Latest news with #anti-DEI
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Is Pentagon erasing Juneteenth? A mail from Pete Hegseth's office to staff has raised concerns
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 's office sent an email to staff requesting a "passive approach" to celebrating Juneteenth. Observed on June 19 each year, Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the US and commemorated to end the slavery in the country, reported Rolling Stone. Hegseth, whose work includes scrubbing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from the US military, downplayed the holiday, requesting that the Pentagon take a 'passive approach' with its Juneteenth messaging this year. Pete Hegseth on Juneteenth This messaging request for Juneteenth was transmitted by the Pentagon's office of the chief of public affairs. This office said it was not poised to publish web content related to Juneteenth, Rolling Stone reported. A Pentagon official told Rolling Stone that the Defense Department 'may engage celebrations that build camaraderie and esprit de recognition of historical events and notable figures where such recognition informs strategic thinking, reinforces our unity, and promotes meritocracy and accountability.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like At Last, An ED Pill for 87¢ That Actually Works Health Alliance by Friday Plans Learn More Undo ALSO READ: Why has Trump dropped Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard from his inner circle to navigate secret Iran action plan? The mandate comes at a time when Trump's attack on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI) across the government, including the US military, which Pete Hegseth has enthusiastically executed. Live Events 'The President's guidance (lawful orders) is clear: No more DEI at @DeptofDefense,' Hegseth said in a January post on X. 'The Pentagon will comply, immediately. No exceptions, name-changes, or delays,' Hegseth also wrote. He posted an apparently hand-written note that read 'DOD ≠ DEI.' Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has continued to promote anti-DEI rhetoric, alleging that DEI policies endanger military personnel. He has not provided any evidence to corroborate his claim. During a Senate hearing last week, he said, "DEI is dead. We replaced it with a colur-blind, gender-neutral, merit-based approach and the force is responding incredibly." When asked by Rolling Stone, the Pentagon said that the Department of Defense "may engage in the following activities, subject to applicable department guidance: holiday celebrations that build camaraderie and espirit de corps; outreach events (eg, recruiting engagements with all-male, all-female, or minority-serving academic institutions) where doing so directly supports DoD's mission; and recoginition of historical events and notable figures where such recogintion informs strategic thinking, reinforces our unity, and promotes meritocracy and accountability." ALSO READ: Amazon's 30-day deadline to employees amid mass layoff fear: Resign in 60 days or... Asked for comment by the Guardian, a defense spokesperson said: 'We have nothing additional to provide on this.' No DEI programs at Pentagon Shortly after he was confirmed as Defense Secretary, Hegseth said there would be "no more" DEI programs at the Pentagon. This was followed by President Donald Trump's executive order ending DEI programs across the government. The Pentagon went on to cancel a slew of historical and cultural annual events, including observances of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Pride Month, Holocaust Days of Remembrance, National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Women's History Month. The Defense Department also marked thousands of files for deletion in a purge of so-called DEI content, the Associated Press reported in March. In late April, Hegseth declared that he had 'proudly ENDED' the Pentagon's Women, Peace, and Security program. The initiative was originally established under the Women, Peace, and Security Act, which Trump signed into law during his first term. The legislation aimed to ensure that the U.S. supported the meaningful inclusion of women in efforts to prevent, manage, and resolve violent conflicts through mediation and negotiation. ALSO READ: Trump vs Tulsi Gabbard: Is US President planning to fire US spy chief over provocative anti-war video? Trump signed an executive order in January that eliminated DEI in the military. He also appeared to sound off on DEI initiatives in an address to graduating West Point cadets on 24 May. 'They subjected the armed forces to all manner of social projects and political causes, while leaving our borders undefended and depleting our arsenals to fight other countries' wars. We fought for other countries' borders but we didn't fight for our own borders, but now we do like we have never fought before,' Trump said. He also stated 'the job of the US armed forces is not to host drag shows or transform foreign cultures', an apparent allusion to drag shows on US military installations.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Trump administration could impact readers, from DEI to book bans
