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Health Care
Administration Says Hospitals Will Save $5.7B from Unpaid Bills Due to Health Law
Hospitals are projected to save $5.7 billion this year as previously uninsured patients gain coverage through the 2010 health care law, the Department of Health and Human Services said Wednesday.
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NPR: Eric Holder to Announce Resignation
By R.L. NaveU.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is stepping down, National Public Radio is reporting.
Holder is the nation's first African American AG and one of the longest-tenured members of first-black-President Barack Obama's cabinet.
According to NPR: "Two sources familiar with the decision tell NPR that Holder, 63, intends to leave the Justice Department as soon as his successor is confirmed, a process that could run through 2014 and even into next year. A former U.S. government official says Holder has been increasingly "adamant" about his desire to leave soon for fear he otherwise could be locked in to stay for much of the rest of President Obama's second term."
Holder shepherded the USDOJ through rocky times and made civil-rights enforcement a hallmark of his tenure.
Under Holder, several issues and cases out of Mississippi garnered national prominence.
In March 2012, Deryl Dedmon and two co-conspirators from Rankin County became the first individuals charged under a 2009 federal hate-crime law for the murder of James Craig Anderson, a black man from Jackson.
The case of Shelby County, Ala. v. Holder challenged the federal Voting Rights Act, which required a number of states that had histories with racial discrimination in voting. The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Shelby cleared the way for several states, including Mississippi, to implement voter-ID laws.
Civil-rights groups had argued, and Holder agreed, that voter ID represented an unconstitutional barrier to exercising voting rights. Mississippi's voter ID law, designed to stop election fraud, was first used in the June 2014 U.S. Senate primary, which resulted in multiple allegations of vote fraud that have yet to be resolved.
Story
Sierra Leone Cordons Off 3 Areas to Control Ebola
Sierra Leone restricted travel Thursday in three more "hotspots" of Ebola where more than 1 million people live, meaning about a third of the country's population is now under quarantine.
Story
US-Led Strikes Hit IS-Held Oil Sites in Syria
U.S.-led airstrikes targeted Syrian oil installations held by the extremist Islamic State group overnight and early Thursday, killing at least 19 people as the militants released dozens of detainees in …
Story
Bryan's Rant
Winning the Wrong Way
Times are changing, and the NFL is learning that the hard way with public backlash to the recent family-violence cases.
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Music
Carbon Leaf Revisits a Classic
Alternative-country-rock band Carbon Leaf has been pleasing crowds with its energetic and eclectic sound for 22 years, blowing the minds of audiences and critics alike.
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City & County
The Curious Case of Costco, Stadium, Museum, Baseball and Parks
The Jackson Planning Board meeting on Aug. 27 was anything but drab. The widely reported issue of rezoning 50 acres of land that included Smith-Wills Stadium, Jamie Fowler Boyll Park …
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City & County
Building Purpose in Jackson
Jackson has made positive strides over the last few years, and I believe our best years to be in front of it—but there is still a lot of work for …
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City & County
#BTCJXN: Be the Change Grab Bag
We asked staffers, readers and known change agents in the community for their ideas on being the change we want to see in Jackson (a phrase we've borrowed from Gandhi).
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Style
Childhood Obesity: Defying Easy Answers
Dr. Whitney Herring has been a pediatrician at the University of Mississippi Medical Center for about a year. With a master's degree in public health, in addition to being a …
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Jacksonian
Cedrick Gray
Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Cedrick Gray wants to create a better Jackson by creating better citizens. His plans to build a strong community and education system that thrive on one …
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City & County
Dorsey Carson: Reconstructing Jackson
Dorsey Carson didn't think he'd ever run for Jackson City Council, but the resignation of Ward 1 Councilman Quentin Whitwell in August opened a door for the attorney and Jackson …
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Art
Robert Henri: Journey into Spain
The American painter and teacher Robert Henri, who taught at New York School of Art, made frequent trips to Spain that resulted in his appropriately titled "Spanish Sojourns" collection of …
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Food
Made to Order at 2 for 7 Kitchen
Deandrea Moore and her husband, Omario, opened a food truck as a way to spend more time with their children. Currently, they serve breakfast at 4106 Medgar Evers Blvd. weekdays.
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Museum District Area Not Only Site for Costco
By AnnaWolfeMayor Tony Yarber continues the fight to obtain a Costco in Jackson, even after encountering setbacks in last month's zoning meeting, and now says that the location on Lakeland Drive is not the only location Costco will consider, WAPT reported.
"Whether it's there or other flourishing areas on (interstates) 55, 20 or 220, it remains to be seen," Yarber said. "Costco has made clear to us over the last couple of weeks that their commitment is to be in this market."
Since initial concerns from the community regarding the rezoning of green space north of Lakeland Drive near the I-55 intersection, the City's position was that if Costco were to come to Jackson, it would only be interested in that area. Costco has also expressed interest in two other locations along Lakeland Drive in Rankin County, but stringent liquor laws in that area makes them less desirable for the retailer.
The Jackson City Council is scheduled to discuss Lakeland Drive rezoning further on Oct. 20 at 2 p.m.
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3 Dead: Fired UPS Worker Kills Colleagues and Self at Alabama Facility
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A man wearing his work uniform started shooting at his former colleagues inside a UPS sorting facility in Alabama a day after he was fired from …
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Assad Backs Efforts to Fight Terrorism
Syrian President Bashar Assad said Tuesday he supports any international effort against terrorism, apparently trying to position his government on the side of the U.S.-led coalition conducting airstrikes against the …
Story
Government Hackers Try to Crack HealthCare.gov
The government's own watchdogs tried to hack into HealthCare.gov earlier this year and found what they termed a critical vulnerability—but also came away with respect for some of the health …
Story
Legislative Group: Parole Board Faces Backlog
Mississippi prison officials say they're working to erase a backlog of parole cases that are up for consideration, as recommended by a legislative watchdog group.
Story
Sierra Leone, Liberia Brace for New Ebola Cases
Two of the West African nations hardest hit by Ebola were bracing for new caseloads on Monday after trying to outflank the outbreak with a nationwide checkup and a large …
