All results / Entries / donnaladd

Politics Blog

Nunnelee Wants Rape Definition Changed; Says Planned Parenthood Protects Rapists

In light of Rep. Todd Akin's lunatic comments this weekend about "legitimate rape," other extremist statements about women's health issues are emerging from members of Congress. Take this video of Rep. Alan Nunnelee, R-Miss., slamming Planned Parenthood in support of an effort to de-fund the organization. In it, Nunnelee states: …

Politics Blog

Just Out: New York Attorney General Subpoenas Bain Documents

In its Sunday edition, The New York Times is reporting that New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is investigating several private equity firms, including Bain Capital for possibly abusing a tax strategy "in order to slice hundreds of millions of dollars from their tax bills." The attorney general, Eric T. …

Politics Blog

Most Women's Job Losses Are Government Jobs

First, the back story: After a crazy week of watching the Republican National Convention, and yelling at chairs and TV screens, I decided to take today off, lounge and do some light reading. My guilty pleasure is reading fashion/decor magazines. So I spent much of the morning in bed with …

Jackblog

Reflecting on the JFP's Mission As We Turn 10

I swear: The last decade feels like a blur. It's been such a ride here at the Jackson Free Press. As we've been putting together the birthday issue that hit the streets today, we went through 10 years of issues. I also re-read our old business plan, mission, cause statement: …

Politics Blog

Sh*t Politicians Say About Women ... Starting with Todd Akin

OK, as if dinosaur (and Missouri Senate candidate) Todd Akin hadn't been offensive enough to women already, here's a fun one from the campaign trail today. The Kansas City Start reported that Akin said he is going to win the race because, in part, Sen. Claire McCaskill wasn't "ladylike" in …

Politics Blog

Looking for a Debate Party?

We've heard about a number of debate parties in Jackson and beyond. You're on your own to figure out the drinking games. Here are the ones we know about; feel free to add your own! Hal & Mal's Red Room, downtown Jackson, tends to be a progressive crowd that likes …

Jackblog

Surprising, and Testy, Comments by Rep. Ryan on Crime, Guns

Today I saw a tweet about Rep. Paul Ryan getting testy with a reporter and stopping an interview so I clicked over to see what he was saying. But what was most interesting was not the testy part; it was what he actually said before that in the clip. Did …

Politics Blog

Of Jeep Lies and FEMA Dodges: Is Romney Losing Cohesion?

OK, we all know that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have taken presidential campaign dishonesty to a place we've seldom, if ever, seen. They don't just twist the truth as is common in politics, but they just make bald-faced statements over and over again, including in TV ads, that are …

Politics Blog

Clarion-Ledger Punts on Election Coverage

If Mississippians read the Sunday edition of the state's allegedly largest newspaper two days before the presidential election, you get nothing of substance about how the election affects our state.

Jackblog

What inspires you?

For our Question o' the Week this week, we asked a simple question in social media. We got an amazing line-up of answers in 24 hours. Please feel free to log in and post your answers below as well. Lindsey Lee My kids. So cheesy, but true... Jason Stanfield Great …

Jackblog

Gabby Giffords' Husband Calls for Gun Reform, Enforcement

Verbatim statement today from Captain Mark Kelly, husband of Gabrielle Giffords: I just woke up in my hotel room in Beijing, China to learn that another mass shooting has taken place - this time at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in CT. My thoughts and prayers are with the families …

Jackblog

NOW, Rep. Palazzo Supports Sandy Assistance

Since we wrote our stinker quote earlier this week pointing out Rep. Steven Palazzo's hypocrisy over not supporting federal Sandy aid (after begging for Katrina aid), he has thankfully flipflopped: A Republican congressman from Mississippi who voted against the first round of Hurricane Sandy aid is now voting for the …

Politics Blog

What are your questions for mayoral candidates? Help us with interviews!

Here at the JFP, we are going into the final push of the city election season before the primaries on May 7. We are still finishing mayoral candidates' JFP interviews (with the goal of doing one for each of them!) and we will be doing additional endorsement interviews with the …

Politics Blog

My First Encounter with Chokwe Lumumba

Ha. I was just doing research on mayoral candidates and found this piece I wrote about now-mayoral candidate Chokwe Lumumba when the JFP was all of about two weeks old. My (white) photographer Jaro Vacek and I showed up to cover this meeting and were not treated very well. It …

Jackblog

State Government Over-reaching to Protect Concealed Weapon Carriers

The current Mississippi Legislature, under the watchful eye of a radical-right governor, Phil Bryant, is attempting a number of disturbing pieces of legislation this session. But few, if any, are more disturbing in a heart-of-being-an-American way than their recent legislation to protect the identifies of the residents who apply for …

Food Blog

Hungry? Jackson foodies share dozens of favorite local dishes

Just in time for the spring food issue of the Jackson Free Press next week, we asked on Facebook: What is your favorite dish at a locally owned restaurant in the Jackson area? What and where? We've gotten dozens of responses so far—and some great suggestions! Here they are: Nicholas …

Jackblog

10 Years Ago This Week, the JFP Opposed the Iraq War

During this 10th anniversary of the Bush invasion of Iraq, I remember well the week that the war started. The JFP was only a few months old and still making a name for ourselves. When we realized that Bush was actualy pushing ahead with the threatened Iraq campaign, we postponed …

Jackblog

City Praying for Hal White

As you can see from this story by R.L. Nave, Hal White is an institution in the Jackson area. He is half the team that created Hal & Mal's three decades ago—the site of so many good times, so many new and old connections, and so much activism for great …

Politics Blog

Mayoral Candidate Regina Quinn Praises 'Hal's St. Paddy's Parade'

We just received this press release, verbatim, expressing sympathy for the death of Hal White. I post it below without further comment: PRESS ALERT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 29, 2013 Jackson suffered a major loss yesterday in the passing of Hal White, a business owner and a founder to the …

Jackblog

AP Rejects Use of 'Illegal' for Immigrants, Finally

I was thrilled to hear today that the Associated Press, of which the Jackson Free Press is now a member, has rejected the use of "illegal" and "illegals" to describe undocumented immigrants. Media diversity expert Richard Prince blogs about the move: The battle to eliminate use of the term "illegal" …