Meta Fined $1.3 Billion for Violating E.U. Data Privacy Rules; The New York Times, May 22, 2023

Adam Satariano, The New York Times ; Meta Fined $1.3 Billion for Violating E.U. Data Privacy Rules

"Meta on Monday was fined a record 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) and ordered to stop transferring data collected from Facebook users in Europe to the United States, in a major ruling against the social media company for violating European Union data protection rules...

The ruling, which is a record fine under the General Data Protection Regulation, or G.D.P.R., could affect data related to photos, friend connections and direct messages stored by Meta. It has the potential to bruise Facebook’s business in Europe, particularly if it hurts the company’s ability to target ads. Last month, Susan Li, Meta’s chief financial officer, told investors that about 10 percent of its worldwide ad revenue came from ads delivered to Facebook users in E.U. countries. In 2022, Meta had revenue of nearly $117 billion."

Florida school district sued for violating first amendment rights with book bans; The Guardian, May 17, 2023

Erum Salam, The Guardian; Florida school district sued for violating first amendment rights with book bans

"In a statement, PEN America’s CEO, Suzanne Nossel, said: “Children in a democracy must not be taught that books are dangerous. The freedom to read is guaranteed by the constitution. In Escambia county, state censors are spiriting books off shelves in a deliberate attempt to silence pluralism and diversity. In a nation built on free speech, this cannot stand. The law demands that the Escambia county school district put removed or restricted books back on library shelves where they belong.”"

Hong Kong public libraries should disclose books pulled from shelves, give reasons for censorship so authors can appeal: government adviser; South China Morning Post, May 17, 2023

Natalie Wongand Jeffie Lam, South China Morning Post; Hong Kong public libraries should disclose books pulled from shelves, give reasons for censorship so authors can appeal: government adviser

"Hong Kong’s public libraries should establish a mechanism for disclosing books pulled from their shelves and explain the reasons for the decision to allow authors of censored titles a chance to appeal, a government adviser has said.

Chui Yat-hung, who sits on the Public Libraries Advisory Committee, on Wednesday also said that books about local social movements should not be censored if they were factual accounts of political events, rather than subjective ones.

“They are history after all,” he told a radio programme.

Hours after Chui made the remarks, members of the 23-strong committee were told by its secretariat to refrain from speaking to the media, the Post learned.

The lack of transparency in the ongoing action by the city’s public library operator to root out works contrary to national security also sparked concerns among educators."

The lack of transparency in the ongoing action by the city’s public library operator to root out works contrary to national security also sparked concerns among educators.

U.S. Attorney in Massachusetts to Resign Amid Ethics Inquiry; The New York Times, May 16, 2023

 Glenn Thrush, The New York Times; U.S. Attorney in Massachusetts to Resign Amid Ethics Inquiry

"The U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, Rachael S. Rollins, announced on Tuesday that she planned to resign, a day before a Justice Department watchdog was expected to release results of an inquiry into her conduct in office, including an appearance at a Democratic fund-raiser.

Ms. Rollins, 52, who was confirmed by the Senate in December 2021 after a bitter fight in which Vice President Harris cast the tiebreaking vote, will submit her resignation to the White House on Friday, her lawyer said."

Tiananmen books disappear from Hong Kong library shelves; Aljazeera, May 18, 2023

 Aljazeera; Tiananmen books disappear from Hong Kong library shelves

"Hong Kong must not “recommend books with unhealthy ideas”, the territory’s leader John Lee has said, after it emerged books related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown had been removed from public libraries.

The discovery was made after a prominent political cartoonist – whose work often satirised Hong Kong’s relationship with mainland China – was suspended indefinitely from publishing in a mainstream newspaper, and had his books removed from the city’s libraries."

Certificates… From a Philosophy Department; Inside Higher Ed, May 17, 2023

 Ryan Quinn, Inside Higher Ed; Certificates… From a Philosophy Department

Pennsylvania’s Millersville University has begun offering ethics certificates. It’s among multiple philosophy departments that have shaken things up.

"He said the department wanted to help people understand philosophy’s relevancy “to whatever else they were doing.”

