Mississippi Free Press

OPINION: "The Holy Bible has guided me since I started doing what God says to do. I make mistakes but knowing I can repent and change helps me. I think it is a misconception that you change instantaneously. It depends on the sincerity of your heart and prayers to God," Alexis K. Ellis writes.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-the-importance-of-faith-in-tough-times/

The American president celebrated on Saturday after learning that Robert S. Mueller, the FBI director who led the agency after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, had died. He was 81.
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/former-fbi-director-robert-mueller-dies-prompting-celebratory-post-from-american-president/

“I didn’t realize how beloved Charlie Kirk was. Men older than me spat on me in public,” Stokes testified in court in February. “People are still saying vitriolic things to me. I’m still suffering and humiliated.”

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/judge-dismisses-lauren-stokes-lawsuit-against-university-of-mississippi-over-firing-for-charlie-kirk-post/

“This is just a special swath of land … that attracts natural disasters,” Brittany Clark said of Union County. “We try to learn from all of it and be more prepared the next time.”

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/person-of-the-day-brittany-clark-rural-clinic-owner-helps-union-county-recover-from-winter-storm-fern/

OPINION: "I am leaving Mississippi to serve my country. I am stepping away to learn how to lead, how to defend the law, and how to execute a mission under pressure.

"But when my tour of duty is done, I am coming home," Maurice Valonte Williams writes.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-why-im-leaving-mississippi-to-serve-and-why-we-all-must-return/

OPINION: "Most pregnant women in the United States aren’t meeting dietary recommendations. This is especially true for women living in rural communities," Bethany Barone Gibbs and Alex Crisp write.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-low-income-pregnant-women-cant-easily-obtain-real-food/

OPINION: "In McComb’s storied Burglund district, where generations have marched, sung, organized and shaped Mississippi history, two community spaces now rise as powerful bookends to a corridor once alive with Black excellence and determination," Kevin Enos Brown writes.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-two-community-spaces-are-revitalizing-burglunds-historic-legacy/

OPINION: "I was already using my credit card to pay for the move, and then a wrench like that gets thrown in," Schumann writes. "I tried to plead for some leniency, to no avail. The company could charge me, so they would charge me."

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/editors-note-for-many-mississippians-one-mistake-can-be-financially-crippling/

The decision halts an order by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—announced in January—to end broad recommendations for all children to be vaccinated against flu, rotavirus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, some forms of meningitis and RSV.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/judge-blocks-us-government-from-slimming-down-vaccine-recommendations/

Former Mississippi Department of Human Services Director John Davis steered $3.2 million in contracts to Ted DiBiase Jr. and his companies, paid for with a mixture of funds from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and The Emergency Food Assistance Program.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/ted-dibiase-jr-found-not-guilty-of-crimes-over-millions-in-mississippi-welfare-funds/

Gabriel Olivier wanted to challenge the law as an unconstitutional restriction on free speech, but lower courts stopped him from suing because he'd been convicted of breaking it. The Supreme Court ruled Olivier may sue to block future enforcement.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/mississippi-evangelist-can-sue-after-city-barred-him-from-preaching-outside-venue-us-supreme-court-rules/

The SAVE America Act proposes to require nationwide new proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting that have already been passed in several states. Obtaining the necessary documents under the SAVE Act is not as easy as it might sound.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/the-biggest-change-to-voting-in-republican-election-bill-could-become-a-burden-for-many-us-voters/

Senate Bill 2369 would require anyone with unpaid child support to pay the owed amount if they win more than $2,000 on casino slot machines. An interception would also trigger if a person profits 300 times the money they bet for in-person sporting wagering in casinos.

The Legislature has sent the bill to Gov. Tate Reeves for his consideration.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/gambling-winnings-could-pay-delinquent-child-support-under-bill-headed-to-mississippi-governor/

If the SAVE America Act were enacted, the new rules for voter registration and voter identification at the polls would take effect immediately.

Critics say that would be difficult and costly for state election officials and could be confusing for voters.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/whats-in-the-voting-bill-that-republicans-are-pushing-to-the-senate-floor/

Federal law says no living president can appear on U.S. currency. But Megan Sullivan, the acting chief of the Office of Design Management at the Mint, said the Treasury secretary has authority to authorize the minting and issuance of certain coins.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/us-mint-can-begin-producing-trump-commemorative-gold-coin-after-arts-commission-approves-design/

Democrats and many groups that champion voter access say there is little evidence of noncitizens voting and say the bill would disenfranchise millions of voters—including Republicans—by creating new burdens to prove citizenship.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/republicans-are-launching-a-voting-bill-debate-that-could-last-days-or-even-weeks/

