NYC NOW - Morning Headlines: New York Moves Toward School Smartphone Ban, Columbia Protest Film Debuts, and Yankees Season Opener

Episode Date: March 27, 2025

New York state is getting closer to prohibiting students from using smartphones during the school day. Meanwhile, a new documentary about the Columbia University protests premieres Thursday, as one of its key figures remains in federal custody. Plus, it’s Opening Day in the Bronx and while the Yankees are coming off a tough offseason, fans are still dreaming big.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City. From WMYC, it's Thursday, March 27th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. New York State is getting closer to prohibiting students from using smartphones during their school day. WNMAC's John Campbell reports. Governor Hokel spent months pushing for a smartphone ban from opening bell to closing bell.

And now legislative leaders say most lawmakers are on board. State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins is a Democrat from Yonkers. She says there's wide agreement. We have heard a lot from a lot of the stakeholders here. And I think as of around yesterday, the majority of the members are more comfortable with a bell-to-bell approach. They really are. School administrators wanted the option of allowing phones during lunch other non-instructional periods.

The phone ban is expected to be included in the state budget, which is due by Tuesday. A new documentary about last year's student protests at Columbia University that prominently features activists Mahmoud Khalil is having a U.S. premiere today. The encampments will debut at the Angelica Film Center on Halston Street. Khalil is the film's narrator, but as of this morning, he's still in immigration and customs enforcement custody. and the Trump administration is trying to deport him. The film was slated to come out later this year,

but filmmakers say they're releasing it sooner in response to Khalil's detainment. It follows four student activists, including Khalil, through the encampment and protest on Columbia's campus last spring. Rapper McLemore is an executive producer. It's opening day in the Bronx. W.N.C., Sean Carlson has more. Yankees fans are still smarting from losing last year's World Series to the L.A. Dodgers and watching the Dodgers celebrate on the Bronx Bombers' home field.

The off season was also a bad time for the Empire. The Yanks lost star hitter Juan Soto to their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets. An ace pitcher Garrett Cole is going to miss the season due to injury. Still, Yankees fan, Sean Keenan says he's got high hopes typical of a Yankees fan. I'm an optimistic person, so, I mean, the World Series is ours. The Yankees opened the season with three games against the Milwaukee Brewers in the Bucky Down. As for those Mets, they open on the road against the Houston As a show. They'll host the Toronto Blue Jays for their home opener in Queens next week.

35 and clear now. So dry and windy, we have an elevated fire risk today. So let's be really careful out there. And then our forecast for this Thursday, March 27th, sunny, low 50s and gusty. Opening day at Yankee Stadium, 305 is the first pitch. It'll be sunny, 49, and windy. This is WNYC in New York. 35 and clear right now.

It's WNYC. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC. Catch us every weekday three times a day for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives. And subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. More soon.