
Author John Green hits back as his novel The Fault in Our Stars is moved to adult section in library
When John Green’s book, The Fault in Our Stars, was first published in 2012 it rose to the top of bestseller lists. The love story about two cancer stricken teenagers won the hearts of teenagers globally and was soon turned into a movie starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. Now the book, a favourite of older teenagers, has been moved to the adult section in a library in the suburbs of Indianapolis. Green took to X, formerly called Twitter, to voice his frustrations. “This is ludicrous. It is about teenagers and I wrote it for teenagers. Teenagers are not harmed by reading TFIOS. This is such an embarrassment to the city of Fishers,” he said. “I only have a small voice in these decisions, of course, but you won’t catch me alive or dead in Fishers, Indiana until these ridiculous policies are revoked,” he added. “Which I guess means no Top Golf or IKEA for a while.” At the local library, staff have spent hours rummaging through books and moving those that don’t comply with the board’s policy to the general section from the young adult section. Books have been targeted for language about sexuality and reproduction, profanity and criminal acts. This isn’t the first time one of Green’s books has irked administrators and parents. His book Looking for Alaska, also aimed at older teenagers, has become a regular feature on the American Library Association’s top 10 most challenged books, making the list in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2022, for being sexually explicit. In 2008, the author filmed a YouTube video titled “I Am Not A Pornographer” explaining that a school in Buffalo, New York was planning to teach Looking for Alaska to 11th graders. But some people, he said, found the book controversial so the school administrators gave parents the choice: their children could read the book or find an alternative. “But there were a few people who weren’t happy with this solution,” Green said in the clip. “These people didn’t actually have kids in the 11th grade, but no matter. They think that my book is pornographic, and that it will cause immoral thoughts and actions in children. These people believe that no one should be allowed to read the book, even those people whose parents signed the permission slip.” And now with book bans on the rise across America (2022 saw the highest number of attempted book bans), Green told The Independent earlier this year that these parent groups have rallied “to take over America’s school systems”. “There are attempts not just to ban books, but to ban entire subjects from high school curricula,” he said. “There are attempts to rewrite American history to better fit contemporary narratives around America’s purported greatness.” The book, a coming of age story with themes of loss and forgiveness, features a scene in which the main character Miles, receives oral sex from Lara, a friend. A few pages later, in a highly emotional scene, Miles kisses another character, Alaska. By juxtaposing the two scenes, Green said in the YouTube video, he attempts to show “that physical intimacy can never stand in for emotional closeness.” Yet, it’s these very scenes that have led to some seeking to ban the book. “It’s always a bummer to have your work read in bad faith,” Green told The Independent in an interview earlier this year. “It’s always a bummer when people read your work to find out what they hate about it, because that’s not, of course, why anyone writes.” Having this specific section read out of context, he adds, is “especially troubling,” because “removed from its context, it can’t do its work – which is to point out that the romantic encounter that Miles and Lara have is awkward and unfulfilling, precisely because they don’t have the emotional connection they need to have a fulfilling romantic encounter.” Read More John Green on book bans, bad faith, and the ‘history of folks trying to control what other folks can read’ Book bans in US schools increased by 28 per cent in the first half of the school year, says new report Texas county moves to restrict ‘explicit’ and ‘objectionable’ books at public libraries Tennessee educators file lawsuit challenging law limiting school lessons on race, sex and bias Jacqueline Wilson says censorship of children’s books is ‘a huge worry’ Biden reelection campaign offering joint meeting with Obama as ex-president enters 2024 fray early Biden wants to compensate New Mexico residents sickened by radiation during 1945 nuclear testing Trump campaign runs ad attacking Georgia DA who’s expected to indict him
1970-01-01 08:00

Rajasthan: India's gig workers see hope in new state law
Rajasthan state recently passed a law that aims to give social security benefits to gig workers.
1970-01-01 08:00

Niger's coup leader General Tchiani: The ex-UN peacekeeper who seized power
Gen Tchiani has triggered a major crisis by overthrowing the president he was meant to guard.
1970-01-01 08:00

