CALIFORNIA
# Newsom signs bill limiting cellphone use in California schools
 Dave MasonVentura County Star!
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Monday to limit the use of cellphones at public schools throughout California.
Assembly Bill 3216, the Phone-Free School Act, requires every school district, charter school and county office of education to develop policies on limits by July 1, 2026.
The bipartisan legislation “will support the mental health, academic success and social wellbeing of California’s students,”  said in a news release on its website.
“We know that excessive smartphone use increases anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, but we have the power to intervene,” Newsom said in the release. “This new law will help students focus on academics, social development, and the world in front of them, not their screens when they’re in school.”
 could include requiring students to put their phones in a sealed pouch or locker during school hours. However, according to AB 3216, exceptions would be made for medical needs or emergencies, such as a perceived threat of danger. Students could also use cellphones if given permission by school staff.
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## Cellphones seen as major problem
Cellphone distractions were reported as a major problem nationally by 72% of high school teachers and 33% of middle school instructors in a .
Research shows excessive smartphone use contributes to cyberbullying, depression and teenage anxiety, said Al Muratsuchi, chair of the Assembly Education Committee, in the . Muratsuchi, D-Torrance, is one of the authors of AB 3216. The others are Assemblymembers Josh Hoover, R-Folsom, who introduced the bill; David Alvarez, D–San Diego, and Josh Lowenthal, D-Long Beach.
According to the Pew Research Center, 82% of teachers in the U.S. say their school or district has a cellphone policy. But 30% of teachers in schools or districts with policies say they are difficult to enforce. Sixty perccent of high school teachers say enforcement is a challenge.
Nationally, 97% of students use their phones during the school day for a median of 43 minutes, according to .
## Schools report progress after ban
 cites several studies showing test scores rose after cell phones were banned in locations such as England and France.
Test scores increased slightly, and fights went down at Dymally High School in Los Angeles, according to the . The reason is the cellphone ban at the campus, Principal Darvina Bradley said.
Instead of looking at their phones during lunch, students are talking to each other, Bradley said.
Before AB 3216 passed, the Los Angeles Unified School District board voted in June to ban student phone use during the school day beginning in January.
The Santa Barbara Unified School District started its ban of cellphones and smartwatches during the 2022-23 school year, according to .
## Others with statewide cellphone limits
With Newsom's signature, California becomes the 10th state to enact a statewide law or policy limiting or banning cellphone use in classrooms. Nine of those states had laws or policies in place as of Sept. 6, according to .
The other states are Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Alabama, Connecticut, and Minnesota. The cellphone limits were implemented through laws, policies in state departments of education, and, in Virginia's case, an executive order by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has called on legislators to enact a statewide ban on cellphones in public schools, according to various media reports.
*Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at**dave.mason@vcstar.com* *or 805-437-0232.*
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# California bill requiring public schools to limit or ban cellphone use clears legislature
All public schools in the Golden State would be required to come up with a plan to limit or ban students’ use of cellphones under a bill passed Wednesday by the California Legislature.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who previously spoke in favor of limits on cellphone use, is expected to sign the  also known as Assembly Bill 3216. If he does, California will become the fifth state with a state-wide requirement.
The law would require schools to adopt a policy by July 1, 2026. The policies would limit or ban the use of phones while students are at their school or under the supervision of employees of school districts, charter schools or a county office of education.
Schools would be required to update their policies every five years.
Plans could include requirements that students put their phones in a sealed pouch or lockers during school hours. But exceptions would be made for medical needs or an emergency such as a perceived threat of danger, according to AB 3216. Students could use cellphones if given permission by school staff.
The Phone-Free School Act was introduced by Assemblymember Josh Hoover, R-Folsom.
Previous bans were adopted by the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Santa Barbara Unified School District, the Lincoln Unified School District in Stockton and Bullard High School in Fresno. Students at Mt. Diablo High School and Ygnacio Valley High School in Concord are required to put their phones in locked pouches during the school day, according to .
## Why should schools ban phones?
The Phone-Free Schools Act points to research showing unrestricted phone use interferes with classroom instruction, hurts students’ performance and contributes to increases in cyberbullying, teenage anxiety, depression and suicide.
AB 3216 cites several studies showing test scores rose after cellphones were banned in locations such as England and France.
And the bill quotes Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego University and author of the 2017 book “iGen.”  said research showed social isolation and other risk factors for suicide rose as cellphone use increased.
In a letter earlier this month,  urged schools to crack down on "the pervasive use of smartphones in schools."
The  found 33% of middle school teachers and 72% of high school teachers reported students' distraction by cellphones was a major problem, Newsom noted.
