02 Apr Crowd lobbies at Miss. Capitol against small loan rate bill

Posted at April 02, 2012 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Clarion Ledger By Cassandra Menkins A small crowd gathered at the Capitol today to speak against a bill that would nearly triple the maximum interest rate on small loans. Under House Bill 1396, finance companies could charge 99 percent interest on loans under $1,500. Mississippi law currently allows...

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21 Mar BP settlement, milestone for some victims, a setback for others

Posted at March 21, 2012 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

New York Times By JOHN SCHWARTZ Denise Spivacke Haralson and her husband, Larry, figured that they almost had their money. They had settled Mr. Haralson’s claims against BP for the losses he suffered as a construction worker in the economic slump after the 2010 Gulf of Mexico...

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19 Mar Investors appear confident in BP settlement figure

Posted at March 19, 2012 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

BP's estimate that it will pay $7.8 billion to settle thousands of Gulf oil spill claims has reassured investors even as lawyers for plaintiffs emphasize that the figure may be low. The settlement between BP and a plaintiffs' committee, announced March 2, puts no cap on...

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19 Mar BP: The case of the century

Posted at March 19, 2012 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Financial Times By Ed Crooks The Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010 caused the world’s largest offshore oil spill. It has also led to a mammoth legal action, as tens of thousands of plaintiffs – and the US government – fight for compensation In New Orleans people know how...

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12 Mar Deep South is ‘epicenter’ of HIV epidemic in America

Posted at March 12, 2012 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Clarion Ledger By Marni von Wilpert Today is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and to honor it here in Mississippi, we need to dedicate ourselves to doing more to provide access to health care, housing and employment for people with HIV/AIDS. This year marks the 13th...

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02 Mar How will the Affordable Care Act affect Mississippi children?

Posted at March 02, 2012 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Mississippi Public Broadcasting Air date 03/02/12 How will the coming changes in Mississippi’s health care system affect your children? Wesley Prater, a senior health analyst at Georgetown University, explains how the Obama health care bill will provide coverage for more kids. In 2014, more than half of...

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22 Feb Foreclosures rising but help is available

Posted at February 22, 2012 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Mississippi Public Broadcasting Published by Daniel Cherry After years of decline, foreclosures are again on the rise across the country. MPB's Daniel Cherry reports how even though Mississippi remains less impacted than most states, residents facing foreclosure have a tough road ahead. Mississippi ranked 44th in the nation...

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06 Feb Legal aid fine-tuning role in BP oil spill claims

Posted at February 06, 2012 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

89.9 WNNO, NPR affiliate By EILEEN FLEMING As government and corporate representatives negotiate damages stemming from the BP oil spill, legal aid advocates are noting hundreds of low-income residents are stuck in filing damage claims of their own. Lawyers are setting up a system to ensure a...

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03 Feb Bergmark discusses access to justice amid funding crisis

Posted at February 03, 2012 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

As part of the American Bar Association's annual midwinter meeting, Martha Bergmark, Mississippi Center for Justice president and CEO, participated in a discussion about the current state of funding for legal services and strategies for ensuring access to justice amid economic crisis....

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13 Jan Steps coalition asks HUD to halt port expansion

Posted at January 13, 2012 in In the News by Mississippi Center for Justice

Sun Herald By ANITA LEE - calee@sunherald.com GULFPORT -- A coalition of community groups large and small is asking the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to demand repayment of federal funds already spent on state port expansion. Attorney Reilly Morse told a group of about 100...

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