Mississippi Free Press

Opinion | Strangers Adopt Woodville’s Jewish Memories Austin Reid Albanese shares the history of the Jewish community of Woodville, Mississippi, and the townsfolks’ commitment to preserve it.

OPINION: "Today, as Jewish communities across rural America continue to shrink—or vanish altogether—the story of Woodville reminds us that disappearance is not the same as erasure," Austin Reid Albanese writes.

A Pregnant Texas Teen Died Under Texas’ Fetal Heartbeat Law It took three ER visits before a hospital admitted pregnant teen Nevaeh Crain, one of at least two Texas women to die under the state’s abortion ban.

Texas’s abortion ban threatens prison time for interventions that end a fetal heartbeat. Despite exceptions for life-threatening conditions, confusion and fear about the potential legal repercussions are changing the way their doctors treat pregnant patients with complications.

Rep. Thompson, Other Dems Sue Trump Over Access to ICE Centers U.S. House Rep. Bennie Thompson is among 12 Democrats suing the Trump administration to ensure oversight access at ICE detention centers.

“ICE is holding men, women, and children in overcrowded rooms without beds, showers, or medical care—sometimes for days on end," Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight, which filed the lawsuit with Democracy Forward.

Mississippi Crossing Pipeline Set to Span 10 Counties A planned pipeline project is raising alarms for some in the Mississippi Delta. The Mississippi Crossing Pipeline will span 10 counties.

The Mississippi Crossing Project is a $1.7 billion pipeline that is being constructed by Kinder Morgan, a North American infrastructure company. The goal of the initiative is to connect the new pipeline to the already existing Tennessee Gas Pipeline.

Opinion | Rental Assistance Could Help Combat the Housing Crisis Schwartz and McClure write on how rental-assistance subsidies could make housing more affordable for American families.

OPINION: "Even a massive infusion of new housing would not shrink housing costs enough to solve the crisis, as rents would likely remain out of reach for many households," Schwartz and McClure write about their research.

Trump Contradicts Netanyahu’s Claim of ‘No Starvation’ in Gaza President Donald Trump has expressed concern over the starvation crisis in Gaza, urging Israel to ensure food reaches the people there.

Trump, speaking in Scotland on Monday, said the U.S. and other nations are giving money and food to Gaza but that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “got to sort of like run it.”

“I want him to make sure they get the food,” Trump said. “I want to make sure they get the food.”

Banned Ex-Mississippi Judge Runs for Congress in Georgia After being permanently banned from serving as a judge in Mississippi, Democrat Carlos Moore is running for Congress in Georgia.

“Our country is at a crossroads. We need leaders who understand the stakes and how to defend our democracy and Constitution from Trump and his MAGA allies,” Carlos Moore said as he announced his primary challenge to longtime Democratic incumbent U.S. House Rep. David Scott in Georgia.

American Idol’s Jamal Roberts Drops New Single ‘Mississippi’ American Idol winner Jamal Roberts released his new single, “Mississippi”—a soulful tribute to the Meridian teacher’s home state.

After winning American Idol in May, Jamal Roberts attempted to return to working as a P.E. teacher in Meridian, Mississippi, but soon realized he had to give up the job he loved as a teacher when people began showing up at the school hoping to see him.

Opinion | PBS and NPR Are Independent of Government Propaganda Stephanie Martin argues that public media encourages education and civic enlightenment, ultimately curbing partisanship and political disinformation.

OPINION: "Public media prioritizes education and civic enlightenment. It gives citizens important tools for navigating complex issues to make informed decisions—whether those decisions are about whom to vote for or about public policy itself," Sam Martin writes.

Pearl Street Exit Ramp Lanes Reopen on I-55 in Jackson Both lanes of I-55’s northbound Pearl Street exit ramp in Jackson have reopened after the Mississippi Department of Transportation completed construction.

Construction trucks, bright orange cones and cement barriers no longer block Interstate 55’s northbound 96A exit ramp on Pearl Street in Jackson after the Mississippi Department of Transportation fully reopened the exit on Tuesday.

The Epstein Saga Is Not a Game. It’s About Protecting Women. Donna Ladd reflects on her own story amid the still-unfolding Jeffrey Epstein saga of rape, retribution and the protection of sexual predators.

DEMOCRACY: "What kind of person wants to cover for these monsters who get their kicks from stalking and trapping prey?" Donna Ladd writes.

Israel Pushes Gaza to 'Worst-Case Scenario of Famine': Experts Gaza's population is facing the "worst-case scenario of famine" and "widespread death" will occur without immediate action, experts warn.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said no one is starving in Gaza and that Israel has supplied enough aid throughout the war, “otherwise, there would be no Gazans.”

Israel’s closest ally disagrees. “Those children look very hungry,” President Trump said Monday.

The Mississippi Free Press is looking for new Voices writers. Submit opinion columns to the MFP at voices@mississippifreepress.org.

Lt. Gov. Hosemann Calls for Tax Rebates, Higher Teacher Pay A $316-million state tax rebate should give Mississippi taxpayers more money, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann announced at the Neshoba County Fair.

A $316-million state tax rebate should give Mississippi taxpayers more money, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann announced at the Neshoba County Fair.

