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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
Note that any opinions expressed in legacy Jackson Free Press stories do not reflect a position of the Mississippi Free Press or necessarily of its staff and board members.


  1. THE WORST MAY BE OVER–New census numbers suggest that the U.S. economy has bottomed out.



  2. ESTIMATE FOR HEALTH CARE PENALTY RISES SIGNIFICANTLY–Analysts now say about 6 million Americans will face a tax penalty for not carrying medical coverage in 2016.



  3. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FAULTED OVER FAST AND FURIOUS–More than a dozen people face possible disciplinary action for the bungled gun-trafficking probe in Arizona.



  4. EXTREMISTS, FOREIGN FIGHTERS ON THE RISE IN SYRIA–Conflict’s evolution into open war has attracted infiltrators to the front lines.



  5. AN APPEAL FOR A STRONGER STAND AGAINST VIOLENCE–After attacks by vandals on Christian holy sites in Israel, normally tight-lipped Roman Catholic officials are beginning to speak out.



  6. ARCTIC ICE SHRINKS TO ALL-TIME LOW–Scientists say global warming is to blame for an ice cap 18 percent smaller than the previous record.



  7. WHEEEE! TURNS TO UH-OH–Stuck on a California amusement park attraction, riders dangle 300 feet in the air for nearly four hours.



  8. FOREIGN FILMS WELCOME — EXCEPT FROM THE U.S.–An international film festival opens today in what may seem the unlikeliest of places: North Korea.



  9. SHAKIRA PREGNANT WITH HER FIRST CHILD–The Grammy-winning singer says she and her soccer-player boyfriend “are very happy” awaiting the birth.



  10. HOW ODDSMAKERS VIEW THE NFL’S REPLACEMENT REFS–Las Vegas casinos are betting that this weekend’s games will be the highest-scoring ever — thanks to the league’s fill-in officials.


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