Guest Editorial: Bunch exit from Smithsonian latest casualty in Trump’s war on Black history; New Pittsburgh Courier, September 25, 2026

Courier Newsroom , New Pittsburgh Courier; Guest Editorial: Bunch exit from Smithsonian latest casualty in Trump’s war on Black history

[Kip Currier: The Pittsburgh Courier has a rich history as one of America's most influential Black newspapers. The paper was started as a simple broadsheet in 1907 by aspiring writer and H.J. Heinz Company security guard, Edwin Nathaniel Harleston. In the 1960's the paper was relaunched as The New Pittsburgh Courier. 

The editorial below addresses the recent retirement announcement by Lonnie Bunch III, the head of the Smithsonian museums. Issues implicated include cultural heritage center curation and leadership, intellectual freedom, access to information, the historical record, memory, preservation, truth, and accuracy of information, among others.]

"Lonnie Bunch, a historian who made history as the Smithsonian Institution’s first African American secretary, became a recurring target as President Donald Trump intensified his attacks on how America tells the story of race, slavery and inequality.

Bunch’s resignation this week should concern anyone who cares about American history, the truth and intellectual freedom.

But what is happening now goes beyond an attempt to erase Black history. It is an effort to cancel Black thought. The phrase “cancel culture” has been weaponized for years by conservatives who argue that dissenting viewpoints are being silenced. Yet, what is happening when Black voices that challenge comforting myths about America are pushed aside? This is not simply a debate about museum exhibits. It is a battle over who gets to define America’s story.

Trump wants to shape how Americans understand their past. The Smithsonian became a battleground in that effort."

The Major Social Media Platforms Are All Rejecting Paid Ads for Alex Gibney’s ‘Musk’ (Exclusive); The Hollywood Reporter, September 25, 2026

Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter ; The Major Social Media Platforms Are All Rejecting Paid Ads for Alex Gibney’s ‘Musk’ (Exclusive)

YouTube, TikTok and Meta have all turned down the trailer for the Oct. 9 doc, citing “political” content. X won't even take Bleecker Street's calls. The distributor is appealing.

[Kip Currier: Another very clear example of the dangers and consequences of media consolidation and control by a handful of stakeholders.]

"The studio releasing Alex Gibney’s new Elon Musk documentary Musk is finding itself unable to buy an ad on the biggest social platforms.

YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram and Facebook owner Meta are all declining to run the trailer for Musk, along with X itself, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

That last one is perhaps understandable, given its owner. But the rejection by the other platforms has taken distributor Bleecker Street by surprise, and it is internally scrambling to understand why the ad has been rejected, according to a person familiar with the company’s processes who is not authorized to talk about them publicly.

The unwillingness of platforms to accept even paid advertising is sure to raise concerns about free speech and the dwindling number of companies that control many of the platforms in this country — and ironically provide a proof-text for the very point the film is coming to make. Gibney’s doc is a four-hour look at a title character who attempts to control the conversation in various ways, including with alleged suppressions on X, which he bought in 2022.

Bleecker Street opens Musk in theaters on Oct. 9."

Judge Blocks Trump’s White House Ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico; The New York Times, September 23, 2026

Erik Wemple, The New York Times ; Judge Blocks Trump’s White House Ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico

Judge Timothy J. Kelly issued a temporary restraining order and told the White House to immediately restore the press credentials for the employees of the three news outlets.

"A federal judge on Thursday said that President Trump’s order barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House was likely unconstitutional and ordered the administration to restore access to the three news outlets.

Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court in Washington granted a 14-day restraining order and told the White House to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore” the press credentials held by employees of the three outlets.

The news organizations were likely to succeed in their claim that the White House had violated their constitutional due process rights by revoking their press credentials without advance notice or an opportunity to respond, Judge Kelly wrote in the order issued in the early hours of Thursday.

He also rejected, for now, the administration’s argument that revoking the outlets’ press credentials was necessary to protect national security."