“What we ultimately decided was that the ethics angle was a clear way in which that was the case,” he said. “Our society today is kind of encountering a challenge in terms of the limits of our ability to think through the ethical issues in all of these various kinds of advancements that are taking place.”

Amy E. Ferrer, executive director of the American Philosophical Association, said in an email that her organization “is aware of philosophy programs naming and structuring their degrees, courses and concentrations in ways meant to draw the interest of students that might not have a clear understanding of what philosophy is.” She even provided her association’s own Department Advocacy Toolkit.

“Consider whether some of the traditional names of courses might be failing to attract students,” the guide says. “The appeal of a course on ‘epistemology,’ for instance, might be limited to students who are already ‘in the know’ about philosophy. It is worth considering whether a name change might attract a wider audience. Words like ‘information,’ ‘knowledge,’ ‘truth’ and ‘belief’—common topics in an epistemology course—might draw a student to read the course description more so than ‘epistemology.’”"

Ethics in outer space: can we make interplanetary exploration just?; Nature, May 8, 2023

Alexandra Witze, Nature; Ethics in outer space: can we make interplanetary exploration just?

"Off-Earth: Ethical Questions and Quandaries for Living in Outer Space Erika Nesvold MIT Press (2023)

Reclaiming Space: Progressive and Multicultural Visions of Space Exploration James S. J. Schwartz, Linda Billings and Erika Nesvold (eds) Oxford Univ. Press (2023)

From Star Trek to Apollo 17, space exploration is often framed as humanity pushing collectively towards a better future. But those utopian visions probably won’t mesh with reality. The book Off-Earth explores the ethical implications of humans moving into outer space — and whether those who do can avoid bringing along Earthly problems such as environmental destruction and social injustice. Nature spoke to its author, Erika Nesvold.

Nesvold is a computational astrophysicist, game developer and a member of the team behind Universe Sandbox, a physics-based space simulator. Based in Severn, Maryland, she is also co-founder of the JustSpace Alliance, a non-profit organization that works for a more inclusive and ethical future in space, and co-editor of Reclaiming Space, a collection of essays that explores similar themes...

What can researchers do to ensure the ethical exploration of space?

One thing I encourage astronomers to do is to learn from scientists in other disciplines, such as genetics, who have had to think about the ethical implications of their research and how they balance, on a personal level, the work and the potential harm it could cause. Having conversations involving different disciplines would be useful.

More broadly, scientists who want to help to build a better future in space but don’t work in policymaking or philosophy can do a couple of things. They can have conversations with their friends and colleagues about what a better future in space would look like, what kind of world in space they would want to live in, and also just focus on making a better society here on Earth today, whatever corner of the globe they live in. If we do manage to make Earth a better place and a nicer society to live in, within our lifetimes, then we’re helping our future in space."

A Crisis of Ethics at the Supreme Court; The New York Times, May 8, 2023

Adam Liptak, The New York Times ; A Crisis of Ethics at the Supreme Court

"Debate about ethical standards for Supreme Court justices has intensified after a series of revelations about undisclosed gifts, luxury travel and property deals.

Adam Liptak, who covers the court for The Times, reviews the allegations of misconduct and the growing calls to do something about it."

The Supreme Court ethics mess is today’s Watergate. Let’s treat it that way; The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 7, 2023

 Will Bunch,  The Philadelphia Inquirer; The Supreme Court ethics mess is today’s Watergate. Let’s treat it that way

"Democrats, or anyone else who cares about American democracy, need to turn up the knobs, considerably. For one thing, lawmakers, journalists, and the broader public need to understand that these ethical breaches aren’t coincidental, but all connected to a bigger conspiracy; the right’s determination to control the court as a check on democracy and our fundamental rights. Conservative kingmakers like Crow or the Federalist Society’s Leo want to offer like-minded justices — who make $285,400 a year — a billionaire’s lifestyle. These rainmakers want to keep Thomas and his fellow justices from either retiring or drifting leftward by enveloping them in a bubble of unthinkable opulence and personal wealth, where the only voices they hear are the pro-business prattle of the billionaire chewing on steak next to them."

