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Tease photo Person of the Day

Rachel Jarman Myers

Rachel Jarman Myers brings southern Jewish history into Mississippi classrooms with a special interactive program: a traveling trunk.

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Politics

Miss. Governor Says He'll Sign DUI Ignition Bill

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant intends to sign a bill aimed at strengthening laws against drunken driving, his spokesman said Monday.

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Business

Jury Finds State Farm Committed Fraud

A federal jury has found that State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. avoided covering a policyholder's wind losses by blaming the damage on storm surge, which is covered by federal …

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National

Promises, Promises: Obama's IOUs Start Coming Due

Presidential campaigns are long in the making, quick to be forgotten. But one part of them lives on for years: the victor's promises.

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National

Reagan, Thatcher Forged a Close, Lasting Bond

Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, two self-assured and firm-speaking conservatives, joined forces in the early 1980s and drastically changed the economic and political landscapes in both of their countries.

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National

Investigation After 2 Children Die in NC Collapse

It was common knowledge around a rural North Carolina neighborhood that Jordan Arwood was digging a two-story-deep pit on his property. Some said it was for a bunker and warned …

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Business

JC Penney Looks to Old CEO to Secure its Future

J.C. Penney is hoping its former CEO can revive the retailer after a risky turnaround strategy backfired and led to massive losses and steep sales declines.

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April 9, 2013

Shame on Bryant et al for Using Faith in Naked Political Move

By Donna Ladd

This Associated Press story just illustrates how absurd it was for the Mississippi Legislature, and Gov. Phil Bryant, to push and pass a law that tries to circumvent the First Amendment, which wisely tells government to stay the hell out of (my words, not theirs) people's religious choices. As I wrote in a recent column, the wise men who wrote the Constitution knew from this nation's early experiences that any interference by government on any level into worshiping (or praying) creates the conditions to squelch someone's freedom of religion.

Of course, we all know that the legislators and Bryant did this because they believe the move will appeal to "faith voters," whom they assume do not think and read well enough to understand that there is an "establishment" clause in the First Amendment precisely to protect all of us from, well, folks like them who want to push one flavor of religion on everyone.

In other words, this is exactly the kind of political chicanery the First Amendment was created to prevent. Too bad that the government of the state of Mississippi, once again, makes us look bad and stupid to the rest of the world.

It leaves us asking: Are these so-called anti-government types, or so they claim, really bent on having government create the roadmaps for people's faith and prayer? That is downright terrifying, not to mention hypocritical.

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War

N. Korea Urges Foreigners to Vacate S. Korea

North Korea says the two countries are on the verge of a nuclear war.

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Health Care

Lawmakers Disagree Over Miss. Medicaid Expansion

Two lawmakers who spoke at a press luncheon Monday disagreed about whether Mississippi should expand Medicaid, reflecting the partisan split that left the health program in limbo when the House …

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National

Kerry Makes New, Ambitious Mideast Peace Push

Secretary of State John Kerry worked Monday to corral Israeli and Palestinian leaders into a new and ambitious peace process that includes reviving parts of a long-dormant plan embraced by …

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National

Obama Says He's 'Determined As Ever' for Gun Bill

With time running out on the chance to pass gun control legislation, President Barack Obama on Monday warned Congress not to use delay tactics against tighter regulations and told families …

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Tease photo City & County

Legislative Ups and Downs for Jackson

The 2013 regular Mississippi legislative session is over, and barring a call for a special session by Gov. Phil Bryant, Jackson has gotten every dime of state money it will …

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Tease photo Health Care

New Med School Aims To Train Primary Care Docs

Under the Affordable Care Act, millions more people with insurance may be headed to the doctor's office. That means the medical system will need more doctors, nurses, physician assistants and …

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Community Events and Public Meetings

The Crossroads Film Festival is April 11-14 at Malco Grandview Theatre.

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Politics

Analysis: 2013 Session Mixes Substance, Silliness

Mississippi lawmakers approved substantial public policy changes during their 2013 session, with an emphasis on trying new approaches to public education.

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World

In Slap at South, N. Korea Suspends Work at Factory

North Korea said Monday it will suspend operations at a factory complex it has jointly run with South Korea, pulling out more than 53,000 North Korean workers and moving closer …

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National

Senators Work on Deal Expanding Background Checks

Talks between two influential senators have emerged as the most promising route for a bipartisan breakthrough on expanding federal background checks for gun buyers.

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Health Care

Pentagon Struggles with High Cost of Health Care

The loud, insistent calls in Washington to rein in the rising costs of Social Security and Medicare ignore a major and expensive entitlement program—the military's health care system.

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National

Airline Passenger Complaints Surged in 2012

Airline passengers are getting grumpier, and it's little wonder.