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Reposted by Mississippi Free Press

Ashton Pittman @ashtonpittman.bsky.social · 9h

ICE left David, a 17-year-old boy, stranded on the side of Interstate 20 after pulling over his immigrant father, Hector, in Mississippi.

David began running in the scorching sun after the car and watched as it disappeared from sight—soon headed to a Louisiana ICE prison.

Here's their story.

ICE Stranded a 17-Year-Old on I-20 After Arresting His Father. The Mississippi Dad Now Faces Deportation.

A 17-year-old watched as ICE arrested his immigrant father, Hector, on I-20 in June. The family faces mounting legal fees and the risk of deportation.

www.mississippifreepress.org

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 9h

OPINION: "Lawmakers must pass common-sense reforms now: universal background checks, safe storage laws, minimum age restrictions, and bans on military-style weapons in schools," Duvalier Malone writes.

Opinion | As Kids Die at School, We Need an Emmett Till Moment

Dr. Duvalier Malone writes about the normalization of school shootings and how immediate action must be taken to stop them.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 10h

MFP Weekly Roundup: October 6-October 10, 2025
🗣 Catch up on all the latest stories from the Mississippi Free Press.
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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 11h

Since 2016, when Drax opened its manufacturing plant in Gloster, the facility has repeatedly violated its operating permits and paid multiple fines over excess emissions.

That includes a $2.5 million fine in 2021 that represents one of the largest Clean Air Act penalties in Mississippi history.

Gloster Biomass Plant Continues Push to Increase Emissions

Mississippi regulators are revisiting an earlier decision to deny new permits for Drax’s Gloster, Mississippi, facility at an Oct. 14 public meeting.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 11h

The White House budget office said Friday that mass firings of federal workers have started in an attempt to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continues.
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White House Fires Federal Workers to Pressure Dems on Shutdown

The White House budget office said Friday that mass firings of federal workers have begun as the government shutdown continues.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 11h

A 17-year-old watched as ICE arrested his immigrant father, Hector, on I-20 in June.

With Hector now out on bond, the family faces mounting legal fees and the fear of deportation.

"He's my role model," his son says. "My biggest supporter. I rely on him a lot."
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ICE Stranded a 17-Year-Old on I-20 After Arresting His Father. The Mississippi Dad Now Faces Deportation.

A 17-year-old watched as ICE arrested his immigrant father, Hector, on I-20 in June. The family faces mounting legal fees and the risk of deportation.

www.mississippifreepress.org

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 11h

The Mississippi Free Press is hosting a solutions circle in Greenwood on Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, email [email protected] or visit buff.ly/25rfrIC.

Text reads: "The Mississippi Free Press is hosting a solutions circle in Greenwood on Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, email solutions@mississippifreepress.org or visit http://mfp.ms/circlesreg."

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 11h

OPINION: "In short, while shutdowns that end quickly tend to inflict modest, mostly recoverable losses, a protracted shutdown—especially one involving layoffs of a significant number of government workers—could inflict larger, lasting impacts on the economy," John W. Diamond writes.

Opinion | Prolonged Shutdown Could Send Economy Tumbling

John W. Diamond writes that the U.S. economy may worsen the longer the government shutdown lasts.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 12h

“Everywhere I go, I see a kid that I coached,” Bird Martin said. “When they say holler and they come and give you a hug, you know you meant something (to them).”

Walthall County Softball Coach Supports Disaster Recovery

Byran “Bird” Martin, known around Walthall County as a successful softball coach, oversaw recovery efforts after tornadoes walloped the area in March.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 13h

The Mississippi State Department of Health says it is unable to accept online WIC applications during the government shutdown.

Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and high-risk infants can call 1-800-338-6747 to schedule an in-person appointment.

WIC Stops Accepting Some Applicants Amid Government Shutdown

The WIC program will only accept applications from pregnant women, breastfeeding women and high-risk infants during the federal government shutdown.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 14h

Dr. Flonzie Brown Wright became the first Black woman elected to public office in Mississippi since Reconstruction in 1968.

She said she decided to run after a white registrar refused to approve her application to vote in Jim Crow Mississippi, saying, “N—er, get out of my office.”

Emmett Till Center to Honor His Legacy With Events Across State

The Emmett Till Interpretative Center will continue its “Remembering Emmett” series with events across Mississippi in October and November.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 15h

Woman-led. Mississippi-rooted. Our founders built this newsroom on truth, equity and community. Invest in their vision: givebutter.com/mfpdonate

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 15h

Darlene Bush said her daughter struggled to recognize her own name in prekindergarten.

