"Robert Shuler Smith" | Search | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS

All results / Stories / Ashton Pittman

Tease photo Civil Rights

Joe Biden's Praise for Segregationists Spans Decades

As a liberal Democratic senator before segregationists switched to the GOP, Joe Biden's friendships extended to not only conservatives, but notorious racist Dixiecrats like former Sen. Strom Thurmond of South …

Tease photo Cover

Mississippi: The Battleground for Roe v. Wade’s Future?

Red states, emboldened by the Trump regime, are passing hardline anti-abortion laws aimed at triggering a reconsideration of Roe at the nation's highest court—laws like the fetal heartbeat bills the …

Tease photo Health Care

Mississippi Quarantines 20,000 With 5,993 Students Positive For COVID; Teen Deaths Rise

School districts statewide have responded to mounting COVID-19 cases and outbreaks with a patchwork of remedies, with many reimplementing mask mandates or moving to all-virtual instruction.

Tease photo Cover

‘It Only Matters What You Answer To’: The JFP Interview with Mike Espy

Mike Espy has neither sought nor served in public office since 1994; this year's U.S. Senate special election marks Espy's re-entry into politics as he runs in the special election …

Tease photo Crime

'Sprawling Conspiracy' Ensnares Voucher Beneficiaries, Republican Donors

At least two people who donated significant sums to Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves' campaign allegedly engaged in what the state's top elected official calls a "disgusting abuse of power."

Tease photo Cover

The JFP Interview with David Baria: 'I Am Who I Am'

David Baria, the man who currently serves as the House minority leader in the Mississippi Legislature, shared his story, his plans for Mississippi, and why he thinks he can move …

Tease photo Cover

‘It All Starts With Education’: The JFP Interview With Jay Hughes

Education is the No. 1 issue for Mississippi House Rep. Jay Hughes, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor this year, who has taught in public schools himself.

Tease photo Cover

Joe Biden and the Dixiecrats Who Helped His Career

Vice President Joe Biden talked about his mentor James O. Eastland at a rally for Democrat Doug Jones in Birmingham, Ala., in 2017.

Tease photo Cover

God Save the Governor: Phil Bryant, Brexit Soldier

Republican Phil Bryant is certainly not the first Mississippi governor to support a state's plan to secede from a multi-state union. ... But Bryant seems to be the first to …

Tease photo State

Auditor Demands Brett Favre Return $828,000 in ‘Illegally Spent Welfare Funds’

NFL star Brett Favre must return $828,000 he received from welfare funds that should have gone to needy families, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White said in a statement recently.

Tease photo Personhood

The Pink House Deals With ‘Heartbeat Bill’ Fallout

"Jesus loves you, mommy. Mommy, please don't kill me," a child's voice pleads from a large speaker system outside Mississippi's last abortion clinic, which is known among its defenders as …

Tease photo Politics

Waller Says Yes to Equal Pay, No on LGBT Hate Crimes Law

In a series of campaign stops for the Republican runoff for governor on Tuesday, former Mississippi Chief Justice Bill Waller reiterated his views on health care and education, while also …

Tease photo City & County

UPDATED: Abortion Clinic 'Buffer Zone' Draws Ag Commish, Protesters to City Hall

The City is set to vote on a proposal to limit protest activities outside the state's only abortion clinic.

Tease photo Politics

Gunn, Reeves Vow To Ban Critical Race Theory In Schools: ‘Can’t Take A Chance’

Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn promised attendees at the Neshoba County Fair yesterday that he will back legislation next year to ban “critical race theory” in Mississippi’s K-12 classrooms—despite the …

Tease photo Business

UPDATE: Jackson's $7 Million Water Bill Fix Passes; Zoo Closure Ends Worker Benefits

At a special meeting late last week, the Jackson City Council blocked a $7-million emergency loan to fix its water-sewer system, which has been plagued with problems since the City …

Tease photo Politics

Republicans Approve ‘CRT’ Bill Despite Opposition From All Black House Members

For six hours on Thursday, Black Mississippi House representatives argued against a bill that would set limits on discussions of race in classrooms. Once their arguments wrapped up, though, the …

Tease photo Personhood

‘God Selected This Case’: The Christian Dominionist War On Abortion, Part II

Days before the 2020 presidential election, then-President Donald Trump celebrated the confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court, achieving a top priority of many Christian dominionist …

Next