Jackson Free Press

Kerry's Words on Assad Certain to Draw Scrutiny

Sen. John Kerry has held up Syria as a country that could bring peace and stability to the Mideast and predicted that the now-disgraced government of President Bashar Assad would …

Pakistani Shiites Protest After Attack Kills 86

Shiite Muslims hit by a twin bombing that killed 86 people refused to bury their dead Friday, demanding the Pakistani government do more to protect them from increasing violence against …

Al-Qaida Presence in Mali, Yemen and Afghanistan

President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai met Friday to discuss bringing down the curtain in the long Afghan war.

Saudi King Grants Women Seats on Advisory Council

Saudi Arabia's king granted women seats on the country's top advisory council for the first time on Friday, giving them a long-awaited toehold in the ultraconservative kingdom's male-dominated political system.

Gipson Files Fetal Heart-Beat Bill

Reps. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, and Mark Formby, R-Picayune, have filed a bill "to prohibit an abortion of an unborn human individual with a detectable fetal heartbeat."

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Barbour Pardonee Involved in Fatal Shooting

A man who received a pardon from former Gov. Haley Barbour is a suspect in a shooting in Calhoun County.

Who's Watching Out for Children?

Yesterday, Democrats in the Mississippi Legislature began exploring that question during a public forum on mental-health and school-safety policy at the Capitol.

Bryant Backs New Restrictions on Abortion in Miss.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant told several dozen pastors and other abortion opponents Thursday that he supports a bill that would ban the procedure once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. …

Lawmakers Release Documents on Wal-Mart Bribery

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s CEO Mike Duke found out in 2005 that the retailer's Mexico unit was handing out bribes to local officials, according to emails obtained by lawmakers.

Biden Seeks Video-Game Industry Input on Guns

Looking for broader remedies to gun violence, Vice President Joe Biden is reaching out to the video game industry for ideas.

Miss. Exchange Decision Expected in 15 Days

State Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney expects federal regulators will announce a decision on Mississippi's health exchange within 10 to 15 days.

California Teen Shooter Was Talked Into Putting Weapon Down By Teacher

A 16-year-old student armed with a shotgun walked into class in a rural California high school on Thursday and shot one student, fired at another and missed, and then was …

Scholarship Scheme Draws Fire

A plan by Gov. Phil Bryant to establish a scholarship fund for public-school students to go to private schools drew fire from Republican members of the committee.

JPS to Focus on Reading, Early Childhood

Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Cedrick Gray wants the district to focus on two key areas: reading and early childhood education.

Bianca Knight

One of the most memorable moments from the 2012 London Olympics was the performance of the United States Women's 4x100 relay team.

In Picking Lew, Obama Turns a Page at Treasury

Jack Lew, President Barack Obama's nominee for treasury secretary, is a premier federal budget expert who would take the helm of the government's main agency for economic and fiscal policy …

Steroids Fallout: No BB Hall for Bonds, Clemens

No one was elected to the Hall of Fame this year. When voters closed the doors to Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa, they also shut out everybody else.

US Tax Code Longer than Bible—Without Good News

At nearly 4 million words, the U.S. tax law is so thick and complicated that businesses and individuals spend more than 6 billion hours a year complying with filing requirements.

Violence Plays Role in Shorter US Life Expectancy

The United States suffers far more violent deaths than any other wealthy nation, due in part to the widespread possession of firearms and the practice of storing them at home …

White House Says 'No Backup Plan' to Debt Ceiling

The White House is dismissing suggestions to sidestep Congress to meet the nation's debt obligations, declaring that it is Congress' responsibility to pay the bills of the United States.