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Education
Rod Paige: JSU Must Improve Image, DeVos a 'High-quality Person'
Dr. Rod Paige, the former U.S. secretary of education under President George W. Bush, believes Jackson State University can and must get past its recent financial controversies and have a …
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Emails: LGBT Law Cost N. Carolina Project with 700 Jobs
Internal emails show that city and state officials blame a North Carolina law limiting LGBT protections for a company's decision to pick another state for a new project that includes …
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Mississippi's Harper Named Chair of House Admin Committee
Republican Rep. Gregg Harper of Mississippi has been named chairman of U.S. House Administration Committee.
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Lawsuits Seek to Block or Halt Wisconsin, Michigan Recounts
Supporters of Republican Donald Trump filed a federal lawsuit trying to halt Wisconsin's ongoing presidential recount, and Michigan's attorney general on Friday sued to stop a recount from happening in …
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GOP Chairman Who Targeted Clinton in No Rush on Trump
The Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, who promised before the election to investigate Democrat Hillary Clinton for years, says he will wait until President-elect Donald Trump takes office …
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Stop Hillary PAC, Other Trump Supporters File Federal Lawsuit to Block Wisconsin Recount
Supporters of President-elect Donald Trump have filed a federal lawsuit trying to stop Wisconsin's ongoing presidential election recount.
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House Pushes Ahead with $611 Billion Defense Policy Bill
The Republican-led House is pushing ahead with a $611 billion defense policy bill that prohibits closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, forbids the Pentagon from trimming the number of …
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Trump to Nominate Retired Gen. James Mattis to Lead Pentagon
Breaking once more from presidential custom, Donald Trump is turning to a military man to steer the U.S. military, choosing retired Gen. James Mattis, who will be the first career …
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Foreclosed Trump Voter on Treasury Secretary Pick: 'He's Now Backing His Buddies'
WASHINGTON (AP) — When Donald Trump named his Treasury secretary, Teena Colebrook felt her heart sink. She had voted for the president-elect on the belief that he would knock the …
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Next Test for Pipeline Protesters: the North Dakota Winter
So far, the hundreds of protesters fighting the Dakota Access pipeline have shrugged off the heavy snow, icy winds and frigid temperatures that have swirled around their large encampment on …
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Tempers Flare as Campaign Aides Assess Still-Raw 2016 Race
Tempers flared and political fault-lines were inflamed, as aides to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton gathered for their first meeting since Election Day.
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US Judge Hears Arguments in Mississippi House Election Spat
A federal judge hears arguments Friday over whether to dismiss a lawsuit challenging a 2015 Mississippi election that went to a drawing of straws.
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Lawyer: Greenville Superintendent Fired, but Seeks Reversal
The lawyer for Greenville Superintendent Leeson Taylor says the school board has fired Taylor, and that a meeting Tuesday with the school board was Taylor's appeal.
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City & County
City of Jackson Christmas Parade Rescheduled to Dec. 10 Due to Inclement Weather
Due to forecasted inclement weather, the City of Jackson’s annual Christmas Parade has been rescheduled from Saturday, Dec. 3, to Dec. 10 at noon.
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White House Announces Support for Women in Military Draft
The Obama administration is announcing its support for requiring women to register for the military draft.
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2016 SWAC Championship Game Preview
By bryanflynnSome people might argue the SWAC championship game took place last week when Grambling State University crushed Southern University 52-30 to win the west division. Both teams entered the contest undefeated in conference play, and the winner earned a spot in the title game Saturday, Dec. 3.
Grambling State ran roughshod over the SWAC this season, winning by an average of 38 points in conference games. The Tigers steamroll of the conference included two shutouts, and they only gave up 21 or more points twice.
Alcorn State University won its final two games of the season against Mississippi Valley State University and Jackson State University to win the east division. The Braves now have three consecutive east titles and are looking to become the first team since Grambling State from 1999-2001 to win three SWAC championships in a row.
In last year’s title game, Alcorn State beat up Grambling State, winning 49-21. ASU set championship records for points (49), rushing yards (411) and total offense (613). The Braves are the only team with multiple championship-game appearances without a loss.
Grambling State is playing in its ninth championship game and owns an 8-2 record in its previous trips. The Tigers are 5-0 against SWAC teams from Alabama but just 1-2 against SWAC teams from Mississippi.
When Alcorn State traveled to Grambling State during the regular season, the Tigers routed the Braves 43-18. GSU rolled up 534 yards total offense with 400 yards coming through the air.
Former University of Mississippi quarterback DeVante Kincade leads GSU on offense. He threw for five touchdowns against the Braves in that regular-season meeting.
Interestingly, both teams scored a safety in that game. Alcorn State held an 8-7 lead in the first quarter before Grambling State recorded a safety in the second quarter and never gave up the lead again.
The championship game will feature a battle between two of the top offenses in the SWAC. Grambling State is first in total offense (507.6 yards per game), scoring offense (44 points per game) and passing offense (300.3 yards per game). The Tigers are also fourth in rushing offense with 207.3 yards per game.
Alcorn State is fourth in scoring offense (31.3 points per game), third in total offense (417.9 yards per game), second in rushing offense (217.8 yards per game) and seventh in passing offense (200.1 yards per game).
It is on defense where Grambling State separates itself from the rest of the conference. The Tigers top in the conference in total defense (allowing 323.6 yards per game), scoring defense (allowing 16.4 points per game) and rushing defense (allowing 120.9 yards per game. GSU is also second in passing defense, giving up just 202.7 yards per game.
ASU is third in total defense (allowing 391.7 yards per game), sixth in scoring defense (allowing 29.2 points per game), third in …
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U.S. Justice Dept. Announces (More) Federal Prison Reforms
By adreherThe Department of Justice announced a series of reforms for federal prisons today. Reforms include building a school district within the system and improving the halfway houses that serve as re-entry homes for inmates in the system.
The DOJ also announced plans to improve programs for women in prison and provide inmates that are released with ID cards, free of charge. The reforms are a part of the department's intense focus on lowering recidivism rates across the country and rehabilitating former inmates. Earlier this year, the DOJ announced that they would phase out all contracts they had with private prisons due to the lowering number of inmates in the country as well as not finding real advantage in cost savings or enhanced services with private facilities.
There are two federal prisons in Mississippi: one in Yazoo City, and one in Natchez. The facility in Yazoo City is privately operated and run by the Corrections Corporation of America, or CCA, whose stocks soared after Donald Trump won the projected electoral college votes on Nov. 8.
President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general could change some of these reforms, and Democrats fear what Sessions' prosecutorial reputation and Trump's promises for "law and order" on the campaign trail could mean for reforms made in the past eight years.