Read the Lawsuit From CNN, MS NOW and Politico; The New York Times, September 21, 2026

The New York Times; Read the Lawsuit From CNN, MS NOW and Politico

"The three media companies sued President Trump’s administration, saying Trump’s decision to bar them from the White House grounds was a violation of their First Amendment rights."

North Ridgeville HOA orders removal of Little Free Library outside a homeowner’s yard; Cleveland 19, September 17, 2026

Vasi Prokos , Cleveland 19; North Ridgeville HOA orders removal of Little Free Library outside a homeowner’s yard

"A homeowners association in North Ridgeville has ordered a resident to remove a Little Free Library from her front yard by Sept. 30, saying the book exchange box violates bylaws against yard storage.

A family tradition

Lana Carter and her husband James installed the box outside her home on West Shore Parkway in late June. Lana said she and her family moved to the area from Denver, Colorado, where their previous neighborhood had at least eight Little Free Libraries...

Asked how she felt after receiving the letter, Carter said she was “defeated.”

“I don’t even know if defeated is the word. I was just really sad that I could not share this special thing that had been part of our family with our new neighbors in our neighborhood,” Carter said...

The HOA offered an alternative of moving the box to the community recreation area. Carter said that location is more than half a mile from her home, making it inconvenient to keep up with it every day.

“We are volunteer stewards for literacy,” Carter said. “We just really feel that it’s important to put books in the hands of any age, but especially children.”"

No more book bans: how Florida students are pushing rightwingers out of school boards; The Guardian, September 18, 2026

 Anna North, The Guardian; No more book bans: how Florida students are pushing rightwingers out of school boards

Local communities are fighting back against the influence of conservative groups like Moms for Liberty in education

"By channeling anger against mask mandates in schools, the rightwing group Moms for Liberty, founded in Florida, built an outsized influence on school boards across the country in 2022. Soon, members began pressuring schools to remake their curricula along conservative ideological lines, erasing mentions of LGBTQ+ Americans, slavery, racism and more.

As a Black dad living in a historically Black part of Sarasota, Glover said he was especially disturbed by governor Ron DeSantis’s announcement that Florida schools would begin teaching students that some Black people benefited from slavery. “Now my children and the students in my community weren’t going to be learning about the true history of this country,” Glover said.

So the father of four decided to run for Sarasota’s school board this year. He is part of a larger movement of students, parents, teachers and concerned community members pushing back against the influence of groups like Moms for Liberty in Florida public education. They wanted schools that were safe and welcoming for all students, and that focused on learning rather than scoring points on the national political scene.

And last month, they won."

Ohio leads the nation in library checkouts; Axios, September 18, 2026

Troy Smith, Sami Sparber, Axios; Ohio leads the nation in library checkouts 

"Ohio leads the nation in public library borrowing, with residents having checked out more than 13 items per person in FY 2024, according to newly released federal data.

Why it matters: Ohio's library habit isn't new. The state has consistently ranked near the top nationally for circulation, including ranking No. 1 in 2015 and 2016 and No. 2 in 2017.

The big picture: Americans averaged 6.5 library checkouts per person in FY24 — meaning Ohioans borrowed more than twice the national rate, according to the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

That includes old-fashioned books and other physical items, plus e-books and other electronic materials.

By the numbers: Utah, Washington and Colorado are the only other states to top 10 checkouts per person."

Documentary Review: “The Librarians” puts the human cost of book banning on screen; The Cascadia Advocate, September 13, 2026

Alex Fiedler, The Cascadia Advocate; Documentary Review: “The Librarians” puts the human cost of book banning on screen

The ninety-two minute film directed and produced by Kim A. Snyder, which is free to stream, is most compelling when it focuses on the librarians, parents, and students caught in the struggle over censorship.

"The Librarians covers a big flash point of today’s “culture wars”: the school library...

The Librarians makes a compelling case, typically through implication or through the voices of librarians, concerned parents, and students, that their actual motives lie in hiding ideas and perspectives they oppose from their children...