Gas prices in Mississippi reached $3.49 on average Thursday, up from $2.49 before the war began.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/iran-war-fuels-surge-in-gas-prices-for-mississippi-drivers-as-national-prices-hit-highest-level-since-2023/

“If there is a way, an effective way, to help individuals break free from the grips of addiction, then it is worth studying here in the Mississippi Legislature," said Mississippi Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Josh Harkins, R-Flowood, about funding ibogaine research.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/veterans-say-an-illegal-psychedelic-drug-is-helping-them-now-mississippi-wants-to-study-ibogaine/

Congress has been bracing for a new spending request but it is not clear the White House has transmitted the request for consideration. Lawmakers have not authorized the war, and Congress is showing growing unease with the military operation’s scope and strategy.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/pentagon-seeks-200-billion-in-additional-funds-for-the-iran-war-ap-source-says/

Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing his concerns about the justification for military strikes in Iran and saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/top-counterterrorism-official-kent-resigns-over-trumps-iran-war-says-iran-posed-no-imminent-threat/

Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing his concerns about the justification for military strikes in Iran and saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration’s war.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/top-counterterrorism-official-kent-resigns-over-trumps-iran-war-says-iran-posed-no-imminent-threat/

Anthropic said it sought narrow assurances from the Pentagon that Claude won't be used for mass surveillance of Americans or in fully autonomous weapons, but the AI company said the Pentagon’s new contract language “would allow those safeguards to be disregarded at will."

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/pentagon-threatens-anthropic-as-ai-company-refuses-to-bend-safeguards-for-military-use/

Mississippi House Bill 538 joins Senate Bill 2114 as active bills in the Legislature that look to increase the State's involvement in immigration enforcement. H.B. 538 will require Mississippi public agencies at all levels to work with ICE if requested.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/mississippi-agencies-could-be-forced-to-comply-with-ice-under-bill-passed-by-house/

“My first 10 months I ended eight wars," President Donald Trump said during Tuesday's State of the Union address.

This statistic, which Trump frequently cites, is highly exaggerated.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/fact-checking-trumps-2026-state-of-the-union-speech/

OPINION: "Oxford is capable of that work. The [University of Mississippi] is capable of that work. The question is whether we will build the habits and institutions to sustain it," Graham Bodie writes.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-beyond-civility-the-harder-work-of-disagreement/

Americans who can't afford beef a year into President Donald Trump's second term "have so many proteins to choose from," U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Mississippi Republican, said in response to a question about steep food costs.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/americans-who-cant-afford-beef-have-so-many-proteins-to-choose-from-says-us-sen-cindy-hyde-smith/

OPINION: "[Senate bill 2016] restructures the existing tourism function, aligning it as a standalone, cabinet-level entity, allowing one of Mississippi’s most productive industries to operate more efficiently, strategically and competitively," Danielle Morgan writes.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-modernizing-mississippi-tourism-through-better-alignment-not-bigger-government/

Black voters currently make up just shy of a majority in one of the three districts, with the Black-majority Delta region split between two different districts, but only one Black justice currently serves on the court.

A federal judge ordered last year that Mississippi redraw its maps to increase Black voting power.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/mississippis-black-voters-brace-for-elections-ruling-that-could-gut-supreme-court-clout/

“Jackson, I am so excited. I have understood my entire life that public safety does not happen in a vacuum. It is not one single police department, not one single public safety agency that can do this work," RaShall Brackney said.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/rashall-brackney-confirmed-as-new-jackson-police-chief/

A bill that will create a new Jackson, Mississippi, water authority has passed the House, but without wide support from Jackson and its surrounding areas, the bill's future in the Senate is bleak.

Sen. Joel Carter, R-Gulfport, said that without that wide support, "that bill's dead."

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/jackson-water-authority-bills-future-in-doubt-amid-mixed-reception/

OPINION: "When people live in areas where the night sky is clearer, they tend to express a greater wonder about the universe. Altogether, this means communities with less light pollution have great potential to educate the next generation of scientists," Emma Marcucci writes.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-telescopes-can-help-rural-students-get-interested-in-astronomy/

OPINION: "America’s history has shown that you can’t make a kinder, gentler form of militarized immigration enforcement any more than you can make a bomb safer once it’s dropped," Kevin Edwards writes.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/editors-note-ices-disregard-for-human-life-echoes-americas-bipartisan-racist-history/

OPINION: "These sorts of issues are not really on the minds of the public until someone is affected by an issue that calls for access to records, like victims of crimes or those who have concerns about environmental safety," Layne Bruce writes.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-house-bills-seriously-dilute-public-records-act/

