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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....

MACEDONIA - Three people were found dead in their home in the Macedonia community Tuesday morning. Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson said a call was made to 911 from one of the deceased's sons, a local game warden, around 8:30 a.m. Two of the deceased are adults, a male and female between the ages of 40 and 60. The third is a 13-year-old girl. Read more: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal - DEVELOPING Lee County Sheriff Deputies find three dead at Belden home

Rep. Jessica Upshaw slideshow MENDENHALL — State Rep. Jessica Upshaw, an attorney who had been a lawmaker since 2004, was found dead Sunday of an apparent suicide. She was 53. Simpson County Sheriff Kenneth Lewis told WLOX-TV that Upshaw was found at a home in Mendenhall, about 30 miles southeast of Jackson. "It appeared she had a gunshot wound to her head; it appeared to be self-inflicted," he said. Lewis told The Clarion-Ledger she was found at the home of former state Rep. Clint Rotenberry. He has not been arrested and did not answer his phone. Upshaw, a Republican from...

Mississippi state lawmaker Jessica Upshaw was found dead in a residence on Sunday with a bullet wound to her head, the Clarion Ledger reports. Upshaw, a 53-year-old Republican, was found in the home of former Mississippi State Rep. Clint Rotenberry, Simpson County Sheriff Kenneth Lewis told the Clarion Ledger.

Former Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove says he now regrets signing a state law in 2000 that bans same-sex couples from adopting children. Musgrove, an attorney, served one term as governor, from January 2000 to January 2004. The Democrat first reported his change of heart in an essay this week on the Huffington Post. He also said same-sex couples should have the right to marry.

The Obama administration recently issued warnings to contractors of potential sequestration-related spending cuts, but in the meantime federal spending continues unabated, domestically and globally. Some of the apparently indispensable projects include a survey of the gopher tortoise, alternative energy outings to Turkey and the purchase of gold pellets. USAID recently advised vendors that the agency “is taking every step to mitigate the effects of these cuts, but … it is likely that your company’s workforce, revenue, and planning processes may be affected.” But that is not stopping USAID from reaching out to contractors to carry out its new $700 million...

By ROBIN FITZGERALD — rfitzgerald@sunherald.com HANCOCK COUNTY -- A longtime public school coach and teacher is accused of having sexual contact with a girl at Hancock County High over a three-year period, Sheriff Ricky Adam said. Investigators arrested Leslie Danielle Dewitt, 31, Friday at her home, which is in north Hancock County but has a Perkinston address. They arrested her on three counts of sexual battery involving a 16-year-old girl. She was booked at the county jail and her bonds were set at $300,000. Adam said the arrest came after an extensive investigation of a complaint alleging Dewitt was in...

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has signed a bill that could lead to student-led prayer over school intercoms or at graduations or sporting events. The American Civil Liberties Union says the law is likely to prompt a lawsuit.

Tuesday was a banner day for Gulf Coast industry as the U.S. Navy announced it awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. a $71.6 million contract to produce the next generation of Fire Scout unmanned helicopters, assembled in Moss Point. In addition, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced Lockheed Martin Corp. will invest $3 million and create 166 new jobs to build tanks for liquefied natural gas at the Michoud Assembly plant in New Orleans, where the space shuttle tanks were built. The initial 88-foot-long tanks will be used to fuel ships and transport fuel. And at Chevron's 2013 Security Analyst Meeting on...

A New York judge isn’t the only one taking aim at New York City’s ban on large, sugary drinks. In a move to prevent such regulations from taking hold elsewhere, Mississippi legislators have passed an “anti-Bloomberg bill” that bars counties from passing and enacting laws that require calorie counts to be posted or caps the size of beverages or foods. You can read it here. The legislation is now on Gov. Phil Bryant’s desk and NPR reports that he is expected to sign it. Mississippi, it’s worth noting here, already has the highest obesity rate in the country. …

Madison police have arrested a man accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor. Eric Law, a WLBT meteorologist since 2004, is charged with two counts of sexual battery and two counts of gratification of lust. Madison police say the arrest is the result of an allegation that Law had inappropriate contact with a girl under the age of 16. Judge Dale Danks set bond at $50,000 per count, for a total of $200,000. "Eric Law has been suspended until further notice," said WLBT News Director Wilson Stribling.

Fairfax, Va. – Governor Phil Bryant has signed two important pro-gun bills into law in Mississippi. “These two bills protect the privacy of Mississippians and remove legal traps for law-abiding citizens wanting to exercise their right to carry firearms for personal defense,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “On behalf of NRA members and all gun owners in Mississippi, I would like to thank Gov. Bryant for signing these bills, as well as Lt. Governor Tate Reeves, House Speaker Philip Gunn, state Representative Andy Gipson, state Senator Giles Ward, and state Representative Mark Baker...

