Jackson Free Press

The Governor Sacrifices His Rook

One burning question from our past two weeks of reporting at the Capitol on the governor's special session is a simple, if surprising, one. Does Haley Barbour really want tort …

[Ask Joanne] Eureka, She Found It!

Q. I've noticed for years the signs at Fortification and Monroe Streets pointing south indicating some sort of "Community Children's Theater." And I've hunted for it, but I can't seem …

Denise Halbach

With an eyebrow arched and a gleam in her startlingly blue eyes, Denise Halbach captivates her audience immediately. The Louisiana-born, Jackson-raised dramatist begins our conversation with a surprising fact. "I …

[Mizell] It's as Simple as That

I took a creative writing class in college recently that was small and intimate and we actually discussed interesting things. Usually we'd go over poems and plays; but recently we …

Medicaid Train Wreck

The most momentous action so far during the special session wasn't technically on the agenda: Gov. Haley Barbour signed HB 1434 Wednesday, May 26, a "landmark" bill to cut $106 …

Mississippians and the Numbers

On Wednesday, May 26, Mississippians for Economic Progress released a poll in a press conference attended by Haley Barbour, which suggested that Mississippians support the notion of ending "lawsuit abuse" …

JFP Blog Keeps Breaking Its Records!

Go Fighting Okra!

Delta State has one of the best Divison II college baseball programs in the country. Yet for all of the Statesmen's success in the last 40 years, first under Boo …

War Games: a Review of ‘Troy'

Wolfgang Petersen's "Troy" is part Hollywood war movie, part Greek tragedy, part beefcake calendar, all cinematic spectacle. With Brad Pitt in the lead role and a price tag that falls …

[Solomon] Backlash Against Outrage

Looking at visual images from U.S.-run prisons in Iraq, news watchers now find themselves in the midst of a jolting experience that roughly resembles a process described by Donald Rumsfeld: …

[Update] Speaker McCoy: Gov, Senate Move ‘Terrible Thing'

After spending eight days in special session, costing taxpayers a total of $41,162 so far (see below), the Mississippi House of Representatives went home Friday, saying they will return next …

[Lott] A $100 Fill-Up?

In Mississippi this week I've fielded many questions about our high gas prices. People demand to know, and we deserve to know, why Mississippians from the Coast to Corinth are …

The Scarlet H

The sign,"!Stop! HYSTERECTOMY DAMAGES WOMEN," strapped to the side of a royal-blue Subaru parked in front of the University Medical Center, caught the attention of many Jacksonians the first week …

‘Philadelphia Coalition' Calls for Justice

The Neshoba Democrat is reporting that a multi-racial coalition of leader, business owners, newspaper editors and citizens in Neshoba County today issued a long-overdue statement, calling for justice for the …

Earl Fyke IV

Sitting at the round corner table at Hal & Mal's—his team's Pub Quiz table—I realized that with young men like Earl Fyke IV around, there's reason to hope. This 24-year-old …

[Rev] Miniature World

My favorite dive bar has a glass display case featuring action figures of all the bartenders. There's Tonya, the retro-50s glam gal with her carefully combed bangs and lacy skirts; …

One Fine Fruit

It goes without saying that the banana, fleeting as it may be in its perfection, is one fine fruit. For Americans, it's raw fruit numero uno as well as our …

Watch Those Low-Carb Torts

This past week I've taken advantage of my access to a press pass to sit in on some fascinating meetings in the Capitol. From Judiciary A meetings on "both sides …

Voter ID: ‘Not About Intimidation'

Despite efforts by the Mississippi Legislature to compromise on voter identification during the regular session, Gov. Haley Barbour held a May 13 press conference to demonstrate that he wants no …

[Spann] Banishing the Labels

"Honey, I think I'm becoming a Republican!" I exclaimed to my husband one sunny spring afternoon while perusing a magazine. As usual, he calmly examined me for physical evidence of …