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Food
Gil’s Bread for Life
Since August, Ridgeland residents have reaped the benefits of a frustrated investment banker's new passion.
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Cover
The Most Under-reported Stories in the U.S. and Mississippi
This year's annual Project Censored list of the most under-reported news stories includes the widening wealth gap, the trial of Pfc. Bradley Manning, and President Obama's war on whistleblowers—all stories …
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City & County
JRA Sues Watkins, Jackson Leaders Fed Up
Hope for a compromise between the Jackson Redevelopment Authority and the latest Farish Street developer took a hit last week, when JRA filed a lawsuit against the Farish Street Group …
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Editor's Note
Mississippi’s Flag: A Blow at Civilization
The state flag tells the world that Mississippi hasn’t changed.
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Sebelius Apologizes for Health Law 'Debacle'
President Barack Obama's top health care official told Congress on Wednesday that she's responsible for the "debacle" of cascading technical problems that overwhelmed a government website intended to make shopping …
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Health Policy Cancellations: New Blow for Admin.
Move over, website woes. Lawmakers confronted the Obama administration Tuesday with a difficult new health care problem—a wave of cancellation notices hitting individuals and small business who buy their own …
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City & County
Gaillet Fired as Public Works Director
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba has fired Public Works Director Dan Gaillet, effective immediately. The mayor confirmed Gaillet's termination Monday afternoon following a special meeting of the city council.
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Biz Roundup
Adieu Bon Ami, Cheers to Small Businesses
On Nov. 30, American Express and the Shop Small Movement will host the fourth annual Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting small businesses nationwide during the holiday shopping …
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Miss. DPS Drops $6 Photo Fee on Gun Permit
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety on Monday dropped the $6 photo fee it tacked onto the charge for a concealed-carry gun permit starting July 1, and it's working to …
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City & County
Horhn: Farish Games 'Very Frustrating'
Downtown is abuzz over the ongoing feud between the Jackson Redevelopment Authority and one of Jackson's most prominent developers, David Watkins, and his Farish Street Entertainment District project.
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FDA Proposes Rules to Make Animal Food Safer
Amid incidents of pets dying from dog treats, the Food and Drug Administration is proposing long-awaited rules to make pet food and animal feed safer.
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Healthcare.gov Problems Are Target at Hill Hearing
The principal contractors responsible for the federal government's troubled health insurance website say the Obama administration shares responsibility for snags that have crippled the system.
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Music
‘Cane Sugar’ and Bayous
New Orleans-based roots-rock band Honey Island Swamp Band calls its music “Bayou Americana.”
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Food
Happy (Local) Halloween
This year, shake it up a little bit by adding some local flair to your Halloween treats.
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Food
Tricky Treats
Candy-coated strawberries are a classic, and turning them into little ghosts is easier than you think.
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AP Exclusive: Nuke Officers Left Blast Door Open
Twice this year alone, Air Force officers entrusted with the launch keys to nuclear-tipped missiles have been caught leaving open a blast door that is intended to help prevent a …
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Builders of Obama's Health Website Saw Red Flags
Crammed into conference rooms with pizza for dinner, some programmers building the Obama administration's showcase health insurance website were growing increasingly stressed.
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Extremist Groups Hobble Syrian Peace Negotiations
Violent extremists seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad may instead have hurt negotiations to replace him.
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Will Jackson Get Boost from $1 trillion in Black Spending?
By R.L. NaveOver the weekend, Black Enterprise magazine reported that the spending power of the nation's 43 million African Americans is expected to top $1 trillion by 2015.
BE cites a report that will be presented at a June 2014 meeting of the National Association of Black Accountants Conference. The report found that the African American population "is an economic force to be reckoned with, with a projected buying power of $1.1 trillion by 2015."
That should be good news for Jackson and Mississippi, which have some of the the nation's highest percentages of of black residents. Jackson's population is 80 percent black; Mississippi has to a 40 percent black population.
What's more, black consumers' growth outpaces the rest of the population by 30 percent, the study shows:
Between 2000 and 2009, the number of African Americans attending some college or earning degrees has grown: 45 percent of men; 54 percent of women. Households earning $75,000 or more grew by more than 60 percent, faster than the rest of the population. African American’s average income nationwide is $47,290.
So what does this all mean in business terms? It means African Americans wield tremendous buying power. The Nielsen study showed numerous shopping trends, mostly for household, health and beauty, travel, smart phones and child related items.
Hopefully, Jackson residents and businesses are in a position to take full advantage.
