Jackson Free Press

Man Wants Sentence Reduced in Carjacking Case

A man who pleaded guilty to an armed carjacking in central Mississippi has asked a federal judge to throw out part of his 10-year sentence.

House GOP Leaders Seek Short-Term Debt Extension

House Speaker John Boehner planned to ask fractious Republican lawmakers on Thursday to support a six-week extension of the government's ability to borrow money, even as Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew …

UN to Tackle Collapsing Central African Republic

The U.N. Security Council is set to vote on a resolution Thursday aimed at helping end near-anarchy in the violence-wracked Central African Republic, which it says is threatening stability in …

Costliest 1 Percent of Patients Account for 21 Percent of U.S. Health Spending

Five percent of patients account for 50 percent of all health-care expenditures.

Farish Street Flap Heats Up

Since developer David Watkins responded to a flurry of criticism over his handling of the Farish Street renovation project with a letter yesterday afternoon, his camp has ratcheted up its …

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4 Americans Meet Snowden to Give Him an Award

Four former U.S. government officials who met with former National Security Agency systems analyst Edward Snowden said Thursday that he is adjusting to life in Russia and expresses no regrets …

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Poll: Health Exchange Rollout Gets Poor Reviews

The debut of the government's health insurance marketplaces drew a huge audience—and underwhelming reviews.

Miss. Government: Little Impact from Fed Shutdown

Agency directors and spokesmen say Mississippi government is feeling little effect from the federal government's partial shutdown that started last week.

Ex-Cop Didn't Seem to Have Target in Courthouse

An ex-police officer did not seem to be targeting anyone or any particular office when he stood across the street from a federal courthouse and sprayed the glass facade with …

House GOP, White House Seeking End to Budget Fight

After weeks of ultimatums, President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans are exploring whether they can end a budget standoff that has triggered a partial government shutdown and edged Washington to …

Global Chemical Watchdog Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Efforts to eliminate chemical weapons won a Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for the global watchdog trying to destroy Syria's stockpiles of nerve gas and other poisonous agents.

New GOP Plan to End Shutdown/Default, but No Agreement, Yet

House Republicans are offering to pass legislation to avert a default and end the 11-day partial government shutdown as part of a framework that would include cuts in benefit programs, …

It's the Weekend!

Tonight, Street Corner Symphony performs at 9 p.m. at Duling Hall.

Deja Abdul-Haqq

Deja Abdul-Haqq—environmental and policy manager at My Brother's Keeper, Inc.—is devoted to addressing health and nutritional disparities in Mississippi.

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Mercury Increasing in Birds Downstream of Canada's Oil Sands

Mercury levels are increasing in the eggs of water birds that nest downstream of Canada's oil sands region, according to a new study.

Will Mississippi Avoid the College-Debt Crash?

Whitney Barkley believes that college loan debt could be bad news for the U.S. economy.

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.

Barbour's Ties to Southern Co. Questioned in Race

A candidate for Alabama's utility regulatory board has lined up a fundraiser with former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who helped to found a Washington lobbying firm that has represented the …

Man Says 1973 UFO Incident Turned Life Upside Down

Charles Hickson never regretted the notoriety that came his way after he told authorities he encountered an unidentified flying object and its occupants 40 years ago on the banks of …

Default Looming, Day 14 of Shutdown, No Solution

The United States moved perilously closer to an economy-rattling default and a partial government shutdown entered its 14th day as Senate Democratic and Republican leaders remained at odds over spending …