Stop the Mental Health PolitickingLawmakers should and could have addressed mental health-care reform in previous sessions as well as this session. It turns out that addressing the problem with secrecy and an assumption of a Republican supermajority won't always work.
No Longer About PartyWhile we debate politics for fun, the whims of administrations are not meant to be visited upon entire populations. This is no longer about party. This is about how we will allow ourselves to be governed.
Providing Hope for Kids Is In Our Self-InterestBy identifying kids and their needs when they start getting in trouble, and then interrupting that pattern and getting them "wraparound" services, you give them a better chance at making it through the rough patches and into productive lives.
McDaniel, Fight for Better EducationOnce again, a leading Mississippi politician has managed to anger and alienate women, attracting attention to a state with a huge education crisis, for all the wrong reasons.
Mississippians Deserve Therapeutic AlternativesAcupuncture, a traditional Chinese therapy that involves the insertion of thin needles through the skin at strategic points, is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical procedures in the world.
Standing and Fighting TogetherThese days, everyone is speaking out, and as Donald Trump's tweets and speeches become more and more erratic, and his politics become even more insane and exclusionary, it's necessary.
Political HomelessnessIt's hard not to feel a little politically homeless these days. I'm thinking of that old folk song, "Sometimes I feel like a motherless child."
The Problem with EdBuildThere has been much hoopla this legislative session over the 80-page proposal from EdBuild suggesting that Mississippi move to weighted student funding to pay for its public-education system.
Resolution and RevolutionThis year promises to be filled with loud voices and screams of outrage. The bang of cries for justice, freedom and equality has already begun, and who do you think kicked it off? That's right, women folk with a powerful …
Sen. McDaniel, Meet the Real ‘Liberal Women’As I was consumed with Best of Jackson week last week, I kept getting emails and texts about a state legislator proving himself to be among the worst of Mississippi.
Jackson: Room to Be the BestOne thing I tell people is that in Jackson, there is still always room to be the best. I never fail to be surprised by the colorful genius that permeates this town at times.
Legislators, Get the City’s Infrastructure Bill RightThe City of Jackson gets another chance at an infrastructure revitalization bill this session, but the additions that led to the death of last year's Capitol Complex bill hang heavy over new attempts to garner Jackson a little more tax …
Your Guide to JacksonEvery once in a while, you may get this nagging feeling in the back of your mind, this little voice that says: "Can't we do something different this weekend?" The answer is yes, and here's how you're going to do …
These Are the Best of TimesNo doubt, we're living through unsettling times. It would be easy to get depressed and angry at everything that lies before us to get done and repair—from a national political divide, to budget problems in the Capitol and City Hall, …
Obama’s Legacy of HopePresident Barack Obama faced naysayers with quick wit and smiles and stood before us time and time again, owning his failures and offering a plan to resolve and excel.
It’s Math, Governor. Tax Cuts Hurt Revenue.One of the key elements missing in discussions of Gov. Phil Bryant's recent budget cuts, the second wave of cuts in the State's current fiscal year, is the 40-plus tax cuts since he became governor.
Love & RevolutionFor the Fongs, the last two weeks in December are about family, friends, fun, food and movies. Over that time, we saw "Loving," the story of Richard and Mildred Loving's landmark civil-rights case that struck down anti-miscegenation laws in 1967.
We’ve Already Given Trump ‘A Chance’This year, unlike any I remember, many of us—polls suggest it's a majority of Americans—will watch with a new level of trepidation. And we wonder, "What, exactly, should we give Trump a chance to do?"
The Truth About SnakesAs it sits, the Legislature is set to look at a lot of things, but some of the big ones concern changing our school-funding formula (MAEP); deciding whether or not to expand Medicaid for those that fall in the coverage …
Forbidding Family PhotosFollowing a statute passed in 2012, the Mississippi Department of Corrections has instituted major changes to its visitation policies, including a rule banning inmates and families from taking photographs on family visitation days. This may seem like a small thing, …
Gov. Winter: Self-Made Hero on Road Less Traveled Since Gov. William Winter fell on ice last Saturday, scaring the dickens out of so many people, I've been thinking about that congressman. Was it worth it to go along to get along, to play against what seemed to be …
The Children Who Died for Their CountryThe aggressive militaristic posture Trump and those he surrounds himself with suggests the prospect of sending American troops into harm's way again, and they are discussing it as if it were an answer to the world's problems.
Stop Justifying Execution of Children, Car ThievesWe live in a culture where many say it is appropriate to march a weapon out of your home and office if you suspect someone is trying to steal your stuff—and kill them.
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Confusing'While the state’s education formula should be transparent and efficient, calling MAEP confusing while simultaneously not admitting that the Legislature cannot fully fund it due to shrinking revenue and budget cuts is disingenuous.
Poop Hitting the Fan"As we usher in a new year of fake news, computer hackery, twitter rants, racist emails, bigoted trolls, etc., my special guests and I will do our best to combat the abuse of technology and provide honest journalism in 2017."
Lawmakers should and could have addressed mental health-care reform in previous sessions as well as this session. It turns out that addressing the problem with secrecy and an assumption of a Republican supermajority won't always work.
While we debate politics for fun, the whims of administrations are not meant to be visited upon entire populations. This is no longer about party. This is about how we will allow ourselves to be governed.
By identifying kids and their needs when they start getting in trouble, and then interrupting that pattern and getting them "wraparound" services, you give them a better chance at making it through the rough patches and into productive lives.
Once again, a leading Mississippi politician has managed to anger and alienate women, attracting attention to a state with a huge education crisis, for all the wrong reasons.
If you think President Donald Trump's executive orders on immigration and refugee programs had no consequences for Mississippians, think again.
JFP Editor-in-chief and CEO Donna Ladd ended the Jackson Women's March at the Mississippi Capitol on Jan. 21, 2017, with this speech about the importance of independent media.
There has been much hoopla this legislative session over the 80-page proposal from EdBuild suggesting that Mississippi move to weighted student funding to pay for its public-education system.
As I was consumed with Best of Jackson week last week, I kept getting emails and texts about a state legislator proving himself to be among the worst of Mississippi.
President Barack Obama faced naysayers with quick wit and smiles and stood before us time and time again, owning his failures and offering a plan to resolve and excel.
This year, unlike any I remember, many of us—polls suggest it's a majority of Americans—will watch with a new level of trepidation. And we wonder, "What, exactly, should we give Trump a chance to do?"
Since Gov. William Winter fell on ice last Saturday, scaring the dickens out of so many people, I've been thinking about that congressman. Was it worth it to go along to get along, to play against what seemed to be …