Dead or Alive: What Bills Survived, Or Didn't, in the 2018 Legislative Session
While the budget is intact, many other Republican priorities and proposals died this session. Here is a short list of what survived and what did not.
Only Black People Prosecuted Under Mississippi Gang Law Since 2010
In the lead-up to this year's legislative session in Mississippi, supporters of a tougher gang law in the state talked a lot about the need to arrest white people. But in an ironic twist, the Jackson Free Press has learned that everyone arrested under the existing gang law from 2010 through 2017 were African American.
Yolanda Singleton
After 26 years in the entertainment business, concert promoter Yolanda Singleton says she feels like she has finally carved out a niche in the male-dominated industry.
Trump Fires Veterans Affairs Secretary Shulkin
President Donald Trump is firing Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and replacing him with the White House doctor in the wake of a bruising ethics scandal and a mounting rebellion within the VA.
UPDATED: Mayor Lumumba Planning April 4 Town Hall Event in Jackson with Bernie Sanders
The City of Jackson will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King through a conversation titled, “Examining Economic Justice 50 Years Later.” This will be a moderated conversation between Senator Bernie Sanders and Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba.
US Judge Extends Temporary Block on 15-Week Abortion Ban
A federal judge in Mississippi has extended his temporary block on the most restrictive abortion law in the United States.
Senate Candidate Criticizes Group That Complained About Him
A U.S. Senate candidate in Mississippi said Wednesday that he's filing an Internal Revenue Service complaint against a group that complained to the Federal Election Commission about him.
Of Bunnies and Brunch
There's plenty going on in and around Jackson for Easter this year. Here's just a few of them.
Business+Tech Events
For more business and technology-related events, check out jfpevents.com. For biz and tech news, visit jfp.ms/business.
A Platform for Community
On Thursday, March 22, Cathead Distillery in downtown Jackson was bustling with activity at JXN Gumbo as J.J. Townsend launched his nonprofit community crowd-funding platform, Citizenville.
EDITORIAL: Mayor, JPD, Get on Same Page About Officer Shootings
When it comes to police transparency, Jackson is on a volatile tectonic plate that could cause tremors at any moment. Especially when City officials are the ones off-kilter and inconsistent.
OPINION: Police-State Violence, the Elephant in the Room
We live in a police state. That is when a government uses organized force to act arbitrarily and violently against the interests of the masses of people, rendering them subjects instead of citizens.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Complacency vs. The Permission to Care Deeply
One of the biggest letdowns of the modern era—and the money involved in American politics—is the complacency that sets in once someone gets into office.
Tasha Bibb
During Tasha Bibb's sophomore year at Mississippi College, she was not sure what she wanted to do after graduation. That's when she learned about the nonprofit Innovate Mississippi, then called Mississippi Technology Alliance. Today, she is the organization's director of entrepreneurial development.
$6 Billion Budget, But No Roads, Bridges Funds
State revenues are higher than expected, and lawmakers set aside about $112 million, or 2 percent, of the state budget for its rainy day fund, as they worked several late nights at the Mississippi Legislature to pass a roughly $6-billion budget to fund state agencies starting in July.
Youth Take Lead on Guns in Schools
As the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School take the world stage to demand stricter gun laws, many people in the Jackson metro area recall that 20 years ago, Rankin County had its own high-profile school shooting.
Celebrating the Life of a Man JPD Killed
In Jackson, no one has taken to the streets for any of the last seven officer-involved shootings since Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba took office in July 2017 with none of the officers involved identified to date.
Mississippi Lawmakers Revise Some Medicaid Services
Mississippi lawmakers are updating the state's Medicaid program, allocating nearly $1 billion in state funds for the program that insures 1 in 4 state residents.
Retired Justice Urges Repeal of Second Amendment
Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is calling for the repeal of the Second Amendment to allow for significant gun control legislation.
Two Officers in Black Man's Fatal Shooting Won't Be Charged
Louisiana's attorney general ruled out criminal charges Tuesday against two white Baton Rouge police officers in the fatal shooting of a black man during a struggle outside a convenience store.