Lawmakers: Obama Wooing Might Break Budget LogjamRepublican lawmakers said Sunday they welcome President Barack Obama's courtship and suggested the fresh engagement between the White House and Congress might help yield solutions to the stubborn budget battle that puts Americans' jobs at risk.
For People and Press, a Shared Need to KnowSuppose President Obama was a room with Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant. Suppose they had time to kill and no one to talk to except each other. Would they have common ground for chit-chat?
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.
City Campaign Laws Inconsistently FollowedCity clerks are required to collect campaign finance reports during local elections throughout Mississippi and deliver that information to Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann's office, but Hosemann said he only receives the information sporadically.
Records Tell Spending Story for Miss. CitizensBoth the State Auditor's Office and the FBI have ramped up probes of misspending at the agency charged with protecting and enhancing the state's coastal resources.
Bryant Gets Bill Permanently Allowing Payday LoansThe state Senate gave final approval Friday to House Bill 559, which deletes the requirement that lawmakers periodically renew authorization for the loans.
Jackson Health Exec Touts Medicaid Expansion BenefitsCharlotte Dupré, chief executive officer of the Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, said the hospital would benefit if state lawmakers expand the Medicaid health-care program.
Plan Could Allow State Takeover of F-Rated SchoolsMississippi lawmakers are considering a sweeping plan that could remove more than 100 low-performing schools from local school board control for unknown periods of time.
Arkansas GOP Eyes Planned Parenthood Funds NextNot content with enacting the most restrictive abortion law in the country, Arkansas Republicans plan to press the legislative advantage their party hasn't enjoyed since Reconstruction by making it even more difficult for women to get abortions in the state.
Obama Presses on with GOP Charm OffensivePunctuated with the sounds of ringing phones and clinking china, President Barack Obama's new legislative diplomacy has Republicans wondering what took so long.
Furlough Plans Vary Widely at Gov't AgenciesFederal workers could face seven days of furloughs at the Housing and Urban Development Department, but Homeland Security personnel might see twice that number.
House Revives Push to Raise Speed Limit to 75 MPHHouse members amended an unrelated Senate bill Thursday to allow the state Transportation Commission to raise the speed limit on some highways to 75 mph.
Local Option Dies AgainOnce again, the Mississippi Legislature has left Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. with a local-option sales-tax law he refuses to implement.
Miss. Dems Seek New Approach on Medicaid ExpansionDemocrats in the Mississippi Legislature say they're trying a new approach to push for Medicaid expansion—an issue they support and Republican leaders oppose.
More Gun Laws=Fewer Deaths, 50-State Study SaysStates with the most gun control laws have the fewest gun-related deaths, according to a study that suggests sheer quantity of measures might make a difference.
Senate Committee Starting Votes on Curbing GunsPresident Barack Obama's prospects for winning near-universal background checks for gun purchases seemed shaky as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepared for Congress' first votes on curbing firearms since December's horrific shootings at a Connecticut elementary school.
Efforts to Avoid Gov't Shutdown Move to SenateIf Congress can avoid another budget crisis, it could clear the way for lawmakers and President Barack Obama to restart talks on a longer-term deficit reduction plan.
Jeb Bush 'Not Saying No' To a Presidential Run in 2016Jeb Bush has long resisted pressure from supporters to run for president. Now the former Florida governor is signaling that he's at least open to the idea, a shift that comes as he promotes a new book and Republicans struggle …
The Business of BeerLast year, after several failed attempts, Mississippi lawmakers made it legal to produce and sell beer containing as much as 8 percent alcohol.
Battle of the BoxesIf there's one thing Mississippians love, it's their discount stores.
Liberty’s Kitchen: Jackson Bound?Syrena Johnson never thought anyone evaluating scholarship applicants would even give her a second look.
Slow and EasyFive Mississippi prisons are already privately run, but Adams County could be the first in the state to turn operations of its county jail over to a private firm.
JSU Aims High in Stadium BidJackson State University is aiming for a lofty peak, hoping to fill what some see as a real need in the capital city with its plan to build a $200-million domed stadium on campus.
Robert Thompson: Family ManRobert Thompson is no stranger to comebacks. This May, he's hoping to rally from a 2005 defeat by Frank Bluntson to win the election for Jackson's Ward 4 City Council seat.
PSC Approves Rate Increase for Miss. Power PlantA state commission voted Tuesday to allow Mississippi Power Co. to start billing customers to pay for the Kemper County power plant it's building, but not as much as the company wanted.
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.
Charlotte Dupré, chief executive officer of the Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, said the hospital would benefit if state lawmakers expand the Medicaid health-care program.
Data companies are scooping up enormous amounts of information about almost every American.
Last year, after several failed attempts, Mississippi lawmakers made it legal to produce and sell beer containing as much as 8 percent alcohol.
If there's one thing Mississippians love, it's their discount stores.
Syrena Johnson never thought anyone evaluating scholarship applicants would even give her a second look.
Five Mississippi prisons are already privately run, but Adams County could be the first in the state to turn operations of its county jail over to a private firm.
Jackson State University is aiming for a lofty peak, hoping to fill what some see as a real need in the capital city with its plan to build a $200-million domed stadium on campus.
Robert Thompson is no stranger to comebacks. This May, he's hoping to rally from a 2005 defeat by Frank Bluntson to win the election for Jackson's Ward 4 City Council seat.