News

Hinds County Judicial Runoff: Who’s Left, What Progress Can Be Made?

Although the nation waits with bated breath for the results of the U.S. Senate runoff between Cindy Hyde-Smith and Mike Espy, six judicial seats are still up for grabs in Hinds County. Candidates who did not receive 50 percent plus one on Election Day automatically go to the runoff ballot.

Jackson City Council: 'No Confidence’ in Cindy Hyde-Smith as Senator

Less than a half hour after U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and her runoff opponent, Mike Espy, finished a closed-door debate, the Jackson City Council voted 4-1 for a symbolic showing of “no confidence” in Mississippi’s first woman in Congress.

Cory Booker Rallies USM Students for Espy

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, a likely 2020 presidential candidate, traveled to Mississippi on Monday to campaign for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy.

Hyde-Smith Demanded No Audience, No Press for Tonight’s Debate

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith demanded there be no audience or outside press allowed at tonight’s U.S. Senate debate and requested other restrictions, a source familiar with the debate negotiations told the Jackson Free Press Tuesday morning.

Mississippians Call for Hyde-Smith to Resign at Protests Following Videos

“A lot of the students who aren’t from Mississippi, from out north or out west, they’re like, ‘Really? Your public officials would say something like that?’ So they’re energized. People in Mississippi are energized because I believe they believe enough is enough.”

Republicans Call Espy ‘Sexist’ for Saying He’s Better for Women

Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith accused her Democratic opponent, Mike Espy, of sexism and “mansplaining” after he told supporters he would be a better U.S. senator for women.

Trenton Johnson

When University of Mississippi Medical Center named Trenton Johnson as one of its Volunteers of the Year at an Oct. 19 banquet, the 23-year-old Jackson State University senior says it was everything he wanted.

Hyde-Smith Accepts $2,700 Donation from Notorious White Supremacist

U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith accepted a donation from Peter Sieve, a businessman in Washington state known for his white supremacist views, just days after a video published by Bayou Brief surfaced in which she says she would be “on the front row” if a supporter invited her to “a public hanging.”

Myranda Cozad

Since its debut in 2013, the Scooby Doo truck has become something of an icon at Monster Jam, thanks in part to Myranda Cozad, who has been one of its drivers for almost three years.

Singing Christmas Tree at Belhaven, 'Lighting the Way' at USM and MSU Holiday Open House

Belhaven University will host its 86th annual Singing Christmas Tree event on Friday, Nov. 30, and Saturday, Dec. 1.

Hyde-Smith in New Video: Make Voting ‘More Difficult’ for People in ‘Those Schools’

In a newly surfaced video, U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith suggests making it “more difficult” for people in certain schools to vote.

Activists to Call for Hyde-Smith's Resignation at Friday Protest

Mississippi Matters, a coalition of activists and organizations, plans to call for U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith's resignation at a protest outside her Jackson office Friday at noon.

Google Donates $5,000 to Cindy Hyde-Smith Amid 'Hanging' Firestorm

Tech giant Google donated $5,000 to U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, even as she courted national outrage for her comment about attending a "public hanging."

Espy on Mississippi Stereotypes, Public Schools and Immigration at Jackson Forum

U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy addressed Jacksonians at a community forum on Nov. 14 where he expounded upon and set the record straight about his stances, including his response to viral "public hanging" comments from his competitor, incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

Jordan Johnson

Running back Jordan Johnson left JSU's 34-28 win over Prairie View A&M University with a lower leg injury on Nov. 3, but before the injury, Johnson was having a great day with 74 yards and a touchdown on just eight carries.

From Mississippi to Liberia: The Living Legacy of America’s West African Colony

Many say the legacy of freed African-American slaves, some from Mississippi, living and ruling over Liberia for more than 150 years ignited two Liberian civil wars that spanned 14 years off and on, claiming at least 250,000 lives.

ANALYSIS: Mississippi’s Economic Inequality and Conventional Wisdom

French economist Thomas Piketty's analysis reveals the myth of meritocracy—people gaining power based on their ability—and challenges conventional wisdom on economic inequality and its root causes.

The Right, and Wrong, Way to Change the Mississippi Flag

It's hard to know whether it cost him votes, but there was a moment during Mississippi Rep. David Baria's unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate that caused a surprised buzz around a state where the conventional wisdom is that criticizing odes to the Confederacy is a political death knell.

DeVonn Armstrong

For his Inktober challenge, graphic designer DeVonn Armstrong took a specific approach to his sketches: He decided he would tell a story.

Espy to Join Hyde-Smith for Debate As 'Hanging' Backlash Grows

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy has accepted an invitation to join incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., for a runoff debate that will be broadcast across the state live on Nov. 20.

Offbeat Black Friday Sale, Operation Shoestring 50th Anniversary, Painting in the 'Park and Lounge 114

Offbeat, Jackson's only vinyl record store, will hold a special sale in conjunction with the national Record Store Day Black Friday on Friday, Nov. 23, from noon to 7 p.m.

Governor Calls Abortion ‘Black Genocide,’ Defends Hyde-Smith on ‘Hanging’ Tape

As state and national controversy swirls around U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s comment about a public hanging” in her race against an African American opponent, Gov. Phil Bryant opened a press conference this morning implying that black women are participating in “the genocide of 20 million African American children” through legal abortions

McDaniel v. Hood? State Senator to 'Pray About' Run for Governor

Just days after his hopes of becoming a U.S. senator were dashed for the second time in four years, Mississippi State Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, signaled interest in a possible run for governor next year.

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.

Hyde-Smith’s ‘Public Hanging’ Quip Bombs in State with Most Lynchings

Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith lit up social media Sunday morning after a video clip in which she jokingly says she would be “on the front row” at “a public hanging.”

Vacationing While Latino: Family Sues for 'Pervasive' Profiling in Mississippi

A lawsuit on behalf of a Latino and Native American family from South Carolina alleges that Hancock County Sheriff's deputies detained and searched them while traveling through Mississippi because they "looked" Latino.

Tougaloo and JSU Farish Art Project, Visiting Artist Lecture at USM and Miss USM Pageant

Johnnie Mae Maberry, associate professor of art at Tougaloo College, and art students from Tougaloo and Jackson State University will announce the launch of an outdoor art project in the Farish Street Historic District on Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 10 a.m.

Ellington