Only Black People Prosecuted Under Mississippi Gang Law Since 2010In the lead-up to this year's legislative session in Mississippi, supporters of a tougher gang law in the state talked a lot about the need to arrest white people. But in an ironic twist, the Jackson Free Press has learned …
Trump Fires Veterans Affairs Secretary ShulkinPresident Donald Trump is firing Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and replacing him with the White House doctor in the wake of a bruising ethics scandal and a mounting rebellion within the VA.
UPDATED: Mayor Lumumba Planning April 4 Town Hall Event in Jackson with Bernie SandersThe City of Jackson will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King through a conversation titled, “Examining Economic Justice 50 Years Later.” This will be a moderated conversation between Senator Bernie Sanders and Mayor Chokwe Antar …
Senate Candidate Criticizes Group That Complained About HimA U.S. Senate candidate in Mississippi said Wednesday that he's filing an Internal Revenue Service complaint against a group that complained to the Federal Election Commission about him.
Business+Tech EventsFor more business and technology-related events, check out jfpevents.com. For biz and tech news, visit jfp.ms/business.
A Platform for CommunityOn Thursday, March 22, Cathead Distillery in downtown Jackson was bustling with activity at JXN Gumbo as J.J. Townsend launched his nonprofit community crowd-funding platform, Citizenville.
EDITORIAL: Mayor, JPD, Get on Same Page About Officer ShootingsWhen it comes to police transparency, Jackson is on a volatile tectonic plate that could cause tremors at any moment. Especially when City officials are the ones off-kilter and inconsistent.
OPINION: Police-State Violence, the Elephant in the RoomWe live in a police state. That is when a government uses organized force to act arbitrarily and violently against the interests of the masses of people, rendering them subjects instead of citizens.
$6 Billion Budget, But No Roads, Bridges FundsState revenues are higher than expected, and lawmakers set aside about $112 million, or 2 percent, of the state budget for its rainy day fund, as they worked several late nights at the Mississippi Legislature to pass a roughly $6-billion …
Youth Take Lead on Guns in SchoolsAs the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School take the world stage to demand stricter gun laws, many people in the Jackson metro area recall that 20 years ago, Rankin County had its own high-profile school shooting.
Celebrating the Life of a Man JPD KilledIn Jackson, no one has taken to the streets for any of the last seven officer-involved shootings since Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba took office in July 2017 with none of the officers involved identified to date.
Mississippi Lawmakers Revise Some Medicaid ServicesMississippi lawmakers are updating the state's Medicaid program, allocating nearly $1 billion in state funds for the program that insures 1 in 4 state residents.
Retired Justice Urges Repeal of Second AmendmentRetired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is calling for the repeal of the Second Amendment to allow for significant gun control legislation.
Medicaid Funding in Flux as Lawmakers Work on $6 Billion BudgetOver the weekend, lawmakers worked to pass a roughly $6-billion budget to fund state agencies beginning in July. They have until Monday night to complete passing the state budget, with 10 budget bills left by press time.
Finance Complaint Filed in Mississippi US Senate CampaignA nonpartisan group says in a complaint to the Federal Election Commission that a super PAC has been improperly organizing and funding activities for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Chris McDaniel.
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.
‘All That Is Dead’: Roads and Bridges Funding Dies at LegislatureEfforts to provide additional funding for roads and bridges are dead in the 2018 legislative session after Senate and House leaders could not come to an agreement on exactly how to divert more funding to the state’s infrastructure on Friday.
Farish Quilt, New MUW President and UMMC/Memorial CollaborationJackson State University's Margaret Walker Center and creative-consulting group Significant Developments unveiled an interpretive plaque for the public art installation "Farish Quilt" in Farish Street Park on Thursday, March 22.
On the evening of March 8, a Flowood Police Department officer unloaded his gun into Von McDavid's car somewhere between four and eight times.
