Jackson Free Press

Obama to Outline Strategy on Islamic State

President Barack Obama plans to begin laying out his strategy for defeating Islamic State militants expanding their grip in Iraq and Syria.

Summer Break Over, Must-Do Tasks Await Congress

Summer break over and elections ahead, Congress is beginning an abbreviated September session with must-do tasks of preventing a government shutdown and extending a freeze on taxing access to the …

Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada Gay Marriage Laws in Court

For the first time since it declared California's gay marriage ban unconstitutional, the federal appeals court in San Francisco is readying to hear arguments over same-sex weddings in a political …

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.

Bryant Unmoved on Child Refugees by Church Leaders

Gov. Phil Bryant's decision to block additional legal child refugees from being resettled in Mississippi hasn't changed following a Thursday meeting with Catholic, Methodist and Episcopal leaders.

Union Says NFL Wants DUI Policy Change

The players' union says the NFL has asked for the right to immediately suspend players who are arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

WHO: Use Ebola Survivors' Blood to Treat Patients

Desperate to restore hope amid the Ebola crisis, the World Health Organization said Friday it would accelerate the use of experimental treatments and vaccines to contain the expanding epidemic in …

Ukraine Cease-Fire Begins, but US Still Skeptical

Ukraine, Russia and the Kremlin-backed separatists signed a cease-fire deal Friday after five months of bloodshed, and Europe readied additional sanctions in case the truce fails. NATO leaders created a …

Yarber Wants Council to Hear Costco Appeal

After losing a fight at the city planning board on Aug. 27 to rezone 50 acres of land near Lakeland Drive and Interstate 55, Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber plans to …

McDaniel Challenge Officially Dismissed; Childers Wants Cochran Debate

A special circuit court judge officially ordered the dismissal of State Sen. Chris McDaniel's election challenge in Jones County Sept. 4.

Sen. Terry Brown

Mississippi Senate President Pro Tempore Terry Brown, a longtime lawmaker known for his booming voice and skepticism about government programs, died Thursday after undergoing treatment for lung cancer. He was …

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Hamas Leader: No to Israel's Disarmament Demand

A senior leader of Hamas on Friday rejected Israel's demand that the group be disarmed as a condition for ending the long-running blockade of the Gaza Strip and permitting the …

NATO Approves New Force Aimed at Deterring Russia

Seeking to counter Russian aggression, NATO leaders approved plans Friday to create a rapid response force with a headquarters in Eastern Europe that could quickly mobilize if an alliance country …

Ukraine Signs Cease-Fire with Pro-Russian Rebels

Ukraine and the Russian-backed rebels have signed a cease-fire deal that starts in less than two hours, a European official at the talks said Friday.

Childers Wants Debates, Cochran Noncommittal

Mississippi voters deserve to hear U.S. Senate candidates debate issues such as the minimum wage and the availability of health care, the Democratic nominee said Thursday.

Miss. Charter School Board Votes on Director

An official with Louisiana's Recovery School District is likely to be the first executive director of Mississippi's Charter School Authorizer Board.

US and UK Seek Partners to Go After Islamic State

President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron pressed fellow NATO leaders Thursday to confront the "brutal and poisonous" Islamic State militant group that is wreaking havoc in Iraq …

Court Rules Against Gay Marriage Bans in 2 States

A U.S. appeals court ruled Thursday that same-sex marriage bans in Wisconsin and Indiana violate the U.S. Constitution, in another in a series of courtroom wins for gay-marriage advocates.

Ruling Against BP Could Mean $18 Billion in Fines

BP could be looking at close to $18 billion in additional fines over the nation's worst offshore oil spill after a federal judge ruled Thursday that the company acted with …

Comedian Joan Rivers Dead at 81

Joan Rivers, the raucous, acid-tongued comedian who crashed the male-dominated realm of late-night talk shows and turned Hollywood red carpets into danger zones for badly dressed celebrities, died Thursday. She …