From the Wire

Blue Cross and HMA Settle Hospital Payment DisputeMississippi's largest health insurer and its second-largest hospital operator have settled their dispute.
Obama Orders Military to Review Sexual AssaultPresident Barack Obama on Friday gave the military one year to make progress on an epidemic of sexual assault or face potential tougher reforms, hours after Congress sent a sweeping defense bill for his signature that cracks down on the …
Russian Oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky a Free ManAfter spending 10 years in Russian jails for what many in the West believe were trumped-up offenses, Mikhail Khodorkovsky left prison a free man Friday and immediately flew to Germany.
Spy Sanel Wants Duplicate Oversight Board ReplacedFor months, two review panels given nearly identical assignments by President Barack Obama have been studying how the White House should change or limit the National Security Agency's surveillance programs.
Gay Marriage Supporters See Hope in Deep-Red Ind.In one of the most conservative states in the nation, supporters of gay marriage are pondering the unthinkable: a victory, or at least not a loss.
Miss. Board of Education Approves Preschool GrantsMississippi education officials have awarded $2 million to 11 groups to provide preschool for four-year-olds.
Alcorn President Brown ResignsAlcorn State University President M. Christopher Brown II has resigned amid an investigation into university purchasing practices.
Putin to Pardon Jailed Tycoon KhodorkovskyPresident Vladimir Putin said Thursday he will pardon jailed oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a surprise decision that will let his top foe and Russia's formerly richest man out of prison after more than a decade.
Ukrainian Leader Slams West, Tilts Toward RussiaUkraine's embattled president slammed the West on Thursday for supporting the massive street protests calling for his ouster and announced plans to partially join a Moscow-led economic union—a move that was likely to deepen Ukraine's political crisis.
Target: 40M Card Accounts May be BreachedTarget says that about 40 million credit and debit card accounts may have been affected by a data breach that occurred just as the holiday shopping season shifted into high gear.
Amid Spasm of Violence, U.S. Diplomat in C. AfricaThe American ambassador to the United Nations arrived Thursday in Central African Republic in the highest profile American effort to date to spotlight the violence in this impoverished nation, which has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced at least 10 …
Ex-JPD Officer Pleads Guilty in Bribery CaseA former Jackson police officer pleaded guilty Wednesday to trying to bribe another officer with $10,000 to drop drug charges against one of his friends.
Jackson State Fires Rick Comegy After 8 SeasonsJackson State fired football coach Rick Comegy on Wednesday after eight seasons.
'Mary Poppins' Among 25 U.S. Films to be PreservedJust in time for a new movie about the making of "Mary Poppins," the 1964 Disney classic starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke has been selected for preservation at the Library of Congress so future generations of Americans can …
Bipartisan Budget Agreement Nears Final PassageA modest, bipartisan budget pact designed to keep Washington from lurching from fiscal crisis to fiscal crisis and to ease the harshest effects of automatic budget cuts is on the brink of passing the Senate Wednesday.