New ABA ethics opinion warns about handling retainer and other fees; ABA Journal, May 3, 2023

 DAVID L. HUDSON JR., ABA Journal; New ABA ethics opinion warns about handling retainer and other fees

"“When a client pays an advance to a lawyer, the lawyer takes possession—but not ownership—of the funds to secure payment for the services the lawyer will render to the client in the future,” according to Formal Opinion 505.

The opinion acknowledges that there is a type of fee called a general retainer, whereby a client pays the lawyer a fee to “reserve the lawyer’s availability.” However, the opinion notes that general retainers are quite rare and not consistent with the modern practice of law. The opinion also cautions that a general retainer “may be determined to be an unreasonable fee or even unearned if the lawyer does not make himself or herself available.”

Rather, the term “retainer” should normally be labeled as an advance."

How ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ Defied Top 40 Logic; The New York Times, May 2, 2023

 Mike Ives, The New York Times; How ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ Defied Top 40 Logic

"Yet unlike songs that use a real-life story as the basis for embellishment, Mr. Lightfoot’s ballad hewed precisely to the real-life details. The weight of the ore, for example — “26,000 tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty” — was accurate. So was the number of times that the church bell chimed in Detroit.

Decades later, Mr. Lightfoot changed the lyrics slightly after investigations into the accident revealed that waves, not crew error, had led to the shipwreck. In the new lyrics, he sang that it got dark at 7 that November night on Lake Superior — not that a main hatchway caved in.

“That’s the kind of meticulous, looking-for-the-truth kind of guy that he was,” Mr. Greenberg said."

Clarence Thomas Had a Child in Private School. Harlan Crow Paid the Tuition.; ProPublica, May 4, 2023

 Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski, ProPublica; Clarence Thomas Had a Child in Private School. Harlan Crow Paid the Tuition.

"“The most reasonable interpretation of the statute is that this was a gift to Thomas and thus had to be reported. It’s common sense,” said Kathleen Clark, an ethics law expert at Washington University in St. Louis. “It’s all to the financial benefit of Clarence Thomas.”

Martin, now in his 30s, told ProPublica he was not aware that Crow paid his tuition. But he defended Thomas and Crow, saying he believed there was no ulterior motive behind the real estate magnate’s largesse over the decades. “I think his intentions behind everything is just a friend and just a good person,” Martin said.

[After this story was published, Mark Paoletta, a longtime friend of Clarence Thomas who has also served as Ginni Thomas’ lawyer, released a statement. Paoletta confirmed that Crow paid for Martin’s tuition at both Randolph-Macon Academy and Hidden Lake, saying Crow paid for one year at each. He did not give a total amount but, based on the tuition rates at the time, the two years would amount to roughly $100,000.

Paoletta said that Thomas did not have to report the payments because Martin was not his “dependent child” as defined in the disclosure law. He criticized ProPublica for reporting on this and said “the Thomases and the Crows are kind, generous, and loving people who tried to help this young man.”]"

The Supreme Court’s Ethics Issues Are Not All Created Equal; Slate, May 3, 2023

DAHLIA LITHWICK AND MARK JOSEPH STERN, Slate; The Supreme Court’s Ethics Issues Are Not All Created Equal

"In fact, arguably no one stands to benefit from a clear set of standards more than the justices. When a public official is accused of misconduct, their best defense is always: “I followed the rules.” That response becomes unavailable when there are no rules, or when the rules require tasseography to understand. Nor is it possible to gauge just how far a justice stretched the rules when there is no baseline standard for comparison."

Libraries on Call; American Libraries, March 1, 2023

 Kelvin Watson, American Libraries; Libraries on Call

Smartphone lending program bridges technology gaps

"When Las Vegas–Clark County (Nev.) Library District (LVCCLD) closed its doors at the start of the pandemic, the technological barriers that existed within the community were laid bare, particularly those affecting people facing homelessness. Last April, LVCCLD launched its Cellphone Lending Program, an innovative approach to providing hundreds of unhoused individuals with access to needed services and social connection."

