Jackson, MS, USA. Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood hires lots of outside lawyers. They make a great deal of money for the state, and for themselves. Not everyone is happy with that situation.

As Mississippi’s attorney general, Jim Hood rarely shies away from litigation, especially when victory could put millions of dollars into the state treasury.

Washington, DC, USA. A report released by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute finds that the K-12 science standards of most states remain mediocre to failing, questioning the viability of America’s scientific leadership, technological prowess, and commercial position.

Since the Sputnik launch of 1957, Americans have regarded science education as crucial to our national security and economic competitiveness.

Huntsville, AL, USA. Some of the editors at professional journals coerce authors into adding unnecessary citations to articles in the same journal that is considering publishing the submitted work.

The effect is to frequency of citation in their journals, raising the journal rankings used to support claims of prestige and importance.

Savannah, GA, USA. As the Panama Canal expands to allow larger cargo ships to pass through, states along the Eastern Seaboard are maneuvering to make their ports compatible with the bigger and more lucrative vessels.

But there is no guarantee the expensive bets will pay off.