A retro tech brand known for defining the personal computer era is betting that some consumers are ready for a phone that does less, not more.
Commodore, a once dominant 1980s computer brand, is making a comeback with a flip phone designed for users who want fewer distractions from the device in their pocket.
Earlier this week, the company introduced the <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/18/tech/nostalgic-80s-brand-revives-flip-phone-to-beat-tech-addiction/">Commodore Callback 8020</a>, a clamshell-style phone that blocks social media apps, web browsers, email and other digital distractions while preserving basic tools such as calls, texts, maps, music, and ride-sharing apps, according to The New York Post and CNET.
The device is being marketed as a “<a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/commodores-new-flip-phone-focuses-on-digital-detox-blocks-social-media-apps/">digital detox</a>” phone rather than a traditional dumb phone. Users can still access practical apps, including WhatsApp, Spotify, Uber, and maps, but the phone blocks platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, Snapchat, Discord, and Roblox.
The Callback reportedly runs on Sailfish OS, a Linux-based operating system, and supports selected Android apps through Commodore’s app store. It also includes physical buttons, a removable battery, FM radio, a headphone jack and a 48-megapixel Sony camera.
The phone’s most notable feature is not what it adds, but what it deliberately leaves out. Commodore says social media apps and browsers are blocked at the system level, making the device harder to convert back into the kind of smartphone many users are trying to escape.
That distinction gives the Callback a more pointed pitch than nostalgia alone. The phone is not simply trying to revive the look of an older device or appeal to consumers who remember the pre-smartphone era. It is selling limits at a time when many users are increasingly aware of how much of their day is absorbed by screens, notifications, and algorithm-driven feeds.
The product also sits between two extremes. It is not a bare-bones flip phone that leaves users with only calls and texts, but it is also not a full smartphone with unlimited access to the apps most associated with compulsive use. Its appeal depends on whether consumers believe a phone can remain useful while being intentionally restrictive.
That is the core bet behind Commodore’s comeback. The company appears to be targeting people who do not want to disappear from modern life entirely, but also do not want every quiet moment filled by social media. The Callback keeps tools for transportation, communication, and navigation while cutting off the apps most likely to turn a quick check into an extended scroll.
The phone is expected to start at $499, with higher-end editions reportedly priced around $640. Pre-orders are expected to open June 30.
The price may be one of the biggest tests for the device. Many consumers are used to paying hundreds of dollars for smartphones that promise more features, better cameras and broader app access. Commodore is asking whether some people will pay a similar price for fewer distractions and a more controlled digital experience.
The launch comes as interest grows in devices that reduce screen time without cutting users off from modern conveniences entirely. The Callback is aimed at people who still need basic connectivity but want a phone that makes constant scrolling less accessible by design.
The timing may also speak to a broader health-conscious turn in American culture, as screen time, mental health, and digital addiction have become part of the <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/iowa-maha-bill-screen-time-advisory-warning.html">Make America Healthy Again movement</a>. Commodore’s Callback debuts with a simple answer to the problem: a phone that makes endless scrolling harder by design.

Close-up of a woman’s finger using a mobile phone

Retro Brand Revives Flip Phone To Take On Smartphone Addiction. But It’s Not Cheap.

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Technology

A New York man was fatally shot Monday afternoon after confronting a teenager who was talking loudly on a cell phone aboard a city bus in the Bronx, police said. 
Jonathan Pettigrew, 41, was riding a Bx36 bus around 2:30 p.m. near East Tremont Avenue and White Plains Road when he confronted the teen about the volume of his phone conversation. The teen then pulled a handgun and shot Pettigrew in the abdomen, according to authorities.
First responders rushed Pettigrew to Jacobi Medical Center, where he later died.
Police said the suspect fled the scene and remains at large.
An employee at the nearby Family Mexican Deli told Gothamist that surveillance video appeared to show the gunman fleeing south on White Plains Road. Authorities said the suspect was last seen wearing a white T-shirt.
“ Right now it&#8217;s just hard for me to believe what&#8217;s going on because I&#8217;m really, like, in a state of shock,” Pettigrew’s older brother, Avery Pettigrew, <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/police-seek-suspect-in-killing-of-father-of-7-on-an-mta-bus-in-the-bronx">told</a> Gothamist. 
He said his brother struggled with anxiety and was particularly sensitive to loud noise.
“ He got this anxiety where he, like me, we can&#8217;t be around a lot of noise,” Pettigrew said. “I guess the person that was on the phone was being very disrespectful and loud, and it was bothering him.”
Pettigrew worked in catering and was the father of seven children. He was likely on his way to pick up his youngest daughter from school when he was shot, two of his aunts <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/08/nyregion/bronx-bus-fatal-shooting.html">told</a> The New York Times.
 “This is his routine: He drops her off at school, he goes to work, he gets off work, he picks her up,” his aunt, Sandra Ferguson, said. “I just can’t believe this.”
“He took real good care of that little girl,” another aunt, Sabrina Vereen, said.

