The Latest Breaking News from PEN America

‘Censorship’: US publisher sues over Florida book restrictions

The lawsuit alleges a county in the Republican-led state is cracking down on access to books on race and LGBTQ identity.

Al Jazeera · May 17, 2023

Penguin Random House sues Florida school district over ‘unconstitutional’ book bans

Federal lawsuit condemns ‘ideologically driven campaign to push certain ideas out of schools’

The Independent UK · May 17, 2023

Florida school district sued for violating first amendment rights with book bans

PEN, Random House and parents file lawsuit after rightwing groups seek to ban books that address racism or sexual identity

The Guardian - US · May 17, 2023

How to get involved in the fight against book bans

Across the nation, a movement to ban more books from schools and libraries has ignited a fight against censorship. Now, organisations are encouraging others to take action. Ariana Baio reports

The Independent UK · Apr 27, 2023

America’s book bans have already come for prisons

From colouring books to abolition newspapers and Reader’s Digest magazines, thousands of titles are banned in prisons and jails across the country, often with opaque reasons and with little oversight, Alex Woodward reports

The Independent UK · Apr 25, 2023

The book ban surge gripping America’s schools and libraries

A nationwide surge in restrictions against library materials under the auspices of a “parental rights” campaign runs parallel to legislation targeting LGBT+ people and honest discussions of race and racism, sowing chaos for educators and chilling speech in schools across the US. Richard Hall and Alex Woodward report

The Independent UK · Apr 24, 2023

Book bans are soaring in US schools, fueled largely by new laws in Republican-led states

Fearing criminal penalties, public schools throughout Missouri removed hundreds of books from their libraries after state lawmakers last year made it illegal to provide students with “sexually explicit” material — a new law that carried punishment of up to a year in prison.

Los Angeles Times · Apr 23, 2023

Borrowers With High Credit Scores Penalized Under New Federal Mortgage Fee Plan

Plus: Buzzfeed News is shutting down, alcohol delivery not linked to higher rates of booze consumption, and more...

Reason · Apr 21, 2023

Book bans in US schools increased by 28 per cent in the first half of the school year, says new report

“Book bans impede the freedom to read, limiting students’ access to a diversity of views and stories,” says PEN America

The Independent UK · Apr 20, 2023

Book bans in US public schools increase by 28% in six months, Pen report finds

Writers organisation denounces ‘relentless’ Republican crusade as 1,477 books banned in first half of 2022-23 school year

The Guardian - US · Apr 20, 2023