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Four years ago, a startup car company announced with great fanfare big plans for the Mississippi Delta: Using money from foreign investors and other sources, it would build a massive auto plant to churn out a new line of energy-efficient cars and bring thousands of jobs to the area. It seemed like a win for everyone involved. … Today, the place where the plant was to be remains mostly vacant except for a temporary construction trailer. The company—GreenTech Automotive Inc.—is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the probe is reverberating well beyond Mississippi’s borders, bringing scrutiny to...

Two important documents have been filed with the Supreme Court of Mississippi in recent days in response to an injunction preventing House Bill 2, a law clarifying the definition of “concealed” and characterized by some as an “open carry” bill, from going into effect. A halt, egged on by the Southern Poverty Law Center, was placed on the new law’s implementation by an activist Hinds County Circuit Court Judge at the behest of an anti-gun prosecutor and legislators. Hinds County District Attorney Robert Schuler Smith’s Response in Opposition to the State of Mississippi’s Combined Petition to Vacate a Permanent Injunction...

JACKSON, MISS. — A posse of state officials and gun advocates has asked the Mississippi Supreme Court to let them file briefs in support of the state's open-carry law. The court had not ruled Tuesday on the requests by Gov. Phil Bryant, about 80 lawmakers, the National Rifle Association and others. Their motions included arguments supporting the law. A brief has not yet been filed with the high court by those who challenged the open-carry law, including Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith. Earlier this month, Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston Kidd declared the law unconstitutionally vague. Attorney General...

Actually this white teen was beat up in Southaven, MS by these thugs twice, the first time and the end of June by 15 black teens who beat him unconscious and then again a couple of nights ago by 6 from the same group. He says the boys claimed he knew who stole their bicycles but if you ask me they were just looking for someone to pummel. His father says that several from the group approached his house with bats and knives while he was holding a barbecue. He didn’t go into more detail.

Willie Louis risked his life to testify about the murder of Emmett Till in Mississippi, a case that opened the nation's eyes to the dangers facing African Americans.Willie Louis, a witness to the murder of Emmett Till who testified in court in the case that opened the nation's eyes to the dangerous discrimination facing African Americans in the 1950s, died of intestinal bleeding July 18 at a hospital in a Chicago suburb, his family said. He was 76. After the trial, fearing for his life in the South, Louis fled to Chicago, changed his name and slipped out of the...

A man jogging alongside a Mississippi highway was abducted and beaten by three African-American men allegedly in retaliation of the George Zimmerman verdict, police told Fox News. Senatobia Police Chief Steve Holt told Fox News the victim, who is white, was jogging Sunday night along Highway 51 when the suspects pulled over and ordered him to get inside their car. “One of them asked, ‘Do you know who Trayvon Martin was?’” Holt said. At that point, the men in the vehicle attacked the victim. Memphis television station WREG reported the assailants told the victim, “This is for Trayvon.” The television...

A jogger says three men attacked him in retaliation for the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial. The attack happened on Highway 51 in Senatobia, Miss., Sunday night. The victim told News Channel 3 and investigators the men drove up to him, asked if he knew who Trayvon Martin was, then forced him into a car. At some point, the man says the men told him, “This is for Trayvon.”

Earlier this month we reported on the Mississippi judge, Hinds County Circuit Court Judge Winston Kidd, who issued an injunction blocking the new open carry law there from taking effect. The judge says the law is too vague to be constitutional. The judge originally scheduled a hearing to discuss the law and the injunction for Monday, July 7. Yesterday, the judge made the injunction permanent. This means the bill is blocked from becoming law barring intervention by a higher court. Previously, the Mississippi Supreme Court declined to rule on the injunction, saying they didn’t have the power to stop the...

Claiming Mississippi's House Bill 2 clarification of "concealed" is "unconstitutionally vague," Hinds Country Circuit Court Judge Winston L. Kidd today placed a permanent injunction on the law to keep it from going into effect in his Order Granting Plaintiffs' Motion for Injunctive Relief. “[T]he Court will grant an Injunction to delay the effect of House Bill 2 until such time as the Mississippi Legislature amends or clarifies House Bill 2 during the next legislative Session as it relates to a citizen's right to openly carry a weapon in a holster without requiring a permit,” Kidd ruled. “[The bill] shall not...

State officials across the South are aggressively moving ahead with new laws requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls after the Supreme Court decision striking down a portion of the Voting Rights Act. The Republicans who control state legislatures throughout the region say such laws are needed to prevent voter fraud. But such fraud is extremely rare, and Democrats are concerned that the proposed changes will make it harder for many poor voters and members of minorities — who tend to vote Democratic — to cast their ballots in states that once discriminated against black voters with poll...

