Jackson Free Press

[State Report] Coast Park Open to Drilling?

Tempers are rising in the concerted efforts to open the Mississippi Barrier Islands to gas drilling. An emergency military spending and tsunami relief bill recently signed by the Bush administration …

The War on ‘Sudafed' Grows

The Mississippi Senate passed a bill Tuesday requiring drugs containing pseudoephedrine be sold by prescription only. The bill is a sister bill to House Bill 512, a constitutional amendment authored …

Bills That Ain't About Money

All eyes at the state Legislature are on how politicians will handle the state's nearly $400 million revenue deficit, but other bills outside of money issues are creeping their way …

Scruggs' Indictment Shaking State

Attorney Paul Minor is serving 11 years in federal prison for paying off campaign loans for a Democratic Mississippi Supreme Court judge. Guaranteeing loans to the campaigns of supreme court …

The Deal With a Racist Devil

We seem to be going backward, not forward, on race and other bigotry issues.

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Stalking: It's No Joke

The night I finished the story of Adrienne Klasky's murder, I felt as if my safe, stable life had disappeared. Klasky's killer, Michael Graham, had stalked Adrienne for about three …

Dick Molpus Raises the Roof in Neshoba County

June 20, 2004—With Gov. Haley Barbour sitting right behind him, former Secretary of State and Neshoba County native Dick Molpus made a thundering speech in honor of slain civil rights …

Yarber Campaign Funder Mitzi Bickers Indicted in Atlanta

Jackson and Atlanta have been interconnected since the Mayor Tony Yarber era. Mitzi Bickers is one of those common threads, having worked on both Kasim Reed's campaign in 2009 and …

Thigpen: ‘No Such Thing’ as ‘Private Charter Schools’

Mississippi Center for Public Policy President Forest Thigpen insists that charter schools not only play fair in the state of Mississippi, but have the ability to change the game of …

JSU Reels After President Search, Budget Cuts

Jackson State University students, faculty and staff members went through a whirlwind of hiring and firing in the last two weeks.

GOP Mega-Donor Implicated in Russia Probe Gives McDaniel $500,000 Boost

Mississippi State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, received a $500,000 donation for his campaign for U.S. Senate thanks to GOP mega-donor Robert Mercer, the investor behind a firm that harvested the …

Birthday Reflections

As the JFP turns 6, Todd Stauffer reflects on the problem of "balance" over accuracy—a media problem McCain's lying spree has brought front and center.

State Medicaid Drops 55,000 Children

A new program requiring face-to-face meetings for Medicaid recipients has contributed to over 55,000 children being dropped from state rolls. At a meeting of the Legislative Budget Committee last Thursday, …

Peace in the MPB Valley?

After being absent from Mississippi Public Broadcasting offices for at least two weeks, Executive Director Judy Lewis resigned Sept. 8. A news release that afternoon announced her decision to leave …

Brownie Slams States; GOP and Dems Slam Him

MSNBC is reporting:

Former FEMA director Michael Brown aggressively defended his role in responding to Hurricane Katrina on Tuesday and blamed most coordination failures on Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor …

Proclamation by the Governor

[verbatim/including the annoying all-caps]

WHEREAS, by the provisions of Section 121 of the Constitution of the State of Mississippi, the Governor is vested with the power to convene, by public Proclamation, the Legislature in …

Welcome to the Wild, Wild West

So, how many innocent people's lives were endangered in this inter-agency chase and shoot-out in the streets of Jackson? Good to know they recovered a small amount of marijuiana to …

No More Autopsies for Steven Hayne

Radley Balko at Reason Magazine and WLBT are reporting that Mississippi's long-time de facto medical examiner, Steven Hayne, will no longer be doing autopsies in the state. Balko writes:

Cooper-Stokes Making Waves

Newly minted Ward 3 Councilwoman LaRita Cooper-Stokes walked into the City Council chambers at City Hall on Friday ready to make changes. The first thing she noticed was that council …

JFP is Turning 9—What's Your Favorite JFP Memory?

I'll include a couple to get us going:

We need your help, JFP Nation. Our 9th birthday issue publishes this week, and we want to include favorite JFP-related moments (funny or serious) from staffers, readers, freelancers, etc. Please …