Republicans in Congress Continue to Push School Book Bans; the Heat Could Amp Up a So-Far Calm Fire Season–Coachella Valley Independent’s Indy Digest: July 30, 2026

Indy Digest: July 30, 2026

I think people having access to books, art and information is a good thing.

Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with me.

Here’s a comment I received from a reader in response to Monday’s Digest, in which I posited that when the two most powerful men in the world (Elon Musk and Donald Trump) repeatedly bash news sources, it’s an indicator that maybe, perhaps, those powerful men might be in the wrong:

Actually, the supposed “news media” is exactly what you describe Trump and Musk as. You are so fake it is disgusting. You lie and twist the truth to make exciting headlines which are not valid simply because there is no proof. Just disgusting. So many do not pay attention to left leaning news anymore. You are pandering to socialist and communist values. Go away.

Most Powerful Men in the World 1, Independent Media 0.

Meanwhile, a lot of right-leaning members of Congress are continuing to try to keep books and other materials with which they disagree out of schools.

You may or may not have heard of the “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act,” which is the name of two companion pieces of legislation—one introduced in the House, and another recently introduced in the Senate.

Let me go on the record as saying I am completely opposed to the sexualization of children. I would imagine you are, too. However, the title of this proposed legislation, and what it would actually do, don’t exactly jibe.

For a good primer on what this (and related) legislation would do, I recommend this piece by Kelly Jensen at Book Riot, which points out that a main goal is to ban books. She writes:

HR 7661, also known as the “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act.” This would modify the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 by prohibiting the use of funds under the act “to develop, implement, facilitate, host, or promote any program or activity for, or to provide or promote literature or other materials to, children under the age of 18 that includes sexually oriented material, and for other purposes.” It was introduced by Mary Miller (R-Illinois) in the days following the State of the Union address. It is currently on the House Union calendar, which means it is eligible to be heard in front of the whole floor, though, as of writing, it has not been scheduled.

Jensen does a good job of breaking down what, exactly, is in this bill, as well as related pieces of legislation. Basically, they would make schools remove anything with LGBTQ+ themes if they want to keep receiving federal funding. Jensen writes this about S. 4925, the Senate version of the ““Stop the Sexualization of Children Act”:

The definitions of “sexually oriented material” are vague and intended to be as far-reaching as whoever interprets the potential law wishes it to be. The one exception is that it clearly calls out anything related to “gender dysphoria” and “transgenderism” [sic] as violating the bill.

The development of this companion bill is a flashing red light on the priorities Republicans in Congress have. When two nearly identical bills are proposed in both houses of Congress, that signals a desire to pass them quickly. The companion bill process allows for swift movement and can catch taxpayers off guard by how quickly a new bill is drafted and passed.

It was by design that S. 4925 was developed in late June, right before the Senate’s recess and the July holiday. It’s also by design that it was sent immediately to the HELP subcommittee, which also has HR 2616 in its hands. Both bills would strip funding from public schools for anything Republicans deem “inappropriate” when it comes to discussing gender and sexuality.

I think people having access to books, art and information is a good thing. Many Republicans in Congress do not—and they want to be the ultimate arbiters of what information is allowed in our schools.

—Jimmy Boegle

More News

• Capital and Main reports on the asthma problems suffered by many children who live closest to the Salton Sea. The lede: “On a baseball diamond about five miles from the southeastern shores of California’s Salton Sea, 12-year-old Christopher Leon steps up to the plate. Christopher plays for the Calipatria Braves, and tonight he’s the lead-off hitter in the game against the Calipatria Dodgers. Mark Saiza,11, is on the pitcher’s mound for the Dodgers, and his brother Brayden Saiza, 10, crouches low, catching. Christopher’s bat connects with one of Mark’s pitches and he sprints to first base. As the game kicks off, the pitcher, the catcher and the first batter all compete despite having respiratory challenges. It’s a balmy spring evening in mid-April in Calipatria —population 6,012—and, thankfully for these young athletes, there’s little wind. The nearby Salton Sea, a land-locked, saline lake, is drying, and gusty winds whip up toxic dust and particulate pollution from the exposed lakebed. One in five elementary school kids living within 20 miles of the sea has asthma, health studies have found, and local kids who are exposed to dust storms experience reduced lung function and more wheezing and bronchitic symptoms.”