(Corinth, MS) Dozens of Mississippians say a judge is trying to take away their freedom. A new gun law was supposed to take effect this past Monday, making it legal for people to openly carry a gun without a permit. But a Hinds County Circuit Court judge stopped the law from taking effect. Most of the time, Elaine Vechorick has a gun tucked inside her purse. She has gone through classes and tests to get an enhanced concealed permit. It’s stronger than a regular concealed permit. “I think it’s worth it to get an enhanced permit, you can carry it...

The Mississippi (Catfish Marketing L)aw, which updates a 2008 law, requires every grocer and restaurant in the state to “provide the consumer with the country of origin and method of production of catfish” and, now, of other catfish-like fish. While the 2008 law required groceries throughout the state to provide country-of-origin labeling for catfish alone, the new law expands the measure to include all catfish-like fish, which is mostly imported, at every “restaurant, cafeteria, lunch room, food stand, saloon, tavern, bar, lounge or other similar facility operated as an enterprise engaged in the business of selling food to the public.”...

Mississippi Representative Andy Gipson is the author and sponsor of House Bill 2. Rep. Gipson represents District 77, Simpson, Smith, and Rankin Counties, in the Mississippi Legislature. He served as Chairman of the House Judiciary B Committee, as well as a member of the Rules, Ways and Means, Elections, Legislative Reapportionment, Banking and Insurance Committees. In addition, he serves as Treasurer for the House Republican Conference and for the Mississippi Legislative Conservative Coalition. Representative Gipson has proven himself many times to be one of the “good guys”. He knows and understands what freedom and liberty is about. Below is a...

Kidd's injunction loads a weighty Democrat agenda onto scales of justice in Mississippi. Credits:  Winston Kidd LinkedIn profile page A Hinds County circuit court judge, initially appointed to the bench by a Democrat governor, granted the wishes of a Democrat prosecutor on Friday in an “emergency hearing” to halt implementation of a gun bill opposed by Democrat lawmakers, the Associated Press reported . Judge Winston Kidd issued a temporary injunction after Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith requested that he block a new law from going into effect.That law, House Bill 2, “Weapons; clarification of definition of concealed,”...

JACKSON, Mississippi -- A state judge blocked Mississippi's open-carry gun law from taking effect next week, writing in a Friday ruling that the law was vague and that an injunction was needed to prevent irreparable harm. Hinds County Circuit Judge Winston Kidd scheduled a hearing July 8 to consider more arguments about whether to extend the injunction.

HERNANDO- A new law giving Mississippi residents the right to openly carry firearms without the need of a gun permit will go into effect July 1. Local law enforcement officials will receive instructions from the DeSoto County District Attorney on Thursday on how the Open Carry Law will affect them and how to handle citizens carrying guns at their sides. “Legislators did not contact any sheriffs or law enforcement officials prior to passing the new law,” said DeSoto County Sheriff Bill Rasco. “I’m concerned that anyone can walk around with a gun on their side.” Growing confusion regarding Mississippi’s concealed...

When a hurricane hits, it generates a host of problems for oil and gas companies and for the electric utilities that power them. The biggest worry for power companies is that a generation facility will be knocked offline, potentially cutting power to millions of customers, an Entergy executive said Wednesday during a Gulf Coast Power Association special briefing at CenterPoint Energy Tower downtown. “What scares me the most is losing generation close by,” said Greg Grillo, the system storm incident commander for Entergy–which lost 2,000 megawatts of generation capacity when its Sabine plant went offline due to flooding from Hurricane...

A landmark Supreme Court ruling that struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act has set up a stand-off between Republican-led states and the Obama administration over controversial voting laws that until now had been stalled. The 5-4 ruling on Tuesday addressed a 1960s-era provision that largely singled out states and districts in the South -- those with a history of discrimination -- and required them to seek federal permission to change their voting laws. The court ruled that the formula determining which states are affected was unconstitutional. ********************** Attorney General Eric Holder warned states against going too...

With confusion and concern looming over Mississippi’s new gun law set to kick in July 1, businesses are reminded of their rights in relation to the “Open Carry” legislation. House Bill 2, approved by Gov. Phil Bryant in March, is being referred to as the open carry law because gun owners will now have fewer concealment regulations. "HB 2 set out to redefine what a concealed weapon is," said Cleveland Police Chief Buster Bingham. "If the law holds up, any person can carry a weapon on their belt as long as it's holstered. It doesn't need to be hidden or...

