Ramadan's role in a cease-fire

Plus smartphone bans in schools and AI activism [View this email in your browser]( [The Week Evening Review]( Ramadan deadline looms, schools ban cellphones, and AI aids activism   Good evening, Today's edition highlights educators' battle against smartphones in classrooms, an issue so sticky it has "united political rivals" in searching for solutions. But anti-gun violence advocates would argue that cellphones are the least of the problems for U.S. schools, where mass shootings abound. Activists are turning to artificial intelligence to drive that point home, in one of the "least nefarious uses of voice-cloning technology" we have seen thus far. Summer Meza The Week Digital     Today's Big Question Why are Israel-Hamas peace negotiators anxious about Ramadan? President Joe Biden surprised many this week when he told reporters that he expected an Israel-Hamas cease-fire agreement by the "end of the weekend." Biden's optimism is a sign, Reuters said, that "negotiations were further along" than at any point in recent weeks. The "proximity talks" to end the months of horrific violence that have polarized the world remain precarious. Despite international pressure, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been adamant that Israel will "eradicate" Hamas, while Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh has accused Israel of using the negotiations as a "cover for this crime." With much of Gaza reduced to rubble and Israeli hostages still in Hamas captivity, cease-fire negotiators have begun voicing an added concern: that Ramadan, Islam's holiest month, could be used as a pretense for violence that plunges the region into further bloodshed. What did the commentators say?Ramadan, which starts March 10, "looms as an informal but urgent deadline" for negotiators, with Israeli officials saying they will pursue significant military operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah if a deal isn't struck by then, The Wall Street Journal said. At the same time, Hamas' Haniyeh this week urged Palestinian Muslims to "come en masse to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and fortify it on the first day of Ramadan," Haaretz said. Haniyeh's call sets up the potential for violence after Israel "set limits according to security needs" on the number of Palestinians allowed at the site for the holiday, Reuters said. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant this week accused Hamas of conspiring with Iran and Hezbollah to seize upon Ramadan as an opportunity to enact the "second stage of Oct. 7," the date of Hamas' initial attack on Israel that triggered this latest round of violence, and "ignite the ground."  What next?Keenly aware that "Ramadan is closing in," cease-fire mediators in Qatar have "stepped up their efforts," one Palestinian official said to Reuters. Negotiators may be looking to Ramadan to help "increase pressure" and "make concessions," The Wall Street Journal said. This "arbitrary sort of deadline" is something of a "pressure point," said Sanam Vakil of London's Chatham House. Arbitrary or not, the days leading up to Ramadan are "pivotal" to the cease-fire negotiations, one U.S. official said to CNN. Israeli military aggression during the holiday "would only further inflame tensions across the region."     QUOTE OF THE DAY "When you see Trump with Putin, as I have on a few occasions, he's like the 12-year-old boy that goes to high school and meets the captain of the football team. 'My hero!' It's really creepy." Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull describing Trump's interactions with Putin on Australian ABC's "Q+A" show   Advertisement by Betterment [Betterment is the automated investing app that puts your money to work](   Talking Points Smartphones face bans in US schools You can take their smartphones, but you'll never take their freedom. James Madison High School in Houston was locked down earlier this month after students "stormed out of their classrooms" to protest a new ban on cellphones, the New York Post said. The student body had been in an "uproar" over being required to leave phones at the front desk at the beginning of each day. Educators nationwide are dealing with phone-related disruptions, said The Associated Press. Students "send Snapchat messages in class" and "listen to music and shop online" while they should be learning. But effective policies are elusive, said USA Today, "when kids are so glued to their devices and learning is so dependent on technology." 'Teachers dislike cellphones'"Fears about the impact of cellphones and social media on children have united political rivals," said CBS News. Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) have co-sponsored a federal effort to study school district phone policies. "Teachers dislike cellphones the way the devil hates holy water," Cotton said. Another bill spearheaded by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) would require schools that receive federal funds to cover broadband costs to block access to social media services, said The Columbian. However, only a third of schools nationwide participate in that program. And in any case, "solutions should fall to individual districts." A better idea? "Banning mobile phones from schools altogether," said Bloomberg. Studies link phones and social media to rising rates of "teenage depression, emotional distress and self-harm." They also force teachers to "waste valuable time policing their use." Anything short of a complete ban might be insufficient. 'We should have a say'It isn't easy to know where to draw the line. Some institutions might order that devices be left at home, while others might allow phones on "condition they are not used or heard," said The Guardian. Many educators are skeptical of the second option. A trio of eighth- and ninth-graders at Angeline Academy of Innovation last week pitched Superintendent Kurt Browning on the merits of phone access, said The Tampa Bay Times. Students need to communicate with parents, they said, and use music and games to decompress during downtime. "We believe that when rules like this are put in place, we should have a say," said one of the teens.     Statistic of the day 240M: The age in years of a "dragon" fossil recently unveiled by scientists in Scotland. Known as Dinocephalosaurus orientalis, the Triassic period fossil resembles a Chinese dragon and was first discovered in 2003. However, this marks the first time the five-meter-long Dinocephalosaurus has been presented in its entirety. CNN     The Explainer AI is recreating the voices of mass shooting victims To enact gun control legislation, the parents of gun violence victims are using AI to send voice messages from their deceased children to Congress. The project, called The Shotline, is a collaborative effort by six families who lost a child to gun violence or a mass shooting. At the helm is a marketing firm working with Manuel Oliver, whose 17-year-old son, Joaquin Oliver, was killed during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. Also involved in the project is March for Our Lives, a gun control advocacy group created in the aftermath of the Parkland shooting. What is The Shotline?The program uses AI to recreate "the voices of those shot and killed by guns so they can call our representatives in hopes of changing our country's gun laws," according to The Shotline website. Each of the recordings features an AI-generated shooting victim talking about their lives and the circumstances of their death. What does it want to accomplish?The project's main goal is to influence Congress to pass gun control legislation. The Shotline wants to "interrupt people's regularly scheduled programming as a movement to get their attention," David Hogg, a Parkland survivor and co-founder of March for Our Lives, said to NPR. Deciding to recreate the victim's voices was a "heartbreaking thing for us to do," Mike Song said to The Washington Post. Mike is the father of Ethan Song, who died in 2018 at the age of 15 after accidentally shooting himself with an unsecured gun. "But I think this is the kind of thing that wakes people up." What is the reaction?The Shotline is "one of the least nefarious uses of voice-cloning technology I have heard of yet," Aram Sinnreich, a communications studies professor at American University, said to the Post. The Shotline is "not a negative use case," Hany Farid, a UC Berkeley professor of digital forensics, said to NPR. "As long as there is disclosure about it, as long as they are not trying to be deceptive, which they clearly are not."     Poll watch Less than one in three Americans have a very confident view of the U.S. health care system, according to a new MDVIP/Ipsos poll. The poll surveyed 1,010 adults and found only 32% were "extremely" or "very" satisfied with their health care and only 39% felt the health care system worked in the best interest of the patient.     INSTANT OPINION Today's best commentary 'Apple revolutionized the auto industry without selling a single car'Matteo Wong in The AtlanticYou will probably never see an "all-electric sedan emblazoned with the Apple logo" zoom by on the freeway now that Apple is scrapping efforts to build an EV, says Matteo Wong. But automobiles already got the "Apple makeover." CarPlay software, now standard in many vehicles, allows users of Apple's ubiquitous iPhone to "dial the radio, change the temperature," check tire pressure and more. As EVs run by software become more common, Apple is "poised to wield more automotive power than ever." 