Gov. Glenn Youngkin dubbed April 14-19 Virginia Screen-Free Week, which the governor’s administration encourages citizens of all ages to observe by reducing their time on digital devices and increasing activities that promote human connection, physical activity and improved mental health.
Virginia Screen-Free week includes resources and activity guides for parents and children, schools and communities and is an extension of the work Youngkin and lawmakers have undertaken to counter the negative impacts excessive social media and screen time can have on developing minds.
“By reducing distractions and supporting healthier screen use, we are creating space for deeper learning, stronger relationships, and more meaningful engagement—both in and out of the classroom,” Education Secretary Aimee Rogstad Guidera said in a Monday release about Virginia Screen-Free Week .
Lawmakers respond to growing data on youth phone use
A 2023 Gallup survey revealed that teens who spend five or more hours per day on social media apps were more likely to report negative emotions compared to those who use social media less than two hours a day. In response, Youngkin launched initiatives to encourage and enforce time away from phones in classrooms, which the administration said can offer students a few hours most days to focus on their studies instead of their devices.
The governor’s Executive Order 43 established the Reclaiming Childhood Task Force, which analyzed social media and screen times’ role in mental health, while last summer’s Executive Order 33 directed state agencies to draft guidance for how schools could implement cell phone-free policies.
Virginia lawmakers introduced legislation this year to allow local school boards flexibility over how cell phones and smart devices are governed in classrooms. Youngkin has since signed the bills, carried by Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke and Sen. Stella Pekarsky, D-Fairfax.
Rasoul told The Mercury in February that the legislation enables age-appropriate policies across different schools but has exceptions for students with disabilities that rely on electronic devices to communicate. The proposal also prevents harsh disciplinary measures to ensure that violating the school’s phone policy alone wouldn’t lead to suspensions or expulsions.
Last week, U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman, D- Fredericksburg, introduced federal legislation that could take phone-free school policies nationwide, if passed. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt — whose book, “The Anxious Generation,” focused on social media’s connections to youth mental health — provided a statement in the press release about Vindman’s bill.
“Schools that go phone free almost always report increased student engagement, decreased disciplinary problems,” Haidt said. “And, most touchingly, teachers say that they hear laughter in the hallways again.”
Virginia scholars have weighed in on the family and education benefits of limiting screen use, as well.
Longwood University professors Sarai and Adam Blincoe enjoy a low-tech lifestyle when it comes to cell phone, laptop or tablet use and are also raising their young children with little screen time. On a cross-country road trip last summer, their kids only watched two movies, they said in an interview.
Sarai is a psychology professor and Adam is a philosophy professor; their shared interest in how cell phones affect people has infused their work.
In 2021, they published a research paper based on input from their students, who they encouraged to test out a lower-tech lifestyle outside of the classroom while surrendering their devices inside its walls.
Sarai offered students extra credit for disregarding their phones during class time and solicited surveys from them later in the semester. Sixty-five percent of students reported more cognizance of their cell phone use habits as a result, 50% reported how the practice affected cell phone use in other classes, and about 15% reported how the habits carried over to their cell phone use outside of class time.
“I feel that (functioning cell phone-free) has increased my focus in class,” one student wrote. “Ever since I realized how much more focused I am without my phone … I have found myself leaving my phone in my backpack or sometimes in my dorm room.”
Meanwhile, Adam’s research tested student responses to device-free time outside of classroom environments. Students were required to pick a novel to read in book form, rather than on a device. Students shared that the exercise reminded them of the joy of reading in particular, but also encouraged them to carve out leisure time more broadly. Adam also required students to take three 20-minute walks without their phones per week.
“I witnessed genuine relief when students realized that they had permission to opt out of the phone even for small periods of time,” he said.
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Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
www.youtube.com – 13News Now – 2025-04-30 14:54:32
SUMMARY: I’m 13 News Now meteorologist Evan Stewart. It’s Wednesday, April 30th, with warm temperatures in the 80s across Hampton Roads and Eastern Shore, over 10° above average. A frontal boundary near North Carolina could trigger isolated showers and thunderstorms later today and into the evening. While severe weather is impacting Texas and nearby areas with tornado risks, Hampton Roads faces a low, level one risk for isolated strong storms. Thursday remains warm with a slight 20% rain chance, and Friday brings more late-day showers and storms. A slow-moving front will increase weekend rain chances, possibly lingering into early next week with cooler weather.
There will be several chances for rain showers and potentially even storms through the weekend.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 12:55:00
(The Center Square) – Virginia just logged one of the sharpest drops in fentanyl deaths in the country — down 44% from last year and nearly cut in half since 2021—Gov. Glenn Youngkin says it’s proof his crackdown is working.