By the end of first grade, she was falling behind, and Bush turned to The 3D School in Petal—one of Mississippi's approved special-purpose schools for students with the learning disability.

Dyslexia Scholarship Helps Mississippi Families Access Therapy

Five schools across Madison, Ridgeland, Petal, Hattiesburg and Ocean Springs are approved to accept students using Mississippi’s Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship. But large areas of Mississippi,…

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 16h

EDITOR'S NOTE: "As women, we are expected to nurture families, build communities, and hold movements together," MFP Systemic and Education Editor Torsheta Jackson writes.
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Editor’s Note | What Bees Can Teach Us About Community

Torsheta Jackson writes about how bees are wired for community and about her own role in her own “hive.”

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 16h

After nearly three years of federal oversight, the Jackson City Council said it is time to place management of the city’s water and sewer systems back under local control in a resolution passed on Tuesday.

Jackson City Council Wants Water Back Under Local Control

The Jackson City Council is calling on the federal government to return the city’s water system to local control three years after the water crisis.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 17h

Among the Medicaid cuts Democrats are seeking to reverse is a reduction to reimbursements hospitals receive when they perform emergency care they are legally mandated to provide on people who would qualify for Medicaid if not for their immigration status.

Fact Check: No, the Shutdown Isn't About Immigrant Health Care

President Donald Trump and other Republicans claim Democrats forced the government shutdown over giving free health care to immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 18h

Details ICE contractors collect could include people's social media posts and the locations tagged in them, according to the plans. The contractor could also be asked to find information about targeted people's "associates," including family members and coworkers, to determine their whereabouts.

ICE Plans to Boost Social Media Surveillance Using Contractors

ICE plans to use a hub in Vermont to bolster its digital surveillance capabilities as the agency ramps up operations across the country.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 19h

“The church is very important to organizing and activism because we have the connection between God and the people. If we do what we are supposed to do, God will hear us and change things,” Dr. Leroy Williams, Jr. said.

Greenwood Dinner Urges Local Action, Honors Civil Rights Roots

Jackson Mayor John Horhn emphasized local activism at the 23rd Annual Beans and Greens Dinner in Greenwood, Mississippi, on Oct. 2, 2025.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 20h

“Bird paintings are popular because there’s a spiritual connection," Clinton artist Paul Robertson said. "They connect birds, their flights from the heavens and God. I am inspired to put verses and paintings of birds together, and I hope they inspire others."

North Mississippi Hummingbird Festival Touts ‘Magical Creatures’

Wildlife experts taught attendees of the inaugural North Mississippi Hummingbird Festival on Sept. 13 about birds, butterflies and other pollinators.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 1d

OPINION: "Today I ask: Should grieving parents show the world the aftermath of bullets—children's bodies, chaos in classrooms, blood on floors? Because words are not enough," Duvalier Malone writes.

Opinion | As Kids Die at School, We Need an Emmett Till Moment

Dr. Duvalier Malone writes about the normalization of school shootings and how immediate action must be taken to stop them.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 1d

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who once bested Donald Trump in court, was charged Thursday as part of a mortgage fraud investigation that the president urged Justice Department officials to pursue.

She's the latest foe of the president to be prosecuted.
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New York AG Who Beat Trump in Court Indicted at His Urging

New York Attorney General Letitia James was charged as part of a mortgage fraud investigation pushed by the Trump administration.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 1d

The United States is sending about 200 troops to Israel to monitor the ceasefire deal in Gaza and establish a “civil-military coordination center,” U.S. officials say.
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US Sending 200 Troops to Israel Amid Ceasefire Deal in Gaza

The United States is sending about 200 troops to Israel to monitor the Gaza ceasefire and establish a “civil-military coordination center.”

www.mississippifreepress.org

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 1d

OPINION: "The full impact may depend to a large extent on the psychology of the average consumer.

"Recent data suggests that consumer confidence is falling as the stagnation in the labor market becomes more clear," John W. Diamond writes.

Opinion | Prolonged Shutdown Could Send Economy Tumbling

John W. Diamond writes that the U.S. economy may worsen the longer the government shutdown lasts.

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 1d

The Emmett Till Interpretative Center will continue its “Remembering Emmett” series with events across Mississippi in October and November, including at Tougaloo College, in Gulfport and in Mound Bayou.
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Emmett Till Center to Honor His Legacy With Events Across State

The Emmett Till Interpretative Center will continue its “Remembering Emmett” series with events across Mississippi in October and November.

www.mississippifreepress.org

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Mississippi Free Press @mississippifreepress.org · 1d

The Mississippi Free Press is hosting a solutions circle in Greenwood on Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, email [email protected] or visit buff.ly/25rfrIC.

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