Jackson State University named alumnus Prince Duren as director of the school's theater department this week.
While the budget is intact, many other Republican priorities and proposals died this session. Here is a short list of what survived and what did not.
In the lead-up to this year's legislative session in Mississippi, supporters of a tougher gang law in the state talked a lot about the need to arrest white people. But in an ironic twist, the Jackson Free Press has learned …
President Donald Trump is firing Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and replacing him with the White House doctor in the wake of a bruising ethics scandal and a mounting rebellion within the VA.
The City of Jackson will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King through a conversation titled, “Examining Economic Justice 50 Years Later.” This will be a moderated conversation between Senator Bernie Sanders and Mayor Chokwe Antar …
A federal judge in Mississippi has extended his temporary block on the most restrictive abortion law in the United States.
A U.S. Senate candidate in Mississippi said Wednesday that he's filing an Internal Revenue Service complaint against a group that complained to the Federal Election Commission about him.
For more business and technology-related events, check out jfpevents.com. For biz and tech news, visit jfp.ms/business.
On Thursday, March 22, Cathead Distillery in downtown Jackson was bustling with activity at JXN Gumbo as J.J. Townsend launched his nonprofit community crowd-funding platform, Citizenville.
When it comes to police transparency, Jackson is on a volatile tectonic plate that could cause tremors at any moment. Especially when City officials are the ones off-kilter and inconsistent.
We live in a police state. That is when a government uses organized force to act arbitrarily and violently against the interests of the masses of people, rendering them subjects instead of citizens.
One of the biggest letdowns of the modern era—and the money involved in American politics—is the complacency that sets in once someone gets into office.
State revenues are higher than expected, and lawmakers set aside about $112 million, or 2 percent, of the state budget for its rainy day fund, as they worked several late nights at the Mississippi Legislature to pass a roughly $6-billion …
As the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School take the world stage to demand stricter gun laws, many people in the Jackson metro area recall that 20 years ago, Rankin County had its own high-profile school shooting.
In Jackson, no one has taken to the streets for any of the last seven officer-involved shootings since Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba took office in July 2017 with none of the officers involved identified to date.
Mississippi lawmakers are updating the state's Medicaid program, allocating nearly $1 billion in state funds for the program that insures 1 in 4 state residents.
Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is calling for the repeal of the Second Amendment to allow for significant gun control legislation.
Wayne Kuhn completed his sentence for a grand larceny charge in the 1980s more than 25 years ago. He even got his record expunged—and yet he still cannot vote in Mississippi.
Local business Sugar Ray's Sweet Shop launched a GoFundMe page on March 26 asking for donations to help keep the store open.
State lawmakers have again failed to agree on a plan for spending part of Mississippi's compensation from 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The City may require that the Jackson Police Department start releasing names of officers who fire on civilians within 72 hours of the incident.
Nearly 200 people took to the streets of downtown Jackson on Saturday, March 24, 2018, for the March for Our Lives, which calls for school safety and stricter gun laws.
Over the weekend, lawmakers worked to pass a roughly $6-billion budget to fund state agencies beginning in July. They have until Monday night to complete passing the state budget, with 10 budget bills left by press time.
A nonpartisan group says in a complaint to the Federal Election Commission that a super PAC has been improperly organizing and funding activities for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Chris McDaniel.
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.
Top Mississippi lawmakers said Saturday that they have agreed on a bond package of nearly $250 million to finance several projects.
Efforts to provide additional funding for roads and bridges are dead in the 2018 legislative session after Senate and House leaders could not come to an agreement on exactly how to divert more funding to the state’s infrastructure on Friday.
The Institutions of Higher Learning board named Alfred Rankins Jr. the new commissioner of higher education for Mississippi on Friday, March 23.
Jackson State University's Margaret Walker Center and creative-consulting group Significant Developments unveiled an interpretive plaque for the public art installation "Farish Quilt" in Farish Street Park on Thursday, March 22.