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Fact Check: Romney Seriously Mischaracterized Facts on Attacks

An occasional look at political claims that take shortcuts with the facts or don't tell the full story.

Men We Love

In honor of Dad's day, we want to spotlight just a few of the Jacksonian men we love.

Former Gov. William Winter, 81, is such an obvious choice for the "Men We Love" issue that we almost feel silly including him. But, as politics get uglier and more divided in the state, it's a perfect time to honor a man who brought integrity, dignity, and a devotion to progressive ideas and helping the poor of his state to the governor's mansion, a combination that has seldom crossed its threshold, before or after Winter. We especially love Winter for his tireless devotion to squarely facing the state's race past and, damn it, doing whatever it takes to right the wrongs.

Centrist Sen. Specter Died Fighting for Moderation

Arlen Specter, a pugnacious and prominent former moderate in the U.S. Senate who developed the single-bullet theory in President John F. Kennedy's assassination and played starring roles in Supreme Court confirmation hearings, lost a battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma at a time when Congress is more politically polarized than anyone serving there—or living in America—can remember.

Afghan Police School Tries to Fix Struggling Force

At the gate to the National Police Academy, on the western edge of the Afghan capital, the guard's rifle bolts into firing position. "Stop!" he shouts.

The East Coast Wakes Up, Surveys Damage From Hurricane Sandy As Storm Continues Inland

Millions of people from Maine to the Carolinas awoke Tuesday without power, and an eerily quiet New York City was all but closed off by car, train and air as superstorm Sandy steamed inland, still delivering punishing wind and rain.

Long Lines, Rising Tempers Seen at Gas Stations

Motorists fumed in long lines at gas stations around the metropolitan area and screamed at each other Friday morning as fuel shortages hindered the region's efforts to recover four days after Superstorm Sandy.

Research Funding Takes a Hit at USM

University of Southern Mississippi biology professor Shahid Karim is fascinated by ticks.

Sumdance

Three films, one day. That's Sumdance (especially when waitlists are involved)

What to say about Spooner, except that it's perfect? Spooner is the off-beat romantic comedy Garden State was trying to be (no offense, Zach Braff), and it couldn't be more representative of what Slamdance is about: a first-time feature director, an talented leading lady who, up until now, has only crossed our radar in bit parts (Eden McCain in Heroes, Lainey in Everwood and Laura in the movie Brick), and a writer standing proud, up front with cast and crew during a Q&A, getting the shout-out that all writers deserve and few receive. Spooner is the story of used car salesman Herman Spooner (Matthew Lillard), the kind of endearingly clueless 29 year-old that hops a desk to prop up a leaking 20 foot inflatable gorilla, describes his parents as "pretty awesome," goes to his backyard fort to think things over and never plans to move out of his childhood bedroom. Except that in a few days he's 30, so his parents have made a plan for him. They love him. This is why they change the locks.

Area's First Batterer's Intervention Program Coming to Jackson

Domestic violence. It's such a bland, vanilla euphemism for some of the most brutal and damaging pain that people inflict on one another. Brutal, of course, because peoplemostly women and childrenget their faces punched, their bones broken and sometimes die. Damaging, because the same people who profess love are those doing the punching and breaking, permanently scarring their victims, physically and psychologically. And for women, dying at the hands of an abuser is a real threat: In 2002, two-thirds of all women murdered by firearms were shot by their intimate partners.

GOP PR Firm, Others Under Scrutiny

Sid Salter has an intriguing bit today on his blog about PR firms under scrutiny by the legislative PEER Committee.

Court: Can Drug Companies Pay to Delay Generics?

Federal regulators are pressing the Supreme Court to stop big pharmaceutical corporations from paying generic drug competitors to delay releasing their cheaper versions of brand-name drugs.

Kerry, Karzai Bury Hatchet in Kabul Meeting

Eager to overcome a bout of bickering, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan President Hamid Karzai made a show of unusual unity between their two nations on Monday. The friendly display came as the U.S. military ceded control of its last detention facility in Afghanistan, ending a longstanding irritant in relations.

Big Questions About Charters

The atmosphere at the Mississippi Capitol got tense for a few moments Thursday when Sen. Kenneth Wayne Jones, D-Canton, leader of the Legislative Black Caucus, questioned the legitimacy of Gov. Phil Bryant's education policy recommendations.

Freedom Returns to the Storied City of Timbuktu

On the morning French commandos parachuted onto the sand just north of this storied city and ended 10 months of Islamic rule, Hawi Traore folded up her veil. On the next day, she wore heels. On the day after, she put on her sparkly earrings, got her hair braided and tried her mother's perfume.

‘No Child Left Behind' Favoring White Kids

OK, this is just what I was talking about at the end of my recent column, "For These Are All Our Children": A new Harvard study is finding that 'No Child Left Behind' is benefitting white kids more than kids of color—as certain schools are allowed to negotiate around the requirements of NCLB. (See Barbour's efforts to give "good" schools "home rule.") This stinks, people. Racism is becoming much more sophisticated these days.

Generals Telling Truth About ‘Dash to Baghdad'

As Iraq teeters on a civil war the U.S. cannot control, the New York Times has an in-depth story about what happened with generals who protested the U.S.' initial rush into Baghdad:

Rise of the Third Party?

Here's an interesting Washington Post piece on tech in politics and a little hint as to why the Dean campaign apparatus allows a smaller "third party" organization to organize politically. Could the Internet spells doom for the two-party "duopoly"?

Canoodling by the Icebox

The Bradford pear trees have finally announced the arrival of spring. For my husband, Mason, and me, this means it's time to open up the windows, forgo the soups and stews of winter, and enjoy refreshing springtime recipes.

One Enchanted April

Jacksonians who enjoy a good play have a full menu of options during April. There's a musical comedy at Millsaps, children's theater at New Stage and an adult musical comedy and a new twist on William Shakespeare, out in Clinton.

Hurricane Katrina: Two Years Later

As our state and our Louisiana neighbors face the two-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with many thousands of people still living in FEMA trailers, and the possibility of another hurricane looming, the Jackson Free Press pauses to send a prayer to all the victims of a devastating hurricane. Click here to view the JFP's KatrinaBlog, started the day after the hurricane hit the Coast, and archiving Katrina-related stories and posts by JFP writers and readers.

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