As a lawyer/lawmaker, I respect the rule of law in our nation, and I took an oath to defend and uphold the Constitution. The law is designed to encourage good conduct and deter wrongful conduct. It’s not intended to criminalize law-abiding citizens simply exercising their constitutional rights. Unfortunately, laws can be interpreted in ways that are contrary to these principles. Under prior interpretations of Mississippi’s firearms laws, law-abiding people – even “concealed carry” permit holders-- could be charged for breaking the law simply by carrying a lawful pistol or revolver in a holster. House Bill 2 becomes effective July 1,...

Southaven, MS) The longest serving mayor of Southaven is out and Republican Darren Musslewhite is in after winning nearly 80 percent of the vote. To a round of applause he arrived as city hall tonight as the mayor elect of Southaven. “I’ve got to get to work. I have a new job I’m anxious to get together with the new board and get the process going,” Musselwhite said. The insurance agency owner said Mayor Greg Davis called him Tuesday night to concede and assured him that he will help with the transition. “He was very kind and said he would...

Looks like Mike Barnicle's not going to let anyone get to his PC-left when it comes to women. On today's Morning Joe, Barnicle claimed that "a lot of men . . . fear the fact--and I think it's a fact--that women are better balanced than men. They have better judgment about things than a lot of men." Barnicle's comment during a discussion about the statement made yesterday by Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant that the decline in educational outcomes for children today is due to the entry of women into the workforce. View the video here.

If you were shocked to learn that Utah is gayer than us,then you will probably feel a little confused, anxious, let down, etc. to learn that the state of Mississippi has more same-sex couple raising kids than any other state in the nation. In other words, they are not fleeing to the states that allow same-sex marriage. Now might be a good time to remind readers that Mississippi was ranked one of the top 10 worst states to raise a kid period. Now for your burning question: WTF? A new study by the Williams Institute, a think tank at UCLA,...

Anthony McDaniel of Pascagoula took home two gold and two silver medals in the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., this week. McDaniel won first place in both the 100- and 200-meter wheelchair races. --- snip A 2006 Gautier High School graduate, McDaniel had his legs and left hand amputated while serving in Helmand province, Afghanistan. On Aug. 31, 2010, McDaniel stepped on an improvised explosive device "that was instant amputation," he said. McDaniel, who has three children, lives in San Diego. The sergeant was medically retired on the second anniversary of his injury. Mr. McDaniel is #2

PERRY COUNTY, MS (WDAM) - The accidental death of the Perry County K-9 dog who died after being locked in his handler's patrol car overnight has many people calling for his job. About three weeks ago, Napo, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois, was found dead in the patrol car. His handler, Steve Verret, had apparently forgot the dog was in the vehicle. Reaction from around the state from animal advocates and others has been one of shock and anger. "Certainly it was a very unfortunate situation all the way around," said Katherine Sammons, Founder Mississippi Animal Advocate Group. "I have known...

Two Mississippi counties are facing lawsuits filed by the American Civil Rights Union (ACRU) that seek injunctions to compel election officials in Jefferson Davis and Walthall Counties to clean up their voter rolls. The two cases could have a nationwide ripple effect if the plaintiffs prevail. "We hope to get an affirmative ruling from this court, and then proceed to other counties that have irregularities," said ACRU Chairman Susan A. Carleson. "The goal is to ensure the integrity of the voting process, without which we cannot continue as a self-governing nation." Former U.S. Justice Department attorney J. Christian Adams and...

A Mississippi martial arts instructor was charged on Saturday with attempting to use a biological weapon after a ricin-laced letter was sent to President Barack Obama earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice said. James Everett Dutschke, age 41, was arrested early on Saturday, following searches of his home and a former business as part of the ricin letter investigation. Dutschke was taken into custody by FBI agents at his Tupelo home shortly after midnight FBI spokeswoman Deborah Madden said in a statement. …

Tupelo, Mississippi (CNN) -- A Mississippi man has been arrested in connection with the investigation into ricin-tainted letters sent to President Barack Obama and other officials, federal and local officials said. FBI agents arrested James Everett Dutschke of Tupelo at his home early Saturday without incident, said FBI spokeswoman Deborah Madden. Earlier this week, agents searched Dutschke's residence and former martial arts studio, though it's not clear what they found. On Tuesday, prosecutors dropped charges against another man, Paul Kevin Curtis of Corinth, Mississippi, who was arrested April 17 and accused of sending a threat to the president after letters...

the Obama administration’s political appointees at the Justice and Agriculture Departments engineered a stunning turnabout: they committed $1.33 billion to compensate... The deal... was fashioned in White House meetings... the $50,000 payouts to black farmers had proved a magnet for fraud. the claims process prompted allegations of widespread fraud and criticism that its very design encouraged people to lie... Agriculture Department reviewers found reams of suspicious claims, from nursery-school-age children and pockets of urban dwellers, sometimes in the same handwriting with nearly identical accounts of discrimination. As a senator, Barack Obama supported expanding compensation for black farmers, and then as...

