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Miss. Power CEO Ed Day Out
More than $1 billion in cost overruns at the coal-fired plant have claimed the job of Mississippi Power Co.'s CEO, and parent Southern Co. has sent in a top executive …
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WAPT Poll Shows Lee's Lead Over Lumumba Down Dramatically
By Donna LaddWAPT just released Mason-Dixon poll results that show that mayoral candidate Jonathan Lee's lead has shrunk three points since Friday, and Chokwe Lumumba's support has increased seven points. Lee leads 46 percent to 42 percent going into tomorrow's pivotal run-off face. The poll showed 12 percent still undecided. Lee led 49 percent to 35 percent in poll results released Friday.
The poll shows that Lumumba leads with black voters 46 percent to 36 percent with 18 percent undecided. Lee leads Lumumba 87 percent to 4 percent with white voters with 9 percent undecided.
The newest poll results come after several controversial campaign days, which included an anti-Lumumba TV ad using what Lee called "sound bites" to question Lumumba's religious faith, strength as a Democrat and like for police officers. The same day, news hit that Lumumba was also running a controversial ad, featuring Rep. Bennie Thompson endorsing Lumumba and questioning Lee's Democratic credentials.
Today, campaign controversy increased further with news of controversial flyers left on cars during church services, but any fallout from that is not likely reflected in the polls, yet.
The poll showed that 46 percent believe that Lumumba defeated Lee in a pivotal debate Friday night with 31 percent saying Lee won. The poll shows the debate had a huge impact: Lee led by 47 percent among debate watchers before the debate with only 38 percent of them supporting him afterward. Lumumba's support among debate waters jumped from 33 percent to 50 percent after the debate.
The poll has a +/- 4.5 margin of error.
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Health Care
Traffic Noise Increases Risk of Diabetes
Noise from honking cars and police sirens can disrupt sleep, but it also may increase the chance of developing diabetes, according to a large study from Denmark.
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Events
Community Events and Public Meetings
The Mississippi Youth Hip Hop Summit and Parent/Advocate Conference Call for Volunteers is from July 20-21 at Millsaps College.
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Miss. High Court Dismisses Hospital Sale Dispute
The Mississippi Supreme Court has granted a motion from St. Dominic Health Systems to dismiss its appeal of a judge's order that it did not have a binding contract to …
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City & County
Was Jonathan Lee's MPI Collateral Damage in UMMC Deal?
In the case of the legal problems plaguing the family business of Jackson Democratic mayoral candidate Jonathan Lee, Mississippi Products has found itself in legal purgatory between MPI's customers: the …
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Bennie Thompson Backs Lumumba, Links Lee to GOP
By R.L. NaveDemocratic U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson is wading into the Jackson mayor's race, and endorsing Councilman Chokwe Lumumba over political upstart and businessman Jonathan Lee.
In the R-and-B-laced radio ad, Thompson refrains from naming Lee but says: "When I see Republicans from Rankin and Madison counties endorsing the other so-called Democrat, I know something is fishy."
Thompson goes on to say that the Republicans supporting the other candidate are the same people who "opened their checkbooks last fall for Mitt Romney in an effort to kick President Obama out of the White House."
As JFP city reporter Tyler Cleveland has pointed out, six of Lee's 10 biggest contributors have given to the GOP or Republican causes in the past. Thompson hits every buzzword, saying "these Republicans want to pass charter schools, create voter-ID laws, cut Pell Grants, end Medicare and reduce Social Security benefits."
At the end of the ad, Thompson advises voters not to fall for "old Republican tricks" and to "vote for the real Democrat" on May 21.
In other states I've lived, it would have been highly unusual for a Congressman to get involved in a party primary. Perhaps this is normal for Mississippi. Or, maybe it's just normal for Rep. Thompson?
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Health Care
Medicare Drug Program Fails to Monitor Prescribers, Putting Seniors and Disabled at Risk
Ten years ago, a sharply divided Congress decided to pour billions of dollars into subsidizing the purchase of drugs by elderly and disabled Americans.
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Story
Cambodian Shoe Factory Collapse Kills 2, Injures 7
The ceiling of a Cambodian factory that makes Asics sneakers collapsed on workers early Thursday, killing two people and injuring seven, in the latest accident spotlighting the often lethal safety …
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Music
Short and Sweet, No Longer Obsolete
Whether it's coercion from record companies or an imperfectionist's stance on music crafting, bands have a tendency to blend the bad in with the good.
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City & County
Profile: Jonathan Lee
Jonathan Lee may not be a business owner, but he rode his business credentials to becoming the top vote-getter in the city's Democratic mayoral primary.
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City & County
Contract for UMMC and Lee's MPI Comes in Focus
The details of a dispute between Jackson mayoral candidate Jonathan Lee's family company, Mississippi Products Inc., and an MPI customer that Lee has refused to name is becoming more clear.
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City & County
ADA Compliance Progress Slow But Steady
The intersection of Meadowbrook Road and State Street is generally buzzing with business and traffic. One of the busiest food stores in Jackson is located there, as is a high-traffic …
Story
Dems Work on Miss. Medicaid Expansion Proposal
Democrats in the Mississippi Legislature say they're working on proposals to keep Medicaid alive and funded in the budget year that starts July 1.
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City & County
Is UMMC Mississippi Products' Unnamed Contractor?
Records indicate that the University of Mississippi Medical Center may be the mystery contractor Jonathan Lee won't name.
Story
Natchez Trace Parkway Celebrates 75 Years
Saturday marks the paradoxical 75th anniversary of one of Natchez's oldest connections with civilization.
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Economy
The 182 Percent Loan: How Installment Lenders Put Borrowers in a World of Hurt
Installment loans can be deceptively expensive. World Finance and its competitors push customers to renew their loans over and over again, transforming what the industry touts as a safe, responsible …
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Huge Drug Cost Disparities Seen in Health Overhaul
Cancer patients could face high costs for medications under President Barack Obama's health care law, industry analysts and advocates warn.
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Monday Last Day for Morning-After Pill Appeal
The government is running out of time to try to halt implementation of a federal judge's ruling that would lift age restrictions for women and girls wanting to buy the …