US concerned for ousted Niger president Mohamed Bazoum's health
Deposed president Mohamed Bazoum's party has also claimed he is being detained under "cruel" conditions.
1970-01-01 08:00

Three-month-old baby dies after being left in hot car in Houston
The death of a three-month-old is under investigation after the baby was left inside a car in Houston during an unrelenting heat wave as temperatures soared into the triple digits. Houston police responded to the Harris Center for Mental Health and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) around 3.25pm on Tuesday. The mother, whose name has not been released, was visiting the outpatient mental health facility with her four-year-old child. She found her baby boy unresponsive inside the hot car when she was leaving, Assistant Chief Yasar Bashir said during a news conference. Mr Bashir did not say how long the baby had been in the vehicle on the sweltering Houston day or if the windows had been rolled down, but gave a stern warning that a child should never be left in a car unattended. “Houston gets very hot,” Mr Bashir said. “Under no circumstances you should leave a child in the car, not even for a moment. Don’t think the AC is going to work out fine or if you roll down the window that’s going to be fine.” The high temperature in Houston on Tuesday reached a staggering 101 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. “From time to time, we have incidents like this, which should never happen. Especially during the summertime," Mr Bashir added. “You should never leave a child unattended, and there should be zero child infant deaths in the city. In my opinion, that’s avoidable.” The baby’s cause of death is still being determined by the medical examiner’s office. No charges have been filed and the baby’s parents are cooperating with the investigation. “I give my condolences to the parents, the mom and dad, and I also want to thank the staff here and the nurses, HFD who provided CPR and did everything they could to save this child," Mr Bashir said. This is the 16th child reported to die this year in a hot vehicle, according to the National Safety Council. On average, 38 children under the age of 15 die each year from heat stroke after being left in a vehicle, according to the website. Nearly every state has had at least one death since 1998. In both 2018 and 2019 a record number of 53 children died after being left in a hot vehicle. Read More Texas mother exonerated 20 years after death of child who ate paper towels
1970-01-01 08:00

Man fatally shot during FBI raid in Utah was posting Biden threats ahead of visit
A man was shot and killed in Utah on Wednesday as the FBI attempted to serve a search warrant in the city of Provo. Law enforcement sources told CBS News the individual who was killed allegedly posted threats online against President Biden, his family, and Barack Obama. "The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or task force members seriously. In accordance with FBI policy, the shooting incident is under review by the FBI’s inspection division," the agency said in a statement. The deceased has been identified as Craig Robertson, according to a federal complaint obtained by ABC News. President Biden lands in Utah on Wednesday afternoon as part of a tour of southwestern states. This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.
1970-01-01 08:00

5 Major Improvements Coming to Modern Warfare 3
Major improvements are coming to Modern Warfare 3, including slide cancelling, reload cancelling, the Ninja Perk, red dots, and more.
1970-01-01 08:00

Jack Smith obtained search warrant for Trump’s Twitter account, newly unveiled court documents show
The special counsel investigating Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results obtained a search warrant for the former president’s Twitter account in January, according to newly unsealed records. Twitter was prohibited from telling Mr Trump about the search, but the platform – now called “X” – was fined $350,000 for failing to meet the deadline to produce records under court order. The company ultimately produced the records three days after that deadline, according to the filing. Twitter and the office of US Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith spent several months debating whether to inform Mr Trump about the warrant, a dispute that surfaced with a Washington DC appeals court’s unsealing of a decision that upheld a lower court ruling to prohibit the platform from telling the former president about the case. A federal court agreed there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that disclosing the warrant would “seriously jeopardize the ongoing investigation” by giving him “an opportunity to destroy evidence, change patterns of behavior, [or] notify confederates,” according to the decision. A footnote adds that the court “found reason to believe” that Mr Trump could “flee from prosecution”. “The government later acknowledged, however, that it had ‘errantly included flight from prosecution as a predicate’ in its application,” the footnote adds. “The district court did not rely on risk of flight in its ultimate analysis.” Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty to three criminal conspiracy charges and a charge of obstruction for his attempts to overturn 2020 election results. This is a developing story Read More Trump 2020 election plan detailed in ‘fake elector’ memo as Chris Christie reacts to ‘fat pig’ attack - latest
1970-01-01 08:00