• This weekend, the Coachella Valley may endure the hottest temperatures of the year thus far—and much of California is going to be toasty. Our partners at Calmatters report that the heat may amp up what’s so far been a calmer than usual fire season: “It’s far too early in California’s fire year to make any conclusions or predictions. But with fires devouring millions of acres in the Western U.S., Canada, and Europe, California stands out for what has been, so far, a below-average summer. To date, roughly 4,030 wildfires have burned a little over 208,000 acres in the state—down from a five-year average of nearly 5,300 fires burning more than 300,000 acres at this point, according to Cal Fire data. Still, Cal Fire Battalion Chief David Acuña says he avoids the word ‘quiet.’ ‘There is a superstition that when you use words like “quiet, slow, bored” in the fire station, that just means that you’re about to get hit with an amazingly busy shift,’ he said. California has benefited from lucky weather conditions so far, despite a low snowpack and blistering March, according to John Abatzoglou, a professor of climatology at UC Merced. That’s about to change. ‘Now, of course,’ he said, ‘we have a heat wave on our doorstep.’”

• Some recent news reports have suggested that the Trump administration is wary of Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vax maneuvers. However, The Wall Street Journal reports that the president himself is encouraging RFK Jr.’s efforts. The lede (gift link): “At a May lunch at the president’s golf course in northern Virginia, President Trump asked Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., why he wasn’t doing more to probe the alleged connection between vaccines and autism, according to people familiar with the matter. The health secretary had the yips, Trump told Kennedy, according to one of the people. Kennedy was taken aback. Even though he has long been known to be skeptical of vaccinations, he had been asked by White House political advisers to tone down his vaccine efforts ahead of the midterms, the people said. Now, it was the commander in chief who was pushing to make the study of vaccines and autism more of a priority. The president steers nearly every conversation with his health secretary back to the issue, some of the people said. Chief among the president’s desires: Do more to reduce the number of shots that federal guidelines recommend for children, according to people familiar with the matter. They said the president hopes to then see autism rates drop, even if any such effect could take years.”

• Related: USA Today—not The Onion—is reporting that RFK Jr. is starting a cooking show. Sigh: “Get ready for some sauerkraut-infused meals. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is putting his cooking skills to the test with celebrity chefs to motivate Americans to eat healthy. Kennedy is launching ‘The Real Food Show,’ a new cooking series on July 30, to help translate the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans into easy, affordable meals they can prepare at home, he said in an exclusive sit-down interview with USA TODAY. An evangelist of fermented food who once carried a personal stash of sauerkraut to restaurants, the HHS secretary said the recipes will feature kimchi, sauerkraut and yogurt.” Parody is dead, folks; reality is just too bonkers.

• Related to some of our recent local health care coverage (including Melissa Daniels’ excellent look at the struggles at Blythe’s only hospital): The New York Times reports that hospital emergency rooms are seeing a bump in patients who have recently lost their health insurance—and many of these patients can’t pay for the care they receive (gift link): “The significant increase in uninsured patients, about 20 percent in some cases, was disclosed in earnings reports in the past week and interviews with nonprofit hospital groups. Major hospital officials expressed growing unease over lost revenues amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars across the country’s vast health systems. Some executives attributed the diminishing numbers to the decision by congressional Republicans to end the more generous subsidies, or tax credits, that were initially put in place during the COVID pandemic and helped many people pay their monthly insurance premiums. While the vast majority of people enrolled in an ACA plan this year still receive a federal subsidy, the federal assistance is less generous. People are paying significantly more for a plan in 2026, on average, and anyone making more than four times the federal poverty level—$62,600 for an individual—no longer qualified for help.”

• And finally … today’s recall news involves something that is decidedly not used much around these parts this time of year: rechargeable hand warmers! Scripps News explains: “More than 1.5 million rechargeable hand warmers have been recalled due to fire and burn risks. The OCOOPA Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery hand warmers can overheat and ignite. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the company has received 1,480 reports of hand warmers overheating, resulting in 15 fires and 350 burn injuries. This includes the death of an 83-year-old in San Diego in 2026. The handwarmers were sold online at Amazon.com, Ocoopa.com, Ocoopa.net and Walmart.com from September 2018 through May 2026 for between $15 and $60.”

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