Schools are canceling student shows with LGBTQ characters; The Washington Post, May 2, 2023

 Hannah Natanson, The Washington Post; Schools are canceling student shows with LGBTQ characters

"Censorship of K-12 student productions has been happening for years, said Howard Sherman, managing director of the performing arts center at New York’s Baruch College. Since 2011, Sherman has tracked and fought efforts to end or edit school theater, assisting with roughly four dozen such cases, many of which never became public.

Still, this most recent wave of opposition seems more intense and organized than in past years, Sherman said, and more tightly focused on plays and musicals with LGBTQ content."

Teen shelves half empty at Hamilton East as library conducts $300K board-pushed book review; Indianapolis Star, April 28, 2023

Rachel Fradette, Indianapolis Star; Teen shelves half empty at Hamilton East as library conducts $300K board-pushed book review

"Board member Ray Maddalone asked why the staff had not reviewed more items and scoffed at the idea of staff members reading at home, calling it “terribly inefficient.”

“Why aren’t they just standing by the shelves reading books,” Maddalone said."

Generative AI: Ethical, Legal, and Technical Questions; Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, Santa Clara University, Tuesday, May 16, 2023 12 Noon Pacific/3 PM Eastern

  

Join us May 16th at noon for an online panel discussion on ethical, legal, and technical questions related to generative AI.

Generative AI: Ethical, Legal, and Technical Questions   Noon to 1:00 p.m. Pacific Tuesday, May 16, 2023   "As artists, composers, and other “content creators” and intellectual property owners use generative AI tools or decry their development, many legal and ethical issues arise. In this panel discussion, a copyright law expert, an AI researcher who is also a composer and music performer, and a multi-disciplinary visual artist (all of whom teach at Santa Clara University) will address some of those questions–from training data collection to fair use, impact on creativity and creative labor, the balancing of various rights, and our ability to assess and respond to fast-moving technologies."

Register to Attend the Webinar

AI is exciting – and an ethical minefield: 4 essential reads on the risks and concerns about this technology; The Conversation, April 27, 2023

Molly Jackson, Religion and Ethics Editor , The Conversation; AI is exciting – and an ethical minefield: 4 essential reads on the risks and concerns about this technology

"If you’re like me, you’ve spent a lot of time over the past few months trying to figure out what this AI thing is all about. Large-language models, generative AI, algorithmic bias – it’s a lot for the less tech-savvy of us to sort out, trying to make sense of the myriad headlines about artificial intelligence swirling about.

But understanding how AI works is just part of the dilemma. As a society, we’re also confronting concerns about its social, psychological and ethical effects. Here we spotlight articles about the deeper questions the AI revolution raises about bias and inequality, the learning process, its impact on jobs, and even the artistic process."

Why Supreme Court ‘ethics’ legislation would do more harm than good; The Washington Post, April 28, 2023

Jason Willick, The Washington Post ; Why Supreme Court ‘ethics’ legislation would do more harm than good

"Lower courts have a formal process for fielding complaints of judicial misconduct, because lower-court judges can be censured or temporarily suspended from cases by panels of fellow judges. The Supreme Court is different — it does not, by definition, answer to other courts, so any code of conduct would be unenforceable within the judicial branch. Accountability at the highest levels of the executive and judicial branches must come from the political process: impeachment. By installing a permanent investigative bureaucracy to scrutinize the Supreme Court, the Senate legislation would warp constitutional lines of authority."

Editors quit top neuroscience journal to protest against open-access charges; Nature, April 21, 2023

 Katharine Sanderson, Nature; Editors quit top neuroscience journal to protest against open-access charges

"More than 40 editors have resigned from two leading neuroscience journals in protest against what the editors say are excessively high article-processing charges (APCs) set by the publisher. They say that the fees, which publishers use to cover publishing services and in some cases make money, are unethical. The publisher, Dutch company Elsevier, says that its fees provide researchers with publishing services that are above average quality for below average price. The editors plan to start a new journal hosted by the non-profit publisher MIT Press.

The decision to resign came about after many discussions among the editors, says Stephen Smith, a neuroscientist at the University of Oxford, UK, and editor-in-chief of one of the journals, NeuroImage. “Everyone agreed that the APC was unethical and unsustainable,” says Smith, who will lead the editorial team of the new journal, Imaging Neuroscience, when it launches.

