Jackson Free Press

Lawyers Seek Court Control of Mississippi Foster Care System

Lawyers who have been suing Mississippi for 10 years over conditions in its child welfare system said Monday that it's time for a federal judge to take the system over.

Bill to Ban Texting While Driving Headed to Governor Bryant for Signing

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi is one step closer to becoming the 45th state to ban texting while driving, after the state Senate overwhelming passed such a bill Monday.

Chad and Niger Troops Move to Attack Boko Haram

Forces from Chad and Niger opened a new front in the regional military fight against the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, as army vehicles full of soldiers crossed the border …

Univ. of Oklahoma President: Frat Members 'Disgraceful'

The president of the University of Oklahoma lambasted members of a fraternity on Monday who participated in a racist chant caught on video, calling them disgraceful and their behavior reprehensible, …

Solar Lights a Healthy—and Empowering—Path in Disasters.

When disaster strikes, survivors have a few basic needs: food, water, shelter, blankets. But energy quickly becomes just as fundamental a need—and that is often lacking, or very dirty.

Mississippi Could Add Centuries to Time for Property Trusts

Wealthy people would be allowed to put property in trust for up to 360 years in Mississippi, under a bill that advanced another step Thursday in the state Senate.

Selma's 50th Anniversary Brings Comparisons to Ferguson

They only lasted minutes, but the beatings of civil rights marchers in Selma, Alabama, permanently seared the inhumanity of Southern segregation onto the American conscience.

Tobias Singleton

One of the more interesting names that should be at the Jackson State Pro Day is former Madison Central High School star Tobias Singleton.

Attack on US Envoy Part of S.Korea's Violent Protest History

A knife attack Thursday that injured the U.S. ambassador to South Korea is the latest act of political violence in a deeply divided country where some protesters portray their causes …

Ringling Bros. Phasing Out Iconic Elephant Acts by 2018

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will phase out the show's iconic elephants from its performances by 2018, telling The Associated Press exclusively that growing public concern about …

Last Ebola Patient is Released in Liberia

Liberia released its last Ebola patient, a 58-year old teacher, from a treatment center in the capital on Thursday, beginning its countdown to being declared Ebola free.

US Clears Officer in Ferguson Case, Criticizes Police Force

The Justice Department cleared a white former Ferguson, Missouri, police officer in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black 18-year-old on Wednesday, but also issued a scathing report calling for …

‘Justice, Justice, Thou Shalt Pursue’: The JFP Interview with Roberta Kaplan

Like many LGBTQ couples, New York attorney Roberta Kaplan and her wife, Rachel Lavine, have enjoyed federal marriage rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal restrictions against same-sex marriage …

Funking Up Jackson, Targeting Crime

Fred McAfee was on a study committee that the Mississippi Legislature created last year to determine the feasibility of creating incentives to facilitate an entertainment industry for the state.

The Challenge of Paying for ‘One Lake’

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will give its final "yay" or "nay" on a long-awaited and long-overdue plan to ease flooding along the Pearl River.

The One Lake plan for flood control and economic development is under review. The next …

• March 4, 2015

City Roundup: Health Care Zones, Land Trusts

Not a whole lot has happened in Jackson in the two years since the Legislature passed Gov. Phil Bryant's health-care zone law in 2012.

Jaden Wesley Nixon

Jaden Wesley Nixon isn't your typical 13 year old. For one, he has sickle cell disease, an illness where a person's red blood cells are sickle-shaped, which can block blood …

Setting Up Women for Failure ... or Success

Too many people are still in denial about the way our culture treats even successful and educated women differently. So it makes a lot of sense that poor and less-educated …

Recipes for Extremism

In his National Prayer Breakfast speech, President Barack Obama attempted to bridge the gap between Christians and Muslims when he rightfully stated that extremists who commit evil acts in the …