Every great team needs a solid center. For us, that’s people. Join the team: buff.ly/YHI8KlQ

“A lot of times, you know, babies don’t cough; they just stop breathing,” warned Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney as he discussed Mississippi's first infant death from whooping cough in 13 years.

OPINION: "Although state leaders often emphasize financial achievements, a deeper concern persists as Mississippi continues to lose many of its most highly educated residents, placing the long-term stability and competitiveness of the state’s economy in serious jeopardy," Letitia Johnson writes.

Seventeen-year-old Christopher Pena has spent his life battling Barth syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that weakens the body.

Marcus Boyd's family thought he had behavior problems, and his father was frustrated that his son couldn’t throw a football or dribble a basketball like other boys. "He didn't understand what autism was," Boyd said. "He just knew his son was nonverbal."

Civil-rights attorney Cliff Johnson is running as a Democrat for Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District, hoping to oust incumbent Republican U.S. House Rep. Treny Kelly in Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District. Johnson vows to stand up for vulnerable Mississippians. buff.ly/nl3QXnf

At issue are tax credits that have made health insurance more affordable for millions of people. Their expiration would more than double what subsidized enrollees currently pay for premiums next year, according to an analysis by KFF, a nonprofit that researches health care issues.

OPINION: "History is never just about the past. It is about what we choose to emphasize, how we remember, and whose voices we honor. In Metro Jackson, that choice remains unfinished," Selika Sweet writes.

OPINION: "I oversaw many of the student exchange programs involving multiple countries around the globe. I foresee a major economic crisis over international students that could last for years," Tara Sonenshine writes.

Mississippi pediatrician Dr. Anita Henderson pointed out that most people with autism inherited it from relatives—a claim that, unlike Trump's and Kennedy's, is backed up by medical science.

Mississippi lawmakers allowed Amazon to bypass regulatory approval for energy infrastructure to serve two data centers it is spending $10 billion to build. It's part of a trend in states rushing to capitalize on the AI-driven data center boom.

Journalism should focus on the people most affected, not those in power. Keep the spotlight where it belongs: givebutter.com/mfpdonate

Journalism should focus on the people most affected, not those in power. Keep the spotlight where it belongs: givebutter.com/mfpdonate

The federal government's shutdown centers around Democrats insisting that any deal must include action to avoid skyrocketing health insurance costs. Republicans say those negotiations can wait until the government is funded. buff.ly/tdQLFty

The Shire of Iron Ox branch of the SCA, which covers the greater Jackson metro as far out as Meridian and Vicksburg, has existed since the mid-1970s. The branch takes its name from the abundant red yazoo clay in the area, the color of which is due to the presence of iron oxide in the clay.

Health officials say community water flouridation has driven down cavity rates nationwide since it was first introduced in 1945. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls it one of the nation’s major public health achievements, noting it helps prevent cavities by at least 25%.

Though Mississippi’s vaccination rates are high among infants and school-age children, “our concern is that adult Mississippians are not maintaining the pertussis immunity, which puts our babies at risk,” says State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney.

OPINION: "I am a trauma psychiatrist and researcher, and I know that the direct and indirect effects of such violence reach millions. While those in the immediate surroundings are most affected, the rest of society suffers, too," Arash Javanbakht writes. buff.ly/3H4EB1d

Three years after Jaylen Lewis’ death, his mother, Arkela Lewis, has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that Capitol Police officers used excessive force when they shot her son during a September 2022 traffic stop, killing him. buff.ly/sj6mJ7y

OPINION: " Even today, people are often taken aback when these topics arise. That may be because, while they were sometimes mentioned, they were not emphasized, leaving generations without a complete understanding," Selika Sweet writes.

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Using acetaminophen medication like Tylenol during pregnancy does not cause autism despite “dangerous disinformation” that the White House is spreading on the topic, says Dr. Anita Henderson.

“While Mississippi has made historic progress over the past decade, the areas of declining achievement demand our immediate attention,” State Superintendent of Education Dr. Lance Evans said in a press release on Sept 25.

OPINION: "[The] sharp drop in international students could cost the U.S. economy $7 billion in the 2025-26 school year, according to estimates from NAFSA," Tara Sonenshine writes.

Watchdogs have warned that in the rush to capitalize on the AI-driven data center boom, some states are allowing massive tech companies to direct expensive infrastructure projects with limited oversight.

OPINION: "We have a responsibility to acknowledge and analyze these systemic issues that continue to challenge the Mississippi Delta," Assistant Editor Kevin Edwards writes. "But there are also stories of triumph, persistence and success to be found."