Philadelphia

Dad Of Seven Asked A Teen To Quiet Down. What Happened Next Was Deadly.

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What’s it like to enjoy dessert with your family uninterrupted? Fans of Halo Top are invited to find out.
The ice cream brand is introducing a unique new product: the Silent (à la) Mode Spoon. This golden-hued utensil comes with an embedded NFC (near-field communication) chip that can be set to activate Do Not Disturb mode on both iPhone and Android smartphones. 
The idea is to encourage users to unplug during dessert time without the constant dings and pings from social media — an issue that plagues family time these days. 
“Blending technology with indulgence, this tricked-out utensil connects to your smartphone with a simple tap, creating a seamless ‘phones down, spoons up’ experience,” the item description <a href="https://shop.ilovewells.com/product/halo-top-silent-la-mode-spoon-coming-may-15th/OKQWU6W7EZZLM6YHC6YSVLKM">reads</a>. “Designed for easy setup, the spoon uses a discreet NFC connection that is compatible with most smartphones, including iPhone and Android devices. Once connected, you can quietly savor every spoonful of your favorite Halo Top flavor.”
Silent Mode Spoon is being offered at the low price of $4.90, which, of course, is a nod to the fact that a full pint of Halo Top is only 490 total calories. 
Setup takes just a minute and only has to be done once. iPhone users can use the &#8220;Shortcuts&#8221; app to scan the chip inside the Halo Top logo fastened to the end of the spoon, name the spoon once it&#8217;s detected, and create a shortcut that activates Do Not Disturb when the spoon touches your phone.
Android users will need to download the &#8220;NFC Tasks&#8221; app and connect the spoon. After that, your phone will automatically be set to Do Not Disturb when the spoon is tapped against it.
The built-in chip means this spoon is hand-wash only. 
A silent spoon is just the latest marketing gimmick aimed at disconnecting us from technology. Last month, Chick-fil-A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/i-made-my-parents-try-chick-fil-as-phone-free-challenge-but-i-didnt-see-this-coming">went viral</a> for promoting “chicken coops” to stash cell phones while eating meals in-store. If everyone at the table participates, then diners receive a free “Icedream” cone as a reward for staying present with fellow guests — and with their chicken sandwiches.

Cell phone ice cream

The War Against Phones At The Dinner Table Just Got A New Weapon

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Disneyland is cracking down on certain behaviors causing disruption in their theme park, which has some visitors crying foul.
The biggest rule update causing an uproar is a cell phone policy nicknamed &#8220;Stow it, Don’t Show it&#8221; that would require guests to fully put away their phones when going on certain rides, including Mickey &amp; Minnie’s Runaway Railroad and the Incredicoaster, as <a href="https://insidethemagic.net/2026/04/disneyland-bans-stanley-cups-and-phones-on-certain-rides-to-protect-guests-from-themselves-rl1/">reported</a> by the Disney-focused site Inside the Magic.
Another item guests won’t be able to bring on the ride is heavy insulated tumblers. This rule is popularly known as “the Stanley ban,” referencing the popular brand-name cup. It was implemented as a reaction to an increase in “unplanned downtimes” for rides last year, per <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/travel/disneyland-cracks-down-guests-sweeping-new-restrictions-sparking-backlash">Fox News</a>, which was all due to security incidents related to guest behavior.
It all comes down to common sense. Phones and metal cups can become projectiles during high rates of speed on these and other rides, which poses a potential safety threat to riders. Cast members have been instructed to conduct visual checks and refuse to dispatch the ride if phones or cups are visible, the outlet noted.
There will also reportedly be cast members searching bags before guests get in line for the rides, specifically looking for oversized cups.
Natalie Katzka, director of attractions engineering services at Disneyland, spoke at a briefing on the updates. &#8220;Handheld filming is no longer permitted on these high-motion rides. … Phones must be fully secured in a bag or pocket before boarding,&#8221; Katzka confirmed.
Disneyland will reportedly be providing cubbies and storage lockers for phones and other loose items.
Beyond just posing a risk of flying through the air and hitting someone, Inside the Magic noted, phones and big cups could cause other problems. A dropped phone could trigger an “E-stop,” or emergency safety stop of the ride, while liquid from a spilled cup could mess with magnetic and electrical components of the ride and cause delays. These disruptions have larger repercussions across the park as staff would have to spend time addressing these issues and wait times for other park visitors would increase.
While the changes make logical sense, some Reddit commenters are mad about the cell phone policy in particular because the app is required for ride access and payment throughout the park. 
&#8220;Their entire ecosystem … requires you to use your phone for everything. This is laughable,&#8221; one Reddit user wrote.
&#8220;Disney makes everything as app-based as possible … then complains about people being glued to their phones,” another commenter agreed.

