Story
Stinker Quote of the Week: 'Worship'
The U.S. Constitution indeed protects the right to practice the religion of one's choosing. It does not, however, allow individuals or businesses to discriminate in the execution of that right.
Story
Crime
An Innocent Woman? Michelle Byrom vs. Mississippi
If Mississippi executes Michelle Byrom, now 57, she will be the first woman the state has put to death in 70 years. It may also be a horrible injustice.
Story
City & County
War of Words Begins in Mayor’s Contest
When the robots begin calling, you know the race has begun. Before she announced that she had indeed decided to seek the mayor's office, Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon was …
Story
Jacksonian
Grace MacMaster
As a senior in high school in Zeeland, Mich., Grace MacMaster entered a program at Careerline Tech Center, allowing her to attend a graphic-design and visual communications class for half …
Story
Editor's Note
Proud to Be the Boss
As a woman who became my own boss in no small part due to the sexism I encountered while working for other people, I know what lies ahead for many …
Story
Style
Race You
This week kicks off race and 5K season, and hopefully with it, beautiful spring weather just begging for folks to get outside and run around.
Story
Food
Get to Know: Chinese Cabbage
For those looking to get more green vegetables, but sick of the same old thing, bok choy is a different variant on a familiar veggie.
Story
What Annexing Crimea Will Cost Russia's Government
Despite the pebble beaches and cliff-hanging castles that made Crimea famous as a Soviet resort hub, the Black Sea peninsula has long been a corruption-riddled backwater in economic terms.
Story
Malaysia: Files Were Deleted from Flight Simulator
Investigators are trying to restore files deleted last month from the home flight simulator of the pilot aboard the missing Malaysian plane to see if they shed any light on …
Story
Missing Plane Boosts Ethnic Unity in Malaysia
The baffling mystery over the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with 239 people on March 8 has united Malaysia, a nation of numerous ethnicities, as never before in recent …
Story
Ukraine's Crimea Base Taken, Commander Detained
Masked Russian-speaking troops on Wednesday seized control of Ukrainian naval headquarters in Crimea after it was stormed by militiamen.
Entry
Jim Hood Orders 2 Executions then Defends U.S. Human Rights in Geneva
By R.L. NaveLast week, Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood was in Geneva, Switzerland representing the U.S. before the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Hood, the only Democrat holding statewide office in Mississippi, serves as president-elect of the National Association of Attorneys General, and "responded to the committee’s questions concerning the death penalty, domestic violence, human trafficking, corporal punishment, zero tolerance in schools, life without parole for juvenile offenders, and reinstatement of voting rights for felons."
It would be interesting to know exactly what those questions, and Hood's responses, were. Especially considering that just a few weeks ago, Hood requested execution dates for two condemned Mississippi prisoners.
At Hood's request, Charles Ray Crawford and Michelle Byrom are scheduled to be put to death on March 26 and March 27, respectively.
Crawford was convicted of the 1993 killing of a college student named Kristy Ray in Tippah County.
Byrom was convicted of murder-for-hire in 1999 in connection with the death of her husband, Edward Byrom Sr. Even though big questions hang over Byrom's case, whose son wrote several letters confessing to the crime and that his mother did not participate in it, Hood moved ahead with planning her execution anyway.
Through a news statement, Hood said of his trip to human-rights mission to Geneva:
“It was indeed an honor to be one of the attorneys to defend America’s human rights record. ...It was rewarding to clarify many international misconceptions about Mississippi’s civil rights record and that of other states and our federal government.”
Photo
Story
Concerns About Cancer Centers Under Health Law
Some of America's best cancer hospitals are off-limits to many of the people now signing up for coverage under the nation's new health care program.
Story
What if the Missing Malaysia Plane is Never Found?
Ten days after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared with 239 people aboard, an exhaustive international search has produced no sign of the Boeing 777, raising an unsettling question: What if …
Story
Education
Immigrants Need Affordable College, Advocates Say
Immigrant-rights advocates have been working to change the law to make college more affordable for Mississippi's growing immigrant population.
Entry
Lumumbas Welcome Baby Girl
By Donna LaddVerbatim, from the Chokwe Antar Lumumba campaign:
The Lumumba family would like to announce the birth of their baby girl Alakè Maryama Lumumba! She was born today March 18th at 11:01 a.m. Weighing approximately 6 lbs 4 ounces. Both Ebony and baby Alakè are doing well. Alakè (means: one to be honored) Maryama (means: gift of God) Lumumba (means: gifted). “Our family is overjoyed by the arrival of our little girl and are more resolved than ever to make this world a better place for all of our children,” said Chokwe Antar Lumumba.
Story
Biz Roundup
Mentoring, Telemedicine and Home Health
Last week, St. Dominic’s announced an expanded partnership with REACH Health Inc. that will allow the hospital to connect lung specialists with acute care pulmonary patients.
Story
Thailand Gives Radar Data 10 Days After Plane Lost
Thailand's military said Tuesday that its radar detected a plane that may have been Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 just minutes after the jetliner's communications went down, and that it didn't …
Story
Immigrant Activists Push to Stop Deportations
President Barack Obama's surprise announcement last week that his administration would change its deportation policy to become more "humane" shows how the immigration battle has narrowed after months of congressional …
