Supreme Court Upholds Race-Aware Admissions
In a 4-3 vote today the Supreme Court upheld the University of Texas' admissions policy that takes into account the race or ethnicity of applicants who aren't automatically admitted under the school's "10 Percent" rule. (The top percentage of all Texas high school graduates are automatically qualified for admittance; it's …
John Oliver Starts Miss. Company; Buys and Forgives $15m in Medical Debt
In a segment highlighting how easy it is to buy up old medical debt and learn about the patients who have it, John Oliver on his show "Last Week Tonight" put together a shell company to do just that.
Saints Week 3 Game Review: Reasons for Optimism in Week 4
I came out of Game 3 against the Carolina Panthers with some optimism for the team—along with a resigned sense that 2015 is looking more and more like a rebuilding year for the New Orleans Saints. I guess that shouldn’t be a shocker — considering the high-profile trades, draft picks, …
Mississippi #1 in How Far a Hundred Bucks Stretches
We don't get to say we're number one in many good things, but here's a nice one... according to The Tax Foundation, $100 in Mississippi is worth the most of any state in the country (an equivalent of $115.21). If there's anything we've known about Jackson for a while, is …
Bernie Sanders... Frontrunner?
He may not be leading money totals or straw polls, but Senator Bernie Sanders apparently did something that no other candidate has done yet in the 2016 presidential race... he had a record crowd last night in Wisconsin, pushing 10,000 people. Interesting.
Pothole Report (and Resurfacing) for June 29
Here's the report for the City of Jackson -- I can attest to the resurfacing on Jefferson; looking pretty good! Crews repairing potholes on areas of N. Roach Street, Rose Street, First Avenue, Keele Street, E. Manor Drive, Meadowbrook Road, Harrow Drive, Northpointe Drive. Crews resurfacing on S. Jefferson Street.
Rev. C.J. Rhodes' Open Letter to Speaker Philip Gunn
Cross-posted from CJ Rhodes' WordPress blog by permission: Dear Mr. Speaker, I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. My name is CJ Rhodes and I am a resident of our Capital City. I also pastor Mt Helm Baptist Church, Jackson’s oldest historically black congregation, which is …
Haley Barbour Is Not Offended By The State Flag
Glad we got that straight. In a segment on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Haley Barbour (looking disturbingly like he'd swung by a mortician's office on his way to the broadcast) opined—in the dulcet tones of that version of his accent that he uses for national TV—that he's not particularly offended by …
Two Charter Schools in NOLA Closing
Looking for evidence that charter schools don't offer a panacea for education because they're "run-like-a-business" solutions for education? The churning waters of economic reality are bubbling over in New Orleans this spring; two schools, Miller-McCoy and Lagniappe Academies are both facing failure of their management, resulting in a great deal …
Ole Miss Alumni Not Happy With Jones Non-Renewal
The Ole Miss Alumni Association has released a statement regarding the non-renewal of University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones' contract. The association calls the new "unexpected and distressing" and expressed concern over the lack of details offered by IHL. "Dr. [Dan] Jones has our continued confidence, trust, and support to …
T-P: Saints Trading Jimmy Graham to Seattle
In what feels like a surprise move (at least, to me) the Times-Picayune in New Orleans is reporting that multiple sources have given word that the New Orleans Saints are trading Pro Bowl Tight End Jimmy Graham to the Seattle Seahawks. The Saints will receive 28-year-old center Max Unger and …
Winter Advisory - Jackson Bridge Closings
Just saw this posted to the Nextdoor Fondren website from the City of Jackson (didn't see the same posting on the city's site) and thought it was worth repeating here: Motorists are being urged to stay off bridges and overpasses because of ice accumulation. The following bridges are temporarily closed: …
Attorney General Warns of Phishing Scam Targeted Mac Users
Verbatim from the Attorney General's office: A classic scam is now targeting Apple users. The very common “phishing” scam is constantly being revised by con artists to target a larger pool of potential victims. Currently, scammers are using emails to target Apple users by falsely claiming that your Apple ID, …
Stanford: Gun Carry Laws Linked To Increase in Violent Crime
So you know that conventional wisdom that says the people are safer with a lot of guns around? Turns out maybe not so much. "The totality of the evidence based on educated judgments about the best statistical models suggests that right-to-carry laws are associated with substantially higher rates" of aggravated …
MS GOP Response to McDaniel: Er ... Try Court?
The Mississippi Republican Party has responded to the McDaniel campaign in the form of a statement to the public and a letter to Chris McDaniel's attorney, Mitch Tyner, from Joe Nosef, MS GOP chairman. (Here's the letter in PDF format.) The upshot is that the MS GOP is suggesting to …