Philip Teresi

Guest Host: John Gerardi    U.S. libraries are facing record levels of book bans and challenges, with hundreds of titles being restricted or removed amid political and cultural battles, The Guardian reports. Library groups say most challenges are now driven by organized political pressure groups and government officials, not individual parents, and disproportionately target books about LGBTQ+ identities, race, and social justice, raising concerns about censorship and free expression.  A New York Post report alleges the Southern Poverty Law Center secretly paid a former Ku Klux Klan “Imperial Wizard” and other extremist figures as informants using donor funds, without disclosure. The claim comes amid a broader Justice Department indictment accusing the SPLC of fraud for allegedly funneling millions of dollars to members of white supremacist groups, while the organization denies wrongdoing and says the payments were part of efforts to gather intelligence on extremist activity. Please