Jackson Free Press

State Sued over ‘Abstinence'

In an effort to stop taxpayers from funding religious events, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in federal court last week against the Mississippi Department of Human Services …

The JFP Interview with Steve Holland

In a matter of 24 hours, Steve Holland went from seemingly being the director of "Punk'd: Mississippi Edition" to directing funerals.

The 10 Most Active Jackson Free Press Threads, Ever

Happy birthday, Todd! Thanks to you and Donna for getting this paper running. You have affected the culture of Jackson in more ways than anyone can know, I think.

The Most Under-reported Stories in the U.S. and Mississippi

This year's annual Project Censored list of the most under-reported news stories includes the widening wealth gap, the trial of Pfc. Bradley Manning, and President Obama's war on whistleblowers—all stories …

A Jump to the Left? Mississippi: The 2012 Elections and Beyond

Among the many names folks have called Mississippi—from the Hospitality State to the Cradle of the Confederacy—“political trendsetter” probably doesn’t rank high on many lists.

• 1 comment

Gov. Bryant's 'State of the State' speech

Gov. Phil Bryant delivered his State of the State address this evening. Here it is.

The Faces of Travis Childers

Travis Childers, a former congressman from Booneville, hopes traditional Democratic voters and tea-party members can help him upset Republican U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran in November.

Most Viral, Impactful Stories in the First 15 Years of the Jackson Free Press

The JFP has gotten hundreds of thousands of page views for our top-viewed stories since we started tracking a decade or so ago. Here are our biggest stories ever, and …

[Acker] My Church's Courage

The consent on Aug. 6, 2003, to the election of Canon Gene Robinson as Bishop Co-Adjutor of New Hampshire filled me with joy and hope. I am an Episcopalian and …

Should Dems Write Off the South?

The lefty blogosphere is "atwitter" (with apologies to the Mississippi Press Association) over the notion that the 2006 mid-term elections were not only a repudiation of various Bush Administration policies …

[Sawyer] Man At His Worst

I have been away from the writing world for a while, away from the whirling dervishes that are American politics. But I must admit, it's hard to shake off a …

[Sawyer] It's A Rich Or Poor Thing

Each morning during the semester, the bell rings for thousands of Mississippi youth. Mississippi teachers bear a great burden in their cause to shape every young mind. They know that …

Real-Life Horror Stories

John Grisham says Haley Barbour should sign a moratorium on executions in Mississippi. "Absolutely. If I had my way, we'd stop all of them," Grisham said.

Legislature to Hold Hearings on Anti-Immigration Bill

Read more on immigration myths and realities

Hell House Comes To Jackson

I was reading this article in the CL about the "House of Destiny" at the First Baptist Church in Florence.

Clarion-Ledger Asks, Answers, Whines Anyway

In one of those nonsensical editorials today we all know and dread—there they go sticking their finger in the wind again—The Clarion-Ledger asks: "Banyard: Why Does Justice Take So Long?" …

[Gregory] Vetting Sarah

Last week when McCain announced his candidate for Vice President I—like many other people in America—asked myself, "Sarah who?" I tuned in to the Republican National Convention just to hear …

‘Merit Pay:' So Many Meanings, So Little Time

Some people might find it confusing that so-called liberal Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., supported President George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act, and is pushing for "merit pay" during …

On Civil Elections and Civic Journalism

<b>Voters to Dems: Be Progressive</b>

In the few days since the Nov. 4 election, we've heard a lot of anger and consternation from readers. Many are wondering how in the world the blatant GOP use …

Why I Like the Senate Health Care Bill

This past week I learned something surprising and encouraging about the health-care reform bill in the Senate— -- something that you may not know if you've only listened to mainstream …