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Real Love

I may have a tough exterior, but I'm a romantic. And I love love.

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Tease photo Music

Fishbone: Still Evolving

Fishbone performs at Duling Hall Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. with cocktails at 6 p.m. The Scorseses also perform. Tickets for the 18 and older show are $15 in advance …

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Politics

Abortion-Inducing Drugs Could Face Restrictions

Mississippi could restrict the use of abortion-inducing drugs and make women visit a physician an additional time after using them.

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State

No. 1 Recruit Nkemdiche Picks Mississippi

The consensus top recruit in the nation Robert Nkemdiche will attend Mississippi.

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State

Columbus Native, Civil Rights Icon Dies

Diane Hardy Thompson, one of three African-American women who integrated then-Mississippi College for Women in 1966, has died at an Augusta, Ga., burn center. She was 64.

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Business

Strange Bedfellows: Business, Labor on Immigration

Unlikely allies, business and labor leaders joined in support of the White House's immigration overhaul efforts Tuesday while also launching high-stakes negotiations to overcome an issue that has split them …

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National

Analysis: Obama, GOP Disagree, Again, on Spending

After two tumultuous years of budget brinkmanship, President Barack Obama and Republicans in Congress finally agree on something — namely, that a previous 10-year pact to cut $1 trillion across …

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National

AP Source: Outdoor Retail Exec. Picked for Interior

President Barack Obama on Wednesday will nominate business executive and former engineer Sally Jewell to lead the Interior Department, an administration official said.

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World

Tunisian Opposition Leader Killed Amid Tensions

A Tunisian opposition leader critical of both the Islamist-led government and of violence by radical Muslims was gunned down as he left home Wednesday—the first assassination in post-revolutionary Tunisia.

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Economy

Postal Service Cutting Saturday Delivery

The Saturday mail cutback would begin in August and could save $2 billion annually.

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Tease photo Crime

Tackling Human Trafficking in Mississippi

Trafficking of human beings--for sex or for labor--affects everyday people we all might encounter.

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Tease photo Person of the Day

Wendy Bradford

Up to 300,000 children are at risk for sexual exploitation each year in this country according to the Polaris Project, an organization located in Washington, D.C., that fights global trafficking.

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National

Small Ala. Town: Relief that Child Hostage is Safe

A 5-year-old boy was back with his ecstatic family and playing with his toy dinosaur after his nearly weeklong ordeal as a hostage in an underground bunker was ended by …

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Business

Dell in $24.4B Founder-Led Deal to Go Private

Slumping personal computer maker Dell is bowing out of the stock market in a $24.4 billion buyout that represents the largest deal of its kind since the Great Recession dried …

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February 4, 2013

U.S. Begins World Cup Qualifiers: What to Watch

By Jacob Fuller

http://jacksonfreepress.com/users/photos/2013/feb/04/10128/

The U.S. Men’s Natoinal Team begins the final round of World Cup Qualifying Wednesday at 3 p.m. against Honduras in the city of San Pedro Sula. Here’s what to watch for in 2013 as The Yanks try to earn a spot in Brazil in 2014.

If/When Landon Donovan will join the team. The 30-year-old forward has been the face of U.S. soccer since being named “Best Young Player” at the 2002 World Cup. Donovan told the media he needed a break in October 2012, due to physical and mental exhaustion.

I've never been a fan of Donovan's on-the-field attitude. In recent years, he's clearly not been enjoying the game the way he should. USMNT needs him to get his head straight, though, because there's no American who can match his combination of speed, vision, passing efficiency, timing and shot and set-piece accuracy.

He won’t play in Honduras Wednesday. Just when the U.S.’s all-time assists and goals leader will join the team is even more pressing considering the team faces rival Mexico in Mexico City on March 26, where the U.S. won for the first time Aug. 15, 2012.

Subquestion: Can he be the leader the U.S. needs him to be if/when he returns to the pitch?

Will outside backs emerge? Injuries to Steve Cherundolo and Fabian Johnson have left the U.S. team with little international experience at outside back, and head coach Jurgen Klinsmann is searching for answers. Outside backs Tony Beltran and Justin Morrow, and center back Matt Besler made their U.S. soccer debuts against Canada Jan. 29, all in starting roles. They played well, allowing Canada just one shot on target in the 0-0 match.

Whoever Klinsmann puts on the back line against Honduras will face a better team with a lot more on the line, though. Goalkeeper Tim Howard may have a heavy shot load to take on Wednesday.

Will Jozy Altidore take the next step? The 23-year-old striker has scored 13 goals in 51 appearances for the U.S. since 2007. His 2010 World Cup performances were riddled with missed chances and squandered opportunities, though.

Altidore has 15 goals in 19 Dutch Eredivisie league appearances for AZ Alkmaar this season, despite facing racist taunts from opposing fans. If he can carry that composure over into international competition, the U.S. could have the star striker it so desperately needs.

How good is Dempsey? After finishing tied for fourth in the English Premier League last season with 17 goals while playing for Fulham, Dempsey has just five goals in 19 league matches for Tottenham Hotspur this season.

With two double-digit goal scorers on the team, Tottenham doesn’t rely on Dempsey to score as much as Fulham did. There is one thing for certain, though. For the U.S. to go very far in next year’s World Cup, or to even qualify this year, Dempsey will have to create chances on goal, and capitalize when he does.

Can The Yanks find …

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Tease photo Events

Community Events and Public Meetings

The Women of Color Summit is Friday, Feb. 8 at Mississippi State University in the Colvard Student Union's Foster Ballroom.

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Sports

Power Outage Stops Super Bowl for 34 Minutes

The Super Bowl turned into Blackout Sunday.

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LGBT

Obama Says Boy Scouts Should Allow Gays as Members

President Barack Obama said Sunday that gays should be allowed in the Boy Scouts and women should be allowed in military combat roles, weighing in on two storied American institutions …

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World

Taliban Peace Talks Flounder as Troops Draw Down

The Afghan peace effort is floundering, fraught with mistrust and confusion among key players even though the hard-line Taliban militants show signs of softening and their reclusive, one-eyed leader made …

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LGBT

Bullying Study: It Does Get Better for Gay Teens

It really does get better for gay and bisexual teens when it comes to being bullied, although young gay men have it worse than their lesbian peers, according to the …