House to Vote on Defense Bill that Obama Threatens to VetoThe defense policy bill is one of the few bipartisan measures in Congress that has readily become law for more than a half-century. Not so fast this year, as President Barack Obama threatens to veto the bill moving through the …
Senators Reach Deal to Reduce Prison Time for Some OffendersA bipartisan group of senators unveiled legislation on Thursday that would overhaul the nation's criminal justice system, allowing some nonviolent drug offenders to get reduced prison sentences and giving judges greater discretion in sentencing.
State’s GOP Lawmakers Must Stop Pitting Poor Kids Against Sick PeopleMississippi Republican leadership will stop at very little to try to scare voters into allowing them to continue violating state law and underfunding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, even if it means using the sick poor of the state as …
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Education'Instead of taking from Paul and Peter to fill up the rainy-day fund, maybe it's time for lawmakers to put the taxpayers' money where their mouths are.
‘People Want True Things’"I've been watching the presidential debates. In my very humble opinion, these debates look like an elite membership of millionaires vying to control the affairs of common folk."
Upping the Ante: GOP Threatens Education, Medicaid in Budget HearingsThe Republican leadership, which is against fully funding of MAEP, insists that if Initiative 42 passes, lawmakers will be forced to fully fund MAEP immediately, although its proponents are not asking for immediate funding.
Jackson: All About CommunityWe live in a place where hospitality means everything, and it always amazes me that many people who move to the suburbs seem to lose that sense of community.
Waving the Wrong FlagWorking-class southern whites have a right to feel rebellious. The problem is they're waving the wrong flag to show it.
Brown: Learning from Kemper’s MistakesSince losing his seat in redistricting, Rep. Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, decided to run for the Public Service Commission.
DEADLINE: Voter RegistrationStatewide and county posts, along with Initiative 42, are up for a vote in November. Don't forget to register to vote by Oct. 3 in order to participate in November's election.
New JATRAN Changes Start This WeekA number of changes are coming to the capital city's mass-transit service, JATRAN, starting on Oct. 1, city officials say.
10 Local Stories of the WeekThere's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
GOP's Mike Hurst: AG Jim Hood 'Blind' to Public CorruptionMike Hurst, the Republican nominee for Mississippi attorney general, along with a local sheriff, says Democratic incumbent state AG Jim Hood "turned a blind eye to the problems with public corruption in Simpson County."
Stemming the Cycle of Toxic Stress—For the Kids’ SakeA growing body of research shows that children who experience abuse, neglect or other "toxic stress" have a greater likelihood of developing chronic diseases when they get older.
Democrats Poised to Filibuster Stopgap Funding MeasureThe Senate was poised to vote on legislation that would keep the government open beyond next Wednesday's deadline, but at a price Democrats are certain to reject: stripping taxpayer money from Planned Parenthood.
Embrace Immigrants, Pope Francis Urges CongressStanding before a rapt Congress, Pope Francis issued a ringing call to action on behalf of immigrants Thursday, urging lawmakers to embrace "the stranger in our midst" as he became the first pontiff in history to address a joint meeting …
Whose Job Is It, Anyway?Mississippi has a weird mish-mash of officials who have some responsibility for making sure clerks follow the state's public-records law and that candidates file their campaign-finance reports, but rarely take action.
Tale of Two Charter Schools in MississippiCharter schools weren't legal in Mississippi until 2013, when the Legislature passed the Mississippi Charter School Law, allowing nonprofit charter schools to enter the state for the first time.
We Need to Learn From Charter Schools Before Expanding ThemIt is too early to deem charter schools a success or failure in Mississippi. We are witnessing the beginning of a limited experiment in privatized "public" education starting this year in Jackson.
Garrett Responds to the JFPMayor Tony Yarber, toward the end of Tuesday's council meeting, addressed "allusions" of a deal being cut to reward the contract to Denali-Garrett. Yarber simply said there were no under-the-table dealings in the negotiations, which were handled by City staff.
Jackson leaders are considering how to spend $958,000 from a BP oil spill settlement.
The Republican leadership, which is against fully funding of MAEP, insists that if Initiative 42 passes, lawmakers will be forced to fully fund MAEP immediately, although its proponents are not asking for immediate funding.
State senator Dick Hall has been re-elected four times, and is seeking his fifth re-election to the post.
Since losing his seat in redistricting, Rep. Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, decided to run for the Public Service Commission.
Jesse Pandolfo aimed to bring back a night spot for the Jackson LGBT community when she opened WonderLust inside the former Bottoms Up location.
An operator of charter schools in Tennessee and Mississippi is in line to receive $9.6 million in federal funding, with plans to spend the money on expansion.
A number of changes are coming to the capital city's mass-transit service, JATRAN, starting on Oct. 1, city officials say.
A new report released Thursday provides a detailed look at the graduation rates of low-income college students. At many colleges, low-income students graduate at much lower rates than their high-income peers.
There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
Mike Hurst, the Republican nominee for Mississippi attorney general, along with a local sheriff, says Democratic incumbent state AG Jim Hood "turned a blind eye to the problems with public corruption in Simpson County."
A growing body of research shows that children who experience abuse, neglect or other "toxic stress" have a greater likelihood of developing chronic diseases when they get older.
Mississippi has a weird mish-mash of officials who have some responsibility for making sure clerks follow the state's public-records law and that candidates file their campaign-finance reports, but rarely take action.
Charter schools weren't legal in Mississippi until 2013, when the Legislature passed the Mississippi Charter School Law, allowing nonprofit charter schools to enter the state for the first time.