The history of book bans in the US goes back to 1637 but has recently increased dramatically, nearly 200% during the 2023-24 school year. This rise is driven by conservative policies claiming many books have themes that go “against” American history. But are these books really problematic? The World’s Lex Weaver shares her experience attending a banned book symposium hosted by Morgan State University in Havana, Cuba, where authors and historians discussed their worries about the future of education.
The economic crisis crippling Cuba is causing shortages of everything, from gas to food to medical supplies. Filmmaker Armando Guerra, who lives in Valencia, Spain, recently returned to his home city of Camaguey in central Cuba, where he found that things are worse than he expected.
Ana Montes, who worked for the US defense department, was simultaneously spying for Cuban authorities. She’s now been released after her 25-year prison sentence. Jim Popkin, who’s written about her, shares her story with The World’s host Marco Werman.