'The "vibecession" will continue until interest rates fall'Eric Boehm in Reason"Americans should be thrilled about the state of the economy," says Eric Boehm. Inflation is way down from its summer 2022 peak. Real wages are up, unemployment is down, and we've bounced back without the feared recession. So why do "most Americans remain sour about the state of the economy"? A new paper says Americans are unhappy because high interest rates drive up mortgage, car and credit card payments, and the "vibecession" won't end until they come down. 'Ukraine burns. Republicans and Biden dither. And Russia's Vladimir Putin smiles.'Christopher A. Hartwell in USA TodayU.S. "dithering" makes it harder for Ukraine to expel Russia, says Christopher A. Hartwell. The Trump-aligned House "anti-freedom caucus" is blocking further military aid, and the Biden administration has moved at a "snail's pace" to get Kyiv desperately needed Abrams tanks and F-16 fighter jets. The danger is that "Ukraine fatigue" will "push Americans to attempt to institute a peace deal over the heads of the Ukrainians." That would be disastrous for everyone — except Russia.     Picture of the day Solo performance French sailor Charles Caudrelier celebrates by waving burning flares in Brest, France, after winning the Arkéa Ultim Challenge, the first-ever solo multihull race around the world. Loic Venance / Getty Images   Advertisement by Betterment [Betterment is the automated investing app that puts your money to work](   Good day 🚗 … for potential car owners. After helping to fuel inflation for almost three years, price increases for cars and trucks in the U.S. are slowing and, in some cases, falling. The shift is helping to cool overall inflation, making finding an affordable vehicle easier for Americans. The price slowdown is linked to a "vastly expanded number of vehicles" after years of shortages.     Bad day 🍼 … for South Korea. The country's fertility rate, already the lowest in the world, continued to decline in 2023 as women decided to delay childbearing or not have babies due to concerns about career advancement and the financial cost of raising children. The average number of expected babies during a South Korean woman's reproductive life fell to a record low of 0.72 from 0.78 in 2022, according to data from Statistics Korea.     Puzzles [Daily crossword]( Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes [sudoku]( and [codewords](. [Play here](     The Explainer [3 refreshing sheet masks to use post-travel]( After a long flight, car ride or train trip, your skin likely needs pampering stat. One quick way to hydrate, calm or brighten? Slap on a sheet mask. Here are three rejuvenating options to slip into your suitcase. Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream-Infused MaskThe recycled air in an airplane cabin is notoriously dehydrating, but you can arm yourself against dryness with this mask containing moisture-boosting ceramidin NP, shea butter and argan oil. Ceramidin NP supports the skin's barrier and combined with the other ingredients "leaves the skin feeling moisturized for 24 hours," Dr. Marisa Garshick, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, said to NBC News. The mask's fabric clings to the skin — no sliding off. Go-To Transformazing Sheet MaskChasing that luminous glow? Slap on this vegan cruelty-free mask loaded with skin-brightening and plumping ingredients like niacinamide, hyadisine, kakadu plum, finger lime and Tasmanian pepper leaf. It is sulfate- and paraben-free and suitable for all skin types. Mediheal D:NA Proatin MaskYour skin will drink in the moisture from this creamy, hydrating mask infused with 19 amino acids and peptides. Users have said the mask also helps minimize fine lines. The soft sheet is made of biodegradable organic bamboo cellulose and fits snugly on all face shapes. [Read more](     WORD OF THE DAY autojournalism An emerging style of writing that marries the "inward-looking gaze of autofiction" with the "outward-looking task of journalism," Robert Moor said on Literary Hub. He added that autojournalists write about themselves "almost invariably in a tone of self-abnegation."     In the morning Tomorrow, you can read about how Boeing's problems have become an opportunity for China's plane manufacturer, marvel at a deep-sea robot that uncovered a treasure trove of species near Chile, and more. Thanks for reading, Summer     Evening Review was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, Catherine Garcia, Harold Maass, Scott Hocker, Justin Klawans, Kelsee Majette, Joel Mathis, Summer Meza, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz, Anahi Valenzuela and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek. Image credits, from top: Illustration by Stephen Kelly / Getty Images; mapo / Getty Images; Cody Jackson/AP Photo; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images   © Future US, Inc • [theweek.com]( [Unsubscribe from this newsletter]( [Privacy Policy]( The Week is published by Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036.