As the case against Paul Kevin Curtis for allegedly mailing ricin was unraveling Tuesday afternoon, FBI agents were already searching the house of another man in connection with the ongoing investigation. Their focus has shifted to Everett Dutschke — a failed political candidate, taekwondo teacher, and bluesman who’s currently facing child molestation charges. While the feds has been publicly silent about Dutschke and the search of his home, Curtis’ lawyers have been very loudly and publicly pointing the finger at Dutschke, claiming he framed Curtis because of a feud that began with music and martial arts.

OXFORD, Miss. The Mississippi man charged with sending poisoned letters to President Barack Obama, a U.S. senator and a state judge was released from jail on Tuesday, federal official said, though the reason for the release wasn't immediately clear.

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Officials have cancelled the third day of a hearing for the Mississippi man accused of mailing poisoned letters to President Barack Obama, a U.S. senator and a local judge. Christi McCoy, defense attorney for Paul Kevin Curtis, says that federal authorities and defense attorneys will speak to reporters at 5 p.m. CDT about the case.

Investigators haven't found any ricin in the house of Mississippi man accused of mailing poisoned letters to President Barack Obama, a U.S. senator and a local judge, according to testimony Monday from an FBI agent.

President Barack Obama delivered an impassioned speech Thursday at the memorial service for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. But that was to be expected. We all know Obama can give a stem-winder. What wasn’t expected was that this would be by far the toughest week of the Obama presidency—the first time I can remember the president being dealt an unequivocal policy defeat. Only the “shellacking” of the 2010 midterm comes close, and even there a case can be made that achieving the decades-old progressive dream of universal health care was worth losing the House of Representatives and a filibuster-proof...

Federal authorities have scant evidence linking a Mississippi man to the mailing of ricin-laced letters to the president and a senator, his attorney says. Christi McCoy said after a court hearing Friday that the government has offered no evidence to prove her client, Paul Kevin Curtis, had possession of any ricin or the seed from which it is extracted -- castor beans. An FBI agent testified during the hearing that he could not say if investigators had found ricin at Curtis' home, and McCoy said the evidence linking the 45-year-old to the crime so far has hinged on his writings...

Suspect: ‘I’m on the Hidden Front Lines of a Secret War’ Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, of Tupelo, Miss., has been arrested in connection with ricin letters that were sent to both Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and President Barack Obama,” The New York Times reports. Initial reports listed the suspect as “Kenneth Curtis,” however, the Times updated its report with the corrected name. The letters, which were intercepted by sorting facilities before they reached their intended targets, were signed: “I am KC and I approve this message.” “We have an investigation that is going on that has got local and federal...

The FBI has alleged 45-year-old Paul Kevin Curtis was the sender. FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen said Mr Curtis was arrested at his apartment in Corinth, near the Tennessee state line about east of Memphis. Authorities are still waiting for definitive tests on the letters sent to President Barack Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi. An FBI intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said those two letters were postmarked Memphis, Tennessee....

A letter addressed to Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) tested positive for the deadly poison Ricin this afternoon, according to two sources, and high-ranking security officials are briefing U.S. Senators now on the situation. The letter, which there is no word on whether it was sent to Senator Wicker's Washington or home office, contained the poison in a powdery form, which is deadly if inhaled, injected or ingested. Ricin causes the body to stop forming protein and results in death within three to five days of exposure if not treated, and if successfully treated results in long-term organ damage. The toxin...

An envelope sent to the U.S. Senate office of Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) included a substance that has tested positive for Ricin, two sources say. It was not immediately clear when the envelope was received. But it arrived in a Senate mail facility, which has now been closed for more testing. All congressional mail will now be processed through the U.S. House facility. The Senate went into recess shortly after 6 p.m. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and FBI Director Robert Mueller were briefing senators on Tuesday afternoon. A DHS official said that the briefing was intended to address cyber-security,...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says a letter containing ricin or another poision was sent to the office of Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi. In brief remarks to reporters in the Capitol, Reid did not say when the letter was sent. It’s customary for mail addressed to congressional offices to be screened at an off-site facility.

