Mississippi Free Press
@mississippifreepress.org
Women-run nonprofit/nonpartisan newsroom reporting causes, solutions, context since 3/20. Mantra: "Do the right thing and wait."
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We report it and let the chips fall where they must.
Donate today to help us continue our commitment to truth.
Right now, every donation is MATCHED, doubling your impact.
Give TODAY: givebutter.com/mfpdonate
OPINION: "My research shows that self-employment is far more common among artists than among other workers. Yet many go independent not because they crave entrepreneurship but because it’s the only option available," Joanna Woronkowicz writes.
Opinion | Why It’s Becoming Harder to be an Artist in America
Joanna Woronkowicz writes about the economic challenges artists face and what can be done to help them.
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December 7, 2025 at 12:45 AM
OPINION: "My research shows that self-employment is far more common among artists than among other workers. Yet many go independent not because they crave entrepreneurship but because it’s the only option available," Joanna Woronkowicz writes.
Forrest, a young adult rhesus macaque, was among 21 monkeys being transported for biomedical research when the truck they were in overturned Oct. 28 on Interstate 59, just north of Heidelberg.
Monkey Who Escaped Mississippi Highway Crash Has New Permanent Home at New Jersey Refuge
A monkey who spent several days on the lam after escaping a crashed truck in Mississippi now has a permanent home at a New Jersey wildlife refuge.
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December 7, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Forrest, a young adult rhesus macaque, was among 21 monkeys being transported for biomedical research when the truck they were in overturned Oct. 28 on Interstate 59, just north of Heidelberg.
U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith said a recently passed federal law ordering the release of records related to Jeffrey Epstein overrode the usual rules about grand jury secrecy.
Grand Jury Transcripts From Abandoned Epstein Investigation in Florida Can Be Released, Judge Rules
A judge on Friday gave the Justice Department permission to release transcripts of a Florida grand jury investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse.
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December 6, 2025 at 11:15 PM
U.S. District Judge Rodney Smith said a recently passed federal law ordering the release of records related to Jeffrey Epstein overrode the usual rules about grand jury secrecy.
OPINION: "The story of 2025 is about people reminding their leaders who is in charge. From Mississippi to Michigan, from commissions to city halls, Americans insisted that the job of government is to protect rights and deliver results," Duvalier Malone writes.
Opinion | Election Night and the Power of Voter Mobilization
Duvalier Malone writes about how the momentum of the “No Kings” protests showed up at the polls in November’s elections.
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December 6, 2025 at 10:45 PM
OPINION: "The story of 2025 is about people reminding their leaders who is in charge. From Mississippi to Michigan, from commissions to city halls, Americans insisted that the job of government is to protect rights and deliver results," Duvalier Malone writes.
“I like it because it has made me more consistent, it made me more confident, and I have met some amazing people who motivated me to keep going,” student Xiomara Moreno said of Christine Campbell's fitness classes.
Christine Campbell: Greenwood Fitness Instructor Doesn’t D.R.O.P. the Ball
Greenwood, Mississippi, resident Christine Campbell founded D.R.O.P. Fitness in 2023, starting with aerobics but later expanding to host other fitness classes, too.
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December 6, 2025 at 9:45 PM
“I like it because it has made me more consistent, it made me more confident, and I have met some amazing people who motivated me to keep going,” student Xiomara Moreno said of Christine Campbell's fitness classes.
For decades, the government has advised that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection right after birth. The shots are widely considered to be a public health success for preventing thousands of illnesses.
Medical Leaders Decry Kennedy Panel's Pullback on Support for Hepatitis B Shots for Babies
Medical leaders are criticizing a federal vaccine advisory committee pulling support for hepatitis B vaccines for babies on the day they’re born.
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December 6, 2025 at 9:15 PM
For decades, the government has advised that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection right after birth. The shots are widely considered to be a public health success for preventing thousands of illnesses.
Lane Kiffin had said he was under the impression he would be able to coach the University of Mississippi Rebels in the College Football Playoff until he was told otherwise in a meeting early Sunday, according to Yahoo Sports.
Mississippi AD and Others Say Kiffin's Account About His Departure Is Inaccurate
Mississippi athletic director Keith Carter, players and the state's top public safety officer dispute the veracity of Lane Kiffin's veracity about his departure from UM.
