By Niki Kelly | Editor-in-Chief
"They're either keeping them in their backpack or they're doing a better job of hiding them,” — high school teacher Melissa Warner
Lawmakers forced schools to crack down on cellphone use this year and teachers are reporting a more engaged classroom. But there are still some adjustments.
Our partners at Chalkbeat Indiana analyzed the newly released voucher report, which shows higher income families now dominating the program.
The battle over data centers is hitting Congress.
Plus, a commentary on the growing influence of money in politics.
Indiana law now prohibits K-12 students from accessing their cellphones from "bell-to-bell," with few exceptions. (Getty Images)
Teachers say Indiana's 'bell-to-bell' phone ban makes enforcement easier
By Mackenzi Klemann
Indiana's new "bell-to-bell" ban on student cellphones in K-12 schools has made it easier for teachers like Andrew Biller to confiscate phones or send students to the principal's office.
The Anderson High School student publications advisor said few teachers in the past wanted to enforce the school’s “silent-and-away” policy, which previously permitted students to use their phones outside the classroom, because they believed students would continue breaking the rules.
Now, the rules are clear: Students must turn off and store their phones and other personal devices in their locker until the final bell, or risk having their phone confiscated.
COMMENTARY
Data collected by Open Secrets, a nonpartisan nonprofit focused on campaign finance, estimated that in 2024, the total cost of Congressional races reached $9.5 billion. (Getty Images)
Examining the cost of money in campaigns
By Laura Merrifield Wilson
Money matters. It opens opportunities, provides for experiences, and creates connections that — even if possible without it — invariably become much easier with it. Despite The Beatles proclamation that “money can’t buy me love,” nearly every political campaign and candidate in American politics knows the great impact of a full war chest.
The reality of modern elections lies in the necessity of having as much money as possible. It cannot guarantee victory, of course, but it feeds the lifelines that make campaigns successful.
NATIONAL NEWS
Alabamans hold up signs that read “No Data Center” at a County Commission meeting on Aug. 24, 2026, in Hayneville, Alabama, in the Lowndes County Courthouse. (Anna Barrett/Alabama Reflector)
Trump likes data centers. Congress seems stuck. The midterms could deliver a verdict.
By David Lightman
WASHINGTON — The rare 2026 issue that draws huge support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress is the same one that’s mobilized many Americans: restrictions on giant data centers.
The future of data centers has become a flashpoint in this year’s congressional races. It’s woven into the debate about affordability, artificial intelligence and corporate influence on government.
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