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Mines, Bombs Slow Iraqi Advance on Islamic State-Held Tikrit
Iraqi troops and Shiite militias battled the Islamic State group Tuesday on the outskirts of militant-held Tikrit, unable to advance further on Saddam Hussein's hometown as roadside mines and suicide …
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Kurds Probe 2 Possible Islamic State Chemical Weapon Attacks
Kurdish forces in Iraq are investigating two other possible chemical weapons attacks by the Islamic State group, a top official said Monday, as authorities put an Iraqi offensive to retake …
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US Plans for Anti-Islamic State Training Drawing Skepticism
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Kerry at House Hearing: Nothing in Iran Deal Built on Trust
Secretary of State John Kerry pitched the administration's controversial nuclear deal with Iran before a skeptical House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, pushing back against the allegation it would ease …
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Person of the Day
Tadaharu Yamamoto
Tadaharu Yamamoto, president of Yokohama Rubber Co.'s Mississippi branch, says it will take up to two years to reach yearly capacity of 1 million truck and bus tires.
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Florida State Shooter Went from Liked to Troubled
Florida State graduate Myron May seemed to change from a well-liked young attorney to would-be killer in a matter of months, stopped only by a fusillade of police bullets outside …
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Senate Under Pressure After House Votes to End NSA Program
After the House's lopsided bipartisan vote to end the National Security Agency's bulk collection of Americans' phone records, the Senate is under considerable pressure to pass a similar measure. If …
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State
My Friend Rachel Dolezal: Walk in Her Shoes
When Rachel Dolezal's story began trending this month, media outlets immediately began shucking the most symmetrical assumptions of race and ethnicity. The headlines ranged from "Hero" to "Hater."
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Healthy Seniors Tested in Bid to Block Alzheimer's
In one of the most ambitious attempts yet to thwart Alzheimer's disease, a major study got underway Monday to see if an experimental drug can protect healthy seniors whose brains …
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Ukraine's Leader Visits Embattled City of Mariupol
Ukraine's president made a surprise trip Monday to a government stronghold in the turbulent southeast, delivering a fiery speech to hundreds of workers in hard hats in a dramatic show …
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Books
Cindy Wilson
Cindy Wilson never planned on being an author, but she had always planned on telling her story. A Jackson couple adopted her as a baby from her birthplace of Seoul, …
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Crime
Criminal Reform Shows Strength at Capitol Gathering from Left, Right
After years of tough-on-crime approaches to arrests and filling prison, conservatives have joined the bandwagon for some types of reform to how America incarcerates its people.
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Health Care
MSMA Town Hall Addresses COVID-19, Vaccine Concerns
As the United States marked the grim record of 800,000 deaths due to COVID-19, state health leadership and physicians attended a Dec. 14 Mississippi State Medical Association virtual town hall …
Entry
Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Hate Crime for Murdering Transgender Woman for Her Gender Identity
By Tim Summers Jr.The following was released by the Department of Justice and reprinted here verbatim:
First Case Prosecuted under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act Where Victim was Targeted Because of Gender Identity
WASHINGTON – Joshua Brandon Vallum, 29, of Lucedale, Mississippi, pleaded guilty today to a federal hate crime for assaulting and murdering Mercedes Williamson because she was a transgender woman. Williamson, born Michael Wilkins, was 17 years old and resided in Alabama at the time of her death. Vallum was charged with violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
The plea was announced by Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Davis of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Freeze of the FBI’s Jackson Division.
“Our nation’s hate crime statutes advance one of our fundamental beliefs: that no one should have to live in fear because of who they are,” said Attorney General Lynch. “Today’s landmark guilty plea reaffirms that basic principle, and it signals the Justice Department’s determination to combat hate crimes based on gender identity. While Mississippi convicted the defendant on murder charges, we believe in the fundamental value of identifying and prosecuting these bias-fueled incidents for what they are: acts of hate. By holding accountable the perpetrator of this heinous deed, we reinforce our commitment to ensuring justice for all Americans.”
“Congress passed the Shepard-Byrd Act to protect our most vulnerable communities, including the transgender community, from harm,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta. “No conviction, even such a historic one, can relieve the grief and anguish facing this victim’s family. But this guilty plea sends an unequivocal message that violence based on one’s gender identity violates America’s defining values of inclusivity and dignity. The Justice Department will continue to vigorously prosecute hate crimes, which not only target individuals for harm, but also deny entire communities the promises of true freedom and equal protection.”
“The defendant committed a horrific and reprehensible act of violence against the victim because of her gender identity,” said U.S. Attorney Davis. “This type of attack threatens the harmony of our diverse community and undermines America’s principle of equality under the law. The U. S. Attorney’s Office is committed to continuing its work, in conjunction with the DOJ Civil Rights Division, to ensure that the federal laws prohibiting violations of civil rights will be aggressively prosecuted in the Southern District of Mississippi. I commend our law enforcement partners, including the FBI, George County Sheriff’s Office and Office of the District Attorney for the 19th Judicial District, who worked tirelessly in this case to ensure that justice was done.”
“Hate crime has no place in our society, especially by those targeting victims solely for their sexual orientation or identity,” said Special Agent in Charge Freeze. “This guilty plea will go towards demonstrating hate crime will not be tolerated in the …
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Why Won't Ledge Identify Press Releases!?!
OK, this practice has long bugged me, but now it's really driving me crazy. Now that The Clarion-Ledger is turning its newspaper into "information centers," they are posting press releases …
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Gannett Corp. Revenue ‘Grim'
Despite the big effort to transform itself into an "information center" rather than a newspaper, the Gannett Corp.'s revenue is still dropping, according to information the corporation has reported about …
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Events
Community Meetings & Events
A toy drive for pediatric patients at Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital will be held Friday, Dec. 13, at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
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Business
‘It’s Positivity’: Refill Café Preps Young Adults for Workforce
Refill Cafe will soon serve lunch weekly to the surrounding Jackson community. The restaurant will also act as a job training site for members enrolled in the program.
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State
New Enhanced Unemployment Insurance Benefits Can Help You and Your Family
Mississippians are being asked to stay home as much as possible and to avoid groups greater than 10. These needed actions are causing severe economic hardships. The CARES Act is …
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Confusion, Obstacles Raise Voting Concerns in Some States
More than a dozen states have enacted tougher requirements for registering and voting since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a key provision of the Voting Rights Act three years ago.