Disneyland

Disney Just Banned Two Items You’d Never Leave Home Without

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is <a href="https://www.wsj.com/health/rfk-jr-s-health-department-is-studying-health-effects-of-cellphones-b4c3a468?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqcx5z2O_cjc3AfhKqm-TqE3qYkNQ7VAuYO1m7ldcf9U8Ut4GM4UEEVZu6OnkXs%3D&amp;gaa_ts=696e3454&amp;gaa_sig=WC6JxftbtEEF2p5_PY5AV_kQUzfxafb1CdWcsP9wCTw4Gi567JbjmvgathHyEtxG_Du7MhLA90SUTJhhRdkaKA%3D%3D">launching a new study</a> into the potential health effects of cellphone radiation, a move that reflects long-standing concerns raised by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies but may run counter to the conclusions of many major scientific and regulatory bodies.
According to HHS, the study will examine electromagnetic radiation and human health to identify gaps in current scientific knowledge, including risks associated with newer technologies. HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the effort is being undertaken while older federal webpages asserting that cellphones are not dangerous have been removed, describing those conclusions as outdated. The study was directed by President Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Commission and follows earlier MAHA-aligned efforts, including policies cited by HHS claiming that 22 states restricted cellphone use in schools to improve children’s health.
The Food and Drug Administration, which operates under HHS, quietly removed webpages that had previously stated that the weight of scientific evidence did not link cellphone radio-frequency exposure to health problems. While summaries of those pages still exist, the original links now redirect to general information about the FDA’s regulatory role. Other federal agencies, however, have not changed their positions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, and the Federal Communications Commission continue to say that existing evidence does not demonstrate a causal link between cellphone use and cancer, though some note that further research is warranted.
Kennedy, an environmental lawyer by training, has for years argued that wireless radiation poses serious health risks. He has represented plaintiffs who blamed brain tumors on cellphone use, chaired Children’s Health Defense, and helped force a federal court review of FCC radiation standards in 2020. He has publicly warned that children are exposed to what he calls a “toxic soup” of wireless radiation.
Many mainstream scientists disagree, as large epidemiological studies have found no link between cellphone use and cancer, and experts note that cellphones emit non-ionizing radiation, which does not damage DNA in the way cancer-causing radiation does. The World Health Organization similarly says there is no conclusive evidence of harm, though it encourages continued long-term research.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Testifies During House Hearing

