Jackson Free Press

Mississippi Leaders Condemn Bomb Attempts

Gov. Phil Bryant and other Mississippi leaders from both sides of the aisle offered condemnation after an unknown person mailed bombs to national Democratic leaders on Wednesday.

[Kamikaze] Hamster On A Treadmill

I've been intrigued reading some of the posts on the JFP Web site in response to the New York Times story "Plight Worsens for Black Men." Although I didn't need …

Fear is a Four-Letter Word

Harvey Johnson is not the only one who lost the mayoral primary last week. So did fear. Yes: fear suffered a resounding loss in Jackson.

"Fahrenheit 601": JFP Readers Want Film in Jackson

Here's the blog that has Jackson talking; originally posted June 19, 2004, this thread spawned a movement to bring "Fahrenheit 9/11" to Jackson. Now the energy has turned to bringing …

Melton Flies to Phillips

Blog post by Brian Johnson:

Mayor Frank Melton flew to Dallas today with city investment guru Jimmy Heidel and his ever-present body guards. In comments before the flight, Melton told members of the press that …

Silencing the Media, Hiding Crimes & Misdemeanors

A good story in USA Today about the "scorched-earth" assault on the media's ability to hold elected officials accountable:

Clarion-Ledger: Wilcher Must Die

In an editorial today, The Clarion-Ledger explains its support of the death penalty and why it is good that the state is going to kill Bobby Glen Wilcher today:

Pennsylvania Judge Rules: Intelligent Design is Not Science

The Dover "monkey trial" (discussed in a previous blog entry here) ended exactly as it should have: With a ruling that defends the scientific method from those who would push …

Ending the Silence

Bringing Rape and Sexual Assault out of Shame's Closet

Anthony Sowell had been out of prison about three years after serving 15 for attempted rape when he ran into Gladys Wade outside a neighborhood store in Cleveland, Ohio, on …

Bold New Party?

<b>New Dem Head Wayne Dowdy on Faux Elephants and Young Voters

It's hard to get past Wayne Dowdy's name. Through no fault of his own, the new head of the Mississippi Democratic Party—a Millsaps grad, a grandfather and a U.S. congressman …

The 2009 JFP Interview with Frank Melton, Part V: To the DEA?

In this long excerpt of JFP editor Donna Ladd's interview with Frank Melton in February, he talks about why he's running for re-election, dying with dignity, the City Council, his …

Poll: Many Blacks Undecided About Voter ID

Nearly 40 percent of African American voters are unsure how they feel about a voter-identification initiative on the 2011 statewide ballot, a new poll shows. Speaking at Koinonia Coffee House's …

Sweden: New Pants "Hate Christians."

This AP article was highly entertaining to me. Mainly because Sweden comes off as being the Twilight Zone version of the United States.

‘Everybody Matters, Or Nobody Matters’: The JFP Interview with Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher

Department of Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher shared his opinions and ideas about how law enforcement fits into society and government as a whole with the Jackson Free Press recently.

Reforming Criminal Justice: Is Mississippi Making Progress?

The Mississippi Reentry Council has been working to make it easier for inmates to find jobs and re-acclimate to life free from bars. U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett says the …

Myth vs. Reality: Myths Plaguing Public Education In Mississippi and Why They Are Not True

Myth 1: More than 60 percent of the state budget is spent on public education.

Seattle's Former Top Cop Says End Drug War

In an op ed this weekend in the Seattle Times (and, it seems, the LA Times, since he's bylined as "Special to the Los Angeles Times"), Norm Stamper, former chief …

Gov. Phil Bryant to Lead Energy Board

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has been named chairman of the Southern States Energy Board.

Mississippi Still No. 1 in Obesity

Nearly 35 percent of Mississippi adults are obese.

More Exposure For Soccer

The New York Sports Express reports the naked truth on a soccer player who received a lifetime ban for, uh, unsportsmanlike celebration.