Pearl River flooding prompts Mississippi state of emergency
Mississippi's governor declared a state of emergency Saturday as the Pearl River continued to rise and flooding hit Jackson, the state capital. Published February 16, 2020
James Varney
Articles by James Varney
Transgender student-athlete bill in Alabama stalls in House
A proposal in Alabama to limit student athletes to school sports that correspond with the gender on their birth certificate was tabled last week, with public speakers depicting it as "hateful." Published February 14, 2020
Criminal justice reform sparks California crime wave
The First Step Act, heralded as the most important overhaul to criminal justice laws, capped off a wave of local and state laws that eased bail, shortened sentences and reclassified some crimes. The goals were to ease prison overcrowding, reduce costs and make the system more equitable. Published February 13, 2020
Sanders defends health plan from Big Labor criticism that they endanger unions’ health insurance
Sen. Bernard Sanders' presidential campaign worked Thursday to beat back attacks from labor unions that fear his "Medicare for All" could undo the Cadillac health care plans they have negotiated. Published February 13, 2020
Jeff Sessions narrowly leads Doug Jones in Alabama Senate race: Poll
The Republican Senate race in Alabama has tightened, recent polls show, as a trio of candidates spar to see who will run against vulnerable Democratic Sen. Doug Jones in November. Published February 13, 2020
High-speed internet expansion promise remains elusive
President Trump's vow in his State of the Union speech to spread high-speed internet service to rural America was one of the few bipartisan applause lines. After all, the same pledge was made by the last two presidents and every 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful. And yet, the quest for universal broadband service has proved a costly promise that somehow is always beyond the government's reach. Published February 9, 2020
Feds spending billions trying to hook up rural America with high-speed internet
President Trump's vow in his State of the Union speech to spread high-speed internet service to rural America was one of the few bipartisan applause lines. After all, the same pledge was made by the last two presidents and every 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful. Published February 8, 2020
Senate candidate Roy Moore brings back his Ten Commandments statue
Former Alabama state Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore is bringing back his Ten Commandments monument as he runs for U.S. Senate. Published February 7, 2020
LSU confirms outbreak of mumps
LSU and the Louisiana Department of Health confirmed several cases of mumps on campus Tuesday, a virus that once stood on the verge of extinction thanks to vaccines. Published February 5, 2020
Bradley Byrne, Tommy Tuberville ramp up efforts against Jeff Sessions in Alabama Senate race
Jeff Sessions appears to have the inside lane to claim the GOP nomination for his old Senate seat in Alabama, but the other Republicans in the race are ramping up their efforts with less than a month to go before the vote. Published February 4, 2020
Iowa caucusgoer learns Pete Buttigieg is gay, wants vote back
An Iowa Democratic caucusgoer tried to rescind her support of presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg Monday night when she discovered he was gay, according to a video clip Tuesday. Published February 4, 2020
Rev. Raphael Warnock enters Georgia Senate race; Doug Collins amps up ads against Kelly Loeffler
The Georgia Senate race has quickly gone from crowded to chaotic, with some big names announcing campaigns and already announced candidates amping up the attack volume. Published February 3, 2020
13 Dallas officers disciplined for Islamophobic and other offensive social media posts
The Dallas Police Department has been rocked this week by two separate internal probes that led to discipline against 35 officers, according to reports in The Dallas Morning News. Published January 31, 2020
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves blames increase in inmate deaths on subpar conditions, gang activity
Mississippi's Kemper Neshoba County Regional Correctional Facility this week recorded the state prison system's 13th inmate death in one month, a situation the new governor attributed to gang activity and substandard conditions. Published January 30, 2020
Doug Collins announces U.S. Senate run; NRSC stands with his opponent
Rep. Doug Collins on Wednesday threw his hat into the ring for the Senate contest in Georgia, a move that outraged Senate Republican leaders and roiled an already volatile election. Published January 29, 2020
7.7 earthquake hits off Jamaica
A massive earthquake - the biggest that the Carribean since Haiti in 2010 - has hit somewhere between Cuba and Jamaica, according to the U.S. Geological Service. Published January 28, 2020
Doug Jones tied to Chuck Schumer, Trump impeachment
The last thing Alabama Democratic Sen. Doug Jones may have wanted was beginning the year tied to the hip of his party's liberal leadership given that he is running for reelection. Published January 26, 2020
Union membership falls in steady decline
Membership in labor unions fell to 10.3% of the nation's workforce last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday, continuing the steady decline of a key Democratic constituency that traditionally wielded enormous clout. Published January 22, 2020
Mason Toney accused of killing his boss, a Trump supporter, during political argument
In a bizarre incident, a Florida construction worker is accused of killing his boss with a trowel during a political argument on a state turnpike building site. Published January 22, 2020
Isle de Jean Charles residents blame Army Corps of Engineers for sinking island
Roughly 15 families -- the number shrinks each year -- still feel at home on Isle de Jean Charles, a spit of earth sticking into the Gulf of Mexico. Published January 20, 2020
