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The Dawn of a New ‘Daily'

This past week we flipped the switch on a new "product" that's been brewing in the JFP labs for the better part of six months: JFP Daily.

One Story At A Time

She's petite—5 feet, 3 inches at most—her vocabulary is huge, and her future is gargantuan. Casey Parks, former assistant editor of the Jackson Free Press, has done more in her 23 years than most people ever dream. As the only one chosen out of 3,800 applicants to accompany Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nicholas Kristof on a trip to Africa, I predict she will one day be selecting her own travel companion for some far-away journalistic expedition.

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Seth Power: Advocating for Mississippi and Celebrating Milestones in Life and Music

In the last year, Seth Power has released two albums, and multiple radio stations have played his single, “I Do.”

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One City, United and Divided

Within two months, the city of Jackson and community leaders have unveiled several programs that claim the same goals: to unite Jacksonians, promote the capital city's positive features and move Jackson into a better future.

PMG Chevrons Invite Local Papers Back Into Stores

Melton Hosting Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Party

Got a tip last night at Fondren Unwrapped that Bob Hickingbottom is calling Melton's supporters, and former supporters, asking them to donate money to attend what they are actually calling a "Get out of jail free" party to help with his legal fees. We'll post more details as soon as we get them. Anyone out there heard about this, yet?

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Hood Criticizes 'Legal Corruption,' Pushes for Medicaid, Mental-Health Reform

On the heels of Tate Reeves' victory in the Republican runoff for Mississippi governor, Democratic nominee Jim Hood emphasized the urgency of health-care reform for Mississippians at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, saying it would remain a top issue in his campaign.

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Koch-Funded ‘Bill Mill’ ALEC Names Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn National Chairman

When he resumes his leadership at the Legislature in 2020, Mississippi Speaker of the House Philip Gunn will also serve as the new national chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council, an organization that pushes corporate-friendly and anti-public-education legislation in state houses across the nation. The right-wing billionaire Koch family, an assortment of lobbyists, corporations and wealthy donors fund ALEC.

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Hyde-Smith Bill Targets Medication Abortions with 'SAVE Moms and Babies Act'

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith is joining other anti-abortion politicians who are increasingly prioritizing legislative efforts designed to restrict access to federally approved abortion medication.

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Mississippi Teachers Unimpressed As House Ups Two-Year Pay Raise to $4,000

Mississippi teachers told the Jackson Free Press that they agreed with critics of the Legislature's $1,000 raise bill, and they had their own criticisms of even a $4,000 raise.

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Reeves Falsely Claims Hood Will Let 'Terrorists and Rapists' Vote

Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican candidate for governor this year, misled voters on Tuesday when he claimed that state Attorney General Jim Hood would allow "terrorists and rapists" to vote from prison if elected.

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UPDATED: ‘Galactic Trouble’ for Foster Care Ahead?

Jess Dickinson likes to use an ancient maxim he heard in a film, "The Bourne Ultimatum," to illustrate where he sits currently as the commissioner of Mississippi's foster-care system. "Hope for the best; plan for the worst," Dickinson says.

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Baria Donations Top All Dem Nominees in Mississippi Since 2008

David Baria raised more money than any Mississippi Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate since 2008, fundraising numbers released on Tuesday reveal.

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Jackson’s Tripartite Assault on Crime; Cops on Leave After Man's Death from Head Injury

The latest murders in Jackson mean that the capital city could be on track for more homicides than in 2018, which was the highest on record since late in the crack era in the 1990s.

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Medical Marijuana Gains Momentum in Mississippi, with Majority Support

Medical marijuana in Mississippi is on pace to make it onto the ballot in the state next year, said Jonathan Brown, who is leading the signature drive.

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Tax Facts Hardly Anyone Knows

For three decades America has conducted a massive economic experiment, testing a theory known as supply-side economics. The theory goes like this: Lower tax rates will encourage more investment, which in turn will mean more jobs and greater prosperity—so much so that tax revenues will go up, despite lower rates.

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Violence in the City: Victims’ Families Seek Closure, Police Respect

Radio silence from local law enforcement is a common and historic complaint the Jackson Free Press has long heard from family members who lose their loved ones to gun violence in Jackson.

‘He Will Be Missed': Herman Snell, 1969-2010

"A secret turning in us makes the universe turn. Head unaware of feet, and feet head. Neither cares. They keep turning." - Rumi

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Still Fighting at Home: Transgender Veterans Caught in the Flux

Some top-down changes coming soon to the VA could help alleviate inadvertent or purposeful discrimination against LGBT veterans. Due to a recent change, all VA medical centers now have the ability for the first time to change a part of a veteran's medical record digitally.

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Reforming Criminal Justice: Is Mississippi Making Progress?

The Mississippi Reentry Council has been working to make it easier for inmates to find jobs and re-acclimate to life free from bars. U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett says the ultimate goal of the council is community safety.