All booked up

NEWS AND OPINION:

The Independent Women’s Forum’s Education Freedom Center has a thought or two about Banned Books Week — an annual event sponsored by the American Library Association that is underway through Saturday at many libraries, bookstores and schools around the nation.

The seven-day designation was launched in 1982 as a response to “challenges” made to certain books, and to emphasize “free and open access to information,” according to a mission statement of the event, found at BannedBooksWeek.org.

Curious? A list of the 21 organizations that support the event can be found in the “Contact Us” section of the site itself.

Some groups, however, don’t support this cause.

“There are no blanket bans on books in our country. The most challenged books featured in ’Banned’ Books Week materials are readily available in school libraries, public libraries, and bookstores across the country,” countered Ginny Gentles, director of the Education Freedom Center at the Independent Women’s Forum, a conservative nonprofit.

“Parents and community members have drawn attention to the so-called ’banned’ books due to their sexually explicit content. Parents are understandably concerned about libraries offering books that school board members admit are too explicit to be read aloud at public meetings,” Ms. Gentles said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

“Parents have the right to raise concerns about library and classroom books. Children are not mere creatures of the state, and parents do not simply turn children over to government schools with the assumption that the school will make every decision — without parental input — on what the child will read. When parents see the American Library Association, the organizations that bestow awards upon aggressively woke and sexually explicit books, and the school librarians purchasing and featuring developmentally inappropriate books, parents can and should speak up,” Ms. Gentles said.

SPEAKING OF BOOKS

With all this talk about books, are you curious about the current five bestselling books in the nation? Here’s where they stand as of Monday, according to Publishers Weekly, a leading industry source.

In first place is “The Democrat Party Hates America,” by talk radio host Mark Levin, followed by “Elon Musk,” by Walter Isaacson; “Fourth Wing,” by Rebecca Tarros; “Holly” by Stephen King; and “Skinnytaste Simple: Easy, Healthy Recipes With 7 Ingredients or Fewer: A Cookbook,” by Gina Homolka and Heather K. Jones.

ANNOYED WITH CONGRESS

There seems to be a lot of drama on Capitol Hill these days. But how do Americans really feel about Congress? The reviews are in. Here are some new numbers from an Economist/YouGov poll that offer a little insight:

It found that 37% of U.S. adults “strongly disapprove” of the job Congress is doing, while 26% “somewhat disapprove” of Congress. Essentially, that means about two-thirds of the respondents are pretty annoyed with the lawmakers at this time.

And 16% neither approve nor disapprove of the job lawmakers are doing — while 11% “somewhat” approve of the lawmakers and 8% are not sure how they feel about Congress in the first place.

One last number, which could be the most significant of all: Only 3% of the respondents “strongly approve” of the job Congress is doing.

The Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults was conducted Sept. 23-26.

BRAD WILSON’S ADVICE

Utah state Rep. Brad Wilson is the speaker of the Utah House of Representatives. The businessman has upped the ante, however, and is now running for U.S. Senate in 2024, seeking the seat now held by Sen. Mitt Romney.

He has some promising support. Mr. Wilson has been endorsed by 60 members of the Utah House and Senate.

He must also be doing something right in the fundraising department: Mr. Wilson reports he has $3 million cash on hand just a week after announcing his intention to run for the office.

“The groundswell of support from every corner of Utah by donors, grassroots leaders, and business leaders is humbling and encouraging. We will continue to have the resources to lead and win this race regardless of who may run,” Mr. Wilson said in a written statement shared with Inside the Beltway.

He also offered a helpful summary of his public appeal, describing himself as “a proven job creator, trusted leader and conservative speaker.”

Mr. Wilson has a little advice for the denizens of Capitol Hill, meanwhile.

“The U.S. Senate needs not just more Republicans — but more conservative fighters,” Mr. Wilson said in his statement.

THE TRUMP HEADLINES

Are you following former President Donald Trump’s trial in a New York court? The news media certainly is. Here are a few headlines from the last 24 hours:

“Trump calls for judge overseeing New York fraud trial to be disbarred” (The Hill); “Trump demands ’rogue judge’ change verdict, claims ’Democrat operative’ getting away with ’murder’” (Fox News); “Trump says New York fraud case is a ’scam’” (The Associated Press); “Trump’s civil fraud trial gets underway in New York as both sides lay out case” (CBS News); “Rejoice, America: These trials should bring Donald Trump to ruin” (The New Republic); “Trump fraud trial: attorney general argues ex-president gained $1 billion through fraud as his attorney claims Trump is ’right about real estate’” (Forbes).

POLL DU JOUR

• 83% of U.S. adults say they have a “fear of unknown expenses that may come up.”

• 80% say their financial situation is a “cause of anxiety.”

• 68% have anxiety about family-related expenses.

• 67% have anxiety about housing coats.

• 62% have anxiety about medical expenses.

• 50% have anxiety about credit card debt.

• 43% feel they currently don’t make enough money to put into savings after paying their expenses.

Source: An IPSOS/BMO Financial Group survey of 2,500 U.S. adults conducted July 27-28 and released Monday. Respondents answered multiple choices of concerns.

• Follow Jennifer Harper on X @HarperBulletin.