Hazelwood's tour snag sparked a discussion on book communities about how President Donald Trump's recent policies would trickle down to publishing. Amid book banning, border policies, new anti-DEI sentiments and federal library grant cuts, these are the ways the new administration may impact readers. Trump administration's policies shake author tour plans Hazelwood, who is originally from Italy and now resides in the U.S., was booked for several international appearances before she canceled because "it's not possible for me to safely travel outside and then back inside the US," she wrote on Instagram. Canadian bestseller Louise Penny canceled her American tour stops in March because of Trump and "the threat of an unprovoked trade war against Canada" in regards to tariffs, she wrote on Facebook. It's the first time in 20 years Penny has not visited the U.S. on tour: "There are, of course, other things the American president is doing that make visiting the USA unpalatable. Oh, dear. It is so painful to say that," she wrote. But Curtis Chin, the Detroit-based author of "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant," decided to move his tour abroad after several U.S. colleges canceled book talks with him, citing funding cuts from federal arts grants. "Asian American Heritage Month is May, right? So I'm usually booked giving speeches," he says, but not this year. Around the same time, the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam invited him to talk about his book and being a writer of color in the U.S. during the Trump administration. Then, he got booked at Oxford University and the British Library. Soon, he had 21 events abroad in just one month. "Maybe in America we're not ready to talk about these things, but maybe there are other places," Chin says. Still, it comes with a steep financial loss for Chin. He's losing two months of income because his European stops are unpaid opportunities. With U.S. events, he often makes thousands of dollars per event, occasionally up to $10,000. Authors worry about impact of Trump, DEI backslide In Chin's mind, it's not a coincidence that May was the first AAPI Month he wasn't fully booked with speaking engagements. He also worried about June's Pride Month, another typically busy month for him. His shift to international engagements, he says, feels reminiscent of historical movements of artists of color to Europe to evade discrimination, like James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. "In some small way, I'm in that same tradition where the things that we're writing, the things that we're creating are facing these extraordinary scrutiny and challenges," Chin says. Trump has not issued a proclamation for Pride Month, instead starting June with several actions undermining gains for LGBTQ+ Americans. And though Trump did formally recognize AAPI Month as past presidents have, his efforts to purge DEI practices led major companies like Disney, IBM and Goldman Sachs to publicly scrap DEI initiatives. The majority of organizations have "simply gone quiet" on DEI, according to past reporting from USA TODAY. And in early May, Trump fired longtime Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first Black American and first woman to head the library, because of her "pursuit of DEI." Hayden had been leading the "Of the People" initiative to bring more works from Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and other communities of color into the library's collections. Books typically take between two and three years to publish. If publishers follow in the suit of major companies turning away from - or staying silent - on DEI, we may not see the effect until years down the line. "It actually occurred to me, maybe I should hold off and wait until Trump is out of office before I try to sell my book because I don't know if publishers are afraid of publishing books by people of color. Because maybe there's a perception that these books may be banned, these books may not be bought by libraries," Chin says. "But then I thought to myself, I can't be afraid." Grant cuts threaten libraries, public spaces for readers In March, Trump issued an executive order that terminated dozens of federal grants held by libraries, archives and museums. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, one of those agencies, distributes millions of dollars in congressionally approved funds to libraries across the country. A federal judge has since blocked the Trump administration, but uncertainty about the state of funding means some libraries have already abandoned programs and implemented hiring freezes. The administration's termination of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts also impacts authors and academics. Michigan Humanities, the state affiliate of NEH, was left with a $900,000 budget loss after the cuts, according to the Detroit Free Press. One shuttered program is Great Michigan Read, which "engages 300 organizations in all 83 counties," according to the organization's president and CEO. This year, Chin was the recipient of the annual grant, which would normally buy around 6,000 copies of Chin's book and send him on a 15-city tour of the state. Then he got word that the program could