UNHCR: Weekend Shipwreck Deadliest Ever in Mediterranean
The United Nations refugee agency said Tuesday that it believes more than 800 people drowned when a boat packed with migrants trying to reach Europe sank on Saturday, making it the worst such incident ever in the Mediterranean.
Court Sentences Ousted Egypt President to 20 Years in Prison
An Egyptian criminal court on Tuesday sentenced ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to 20 years in prison on charges linked to the killing of protesters in 2012, the first verdict to be issued against the country's first freely elected leader.
Lawyer: No Answer on Why Man Who Died in Custody was Stopped
The lawyer for the family of Freddie Gray, a black man who died of spinal injuries during an arrest in Baltimore, said he believes the police had no reason to stop the man in the first place.
Suit Says Mississippi Lethal Injections are Unconstitutional
Two Mississippi prisoners condemned to death are challenging the legality of the state's lethal injection procedures.
Conservative PAC Wants Term Limits
The United Conservatives Fund today said the group has filed documents with the secretary of state's office to start the process to limit how long some Mississippi officials can serve in office.
Dr. Mary Elizabeth Hawkins
Dr. Mary Elizabeth Hawkins, a co-founder of Woman's Hospital (now Merit Health Woman's Hospital), passed away on April 7, 2015, at her home in Flora.
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.
Deadlines Set in Dispute Over School Funding Initiatives
Attorneys have until next week to submit arguments in a legal dispute about school funding initiatives on the November ballot. The Mississippi Supreme Court on Friday set an April 24 deadline for attorneys to file briefs about whether justices should hear an appeal from legislative leaders.
Uncertainty About 3rd Grade Gate Standards Frustrates School Officials
With testing for the so-called 3rd grade reading gate—which requires students to pass a literacy test before moving to the next grade—now under way around the state, some public school leaders say they're frustrated because they haven't been told what a passing grade is for the test.
Glenn Boyce
The College Board is naming former Holmes County Community College President Glenn Boyce as permanent state higher education commissioner.
Miss. State Jerseys Diss Ole Miss, Draw Apologies
Mississippi State's athletic director and Adidas have apologized for an obscene phrase on one of the baseball team's practice jerseys.
G-20 Finance Officials Confronting Global Weakness
Finance officials from the world's major economies are searching for the right mix of policies to bolster a still-weak global recovery nearly six years after the Great Recession while confronting a range of new threats from a soaring U.S. dollar to a big drop in oil prices.
Obama, Italian Prime Minister Renzi to Meet at White House
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is set to meet with President Barack Obama. Obama is hosting Renzi at the White House on Friday to compare notes on a range of issues, including Ukraine, Libya and Islamic State militants.
Federal Appeals Court to Take Up Obama's Immigration Action
As demonstrators gathered Friday outside a New Orleans federal courthouse, appellate judges were preparing to consider whether to lift a temporary hold imposed by a federal judge in Texas on President Barack Obama's executive action seeking to shield millions of immigrants from deportation.
Mississippi Chooses Minnesota Company for Standardized Tests
Minnesota-based Questar Assessment will provide most of the standardized tests for Mississippi beginning next year.
Supreme Court: Stallworth Does Not Have to Register as a Sex Offender
The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled today that a Jackson pastor, who was convicted of a sex crime in another state but had the conviction expunged, does not have to register as a sex offender in Mississippi.
Jeb Bush on Hand for Special Needs Bill Signing
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush attended Senate Bill 2695's signing at the Capitol. The Mississippi program is based on one created in Florida under Gov. Bush, a Republican preparing to run for president.
Anthony Alford
When Anthony Alford signed with Southern Miss after leading the Petal High School Panthers to the 6-A title during his senior season, it was a major recruiting coup.
Jackson Wants Hearing on Rankin Wastewater Plan
The City of Jackson will ask state regulators for a formal evidentiary hearing to contest the approval of a wastewater treatment plant in west Rankin County.
Search Area for Flight 370 to be Doubled if Plane Not Found
The search area for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 will be expanded by another 60,000 square kilometers (23,000 square miles) in the Indian Ocean if the jetliner is not found by May, officials said Thursday, affirming their commitment to not give up until it is located.