Topic: Mississippi

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5 great mystery novels

Here are the five mystery novels that made the cut for the 2012 Edgar Awards.
3 noteworthy new young adult books

In these new young adult books, three plucky female protagonists face considerable odds.
Super Tuesday: Six things to watch for as results come in

Ten states vote on Super Tuesday, with 419 delegates at stake. It looks as if it may be a good night for Mitt Romney, but there are many unknowns. Aside from the biggest question – who wins Ohio – here are six things to watch for as the results come in.
Academy Awards: Which Best Picture nominee won at the box office?

Nine films will be vying for the Best Picture trophy at the 84^th Annual Academy Awards, taking place Sunday at 8 pm. The Best Picture Oscar won’t be announced until late in the evening, but when it comes to the box office, clear winners and losers have already emerged. While there was no runaway blockbuster among this year’s Oscar nominations, the films nominated ran the gamut in terms of profitability: Some made back nearly four times their filming budgets, while others failed to break even. Here’s all nine Best Picture nominees, ranked according to profit margin. Box office numbers are based on worldwide earnings. Can you guess which film was the best bang for its buck?
Oscars: Check out the front-runners

Here are the nominees with the best chances of snagging that gold statuette on Oscar night

All Content

Voracious kudzu bugs spread across South. Are they boon or bane?

The nubbin-sized Japanese invader arrived on American shores somewhere near Atlanta in 2009. Today it’s eating pesky kudzu across at least three states. Unfortunately, it’s chowing on soybean crops, too.
American Idol crowns Phillip Phillips in talented, funny, bizarre finale (+video)

American Idol: After months of competition, American Idol aired its finale on Wednesday night and anointed Phillip Phillips as the winner of Season 11.
Health-care mandate: Catholic leaders sue over birth control

Health-care plan provision for employer-paid birth control riles Catholic schools, dioceses, and health-care providers. Negotiations with White House 'not encouraging.'
Modern Parenthood
Teenage pregnancy: High US rates due to poverty, not promiscuity

Teenage pregnancy rates in the US have declined dramatically – 40 percent in two decades – but remain among the highest in the developed world. A new study suggests American teens don't have more sex than teens elsewhere, but that they suffer more "despair" due to poverty.
Mississippi highway shootings: Suspect not a fake cop

Mississippi police arrested James D. Willie, a suspect in two fatal highway shootings. But police said Willie wasn't posing as a cop. Why did police think he was?
Focus
The gay marriage paradox: as acceptance rises, so do legal barriers

President Obama's embrace of gay marriage mirrors growing support among many Americans, but states continue to ban it. The US Supreme Court could play a key role.
Your employer may be pocketing your state income tax

Sixteen states now allow corporations to withhold state income taxes from employees and keep the money as an incentive for a business to locate to or remain in a state. That means that, in effect, employees pay personal income tax to their company rather than their state government.
Adam Mayes case: kidnapper dead, girls safe (+video)

The kidnapper committed suicide after he was cornered by a SWAT team acting on a tip.
Obama backs gay marriage: How it plays with Christian church leaders (+video)

The response from Christian church leaders ranged from "giddy" to "deeply saddening" when asked about President Obama's new support of gay marriage. Will it fire up evangelical Christians to vote against Obama in November?
"Ten Most Wanted" fugitive claimed kidnapped girls were his daughters

Adam Christopher Mayes is wanted for kidnapping two girls two weeks ago after killing their mother and sister.
Pet food recall 2012 now includes 39 states

Pet food recall 2012 involves brands including Kirkland, Premium Edge, and Diamond Naturals, manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods. The biggest pet food recall 2012 has been expanded multiple times since April. Counting additional recalls by separate brands manufactured in the Diamond Pet Foods facility, affected dog food has been sold in 39 states.
Bake sale ban in Massachusetts sparks outcries over 'food police'

A cookie crackdown? A brownie ban? The time-honored bake sale falls under a new Massachusetts law that limits students' access to junk food before and after school. Aim is to fight obesity, but critics decry a nanny state of 'food police.'
Trying youths as adults hurts families and taxpayers, but not crime

If a juvenile court decides today that accused Chardon High School shooter T.J. Lane is competent to stand trial, he could become one of 250,000 youths prosecuted in adult criminal court every year. This practice harms young people, doesn't save taxpayers money, and doesn't reduce crime.
Chapter & Verse
'Steve Jobs' and 'The Help' dominate reading lists in many American cities

Data gathered by Nielsen BookScan for The Daily Beast show many of the same titles are popular in American cities – but exceptions include 'Heaven Is For Real' and 'The Great Gatsby.'
5 great mystery novels

Here are the five mystery novels that made the cut for the 2012 Edgar Awards.
House passes cyber security bill over Obama's objections

The president has threatened to veto the bill, which is designed to empower the private sector to fight electronic attacks. The White House prefers a Senate alternative that vests that power in the Department of Homeland Security.
American Idol takes on Queen: Will Hollie Cavanagh go home next? (+video)

American Idol featured the songs of Queen Wednesday. Hollie Cavanagh struggled, but rebounded with her second song. Will American Idol voters send her home?
Wisconsin posts biggest US job loss, as Gov. Scott Walker fights for his job

Wisconsin lost 23,900 jobs between March 2011 and March 2012, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. It also lost more private-sector jobs than any other state.
Progress Watch
Fatal accident rate for US children and teens plunges since 2000

Nationwide, the rate of unintentional deaths for children and teenagers fell 30 percent between 2000 and 2009, a recent report finds. Biggest reason: fewer fatalities per capita due to auto accidents.
As extreme weather events increase, so does acceptance of climate science (+video)

A new survey finds that a majority of Americans believe that weather in the United States is getting worse, and they are linking it to global warming.
Decoder Wire
Lilly Ledbetter and Ann Romney: Gone in six seconds

A day that started with the Romney team's silence on Lilly Ledbetter's fight for equal pay ended with Ann Romney's first tweet – in praise of the (unpaid) stay-at-home, hard-working mom.
Santorum candidacy moved GOP rightward

The former Pennsylvania senator made social conservatism a cornerstone of his campaign, and in so doing he helped define the conversation.
US teen birth rate falls to record low (again)

Birth rates among teenage moms rates are at the lowest level since 1940. Mississippi has the highest teen birth rate (55 per 1,000 girls), New Hampshire has the lowest (16)
Texas tornadoes disrupt airline flights, cut off electricity

Texas tornadoes forced the cancellation of 420 American Airline flights Wednesday. Some 92 American Airline planes were out of service due to the Texas tornadoes. And 22,000 homes were without power in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.
Romney wins Wisconsin, Maryland, and D.C. (+video)

The former Governor of Massachusetts swept Tuesday night's primaries, solidifying his lead as his campaign focuses on November.