not proceed because of the funding cuts. The rollback is particularly devastating to Chin because, growing up in Detroit and Ann Arbor, he didn't see himself represented in the books in his classrooms and libraries. "That's why we write, because we want to be seen and we want to help other people navigate their lives, right?" Chin says. "They're denying us an audience because they don't like what we have to say. They don't like our vision of the country. But, I would argue that our vision of the country is a loving vision of America. It's an open, embracing vision of America." The publishing world's most influential voices are also speaking out. Before the judge blocked Trump's executive order to eliminate IMLS funding, four of the Big Five publishers - Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster - as well as Sourcebooks, called on Congress to reject the order. And at this year's PEN America Literary Gala, actress and SJP Lit imprint founder Sarah Jessica Parker said she was "enraged" at threats to libraries and librarians across the country. "To censor books is to limit imagination, curiosity, connection, empathy and inspiration. Libraries aren't just buildings with shelves, they are a beacon," Parker said. "They are warm in the winter and cool in summer, and they are sanctuaries of possibility. They are the heartbeat of a neighborhood." Book banning continues in libraries, classrooms A late March order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led to 400 books being removed from the U.S. Naval Academy's library to "comply with directives outlined in executive orders issued by the president," according to a statement from a Navy spokesperson reported by The New York Times. Most of the banned titles - a ban is any restriction on access, according to the American Library Association - discuss race, gender or sexuality. Books embraced by white supremacists, like "Mein Kampf," "The Camp of Saints" and "The Bell Curve" remained on the shelves. One ongoing Supreme Court case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, appears likely to rule that parents can opt their children out of classroom books that include representations of gender and sexuality that go against their religion. The Trump administration agrees with the parents. PEN America has filed an amicus brief in support of Thomas W. Taylor, the respondent in the case representing Montgomery County Public Schools. In a press release, the organization warned a ruling in favor of the parents could "turbocharge the already dire state of book bans and educational censorship." "An opt-out would chill freedom of speech for students, teachers and authors and would constitute viewpoint discrimination, raising core First Amendment concerns," PEN America's Chief Legal Officer Eileen Hershenov said in the release. "Both legally and practically, this would deny students access to diverse literature that spurs empathy, understanding and prepares them for lives in a pluralistic society." Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
2 days ago
- Politics
Juneteenth festival organizers focus on 'resilience' amid attacks on DEI initiatives
Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday in 2021 to recommit to "equity, equality, and justice," but this year the holiday comes amid a new political environment marked by a slew of Trump administration federal regulations against diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The holiday commemorates the June 19, 1865, emancipation of the last African American enslaved people in Texas in the wake of the Civil War. Organizers of Juneteenth celebrations across the country told ABC News that President Donald Trump's push against DEI policies has led to some disturbances in planned festivities -- some of which took place last weekend and others that are scheduled to be held on Thursday and over the coming weekend. Maliya Smith, whose family has been organizing a Juneteenth festival in San Diego for years, told ABC News that the National Endowment for the Arts, which has faced funding cuts under the Trump administration, initially granted her family's foundation, The Cooper Family Foundation. The foundation, which puts on the festival, was to receive a $25,000 grant for the 2025 fiscal year, as they have secured for past celebrations. However, following the Trump administration's new anti-DEI regulations in February, they were notified in an email that they will no longer be receiving the grant, Smith said. "Funding is being allocated in a new direction in furtherance of the administration's agenda. Your project, as noted, although, unfortunately, does not align with these properties," the email said, according to Smith. Norman Harris, executive director of Juneteenth Music Festival Corporation in Denver, Colorado, has been organizing Juneteenth festivals for over a decade but said that this year has been the "most challenging" because 12 major corporate sponsors, who had backed the festival in the past, pulled their support over the past couple of months. Asked if the companies provided a rationale for pulling out, Harris said they did not elaborate, but the loss of support came at the last minute and organizers they didn't have