AI Regulation: Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an order pushing California to speed up AI-safety oversight, including a possible “kill switch” and earlier independent audits, framing federal inaction as the reason to move now. Publishing & Royalties: A Manhattan judge let authors’ textbook royalty lawsuit against McGraw-Hill move forward, ruling a jury could find a contract breach. Book Bans & School Censorship: Cobb County schools removed Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye from media centers while still posting an excerpt online, sparking parent backlash; elsewhere, Burton district banned Cat in the Hat costumes after a TikTok-driven creepiness scare. Literary Culture & Events: Orange County’s free children’s book festival returns Sept. 20 at Orange Coast College, and Stephen King’s birthday weekend kicks off in Bangor with a Pennywise book party and film festival. New Releases: Victoria Aveyard debuts adult fantasy Tempest; R.F. Kuang’s Taipei Story lands on bestseller lists; and George W. Bush’s next book pairs 44 portraits of political prisoners with an exhibition. Reading for Real Life: A new review highlights recreational reading’s links to better memory and executive function, while a separate piece urges “bookmaxxing” by treating reading like a fun workout.