remaining books out to schools and libraries across the country.

In the meantime, he continues to photograph farm workers and to do volunteer photography for Upward Scholars, a program that helps new immigrants in their educational pursuits.

Tuschman said that the people featured in his book "all came for the same reason my grandparents came," adding, "They contribute, in one way or another, to improving our lives."
Mark Tuschman will speak at Kepler's Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park on Aug. 22 with a reception at 4:30 p.m. and lecture at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit keplers.com.

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Menlo Park photographer gets personal with portraits

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Photographer Mark Tuschman created the book "Together We Rise: Immigrants in America" as a photo-documentary project with the portraits and stories of people from various occupations who have immigrated to the United States. He discusses the book on Aug. 22 at Kepler's Books.

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i think this is based off of rising groundwater in East Palo Alto from July

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In a last-ditch bid to retain control of the city's sewer system, the East Palo Alto Sanitary District contended in an Aug. 16 court hearing that a recent decision calling for its dissolution was based on insufficient evidence and incorrect assumptions.

Attorneys representing the district and the San Mateo Local Agency Formation Commission sparred in a San Mateo County Superior Court hearing over whether the commission acted legally and in an unbiased manner when it voted last month to accept the city of East Palo Alto's proposal to take control of the sewer system. The July 17 vote reaffirmed a prior vote that LAFCo, a commission that deals with issues of borders and jurisdictions, took in November 2023 to support the consolidation proposal, which is being spearheaded by the East Palo Alto City Council and which the district strongly opposes.

After each side made its case, Judge Roger Picquet indicated that he will issue a ruling on the Sanitary District's challenge of LAFCo's decision later this month.

Leah Castella, attorney for the Sanitary District, argued at the hearing that in reaffirming its decision in favor of East Palo Alto's application, LAFCo ignored critical information, namely the district's recently approved capital improvement plan and an adopted budget showing its plans for upgrading the aged sewer system.

"It is extraordinarily difficult to understand how LAFCo could ignore the evidence that effectively addressed every concern that formed the basis of their decision at the original hearing, ignore that and still stand by their decision to grant the subsidiary district proposal," Castella said at the hearing, which was conducted virtually and streamed in a Redwood City courtroom.

She framed East Palo Alto's bid to take over the district, which serves most of East Palo Alto and a small portion of Menlo Park, as a move designed to satisfy developers by significantly lowering hookup fees to the sewer system. The city and developers had argued over the past five years that the district's fees are exorbitant and in some cases arbitrary, with quotes often exceeding $4 million.

Critics of the district have claimed that its conduct has threatened and, at times, stifled needed developments. The latter include The Primary School that the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was planning to build on Weeks Street and the center for nonprofits that was proposed by the Sobrato Organization. The recently completed Light Tree apartment complex came close to losing its state funding because of negotiations with the district over hookup fees.

The District, however, has argued that the fees are necessary to expand the system's capacity so that it can accommodate the growth that the city wants to see. If it didn't require the developers to pay for these upgrades, the onus would fall on the ratepayers.

"What this dispute really comes down to is whether and to what extent the ratepayers should bear the burden of increased capacity," Castella said. "Is it fair for developers to put a substantial burden on ratepayers to increase capacity of a system that is not necessary in order to continue to fund service as is currently provided?"

Timothy Fox, attorney for LAFCo, rejected the idea that the agency's decision had anything to do with the district's rate-setting practices. Rather, it's a matter of evaluating which governance structure makes the most sense in effectively providing municipal services, he said. One goal is to ensure that elected bodies that are responsible for things like meeting the state's housing goals aren't "hamstrung" by decisions made by other bodies that aren't bound by the consequences for failing to meet those goals, Fox argued.

"We're not here to do the analysis of how the sewer district should do its job going forward," Fox said. "We're here to evaluate whether the structure by which those decisions are made, namely by one elected board that specializes in providing sewer services, is operating somewhat at odds with a different elected board that manages other municipal functions in largely the same geographic jurisdiction."