time to 'have those conversations.' "What it made us do was to figure out on the fly, you know, how we were going to sustain this year's celebration," Harris told ABC News. "So what we decided on was that we'd have to shorten the normal two day street festival to one day." The president's executive orders against DEI target both the public and the private sector. Several legal experts who advise companies and institutions regarding their DEI policies previously told ABC News that while the Trump administration doesn't have the legal authority to mandate that private businesses abandon those policies, the executive order's language uses the threat of potential legal action against certain companies to discourage those practices. "The current administration has made it very clear in as many ways as it could that it's no longer friendly to the idea that the country should continue to mark the racial history of the past as something affecting the present. They kind of want to wipe the history away and start from scratch," Jeremy Paul, a constitutional law professor at Northeastern University, told ABC News. The president said in a March 27 executive order targeting the teaching of American history in cultural institutions that depictions of the U.S. as "inherently racist" are "divisive" and called on the institutions to instead "focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people." "The expressed position of the current administration is very hostile to what they would call DEI or woke events, and certainly, Juneteenth is part of the effort on the part of the country to acknowledge the terrible legacy of slavery," Paul said. Smith's family, which organizes the San Diego Juneteenth celebration, has been celebrating Juneteenth for decades, but she said that this year has been different because they have had to "navigate this new world" and "adapt" to the new regulations. Smith said that this year's Juneteenth "healing" festival will still go on as planned this weekend because the family has been "blessed" to receive enough support from the community, but she expressed concern over fundraising in the coming years. "Next year we don't know how that's going to look because funding is looking different," she said. "We're going to have to figure out how to scale back even more." According to Paul, while there is "no obligation" for the White House, states, cities or companies to celebrate Juneteenth, these federal policies have no impact on its status as a federal holiday. "This was established by statute, meaning Congress voted for it, and President Biden signed it," Paul said. "And that's not changing. There will be no mail that day. Federal offices will be closed."Harris said that while he was "disappointed" that the loss of sponsors led to the scaling back of the Denver festival this year, the spirit of Juneteenth has reminded him of the power of "resilience." "Some of the challenges that African American communities have had decades past, centuries past, which resilience has been the common denominator -- that's helped us overcome the challenges," he said, adding that it has been an "honor" for him to help bring the celebration to the city each year. Smith echoed this notion, saying that "our tradition is still the same." "It's still going to be a Juneteenth Celebration for the community," she said, "and it's still going to be on a scale that is helping and educating and empowering the community."
Toronto Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Toronto Sun
Tobacco firm Reynolds rolls back DEI plans after activist attack
Published Jun 18, 2025 • 2 minute read A Reynolds American Inc. Camel brand cigarette. Photo by Daniel Acker / Bloomberg Reynolds American Inc., the 150-year-old maker of Camel cigarettes and Vuse vapes, said it is rolling back U.S. diversity, equity and inclusion programs, two weeks after anti-DEI crusader Robby Starbuck singled out the company for action. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Reynolds, which was purchased by London-listed British American Tobacco Plc in 2017, will cease participation in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index which measures LGBTQ workplace practices, end sponsorship of Pride events, and end affirmative action programs that were mandated by President Joe Biden's administration, the company said in a letter to employees Wednesday that was shared with Bloomberg. Starbuck announced the rollback on social media and the company confirmed it worked with the activist on timing and communication after he launched his attack, although it said many changes were already under consideration. 'We respect differing opinions, but we are taking these steps because they are necessary to ensure the company's and our employees' success,' David Waterfield, president and CEO of Reynolds, said in the letter. