Ban Reversed

Mazel Tov, Jon Stewart. CNN has learned that the bestselling book is back on the shelves.

The Jackson-George Regional Library System board of trustees was criticized by local residents and in e-mails from out of state after it banned "America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction" last month. The trustees had said they objected to the image.

But the board voted 5-2 Monday to lift the ban, and the book was returned to circulation in the system's eight libraries Tuesday.

"We have come under intense scrutiny by the outside community," said David Ables, board chairman. "We don't decide for the community whether to read this book or not, but whether to make it available."[...]

Wal-Mart declined to stock the book because of the image, which includes full frontal nudity. The facing page has cutouts of the nine justices' robes, with a caption asking readers to "restore their dignity by matching each justice with his or her respective robe."

Conservatives opposed to privatization?

Conservatives in Congress are already peeling off from the president's still unspecified plan to kill Social Security. Their arguments? The system is solvent; benefit cuts will hurt seniors; and the country can not afford to add $2 trillion in debt given the current strain on the nation's finances. Weekly Standard editor William Kristol stated that Republicans are "bewildered why this is such a White House priority." Rep. Rob Simmons (R-CT) stated, "Why stir up a political hornet's nest...when there is no urgency?" Conservatives are right to challenge the motivation behind the president's scheme to dismantle the nation's most successful social program.

In entertainment news, the Jerusalem Post reports that Natalie Portman will star in a film directed by Amos Gitai.

In addition to Portman, the cast will include Israeli actors Hanna Lazlo, Tinkerbell, Haim Abbas, Makram J. Khoury and Uri Ran Klausner, as well as Spanish actress Carmen Maura.

The Free Zone will be a comedy about three women who run an armored vehicle business in the Middle East. Principal photography will begin in February in Israel. The film will be an Israeli-French co-production.

On the subject of Natalie Portman, Digital Spy reports that she will be fronting a new television drama set in high school.

Natalie Portman is likely to front a TV series set in an American boarding school.

The Attack of the Clones star is being targeted by some New York friends to front their series about a boarding school plagued by "drugs, elitism and pretentiousness".

The show will be written by Taylor Materne, Hobson Brown and Jatdine Linare and they hope that Portman will participate, reports PageSix.com.

Materne says: "We are not trashing specific boarding schools. We are just giving an honest portrayal."