John Lewis Switches Support to Obama
The New York Times is reporting that the great civil rights leader John Lewis is saying he will cast his superdelegate vote for Barack Obama, rather than Hillary Rodham Clinton, …
Sexist Media Depictions of Hillary Clinton?
We've had a side conversation going on this topic over on our Super Tuesday thread, and I don't want it to get lost. Would love to pick up that thread …
Can You Get More Irrelevant Than This Guy?
Headline over at MSNBC: "Bush condemns noose displays President says displays 'have no place in America today.'" Thank you, Dubya Bush. Nice to see you go out on a limb …
Obama & McCain Win Virginia, Maryland
This about says it all, I guess, from The New York Times:
Hood Renews Call for Campaign Finance Reform
[verbatim statement] JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood—as he has done since 2004—is again calling on state lawmakers to reform campaign finance laws.
Nebraska Suspends Executions
The New York Times is reporting that the electric chair is "cruel and unusual punishment," suspending executions there until the state can find a more humane way to kill prisoners:
Why the Republican Party Is Tanking
You have to read this Orwellian speech by Veep Dick Cheney this week in which he proclaims that his borrow-and-spend government does not torture, respects the Constitution and "treats tax …
Prayers for Adam Lynch's Family
Folks, the JFP was saddened to learn that Adam Lynch's mother died this week after a long illness. Please send your prayers to Adam and his family.
Poll: Obama Would Beat McCain; Hillary Would Tie
A Time magazine poll finds that, thanks to the independent vote, Barack Obama would beat John McCain head-to-head; Hillary Clinton would tie him. Per Time:
UPDATED: Suspect Arrested in 1992 Murder of Toddler
Updated with new information
[verbatim from AG's office] Jackson, MS-Attorney General Jim Hood today confirmed that an arrest has been made in the 16-year-old murder of a 3-year-old girl in Noxubee County. Albert Johnson …
Ledger Needs Help Finding Positive Stories
Clarion-Ledger Perspectives Editor David Hampton ends his navel-gazing (and defensive) column this week about why his paper is so bad, and so negative, this way:
Feds Say Country Club Employed Undocumented Workers
The Clarion-Ledger is reporting that the feds are targeting the Country Club of Jackson for violating immigration law:
State Farm Suit Against AG Hood Dismissed
As Attorney General Jim Hood predicted yesterday, The Sun Herald is reporting that a State Farm lawsuit against him has been dismissed, allowing the civil investigation of State Farm's actions …
JSU Town Hall Meeting on HIV/AIDS Today
In honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Jackson State University is hosting a "Prevention is Power" town hall meeting today (Feb. 7) from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the …
DailyKos: Obama Now the Front-runner
Kos is making the argument that Barack Obama won Super Tuesday and that now the Clinton campaign is "reeling" because she couldn't accomplish what she needed to in order to …
Surprise, Surprise: Supreme Court Backs Barbour
Gov. Haley Barbour told us all that the Mississippi Supreme Court would overturn the lower court decision requiring him to follow statute in scheduling the special election to replace Sen. …
Jackson High School Press Association Forming
Are you a Jackson-area high school journalism teacher or adviser (or want to be)? Are you a student leader at a high school publication? Are you trying to start a …
Times Columnist on the New Evangelicals
Regardless, this evangelical shift should be noticed ... and applauded, I would add.
In a way, it was great to see the New York Times' Nick Kristof write about the changes that have hit the evangelical movement in this country—specifically the move away …
MVP Eli Chooses Hybrid Escalade
Maybe, sort of, Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning set an example for others when he and fiancee Abby McGrew chose the new Escalade Hybrid as his reward for being named …
Folo Exposes Shocking Hinds County Case
The Folo folks are still doing a great job digging out documents related to Dickie Scruggs controversy, and most compelling and relevant to us here in Hinds County, cases related …
Back from San Francisco
Todd and I are just back from several very busy days at two alternative newspaper conferences in San Francisco—one a Web conference and the other AAN West, which is the …
Gannett's Cookie Cutter Web Sites
John Leek, at Cotton Mouth Blog, has linked to three Gannett sites—including The Clarion-Ledger—that all basically look just alike (although The Ledger's still manages to look the tackiest, somehow). At …
Bloomberg Factchecks the Clintons
Al Hunt of Bloomberg News dissects what the Obama and Clinton campaigns have been saying about each other—and finds that the Clintons are severely distorting their comments about Obama:
Does Obama Fill America's ‘Unconsummated Desire'?
I'm no fan of the NYT's David Brooks, but this column analyzing the Kennedy embrace of Obama, and the larger implications, is breathtaking. Per Brooks:
Peters-DeLaughter Saga: 'Told You So' Time
This past weekend, I was going through 2007 issues of the JFP looking for entries for the AAN awards. I ran into this story that Adam and Brian did last …
Playin' Hurt in Jacktown
Thank you, Jackson, for being you.