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Reynolds American owns famous tobacco brands like Camel, Newport, Lucky Strike, Pall Mall, American Spirit, Grizzly & I exposed their woke policies but as a result of talks we held, they're now ENDING those policies. Specifics ⬇️ • No more Pride event donations… — Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) June 18, 2025 Reynolds is among dozens of mostly American companies that have announced plans to scale back or end DEI programs over the last year, first under pressure from activists and other conservatives and more recently President Donald Trump. The president issued a series of executive orders in January that banned DEI in the federal government and seeks to identify 'illegal DEI' in companies and organizations. The company said in the letter that it dropped affirmative action programs, other than those for veterans or disabled employees, that were in effect under the Biden administration and removed by Trump. It also said that it will end mandatory trainings that focused largely on what it called 'DEI issues' and is reviewing healthcare policies related to gender affirming care for minor dependents. It does not currently offer coverage for gender affirming surgery for minors. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The company will also end its allyship guide and instead maintain a 'focus on building a supportive workplace for all employees.' A Reynolds subsidiary gave $8.5 million to the super political action committee Make America Great Again Inc., according to federal records first reported by the Washington Post. The cigarette maker confirmed to Bloomberg that it also gave $1 million for the inauguration ball, which was attended by a company representative. Within days of starting his second term, Trump withdrew a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, boosting shares of tobacco companies. Reynolds' main manufacturing base is in Tobaccoville, North Carolina, where it has invested $200 million to increase manufacturing during 2024 and 2025. — With assistance from Sabah Meddings. NHL Columnists Editorial Cartoons Canada Basketball
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Trump administration could change the way we read, from book bans to author talks
Trump administration could change the way we read, from book bans to author talks Show Caption Hide Caption US schools banned 10,000 books last school year alone It's Banned Books Week in the U.S. and it comes as we're learning more than 10,000 books were banned in public schools nationwide last year. Straight Arrow News Despite the international buzz over her latest romance novel "Deep End," author Ali Hazelwood told fans she had to cancel her U.K. book tour. In a social media post, the bestselling romance author who was born in Italy cited border concerns with leaving and reentering the U.S., mirroring concerns from tourists, noncitizens and visa and green card holders about the Trump administration's recent deportation and border actions. Hazelwood's tour snag sparked a discussion on book communities about how President Donald Trump's recent policies would trickle down to publishing. Amid book banning, border policies, new anti-DEI sentiments and federal library grant cuts, these are the ways the new administration may impact readers. Trump administration's policies shake author tour plans Hazelwood, who is originally from Italy and now resides in the U.S., was booked for several international appearances before she canceled because "it's not possible for me to safely travel outside and then back inside the US," she wrote on Instagram. But Curtis Chin, the Detroit-based author of "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant," decided to move his tour abroad after several U.S. colleges canceled book talks with him, citing funding cuts from federal arts grants. "Asian American Heritage Month is May, right? So I'm usually booked giving speeches," he says, but not this year. Around the same time, the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam invited him to talk about his book and being a writer of color in the U.S. during the Trump administration. Then, he got booked at Oxford University and the British Library. Soon, he had 21 events abroad in just one month. "Maybe in America we're not ready to talk about these things, but maybe there are other places," Chin says. Still, it comes with a steep financial loss for Chin. He's losing two months of income because his European stops are unpaid opportunities. With U.S. events, he often makes thousands of dollars per event, occasionally up to $10,000. Authors worry about impact of Trump, DEI backslide In Chin's mind, it's not a coincidence that May was the first AAPI Month he wasn't fully booked with speaking engagements. He also worried about June's Pride Month, another typically busy month for him. His shift to international engagements, he says, feels reminiscent of historical movements of artists of color to Europe to evade discrimination, like James Baldwin and Josephine Baker. "In some small way, I'm in that same tradition where the things that we're writing, the things that we're creating are facing these extraordinary scrutiny and challenges," Chin says. Trump has not issued a proclamation for Pride Month, instead starting June with several actions undermining gains for LGBTQ+ Americans. And though Trump did formally recognize AAPI Month as past presidents have, his efforts to purge DEI practices led major companies like Disney, IBM and Goldman Sachs to publicly scrap DEI initiatives. The majority of