Picquet indicated that he will issue his ruling no later than Aug. 30. Until that time, the LAFCo decision will remain on hold. If the court does not overturn the LAFCo decision, the Sanitary District will become a subsidiary of the city of East Palo Alto.

The East Palo Alto City Council has committed to creating a five-member advisory board to help it oversee the sanitary system, with one member appointed by the Menlo Park City Council and another Menlo Park resident appointed by the East Palo Alto City Council. The city also plans to contract with West Bay Sanitary District to provide maintenance services for the sewer service.

The issue of political representation came up during the Aug. 16 hearing, with Castella arguing that Menlo Park residents would lose their ability to elect officials who oversee the sewer system because they don't get a vote in East Palo Alto. Attorney Michael Colantuono, representing the city of East Palo Alto, countered that voters in Menlo Park will have other political remedies. Menlo Park residents can donate to East Palo Alto candidates whom they support and pursue a referendum. And given the relatively low turnout for council elections, if 20% of the ratepayers raise concerns, council members will surely take notice, he argued.

"You don't need to be a majority of the electorate to be a significant influence," Colantuono said.

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Gennady SheynerStaff Writer, Palo Alto Weekly / PaloAltoOnline.com

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Sanitary District makes its case in court as dissolution nears

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In a last-ditch bid to retain control of the city's sewer system, the East Palo Alto Sanitary District contended in an Aug. 16 court hearing that a recent decision calling for its dissolution was based on insufficient evidence and incorrect assumptions.

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East Palo Alto teacher creates middle school tutoring program to tackle education gaps

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Harriette Huang created an after-school tutoring program at Cesar Chavez Ravenswood Middle School, connecting her students to peer student tutors in Palo Alto in an effort to increase math and English proficiency levels in the district.

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Embarcadero Media CEO Adam Dawes reflects on the difficulty in hosting live community forums while safeguarding the proceedings from protestors intent on hijacking them for their own purposes.

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Are the 7 minute bathroom breaks enough time?

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Are the 7 minute bathroom breaks enough time?

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Thoughts on not allowing to use your own laptop/device during English class and you have to use the school issued chromebook

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Thoughts on not allowing to use your own laptop/device during English class and you have to use the school issued chromebook

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Guardant Health, a Palo Alto-based company, gained approval from the Food and Drug Administration on a first-of-its-kind blood test to be used for colorectal cancer screenings this month, which is now commercially available.

Stephen Murphy, the senior vice president of marketing at Guardant Health, said that colorectal cancer is the second largest contributor to cancer deaths in the United States.

"What we know is that of the people who pass away from colorectal cancer, about three out of four of them were never screened," he said. "We're on a mission to try and get more and more people screened, and the more we can get screened, the more lives we can save."

The company's co-founders and co-CEOs Helmy Eltoukhy and AmirAli Talasaz are both Ph.D. graduates from Stanford University, and the company as a whole has a deep connection with the Palo Alto area.

"The Palo Alto community has been good to us," Murphy said. "We want to make sure we're good back to them."

Murphy said that a big factor as to why people don't get tested is because the other options are "not very pleasant." With the company's blood test, it makes getting screened much more convenient, as it only requires a small amount of time to get blood drawn.

"This is convenient, it's easy," he said. "We think we can actually make a big breakthrough in terms of reaching people who traditionally haven't done this before."

While the test had been previously commercially available, the company launched the test with FDA approval on August 1, and patients have to get a prescription through a doctor to get the test. Because of this, Murphy said they have a sales force connecting with different doctors offices in the Palo Alto area to grow the product's footprint, which he added will take some time to fully saturate the market.

The approval also allows the test to be reimbursable through Medicare, which Murphy said will have a huge impact, allowing people to get the test who otherwise wouldn't be able to.