## Cellphone bans in various California school systems
The ban in the Los Angeles Unified School District is scheduled to start in January. The district, the largest one in the nation with a ban, approved it in June.
School district officials stressed the ban's importance in a news release at .
"Cellphone use in schools has gotten out of control,” said Jackie Goldberg, president of the district's board. “It's gotten to the point that students don't talk face to face, but instead text one another when they're sitting right next to each other!"
It's heartbreaking to see students sitting alone on their phones instead of interacting with their classmates, school board member Ortiz Franklin said.
The Santa Barbara Unified School District started its ban of cellphones and smart watches during the 2022-23 school year, according to .
Teachers have options such as requiring students to put their phones in their backpacks or pouches, according to a news release at 
“We see many students who are severely impacted by social media in a way that influences their mental health and well-being,” Superintendent Dr. Hilda Maldonado said on the website. She stressed the need to keep schools as "sacred spaces" for reading, writing and building positive relationships.
At Lincoln Unified School District, students must turn off their phones and keep them in an identified space at the start of class, the district said in announcing the ban Aug. 1 at .
Bullard High School in Fresno started to require students to lock their phones in a pouch during the 2022-23 school year, according to an EdSource report finding bans have become more common in the state. Students at the Fresno school aren't allowed to take the phones out during lunch because of officials' decision to make the campus phone-free.
*This story includes previous reporting by Brian Day of the Victorville Daily Press.*
# Housing costs take up at least half of paychecks at 20% of California households
Half or more of Californians’ paychecks cover housing costs in 20% of households, the U.S. Census Bureau recently reported.
The 2023 statistics show that’s a higher percentage than any other state or the national figure of 15%, according to the .
The states with the second highest percentages are New York and Hawaii at 19%. They're followed by Florida and Nevada at 18%.
## Housing costs for California renters
California has the highest number of renters — 1.63 million — paying half or more of their paychecks to landlords. It’s followed by Texas, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania.
The Census Bureau data also shows more than a million households in California pay at least $3,000 in rent, according to  in Glendale. That’s the highest number in the U.S.
California cities were among the top 10 most expensive in the country for rent in September, according to the . San Francisco was the third highest in the country, with a median rent of $3,170 for a one-bedroom apartment. San Jose was the sixth highest at $2,740 for the same apartment, and Los Angeles was the seventh with $2,440. San Diego ranked No. 9 at $2,400.
The most expensive city in the nation for renters is New York City with the median price for a one-bedroom apartment at $4,500.
In California, 28% of renters pay half or more of their paychecks in rent, the Register reported, citing U.S. Census Bureau statistics. The national number was 26%. But three states have a higher percentage than California: Florida at 31%, Louisiana at 30% and Nevada at 29%.
## Housing costs for California homeowners
The U.S. Census Bureau reported California has the highest number of homeowners whose costs eat up half their paychecks: 1.1 million. That’s followed by Florida, Texas, New York and Illinois.
California also has the highest percentage of homeowners who pay half of their paychecks on housing costs: 14%. The national percentage is 10%. California was followed by Hawaii, New York, Florida and New Jersey.
The median California purchase price for a home is almost 2.5 times higher than the national median, according to 2022 U.S. Census data cited by .
## Costs lead to homelessness
Housing costs in California, where skyrocketing prices grow faster than income, are cited as a factor in homelessness in the video attached to this story.
# Ex -Abercrombie CEO who used 'California lifestyle' to boost sales faces sex charges
  Ventura County Star!
Michael Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, was arrested and is being charged with two others in the operation of a secretive, international sex trafficking scheme that lasted for years, cost millions of dollars and involved dozens of victims, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Jeffries, who served as CEO of the clothing company from 1992 to 2014, and Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, were charged with sex trafficking and engaging in interstate prostitution, Breon Peace, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said at a news conference.
The operation involved transporting young, aspiring male models to events in New York City and other places around the world and coercing them into having sex. The men believed participating in the events would lead to modeling opportunities and further their careers.
“To anyone who thinks they can exploit and coerce others by using this so-called casting couch system this case should serve as a warning, prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison,” Peace said.
**More:**
Brian Bieber, Jeffries' attorney said in a statement to USA TODAY that they will respond to the allegations "after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse – not the media."
Legal representation for Jeffries has previously "vehemently denied" any wrongdoing, according to the BBC.
Abercrombie said last year  and hired a law firm to investigate allegations in a BBC report that Jeffries recruited young men for sex. The company declined to comment on Jeffries' arrest and did not immediately respond to questions about the status of the independent investigation into the allegations against him.
If convicted of the sex trafficking charge, the defendants each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, according to a John Marzulli, a spokesperson for Peace's office. The interstate prostitution charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment.
