Board Seeks Middle Ground on A-to-F School Grading Scale
State Board of Education members are backing a plan that would assign A grades to fewer Mississippi schools and districts than an administrator task force recommended, but more than Department of Education officials had originally wanted.
Trump Advisers Waged Covert Lobbying Campaign for Russia-Backed Ukraine
WASHINGTON (AP) — A firm run by Donald Trump's campaign chairman directly orchestrated a covert Washington lobbying operation on behalf of Ukraine's ruling political party, attempting to sway American public opinion in favor of the country's pro-Russian government, emails obtained by The Associated Press show. Paul Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates, never disclosed their work as foreign agents as required under federal law.
Gawker.com Dies Next Week, Killed by an Unhappy Subject
Gawker.com, the brash New York website that broke new ground with its gossipy, no-holds-barred coverage of media, culture and politics, is shutting down after 14 years, brought low by an unhappy, but deep-pocketed, subject.
Chicago Police Recommend Firing of 7 Cops for False Reports
Seven Chicago police officers should be fired for filing false reports in the fatal shooting of black teenager Laquan McDonald in 2014, the police superintendent said Thursday, in a move aimed at repairing the reputation of a department dogged by decades of cover-ups and scandal.
JPD Cuts Budget by $2 Million, But Keeps All Current Officers
The Jackson Police Department is cutting a little over $2 million from its proposed budget, but without eliminating any existing officer positions.
JPS On Probation, Full Audit Ahead
Jackson Public Schools Superintendent Cedrick Gray says that the district plans to install GPS systems on buses to track their routes, ensure that each school has working fire extinguishers and has "beefed up" the presence of law enforcement in its schools to ensure a "safe and orderly" environment.
Mississippi RB Wilkins Ruled Academically Ineligible
Mississippi running back Jordan Wilkins has been ruled ineligible for the upcoming regular season because he has not met NCAA standards for progress toward a degree.
Obama Administration to End Use of Private Prisons
The Justice Department says it's phasing out its relationships with private prisons after a recent audit found the private facilities have more safety and security problems than ones run by the government.
Sam Kendricks
Four years ago, pole-vaulter Sam Kendricks barely missed reaching the U.S. track-and-field Olympic trials. He was 25th on an entry list that only invited the 24 participants.
Brazil Police Official: Lochte Made Up Story About Robbery
A Brazilian police official is telling The Associated Press that American swimmer Ryan Lochte fabricated a story about being robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro.
Volunteers Sought as Race to Develop a Zika Vaccine Heats Up
Wanted: Volunteers willing to be infected with the Zika virus for science. It may sound bizarre, but researchers are planning just such a study — this winter, when mosquitoes aren't biting — to help speed development of much-needed Zika vaccines.
2 Lochte Teammates in Robbery Probe Pulled Off Plane
Two Olympic swimmers were taken off their flight from Brazil to the U.S. on Wednesday by local authorities amid an investigation into a reported robbery targeting Ryan Lochte and his teammates.
Uber to Use Autonomous Cars to Haul People in Next Few Weeks
Uber passengers in Pittsburgh will be able to summon rides in self-driving cars with the touch of a smartphone button in the next several weeks.
DA’s Attorney Looking for Tapes, Informant; Says AG Hiding Him
Defense counsel James Waide III may have revealed the name of the confidential informant who taped Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith and then provided tapes to the Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood’s office—tapes that could get Waide disqualified as Smith’s attorney.
Iran Acknowledges Russia Using Its Air Base to Strike Syria
In a move that could reverberate across the Middle East, Iran confirmed Wednesday that Russia is using its territory to launch airstrikes in Syria even as a second wave of Moscow's bombers flew out of the Islamic Republic to hit targets in the war-ravaged country.
Clinton Shrugs Off Trump Shakeup, Attacks His Tax Plan
Hillary Clinton shrugged off Donald Trump's latest campaign shakeup Wednesday, saying he's the "same man" who would cut taxes for rich people while she would force the super-wealthy to pay more.
AP Sources: Manafort Tied to Undisclosed Foreign Lobbying
Donald Trump's campaign chairman helped a pro-Russian governing party in Ukraine secretly route at least $2.2 million in payments to two prominent Washington lobbying firms in 2012, and did so in a way that effectively obscured the foreign political party's efforts to influence U.S. policy.
Trump Campaign Shakes Up Leadership in Latest Sign of Tumult
Donald Trump announced a shake-up of his campaign leadership Wednesday, the latest sign of tumult for his struggling White House bid less than three months from his Election Day faceoff with Hillary Clinton.
Brandon Announces 8,000-Plus Capacity Amphitheater
A major addition to the Jackson metro’s music offerings is coming in spring 2018, but this time, it won’t be in Jackson. The City of Brandon held a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Brandon Municipal Complex, announcing details about the Brandon Amphitheater at The Quarry, which will be located across the street from a new sports facility and seat between 8,000 and 8,500 people.
Within Our Lifetime
I recently spent three days in St. Louis with 10 brilliant people from the Within Our Lifetime Network strategizing on how to end racism. While we had planned this gathering months in advance, we could not have predicted the juxtaposition of recent events with the purpose of our meeting.