RFK Jr.’s Next Target? HHS Launches New Study On Cellphone Radiation

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A newly published <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/doi/10.1542/peds.2025-072941/205716/Smartphone-Ownership-Age-of-Smartphone-Acquisition?autologincheck=redirected">study</a> by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that children who were given smartphones before the age of 12 were at a greater risk of developing future issues, including depression, obesity, poor sleep, and more.
Researchers noted that the earlier the study participants were given the devices, the more likely they were to develop the adverse effects.
Lead study author Dr. Ran Barzilay <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/kids-smartphones-age-12-higher-risk-depression-obesity/story?id=127998537&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn&amp;utm_social_post_id=612027417&amp;utm_social_handle_id=28785486">told</a> ABC News that his motivations for conducting the study were both personal and professional. “I have a nine-year-old who wants a phone, and I think [whether to get them a smartphone] is a question that is relevant for every parent of a kid going into adolescence, even before adolescence,” he told the outlet.
“We didn’t even look at what the kids did on the phone,” the child psychiatrist said, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/children-smartphones-increased-risk-of-health-problems-study/">per</a> CBS News. “We basically asked one simple question: does the mere factor of having one’s own smartphone at this age range have anything to do with health outcomes?”
The study included data collected from 10,500 participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD) between 2018 and 2020. It was noted that 63.6% of the ABCD study participants owned a smartphone, and the median age at which they received the phone was 11 years old.
Researchers focused on children aged 9 to 16, seeking to identify health outcomes associated with when they were given a smartphone. The team found that 12-year-olds who had a cell phone had a 1.3 times higher risk of depression, a 1.4 times higher risk of obesity, and a 1.6 times higher risk of insufficient sleep as compared to their peers who did not have phones. 
The risk of developing these problems increased by 10% for each year earlier the children were given phones, with some kids being given smartphones as young as 4.
Dr. Barzilay said it was “quite surprising” to find that children who had no smartphone at 12 and then got one at 13 also had worse mental health and poorer-quality sleep that year, even after the study controlled for those factors.
The study’s conclusion stated, “Smartphone ownership was associated with depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep in early adolescence. Findings provide critical and timely insights that should inform caregivers regarding adolescent smartphone use and, ideally, the development of public policy that protects youth.”
The researcher also concluded that his 9-year-old, who wants a phone, is “not getting a phone anytime soon. Clear decision.”

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Children Given Smartphones By Age 12 Have Greater Risk Of Depression And Obesity, Study Finds

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For all the attention Generation Z gets, we need to start talking about Generation Alpha while there is still time to save them from their older siblings’ dismal futures. Born between 2010 and 2024, Gen Alpha is the youngest living age demographic with its members ranging from toddlers to younger adolescents. Most still have all of high school ahead of them and none have entered the workforce as adults.
American twelfth graders, who are on the younger side of the Gen Z cohort, are at their <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/test-scores-low-reading-math-naep-d87099b6?mod=Searchresults&amp;pos=1&amp;page=1">lowest reading proficiency levels</a> on record. Our broken education system has enabled that steady decline over the last two decades as K-12 schools push forward failing students who cannot read, and college curriculum has made it possible to earn a degree <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/11/the-elite-college-students-who-cant-read-books/679945/">without reading a whole book</a>. Poor literacy levels have, of course, led to a national crisis with <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/07/05/lifestyle/gen-z-turns-to-ai-for-homework-essays-and-college-apps/">writing ability</a>.
This confluence of trends — combined with the rise of AI — risks Gen Alpha’s future success in work and in life. The good news is that the solution is found at home. Parents can make the home life more conducive to their children’s future success by prioritizing off-screen reading … yes, physical books. Reading books is vital to keeping children ahead of the AI curve. And the home is where children need to become good readers so they can go on to become good writers.
Writing is the necessary transferable skill young people must perform to apply critical thinking, self-awareness, and logic to their jobs, tasks, and everyday lives. Lack of proficiency in the classroom leads to lack of accountability and responsibility in adulthood.
It is impossible to be a good writer without being a good reader, which makes fixing reading proficiency all the more urgent for today’s elementary and middle schoolers. As <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/agentic-ai-vs-generative-ai">generative and agentic AI</a> reorganize the workforce, high social and economic status will not be won by those that can simply use AI well, but those who think better than AI and can apply the technology in the production of new knowledge.
The urgency is today. A grown adult with poor reading proficiency is already lost and will spend the rest of his life behind the curve of those that can read, write, think, and do better. That string of verbs is not a list — it is a sequence of inseverable skills necessary to achieve success. If that prognostication seems bleak, that’s because children who use AI to do schoolwork do not see the pitfall lying beyond short-term convenience.
Children&#8217;s futures may come to resemble Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World in which the lower castes of menial workers toil under the elite few who are capable of intelligent output. AI <a href="https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/02/ai-can-catalyze-and-inhibit-your-creativity-here-is-how/">does not create</a> new ideas or knowledge; it produces and iterates content based on past information and results. It yields answers derivative of other people’s intellectual labor without activating or engaging critical reasoning skills in the user.
The solution is for children to read good books that stand the test of time and have complex sentence structure. Reading early and reading often in childhood <a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_reading_is_important_children_brain_development#:~:text=We%20discovered%20that%20reading%20for,time%20spent%20on%20electronic%20devices.">unlocks</a> intellectual and productive potential <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/foundational-learning">later in life</a>. Parents should replace at least some of their children’s screentime with good books. The number of books children read is less important than the quality of stories they read. They should mix non-fiction with fiction. The topics and sub-genres do not matter. It is the complement between truth in fact, and truth in expression that helps cultivate minds and critical reasoning.
Millennials are the parents of Gen Alpha and their childhoods model how to select rewarding books in a digital age filled with screentime. Millennials grew up on Reading Rainbow and Wishbone. Reading Rainbow brought children’s books to life with lively narration and Wishbone retold William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Walter Scott, Walter Irving, and other great authors. 
Parents can find worthwhile books about the animals, fantasy settings, sports, historical figures, and situations depicted in their children’s favorite shows, movies, and games. That is the strategy Reading Rainbow and Wishbone deployed: limited but enriching television content as a tool to catalyze lifelong love of reading and intellectual exploration in children. 
Technology has crushed the inner drive and desire to read, and AI is poised to turn that absence into personal failure on a mass scale. Meeting children where they are with a physical book can transition them away from complete dependence on digital technology for entertainment. Exposing children to slightly more literature can open up their worlds and increase chances for success.
I already dubbed Gen Z as the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/gen-z-shaping-itself-into-wasted-generation">“Wasted Generation”</a> in early 2024, and that still holds true. But if nothing changes substantially, Gen Alpha will suffer from more severe and longer-lasting consequences than the arbitrary concentrated learning-loss Gen Z underwent during COVID-19.
Even with the lightning speed of President Trump’s educational reforms, it will still take years for reforms implemented today to take hold and reverse prevailing trends. Let’s focus on where we can make a long-term difference for most people. That focus needs to be on Gen Alpha. Let’s help them now while we can. Cultivating and encouraging reading at home is the best way for parents to set their children up for success in our brave new world.
* * *
Zachary Marschall, PhD is Editor-in-Chief of Leadership Institute&#8217;s Campus Reform and an adjunct assistant professor of arts administration at the University of Kentucky.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Excited Blonde Boy Wearing VR Headset in School

