A federal lawsuit could determine what books students are able to read in Florida schools.
Authors and parents have filed a lawsuit over books being removed from school library shelves in Escambia County.
The lawsuit contends that the removal of books violates a core function of public education — ensuring students have access to a wide range of topics and viewpoints. Several of the books that have been restricted or removed have been on the shelves for years, if not decades.
Escambia County is the target of the complaint, but book removals have been controversial in our local schools as well.
We spoke with Nadine Farid Johnson, managing director, PEN America Washington, and Shalini Goel Agarwal, counsel for Protect Democracy.
Proposed liquor store
Brentwood residents hope to prevent a liquor store from opening next to Kipp Voice Academy. City Council member Al Ferraro is advocating for the city of Jacksonville to buy the liquor store property on Golfair Boulevard.
Ferraro’s plan would use dollars allocated to remove a Confederate monument in Springfield Park to fund the land purchase. The city included $500,000 in the budget to remove the monument.
Will Brown of Jacksonville Today joined us today.
If you are looking to learn more about this issue, a news conference will held at 6 p.m. today at the Community Rehabilitation Center.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Lauren Titus, the editor in chief of Edible Northeast Florida, joined us today to talk about Filipino cuisine.
