Jackson shelters likely short of need as ice storm approaches, homeless advocates say  Jackson's roughly 250 shelter beds, which include temporary beds opened due to an incoming freeze, may not be enough to serve the city's entire unhoused population, advocates say.

Clemson’s Dabo Swinney alleges tampering by Ole Miss’ Pete Golding and calls for reforms Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is accusing Mississippi coach Pete Golding of tampering with transfer player Luke Ferrelli. Swinney said Friday he has forwarded evidence to the NCAA.

Recent attack on a synagogue that was firebombed in 1967 shows ‘history repeats itself’ The 1967 bombing of the Beth Israel Congregation synagogue in Jackson was part of a reign of terror by the Ku Klux Klan. The latest attack on same synagogue, which happened this month, shows that “history…

Secretary of State Watson urges Legislature to strengthen campaign-finance laws, enforcement Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have been reluctant to consider any reform. But Watson, a Republican who helps administer the state’s elections, said recent criminal corruption allegations against…

AMA recap: School choice debate heats up Mississippi Today reporters Devna Bose and Michael Goldberg answered readers' questions about school choice during a Jan. 16 Ask Me Anything.

Mississippi shelters prepare as winter storm threatens icy roads, frigid temperatures and power outages The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has a list of warming shelters on its website. The agency also encourages Mississippians to prepare for the winter weather by preparing an emergency…

JXN Water says it’s ready for winter storm, alerts court it can’t make debt payment Since taking over the system in 2022, JXN Water has winterized O.B. Curtis to withstand cold conditions. The utility said it is also much better equipped to respond to line breaks.

People in addiction recovery tell their story in Capitol to state legislators Mississippi Recovery Day allows those impacted by addiction to share their stories and advocate for policies that support recovery. 

Early learning advocate: Lack of funding for child care means big trouble in the workplace Early learning advocate says child care, which is underfunded, is a critical part of the equation that results in economic success for Mississippi.

Tougaloo College names finalists for president Three finalists for the Tougaloo College presidency are meeting stakeholders this week at a series of forums.

Mississippi considers new strategy to alleviate its child care crisis The Mississippi Department of Human Services is expected to explore a funding model advocates for months have proposed as a solution to the state’s child care crisis, agency director Bob Anderson announced during a Senate Public…

ACLU and Center for Constitutional Rights sue Rankin County DA over public records of ‘Goon Squad’ cases  A lawsuit filed in Rankin County Chancery Court seeks to force the district attorney's office to release public records about cases in which "Goon Squad" deputies were involved.

Senate considering much of House ed proposal, just not school-choice vouchers While Senate leaders appear to remain adamantly opposed the House's main school-choice policy, it appears open to most other parts of an omnibus House education plan.

UMMC raises money to build new $250M cancer center, seeks funding from Legislature The University of Mississippi Medical Center has raised nearly $90 million for the construction of a new cancer center, an important step in Mississippi’s quest to gain a national designation that could improve…

Mississippi bills would put repeat domestic abusers on a public registry A handful of bills pending in the Mississippi Legislature propose creating a public online system displaying information about people convicted of two or more domestic violence offenses.

Mississippi Marketplace: State ponders AI deepfake regulations. Unemployment ticks up The federal government wants to dictate AI regulation, over fear state regulations would hinder the technology’s development.

State public education and charter-school boards ask lawmakers for slight spending increases The Mississippi Department of Education is asking for a $33 million, or 1% increase, to its $3.31-billion budget.

Alcorn State University locked down amid campus safety threat Officials have provided no details about what's happening at the Lorman campus.

Newly surfaced footage from Rankin jail captures guard’s blow that broke inmate’s jaw A video, captured by security cameras inside the Rankin County jail, shows guard Jordan McQueary striking an inmate, Dustin Rives and breaking his jaw.

Ex-wrestler’s welfare fraud trial is set to restart in late February The trial for Ted “Teddy” DiBiase Jr., the only defendant yet to face a jury in the seemingly never-ending Mississippi welfare fraud case, is set to restart Feb. 23.

Mississippi’s health report card highlights room for improvement in infant mortality, obesity Mississippi received low marks for its infant and maternal mortality rates and high marks for declining HIV, syphilis and congenital syphilis rates on its public health report card for 2025.

Former Mississippi superintendents plead guilty to federal embezzlement charges Two former Mississippi superintendents have pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit embezzlement. They face up to five years in prison.

School districts that fail to file annual financial audits risk losing accreditation The Mississippi Board of Education is cracking down on school districts that fail to file annual financial audits.

Public health lawmakers take steps to spend Mississippi opioid settlement money to study ibogaine While some preliminary studies have indicated ibogaine could be helpful for treating these ailments, a review of available evidence says past ibogaine trials related to opioid addiction had “high risk…

Health Department backs fluoride in water treatment as PSC pushes to end practice Last week, the state PSC unanimously passed a resolution advocating for the "removal of sodium fluoride additives in drinking water," a treatment adopted in 1945 to prevent tooth decay.

Mississippians are urged to prepare for possible winter storm and freezing rain this weekend The National Weather Service is forecasting the potential for a massive winter storm that could bring dangerously cold temperatures, snow, sleet and freezing rain to parts of Mississippi.

