Mississippi
US judge temporarily blocks Mississippi law on state police permits for some protests
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal judge Thursday temporarily blocked a new Mississippi law that requires permission from state police for protests or other gatherings near state government buildings in the capital city of Jackson.
U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate said the law is vague and could have a chilling effect on First Amendment rights, particularly for people who want to demonstrate against government actions.
“It is clear that this statute is a prior restraint on speech,” Wingate said.
Earlier this year, the majority-white and Republican-led Mississippi Legislature passed a bill to require the state-issued permits for protests in parts of Jackson, which is majority-Black and governed by Democrats.
Legislators also passed a separate bill expanding the role of the state-run Capitol Police department inside the city, creating a new court inside part of Jackson with a judge appointed by the state Supreme Court chief justice, and authorizing the chief justice to appoint four additional judges to work with the four elected circuit court judges in Hinds County, where Jackson is located.
Hinds County is also majority-Black and governed by Democrats. Most Mississippi judges are elected.
Supporters of the bills said they were trying to strengthen safety in Jackson, which has a population of about 150,000 and has had more than 100 homicides for each of the past three years. Opponents said the bills undermine local self-governance.
Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed the bills, and most of the changes were supposed to become law Saturday.
Wingate on Thursday confirmed that he has dismissed Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike Randolph from a lawsuit that the NAACP filed to challenge the law on policing and courts. Wingate issued an order last month temporarily preventing most of that law from taking effect on Saturday.
The law on protests requires the state Department of Public Safety to develop regulations for the type of information that protest sponsors would need to provide and what standards the department would use in deciding whether to issue permits.
Wingate said Thursday that because such regulations have not been set, “some brave soul … could risk the onset of criminal penalties” for protesting without a state permit. He said the department could draft regulations, which would take several weeks, and could then ask him to reconsider whether the law can take effect.
Protests near downtown Jackson’s state government buildings in the past year included January, February and March rallies against the courts and policing legislation. The Poor People’s Campaign held protested outside the Governor’s Mansion last fall against what organizers said was the state’s inadequate investment in Jackson’s struggling water system.
People planning events in downtown Jackson are already required to obtain a city-issued permit — the same procedure used in many other parts of the state. The lawsuit said people will need permission from both the city and the state for protests or events in parts of Jackson, but state permission is not required for protests or events near state government buildings elsewhere in Mississippi.
VIDEO: Students practice earthquake drill for Great Oregon ShakeOut
Spencer Butte Middle School students participate in the Great Oregon ShakeOut, learning about earthquakes and what to do if one occurs.
A 2.5 magnitude earthquake struck near the Ross Barnett Reservoir on Thanksgiving Day, the United States Geological Survey confirmed.
The minor-earthquake struck around 12 kilometers southeast of Canton at a depth of 5 kilometers. It happened around 7:48 a.m. No damage was reported.
The quake was recorded on the north side of the of the reservoir near where Highway 43 crosses the lake and south of the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Earthquakes have occurred in the region before.
“Until 2014, when the dramatic increase in earthquake rates gave Oklahoma the number one ranking in the conterminous U.S., the most seismically active area east of the Rocky Mountains was in the Mississippi Valley area known as the New Madrid seismic zone,” according to the USGS website.
In the winter of 1811 and 1812, according to the USGS, the New Madrid seismic zone “generated a sequence of earthquakes that lasted for several months and included three very large earthquakes estimated to be between magnitude 7 and 8. The three largest 1811-1812 earthquakes destroyed several settlements along the Mississippi River, caused minor structural damage as far away as Cincinnati, Ohio, and St. Louis, Missouri, and were felt as far away as Hartford, Connecticut, Charleston, South Carolina, and New Orleans, Louisiana.”
A 2.6 magnitude earthquake also struck in Oklahoma on Thanksgiving Day.
MADISON COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – A minor earthquake was recorded in Mississippi early Thanksgiving morning.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the 2.5-magnitude earthquake occurred southeast of Canton near the Ross Barnett Reservoir around 1:48 a.m. on Thursday, November 28.
Officials with the Michigan Technological University said earthquakes below 2.5-magnitude are “generally not felt.” So far, there are no reports of any damage in Madison County.
The last earthquake that occurred in Madison County was a 2.8-magnitude earthquake in 2019.
Mississippi
Thanksgiving on Mississippi Public Broadcasting Think Radio, set to air on Thursday, November 28th
MISSISSIPPI (KTVE/KARD) — For Thanksgiving, on Thursday, November 28, 2024, the Mississippi Public Broadcasting Radio will air a special programming.
Photo courtesy of Mississippi Public Broadcasting
According to officials, “Turkey Confidential” and “Feasting with the Great American Songbook: An Afterglow Thanksgiving Special” will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Francis Lam will be taking calls and help those in need of Thanksgiving cooking tips for the biggest cooking day of the year.
According to officals, “Feasting with the Great American Songbook: An Afterglow Thanksgiving Special” will explore classic jazz and popular songs about food by singers like Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan, and Fats Waller, perfect for listening while sitting at the table.
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