Here are the top stories of the morning on Tuesday, September 24, 2024…

• In January 2025, the Los Angeles Unified School District will ban cell phones on campus. More California school districts will follow suit, as Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law Monday requiring districts to restrict cell phones on campus. It’s part of a growing movement to help students improve academically, socially and emotionally. But at one school, the cell phone ban is already in effect … and students seem to be OK with it.
• At least 18 cities and counties in California have passed new bans on homeless encampments since the Supreme Court gave them more power to do so in June. One of those cities is Fresno.
• California is suing ExxonMobil for an alleged “campaign of deception” regarding the true impacts of plastics recycling.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law this week directing schools to adopt policies limiting student cellphone use. But cellphones are already banned at Marina Del Rey Middle School in Los Angeles. There, Principal Sidra Dudley requires students to turn off their phones each morning and then place them in neoprene bags secured with a magnetic lock developed for that purpose by a company called Yondr. The bags remain locked throughout the day. Six months after the school enacted the ban, the Los Angeles Unified School District followed suit. By a 5-2 vote, the school board passed a resolution banning cellphones in all public schools. Students at Marina Del Rey Middle School say the ban has made them less distracted in class. And teachers say test scores have improved.

Fresno unveils plans to ban homeless residents

Fresno city officials on Monday unveiled plans for one of the state’s toughest homeless encampment policies, banning public camping anywhere, anytime. Since the Supreme Court gave cities the authority to crack down on homeless encampments in June and Gov. Gavin Newsom seized the opportunity to enforce increased measures, at least 18 counties in the state have enacted new tent bans — more than any other state, according to a tally kept by the National Homelessness Law Center.

California sues ExxonMobil

California is suing ExxonMobil for an alleged “campaign of deception” about the true impact of plastic recycling. The lawsuit was filed Monday by the California Department of Justice. The suit alleges that Exxon knowingly misled Californians by touting all plastics as recyclable. The company is the world’s largest producer of fossil fuels used to make single-use plastics. The lawsuit seeks multibillion-dollar claims. It comes at a time when California environmental groups, including Sierra Club and Baykeeper, have also announced a separate lawsuit against ExxonMobil over the same issues.