CBS News
In gridlocked Congress, unlikely issue of cellphones in schools forges bipartisan bonds
Congress may have found at least one clear signal out of its partisan dead zone: cellphones. In a heated election year, in which a narrowly divided Congress is largely stalemated on most legislation and disrupted by heated rhetoric, fears about the impact of cellphones and social media on children have united political rivals.
In rapid succession over the past few months, bipartisan groups of members of Congress have proposed legislation or amendments to curb, shift or study the impact of phones and social media on kids — especially in classrooms.
“Teachers dislike cellphones the way the devil hates holy water,” Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, told CBS News. Cotton, who has endorsed Donald Trump’s 2024 run for the White House and blasted the criminal prosecutions of Trump as politically motivated, has nonetheless found a Democrat with whom to partner to address the impact of phones in schools: Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, the Democratic Party’s 2016 nominee for vice president.
Kaine acknowledges the two make “an interesting pair.” But he told CBS News the untraditional coalition helps generate headlines, credibility and traction for their efforts.
Cotton and Kaine secured approval last month by the Senate Health, Education and Labor committee to launch an Education Department study of school district cellphone policies. The study would review the impacts of smartphone use during class time on academic achievement and youth mental health. It would also examine the impacts of policies schools have chosen to implement to restrict student cellphone use.
“This issue is troubling to me, particularly the impact of (phones) on mental health issues,” Kaine said. “I hear it all the time as I travel around to schools.”
“I’ve not heard from a single teacher that wants kids to have their own cell phones in the classroom,” Cotton said. “We can have a gold standard-style study from the Education Department that local schools and state legislatures can use to make decisions.”
Debate over the Cotton-Kaine proposal at a Dec. 12 hearing of the Senate Health Committee lasted just minutes before the plan was overwhelmingly approved.
Cotton and Kaine are also pushing for a $5 million pilot project to provide some schools with secure containers where students can store their phones during school hours to reduce the use of phones and the distractions they cause during instruction.
“It’s not big money. But I think the design of our bill was to give a nudge to a trend that we already see taking off,” Kaine said. “By us doing it in a bipartisan way, we can give these (school efforts) a nudge forward.”
Some school systems have already experimented with phone-free policies, which could give federal officials examples to study.
Lynne Smith, a longtime health teacher at Nathanael Greene Middle School in Providence, Rhode Island, told CBS News her school’s new cellphone-free classroom policy has led to dramatic improvements. Smith said, “Our kids are focusing. Less distractions, less confrontations, their mental has improved.”
Online safety
Other proposals focused on the impact of social media on kids have also sparked bipartisan alliances. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee have teamed up to sponsor and champion legislation to bolster online safety for kids. Their bill stiffens rules for social media companies, requiring tighter privacy protections for young users and independent audits to study the risks of social media platforms to minors.
The two have undertaken a busy tour of media interviews to bolster support for their proposal. Ahead of a Wednesday hearing on big tech’s impact on child safety, Blumenthal and Blackburn issued a joint statement that said, “We are continuing to work with various stakeholders and colleagues on the bill to ensure we have strong legislation that will swiftly become law.”
TikTok
A growing number of efforts and proposals to regulate or limit social media giant TikTok have also circulated through Congress. And they’ve blurred traditional party lines.
Washington GOP Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, made headlines in March 2023 when she called for a ban on TikTok.
“TikTok collects nearly every data point imaginable, from people’s location, to what they type and copy, who they talk to, biometric data, and more,” she said at a committee hearing.
The company’s surging popularity with teenagers and its connection to the Chinese government has elicited proposals, legislation and concerns across the political spectrum.
New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat who has helped lead the House’s bipartisan Problem Solvers caucus, proposed an amendment to legislation last month to limit TikTok’s influence on college students. The amendment, which failed to pass the House Rules Committee, would have prohibited colleges and universities from marketing on TikTok.
The spate of legislation comes amid a growing wave of concerns from congressional constituents.
Gottheimer told CBS News, “I hear about Tik Tok all the time, and about making sure parents have the tools to be able to see what their children are doing on social media.”
Seed oils are making headlines, prompting fears around whether they can negatively affect your health.
Earlier this week, a study published in the journal Gut led to headlines likening seed oils to colon cancer fuel — but already some experts have said the headlines are misleading.
For a fuller picture of seed oils, here’s what to know.
What are seed oils?
Unlike other vegetable oils, which are derived from the fruit of a plant, seed oils are derived from the seed of a plant. For example, sunflower oil is made from sunflower seeds, making it a seed oil, whereas olive oil is made from whole olives, the fruit of the plant.
Some seed oils like sesame, for example, can also be fragrant and add flavor to a dish or dressing, making them popular in some kitchens.
What health risks do they pose?
