Jackson Free Press

GOP Spat Blamed for Exchange Failure

A day after informally notifying Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney of the federal government's rejection of the state's proposal to run a health-insurance exchange, the U.S. Department of Health and …

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Community Events and Public Meetings

The Royal Bleau Semi-Annual Fashion Show is Feb. 15, 7 p.m. at Rose E. McCoy Auditorium.

Contest Seeks Underworldly Names for 2 Pluto Moons

Astronomers announced a contest Monday to name the two itty-bitty moons of Pluto discovered over the past two years.

Pope's Mission to Revive Faith Clouded by Scandal

Benedict XVI always cast himself as the reluctant pope, a shy bookworm who preferred solitary walks in the Alps to the public glare and the majesty of Vatican pageantry.

2 U.S. Adoption Agencies Closing, Citing Woes Abroad

The lone U.S. adoption agency accredited in Kyrgyzstan is shutting down due to financial troubles, a sudden new setback for about 15 American families battling since 2008 to complete adoptions …

3 Dead in Courthouse Shooting in Delaware

Motivated by a yearslong custody dispute, a gunman opened fire Monday morning in a Delaware courthouse lobby just as the building was opening to the public for the day, exchanging …

Military Weighs Cutbacks, Shifts in Drone Programs

The Pentagon for the first time is considering scaling back the massive buildup of drones it has overseen in the past few years, both to save money and to adapt …

U.S. Ships Military Equipment Out of Afghanistan

The United States began its withdrawal from Afghanistan in earnest, officials said Monday, sending the first of what will be tens of thousands of containers home through a once-blocked land …

Bill to Make Unregistered Sex Offenders Wear GPS

The Mississippi Senate passed a bill Monday that would make unregistered sex offenders wear GPS tracking bracelets and require local governments to notify the public when offenders move to their …

Obama to Announce 34K Troops to be Home in a Year

President Barack Obama will announce in his State of the Union address that 34,000 U.S. troops will be home from Afghanistan within a year.

Retiring Pope Benedict XVI in Uncharted Territory

For months, construction crews have been renovating a four-story building attached to a monastery on the northern edge of the Vatican gardens where nuns would live for a few years …

North Korea Conducts Third Controversial Nuke Test

Defying U.N. warnings, North Korea on Tuesday conducted its third nuclear test in the remote, snowy northeast, taking a crucial step toward its goal of building a bomb small enough …

Senate Panel to Vote on Defense Nominee Hagel

Chuck Hagel—Republican, twice-wounded Vietnam combat veteran and former Nebraska senator—faces his first major hurdle in his bid to become the nation's defense secretary as a bitterly divided Senate Armed Services …

Mississippi Twister Carves Long Path of Wreckage

The powerful twister tore a path across at least three counties, injuring more than 80 people—but residents marveled that no one died.

Mardi Gras Winds Up on Miss. Coast

Organizers say Fat Tuesday parades on the Mississippi Gulf Coast will roll as scheduled Tuesday despite the chance of rain.

Margaret Wrinkle

Southern writers have a legacy quite unlike writers from the rest of the country.

New Grocery Store, Employment Expo, Home Loans, and Surety Bonds

Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. attended the grand opening of LCD Foods' third Jackson Save-A-Lot Grocery Store Feb. 2.

Education Plans Could Prove Costly

Facing a Valentine's Day deadline to pass general legislation, Mississippi House and Senate legislators are zipping through more than 200 bills to clear their respective calendars.

Del. Courthouse Gunman Was Ex-Father-in-Law

A 68-year-old man whose son was engaged in a bitter custody battle was identified Tuesday as the gunman who opened fire in a Delaware courthouse lobby, killing his former daughter-in-law …

Obama: Half of U.S. Combat Troops Home Within 1 year

President Barack Obama's decision to bring home within a year about half of the 66,000 U.S. troops now in Afghanistan will shrink the force to the size he found it …