Prison Book Access Lawsuit: A nonprofit publisher, a prison book collective, an independent bookstore and inmates sued South Carolina’s corrections director over a policy that funnels most book orders through just six pre-approved vendors, arguing it violates the First Amendment and due process. AI Authorship Rules: The F. Sionil Jose Young Writers Award opened submissions with a new clause allowing organizers to request proof of human authorship and disqualify entries that can’t show predominantly human drafting. Publishing Deals & Rights: SLKY World acquired world rights to Nathan Isbourne’s spiritual realism novel The Finger Carrier for summer 2027; meanwhile, Frank Siller’s memoir Let Us Do Good lands Sept. 1 with Broadside Books/HarperCollins. Book-to-World Momentum: A Grafton author’s middle-grade debut Really Rubie hit New York Times bestseller status after selling foreign rights to 16 publishers. Industry & IP in the AI Era: Steven Saxton argues creators need stronger ways to protect intellectual property as AI accelerates and reshapes creative workflows. Global Book Trade: UAE publishers plan to expand their Hong Kong Book Fair presence after a strong debut, signaling more cross-market publishing ties. Cultural/Community Reading: Access Books Bay Area and Linden Tree are teaming up for a book drive to support underfunded school libraries.