New Year, New Digs The Clevelands break in a new studio with commentary on the national championship game, Ole Miss’ highest final national ranking in 63 years, Trinidad Chambliss, SEC Basketball, the coming baseball season and reigning NCAA golf champion Michael La Sasso joining the LIV golf tour.

AG Lynn Fitch and Auditor Shad White argue who can sue over welfare scandal money During oral arguments in a case that involves Mississippi’s massive welfare scandal, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre and the two statewide officials, Justices Josiah Coleman and Kenny Griffis…

Defense for ex-wrestler seeks mistrial in welfare fraud case An attorney for the only defendant yet to face a criminal trial in the seemingly never-ending Mississippi welfare fraud case has asked a federal judge for a mistrial after the team’s lead lawyer fell ill last week. 

Synagogue arson suspect pleads not guilty to federal charge, will remain jailed The man accused of setting fire to Mississippi’s largest synagogue because of its “Jewish ties” will remain in jail as he awaits trial, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.  Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, of Madison, pleaded…

Fewer Mississippians enroll in Marketplace health insurance plans, early data shows Experts told Mississippi Today they expect enrollments to fall further, because people may disenroll from coverage when they receive their first bill reflecting a higher monthly premium.

La Sasso, Ole Miss’ NCAA golf champ, turns pro to join Mickelson’s LIV team Michael La Sasso, the reigning NCAA golf individual champion, will forego his senior spring season of golf at Ole Miss to turn professional and join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League.

Indiana tops season’s final AP Top 25 football poll. Ole Miss is 3rd, its highest rank since 1962 Mississippi finished at No. 3 in the final AP Top 25 poll of the college football season, behind Indiana and Miami. This is the highest end-of-season ranking for Ole Miss since 1962.

Gov. Reeves says Mississippi will participate in federal school-choice tax credits The federal tax-credit program, created by President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” allows Mississippians to contribute up to $1,700 to an organization that awards scholarships to private-school students,…

Anna Wolfe gives update on Teddy DiBiase welfare scandal trial Mississippi Today Jackson Editor Anna Wolfe, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her investigative reporting on Mississippi's massive welfare scandal, provides insight on the first – perhaps only – criminal trial from the federal…

State lawmakers push for protections as Supreme Court considers dismantling Voting Rights Act Rep. Bryant Clark, a Democrat from Pickens and son of Robert Clark, said his father would be horrified to know that the U.S. Supreme Court is considering rolling back the protections that he and so many…

How college football explains the Mississippi brain drain Mississippi can glean lessons on how to reverse the state's brain drain from the success of the Ole Miss football team.

Rick Cleveland’s educated guess: Trinidad Chambliss will quarterback Ole Miss in 2026 Rick Cleveland: The educated guess here is that Trinidad Chambliss will be the starting quarterback for Ole Miss when the Rebels open the 2026 season against Louisville at Nashville on either Sept. 5 or 6.

Mississippi program ticketing uninsured motorists dies with Coast judge’s ruling A politically prominent trio of Mississippians formed QJR LLC to run the uninsured motorist program in Mississippi with Jonathan Miller, chairman of Georgia-based Securix LLC.

School choice squeaks by in House. Will a majority of MSGOP lawmakers buck Trump on ed policy? Legislative recap Can White keep his razor-thin vote together for what promises to be an uphill battle for House Bill 2? Senate Republican leaders have declared the House school-choice bill -- at least…

DeSoto County school board members want the power to remove a peer. Some legislators are listening In DeSoto County, the arrest and conviction of a former volunteer assistant girls' basketball coach for sexual assault against a minor has driven deep divides in the community — and with the school…

House will try again to legalize mobile sports betting in Mississippi. Challenges remain This year's proposal would direct state online gambling revenue to the government employees' retirement system, in an effort to win over the Senate.

Marshall Ramsey: The wheels on the bus

Mississippi Supreme Court to hear AG, auditor argue who has right to claw back misspent money Attorney General Lynn Fitch believes she has the exclusive right to file a civil lawsuit on behalf of the state. Auditor Shad White contends state law gives him the authority to file a suit to recoup…

When sending public funds to private schools, Mississippi history can rhyme Efforts by Mississippi legislators to send public funds to private schools go back to at least the 1960s.

Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss sues NCAA to seek extra year of eligibility Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has sued the NCAA in state court for an additional year of eligibility so he can play for the Rebels next season. The suit filed Friday in Lafayette County came a week after the NCAA…

Growing up Jewish in Mississippi: Optimism and hope amid the hate  Former Jacksonian: "Being a part of Beth Israel taught me many things, most importantly that community is an antidote to many of the problems of the world, that Jewish joy is always stronger than hate."

At Jackson prayer service, people of many faiths support Beth Israel after synagogue arson After the recent arson of the Beth Israel synagogue, community support for Jackson's only Jewish congregation was strong at the city's interfaith prayer service.

Former Southern Miss player is among 20 charged in college basketball gambling scheme Federal prosecutors have revealed a sprawling scheme to rig college basketball games while yielding big payouts to gamblers. A former Southern Miss player, Picayune native Mo Arnold who last played for the Golden…

‘Absent’ Republicans, heavy whipping help Speaker Jason White pass school-choice bill A legislative tactic that lawmakers can deploy is what's commonly called "taking a walk," or leaving the chamber and not voting on a bill. Often, this is a way to avoid drawing the wrath of legislative leadership…