A once-neglected building on Main Avenue in Lumberton, Mississippi, is being rebuilt into Thorn and Thistle, a business its owners hope will be both a supply hub and a spark for downtown Lumberton’s revival.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/downtown-lumberton-gains-creative-hub-as-thorn-and-thistle-prepares-to-open/

2C Mississippi, an environmental nonprofit, is working with Jackson, Mississippi, community members to revitalize Farish Street and other areas with green infrastructure. It was one of the topics discussed at the 2025 Parks & Trails Forum in Jackson on Oct. 30, 2025.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/jacksonians-turn-to-green-infrastructure-to-revitalize-historic-landmarks-connect-residents/

The University of Mississippi Medical Center will reopen its clinics statewide beginning Monday, more than a week after a ransomware attack took down the center’s computer network.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/university-of-mississippi-medical-center-clinics-reopening-statewide-monday/

The gap between graduation rates among white students and Black students in Mississippi has also narrowed since 2014, when it was about 7.4 points.

The gap is now just 4.3 points, well below the national average reported in 2021-2022 of 9 points.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/mississippi-graduation-rate-hits-90-8-rising-from-nations-lowest-to-among-the-highest/

“It is our priority to remove barriers and exercise regulatory flexibility to encourage scientific advances and deliver more cures and meaningful treatments for patients suffering from rare diseases,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said in a release.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/fda-proposes-new-system-for-approving-customized-drugs-and-therapies-for-rare-diseases/

If Amodei doesn't budge, military officials have warned they will not just pull Anthropic's contract but also "deem them a supply chain risk," a designation typically stamped on foreign adversaries that could derail the company's critical partnerships with other businesses.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/pentagon-threatens-anthropic-as-ai-company-refuses-to-bend-safeguards-for-military-use/

Mississippi House Bill 538 would require local law enforcement to detain immigrants at local jails.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/mississippi-agencies-could-be-forced-to-comply-with-ice-under-bill-passed-by-house/

President Donald Trump has spent the last year boasting of his accomplishments while mocking the record of his predecessor, Joe Biden. But much of this bluster has been based on misinformation, which he again fell back on during his State of the Union address.

Here are the facts.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/fact-checking-trumps-2026-state-of-the-union-speech/

Interim Third-Party Manager Ted Henifin has serious doubts about a proposed water authority to eventually succeed JXN Water in managing Jackson's water and wastewater systems.

“As a whole, without major changes in this bill, it’s potentially going to drive the system right back to where it was,” Henifin said.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/jackson-water-authority-bills-future-in-doubt-amid-mixed-reception/

OPINION: "If we are serious about protecting unpopular voices, the work extends beyond defending or condemning a single administrative decision. The harder task is building durable spaces where disagreement does not collapse into spectacle or silence," Graham Bodie writes.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-beyond-civility-the-harder-work-of-disagreement/

Americans who can't afford beef a year into President Donald Trump's second term "have so many proteins to choose from," U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Mississippi Republican, said in response to a question about steep food costs.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/americans-who-cant-afford-beef-have-so-many-proteins-to-choose-from-says-us-sen-cindy-hyde-smith/

Trump says Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is dead, calling it the ‘greatest chance’ for Iranians to take back the country in a Truth Social post Saturday afternoon.

The president also said “heavy and pinpoint bombing” was to continue “uninterrupted” through the week or longer.
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/iranian-supreme-leader-ali-khamenei-is-dead-trump-says-bombings-will-continue/

OPINION: "Elevating Visit Mississippi to a cabinet-level agency ensures tourism is fully integrated into statewide strategy alongside workforce development, site selection, and infrastructure planning," Danielle Morgan writes.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-modernizing-mississippi-tourism-through-better-alignment-not-bigger-government/

“It’s unsettling for people of color here in the state of Mississippi to be waiting for them to push their pencil to draw lines,” said Mississippi House Rep. Kabir Karriem.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/mississippis-black-voters-brace-for-elections-ruling-that-could-gut-supreme-court-clout/

Mississippi public offices, cities and colleges could be forced to assist ICE in enforcing federal immigration laws under a bill passed by the Mississippi House on Feb. 12. The bill also gives the attorney general the authority to investigate and prosecute any entity that does not comply.

https://www.mississippifreepress.org/mississippi-agencies-could-be-forced-to-comply-with-ice-under-bill-passed-by-house/

Civil-rights leader the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson died Tuesday at the age of 84. He was mentored by Martin Luther King Jr. and eventually blazed his own path, advocating for voting rights, education equality and job opportunities for the poor and underprivileged.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

https://buff.ly/GxiKqoG