What Gen Alpha Can Do To Stay Ahead Of AI

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Across the country, Democrats and Republicans are united in their determination to get cellphones out of classrooms.
From Florida and Virginia to New York and North Dakota, over half of U.S. states have taken real steps to restrict or ban cellphone use in K-12 schools, according to the Parents Television and Media Council’s <a href="https://www.parentstv.org/resources/PDF/Studies/2025-School-Phone-Policies-Update.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest survey</a> of state phone policies.
They&#8217;re responding to a growing body of research — and public outcry — showing that smartphones and social media are damaging student achievement, mental health, and classroom discipline.
According to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 72% of American high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a major problem in their classrooms. One 2018 Rutgers study found that students who used phones during class scored lower on their final exams — as did students sitting near them, even if they weren’t using devices themselves. The London School of Economics reached the same conclusion: just having a phone within sight can reduce academic performance.
But the issue goes far beyond academics. Since smartphones became widespread, mental health among adolescents has been in sharp decline. Since 2010, suicide rates among preteen girls have risen by more than 160%. Boys aged 10–14 have seen a 91% increase. Much of this can be traced to social media addiction, cyberbullying, sextortion, fear of missing out, and algorithms that lead users to increasingly extreme content.
The truth is, for years, we’ve been sold the lie that giving kids unfettered access to technology would prepare them for the future. What it’s done instead is isolate them, addict them, and rob them of the ability to focus and relate in real life.
State legislators are doing what Congress so far has not: taking decisive action to protect America’s children from the harmful effects of digital addiction.
As of now, over 30 states have passed or advanced school-based smartphone policies. Even California — home to Silicon Valley — is moving toward mandated restrictions.
These state-level reforms demonstrate a willingness to tackle the problem head-on: “bell-to-bell” bans that restrict phone use throughout the school day, new funding for secure storage solutions, pilot programs to test best practices, and mandates to block access to social media on school Wi-Fi.
And they aren’t coming from a single party or ideology. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle recognize that tech-fueled distraction and distress have reached a crisis point — and local communities are demanding solutions.
Meanwhile, in Washington, Congress has yet to pass a single major law addressing the mental health fallout from kids’ digital dependence.
Parents are doing their part — but they are being asked to work alone to combat a multibillion-dollar industry that has integrated psychological manipulation into their business model. They need help — from schools, from tech companies, and especially from Congress.
It’s time for federal lawmakers to stop dragging their feet and caving to Big Tech interests by finally passing the Kids Online Safety Act.
This bipartisan bill would create a duty of care for online platforms to prevent harm to minors. It would give parents more control, limit manipulative algorithms, and require platforms to default to the safest settings for young users.
Congress could also take the former Surgeon General’s suggestion and require warning labels to be added to social media platforms, as New York and Minnesota already have. It’s one common-sense solution among many that rightly aims to confront social media harms
School cellphone bans alone won’t solve the youth mental health crisis. That will require a unified effort from states, the federal government, parents, and teachers. Restricting kids’ access to phones during the day is a critical first step in combatting their digital dependence — and the broad, bipartisan support for these policies should serve as an example of what can be done.
Our children deserve better. So do the parents and teachers working hard to raise and educate them.
Congress should be the force that empowers these efforts — not the obstacle standing in the way.
Melissa Henson is the vice president of the <a href="http://www.parentstv.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parents Television and Media Council</a>, a nonpartisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. Follow them on X @ThePTC
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The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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States Are Leading The Fight On Cellphones In School. Why Isn’t Congress?

