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The Supreme Court's recent majority opinion on a Voting Rights Act case described racism as a problem of the past. Others saw the decision as another example of its resurgence—“a defibrillator to the heart of Jim Crow," as one Louisiana politician put it.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The editorial team at the Mississippi Free Press discovered we published a column written by a fake author using artificial intelligence.
Here’s what happened and what we're doing to prevent this from happening in the future.
Alex Bostic said that his parents letting him make his own decisions was the best thing they could have done to help him become successful.
“When they got out of my way, I was free to make my own mistakes,” he said.
OPINION: "The past three years have been the world’s hottest on record by far, with 2025 almost tied with 2023 for second place. With that energy came extreme weather, from flash flooding to powerful hurricanes and severe droughts," Michael Wysession writes.
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-2025-was-hotter-than-it-should-have-been/
The Supreme Court's recent majority opinion on a Voting Rights Act case described racism as a problem of the past. Others saw the decision as another example of its resurgence—“a defibrillator to the heart of Jim Crow," as one Louisiana politician put it.
“These turbines don't have the proper pollution controls," said Southern Environmental Law Center attorney Ben Grillot, whose organization is representing the NAACP in its lawsuit against xAI. "They're causing harm, and they need to stop now.”
As Mississippi prepares to enforce a new voter citizenship law in the SHIELD Act, two state senators on opposite sides of the debate are discussing whether birth certificates can be made easier to access for people who may need them to stay registered.
Bethel Free Health Clinic, one of the few places for the uninsured to get care at no cost, faces a rent increase tied to federal funding cuts that is forcing the nonprofit to raise new money so that it can keep seeing patients.
For 6-year-old Ava Maie’s family in Kiln, Mississippi, barriers to treatment are already part of daily life.
Ava Maie was diagnosed in mid-April with retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer that begins in the retina and most often affects young children.
In a state like Mississippi, which has no universal early-voting options and only limited absentee-voting options that most can’t take advantage of, knowing where to go on Election Day matters.
Even small hurdles can add up and deter turnout. Mississippi’s 2024 turnout was just 57.5%.
OPINION: "Most studies using this data focus on whether populations are increasing or decreasing. In our study, we asked a different question: Are those trends themselves speeding up or slowing down?" François Leroy writes.
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-bird-losses-are-accelerating-across-north-america/
The Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana relied too heavily on race when creating a second Black-majority House district as it attempted to comply with federal law. The high court’s decision gives Republicans grounds to try and eliminate majority-Black districts that have elected Democrats.
“It was one of the most scariest moments of my life. Me and my daughter were praying,” Dmell Burnes said while standing on what was left from his trailer. “We’re just grateful to be alive.”
Two Black women stroll past a long line of Mississippi National Guardsmen who were called out to ring the State Capitol just prior to the arrival of the civil rights marchers in June 1966.
See more of Jack Thornell's photos that captured Mississippi history:
“I don’t like to talk down to kids,” author Shelley Powers said. “I do think they’re pretty entertaining, and they’re fun to write for, and it’s a challenge to see what’s going to make them excited about reading.”
On April 28, Mississippi officials launched the long-awaited Local Government Disaster Recovery Emergency Loan Program, offering temporary assistance in the form of a $125 million loan pool to municipalities struggling with weather-related expenses.
OPINION: "In a new study published in the journal Science, my colleagues and I found that bird populations are responding in the same way: Their declines are speeding up, particularly in regions dominated by intensive agriculture," François Leroy writes.
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-bird-losses-are-accelerating-across-north-america/
“Nana, they have the boys," Gail Baptiste's granddaughter yelled, after ICE agents surrounded and took brothers Max and Israel Makoka away just as they were set to board their school bus in Diamondhead, Mississippi.
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/max-and-israel-makoka-were-waiting-for-a-hancock-high-school-bus-ice-took-the-brothers-instead/
OPINION: "Muslim and Arab students with deep emotional and cultural ties to the Middle East could still experience trauma, even if they are not physically close to the war," Amaara DeCuir writes.
OPINION: "Taking all factors together, humans are now warming the planet at a faster rate than at any point in human history: at about 0.5 F (0.27 C) per decade," Michael Wysession writes.
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/opinion-2025-was-hotter-than-it-should-have-been/
OPINION: "With its potential benefits and risks, K-12 schools are actively trying to adapt teaching and learning.
But as schools seek to navigate into the age of generative AI, there’s a challenge: Schools are operating in a policy vacuum," Janice Mak writes.
Former Diamondhead Police Chief A.J. Gambino said he is looking forward to seeing the department operate on its own. Gambino, who still lives in Diamondhead, said he believes a city-run department can better serve the community.
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/diamondhead-nears-launch-of-city-police-force/
Multiple defendants who have pleaded guilty in the Mississippi welfare scandal await sentencing, including John Davis, retired pro-wrestler Brett DiBiase, Nancy New, Zach New, Jake Vanlandingham and nonprofit operator Christi Webb.
A federal appeals court had previously imposed new restrictions on mifepristone last week, preventing it from being accessed without an in-person visit to a doctor.
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/supreme-court-restores-access-to-abortion-pill-mifepristone/
Medical-cannabis advocates tout Mississippi House Rep. Lee Yancey as an ally they can count on.
They hope Yancey carries his momentum to the state Senate, as Yancey has announced his intention to run and succeed the retiring Dean Kirby, R-Pearl, in 2027.
National Weather Service meteorologist Daniel Lamb said at least three tornadoes caused significant damage. Investigators plan to survey other areas to determine if more touched down.
Jackson, Mississippi, City Administrator Pieter Teeuwissen acknowledged concerns about the area surrounding the Jackson Zoo and Livingston Park, but said the city has been at work upgrading sidewalks and removing dilapidated structures to make the area more visually appealing.
