Mississippi Superintendent Says Purchasing Methods Improve
Mississippi's state superintendent of education says her department is tightening accounting and purchasing procedures, weeks after it was accused of illegally issuing some contracts without taking bids.
Mississippi High Court Undercuts MAEP: School Formula Is Not a Mandate
The state's highest court says the Legislature does not have to fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, ruling against 21 public-school districts that sued the state for underfunding MAEP from 2010 to 2015.
NAACP Names New Leader for More Active Future
The NAACP turned to an insider Saturday to help bring the nation's oldest civil rights organization back to prominence.
Hunter Evans
While the competitive atmosphere of the restaurant scene in New York City may intimidate some, Lou's Full-Serv Chef de Cuisine Hunter Evans did not shy away from it.
Politics on Display as Letterman Receives Mark Twain Prize
David Letterman was never known as a particularly political comedian, preferring a detached irony-drenched tone that favored the surreal and silly over topical humor. But there was an unmistakable political tint to much of Sunday night's ceremony to present Letterman with the Mark Twain award for American humor.
Senate Presses Ahead on $36.5B Disaster Relief Package
The Senate is pushing ahead on a $36.5 billion hurricane relief package that would give Puerto Rico a much-needed infusion of cash.
About Two Dozen NFL Players Protested During Anthems Sunday
Days after the NFL declined to change its rule on the national anthem, about two dozen players protested around the league Sunday.
Trump Voting Commission Criticized for Lack of Transparency
President Donald Trump's advisory commission on election integrity has integrity questions of its own—with some of its own members raising concerns about its openness.
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.
House Speaker Puts Toyota Leader on Mississippi School Board
House Speaker Philip Gunn on Friday named Sean Suggs of Saltillo, vice president of manufacturing at the Toyota Motor Co. plant in Blue Springs, to the state Board of Education.
Governor to Court: State Flag Doesn't Violate Rights as Marriage Bans Did
Offending black citizens is not enough to block the Mississippi flag, attorneys for Gov. Phil Bryant argued to the U.S. Supreme Court this week; they must instead show that the flag caused discrimination in order for a court to declare it unconstitutional.
"A Place for All People" at JSU, Tougaloo NASA Research and "Intersections of Gender and Place" at MUW
Mississippi University for Women is hosting "Intersections of Gender and Place," an art exhibition that focuses on women artists in the South whose work relates to gender issues and southern culture.
Marquis Haynes
The Vanderbilt University offensive line could not do much against University of Mississippi defensive end Marquis Haynes on Saturday, Oct. 14. The Jacksonville, Fla., native lived in the Commodores' backfield on nearly every offensive snap.
Mississippi Supreme Court: School Budget Formula is Not Binding
The Mississippi Legislature does not have an obligation to fully fund a school budget formula that was put into law two decades ago, the state Supreme Court said Thursday in upholding a ruling from a lower court.
Amid Hotel Flap, Fondren Labeled a Top ‘Endangered Historic Place’ in State
Fondren is now on the list of the “10 Most Endangered Historic Places in Mississippi," just as developers of a new hotel anger neighbors for demolishing the house the neighborhood is named after.
Bush Condemns Trump-Era America: 'Bigotry Seems Emboldened'
Former President George W. Bush on Thursday denounced bigotry in Trump-era American politics, warning that the rise of "nativism," isolationism and conspiracy theories have clouded the nation's true identity.
Lawyers: Courts Correctly Rejected Confederate Flag Lawsuit
Attorneys for the Mississippi governor say two levels of federal courts have been correct in blocking a lawsuit that challenges the Confederate battle emblem on the state flag.
UPDATED: JPS Draws Expected 'F' in MDE District, School Grades Released Today
The Mississippi Department of Education released the 2017 accountability rankings of all schools and districts in the state this morning. Seventy percent of the state's schools are performing at "C" grade or higher. Nine districts received an "F" grade, including Jackson Public Schools.
Hinds DA Seeks to Block Abuse, Drug Testimony As Trial Moves Forward
The Mississippi Supreme Court denied Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith's appeal this morning.
Stephen Johnston
Making movies was not necessarily part of the planned career trajectory for "Same Kind of Different as Me" Executive Producer Stephen Johnston.