Mike Weist, senior manager of corporate communications, said that while the company believes in its test and has a great success rate, it doesn't matter unless the test is done.

"People say, well, which is the best test?" he said. "And we think the question should be that the best test is the one that gets done."

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Palo Alto company gets key FDA approval for cancer blood screening

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Guardant Health, a Palo Alto-based company, gained approval from the Food and Drug Administration on a first-of-its-kind blood test to be used for colorectal cancer screenings this month, which is now commercially available.

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Dave Cortese wants to reintroduce laws that's would regulate robo taxis

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Dave Cortese wants to reintroduce laws that's would regulate robo taxis

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Sen. Dave Cortese looks to reintroduce legislation allowing cities to regulate robotaxis

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After a legislative setback, Sen. Dave Cortese plans to once again introduce a bill to allow local regulations of autonomous vehicles.

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Paly social justice club upcoming events?

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Paly social justice club upcoming events?

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waymo cars honking in parking lots at night, waking up san francisco residents

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waymo cars honking in parking lots at night, waking up san francisco residents

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Caltrain publicly introduced its new electric trains this weekend, promising faster, cleaner, quieter, more frequent and maybe even sexier trains on the Bay Area's only regional railroad passenger service to survive the rail-transit demolitions of the last century.

On Saturday morning, Caltrain debuted its pristine new seven-car, red-and-white electric trains by inviting VIPs and guests aboard an inaugural round trip from San Francisco to Millbrae. On Sunday, Caltrain introduced two of the 23 new trains into regular service, said Caltrain spokesperson Dan Lieberman.

During the kickoff at the San Francisco Caltrain station, more than a dozen speakers praised the electrification, faster schedules, clean technology, economic benefits and the cooperation required to bring it all together. Speakers included Gov. Gavin Newsom, House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Sen. Alex Padilla.

"Time is the most finite commodity," Pelosi said. "This saves time in so many ways."

The trains' top speed is 79 mph, same as the diesel-powered versions they're replacing, but the electric trains start and stop much faster. The zippiness means Caltrain can run express trains between San Francisco and San Jose in less than an hour, among other improvements.

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Sampling the goods

Caltrain has displayed the electric trains before, but the weekend gave members of the public their first chance to ride.

Passengers spent the inaugural run touring the bi-level cars, checking out their features. Each car has 85 to 100 seats. The trains feature Wi-Fi, tables, onboard digital displays with trip information, expanded storage under seats, coat hooks, security cameras and two bike cars with room for 36 bicycles each. All but the side-facing seats have power outlets. The cars feel more spacious than the models they're replacing.

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Passengers might not consider the rides appreciably smoother because the jostle and swing of standard rail travel is still present. But the equipment is new instead of worn, and there's no noise and exhaust from diesel engines.

San Bruno Councilmember Tom Hamilton, on board Saturday, said his constituents appreciate the quieter and cleaner qualities of the ongoing project to upgrade Caltrain, which in his city has included eliminating the San Bruno Avenue grade crossing and the horn-blowing it required from approaching trains.

San Bruno is next to the San Francisco International Airport and has three freeways, he pointed out. "Getting all the diesel gone is wonderful," Hamilton said.

The trains draw electricity from overhead wires energized by 10 trackside power stations that Caltrain says are " largely powered by renewable energy." Caltrain says it buys enough electricity to meet all its needs from renewable sources via "community choice aggregation" suppliers. Pacific Gas & Electric delivers the electricity.

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Caltrain expects to switch completely to the new trains by Sept. 21, except between Tamien Station in San Jose and Gilroy. That un-electrified segment will continue using diesel trains until battery-powered trains are ready.

It survived long enough to evolve

A century ago, the Peninsula service was one of several Bay Area regional rail systems. Its peers - the Key System, the Peninsular in the South Bay, the Sacramento Northern, all electric - shrank and expired as people switched to autos, although you can still see remnants, and BART reused some of the old rights of way. San Francisco kept its streetcars, the only Bay Area city to do so.