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December 6, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Lane Kiffin had said he was under the impression he would be able to coach the University of Mississippi Rebels in the College Football Playoff until he was told otherwise in a meeting early Sunday, according to Yahoo Sports.
Justin Pope won the special runoff election for Mississippi Senate District 24 on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, replacing retiring Sen. David Jordan.
Justin Pope Wins Mississippi Senate District 24 Runoff, Replacing Sen. David Jordan After 33 Years
Justin Pope will be the new state senator for Mississippi Senate District 24, located in Panola, Leflore and Tallahatchie counties.
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December 6, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Justin Pope won the special runoff election for Mississippi Senate District 24 on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, replacing retiring Sen. David Jordan.
Democrats say they are willing to negotiate on the issue. But they argue that two main issues are holding up talks: the lack of input from President Donald Trump, and Republicans’ insistence that abortion funding be part of the discussion.
Chances Dwindling for Renewal of Health Care Subsidies as Republicans Want Abortion Limits
Hope for an extension of health care subsides diminished in Congress this week as Republicans and Democrats largely abandoned the idea of bipartisan talks.
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December 6, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Democrats say they are willing to negotiate on the issue. But they argue that two main issues are holding up talks: the lack of input from President Donald Trump, and Republicans’ insistence that abortion funding be part of the discussion.
Kamesha Mumford, a municipal court judge, won the Mississippi Senate District 26 special runoff election on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, filling the seat vacated by Jackson Mayor John Horhn.
Kamesha Mumford Wins Mississippi Senate District 26 Runoff, Filling Seat John Horhn Vacated
Kamesha Mumford, a municipal court judge, won the Mississippi Senate District 26 special runoff election in Hinds and Madison counties.
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December 6, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Kamesha Mumford, a municipal court judge, won the Mississippi Senate District 26 special runoff election on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, filling the seat vacated by Jackson Mayor John Horhn.
On July 7, Piney Woods School placed Boland on administrative leave after receiving allegations that the new administrator was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a student.
He was found beaten to death in a hotel room just over a week later.
He was found beaten to death in a hotel room just over a week later.
Piney Woods School Official Murdered After Misconduct Allegations Surfaced Involving Student
Before he was found beaten to death in a hotel room, Piney Woods School placed administrator William Boland on leave to probe misconduct allegations.
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December 6, 2025 at 5:00 PM
On July 7, Piney Woods School placed Boland on administrative leave after receiving allegations that the new administrator was engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a student.
He was found beaten to death in a hotel room just over a week later.
He was found beaten to death in a hotel room just over a week later.
Investigators say former coach Sean Gardner created videos showing close-up images of at least 10 minors naked or undressing, which they recovered from his computers last year while investigating reports of sexual abuse.
Gardner has pleaded not guilty and has been jailed pending trial.
Gardner has pleaded not guilty and has been jailed pending trial.
Olympics Sports Watchdog Failed to Stop Mississippi Coach's Sexual Abuse, Women Allege
Two gymnasts who say they were sexually abused at an elite academy in Iowa filed lawsuits Monday against the sport’s oversight bodies.
www.mississippifreepress.org
December 6, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Investigators say former coach Sean Gardner created videos showing close-up images of at least 10 minors naked or undressing, which they recovered from his computers last year while investigating reports of sexual abuse.
Gardner has pleaded not guilty and has been jailed pending trial.
Gardner has pleaded not guilty and has been jailed pending trial.
Stephanie Lee, Jay Lee's mother, broke down during a press conference after the sentencing of Sheldon Herrington Jr., recalling the day her son didn't answer his phone.
“I knew. I knew in my heart,” she said, thanking law enforcement for their work on the case.
“I knew. I knew in my heart,” she said, thanking law enforcement for their work on the case.
Herrington to Serve 40 Years For Killing Gay University of Mississippi Student Jay Lee
Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr. was sentenced to 50 years in prison with 10 years suspended after pleading guilty to killing Jimmie “Jay” Lee.
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December 6, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Stephanie Lee, Jay Lee's mother, broke down during a press conference after the sentencing of Sheldon Herrington Jr., recalling the day her son didn't answer his phone.
“I knew. I knew in my heart,” she said, thanking law enforcement for their work on the case.
“I knew. I knew in my heart,” she said, thanking law enforcement for their work on the case.