The 42 academics who made up the editorial teams at NeuroImage and its companion journal NeuroImage: Reports announced their resignations on 17 April. The journals are open access and require authors to pay a fee for publishing services. The APC for NeuroImage is US$3,450; NeuroImage: Reports charges $900, which will double to $1,800 from 31 May. Elsevier, based in Amsterdam, says that the APCs cover the costs associated with publishing an article in an open-access journal, including editorial and peer-review services, copyediting, typesetting archiving, indexing, marketing and administrative costs. Andrew Davis, Elsevier’s vice-president of corporate communications, says that NeuroImage’s fee is less than that of the nearest comparable journal in its field, and that the publisher’s APCs are “set in line with our policy [of] providing above average quality for below average price”."

War of words: The fight over banning books; CBS News, Sunday Morning, April 23, 2023

MARTHA TEICHNER, CBS News, Sunday Morning; War of words: The fight over banning books

""Stop it!" said cartoonist Art Spiegelman. "I mean, talk about Orwellian, you know? Calling this organization Moms for Liberty, when it's actually for suppression, is about as basic as you could find in '1984,' which I think is listed as a young adult novel still, and probably has been banned in lots of places."

Spiegelman has been speaking out ever since the McMinn County, Tennessee school board voted unanimously last year to ban "Maus," his Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust, citing violence, profanity, and (because of the below, right image) nudity. 

Spiegelman said, "I think it's possible for an adult to say, 'I don't want my kid reading that book in class.' But to forbid the other kids from reading it or taking it out of the library? That's not liberty; that's suppression and authoritarianism."

Spiegelman says: fight back. "Kick out the damn school boards," he said, "and get school boards in that are more nuanced in what they're doing; getting involved in local politics as necessary to try to protect libraries' funding and schools' needs, instead of making it such a low priority.""

The US supreme court’s alleged ethics issues are worse than you probably realize; The Guardian, April 28, 2023

Moira Donegan, The Guardian; The US supreme court’s alleged ethics issues are worse than you probably realize

"Bad intent by the justices need not be present for the mere appearance of corruption to have a corrosive effect on the rule of law, and both Gorsuch and Thomas have allowed a quite severe appearance of corruption to attach itself to the court. Both have claimed that they are such intelligent and gifted legal minds that they should be given lifelong appointments of unparalleled power, and also that they have made innocent mistakes on legal forms that they are too dumb to understand.

The claim strains credulity. What it looks like, to the American people who have to live under the laws that the supreme court shapes, is that Thomas has long been living lavishly on the dime of a rightwing billionaire who wants rightwing rulings, and that Gorsuch conveniently managed to sell a house he didn’t want at the precise moment when he became important enough to be worth bribing.

The chief justice doesn’t seem very worried about this appearance of impropriety. In light of these alarming ethics concerns, Roberts’ curt rejection of the committee’s invitation to testify speaks to an evident indifference to ethical standards, or a contempt for the oversight powers of the nominally coequal branches. Ironically enough, his nonchalance has made the reality even more plain than it was before: the court will not police itself. The other branches need to show the justices their place."

Recognize Those Who Inspire Others to Uphold Ethical Principles; IEEE Spectrum, April 26, 2023

 SHERRY LINDBAK, IEEE Spectrum; Recognize Those Who Inspire Others to Uphold Ethical Principles 

"Do you know someone who has risen above others in demonstrating high standards of ethics and integrity? Or do you belong to an organization that has inspired others to share a vision of extraordinary ethical principles and practices? If so, IEEE wants to honor and celebrate their contributions.

The IEEE Ethics and Member Conduct Committee is now accepting nominations for this year’s IEEE Award for Distinguished Ethical Practices. The annual award recognizes an IEEE member, or an organization employing IEEE members, for exemplary ethical behavior or persuasive advocacy of ethical practices.

