For Friday’s edition of CBS Evening News, guest host Nancy Cordes and Miami correspondent Cristian Benavides hyped a rather silly lawsuit that argued that the state’s law allowing for people to challenge books in school libraries on the grounds they are inappropriate for children violates the First Amendment. At the same time, Cordes hyped a scientifically dubious bill from California that could see foods like Twinkies and Cheetos "banned from the menus" of public schools.
Cordes teed up Benavides's report by declaring, “Several top-selling authors and major publishing companies are now suing the state of Florida over a controversial law that led to the banning of hundreds of books.”
In addition to the companies, Benavides profiled mother and son Jack and Judi Hayes. According to Benavides, the latter, “said the Florida law restricting certain books in school libraries is hurting Jack's ability to learn.”
No, Benavides didn’t ask if a book is so important to Jack, why doesn’t Luci just take him to the public library or buy it on Amazon.
After Judi insisted, “We’re not talking about Playboy,” Benavides proceeded:
The Hayes are part of a lawsuit filed Thursday by Penguin Random house and several other companies that argues the law violates the First Amendment and created a ‘regime of strict censorship’ in schools. Right now, any county resident can challenge books over their sexual content. That book must be removed within five school days and remain unavailable until the objection is resolved. Classics that have been pulled include Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Taken to its logical conclusion, the idea that not having a book in the school violates the First Amendment means everyone who has ever written a book has a First Amendment case against, not just Florida, but every state, if there book is absent from the school library. That’s clearly untenable.
For the other side, Benavides quickly reported that “the lawsuit names the Florida Board of Education as a defendant. They called it a ‘stunt.’ Not named as Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who championed the law.”
A 2023 clip of DeSantis showed him taking exception to the framing of the debate, “They try to say that this is quote ‘Banning books.’ But what you have in a school, you have to make judgments about what's appropriate or not.”
Exactly, and if someone is overzealous in challenging a book, the challenge should fail. Nevertheless, Benavides added, “Jack Hayes said politics should not play a role in his education.”
Jack, apparently thinking his school is the only place to get a book, claimed, “If a student wants to read, they should be able to read that book.”
Speaking with Cordes after the pre-recorded report, Benavides elaborated, “Florida Department of Education spokesperson said there are no books banned in Florida, but PEN America, a free-speech organization, said there have been over 3,000 challenges to books in 11 school districts here in the state between 2021 and 2023. That's more than anywhere else in the nation. Nancy?”
PEN America is hardly a credible source, as their database of “banned” books has been debunked. Yet, while CBS hyped a cartoonish lawsuit targeting Florida, it also hyped a cartoonish new bill out of California as Cordes segued into a commercial break, “Cristian Benavides in Orlando, thank you. Popular foods like Twinkies and Cheetos could soon be banned from the menus at California public schools. We’ll explain next.”
After returning, Cordes reported, “California Governor Gavin Newsom is weighing whether to approve a first-of-its-kind ban on certain artificial dyes in meals served in the state’s public school cafeterias. The bill passed by state lawmakers would prohibit foods and drinks containing six synthetic colorings that have been linked to behavioral issues in kids. If approved, the band would take effect in December of 2027.”
“Linked to behavioral issues in kids” is stretching it. In a related article, the FDA told NBC, “The totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives, but some evidence suggests that certain children may be sensitive to them.”
Here is a transcript for the August 30 show:
CBS Evening News
8/30/2024
6:46 PM ET
NANCY CORDES: Several top-selling authors and major publishing companies are now suing the state of Florida over a controversial law that led to the banning of hundreds of books. We get details now from CBS's Cristian Benavides.
CRISTIAN BENAVIDES: On 16-yead old Jack Hayes's bookshelf, you’ll find books that may no longer be available in some Florida classrooms.
JACK HAYES: Slaughterhouse Five.
BENAVIDES: His mother, Judi, said the Florida law restricting certain books in school libraries is hurting Jack's ability to learn
JUDI HAYES: We're not talking about Playboy magazine, you know, we are talking about Anna Karenina.
BENAVIDES: The Hayes are part of a lawsuit filed Thursday by Penguin Random house and several other companies that argues the law violates the First Amendment and created a “regime of strict censorship in schools.”
Right now, any county resident can challenge books over their sexual content. That book must be removed within five school days and remain unavailable until the objection is resolved. Classics that have been pulled include Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls.
LAURIE HALSE ANDERSON: It is not protecting children.
BENAVIDES: Author Laurie Halse Anderson's book Speak about sexual assault was removed.
ANDERSON: Parents can say “no, I don’t want my child to read that,” that's their choice for their kid, but what they don't have a right to do is to decide for other people’s children.
BENAVIDES: The lawsuit names the Florida Board of Education as a defendant. They called it a "stunt." Not named as Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who championed the law.
RON DESANTIS [2023]: They try to say that this is quote "Banning books." But what you have in a school, you have to make judgments about what's appropriate or not.
BENAVIDES: Jack Hayes said politics should not play a role in his education.
JACK HAYES: If a student wants to read, they should be able to read that book.
BENAVIDES: A Florida Department of Education spokesperson said there are no books banned in Florida, but PEN America, a free-speech organization, said there have been over 3,000 challenges to books in 11 school districts here in the state between 2021 and 2023. That's more than anywhere else in the nation. Nancy?
CORDES: Cristian Benavides in Orlando, thank you. Popular foods like Twinkies and Cheetos could soon be banned from the menus at California public schools. We’ll explain next.
…
CORDES: California Governor Gavin Newsom is weighing whether to approve a first-of-its-kind ban on certain artificial dyes in meals served in the state’s public school cafeterias. The bill passed by state lawmakers would prohibit foods and drinks containing six synthetic colorings that have been linked to behavioral issues in kids. If approved, the band would take effect in December of 2027.
