Jackson Free Press

Obamacare: Five Years and Counting

With Bryant's vow to undermine the ACA, the feds concluded that a state-run exchange was untenable. In January 2013, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius turned down Mississippi's …

Engage to Change

Given what most black youth face—from lack of opportunity to lack of self-esteem—they have an uphill climb with little mainstream support.

‘Little Birds’: Families Sex Trafficking Own Kids

Most reported child sex trafficking in central Mississippi happens within families. In a report filled with difficult realities, this was the most shocking finding for researcher Wendy Bradford.

‘One Man, Two Guvnors’: Controlled Mayhem

Before the actors hit the boards for an early "stumble-through" rehearsal of "One Man, Two Guvnors" at New Stage Theatre, Joe Frost straps on knee and elbow pads and uses …

The Art of Happiness

Whenever the Mississippi Museum of Art is open during January and February, you might find as many as 25 people of all ages playing with photo prints, scissors, glue, stamps …

The Magic of ‘Peter Pan’

Even with its G-rated '50s songs and eternally optimistic story line, people of all ages get caught up in "Peter Pan"—even the cynics.

‘Tartuffe’: Wit’s Timeless Sting

Moliere, the stage name of Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, made a career out of writing plays that poked fun at the ills of the French high bourgeoisie—greed, hypochondria, philandering, pretension. "Tartuffe" takes …

Mr. Opinionated: Bill Maher Skewers the Right and the Left

Love him or hate him, Bill Maher is informed. Between having a network news editor for a father and a double-major bachelor's degree in English and history from Cornell University, …

Batterer’s Intervention: Changing Minds, Saving Lives

Early on in Ben Ellard's career as the program manager of the Batterer's Intervention Program at Pearl's Center for Violence Prevention, he had a profound experience while processing a new …

Stephen Cole's Ephemeral Permanence

Sculptor Stephen Coles will exhibit his work in “B+ (new work and investigations)” at Millsaps College Nov. 5-Dec. 17.

Universal Earth

Kristen Tordella-Williams has an affinity for dirt. Not the stuff that gathers under the couch, but the blacky-brown soil that gets under your nails, and the mound scraped away to …

People of the Mounds

If your description of Native Americans includes "primitive" or "savages," listening to retired archeologist and Jackson resident Sam Brookes will blow your mind.

Childhood Obesity: Defying Easy Answers

Dr. Whitney Herring has been a pediatrician at the University of Mississippi Medical Center for about a year. With a master's degree in public health, in addition to being a …

Hosemann Twists Voter ID Facts, Again

At last July's Neshoba County Fair, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann upped the ante on the usual GOP talking points of "business good, government bad"; state's rights; Obama's failures.

Felandus Thames: Creating Questions

Felandus Thames' work, which ranges from small to wall-sized paintings to dimensional installations, invites viewers to take a deeper, often jarring look at the easy, automatic views of African Americans.

DA Plans to Retry Michelle Byrom

Months after the Mississippi Supreme Court reversed Michelle Byrom's death sentence, Byrom is finally off death row and back in the custody of Tishomingo County.

Laurin Stennis: Art of Consciousness

For Laurin Stennis, art is about refuge and full self-expression.

Tom Thomsen's Heart for the Arts

Tom Thomsen's artistic career is long and varied. The Nebraska native—and former farm boy—began playing piano at age 4.

Investigate the Hayne Cases, Gen. Hood

Reading journalist Radley Balko's May 15 piece on Steven Hayne in The Washington Post reminded me, again, of our broken justice system.

• 13 comments

Fishes of Many Colors

Samuel Jalapeno-Pepperoni Finn is a fish—a beta, to be exact—and he's about to start his first day at the Crystal Coral Fins Academy. Sam is the star in Shaydrienne N. …