We feel confident in saying that there a few headaches in the Jackson area today after hundreds of people packed into the Mississippi Museum of Art for the JFP's Sixth …
Caroline Kennedy: Obama Like My Father
The daughter of John F. Kennedy endorsed Barack Obama this weekend on the op-ed page of The New York Times. In a statement that cannot make the Clintons happy, she …
A Beautiful Day for a Party ...
... and to celebrate Jackson's impending boom! See you at the art museum tonight. Dress anyway you want, up or down; opens to the public at 8 p.m. The first …
Get Excited About Downtown - TODAY
Ben Allen and other Jackson mover-shakers are hosting a shindig today at 5:15 p.m. to expose what is going on downtown. In Allen's words, he hopes to see the "JFP …
Best of Jackson 2008
Best Bartender: Trevor Palmer, Club Fire - Club Fire's got to be a hectic place for a bartender. Hundreds of sweating, dance-crazed bodies are thirsty for a drink on Thursday's …
Attorney General Unveils Legislative Agenda
From a verbatim statement:
Jackson, MS-Attorney General Jim Hood and the Division Directors of the Attorney General's Office revealed the agency's 2008 legislative agenda this morning before Senate Judiciary, Division B, chaired by Senator …
Study: 935 ‘Orchestrated' Lies Led Up to Iraqi War
The Associated Press is reporting on a new study that finds that the Bush administration lied repeatedly about the threats in Iraq leading up to the war:
Reuters: Fred Thompson Out of Prez Race
Reuters is reporting that the presidential race is short one actor today: "Republican Fred Thompson said on Tuesday he has dropped out as a presidential candidate, following a dismal showing …
Lou Dobbs' False Immigrant ‘Facts' Exposed ... Again
CNN's Lou Dobbs continues to dig himself into the xenophobic ground, and challenge FOX's Bill O'Reilly as the most unreliable personality on television. According to a FAIR media analysis, he …
Watch for Fraudulent E-mails
Folks, the trolls are up to it again. There is a round of e-mails going around to people who post here made to look like they come from people at …
MIT Prof Takes on Real Iraqi War Death Toll
Is it a "right-wing conspiracy"? John Tirman, executive director of MIT's Center for International Studies, thinks so. Get his take on Alternet.
Barbour's ‘State of the State' Monday 6 p.m.
Gov. Haley Barbour's "State of the State" address will be tonight at 6 p.m., broadcast live on MPB. Read his verbatim prepared address on StateDesk.com.
We Have a Dream ... Still
Today, the official Martin Luther King Jr. day, is a great day to watch and hear Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Enjoy.
The Choice: Clinton and Obama Running for Different Reasons?
George Packer has a http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/01/28/080128fa_fact_packer ]compelling essay in The New Yorker this week about the motivations behind Obama and Clinton's run for the White House. It ends:
U.S. Abortions at Lowest Rate Since 1974
The Associated Press is reporting on a new study that shows that abortions in the U.S. are way down:
The number of abortions in the United States dropped to 1.2 million in 2005, the lowest level since 1974 and down 25 percent from the all-time high of 1.6 million …
Ledger: DeLaughter E-mailed Proposed Order to Peters
Just in from Jerry Mitchell at The Clarion-Ledger; unclear who "Mills" is supposed to be, though:
No Mention of Peters in Ledger Editorial?
OK, this is weird. The Clarion-Ledger's Jerry Mitchell reports that Ed Peters may have taken a million-dollar bribe from the Scruggs clan to get Judge Bobby DeLaughter to rule in …
Haley Barbour's 2008 Inaugural Address
Read the verbatim full text of the governor's prepared remarks over on StateDesk.
Just In: Delaughter Voids Barbour's Election Date
Late today, Hinds County Circuit Judge Bobby Delaughter ruled in favor of Attorney General Jim Hood's argument that Gov. Barbour was acting unconstitutionally by trying to force Mississippi voters to …
Former Hinds D.A. Ed Peters Accused of $1M Bribe
The Scruggs scandal is hitting closer and closer to Hinds County. In a story about Booneville attorney Joey Langston pleading guilty to corruption charges, The Clarion-Ledger buried explosive accusations, made …
Clutter: Bad for Your Health?
The New York Times has a piece that links health issues, including weight problems, to disorganization and clutter:
Crying All the Way Back to the Megillah?
I really dig Maureen Dowd's column about Hillary Clinton's notorious tears leading up to New Hampshire. And isn't it ironic that the first viable female president cried on purpose in …
StateDesk Live with Breaking News and Commentary
Visit StateDesk.com, the JFP's statewide news blog, for daily news on the state Legislature, commentary and other pertinent state news. Right now, you can read and comment on a PDF …
Todd Stauffer and Kamikaze on Radio Jan. 11
... And they're talking about ... wait for it ... karaoke. We can only assume this will not fill the entire show. Show is on WLEZ-FM 103.7 until 1 p.m. …
Melton At Home; McLemore Still Acting Mayor
[Verbatim from city] Mayor Frank E. Melton will hold a 10:00 a.m. press conference at City Hall on Monday, January 14, 2008 to discuss his recent surgical procedure. In the …
