An earthquake struck near Russia’s coast. A tsunami reached coastal areas of Russia’s sparsely populated Kuril Islands and Japan’s large northern island of Hokkaido after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake, among the strongest this century, struck early Wednesday. Warnings were in place for Alaska, Hawaii, and other coasts south toward New Zealand. Officials urged caution, saying bigger waves could come later. – The Associated Press

Britain took a conditional stand on Palestinian statehood. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. will recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza. He called for other “substantive steps,” including commitment to a peace process that delivers a two-state solution, about which the U.N. General Assembly is meeting this week (Israel and the United States have boycotted). Mr. Starmer repeated U.K. demands that Hamas release the hostages it holds, disarm, and “accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza.” – AP

The EPA appears set to rescind the “endangerment finding.” That’s the longstanding finding that greenhouse gas emissions endanger human health, and that helped build the case for tailpipe emissions standards for vehicles. The move could set off what the administration describes as the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history. Lee Zeldin, President Donald Trump’s pick to run the Environmental Protection Agency, announced the plan on a podcast Tuesday, saying it will save Americans money and unravel two decades of regulation. – Reuters

The New York high-rise shooter was targeting the NFL. Police identified the man who killed an off-duty New York City police officer and three other people before taking his own life at a Manhattan office tower Monday. New York Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday that investigators believe the gunman was trying to target the headquarters of the National Football League. The NFL has paid an estimated $1 billion to settle concussion-related lawsuits with retired football players. The Las Vegas resident, who played high school football nearly two decades ago, had a history of mental illness, police said. – AP, Reuters

Los Angeles County ruled on law enforcement and masks. It passed a motion Tuesday to prohibit on-duty law enforcement officers in unincorporated areas from masking or refusing to identify themselves. The motion calls for an ordinance to be drafted and passed within 60 days. Federal officials have said the practice of immigration enforcement officers concealing their identities is necessary for protection. The question of local authority in this matter “might have to be decided by a court,” said one of the motion’s co-authors. – Staff

Protesting rabbis were arrested at the U.S. Capitol. Representing congregations around the country, they were singing and praying for food for Gaza. The more than two dozen rabbis represented Jewish denominations including Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Orthodox, according to the Huffington Post. All are members of a campaign called Jews for Food Aid for People in Gaza. They were arrested within minutes of sitting on the floor of the office of Senate Majority Leader John Thune. Some 1,000 rabbis also signed an open letter this week, according to the Times of Israel, demanding that Israel “stop using starvation as a weapon of war.” – Staff

Australia set an age limit for YouTube account-holders. It announced Wednesday that YouTube will be required to ensure account-holders are at least 16 beginning in December, citing concerns about harm. The decision reverses an earlier exemption for the video-sharing service. Platforms like Facebook and TikTok are also affected. Children can still access YouTube but can’t have accounts. YouTube maintained that it is not social media. – AP

President Trump’s tariff threats are in some cases turning into tariff deals. The details of the broad agreements are yet to come and may determine whether the U.S. comes out ahead.

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With a new academic year due to start in the United States, states and districts are seeking to manage students’ cellphone use during the school day. Proposals range from developing usage guidelines to implementing outright bans.

Amid the discussion over what adults – educators, parents, policymakers – should do, students are signaling their ability to exercise individual agency. And they want nuanced and flexible approaches to help balance use and manage screen time.

In a 2025 Pew survey in the U.S., 44% of teens reported cutting back on both social media and smartphone use. In 2023, that share was 39% (social media) and 36% (smartphones). A wider survey of 20,000 children ages 12 to 15 and parents across 18 countries found 40% of students taking deliberate breaks from their screens, up 18 percentage points from 2022.

“Children have got the message – from their parents, the media, their own experiences – that too much social media isn’t always good for them,” Sonia Livingstone, who heads the Digital Futures for Children center in London, told The Guardian this month. “So they are experimenting with different ways of protecting their wellbeing, ... talking to each other about what works.” Some of these measures include deactivating notifications or applying “do not disturb” settings.

When it comes to the classroom, rather than bans, some teachers are calling for “acceptable use” policies that foster real-life self-control – and harness the technology for learning.

“AI is already reshaping tomorrow’s workplace, and for the sake of students’ success, schools have to take the fear out of technology,” two Connecticut superintendents wrote on the education site The 74. “There’s power in those cellphones sitting in students’ pockets and backpacks. It’s up to educators to get them to use it the right way.”

One example of supporting “right” use is a student-led “Socratic seminar” in Aurora, Colorado. Colorado Public Radio reported in May how high school freshmen discuss digital connections, track their usage over several weeks, and learn about the powerful network algorithms that feed them content.

“Now I know that it’s actually designed to keep me scrolling on it ... so that they can make money,” one student said. Another reported that the class caused her screen time to go down from five hours a day to just one or two.

The freshmen visit middle schools to share insights and encourage younger students to monitor their own habits. “A teacher can say ‘put your phone away’ a million times,” their teacher Ryan Clapp said. But, he noted, meaningful change comes when students can reflect with each other.