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In Nervous Egypt, Killings Breed Sinister Theories
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Obama Heads to Phoenix to Pitch Mortgage Reform
President Barack Obama is proposing to overhaul the nation's mortgage finance system, including shutting down government-backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—a plan with bipartisan support on Capitol Hill.
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U.S. Military Evacuates Embassy Personnel from Yemen
The U.S. military evacuated non-essential U.S. government personnel from Yemen on Tuesday due to the high risk of attack by al-Qaida that has triggered temporary shutdowns of 19 American diplomatic …
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Bryant Names 3 to Charter School Board
Gov. Phil Bryant has appointed three members to the Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board, the board responsible for approving and overseeing public charter schools in Mississippi.
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UMMC, Insurer Reach Deal
By R.L. NaveVertbatim release from the University of Mississippi Medical Center Division of Public Affairs:
WITH AGREEMENT SIGNED, UMMC PATIENTS WITH BLUE CROSS INSURANCE REMAIN IN NETWORK
JACKSON, Miss. – Leaders at the University of Mississippi Medical Center signed a one-year agreement today with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi, ending six months of negotiations with the insurer.
With the agreement in place, patients insured through Blue Cross can continue to receive in-network care at UMMC. The existing contract was set to expire Aug. 28.
“We’re glad that we were able to come to an agreement without any disruption in coverage,” said Dr. James Keeton, UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine.
“We were very concerned about how this issue was going to impact our patients. While UMMC needs equitable reimbursement for the highly specialized services we provide, the last thing we wanted to do was to inconvenience or cause hardship for our patients.”
Citing reimbursement substantially below its peer institutions in neighboring states, Medical Center administrators engaged Blue Cross in negotiations earlier this year.
As the state’s only academic medical center, UMMC provides advanced care not available at other Mississippi facilities, including the state’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, only children’s hospital and children’s trauma services, only level IV neonatal intensive care unit and its only organ transplant services, among many others.
Together with the Mississippi State Department of Health, UMMC leads the state’s medical response during disasters. The availability of these services benefits all Mississippians.
As well, UMMC cares for the state’s most complex medical cases, which often require multi-disciplinary teams of experts and sub-specialists.
UMMC initially set a June 28 deadline to reach an agreement or terminate its contract. Negotiators extended it to July 17, and again through August 28.
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City & County
Donors Save Stewpot After Theft
Jackson non-profit Stewpot Community Services is once again fully operational after a budget crunch brought on by the theft of up to $120,000 in November.
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In a major national security speech this spring, President Obama said again and again that the U.S. is at war with "Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and their associated forces."
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Myra Ramsey, 68, started the Daylight Ministries Center for Women 13 years ago. Daylight Ministries is a program to provide temporary housing for women who are former prison inmates, homeless …
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City & County
10 Local Stories of the Week
There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
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Miss. in 2014 to Remember Freedom Summer of 1964
Civil-rights activists in Mississippi are preparing to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer in 2014.
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City & County
Chief Horton Stresses Professionalism
Chief Lindsey Horton instructed his reports that being casual is a thing of the past.
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National
Neighborhood Contributes to Heat-Related Deaths
Extreme hot weather is projected to occur more frequently and more intensely with a warming climate. The higher temperatures are dangerous for those who are vulnerable to heat stress but …
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Proposal Would Ban Private Schools from MHSAA
The private-public school debate has officially gone public.
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Miss. Law Requires Cord Blood from Some Teen Moms
If a girl younger than 16 gives birth and won't name the father, a new Mississippi law—likely the first of its kind in the country—says authorities must collect umbilical cord …
