Jackson Free Press

Several stories about Mississippi's former forensic pathologist Dr. Steven Hayne have cropped up lately in the national media.

Conde-Nast Traveler's annual Readers' Choice Survey puts Jackson at No. 7 on its list of the 10 friendliest cities in the U.S.

"Visitors to Mississippi's capital—and most populous town—note that 'friendly people and great food' make it a worthy stop. Its streets are 'steeped in history' and dotted with 'green and pretty' public spaces," the survey site states. "Take an afternoon to sample 'wonderful barbeque' and chat with 'lovely' residents."

Mississippi's capital city tied Natchez on the Traveler list: "Known for well-preserved relics of pre-Civil War architecture, including 'very beautiful antebellum houses,' Natchez also boasts a sweetly Southern resident community. The hospitable population and slower pace of life make Natchez 'an amazing town to visit and relax.' In fact, this 'great undiscovered location' made one reader 'feel like a real Southern Belle.'”

When it comes to friendly, "southern hospitality shines on that front—in the Top 10, all but three of the cities are in the South," the site states.

Rounding out the list are: No. 10, Branson, Mo.; No. 9, Sonoma, Calif.; No. 8, Telluride, Colo.; No. 5, Austin, Texas; No. 4, Asheville, N.C.; No. 3, Savannah, Ga.; No. 2, Galena, Ill.; No. 1, Charleston, S.C.

Al Jazeera America published a profile of Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba today, "In Mississippi, America's most revolutionary mayor." Author Siddhartha Mitter a good amount of time in the city this summer.

Looks like a good read: “Nowadays you’ve got to call yourself a ‘change agent’ or something, or else you’ll make people scared,” Lumumba told me when I visited Jackson in August. “But I am a revolutionary.”

Mitter even managed to work in Lumumba's trademark "Alright. OK."

Will the GOP pay attention to its moderates?

In a near unanimous 7-1 decision announced earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court decline to rule in Fisher v. University of Texas.

You ought to know you're in trouble when the folks who should be your biggest cheerleaders come and do a dance on your head and slap you around a bit.

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has been a player in the Republican Party for decades. As a matter of fact, he was one of the big conservative brains (along with Lee Atwater) that came up with the Southern Strategy, a political mindset that has kept Southern politics stuck on the battlefield of black versus white since the days of Ronald Reagan. Barbour served as Reagan's political director and as chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Some might say that Mr. Barbour had a hand in stirring up the witch's brew that created right-wingers like the Tea Party—and I'd agree. But if he stirred the pot, he sure has no control over its content.

Now, Barbour is blasting conservatives, especially those on the ultra-shaggy edges of the right-wing fringe. The Washington Post calls them—the roughly 45 Republicans in Congress who refuse to bend at all, ever, under any circumstances—cast-iron conservatives .

“When you control the House, the Democrats control the Senate and the White House, you can’t exactly cram your stuff down their throat,” Barbour said in a Post TV "In Play" interview yesterday. “Some of our friends sometimes forget that.”

“The guys that wanted to make Obamacare the trip wire for closing down the government and making Obama cave in … that’s not going to happen; that was never going to happen,” he added.

Barbour goes on to blame the conservative troubles on—wait for it—outside agitators. The problem is, they're skunks of the same stripes:

Barbour went on to note that his bigger concern for the party moving forward was the number of outside conservative groups — he mentioned the Senate Conservatives Fund and the Club For Growth by name — who seek to vilify Republican Members of Congress for allegedly breaking with party orthodoxy.

“Some of these same people go out and raise money for outside organizations that attack the other Republicans not over principle, not over policy … over tactics,” said Barbour. “There is no excuse for making people think a conservative Congressman who has a 98 percent conservative voting record is a bad person because you disagree with his tactics.”

See the WaPo's The Fix blog for the entire interview.

Jackson Public Schools will see a $3.63 million increase in funding from the city in the upcoming school year.

Gov. Phil Bryant has nominated staunch pro-life activist Terri Herring for the Mississippi Board of Public Health.

The UAW is making unionization at Canton's Nissan plant an international effort.

Pew Research survey gives Obama an 8-point lead over Romney.

Pass the Kleenex. Jackson ranks at the top of the list for spring allergies.

Leave your parking and traffic worries behind and let Jackson's JATRAN do the driving.

Voters do not have to vote in every race on the ballot for their votes to count.

The Association of Alternative Newsmedia has announced its award finalists for stories published in 2012.

Jackson area residents can now support one of the city's important nonprofits without a second thought .

"Once again the needle barely budged for women aspiring to top business leadership."

Cover Mississippi is taking on the challenges of educating and enrolling Mississippians in the new health insurance market place.

Emergency room care remains their only health-care option.

Our fair city ranks as one of the most generous cities in the United States.

19,000 Mississippians awoke this morning to the possibility of no paycheck.