Columns

Felder's Native Myth

Native may be the new buzzword for choosing landscape plants, but it often gets in the way of good gardening. Not knocking native plants; after all, this past president of the Mississippi Native Plant Society grows and...

March 26, 2026 · Felder Rushing

Evil Meat

Do you eat steak? You're killing the planet! So say climate activists. Is it true? Probably not. Vox warns that beef is the "worst thing we eat when it comes to global warming." The World Economic Forum, which says it's...

March 26, 2026 · John Stossel

Consequences Breed Fires

Last week Iran launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia, a key U.S.-U.K. base in the Indian Ocean 2,500 miles away. Even though neither missile reached its target, the range of these...

March 26, 2026 · Daniel Gardner

Mississippi's Greatest Bookman: Fred Cecil Smith (1953-2026) of Jackson's Choctaw Books Remembered

Fred Cecil Smith, 72, of Starkville, Mississippi, a nationally respected antiquarian bookseller and archivist, passed away after a long battle with cancer on February 28, 2026 at his home surrounded by his family. The...

March 26, 2026 · Lucius Lampton

Data Centers Gold Rush: Mississippi's Readiness

Whether Mississippi, Georgia or Northern Virginia is the national pacesetter in obtaining development promises from data center companies, as all three states claim, each is glowing, if not with electricity, certainly...

March 19, 2026 · Mac Gordon

Felder's Woodland Wonders

Even in this super-colorful Spring time, let's slow down to appreciate a handful of peculiar, often underappreciated oddities that adorn other landscape plants. One is the velvety mat of emerald-green moss, which grows...

March 19, 2026 · Felder Rushing

The Reading Wars

"My child can't read!" That's become a common complaint from parents. Why? It might be because kids are distracted by social media and video games. But I think it's also because reading instruction became lazy and...

March 19, 2026 · John Stossel

Signs of the Times

As we have approached Resurrection Sunday aka Easter this year, I've seen many advertisements about specials in theaters on television and online about Jesus's life, death, and resurrection. Over the past year or so...

March 19, 2026 · Daniel Gardner

The Future of Magnolia Looking Right

Over the past eight months, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen have taken meaningful steps to position Magnolia for long-term success. Mayor Brumfield has consistently emphasized that the city's future belongs to its...

March 19, 2026 · Terry Jackson

Twists & Turns On The Job

One of our nephews recently undertook a search for a new job and it was shocking how arduous it was. He applied about a million times online with no results and after what seemed like forever, I made him just go into...

March 12, 2026 · Judy Causey Love

A Variety of Azaleas Bring Spring Blooms

Few shrubs say 'spring in Mississippi' quite like azaleas, and mine are getting ready to burst with blooms. Azaleas thrive here so well that some gardeners get the impression you can simply stick them in the ground and...

March 12, 2026 · Eddie Smith, MSU Extension Service

Felder's Bold Pruning

What's the hardest thing, psychologically, for normally reasonable gardeners to do? For decades I have extolled folks to adopt some very straightforward and rewarding horticultural practices which, on first glance, seem...

March 12, 2026 · Felder Rushing

California's Inferno of Regulations

Last year, California wildfires destroyed 13,000 homes. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced: 'We are 100% committed to getting this neighborhood rebuilt again!' Gov. Gavin Newsom echoed that, saying his officials...

March 12, 2026 · John Stossel

Trump's Reasons for Military Action

Of all the challenges any nation might face, war is the most dangerous. So why, some are asking, would President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu launch a war against Iran out of the blue with no particular...

March 12, 2026 · Daniel Gardner

Trying To Keep Up With It

They came to teach Artificial Intelligence. Why didn't they come to teach Brain Surgery after Lunch? Or Rebuilding Automobile Transmissions? Might as well. I could've learned those as easily as AI. Which means, of...

March 12, 2026 · Mac Gordon

Twists & Turns On The Job

One of our nephews recently undertook a search for a new job and it was shocking how arduous it was. He applied about a million times online with no results and after what seemed like forever, I made him just go into...

March 12, 2026 · Judy Causey Love

Senator Wicker Breaks With Administration Over ICE Facility

Roger Wicker, this state's senior member of the United States Senate, is suddenly a hero to many Mississippians for his tough stance against an ICE detention center that a federal agency had proposed for the hamlet of...

March 5, 2026 · Mac Gordon

Felder's Bulb Wisdom

Have patience; when it comes to digging daffodils, waiting two months can save two years. I suppose that garden experts should appear impartial and feign adoration for all things flowery, but my all-time favorites,...

March 5, 2026 · Felder Rushing

Trump Report Card

During his State of the Union, President Donald Trump declared himself wonderful. My new video takes a closer look, scoring his fifth year as president. He deserves an 'A' for his willingness to take questions. It's a...

March 5, 2026 · John Stossel

War Trumps Personal Political Power

What's the problem? Who's the enemy? Seth Cropsey wrote a commentary in the Wall Street Journal February 28, 'Trump's Doctrine in Iran and Beyond.' Cropsey began, 'The U.S. and Israeli pre-emptive attack on Iran, coming...

March 5, 2026 · Daniel Gardner

Thanks for the Memories

Since I always thought that it seemed to describe pretty accurately my forty year career as a family physician, I was surprised to learn that the phrase 'from the cradle to the grave' was coined by the essayist Sir...

March 5, 2026 · Stanley Hartness, MD

Walking Iris Is a Unique Early Spring Bloomer

One of my treasured plants is the walking iris which I grow in a container. Every March, I look forward to its blooms as a sure sign that spring has arrived. The walking iris earns its place in my landscape with its...

February 26, 2026 · Eddie Smith, MSU Extension Service

Felder's Tater Time

It's 'tater planting time. And onions, edible pod and English peas, lettuces, and cabbage, all which grow and produce best this time of year and are harvested in plenty of time to set out tomatoes, peppers, squash, and...

February 26, 2026 · Felder Rushing

Western Ideas Are Worth Defending

Trigger warning: The following discusses themes of race, gender, "hate" speech ... Author Heather Mac Donald takes a lot of heat. She writes about race, crime, diversity, gender, merit -- and says things that got her...

February 26, 2026 · John Stossel