We’ve got some good news: our newsroom recently won two prestigious awards at the Asian American Journalists Association 2024 convention! Congratulations to Sisi Wei and Lam Thuy Vo, and all other award-winners.

CalMatters/The Markup Honored for Leadership in Diversity and Solidarity, Community Innovation, by Asian American Journalists Association – The Markup

The awards honor thoughtful reporting, thorough coverage and strong storytelling and celebrate stories that would have gone untold without the cult...

California is not the only state that has debates on book bans. In Missouri, kids are having trouble accessing classics such as “The Odyssey” online because schools are blocking digital books and websites.

Schools Were Just Supposed To Block Porn. Instead They Sabotaged Homework and Censored Suicide Prevention Sites – The Markup

The Trevor Project? Blocked. Planned Parenthood? Blocked. NASA? BLOCKED

Censorship of kids’ access to knowledge extends beyond books. We investigated which websites are banned by schools, and found blocks on news, educational information, and resources for sex ed and LGBTQ+ teens:

Schools Were Just Supposed To Block Porn. Instead They Sabotaged Homework and Censored Suicide Prevention Sites – The Markup

The Trevor Project? Blocked. Planned Parenthood? Blocked. NASA? BLOCKED

If you are traveling this summer, remember that you can opt out of airport face scans. Here’s how by Vox:

Vox

Traveling this summer? Maybe don’t let the airport scan your face.

You have the right to opt out of facial recognition tech. Here’s how.

Schools use web filters to limit what students can see online. Originally intended to block obscene content, they now prevent students from learning. Students explain, in their own words:

Five High Schoolers Describe the Dangers and Frustrations of Censored Web Access – The Markup

Their schools block information about The Trevor Project, abortion, microplastics, and more