Illinois became the first state to ban the removal of books from school and public libraries this summer. But in Missouri, school officials are taking titles off of the shelves now more than ever. The actions from the neighboring states illustrate the increasing power of organized activists and politicians to implement broad legislation. In some cases, it takes only a lone, … [Read more...] about News Analysis: Illinois protects library books; Missouri removes them
Midwest
Exclusive: St. Louis Judge rules against The Gateway Pundit, clearing way for jury trial
A judge overseeing pre-trial proceedings in the defamation case by two Georgia poll workers against Jim Hoft, the publisher of the far-right website The Gateway Pundit, has cleared the way for a jury trial to proceed next year by handing the lawyers for the two women a pair of crucial victories. St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer dismissed a counterclaim July 24 that … [Read more...] about Exclusive: St. Louis Judge rules against The Gateway Pundit, clearing way for jury trial
Chicago media struggle to tell migrant stories as thousands surge into the city
Baffled travelers stepping off buses into an unknown city and life. Families huddled on police stations’ floors. Painful accounts of robberies and rapes, and of deaths in jungles and rivers - the price of escaping grim horrors. These and other stories told by the thousands of immigrants who have surged into Chicago in recent months, joining many thousands already here, have … [Read more...] about Chicago media struggle to tell migrant stories as thousands surge into the city
Exclusive: Hearing scheduled in Gateway Pundit defamation case
A hearing that could either strengthen or upend the defamation case by two Georgia poll workers against The Gateway Pundit, the far-right website operated by St. Louisan Jim Hoft, is scheduled for July 13 in St. Louis Circuit Court. St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer is set to hear the plaintiffs’ request to dismiss a motion that The Gateway Pundit’s lawyers … [Read more...] about Exclusive: Hearing scheduled in Gateway Pundit defamation case
Student journalists lose access to TikTok in states where the video sharing app is restricted, banned
The Prospector, the student newspaper of the University of Texas at El Paso, abandoned its TikTok account earlier this year after the state’s TIkTok ban began to take effect. In December 2022, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agency leaders to immediately ban employees from downloading or using TikTok on any government-issued devices. That would not … [Read more...] about Student journalists lose access to TikTok in states where the video sharing app is restricted, banned