Nominators will be asked to explain:

• What situation was happening (or not happening) that caused the nominee to believe it was unethical?
• In what ways did the nominee demonstrate ethical leadership, courage, innovation, or honor to make the situation better?
• What was the overall impact of the nominee’s actions?

The deadline for nominations is 31 May. The recipient will be announced in November.

For more information, including eligibility requirements, and to access the nomination form, visit the EMCC-Award web page or write to ethics@ieee.org."

Senators to introduce bill aimed at strengthening ethical guidelines in the Supreme Court; CNN, April 26, 2023

Lauren Fox and Shawna Mizelle,, CNN ; Senators to introduce bill aimed at strengthening ethical guidelines in the Supreme Court

"A bipartisan pair of senators will introduce legislation on Wednesday that aims to implement new ethics standards on the Supreme Court, though it would still grant the high court extensive power to police itself.

The “Supreme Court Code of Conduct Act,” to be introduced by Independent Maine Sen. Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, would require the nation’s highest court to enact its own code of conduct within a year of the bill passing. 

Under the legislation, the court would have the power to “initiate investigations as needed to determine if any Supreme Court justices or staff may have engaged in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice or that violates other federal laws or codes of conduct.” 

The legislation would also require the court to lay out the rules on its website, name an official to handle complaints about violations of those rules (which could come from anyone including the public), and then require that official to publish an annual report chronicling actions taken in response to any of those complaints."

Chief Justice Roberts declines Sen. Durbin request to testify on ethics; The Washington Post, April 25, 2023

Robert Barnes, The Washington Post; Chief Justice Roberts declines Sen. Durbin request to testify on ethics

"Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. told Senate leaders Tuesday he would “respectfully decline” to testify at a Senate hearing focused on the Supreme Court, offering instead a statement signed by all the justices in which they “reaffirm and restate foundational ethics principles and practices” to which they abide.

There did not seem to be new proposals or guidelines in the “Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices.” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) immediately labeled it insufficient, noting recent revelations about Justice Clarence Thomas that the senator said illustrate the need for more scrutiny.

“I am surprised that the Chief Justice’s recounting of existing legal standards of ethics suggests current law is adequate and ignores the obvious," Durbin said in a statement." 

Why doesn’t the Supreme Court have a formal code of ethics?; Poynter, April 17, 2023

 Matthew Crowley, Poynter; Why doesn’t the Supreme Court have a formal code of ethics?

"Enforcement questions

Steven Lubet, an emeritus law professor at Northwestern University, said enforcing any code would be challenging.

“There is no enforcement mechanism in the current … situation, in which the justices say they voluntarily follow gift disclosure and other rules,” Lubet said.

Stephen Gillers, a professor emeritus at the New York University School of Law, wondered whether the court would accept a code and whether Roberts would enforce it if the justices objected to its tenets.

“What buy-in would the court need to adopt a code that binds all justices?,” he asked. “Who would enforce it? Lower court judges whose opinions the justices review? Not likely to work. Or will the court as a whole pass on the conduct of a fellow justice? Will that be credible?”

Gillers said he doubted the recent outcry over Thomas would force the court to change.

“Six months ago, I would have rated it as very unlikely (1 in 20) that the court will adopt its own code; I think the Court would not want to be seen to react to public pressure,” he said. “Now, after the latest Thomas story, I think it is just unlikely (1 in 4/5) but increasingly possible.”"

Exclusive: German authors, performers call for tougher ChatGPT rules amid copyright concerns; Reuters, April 19, 2023

 Foo Yun Chee, Reuters;  Exclusive: German authors, performers call for tougher ChatGPT rules amid copyright concerns

"Forty-two German associations and trade unions representing more than 140,000 authors and performers on Wednesday urged the European Union to beef up draft artificial intelligence rules as they singled out the threat to their copyright from ChatGPT...

"The unauthorised usage of protected training material, its non-transparent processing, and the foreseeable substitution of the sources by the output of generative AI raise fundamental questions of accountability, liability and remuneration, which need to be addressed before irreversible harm occurs," the letter seen by Reuters said."

