Police are investigating after nooses were found hanging at the Mississippi State Capitol
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Two nooses were found hanging at the Mississippi State Capitol, and police are currently reviewing surveillance video as part of an investigation, WLBT reports.
In addition to the nooses, pictures of which have been published online, what WLBT describes as several "hate signs" were also found. It's not yet clear what might have been written on these signs, and police have provided no other details. WAPT reports that a total of six signs were found.
This comes one day ahead of Mississippi's Senate run-off election, during which incumbent Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) is fending off a challenge from Democrat Mike Espy. Normally, Hyde-Smith's victory would be considered a slam dunk, but her campaign has been engulfed in a number of controversies over the past few weeks, which began when she said of a supporter, "If he invited me to a public hanging, I'd be on the front row." Hyde-Smith later said this was simply an "exaggerated expression of regard," per The Washington Post, but the explanation didn't sit well with many, including Walmart, which pulled its support and asked for its donation back.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Democrats have jumped on Hyde-Smith's remarks in the final stretch of the election in hopes of driving turnout, especially among black voters. Espy, who if elected would be the first black Senator from the state since Reconstruction, said in a debate last week, "We can't afford a senator who embarrasses us and reinforces the stereotypes we've worked so hard to overcome." Trump is set to hold two rallies in support of Hyde-Smith on Monday.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Switzerland could vote to cap its populationUnder the Radar Swiss People’s Party proposes referendum on radical anti-immigration measure to limit residents to 10 million
-
Political cartoons for February 15Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include political ventriloquism, Europe in the middle, and more
-
The broken water companies failing England and WalesExplainer With rising bills, deteriorating river health and a lack of investment, regulators face an uphill battle to stabilise the industry
-
Maxwell pleads 5th, offers Epstein answers for pardonSpeed Read She offered to talk only if she first received a pardon from President Donald Trump
-
Hong Kong jails democracy advocate Jimmy LaiSpeed Read The former media tycoon was sentenced to 20 years in prison
-
Ex-Illinois deputy gets 20 years for Massey murderSpeed Read Sean Grayson was sentenced for the 2024 killing of Sonya Massey
-
Sole suspect in Brown, MIT shootings found deadSpeed Read The mass shooting suspect, a former Brown grad student, died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds
-
France makes first arrests in Louvre jewels heistSpeed Read Two suspects were arrested in connection with the daytime theft of royal jewels from the museum
-
Trump pardons crypto titan who enriched familySpeed Read Binance founder Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty in 2023 to enabling money laundering while CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange
-
Thieves nab French crown jewels from LouvreSpeed Read A gang of thieves stole 19th century royal jewels from the Paris museum’s Galerie d’Apollon
-
Arsonist who attacked Shapiro gets 25-50 yearsSpeed Read Cody Balmer broke into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion and tried to burn it down
