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Updated: Man Gets 99 years for Sex Assault of Texas Girl
The prosecution and defense are set to make closing arguments in the first trial stemming from the alleged sexual assault of a young Texas girl by 20 men and boys …
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Technology
City in the Sky
The long-awaited sequel to the critically acclaimed "Bioshock" series is finally here, and despite its flaws, it was worth the wait.
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Person of the Day
Melinda Todd
Melinda Todd, coordinator for Crisis Prevention Resource Program at Jackson State University, is dedicated to combating suicide through education and mentorship.
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City & County
Henley-Young’s Breakfast Snub
The Henley-Young Juvenile Justice Center will likely not be in full compliance with a 2012 court order to improve conditions at the facility by the time the order expires in …
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City & County
10 Local Stories of the Week
There's never a slow news week in Jackson, Miss., and last week was no exception. Here are the local stories JFP reporters brought you in case you missed them.
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Ala. Legislature OKs Stricter Abortion Standards
Alabama lawmakers late Tuesday gave final passage to a measure placing stricter regulations on clinics that provide abortions.
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Crime
New Lawsuit: Mississippi Prison Has 'Abhorrent Conditions'
The Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman is a violent, rat-infested place where inmates live in “abhorrent conditions” and their medical needs are routinely ignored, attorneys say in a new lawsuit …
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Civil Rights
Plaques at Ole Miss Acknowledge Its Historic Ties to Slavery
The University of Mississippi is acknowledging its historical connections to slave labor, slave owners and officials who set policies that stripped African-Americans of voting rights after the Civil War.
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National
Ivanka Trump is Shutting Down Her Clothing Company
Ivanka Trump is shutting down her clothing company and laying off 18 employees after some stores dropped her line and she decided ethics restrictions were holding back its ability to …
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National
Judge Jails Ex-Trump Campaign Chair Manafort Ahead of Trial
President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman is going to jail. Paul Manafort was ordered into custody Friday after a federal judge revoked his house arrest, citing newly filed obstruction of …
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National
Trump, GOP Tax Plan Cuts Rates, Nearly Doubles Deduction
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are proposing a far-reaching plan Wednesday that would cut taxes for individuals and corporations, simplify the tax system and nearly double the standard deduction …
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Health Care
State Recovers $11 Million in Audit by Medicaid Division, Attorney General
Auditors working in the Mississippi Division of Medicaid and the attorney general's office recovered more than $11 million in improper payments and claims for fiscal-year 2017 after analyzing medical claims …
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Film
Chris Moore
Chris Moore, 26, has been making movies for more than a decade. His admiration for the horror genre began when his dad introduced him to the 1953 film "House of …
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Person of the Day
William Dan Isaac
Growing up in Choctaw, Miss., William Dan Isaac often pondered the differences between his way of life on the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians reservation and the way that people …
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Politics
Gov. Bryant Taps Justice Chandler to Lead Overhaul of Child Welfare System
The State of Mississippi took the first step toward following a set of recommendations for complying with the long-running court case over the state's foster-care system known as Olivia Y.
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Business
Stamps: No New Payday Loan, Check Cashing, Liquor, Pawn Stores
A Jackson city councilman wants to put a halt to the expansion of payday loan stores, check cashers and liquor stores in the capital city.
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Film
Get Down with ‘Get on Up’
The red carpet rolled out in Mississippi for Tate Taylor's new film "Get On Up," starring Chadwick Boseman as the iconic Mister James Brown.
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Crime
MDOC Wants New Private Prison Contracts
The Mississippi Department of Corrections is ending its contracts with a Utah-based private prison firm to operate four state penitentiaries and rebidding the work.
Entry
Payton-Manziel Super Bowl Meet-up
By bryanflynnOne of the more interesting stories this week is that New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton met with former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel during Super Bowl week.
There are few examples of a player destroying their career the way Manziel has. NFL teams are known to put up with a lot of crap from players with loads of talent. Heck, any sports-related field is willing to put up with a ton from stars because they are stars, including the MLB, NBA and even the WWE. Just check out the stuff that wrestler Shawn Michaels pulled in his younger years, but “The Showstopper” was one of the greatest talents ever in the ring.
The general consensus has been that it is all right to party like a rock star on Saturday if you can deliver the goods on Sunday. Famed New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath partied with the best of them but still could get it done when the game started. So could New York Yankees great Mickey Mantle. Manziel, on the other hand, couldn’t pull off the feat when the Cleveland Browns drafted him in 2014.
It worked for the quarterback when he was at Texas A&M University and made the news for his bad behavior. The same wild and crazy lifestyle didn’t go over well in the NFL, where players are supposed to be prepared on game day.
Since the Browns drafted in the first round with the 22nd overall pick, the former Heisman Trophy winner seemed to be in scandal after scandal. On the field, Manziel’s talent couldn’t eclipse the dumpster fire that he was off the field.
His antics eventually got old, and the Browns cut him in March 2016. No team wanted him during the offseason, and not many teams have shown interest in the quarterback.
If any coach could get a player to straighten up and live up to the talent that he possesses, it would be Payton. Payton and his current quarterback, Drew Brees, wouldn’t let Manziel act the way that he did with the Browns.
New Orleans, as a city, would be the big risk for signing Manziel. Few cities in America have a reputation for being a place to have a good time like The Big Easy. The temptation for Manziel would be great, and that is where Payton and Brees would have to keep him in check.
It doesn’t seem likely that New Orleans will sign Manziel, but Brees is 38 years old and in the final year of his contract. Payton doesn’t hurt anything by kicking the tires on a quarterback who could be really talented if he fixed his work ethic and personal life.
Remember Michaels mentioned above. Most of the superstars in the WWE disliked him when his back issues forced him to to leave the company. He later returned with the company after a four-and-half-year absence as a better person, according …
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Chokwe Lumumba Is Getting A Raw Deal
There is a pattern in America's ill treatment of those who have something to say, particularly those who are perceived as having "too much" to say. This pattern is made …