The Librarians makes its impassioned case with the aid of interview footage, video recordings of school board meetings, and clips from conservative media. Occasionally interspersed are excerpts from films and historical footage, making an emotional appeal for the enduring power of literature and the dangers of censorship...

The Librarians is available to stream for free on Kanopy and pbs.org."

Trump administration moving ahead with signs outside Smithsonian museum; The Washington Post; September 16, 2026

Jonathan Edwards

 and 

Elahe Izadi

, The Washington Post; Trump administration moving ahead with signs outside Smithsonian museum

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said about a dozen signs would be installed outside the National Museum of American History warning of curators’ “personal viewpoints.”

"The Trump administration is moving ahead with plans to comply with President Donald Trump’s order to install signs outside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History that would warn visitors about what the White House has called ideological bias in the institution’s presentation of the nation’s past.

The Interior Department is preparing about a dozen signs, expected to cost roughly $7,000 apiece, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum disclosed in a Sept. 3 letter to Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee with jurisdiction over Smithsonian funding. Burgum said the signs, which he described as temporary, have not yet been finalized...

The planned signs are one piece of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to reshape how the Smithsonian presents American history, an effort that has intensified in recent months through executive orders, reviews of museum exhibits and threats to withhold some forms of federal support from the institution...

Trump ordered the signs after the White House issued a 162-page report on July 4 accusing the American History Museum and its director, Anthea Hartig, of promoting “extreme political activism.” The report, which rattled Smithsonian employees, scrutinized current and former exhibits and drew extensively from public comments by Hartig and other Smithsonian officials."

Library books overdue by 116 years returned in 'excellent condition'; BBC Wales, September 10, 2026

Jessica Johnson BBC Wales ; Library books overdue by 116 years returned in 'excellent condition'

"A man has returned his late grandfather's library books which were overdue by 116 years.

Peter O'Sullivan's grandfather, Walter Griffith Owen, took out Milton's Paradise Lost and Shakespeare's King Lear in 1910."

Lonnie Bunch Protected the Smithsonian From More Than Trump; The Atlantic, September 9, 2026

 Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic; Lonnie Bunch Protected the Smithsonian From More Than Trump

"Since his appointment as the Smithsonian’s top official—its 14th secretary and the first historian and Black man to hold the position—in June 2019, Bunch has been the glue holding the Smithsonian together. Through a combination of principled stances and deft political skills, he has kept the sprawling institution on mission and aligned with its public. Chief Justice John Roberts, who serves as the Smithsonian’s chancellor, said in a statementthat Bunch has “pursued excellence in the telling of our nation’s story” and that the Smithsonian has “benefited greatly from his wisdom, vision, and leadership.”"

Smithsonian’s Secretary to Resign as Trump Tries to Rule the Institution; The New York Times, September 8, 2026

Robin Pogrebin and Graham Bowley , The New York Times; Smithsonian’s Secretary to Resign as Trump Tries to Rule the Institution

"After a seven-year run marked most recently by attacks from the Trump administration, Lonnie G. Bunch III announced on Tuesday that he was stepping down as secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.

The White House has escalated its criticism of how the Smithsonian presents American history and values, prompting concern from some about what they see as an assault on the institution’s autonomy and commendation from others for reining in an organization they view as overtaken by liberal bias.

In an interview, Mr. Bunch, 73, said it was not the pressure that had led to his departure."

Court Filings in A.I. Suit Invoke Copyright Law, Culture and Sports; The New York Times, September 4, 2026

 Mike Isaac and Karen Weise , The New York Times; Court Filings in A.I. Suit Invoke Copyright Law, Culture and Sports

Filings made Friday in The New York Times’s closely watched lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft included a range of copyright law and cultural references.

"Court filings made Friday in a closely watched copyright trial pitting The New York Times against OpenAI and Microsoft invoked a wide range of material, including relevant copyright law, arts and sports.

