This week, America was rocked by the brutal killing of Tyre Nichols. The 29-year-old Black man was killed during a traffic stop by an elite police unit made up of five police officers who are also Black. His beating in Memphis, Tennessee was viewed across the country through a series of video recordings. Nichols was laid to rest on Wednesday at a funeral attended by US Vice-President Kamala Harris, who condemned the deadly "act of violence".
Also this week, we look at the incredible story of the con man who became a congressman. Republican elected official George Santos drew attention for his impressive biography. He claimed to be the descendent of Holocaust survivors who rose from college volleyball star to Wall Street financier and charity boss. But none of it was true, as an investigation by The New York Times revealed. With his web of lies unravelling, Santos has refused to resign. Republican leaders, meanwhile, have declined to weigh in, loath to lose a seat in their slim House majority.
Staying in the United States, non-profit PEN America has described an "unprecedented flood" of book bans over the past school year. Its recent report found more than 2,500 instances across the country during the 2021-22 school year. This as more and more school librarians are sharing their experiences of harassment and pressure to ban books. For more, we hear from FRANCE 24's book editor Catherine Khédir-Clifford.