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Israeli secret service operatives used a fake phone call to trigger what appeared to be an &#8220;emergency meeting&#8221; among Iran&#8217;s top military leaders — and then targeted the location of the meeting.
According to a <a href="https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/israeli-secret-services-used-fake-phone-call-to-lure-irans-air-force-elite-to-their-deaths-ejqk7guy">report</a> published Tuesday by The Jewish Chronicle, Mossad used Iranian communication channels as part of a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting top Iranian Air Force officials and luring them all to the same location for what they believed to be an important meeting.
Amit Segal told the Call Me Back podcast on Monday: “What Israel did was create a fake phone call for 20 members of the air force senior staff an calling them to a specific bunker in Tehran.”
This meant there was no one to give the order to fire the initial salvo of 1,000 ballistic missiles as Iran had previously threatened to do, he added.
The added bonus for the Israelis was that Iranian military leadership was essentially crippled from the moment of Israel’s first strike against the world’s top sponsor of terrorism.
As The Chronicle reported, Mossad had used “falsified communications through Iranian channels” to call the meeting — which successfully lured “the entire senior leadership of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force, including Commander General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, his deputies, and key technical personnel, into a fortified bunker outside Tehran.”
Shortly before the first Israeli missiles struck other targets across Iran, “that bunker was hit in a precision airstrike, eliminating Iran’s top missile command.”
As a result, no one was “alive to give the command to strike back” when Israel hit Iran with the first missile barrage.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country had no choice but to act as Iran has continued to pursue nuclear weapons capabilities — and President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly voiced support for Israel, has said on numerous television appearances dating back more than a decade that the Iranian regime could not be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.

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Fake Israeli Phone Call Triggered Meeting Of Iranian Leaders. Then Israel Targeted Meeting Location.

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The Trump Organization on Monday <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aax7DFNSNUE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Trump Mobile, an American-based cellular network that aims to bring “American values” to the wireless industry.
The launch — which marks a decade since President Donald Trump announced his first presidential campaign — featured Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, both executive vice presidents at the Trump Organization. Both Trumps spoke at the Manhattan launch alongside other partners.
&#8220;One of the places where we felt there was lackluster performance was in the mobile industry,” Donald Trump Jr. said. His brother touched on the necessity to increase domestic production of technology, saying, &#8220;It’s about time we bring products back to our great country.&#8221;
Donald Jr. said, &#8220;With Trump Mobile, we&#8217;re going to be introducing an entire package of products.&#8221;
The <a href="https://trumpmobile.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">service</a> boasts &#8220;The 47 Plan,&#8221; a $47.45 per month, 5G nationwide network with unlimited telehealth services, roadside assistance, and unlimited texting to about 100 countries. The organization also announced a new line of smartphones, the first of which, the T1, is listed at $499. The gold-colored T1 smartphone, which is only available through preorder, has &#8220;T1&#8221; and the American flag engraved on the back.
One of the other partners spoke about the service&#8217;s specific benefits. He said that, &#8220;We have your health, we have your phone&#8217;s health, we have your car&#8217;s health- we&#8217;re taking care of what matters to the American people most, which is getting to work, taking their family out, and doing things that are worthwhile.&#8221;
According to the Trump Mobile <a href="https://trumpmobile.com/about-us">website</a>, &#8220;At Trump Mobile, we believe wireless service should reflect American values — simple, honest, and built for hardworking people. [&#8230;] With Trump Mobile, you don’t just get a phone plan — you get service powered by American pride, freedom, and integrity.&#8221;
In a statement on the <a href="https://www.trump.com/media/trump-mobile-launches-a-bold-new-wireless-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump Organization’s website</a>, Eric Trump said, &#8220;We&#8217;re especially proud to offer free long-distance calling to our military members and their families — because those serving overseas should always be able to stay connected to the people they love back home.&#8221;
Eric Trump said at the press conference that &#8220;All of your customer service will be done in America. It will be done in St. Louis, Missouri.&#8221; He also called the venture &#8220;All-American, based here in America, with an American family.&#8221;
This new enterprise is the first major endeavor by The Trump Organization since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-begins-presidency-as-a-crypto-billionaire-with-meme-coins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$TRUMP</a>, a digital memecoin, launched a few days before Trump took the oath of office in January.
Some <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/16/trump-organization-mobile-phones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commentators</a> worry that the Trump Organization’s entrance into the mobile service market will bias the president against companies like Samsung and Apple, whose manufacturing is international and subject to American tariffs.
The T1 phone is available for preorder for $100 and is expected to arrive around September.

