Pornography

Utah ranks fourth nationally for school book bans, according to a PEN America report finding nearly 12,000 books were banned across the U.S. last year, up sharply from 6,870 the prior year. Texas led with about 8,200 bans, followed by Florida and Ohio. Bans overwhelmingly target books addressing race, LGBTQ+ themes, characters of color, and sex. Utah's statewide removal process, created under HB 374 and tightened by HB 29, lets a threshold of districts or charter schools trigger removal statewide; 44 books have been banned so far, including works by Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, and Toni Morrison. Educators and library groups call it censorship; supporters say it protects students and empowers parents.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced plans to amend the state's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) State Plan to block Temporary Cash Assistance recipients from spending benefits on tobacco, nicotine and vaping products, pornography, drugs and intoxicants, video games, entertainment tickets and subscriptions, theme park admission, tattoos, spa and tanning services, and psychic or fortune-telling services. Officials describe the move as the first state-level restrictions of their kind on the federal cash welfare program, expanding beyond existing federal and state rules that already bar EBT use at liquor stores, casinos, and adult-entertainment venues. DeSantis said the goal is to save taxpayer dollars, curb fraud, and ensure aid goes toward essential needs while continuing to support Floridians who genuinely require assistance.

Benefit amounts, which average about $250 a month per household, will not change. The Florida Department of Children and Families is drafting the plan amendment and coordinating with the Trump administration before submitting a formal request and setting a phased implementation timeline, beginning with SNAP-authorized retailers before expanding further using new point-of-sale systems. The policy follows Florida's "Healthy SNAP" initiative, which since April has barred SNAP recipients from buying soda, energy drinks, and candy, though a federal judge ruled in June that similar SNAP food-restriction waivers in five other states exceeded federal authority. Florida's SNAP rolls have dropped nearly 20 percent over the past year following federal cuts.