Washington (CNN) -- An envelope that tested positive for the deadly poison ricin was intercepted Tuesday afternoon at the U.S. Capitol's off-site mail facility in Washington, congressional and law enforcement sources tell CNN.

By itself, Terry McAuliffe’s failure to announce his resignation as chairman of GreenTech Automotive Inc. would not raise many eyebrows. But when the news was reported last week — four months after McAuliffe quietly resigned — it added to questions about the gubernatorial candidate’s ties to the electric car company he founded in 2009, and claims he has made about it on the campaign trail. McAuliffe, the Democratic nominee by default, promotes himself as a job-creating entrepreneur. He has used GreenTech to try to burnish that image. He should have a clear explanation why GreenTech chose Mississippi, not Virginia, for...

The Republican plan to block debate on Senate Bill 649, which requires background checks on almost all gun purchases and transfers, failed spectacularly Thursday morning when sixteen Republican Senators joined almost all of the Democrats to vote in favor opening debate on the bill. Among those voting to defeat the filibuster were 9 Democrats with “A” ratings from the National Rifle Association, and 12 A-rated Republicans (out of 16 Republican “ayes”). Two Democrats, Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK), joined the majority of Republican Senators who tried to prevent debate, much less a vote, on the bill....

Spin it however they want, Barbour is a serious loss. The departure of Barbour, a former Republican National Committee chairman and governor of Mississippi who volunteered in 2011 with his fundraising connections to boost American Crossroads’ drive to defeat President Barack Obama, comes at a sensitive moment for the super PAC and for Crossroads GPS, its tax-exempt advocacy arm. After devastating losses in 2012, the two groups are revamping their operations and launching a new affiliate that plans to spend millions of dollars in GOP primaries to knock off certain conservative candidates that the group considers unviable — an effort...

Airbus is beginning construction on a new assembly plant in Mobile that could mean jobs for South Mississippi residents. The groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday morning at the 1,650-acre Brookley Aeroplex industrial park, site for the new plant. The $600 million factory is expected to employ 1,000 people once production of the Airbus A320 jet begins around 2015.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A murder suspect being interviewed at the Jackson, Miss., police headquarters shot a detective Thursday and those who came to investigate the gunfire found both men dead, authorities said. The suspect, who was not identified, was being questioned on the third floor of the building when the shooting happened, said Police Chief Rebecca Coleman. Police did not release any details on the sequence of what happened but scheduled a news conference for later Thursday night. The officer was identified as Eric Smith, a homicide detective. Jackson City Councilman Chokwe Lumumba was in police headquarters with the...

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi House on Saturday passed a bill to help finance buildings for suppliers that might locate at Nissan Motor Co.'s plant near Canton. The bill was blocked from going to Gov. Phil Bryant immediately because some House members are seeking a second round of debate. Senate Bill 2920 would allow the Madison County Economic Development Authority to issue industrial development bonds, which would be repaid by Nissan. The local authority would own buildings that would be home to suppliers that are brought in to support an expansion of Nissan's assembly plant on Interstate 55.

JACKSON, MS (Mississippi News Now) - Law enforcement agencies around the state are educating their officers on the new open carry weapons law, which is known as House Bill 2. It has been approved by both houses of the Mississippi Legislature and signed by the governor. The new law allows any Mississippian, who is not otherwise disqualified, to openly carry a gun, with or without a permit. A permit is still required if the weapon is concealed. The author of the legislation Rep. Andy Gipson of Braxton says it simply makes clear what has been the law of the state...

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Civil rights groups said Thursday that a bill that would provide funding for officers to police schools or arm teachers would ultimately make Mississippi schools more dangerous. Several groups and lawmakers gathered Thursday on the steps of the Mississippi Department of Education building to protest the bill. They included representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi, One Voice, and the Southern Poverty Law Center as well as Reps. Adrienne Wooten, D-Jackson and John Hines, D-Greenville. .... Nsombi Lambright, communications director for One Voice, said investment into school resource officers was misplaced. "The proposal to bring...

ACKSON – Veteran Democratic state Sen. Nicky Browning of Pontotoc switched political parties Tuesday, giving Republicans a 32-20 super majority in the 52-member Senate. Browning, 61, represents Senate District 3, which covers Pontotoc, Union and parts of Calhoun counties, and is chairman of the Senate County Affairs Committee. He has been in the Senate since 1996. “Conservatives in Mississippi are working to build a bright future for our state, and it is wonderful to have Senator Browning join our effort,” Gov. Phil Bryant said in a statement. “I am very pleased to welcome him to the Republican Party.” Lt. Gov....