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Our children are bombarded by technology, certainly a natural progression of our tech-dependent society. But our educational institutions, with tech companies’ eager help, have enabled this growth – and dependency.
Surveys <a href="https://www.edweek.org/technology/what-the-massive-shift-to-1-to-1-computing-means-for-schools-in-charts/2022/05">indicate</a> that more than 90% of middle and high school students and more than 80% of elementary students have a school-issued learning device.
Michael Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2025-03-19/michael-bloomberg-kids-are-spending-too-much-class-time-on-laptops?utm_campaign=wp_the_technology_202&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter">pointed out</a> that children are spending too much time on laptops at school, citing that “social skills are deteriorating and test scores are near historic lows,” and called on schools to turn back to “using books and pens.”
Children’s near ubiquitous use of screens at school is worth reconsidering, in light of the dismal <a href="https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nation’s Report Card</a> finding that students are losing ground in reading and are not improving in math. While screens in schools may not be the only reason children are failing, they also don’t appear to be helping.
This is one reason why there’s a growing movement of school districts and states taking steps to restrict students’ cell phone use in classrooms. A 2023 <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/02/health/phones-allowed-school-children-wellness/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> found that “97% of 11- to 17-year-olds use their phones during school time.”
Teachers see the impact of cell phone use in their classrooms. According to a Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> conducted in fall 2023, 72% of U.S. high school teachers consider cell phone distraction a major problem in their classrooms. Middle school teachers (33%) and elementary school teachers (6%) also share concerns about student distraction due to cell phones.
Phones are not only distracting to children (and let’s admit it, they are for adults too), children are especially vulnerable to addictive technology and powerful algorithms that feed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tech-and-tv-study-shows-excessive-screen-time-explicit-content-changing-the-teenage-brain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">harmful content</a> to them. Children can also be groomed by predators and exposed to sexually explicit and graphically violent content on social media platforms. Personal tech can also be weaponized in schools – creating and magnifying bullying situations against classmates and teachers.
For all of these reasons and more, children should not have smartphone access during the school day.
I am encouraged that school districts and elected leaders across the U.S. have been working to restrict cell phones in classrooms. The issue is even <a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-cell-phone-bans-states-e6d1fe8ddfde33f086d5cd2a19f4c148" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uniting Republicans and Democrats</a>. Los Angeles Unified School District banned them, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has unveiled a plan to ban them, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wants to restrict them, to name a few. Across the pond, Denmark has banned phones in schools and there are calls for the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/05/ban-mobile-phones-schools-europe-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rest of the EU</a> to do the same.
The Parents Television and Media Council’s whitepaper, <a href="https://www.parentstv.org/resources/PDF/Studies/240723-REPORT-School-Phone-Policies.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smartphones in the Classroom: What States are Doing to Confront These Digital Distractions</a> (July 2024) revealed that 28 U.S. states made efforts to eliminate or restrict cell phones in classrooms. That number is certainly larger now.
For this to work though, it will take parents uniting against these digital distractions, as many parents want to be able to reach their child instantaneously if there’s an emergency. While this is a valid concern, most schools already encourage parents to call the school office should they need to reach their child.
There are enough anecdotes alone to know that freeing children from cell phones in school is wise. School administrators have seen children and teens increasingly interact with each other.
A Study.com <a href="https://teachinglicense.study.com/featured-insights/mobile-bans-increase-engagement-and-learning-time.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">survey</a> found that “76% of teachers working in schools with strict cell phone policies believe that cell phone bans increase student engagement,” and “70% believe [the bans] enhance student safety.”
“Students were actually paying attention to his lessons,” <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-24/yondr-pouches-enforce-school-cell-phone-bans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> a high school dean of students about one teacher’s feedback after the Los Angeles Unified School District’s cell phone ban began.
If our children are to succeed in school, it’s time to reduce screen time – and cell phone use – during the school day.
* * *
Melissa Henson is the Vice President of the <a href="http://www.parentstv.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parents Television and Media Council</a>, a nonpartisan education organization advocating responsible entertainment. On X: @ThePTC.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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It’s Time To Remove Cell Phones From The Classroom