The administration credits everything from drug seizures to tougher laws on dealers, plus a massive naloxone rollout. “Overdose deaths skyrocketed across America and in Virginia, driven primarily by illicit fentanyl flowing across our southern border. With an average of five dying Virginians each day, in 2022, we launched a comprehensive effort to stop the scourge of fentanyl, it’s working, and Virginia is leading,” said Youngkin.
He also tied the drop to border enforcement, echoing President Trump’s argument that immigration policy is key to stopping fentanyl from entering the U.S.
“Our approach stands on four principles: interrupt the drug trade, enhance penalties for drug dealers, educate people about the dangers of fentanyl, and equip them to save the life of someone in crisis,” said Youngkin in astatement.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, fatal overdoses across all substances fell by34.1% in 2024compared to the year before — the sharpest drop since the epidemic peaked in 2021.
Trump’s recent moves include a new order cracking down on sanctuary cities, more troops at the southern border and a pledge to ramp up deportations.
“We have turned the tide in this battle and must now redouble our efforts to build on our success,” said Dr. Colin Greene, Special Advisor on Opioid Response.
In Virginia, Youngkin’s team points to several key efforts behind the numbers. Operation FREE, a joint law enforcement initiative, has seized enough fentanyl to kill every Virginian ten times over, according to the administration. The commonwealth also banned pill presses, expanded penalties for dealers, and now requires schools to notify parents when student overdoses happen.
Since 2022, nearly 400,000 doses of naloxone have been distributed statewide, and almost 100,000 Virginians have been trained to use it. First Lady Suzanne Youngkin’s “It Only Takes One” campaign is also part of the strategy — aimed at raising awareness among families, schools and local communities.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The article presents a clear ideological perspective, with a tone that strongly supports Governor Glenn Youngkin’s policies on combating fentanyl deaths. It emphasizes the success of Youngkin’s efforts, such as drug seizures, tougher laws, and border enforcement, which aligns with conservative viewpoints, particularly regarding immigration policy and law enforcement. The framing of the issue—highlighting Youngkin’s leadership and drawing connections to President Trump’s immigration stance—reinforces a right-leaning narrative, suggesting that tougher border control is key to solving the fentanyl crisis. The article does not present significant counterpoints or explore opposing viewpoints on these measures, which could balance the coverage. Overall, the content reflects a pro-administration stance, particularly aligning with the policies of the Republican Party.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Jon Styf | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 12:17:00
(The Center Square) – The Washington Commanders $2.7 billion stadium project touted at a Monday press conference as mainly funded by the team actually includes more than $2.5 billion worth of subsidies, according to the stadium financing blog Field of Schemes.
Neil DeMause, who covers publicly funded stadium projects across the country, published the proposed stadium agreement term sheet while adding up those costs beyond the $500 million through Sports Facilities Fee with a tax capture at the stadium that would be created to pay off bonds, along with $175 million for the parking structure. Events DC, which is partially funded through taxpayer money, will put $181 million toward parking garages on the property and D.C. will pay $202 million for utilities infrastructure, roadways and a WMATA transit study.
DeMause detailed the Commanders’ tax savings, including a $429 million property tax break because the city owns the stadium, $1 a year in rent over the 30-year lease term on federal land where the city has control of development that is estimated to be worth $1 billion.
“This is being sold as one of the smallest public contributions to an NFL stadium on a percentage basis,” DeMause told The Center Square. “But, once you count all of the different subsidies including tax breaks and other things like that. First of all, that’s not even true on a percentage basis but, secondly, this could be the easily the largest public subsidy for any stadium deal in history and the public is set to get nothing back.”
While the district will pay for portions of the stadium project, it will not receive any of the revenue from events at the stadium, stadium naming rights, personal seat licenses or parking on the 180-acre site.
The issue with a city taking revenue from a stadium it owns and paid to build has come up in Ohio with a pair of budget office reports on a proposed $600 million subsidy from the state of Ohio, where the office recommended the “state receive revenue-sharing from events commensurate with our property ownership share.”
Despite the claims from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Commanders co-owner Josh Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell at Monday’s press conference, research from economists on stadium projects has consistently shown that those projects do not bring the promised returns to taxpayers.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
The article leans toward a Center-Left perspective primarily through its critical framing of the Washington Commanders’ stadium funding. The tone and language emphasize the significant public subsidies and tax breaks involved, highlighting concerns about the burden on taxpayers and questioning the claimed minimal public contribution. The inclusion of expert opinions and references to economic research skeptical of stadium-related public investments further signals a critical stance on government spending that benefits private entities. While the article reports factual details and figures, it selects information and frames it in a way that challenges pro-subsidy arguments, a common theme in Center-Left critiques of public funding for private projects.
