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Jacksonian
Tray Hairston
Attorney Tray Hairston, 35, bubbles with enthusiasm and positivity about Jackson and its residents.
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City & County
Next Steps for Ward 3, Stokes and Hinds Board
As far as Jackson elections go, it's unusual for one candidate to walk away with a landslide victory in an eight-way race.
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Personhood is Back
By AnnaWolfeA previously failed proposal that aims to abolish abortion has resurfaced this legislative session.
State Rep. Randy Boyd, R-Mantachie, introduced a so-called Personhood bill in the form House Bill 1309, which would amend the state constitution to define a person as beginning at the moment of conception.
Boyd's bill number is reminiscent of a bill passed in 2012, House Bill 1390, which required physicians at abortion clinics to have admitting privileges to nearby hospitals.
Critics of Boyd's bill point to the failure to achieve a Personhood law through a statewide ballot initiative in 2011. During that drive, a proposed Personhood amendment to the state constitution failed to garner enough votes to become law. Later, in 2013, a group attempted to get the measure back on the ballot but missed a key deadline. Subsequent Personhood bills in the Legislature have also failed to gain traction.
Personhood has gained national attention not only because it would outlaw abortion in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, but because of the law's unintended consequences. Because such a law would also define a fertilized egg as a person, it could bring to question the legality of birth control pills, Plan B, and some methods of in-vitro fertilization, reproductive-justice advocates say.
The 2012 Mississippi admitting privileges law would have closed the last abortion clinic in the state, Jackson Women's Health Organization, because nearby hospitals refused to grant privileges to them. But the clinic fought the law, which resulted in a U.S. District Court striking it down. A federal appeals court upheld the decision and Mississippi's attorneys have not announced whether the state would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
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Education
Special Ed Bills Duke It Out
Two bills aimed at improving the educational experience for students with special needs—from opposite ends of the political spectrum—are making the rounds this Legislative session.
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Person of the Day
Najee Dorsey
Artist Najee Dorsey uses collage to tell his story of growing up in the South and especially in Arkansas' Mississippi County.
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Biz Roundup
Filter Coffee House, Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership and Metro Jackson College Fair
Raymond native Julie Durr gets to fulfill a life-long dream as the owner of Filter Coffee House (128 Port Gibson St., Raymond, 601-857-8102), which opened Dec. 19.
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Gunmen Storm Libyan Hotel; 4 Foreigners, 5 Guards Dead
Gunmen stormed a luxury hotel in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Tuesday, killing four foreigners and five guards, and triggering an hours-long standoff that ended when two assailants set …
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Mormon Leaders Call for Measures Protecting Gay Rights
Mormon church leaders are making a national appeal for a "balanced approach" in the clash between gay rights and religious freedom.
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On Auschwitz Anniversary, Leader Warns Jews Again Targets
A Jewish leader stood before 300 survivors of the Nazis' most notorious death camp on Tuesday and asked world leaders to prevent another Auschwitz, warning of a rise of anti-Semitism …
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Obama Floats Offering First-Ever Drilling Lease in Atlantic
The Obama administration floated a plan Tuesday that for the first time would open up a broad swath of the Atlantic Coast to drilling, even as it moved to restrict …
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LGBT
Rep. Bob Evans
A bill from Democratic lawmaker State Rep. Bob Evans from Monticello is raising eyebrows because it contains what appears to be discriminatory language regarding parental custody rights and sexual orientation.
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City & County
Big Ideas from Ward 3 Hopefuls
Eight people are vying for the vacant seat of Ward 3 representative on the Jackson City Council. The election takes place tomorrow, Jan. 27.
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Ukraine: Phone Calls Prove Rebels Attacked City, Killed 30
Ukraine's president said Sunday that intercepted radio and telephone conversations prove that Russia-backed separatists were responsible for firing the rockets that pounded the southeastern city of Mariupol and killed at …
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WHO Adopts Reforms to Repair Reputation After Bungling Ebola
The World Health Organization has proposed reforms that could overhaul its structure after botching the response to the biggest-ever Ebola outbreak, a sluggish performance that experts say cost thousands of …
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Boko Haram Attacks Northeastern Nigerian city, Scores Killed
In fierce fighting Sunday that killed more than 200 combatants, Nigerian troops clashed with Islamic extremists who attacked Maiduguri, the biggest city in northeastern Nigeria, from three fronts.
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Japan Seeks Jordan's Help on Gaining Hostage's Release
Japan sought help from Jordan and other countries Monday in its race to save a hostage held by the extremist Islamic State group, with no signs of progress on securing …
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Russia Defiant After More Threats from West Over Ukraine
Russian officials struck a defiant note Monday after Western leaders threatened to further punish Moscow for escalated fighting in eastern Ukraine over the weekend.
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Islamic State Group Nearly Pushed Out of Syria's Kobani
Kurdish fighters backed by intense U.S.-led airstrikes pushed the Islamic State group almost entirely out of the Syrian town of Kobani on Monday, marking a major loss for extremists whose …
