Jackson Free Press

Obama's Explosive Acceptance Speech: The Transcript

Even as the country spent a minute saying "who the hell is Sarah Palin," Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is basking in the glow (and poll numbers) of a remarkable …

McCain Chooses Alaska 'Hockey Mom' as Running Mate

The New York Times reports that Sen. John McCain has chosen a 44-year-old conservative, pro-life governor who called herself a "hockey mom" as his running mate:

Watching History Unfold

My mind is going in so many directions right now that I'm surprised that I'm not dizzy.

First, yesterday was the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington. Whenever I saw clips of his speech, I would …

Bob Moser: 'Reclaiming the South'

Bob Moser, who has reported for The Nation and Rolling Stone, and served as the editor of the tough Independent Weekly in North Carolina, has written a book on the …

Redefining Pregnancy

You're a woman who has been raped, and you're terrified that your rapist made you pregnant. You ask your doctor for emergency contraception, but she refuses to give it to …

State Democrats Slam McCain

Mississippi Democrats used the birthday of the 70-year-old Social Security program to attack presumed Republican presidential nominee John McCain last week, accusing the Arizona senator of wanting to privatize the …

DOJ Not Pursuing Bribery Charges Against Stevens

An attorney handling the appeal of Paul Minor noted a sharp contrast between how the U.S. Department of Justice prosecuted Minor and how it is chasing Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens. …

Making the GOP Nervous

Mississippi made national headlines May 6 when the state's first congressional district (MS-01) voted a new Democrat into office. Prentiss County Chancery Clerk Travis Childers defeated Southaven Mayor Greg Davis …

Legislative Update: The End — But Not Really

The legislative session ended with less fighting than expected, though a few battles didn't quite get finished—meaning that Gov. Haley Barbour is likely to call one of his pricey special …

ABC Disgraces Itself During Debate

The world is talking today about how poorly ABC's George Stephanopolous and Charles Gibson handled themselves during last night's Democratic debate. Over on The Root, Marc Lamont Hill writes:

The ‘Bible Belt' Bill, Resurrected

When HB 520—the state's latest anti-abortion bill—passed the Mississippi House earlier this year it was a bill designed to keep divorced Mississippians from falsely accusing their betrothed/enemy from claiming child …

Legislative Update: Back Door to Abortion Restriction?

The House and Senate spent all of March firing bills at one another, waiting to see what the other side was going to do with them. It's that time of …

Republicans Singing the Blues?

A New York Times Magazine piece chronicles the depression that is setting in for Republicans now that the strategies that gave them temporary power are starting to turn off new …

The Emerging Mississippi: Are New Voters Changing State Politics?

Photos by Kenya Hudson

When presidential hopeful Barack Obama entered the Rose Embley McCoy building at Jackson State University on March 10, he flowed easily into the hungry arms of the crowd. At least …

The Issues 2008

What's on your mind this election year? As the national media focus on the presidential horse race, and who's sprinting ahead, chances are good that these issues will crop up.

Pecos Bill and the Haunted State

I participated in my first political debate last night. I use the word "debate" loosely because it wasn't really a debate; it was, in fact, a polite exchange of sound …

'The Grand Ole White Party Confronts Obama'

In his current New York Times column, Frank Rich dives into the racial fray that Republicans are facing in trying to campaign against Barack Obama:

Times Columnist on the New Evangelicals

Regardless, this evangelical shift should be noticed ... and applauded, I would add.

In a way, it was great to see the New York Times' Nick Kristof write about the changes that have hit the evangelical movement in this country—specifically the move away …

U.S. Abortions at Lowest Rate Since 1974

The Associated Press is reporting on a new study that shows that abortions in the U.S. are way down:

The number of abortions in the United States dropped to 1.2 million in 2005, the lowest level since 1974 and down 25 percent from the all-time high of 1.6 million …

[Hutchinson] The Obama White House

A President Barack Obama will be the most scrutinized president since Abraham Lincoln. Ironically, the reason for this has less to do with race, though it will still play a …