Teens arrested in connection with Porterville library fire

Two 13-year-old boys have been arrested in connection with a deadly fire at the Porterville (Calif.) City Library that left one firefighter dead and another unaccounted for. Porterville Police Chief Eric Kroutil said the fire was reported about 4:15 p.m. on February 18. The teens were seen running from the library shortly after the fire erupted, authorities said. Fire Capt. Raymond Figueroa, 35, was killed, and firefighter Patrick Jones, 25, has not been seen since battling the blaze. The boys were booked into the Tulare County Juvenile Detention Facility on suspicion of arson, manslaughter, and conspiracy.

Los Angeles Times, Feb. 19

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Emily Temple writes: “As you might have heard, on [June 24], the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, eliminating Americans’ constitutional right to an abortion and dragging the country back in time almost 50 years. If you’re looking for help making sense of it all, here are just a few recent pieces we recommend.” The list includes a recent New York Times essay by librarian and public intellectual Tressie McMillan Cottom (pictured).

LitHub, June 28; The New York Times, June 28
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Harvard Gazette, June 28
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Book Riot, June 28
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Qnotes Carolinas, June 25
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CNN, June 24
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Library of Congress Blog, June 22
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