## Jeffries sex trafficked men around the world, indictment alleges
Peace said the indictment alleges in graphic and disturbing detail that while Jeffries was CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch he used “his power, his wealth and his influence to traffic men for his own sexual pleasure and that of his romantic partner, Smith.”
Jeffries and Smith employed Jacobson as a “recruiter” to find men and pay them to engage in sex acts, Peace said. Smith would personally select men to be flown to the couple’s homes in the Hamptons or to hotels around the world “to engage in commercial sex,” Peace said.
The defendants allegedly employed a “secret staff” to operate events where victims would be supplied with drugs and alcohol and coerced into sexual activity. The staff allegedly helped keep the events secret by ensuring the men handed over their phones and signed nondisclosure agreements.
Peace said they led the men to believe not complying with their demands would hurt their careers, and when they did not or could not consent, Jeffries and Smith would forcefully subject them to violent sexual contact.
Peace said the illegal operation lasted from at least from 2008 to 2015 and required millions of dollars to support its massive infrastructure and maintain secrecy. Though only 15 men are identified in the indictment as John Does, Peace said prosecutors believe “dozens and dozens” of victims were involved. He thanked the victims for coming forward and encouraged any others to contact the FBI.
“Prosecutions like this are really impossible without the bravery of victims who are willing to report what happened to them to law enforcement,” Peace said.
## Jeffries, Abercrombie also facing lawsuit
The news comes after a group of once-aspiring Abercrombie & Fitch male models filed  against Jeffries and Abercrombie alleging the retailer looked the other way while Jeffries ran a sex-trafficking ring and  numerous young men.
Brad Edwards, an attorney who represents the men in the case, said "all four of the defendants, including Abercrombie and Fitch, have tried everything possible to delay our lawsuit from proceeding, presumably because they knew it would lead to criminal arrests."
The proposed class action filed by former model David Bradberry in Manhattan federal court claims Jeffries forced models to take drugs and engage in sexual acts with him and others for the chance to be featured in Abercrombie's provocative catalogs. The lawsuit alleged that company officers knew about the conduct and Abercrombie paid settlements to people who accused Jeffries of sexual abuse or harassment.
"In exchange for providing the position of power and unfettered access to corporate funds necessary for Jeffries to sexually terrorize aspiring male models, Abercrombie knowingly and intentionally benefited and received things of value from Jeffries and his sex-trafficking operation, including the value Jeffries himself brought to the brand," the lawsuit said.
Brittany Henderson, another attorney representing some of the aspiring models, called Tuesday's arrests "monumental" in a statement to USA TODAY.
"Their fight for justice does not end here," Henderson said. "In addition to supporting the criminal prosecution, our clients look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again."
Late last year,  because it refused to cover his costs from the lawsuit. A judge earlier this year ruled that the allegations were tied to Jeffries' corporate role and the retailer must cover the cost of his legal defense, the BBC reported.
## Who is Michael Jeffries?
Jeffries became president and CEO of Abercrombie in 1992 when the small, money-losing chain formerly known for selling sporting equipment and clothes was part of  retail empire called  at the time. Jeffries became chairman in 1996 and The Limited spun off the chain into an independent company in 1998.
Jeffries was credited with turning around the retailer into a successful teen apparel maker known for its cologne-filled stores and ads featuring semi-nude models. Jeffries became one of the highest paid CEOs in the U.S., earning a  estimated at more than $140 million at one point.
Jeffries, who also developed Abercrombie & Fitch's Hollister Co. brand, said the retailer's clothes were inspired by the laid-back California lifestyle and targeted at teens and young adults. The branding led to explosive growth.
But the company stirred up controversy under his leadership.
Abercrombie produced a hybrid magazine-catalog with partially nude models that featured articles such as "Drinking 101," made T-shirts with phrases that insulted various groups, and went years without selling larger-size clothes as a way to cultivate an image.
An age-discrimination lawsuit in 2012 revealed the existence of an aircraft-standards manual dictating how the models and actors serving Jeffries on the company jet were to dress and behave. The men were to be clean-shaven and wear boxer briefs, flip-flops and a spritz of the chain’s signature cologne.
He abruptly retired in 2014 at 70 after seemingly losing touch with the retailer's teen audience amid several years of weakening sales.
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## Abercrombie's legal problems with California
In 2003, Abercrombie & Fitch settled for $2.2 million with California state labor regulators for forcing employees to buy the company's clothes to work at the retailer. The settlement required the company to reimburse former employees for being forced to buy company-branded clothing. It also allowed employees to wear logo-free clothing matching the season and A&F's style.
The state found that the company violated California’s work uniform law, which mandates that employers must supply the clothing when they require workers to wear specific apparel.
Over the years, Abercrombie & Fitch also face employment .