“Based on the evidence we have, seed oils don’t pose any health risks,” Kristina Petersen, associate professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State University, told CBS News. “In fact, when you look at the evidence, it shows that intake of seed oils, instead of fats like butter and other animal fats, actually improves blood cholesterol levels and lowers risk of diseases like heart disease (and) Type 2 diabetes.”
Dr. Steven Shamah, director of endoscopy at Lenox Hill Hospital, told CBS News, “everything in moderation.”
Like all oils, seed oils contain fat, which is important for a balanced diet but in certain quantities. But the type of fat, saturated or unsaturated, is also important.
Saturated fats — found in meat, dairy and coconut — can raise both “good” and “bad” cholesterol levels, making limited intake recommended. The American Heart Association recommends that no more than 5% to 6% of your daily calories come from saturated fats.
Seed oils are rich in unsaturated fats, which can include both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Research suggests these fats may decrease “bad” and raise “good” cholesterol.
These oils are also high in the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid, which, while essential for bodily functions, should be balanced with omega-3 fatty acids, Shamah said.
“Linoleic acid, commonly found in seed oils in small amounts, is beneficial; however, in large amounts, puts significant stress on many forms of beneficial bacteria in the microbiome,” Shamah said, adding overconsumption can be common in modern diets because seed oils are in many processed foods.
Why do some people consider seed oils bad for your health?
Seed oil critics say linoleic acid, a omega-6 fatty acid found in these oils, breaks down into toxins when used for cooking, causing numerous health issues including inflammation, a weakened immune system and contributing to chronic illnesses.
While linoleic acid can be converted into arachidonic acid in the body, experts say this is not cause for concern.
Petersen said these claims of “toxic by-products” are common on social media, but clinical trial data shows markers of inflammation don’t change when people eat the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid. Plus, only a small percentage (about 0.2%) of omega-6s is converted to arachidonic acid, according to Massachusetts General Hospital.
Dr. Christopher Gardner, a professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine in California and a nutrition scientist at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, also told the American Heart Association earlier this year that this argument around omega-6 fatty acids is flawed. While omega-6 can be pro-inflammatory, the amount of inflammation it’s associated with has not been shown to be harmful.
“Omega-6 is a polyunsaturated fat the body needs but cannot produce itself, so it must get it from foods,” Gardner said. “Polyunsaturated fats help the body reduce bad cholesterol, lowering the risk for heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association supports the inclusion of omega-6 fatty acids as part of a healthy diet.”
People may not realize how much seed oils they’re eating because of the many processed foods that contain them. But instead of demonizing seed oils, Gardner argues the real concern should be overeating ultra-processed foods, which can have negative health impacts due to high levels of other ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup, sugar and sodium.
List of widely used seed oils
Commonly used seed oils include:
- Canola
- Corn
- Sunflower
- Pumpkin seed
- Chia seed
- Sesame
- Peanut
- Grapeseed
- Soybean
List of widely used oils that aren’t seed oils
Common oils that aren’t derived from seeds include:
CBS News
Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by 0.25 percentage points, its third reduction this year
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday announced its third consecutive interest rate cut of 2024, reducing its benchmark rate by 0.25 percentage points amid cooling inflation. The central bank has now trimmed rates by 1 percentage point since September, offering relief to Americans carrying credit card balances and other debt.
The Fed lowered the federal funds rate — the interest rate banks charge each other for short-term loans — to a range of 4.25% to 4.5%, down from its previous target range of 4.5% to 4.75%. The decision comes after policymakers slashed rates by 0.5 percentage points in September, followed by a 0.25 percentage point drop in November.
Wednesday’s move marks the Fed’s final interest rate decision prior to President-elect Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. While price increases have cooled from their June 2022 peak, opening the door to Fed rate cuts this year, inflation has remained sticky and well above the Fed’s 2% annual target.
Consumer prices in November rose 2.7% on a yearly basis, fueled by elevated housing and food costs. Given that stubborn inflation, many analysts think the Fed is likely to make fewer rate cuts in 2025 amid concerns that could cause the economy to overheat.
At the same time, the Fed has so far defied forecasters’ warnings that its rate hikes could trigger a recession.
“While the Fed’s 2% inflation target has proven elusive so far, it has been successful in bringing inflation down from its highs without derailing an economy that continues to hum along,” noted Joe Gaffoglio, CEO of Mutual of America Capital Management, in an email before the Fed announcement. “However, if inflation continues to stay above target in the new year, the markets may be too optimistic on how many cuts the Fed may deliver.”
The Fed’s first rate meeting of 2025 is scheduled for Jan. 28-29, or after Trump’s inauguration. About eight in 10 economists expect the Fed to hold rates steady at that meeting, according to financial data firm FactSet.
—This is a developing story and will be updated.
Watch CBS News
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.