Jackson Shuts Off Water to Apartment Complexes for Unpaid Bills Renters are searching for new housing as JXN Water shuts off water at apartment complexes with unpaid water bills.

Tracking down and collecting on delinquent water bills is part of a concerted effort by JXN Water to raise funds to continue operating the city’s long-neglected water and sewer systems.

Unhoused Mississippians Fear ‘Nowhere to Go’ Under New Laws Two state laws targeting the homeless population that went into effect July 1 are raising concerns across Mississippi.

The Fieldhouse for the Homeless in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, offers meals, showers and temporary shelter, but co-founder Cynthia Young says the demand for space has grown in recent months.

Opinion | American Manufacturing Grows Mississippi’s Economy State Treasurer David McRae writes on how American manufacturing could grow Mississippi’s economy and provide jobs for residents.

OPINION: “Restoring American manufacturing will not only restore our wealth; it will restore our pride in ourselves,” President Donald Trump said during his first term. “It will revitalize our independence, and it will rebuild the bonds of kinship between our communities and our citizens.”

Opinion | Strangers Adopt Woodville’s Jewish Memories Austin Reid Albanese shares the history of the Jewish community of Woodville, Mississippi, and the townsfolks’ commitment to preserve it.

OPINION: "B’nai Israel was no more. But this book, this gesture, this act of foresight … reached me across time and tradition, as if someone had lit a candle and left it burning, just in case someone else came along who needed the light," Austin Reid Albanese writes.

A Pregnant Texas Teen Died Under Texas’ Fetal Heartbeat Law It took three ER visits before a hospital admitted pregnant teen Nevaeh Crain, one of at least two Texas women to die under the state’s abortion ban.

On Nevaeh Crain’s third hospital visit, an obstetrician insisted on two ultrasounds to “confirm fetal demise.” By then, her blood pressure had plummeted and a nurse noted that her lips were “blue and dusky.” Her organs began failing. Hours later, she was dead.

Rep. Thompson, Other Dems Sue Trump Over Access to ICE Centers U.S. House Rep. Bennie Thompson is among 12 Democrats suing the Trump administration to ensure oversight access at ICE detention centers.

The recently passed budget bill allocates $45 billion for ICE detention—more than 13 times ICE’s current annual detention budget, the lawsuit said.

Members of Congress must ensure those funds are spent efficiently and legally but have been blocked from oversight, the suit said.

Mississippi Crossing Pipeline Set to Span 10 Counties A planned pipeline project is raising alarms for some in the Mississippi Delta. The Mississippi Crossing Pipeline will span 10 counties.

The Mississippi Crossing Pipeline is set to break ground in Greenville and begin construction in January 2027.

It will span the following counties: Humphreys, Sunflower, Washington, Attala, Holmes, Clarke, Leake, Newton, Lauderdale and Neshoba.

Opinion | Rental Assistance Could Help Combat the Housing Crisis Schwartz and McClure write on how rental-assistance subsidies could make housing more affordable for American families.

OPINION: "Broadening the availability of rental subsidies would have other benefits," Schwartz and McClure write. "It would save federal, state and local governments billions of dollars in homeless services."

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Trump Contradicts Netanyahu’s Claim of ‘No Starvation’ in Gaza President Donald Trump has expressed concern over the starvation crisis in Gaza, urging Israel to ensure food reaches the people there.

President Donald Trump on Monday expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and urged Israel to get people food, seemingly recalibrating his stance on Gaza as images of emaciated children have sparked renewed worries.

Banned Ex-Mississippi Judge Runs for Congress in Georgia After being permanently banned from serving as a judge in Mississippi, Democrat Carlos Moore is running for Congress in Georgia.

Suspended civil rights attorney and former judge Carlos Moore is running to serve Georgia’s 13th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, he announced on Friday, less than a year after the Mississippi Supreme Court permanently banned him from serving on the bench.

The Mississippi Free Press is looking for new Voices writers. Submit opinion columns to the MFP at voices@mississippifreepress.org.

American Idol’s Jamal Roberts Drops New Single ‘Mississippi’ American Idol winner Jamal Roberts released his new single, “Mississippi”—a soulful tribute to the Meridian teacher’s home state.

Jamal Roberts, the Magnolia State’s latest American Idol winner, has released his newest single, “Mississippi”—a soulful tribute to the state that shaped him featuring gospel roots blended with R&B.

Opinion | PBS and NPR Are Independent of Government Propaganda Stephanie Martin argues that public media encourages education and civic enlightenment, ultimately curbing partisanship and political disinformation.

OPINION: "Experts warn that even small cuts will exacerbate an already pernicious problem with political disinformation in the U.S., as citizens lose access to free information that fosters media literacy and encourages trust across demographics," Sam Martin writes.

The Epstein Saga Is Not a Game. It’s About Protecting Women. Donna Ladd reflects on her own story amid the still-unfolding Jeffrey Epstein saga of rape, retribution and the protection of sexual predators.

DEMOCRACY: "I was naive, especially about the systems of power that had long protected business-suit rapists. They weren’t all country-boy high-school football stars," Donna Ladd writes.

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