Jackson Free Press

Black Smoke Again: Cardinals Don't Agree on Pope

Cardinals remained divided over who should be pope on Wednesday after three rounds of voting, an indication of disagreements about the direction of the Catholic church following the upheaval unleashed …

GOP Sends Mixed Signals on Obama's Outreach Effort

Neither side is backing down from entrenched positions that have prevented deals in the past.

Google Pays $7M Fine to Settle Wi-Fi Privacy Case

Google will pay a $7 million fine to settle a multistate investigation into a snoopy software program that enabled the Internet search leader to intercept emails, passwords and other sensitive …

New York Cop Convicted in Cannibalism Plot

Police Officer Gilbert Valle's lawyers said he was just spinning sick and twisted fantasies for his own pleasure when he chatted online about abducting, roasting and eating women. A jury, …

Audio of GI's Statement on WikiLeaks Case Released

Some supporters of an Army private charged with aiding the enemy released a leaked audio recording Tuesday of Pfc. Bradley Manning explaining why he sent hundreds of thousands of classified …

Black Smoke from Chapel Chimney: No Pope Yet

Black smoke poured from the Sistine Chapel chimney on Tuesday, signaling that cardinals had failed on their first vote of the papal conclave to choose a new leader for the …

Syrian Army Eroded by Defections, Battle Deaths

A top Syrian cleric's appeal to young men to join the army raised the question of whether President Bashar Assad is running out of soldiers, prompting a pro-government newspaper to …

Bryant Wants All Options But Medicaid on Table

Gov. Phil Bryant is still against Medicaid expansion, but says he's now willing to talk to hospitals about a deal on health-care funding.

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Senate Democrats Unveil Government Funding Bill

Top Senate Democrats and Republicans Monday night released a catchall government funding bill that denies President Barack Obama new money for implementing signature first-term accomplishments like new regulations on Wall …

Senate Panel Ready to OK Gun Background Checks

Democrats are ready to muscle expanded background checks and other gun curbs through a Senate committee, giving President Barack Obama an initial if temporary victory on one of his top …

History Shows N. Korean Pattern: Wait, Then Attack

Humiliated by past attacks, South Korea has promised—as recently as Tuesday—to hit back hard at the next assault from the North, opening up the prospect that a skirmish could turn …

Long-Awaited Plea is Near in Colo. Theater Shooting

In the nearly eight months since James Holmes first shuffled into court with vacant eyes and reddish-orange hair, neither he nor his lawyers have said much about how he would …

Gov't Fiscal Outlook Improving, for Now

The short-term fiscal outlook isn't all that bad. It's actually getting better--at least for now.

Mayoral Candidates Square Off

The People's Assembly Task Force hosted eight candidates for mayor of Jackson Saturday in the first public forum of the 2013 election season.

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In Conservative Arizona, Government-Run Health Care That Works

The 9 million people nationwide who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid are by far the sickest and most expensive patients in the country.

Community Events and Public Meetings

The St. Patrick's Day Block Party at Fenian's Pub is March 16 at 9 a.m.

AP Source: Obama Poised to Pick Perez for Labor

President Barack Obama is close to naming Thomas Perez, a civil rights official in the Justice Department, as his choice to head the Department of Labor, two people familiar with …

Afghan Troubles Spell Tough Start for Hagel

After surviving a combative Senate confirmation battle, he jumped on a military plane to Afghanistan and was hit with the jarring difficulties of shutting down a war in a country …

U.S. Citing Security to Censor More Public Records

The U.S. government censored or withheld more files that the public requested last year more often than at any time since President Barack Obama took office.

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.