The Southern Pacific railroad, which had begun running trains from San Francisco to San Jose in the 1860s, wanted to dump them too, as a money-loser. In the 1970s, the company offered to give carpool vans to its commuters if they would stop riding the trains.

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By then rail transit was coming back in the Bay Area, starting with BART in 1972. The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which owns and operates Caltrain, bought the Peninsula route from the Southern Pacific in 1991. Over the years, Caltrain replaced cars and engines, extended the route to Gilroy, rebuilt stations, improved the right of way and added rider-friendly features like train update signs near its stations. Caltrain began construction of the electric upgrade project in 2017, while plans to electrify the route date to at least 1999.

The railroad expects electrification to help rebuild ridership that cratered when the pandemic started scrambling commute patterns in 2020. The service counted 591,000 passengers in June 2024, about 37% of the count in June 2019.

Caltrain assumes the improvements delivered by electrification will boost ridership by about 20%, followed by 10% yearly growth through fiscal 2033, to a projected weekday ridership of 50,000. That's still only about 80% of 2019 levels.

Long-term plans for the route include hosting trains from California's Los Angeles-to-San Francisco high-speed rail project, now underway in the Central Valley. That project is years behind schedule and far over budget, but several speakers Saturday said they believe it will be completed.

Lieberman said the corridor's 79 mph speed limit would increase to 110 mph when high-speed rail starts operating on the tracks.

In his remarks, Assemblymember Marc Berman from Menlo Park said that he was moved after witnessing several of the new "sleek and fast-looking" trains lined up at the San Francisco station when he arrived Saturday morning.

"Caltrain is bringing sexy back," he said.

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How it feels to travel onboard the new electric Caltrain

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Caltrain publicly introduced its new electric trains this weekend, adding a new chapter to the lasting Bay Area regional railroad passenger service.

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peter columbo tries to sue district for 20mil 

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peter columbo tries to sue district for 20mil 

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Greene teacher Peter Colombo sues Palo Alto Unified for $20 million after aggravated sexual assault charges against him were dropped

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Now, the longtime Palo Alto teacher, once accused of sexual assault of a minor, is set to drop all but four of his charges after appearing in court.

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what did kamala harris do as vice president💀 - alex

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what did kamala harris do as vice president💀 - alex

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After rising pressure from his party to step aside, President Biden upended the 2024 election by abandoning his bid for reelection. Vice President Kamala Harris said she would seek the nomination in his place, and Biden gave Harris his "full support and endorsement" in a social media post. "Democrats - it's time to come together and beat Trump," he said. "Let's do this." Harris said she was "honored" to have his endorsement and intended to "earn and win this nomination" and "unite the Democratic Party" to "defeat Donald Trump."

Harris taking the helm of the Democratic ticket is far from a done deal. Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison said the party will "undertake a transparent and orderly process to move forward." The statement made it clear that while Harris is "emerging as the prohibitive favorite to become the party's nominee, it's not so simple," The Associated Press said. The Vice President is now charged with proving that she can stand on her own against Donald Trump, a task further complicated by her four-year struggle to distinguish herself while working in Biden's shadow.

It is not uncommon for the second-in-command to struggle to prove themselves in a role largely defined by behind-the-scenes work. Harris' "critics and detractors alike acknowledge that the vice presidency is intended to be a supporting role," The New York Times said, and "many of her predecessors have labored to make themselves relevant, as well." Still, her track record as a Vice President will be put under even more intense scrutiny now that she's on the cusp of securing the Democratic nomination. Over the last four years, Harris has taken the lead on several critical issues while Biden focused his efforts elsewhere.