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Actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">Woody Harrelson</a> recently explained why he doesn’t carry a cell phone.
The 62-year-old star discussed his reasoning during an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8K9V3XWyqQ">interview</a> on SiriusXM’s &#8220;Where Everybody Knows Your Name&#8221; podcast with Ted Danson, which aired Wednesday. Harrelson was talking about issues with cell phones in a conversation with actress Kristin Bell. 
&#8220;And let me explain something about Woody,&#8221; Danson said. &#8220;He doesn&#8217;t have a phone. He&#8217;s one of those bullies in life that make other people carry his phone for him.&#8221;
Harrelson replied that while the statement was “not exactly true,” he did have a complicated relationship with the technology after observing certain habits.
&#8220;Well, I just don&#8217;t like to have, you know, to be readily available to any human being at any time,&#8221; Harrelson said. 
Bell agreed, saying, &#8220;I hear that. It doesn&#8217;t feel good.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s not the reason,” Harrelson corrected. “I like to be in touch with people in a way, but I don&#8217;t like the appendage on my appendage.&#8221;
He added, &#8220;You know, I made a thing where I&#8217;m like, &#8216;Okay, I&#8217;m gonna set a two-hour limit on my phone,&#8217; because this is, I&#8217;ve given it up now three, three and a half years, but back then I was like, &#8216;Okay, I&#8217;m going to set this limit. Two hours.&#8217; It&#8217;s like 9:30. You know, I&#8217;ve already hit my limit at 9:30, so I woke up, and I&#8217;ve been on it two hours already because, cuz you know how it can just keep going and going.&#8221;
Danson asked Harrelson if those limits applied to certain things on the phone, like apps or texting. 
&#8220;Texting and, well, I don&#8217;t know about apps, but texting and also, you know, whatever, so I just finally, I wanted to be able to be in a, like if I were out to dinner with you, right? And there&#8217;s just a lull in the conversation,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Oh, I&#8217;m on the phone. ‘Oh yeah. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.’ You know, and I look and I&#8217;m back down to the device and this.&#8221;
Bell mentioned how her two children helped her realize how excessive her phone usage was.
&#8220;But I think once you recognize that, it reshapes, at least it did for me, my whole perspective, and I think my kids had a lot to do with that, too, where I realized they were talking to me and my kids are also very, like, emotionally articulate,&#8221; the “Frozen” actress said.
&#8220;So, if I&#8217;d be checking something, even if it would be the most valid thing ever, like, ‘Oh, her Jujitsu class is changing times tomorrow. I need to tell the other moms.&#8217; Whatever. A valid thing and one of my kids would look at me and go, &#8216;I just feel like you&#8217;re disconnected. I don&#8217;t have your whole attention, Mom,&#8217; and I&#8217;m like, ‘Oh f***,’&#8221; she went on.
Bell added, &#8220;When they get home from school, I do put it down. I put it upstairs,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It&#8217;s not in my ether when we&#8217;re bopping around the house at night and I feel, I really enjoy being less connected to it. It&#8217;s such a trick.&#8221;
Danson concluded by saying he could understand Harrelson’s position. &#8220;Yeah. I admire what you do with phones by the way, Woody. I need to emulate that more.&#8221;

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Woody Harrelson Explains Why He No Longer Carries A Cell Phone

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