2023 Leagues Cup Round of 16: Aug. 8 results
The last day of the 2023 Leagues Cup Round of 16 is here, and it was a good one. There was a lot of action that brought on penalty shootouts, close matches, red cards, and then one blowout match. If you are a soccer fan, this was the day you wanted to watch the Round of 16.Five matches were play...
1970-01-01 08:00

Austin Reaves goes off for Team USA and LeBron James was absolutely loving it
A number of players performed, but Austin Reaves' impact coming off the bench was perhaps the most impressive for Team USA's FIBA World Cup debut.Team USA blew out Puerto Rico 117-74 in Monday's FIBA World Cup exhibition. During the matchup, coaches, fans, and even former Team USA...
1970-01-01 08:00

Ex-NFL star Henry Ruggs sentenced to prison for fiery Las Vegas DUI crash that killed woman
Disgraced ex-NFL star Henry Rugs has been sentenced to between three and 10 years in prison for a fiery DUI crash that killed a woman and her dog in Las Vegas. The former Raiders wide receiver was speeding down a road in the city at up to 156mph when he smashed his Chevrolet Corvette Stingray into the back of 23-year-old Tina Tintor’s SUV in November 2021. Tintor’s vehicle was consumed by flames and she was trapped inside with her pet and died from injuries caused by the fire and the crash.
1970-01-01 08:00

Diehard Trump supporter Kari Lake eyes Arizona Senate bid after failed campaign for governor
Failed Republican gubernatorial candidate and election denier Kari Lake is reportedly considering jumping into Arizona’s Senate race, Axios reported. The former news anchor and darling of the MAGA Republican right rose to prominence thanks to her promoting lies about the 2020 presidential election and calling for the decertification of election results. Last year she lost to Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs but has refused to concede and has taken her complaints to courts, which have summarily rejected her attempts to overturn the election. In May, Maricopa Superior Court Judge Peter A Thompson said Ms Lake failed to prove that Maricopa, where Phoenix is located, did not verify signatures on mail-in ballots. Since then, she’s become a fixture in right-wing media and at conservative gatherings such as the Conservative Political Action Conference, where she gave the Reagan Dinner speech. Earlier this week, she campaigned for Bernie Moreno, who is running for Ohio’s Senate seat, and praised fellow MAGA Republican Sen JD Vance, who won his race. “I'm really, really excited about [Mr Vance], I'm super excited that Bernie Moreno's going to be in the Senate. And if they're in the Senate, I just might have to join them,” she said. Former president Donald Trump’s campaign praised Ms Lake and the idea of her running for Arizona’s Senate seat. “When President Trump gets back in the White House he's going to need fighters like Kari Lake in Washington, DC to help enact his Agenda 47,” senior Trump adviser Caroline Wren told Axios. Arizona’s incumbent Sen Kyrsten Sinema has not indicated whether she will seek another term in the Senate. In 2018, she became the first Democrat to win a Senate race in Arizona in 30 years. But Ms Sinema left the Democratic Party to become an independent in December. Rep Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) announced he would run for Arizona’s Senate seat as a Democrat and outraised Ms Sinema in the last fundraising quarter. But despite her consistent opposition to many parts of his agenda, Ms Sinema joined President Joe Biden when he designated the greater Grand Canyon as a national monument on Tuesday. But a poll from Noble Predictive Insights showed that Ms Sinema would trail both Mr Gallego and Ms Lake in a hypothetical three-way matchup. Read More Biden to announce historic Grand Canyon monument designation during Arizona visit Senator who once worked at a Planned Parenthood warns that Republicans are planning a national abortion ban Sinema cites bill targeting leaders of failed banks after criticism of her Wall Street ties Trump ‘fake elector’ memo details 2020 election plan as Christie reacts to new insult Ron DeSantis removes Florida’s only Black woman state prosecutor from office Senator Dianne Feinstein briefly hospitalised after fall
1970-01-01 08:00