Laura Meckler of the Washington Post explains why cellphone bans are spreading in schools amid growing mental-health worries. Longtime Republicans in Florida, Arizona, and other states are campaigning for abortion rights. The Wall Street Journal’s Laura Kusisto has details. A string of recent deaths in youth football has renewed calls for reform. NBC reports. The NFL has embraced a soft-shell helmet cover to protect players from concussions. CNN looks into what the science says about them. In the campaign to vaccinate kids in Gaza against polio, the World Health Organization says efforts are exceeding early targets. The BBC has the story. The U.S. Department of Justice charged six Hamas leaders over the October 7 attack. Reuters has more. And the Wall Street Journal reports on the American teen who stunned himself — and the world — to win two Paralympic golds. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.