The suit, filed in 2023 by The Times and joined by a group of other news outlets, claims that OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence start-up, and its partner Microsoft infringed on the publishers’ copyrighted material by using millions of their articles to train A.I. technologies. A.I. companies now compete with The Times as a source of information, the news outlet argued in its suit.

The briefs, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, largely boiled down to two questions: whether the publishers’ news articles were sufficiently “transformed” into an entirely new work by A.I., and whether A.I. produced content that “substituted” for news articles and harmed their value.

Friday was the last day the companies could file motions for a summary judgment that would head off a trial. Judge Sidney H. Stein is expected to make a ruling in the coming weeks."

The Dallas Public Library is getting rid of English classes. A volunteer calls the cuts 'baffling'; KERA News, September 4, 2026

 

Miranda Suarez, 

Ron Corning

, KERA News; The Dallas Public Library is getting rid of English classes. A volunteer calls the cuts 'baffling'

"The Dallas Public Library is cutting its adult education programs, including classes for English language learners, as the city tries to deal with a $51 million budget shortfall. Similar resources will now be much harder to find, especially for undocumented students, one library volunteer told NTX Now.

The program elimination was necessary to keep all of the city's library branches open, Library Director Manya Shorr previously said. The system is also cutting more than 70 positions, about 30 of which are currently filled, according to The Dallas Morning News."

Schenectady library's new strategic plan dismissed as 'whitewash'; The Community Journalism Fund, August 26, 2026

 Miles J. Reed, The Community Journalism Fund; Schenectady library's new strategic plan dismissed as 'whitewash'

"A newly released five-year strategic plan for the Schenectady County Public Library is being dismissed as a “whitewash” by a watchdog group that formed after the library’s departure from the region’s largest interlibrary-loan agreement.

Members of Citizens Concerned about the Library say the 2026-31 plan, which was formally released last week, is a watered-down version of the original draft plan.

Library officials, however, say the strategic plan was crafted with input from a wide variety of stakeholders and the professional guidance of the Minnesota-based Library Strategies Consulting Group."

From idea to intellectual property; Ohio State News, August 5, 2026

 Darian Berdysz, Ohio State News; From idea to intellectual property

"For many inventors, researchers and entrepreneurs, an idea is just the beginning; what comes next and knowing how to properly protect that idea can often be one of the most challenging journeys. That is where The Ohio State University Libraries’ Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) comes in. 

At the PTRC, innovators can find guidance, educational resources and expert support to help them navigate patents, trademarks and other forms of intellectual property protection. As part of a nationwide network of centers designated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Ohio State’s PTRC helps connect inventors and business owners with the information they need to safeguard their work. 

The network includes academic, public and state libraries across the country. What makes Ohio State’s program unique is the diverse areas of expertise from the team, including a business librarian; an engineering librarian; a chemistry and physical science librarian; and a food, agricultural and environmental science librarian...

Megan Powell, chemistry and physical sciences librarian and a member of the PTRC team, noted that the university’s partnership with the Columbus Metropolitan Library further expands access to intellectual property education and resources, supporting Ohio State’s land-grant mission while helping strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship throughout the state. 

Throughout the year, the PTRC offers educational workshops, information sessions and one-on-one consultations designed to help innovators navigate the intellectual property landscape. In the past two years alone, the center has educated more than 745 individuals on protecting their intellectual property. 

Powell believes one of the most important functions of Ohio State’s PTRC is helping individuals better understand a process that can often feel overwhelming."

Fired Stars and Stripes staffers sue Pentagon, allege retaliation and First Amendment violation; Fox News, August 27, 2026

Joseph A. Wulfsohn  , Fox News; Fired Stars and Stripes staffers sue Pentagon, allege retaliation and First Amendment violation

"The three Stars and Stripes staffers who were fired last week over alleged insubordination have filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon over their terminations, alleging they are facing "imminent retaliation and termination in violation of their First Amendment and statutory rights."

