Daily Skimm: Illinois is flipping the script on book bans.

A Ban on Bans

The Story

Illinois is flipping the script on book bans.

A novel idea.

Yesterday, IL Gov. JB Pritzker (D) signed a bill to prevent book bans in the state — making it the first state in the country to pass such a measure. Starting Jan 1, Illinois public libraries will only receive state funding if they issue an anti-book banning policy. Or, if they adopt a bill of rights that prohibits “partisan or doctrinal” book removals. Pritzker said the law allows students to have access to the material they need to thrive. Illinois Republicans maintain it forces “extreme ideology on communities.” The new law comes as at least 30 states have closed the chapter on hundreds of books.

Give me the summary.

Most of the book bans are happening in Republican-led states like Texas, Florida, and Missouri. The targets tend to be titles about race, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Now, Illinois state officials hope this new law helps keep those books on their libraries’ shelves. One Illinois official said other states have already bookmarked the new law with the goal of enacting similar legislation.

theSkimm

Book bans aren't new, but attempts to remove books from shelves reached a 20-year-high last year. Now, many are worried this is just the beginning of what people can and cannot flip through.

Who could be paying up soon…

JPMorgan Chase. Yesterday, the US's largest bank reached a tentative $290 million settlement with the victims of Jeffrey Epstein. Last November, a woman filed a civil suit alleging JPMorgan enabled Epstein’s sex trafficking by ignoring warning signs while having him as a client for more than a decade. The tentative deal comes weeks after the bank’s CEO denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes until the financier’s 2019 arrest. Now, JPMorgan is calling its association with Epstein a “mistake,” but isn't admitting any wrongdoing. If approved in court, the settlement could be one of the largest for a civil sex-trafficking case — possibly impacting more than 100 survivors. It's not the last Epstein-related suit JPMorgan's facing.

What went offline…

Reddit. Yesterday, the social media platform went offline for hours as its community protested a policy update. Starting next month, third-party apps will need to pay up in order to access the platform’s data. Popular apps like Apollo said they can’t afford the fees, so they’re shutting down. In solidarity with third-party apps, more than 7,000 subreddits are going dark to try to get Reddit to change course. Now, even though Reddit’s back up, many subreddits plan to stay offline until tomorrow. Others are going private indefinitely.

Who's going to court...

Gen Z. Yesterday, a group of Gen Zers appeared in Montana court for the first constitutional climate trial in US history. The 16 young environmentalists — who range in age from 5 to 22 — are suing the state for failing to uphold the state constitutional right to a “clean and healthful environment.” The trial is expected to last two weeks. At the end of it, a judge will decide if the state’s support for fossil fuels violates the constitution. It's not clear whether a ruling in favor of the Gen Zers would affect Montana's policies.

...Oh and, speaking of going to court, former President Trump is expected to appear in a federal Miami courthouse today. He faces at least 37 counts, including withholding national defense information.

Who's saying 'please, I insist'...

Tucker Carlson. Yesterday, Fox News reportedly sent its former star host a cease-and-desist letter over his new Twitter show. Fox is reportedly still paying Carlson, whose content remains exclusive to the network through the end of 2024. However, Carlson doesn’t seem to see it that way and is expected to air another Twitter show today.

Who's having chicken for dinner...

The Denver Nuggets.

Who’s feeling fortunate…

Pat Sajak.