organizations have "simply gone quiet" on DEI, according to past reporting from USA TODAY. And in early May, Trump fired longtime Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, the first Black American and first woman to head the library, because of her "pursuit of DEI." Hayden had been leading the "Of the People" initiative to bring more works from Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and other communities of color into the library's collections. Books typically take between two and three years to publish. If publishers follow in the suit of major companies turning away from – or staying silent – on DEI, we may not see the effect until years down the line. "It actually occurred to me, maybe I should hold off and wait until Trump is out of office before I try to sell my book because I don't know if publishers are afraid of publishing books by people of color. Because maybe there's a perception that these books may be banned, these books may not be bought by libraries," Chin says. "But then I thought to myself, I can't be afraid." Grant cuts threaten libraries, public spaces for readers In March, Trump issued an executive order that terminated dozens of federal grants held by libraries, archives and museums. The Institute of Museum and Library Services, one of those agencies, distributes millions of dollars in congressionally approved funds to libraries across the country. A federal judge has since blocked the Trump administration, but uncertainty about the state of funding means some libraries have already abandoned programs and implemented hiring freezes. The administration's termination of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts also impacts authors and academics. Michigan Humanities, the state affiliate of NEH, was left with a $900,000 budget loss after the cuts, according to the Detroit Free Press. One shuttered program is Great Michigan Read, which "engages 300 organizations in all 83 counties," according to the organization's president and CEO. This year, Chin was the recipient of the annual grant, which would normally buy around 6,000 copies of Chin's book and send him on a 15-city tour of the state. Then he got word that the program could not proceed because of the funding cuts. The rollback is particularly devastating to Chin because, growing up in Detroit and Ann Arbor, he didn't see himself represented in the books in his classrooms and libraries. "That's why we write, because we want to be seen and we want to help other people navigate their lives, right?" Chin says. "They're denying us an audience because they don't like what we have to say. They don't like our vision of the country. But, I would argue that our vision of the country is a loving vision of America. It's an open, embracing vision of America." The publishing world's most influential voices are also speaking out. Before the judge blocked Trump's executive order to eliminate IMLS funding, four of the Big Five publishers – Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster – as well as Sourcebooks, called on Congress to reject the order. And at this year's PEN America Literary Gala, actress and SPJ Lit imprint founder Sarah Jessica Parker said she was "enraged" at threats to libraries and librarians across the country. "To censor books is to limit imagination, curiosity, connection, empathy and inspiration. Libraries aren't just buildings with shelves, they are a beacon," Parker said. "They are warm in the winter and cool in summer, and they are sanctuaries of possibility. They are the heartbeat of a neighborhood." Book banning continues in libraries, classrooms A late March order by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth led to 400 books being removed from the U.S. Naval Academy's library to "comply with directives outlined in executive orders issued by the president," according to a statement from a Navy spokesperson reported by The New York Times. Most of the banned titles – a ban is any restriction on access, according to the American Library Association – discuss race, gender or sexuality. Books embraced by white supremacists, like "Mein Kampf," "The Camp of Saints" and "The Bell Curve" remained on the shelves. One ongoing Supreme Court case, Mahmoud v. Taylor, appears likely to rule that parents can opt their children out of classroom books that include representations of gender and sexuality that go against their religion. The Trump administration agrees with the parents. PEN America has filed an amicus brief in support of Thomas W. Taylor, the respondent in the case representing Montgomery County Public Schools. In a press release, the organization warned a ruling in favor of the parents could "turbocharge the already dire state of book bans and educational censorship." "An opt-out would chill freedom of speech for students, teachers and authors and would constitute viewpoint discrimination, raising core First Amendment concerns," PEN America's Chief Legal Officer Eileen Hershenov said in the release. "Both legally and practically, this would deny students access to diverse literature that spurs empathy, understanding and prepares them for lives in a pluralistic society." Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@
