From the Wire

Obama Taking Tough Stand on Fiscal Cliff TalksThe White House has laid out its vision for pulling back from the looming "fiscal cliff" and now demands that opposition Republicans get specific about their plan to prevent what many economists predict would mean a return to recession and …
Veterans' Gun Rights Sticky Issue in Defense BillShould veterans deemed too mentally incompetent to handle their own financial affairs be prevented from buying a gun?
Brinksmanship on Obama Medicaid Expansion for PoorIt's health care brinksmanship, with hundreds of billions of dollars and the well-being of millions of people at stake.
Entergy Completes $206M Purchase of Power PlantEntergy Mississippi says it has completed its $206 million purchase of a Jackson power plant.
AP IMPACT: China Overtaking U.S. as Global TraderShin Cheol-soo no longer sees his future in the United States.
In Search of the SalamandersOn cold, dreary winter nights, tall flashing caution lights along a rocky stretch of the Natchez Trace Parkway will warn drivers to brake for salamanders.
History Marker Placed at Old Neshoba County JailA Mississippi historical marker has been placed at the old Neshoba County jail site in Philadelphia where three civil rights workers were held hours before they were ambushed and killed by Ku Klux Klansmen in 1964.
Winter: Too Little Momentum Now to Help EducationCurrent leaders are offering only small-scale ideas, not ambitious plans that could strengthen the entire public school system.
10 Things to Know for FridayYour daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and stories that will be talked about today.
Mo. Powerball Winner Verified; Ariz.'s a MysterySometimes it's better to dream, particularly when reality means you're not an instant multimillionaire.
Gay Marriage Before Supreme Court? Cases WeighedThe running fight over gay marriage is shifting from the ballot box to the Supreme Court.
UN vote recognizes state of Palestine; U.S. objectsThe United Nations has voted overwhelmingly to recognize a Palestinian state, but the Palestinians still face enormous limitations: They don't control their borders, airspace or trade, they have separate and competing governments in Gaza and the West Bank, and they …
Federal Prisons Urged to Grant More Early ReleasesFor humanitarian and economic reasons, the federal Bureau of Prisons should grant more early releases to incapacitated and terminally ill prisoners, two advocacy groups say in a report depicting current policies as sometimes "cruel as well as senseless."
Memphis Music Hall of Fame Inducts 1st ClassThe Memphis Music Hall of Fame inducted its first class Thursday with a roster of 25 music greats spanning generations, from rock 'n' roll icon Elvis Presley to Oscar-winning rap group Three 6 Mafia.
Solar Firm that Got $26M in Miss. Loans is ClosingMississippi taxpayers may have only an empty Senatobia building and solar panel equipment to show for $26 million in loans to Twin Creeks Technologies.