Author: Gerard Fox

Most of the time, headlines about Afghanistan are ringed with tragedy: food shortages, orphaned children, and even executions. Since the Taliban took full control of the country in 2021, the humanitarian situation there has deteriorated, as economic and diplomatic isolation does little to alleviate strife caused by human rights abuses perpetrated by the country’s new rulers. Yet daily life goes on. Now experiencing their first significant pause in conflict for decades, Kabul and other towns continue to bustle with commerce. Shops and restaurants are still open. Battered autos throng the roads. Electricity is in short supply, but generators keep lights on in hotels…

In an effort to eliminate blight across Jackson, city leaders are proposing changes to its local ordinance. The city held a public hearing Thursday to get the community’s feedback on its recommendations, including holding landlords and property owners more accountable. “We have come to the stark reality that our neighborhoods, at least some of them, are in a state of decline and that state of decline will continue to spread to the other healthier neighborhoods,” said Chloe Dotson, Director of Planning and Development. “What the city of Jackson wants to do is make sure that unit stays in a livable condition, and…