Jackson Free Press

Don’t Act Normal

I'd rather be "not normal" than stick with the status quo. I'd rather judge people based on the quality of their character, not by the way they look.

Slave Exhibit Recreates Horrors of Transatlantic Trade

The "Spirits of the Passage" exhibit, which the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West, Fla., is lending the Two Mississippi Museums, will be up at the Mississippi Civil Rights …

Jon Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray's Heavy Trash

Yep Roc Records to release the duo's self-titled debut on 4/19/05. THERE IS A SECRET PLACE where even the best-intentioned rockabilly explorations are scarred by dirty guitars, bad dreams, and …

Creating a Sense of Community

Before our kids venture off into school or seek out new places for recreation, it's the very streets where they grow up that give them their first introduction to a …

Men We Love

With Father's Day just around the corner, the Jackson Free Press has renewed its annual tradition of honoring the men we love. They are activists, news men, politicians, espresso Dadaists …

How Obamacare Went South In Mississippi

In a state stricken by diabetes, heart disease, obesity and the highest infant mortality rate in the nation, President Barack Obama's landmark health care law has barely registered, leaving the …

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Fighting Crime: What's The Plan?

Also: Darren Schwindaman's editorial cartoon

The Battle for Downtown, Part 2: What Should Farish Become?

Nothing rivals the level of disappointment over what has happened on Farish Street, the historic area on downtown Jackson's periphery designated as the future site of an entertainment district.

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And LGBTQ Rights March On: The Who, What, How in Mississippi

Although there is growing support for equal rights in both Jackson and the state, legislation like SB 2681 has the potential to encourage and legalize discrimination, harking back to Jim …

Clinton: Fight, or Find Something Else to Do

A Fighting Chance?

Oct. 20, 1992. Naked Madonna is all over the dance studio. In one corner, she's straddling a fish. In another, she's kneeling in the surf and leaning against a bike.

JPS Board Stalls on ‘Larkin-Gate' Contract

Members of the Jackson Public School board and City Council are delaying crucial votes in connection with a contract dispute over the school board's $150 million bond.

LeFleur Lakes Barreling Toward the Falls

The results are in from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study of the LeFleur Lakes project, and, according to a report in The Clarion-Ledger, the Corps says it isn't …

JATRAN Proposes Cuts

Proposed changes to Jackson's JATRAN bus routes to save money drew anger from some at a public hearing Tuesday evening. Others expressed relief that the reductions in service are much …

Casey's NY Times Blog FREE

My blog for the New York Times is free this week if anyone wants to read it:

Analysis: Passion Ruled In Melton Trial

Photos by Jaro Vacek

On April 26, a Hinds County jury acquitted Mayor Frank Melton and Dets. Michael Recio and Marcus Wright of all 11 charges they collectively faced for demolishing a duplex at …

Are Americans "Spoiled Brats"?

Got this email from a colleague of mine yesterday and it presents an interesting argument. I don't agree with over half of it but I'd thought I'd present to the …

Billions Proposed for New Border Security. Where Would the Money Go?

Federal spending on border security is at an all-time high and it would get even higher under the Gang of Eight's new plan.

‘Jackson is the New Jackson'

When we started the JFP, we had the vague notion that we could help turn Jackson into "the new Austin." For us, that is no longer the goal. Austin is …

‘No, I Can’t Lose’: Mississippi Rappers Pass Mic, Change Narrative at Jackson Indie Music Week

Jackson rapper Navihon was the first artist to hit the stage at “The Culture Rap Concert,” part of the seventh-annual Jackson Indie Music Week held at Hal and Mal’s.