"Defendants are attempting to fire Plaintiffs for speaking up as private citizens in support of the press’s freedom to cover military operations, its need to reach all servicepersons, and in retaliation for their publication of a news report on deteriorating conditions aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln during its extended tour of duty in the Mid-East," the lawsuit filed Thursday stated. "This action seeks to prevent the blatant violation of the First Amendment rights of these journalists and challenges the U.S. Department of Defense’s extraordinary censorship efforts in violation of both the First Amendment and DoD regulations and policies."

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., was brought by ousted Stars and Stripes editor-in-chief Erik Slavin, longtime publisher Max Lederer and Middle East reporter Lara Korte."

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Changes Lives. Some States Gut It Anyway.; The New York Times, August 26, 2026

 Ash Wu, The New York Times; Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Changes Lives. Some States Gut It Anyway.

"In 1995, Parton started the Imagination Library in Sevier County, Tenn., where she grew up. The program mails a free book each month to registered children from birth until age 5.

The Imagination Library mushroomed after forging an exclusive partnership with Penguin Young Readers in 2001; the agreement was later expanded to include Random House Children’s Books, after Penguin and Random House merged in 2012. In the United States, books are selected by childhood literacy experts, according to the Imagination Library website. Educational nonprofits that partner with the library help to enroll children in their local communities in the program, paying an average of $2.60 per child to cover the costs of books and postage each month.

Parton dedicated the library to her father, a farmer who never learned to read or write.

“My daddy just loved it when all the little kids would call me ‘The Book Lady,’” Parton wrote in a note to fans that was previously posted to her website. “That meant more to him than the fact that I had become a star and worked my butt off.”"

Dolly Parton Shared How She Wanted to Be Remembered Before Death; E! News, August 25, 2026

GABRIELLE CHUNG, E! News ; Dolly Parton Shared How She Wanted to Be Remembered Before Death

Before Dolly Parton died at 80 on Aug. 25, she said she wanted to be remembered not for her country music career, but for her work as "the book lady" through her Imagination Library charity program.

"Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 wasn't all about music.

In fact, the country singer—who died on Aug. 25 at age 80—always wanted to be remembered for her work through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a charitable program that provides free books to kids from birth to age 5.

“My dad couldn't read or write and that was kind of crippling to him," she shared in her 2020 documentary The Library That Dolly Built. "Of all the things I’ve done in my life—and it’s been a lot because I’ve been around a long time—this is one of the most precious things and the proudest I’ve been of any program I’ve ever been involved in, working with these kids."

And that's how she became "the book lady" amongst her youngest fans.

"Daddy got to live long enough to hear the kids call me 'the book lady,'" Dolly, who launched the book-gifting project in 1995 in honor of her father Robert Lee Parton, told Today in 2019. "He was proud of as me being a star, and that meant so much to him."

So, which title did she prefer most: country music queen or book lady?

"The book lady," she said without hesitation. "I have loved doing this for the kids. There's nothing more important than our little kids, to make an impression on them when they're young and to teach them the right things early on."

SF Public Library launches massive, historical platform free to public; Bay City News Service via SFGate, August 22, 2026

 Bay City News Service via SFGate; SF Public Library launches massive, historical platform free to public

""The San Francisco Public Library announced this week that it has launched a new platform for its digital archive featuring more than 80,000 pieces of historical items that are free to access for the public.

The archive, called DigitalSF, includes historical photographs dating back to before the city was founded, as well as documents, manuscripts, maps, publications, and oral histories...

DigitalSF makes it easier for anyone -- whether they live in San Francisco or anywhere in (or around) the world -- to explore and share the city's stories," said Christina Moretta, photo curator and manager of the San Francisco History Center, in a statement. The history center is the library's archive at the Main Library that holds physical historical materials related to the city.

Some highlights in the archive include Harvey Milk's handwritten speeches, African American oral histories, photos of the city from the 19th century, and images of the city after the 1868, 1906 and 1989 earthquakes."