Roberts invited to testify at Senate hearing on Supreme Court ethics; NPR, April 20, 2023

Dustin Jones, NPR ; Roberts invited to testify at Senate hearing on Supreme Court ethics

"The chair of the Senate Judiciary committee has invited Chief Justice John Roberts to testify at a hearing next month focused on the ethical rules governing the Supreme Court as well as potential changes to those guidelines. 

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. said in a letter to Roberts on Thursday that recent reports found the justices are "falling short" of the ethical standards they and other public servants are supposed to follow. 

"The status quo is no longer tenable," Durbin wrote.

The call for Roberts' testimony comes at a turbulent time for the court and its members. Concerns surrounding the lifetime appointees involve Justice Clarence Thomas, who, according to an investigation by ProPublica, failed to disclose 20 years of luxury trips with billionaire and Republican donor Harlan Crow."

Stories Like Me defies book bans with store full of LGBTQ narratives for kids and teens; Pittsburgh City Paper, March 29, 2023

Amanda Waltz, Pittsburgh City Paper ; Stories Like Me defies book bans with store full of LGBTQ narratives for kids and teens

[Kip Currier: I'm grateful to have been able to talk recently with Helen Campbell, the creator and owner of the groundbreaking independent bookstore Stories Like Me, located in Pittsburgh's Greenfield neighborhood, and to record a conversation with her for The Information Professional in Communities course I am finishing up for the Spring Term.

One of the questions I asked Helen was: 

What are some ways that you work to connect with and listen to the communities that are reflected in the books that you carry? 

Helen shared that while prepping for our chat she'd written -- in all caps -- the word LISTENING. Expanding on this, she emphasized that listening is key, learning from that listening, and then listening again, in an ongoing, iterative way, to better understand the needs of individuals, families, and communities.]

"Helen Campbell has strong feelings about the current effort to ban LGBTQ books from library shelves, as parenting groups and state legislatures have swept in to attack everything from youth-focused trans narratives to drag story times.

“When you remove the stories of our LGBTQIA+ individuals from the shelves of libraries and schools, you are making a statement to the queer community that your story doesn’t matter, you don’t exist here,” she tells Pittsburgh City Paper...

Of the book bans, Campbell says, “This is unconscionable and we, along with many other indie bookstores, are committed to keeping books on our shelves that will act as mirrors and windows for the queer community. We are a safe space, we are queer owned, and will stand against any attempts to erase the stories of marginalized people.”

Vladimir Kara-Murza’s last statement to Russian court: A reckoning will come; The Washington Post, April 10, 2023

 Vladimir Kara-Murza, The Washington Post ; Vladimir Kara-Murza’s last statement to Russian court: A reckoning will come

"In their last statements to the court, defendants usually ask for an acquittal. For a person who has not committed any crimes, acquittal would be the only fair verdict. But I do not ask this court for anything. I know the verdict. I knew it a year ago when I saw people in black uniforms and black masks running after my car in the rearview mirror. Such is the price for speaking up in Russia today.

But I also know that the day will come when the darkness over our country will dissipate. When black will be called black and white will be called white; when at the official level it will be recognized that two times two is still four; when a war will be called a war, and a usurper a usurper; and when those who kindled and unleashed this war, rather than those who tried to stop it, will be recognized as criminals.

This day will come as inevitably as spring follows even the coldest winter. And then our society will open its eyes and be horrified by what terrible crimes were committed on its behalf. From this realization, from this reflection, the long, difficult but vital path toward the recovery and restoration of Russia, its return to the community of civilized countries, will begin.

Even today, even in the darkness surrounding us, even sitting in this cage, I love my country and believe in our people. I believe that we can walk this path."

Russia sentences Kara-Murza, Putin critic and Post contributor, to 25 years; The Washington Post, April 17, 2023

Robyn Dixon, The Washington Post ; Russia sentences Kara-Murza, Putin critic and Post contributor, to 25 years

"In earlier comments on social media, Kara-Murza said he did not understand how criticizing the government could qualify as treason.

“It is incomprehensible to me how obvious and confirmed facts about the crimes committed during the aggression of Putin’s regime against Ukraine can be presented as ‘deliberately false information’ and the obvious lie — on the contrary, as the only truth.”"