Abortion rights

Abortion has become a central issue for Democrats following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn federal abortion rights. Harris spent much of the 2022 midterms appealing to voters with promises to prioritize and protect reproductive rights. Since Roe fell, she has "been subtly making herself the voice with a megaphone no one can ignore," said Philip Elliott at , adding that Harris has met with lawmakers from at least 18 states to discuss the issue. As Biden announced his 2024 candidacy, Harris gave a fiery speech at a reproductive freedom rally at her alma mater, Howard University. She blasted "extremist so-called leaders" for passing restrictive abortion bans.

She needs a serious reputation boost, "which explains why Harris has made abortion rights a central piece of her political identity," Elliott continued. After all, outrage over Roe v. Wade "powered Democratic candidates to unexpectedly strong showings in the midterm elections," and many believe Harris "played no small role in that accomplishment," Elliott said.

This year, Harris continued to put abortion at the forefront of her work. In March 2024, she toured a Planned Parenthood clinic in Minnesota that provides abortion services. The White House said it was the first time in U.S. history that a president or vice president has visited a clinic that provides abortion services. The tour was the sixth stop on her "Fight for Reproductive Freedoms" tour, which she started in January to "push for more abortion access in the wake of the overruling of Roe v. Wade," said .

Immigration and the southern border

Biden tapped Harris in the early months of their term to spearhead efforts to address the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. It took her months to make her first and only visit to the area, and the delay elicited backlash from lawmakers on both sides. Her trip to Guatemala and Mexico was ultimately overshadowed by an interview with Lester Holt of NBC News where she "awkwardly downplayed the urgency" of the visit, The Washington Post said. Since then, Harris has borne the brunt of the criticism from Republicans as the border crisis worsens; Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) sent multiple buses of asylum seekers from the border to the VP's home in protest.

After withstanding the intense backlash of her perceived inaction, Harris is still attempting to address the root causes of the immigration problem. Her Central America Forward initiative has "yielded more than $4.2 billion in private sector commitments" to support creating local jobs and other measures to slow the flow of mass migration, CNN said last year. Some experts have lauded Harris' ability to secure the investments "as her most visible action in the region to date but have cautioned about the durability of those investments over the long term," CNN said.

Harris still has an uphill battle ahead of her to reverse public opinion about her work, or lack thereof, on the border. In January 2023, the Border Patrol union lambasted her lack of progress. "If you were given a job two years ago with the explicit goal of reducing illegal immigration, and then you sit around and do nothing while illegal immigration explodes to levels never seen before, you should be fired and replaced," the union said on X.

Voting rights

Harris was also at the forefront of the administration's pursuit to codify voting rights protections. She pushed for Congress to pass the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act, which would have extended the protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and required federal approval for some local election law changes. The VP "dove into" the "chance to make her mark on a hugely important issue," Eugene Daniels said in . To further that goal, Harris "helped craft political coalitions with civil rights leaders, built outside pressure on Congress, and engaged privately with lawmakers." Ultimately, her work "hit a brick wall" when Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and now-independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) rejected proposed changes to Senate procedures to stop a Republican filibuster.

Harris' work leading up to the stalled legislation became "a microcosm of her stint as vice president: one defined by sharp moments, mishaps, public drama, private work and a touch of bad political luck," Daniels said.

What's next for Harris?

In the hours following Biden's public endorsement, Harris racked up support from a number of high-profile Democrats. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Harris as Biden's replacement, calling her "brilliantly astute" and the best person to defeat Trump in the fall. "My enthusiastic support for Kamala Harris for president is official, personal and political," Pelosi said in a statement. Her endorsement came hours after Harris' first public appearance since Biden dropped, where she praised the president's "deep love of our country." Harris also earned the endorsement of several potential challengers, including Governors J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Wes Moore of Maryland, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Tony Evers of Wisconsin.