Before starting Forzinity last fall, Christopher said his days were shaped by exhaustion and the constant threat of heart failure, seizures and strokes—hallmarks of Barth syndrome.  “It was a dream to have a medicine that would help me,” he said.

Jackson Chief of Police Joseph Wade announced his retirement from the force during the Jackson City Council’s Aug. 26 meeting.

OPINION: "This tension between oral tradition and written record is what makes Livingston significant. Oral histories preserve resilience and pride across generations, while official records often minimize or erase such stories. Both versions matter," Selika Sweet writes.

A lot of government would continue during a shutdown. FBI investigators, CIA officers, air traffic controllers and agents operating airport checkpoints would keep working. So would members of the Armed Forces. But they wouldn't get paid until a lapse in federal funding ended. buff.ly/wgxeznD

“We do know that rates of autism seem to have gone up, but we are also better at detecting and diagnosing it," says Dr. Anita Henderson, a Hattiesburg pediatrician.

The Shire of Iron Ox is an organization spanning the Greater Jackson area that teaches medieval combat techniques and holds mock battles. Richard Goodwin of Flowood, Miss., is the de facto club president under the title seneschal. buff.ly/pJGl8My

Mississippi public schools experienced a slight decline in academic performance across the state during the last school year after years of positive trends, state test score data show.

“As a parent who's had a child born into a world that (was) told, ‘There's nothing we can do to help them,’—that's a hard, bitter pill to swallow,” said Kristi Pena.

OPINION: "The Mississippi Free Press team understands the importance of journalism focused on Mississippi by Mississippians," Assistant Editor Kevin Edwards writes. www.mississippifreepress.org/editors-note...

OPINION: "In recent decades, multiple Black men in Mississippi have been found hanging from trees, often ruled suicides, but their families remain unconvinced," Duvalier Malone writes.

The North Lamar Water Association in Lamar County, Mississippi, is considering ending community water fluoridation, citing costs, equipment problems and operator safety. The system has not met recommended federal fluoride standards since 2020.

A baby in Mississippi has died of whooping cough for the first time since 2012. The infant was less than two months old and was not old enough to receive the pertussis vaccine. buff.ly/8epl2QS

OPINION: "An estimated 30% to 40% fewer international students are expected on American college campuses in the fall of 2025, compared with trends in the 2024-2025 academic year," Tara Sonenshine writes.

In a rural corner of Louisiana, Meta is building one of the world's largest data centers, a $10 billion behemoth as big as 70 football fields that will consume more power in a day than the entire city of New Orleans at the peak of summer.

“If we get someone from the outside, they’re not going to know Jackson. They’re not going to be able to relate to our citizens in Jackson,” Lucy Crawford said.

OPINION: "Livingston now features restaurants, festivals, and a farmers’ market that draw visitors from across the region. Yet beneath today’s charm lies a deeper story—one that reveals how the Metro Jackson area remembers, or fails to remember, its past," Selika Sweet writes. buff.ly/vmw0Zct

“You can lay all the resources out there but as long as the stigma is there, the resistance (to getting help) is going to be there,” said Army veteran and suicide prevention advocate Danny Blanton.

OPINION: America has never been richer. But the gains are so lopsided that the top 10% controls 69% of all wealth in the country, while the bottom half controls just 3%, writes Nathan Meyers.

OPINION: "I’ve been with the Mississippi Free Press for less than a month, but one of the things that excites me is the team’s ambition to cover all corners of Mississippi, including the Delta," Assistant Editor Kevin Edwards writes.

OPINION: "I oversaw many of the student exchange programs involving multiple countries around the globe. I foresee a major economic crisis over international students that could last for years," Tara Sonenshine writes. buff.ly/d9RdPNZ

Meta is constructing its largest data center yet: a $10 billion facility in Louisiana, as big as 70 football fields, requiring more than twice as much electricity as the City of New Orleans. Louisiana has had to greenlight $3 billion in new energy infrastructure to service Meta's facility.

The City of Jackson has launched a nationwide search for a new police chief, but some residents are worried about the prospect of hiring an outsider with no community ties to Mississippi’s capital city. buff.ly/2ERqre8

OPINION: "If these deaths are suicides, we must confront the mental-health crisis crushing our young Black men. If they are not, then justice must be swift and undeniable. Either way, silence is not an option," Duvalier Malone writes."

Four school districts earned an F rating, while 11 earned a D rating. The Mississippi State Board of Education set a goal in 2016 that all schools and districts earn a rating of C or higher.