CLARKSDALE, Miss. -- The body of Marco McMillian, the former Alabama A&M administrator whose body was found last week, was "beaten, dragged and burned," according to a statement released by his family to the Jackson Clarion Ledger. A Shelby Miss. man, 22-year-old Jeremy Reed, has been charged in McMillian's murder. "We feel this was not a random act of violence based on the condition of the body when it was found," the McMillian family said in the statement. "Marco, nor anyone, should have their lives end in this manner." McMillian worked in the cabinet of former Alabama A&M President Robert...

The U.S. Army has awarded the Olin Corp. the contract for its upcoming small-caliber ammunition needs, an order that is expected to see production run from now until August 2014. Production will take place at Winchester’s East Alton, Illinois, facility. This may be one of the last production runs of this type at Winchester’s Illinois plant, as they are currently in the process of moving their ammunition manufacturing facilities to Mississippi along with about 1,000 jobs. Winchester plans to be moved out of East Alton by 2016. Olin CEO Joseph Rupp said, “During 2012, Olin achieved $373 million of adjusted...

JACKSON, Miss. —Doctors at the University of Mississippi Medical Center said they have cured a baby suffering from HIV and the breakthrough is reverberating worldwide. Related Woman says ex kidnapped her 18-wheeler overturns off of I-20 3 arrested in Jackson drug bust Grenade launcher found during drug bust Fire hydrant testing begins in West... "There is excitement around this," said Dr. Deborah Persaud of John's Hopkins Children's Center. Doctors across the country are heralding the medical breakthrough in Jackson. "We have, perhaps inadvertently, but in fact, cured the child," said Dr. Hannah Gay, associate professor of pediatrics. "We don't know...

The release of hundreds of illegal immigrants into a federal monitoring system this week may be an ongoing headache for the Obama administration, as Republicans focus their scrutiny on uncovering potential missteps. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, “will be aggressively examining the ramification of this decision,” according to a committee aide. And Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.), the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on homeland security, pressed Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to take more responsibility for the releases, which she says she did not know about beforehand. “I am concerned that you...

Chuck Hagel won confirmation Tuesday to become defense secretary over objections to his views on Middle East security and the administration’s handling of an attack on a U.S. consulate in Libya. On a 58 to 41 vote, the Senate confirmed the former GOP senator as four Republicans joined 54 Democrats in approving Hagel, ending a nearly two-month battle that included an unprecedented filibuster against the nominee. The four Republican senators voting in favor were Thad Cochran (Miss.), Mike Johanns (Neb.), Richard C. Shelby (Ala.) and Rand Paul (Ky.). All 41 no votes came from Republicans. The vote marked a foreign...

On her MSNBC show today, Andrea Mitchell accused Republicans of "red-baiting" Chuck Hagel, a reference to tactics most notably associated with the McCarthy period during which people were accused [often accurately, it should be noted] of Communist or affiliated sympathies. Such cries of McCarthyism have of course become standard liberal fare when it comes to Hagel's confirmation process. View the video here.

HARTFORD — U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has responded to letters sent to three Connecticut gun manufacturers by Mississippi state Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, urging them to relocate to Mississippi.

The 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery, was ratified in 1865. Lawmakers in Mississippi, however, only got around to officially ratifying the amendment last month -- 148 years later -- thanks to the movie "Lincoln." The state's historical oversight came to light after Mississippi resident Ranjan Batra saw the Steven Spielberg-directed film last November, the Clarion-Ledger reports.After watching the film, which depicts the political fight to pass the 13th Amendment, Batra did some research. He learned that the amendment was ratified after three-fourths of the states backed it in December 1865. Four remaining states all eventually ratified the...

The Mississippi House passed a bill Wednesday that would allow school boards to arm teachers with concealed weapons. House Bill 958 would let boards create policies authorizing employees, including cafeteria workers and janitors, carry concealed weapons on campus. A previous version of the bill limited the number of employees with weapons at each school, but the bill passed provides no limit.

(WMC-TV) – A former Boy Scout leader has been indicted, accused of molesting young boys. For the first time, an alleged victim's mother has issued a warning. MOREAdditional Links Details of William Todd Brewer's indictment were made public Monday after Brewer was served on Friday. Now we're hearing from the mother of one of the alleged victims in court documents. When former Boy Scout leader William Todd Brewer was arrested for sexual battery last July, one mother didn't want to think about what may have gone on inside Brewer's Senatobia rental home with her then 13-year-old son. "I would tell...

This week the Department of the Interior grandly announced plans for its March oil and gas lease sale in the Central Gulf of Mexico, off Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The announcement might have been more fitting for Groundhog Day. DOI: 38 Million Acres in Gulf of Mexico Up for Grabs To follow through with President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to expand domestic energy production, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced that the upcoming Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 227 will offer 38.6 million acres offshore Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama for oil and gas exploration and development. … “The...