In the hours following Biden's public endorsement, Harris racked up support from a number of high-profile Democrats. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Harris as Biden's replacement, calling her "brilliantly astute" and the best person to defeat Trump in the fall. "My enthusiastic support for Kamala Harris for president is official, personal and political," Pelosi said in a statement. Her endorsement came hours after Harris' first public appearance since Biden dropped, where she praised the president's "deep love of our country." Harris also earned the endorsement of several potential challengers, including Governors J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Wes Moore of Maryland, Tim Walz of Minnesota, and Tony Evers of Wisconsin.

Within the first 24 hours after Biden's endorsement, donors raised a record-breaking $81 million for Harris' campaign. That number jumped to $100 million by Monday evening, "far surpassing the $53 million that Trump's political operation touted raising after his May conviction in a Manhattan business fraud case," said. Over 1.1 million donors have contributed to the fundraising effort, with 62% of them donating for the first time this election cycle, her campaign said.

In her first statement following Biden's announcement, Harris said she intended to "earn and win this nomination." To earn the nomination, she will need to "secure the necessary support from the party's delegates," said. This could take place on an upcoming virtual roll call, or during an open convention. The DNC Rules Committee plans on meeting soon to "discuss next steps for the party's nomination process."

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What has Kamala Harris done as vice president?

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It's not uncommon for the second-in-command to struggle to prove themselves in a role largely defined by behind-the-scenes work

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castilleja expansion update - ppl in neighborhood are angry about the traffic

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castilleja expansion update - ppl in neighborhood are angry about the traffic

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As Castilleja gets green light for traffic plan, neighbors cry foul

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Tensions over Castilleja School’s plan to rebuild and expand its Bryant Street campus flared up again on Aug. 19 as Palo Alto’s elected leaders and neighbors accused the school of reneging on its promise to keep traffic levels unchanged.

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Legislation that would ban food containing six synthetic dyes from being served in California schools could impact what kids eat nationwide, said its author, Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, D-Encino, at a news conference this morning.

Assembly Bill 2316, also known as the California School Food Safety Act, would prohibit California schools from offering foods containing red dye 40, yellow dye 5, blue dye 1, green dye 3, blue dye 2 and yellow dye 6. The vibrant dyes are typically found in baked goods, chips, soda and candy, and do not impact the taste of food, Gabriel said.

Research has shown that these six synthetic food dyes can cause neurobehavioral disorders, such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, in children, according to Gabriel. These same dyes are required to have a warning label in Europe, he said.

"It just makes no sense when the superintendent and others are out there, our teachers are working so hard to help our students achieve, that we would be putting all this effort and energy and love into our young people, and then feeding them some food at lunch or at recess that is actually going to undermine all of that good work," said Gabriel, who was joined at the news conference by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

The legislation would be the first of its kind in the nation. If passed, the bill would go into effect Dec. 31, 2027.

"We firmly believe that this bill, if signed into law, will have a national impact," Gabriel said. "And we believe that it will prompt nationwide changes to popular foods marketing toward children. We know that because of how supply chains work, because of how food manufacturers work. We think it's unlikely that folks are going to produce one version of their product for California and a different version for Kansas."

The prohibition would not include food sold as part of a school fundraising event, if the sale takes place on campus at least a half-hour after the school day or is sold off campus.

The bill is among hundreds that must pass the Legislature by an Aug. 31 deadline. Gov. Gavin Newsom will then have about a month to sign or veto the bills, Gabriel said.

"It is crunch time here in Sacramento," Gabriel said. "We have returned from our recess. We have less than one month left of our legislative session. And this bill has so far passed through the California Assembly with a strong bipartisan vote. It has passed every single policy committee. It passed the Senate Education Committee with a unanimous bipartisan vote. And we now stand, just steps away from Governor Newsom's desk."
This story was written by Diana Lambert for EdSource. The original version of this article can be viewed .

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Proposed California legislation could impact school lunches nationwide

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Assembly Bill 2316, also known as the California School Food Safety Act, would prohibit California schools from offering foods containing red dye 40, yellow dye 5, blue dye 1, green dye 3, blue dye 2 and yellow dye 6.