One man held in the Hinds County jail system has been in jail for 18 months on drug charges without an indictment and has no attorney to move his case along, according to court records reviewed by The Marshall Project - Jackson.
Dozens Locked in Hinds County’s Jails Without an Indictment—Some for Over a Year
At least 60 people arrested in Hinds County have been jailed in its detention facilities for over three months with no indictment filed against them.
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December 6, 2025 at 4:15 PM
One man held in the Hinds County jail system has been in jail for 18 months on drug charges without an indictment and has no attorney to move his case along, according to court records reviewed by The Marshall Project - Jackson.
Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton said Adm. Frank M. Bradley "was very clear that he was given no such order, to give no quarter or to kill them all" during Thursday's closed-door briefing regarding the Sept. 2 attack on an alleged drug boat.
Admiral Says There Was No 'Kill Them All' Order in Boat Attack, But Video Alarms Lawmakers
Adm.Frank “Mitch” Bradley told lawmakers Thursday that there was no “kill them all” order given during a strike on an alleged drug boat.
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December 6, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton said Adm. Frank M. Bradley "was very clear that he was given no such order, to give no quarter or to kill them all" during Thursday's closed-door briefing regarding the Sept. 2 attack on an alleged drug boat.
Lane Kiffin left his one-loss University of Mississippi team to become the coach at LSU on Sunday, taking over a program that has won national titles under three of its previous four coaches while saying he would have stayed to coach the Rebels in the postseason had he been allowed to.
LSU Lures Lane Kiffin Away From Playoff Contender University of Mississippi
Lane Kiffin left his one-loss University of Mississippi team to become coach at LSU on Sunday, two days after UM’s victory over Mississippi State.
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December 6, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Lane Kiffin left his one-loss University of Mississippi team to become the coach at LSU on Sunday, taking over a program that has won national titles under three of its previous four coaches while saying he would have stayed to coach the Rebels in the postseason had he been allowed to.
"The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
Wicker Directs Inquiry Into Hegseth's Reported 'Kill Them All' Order, Vowing 'Vigorous Oversight' of Boat Strikes
Sen. Roger Wicker is vowing "vigorous oversight" amid reports Hegseth ordered the U.S. military "to kill everybody" in a boat strike.
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December 6, 2025 at 3:02 PM
"The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: "This marks the countdown to my leaving the best media team in the nation—I’ll fight you on that," Kimberly Griffin writes.
Publisher’s Note | ‘A Wild Ride’: The Story of Starting, Growing and Passing the MFP Torch
MFP Publisher Kimberly Griffin announces her planned departure from her role next year and looks back with pride on what she helped build.
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December 6, 2025 at 3:00 PM
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: "This marks the countdown to my leaving the best media team in the nation—I’ll fight you on that," Kimberly Griffin writes.
OPINION: "Trey Reed’s parents deserved more than a headline. They deserved clarity, truth and transparency. And our community deserved honest reporting—not speculation, not rumors, not silence," Erica Powe writes.
Opinion | Trey Reed’s Family Deserved More Than a Headline. Truth, Not Rumors.
Erica Powe writes about Trey Reed’s death, her thoughts as a mother of two sons and why Trey Reed’s family deserved to have his story told properly.
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December 6, 2025 at 2:45 PM
OPINION: "Trey Reed’s parents deserved more than a headline. They deserved clarity, truth and transparency. And our community deserved honest reporting—not speculation, not rumors, not silence," Erica Powe writes.
The stories that change lives don’t appear by accident. They’re built through care, courage, and a newsroom determined to get it right.
But truth can’t sustain itself without you. Your donation is TRIPLED today.
Help keep factual, people-first Mississippi journalism alive: buff.ly/t2DNQKV
But truth can’t sustain itself without you. Your donation is TRIPLED today.
Help keep factual, people-first Mississippi journalism alive: buff.ly/t2DNQKV
December 6, 2025 at 2:18 PM
The stories that change lives don’t appear by accident. They’re built through care, courage, and a newsroom determined to get it right.
But truth can’t sustain itself without you. Your donation is TRIPLED today.
Help keep factual, people-first Mississippi journalism alive: buff.ly/t2DNQKV
But truth can’t sustain itself without you. Your donation is TRIPLED today.
Help keep factual, people-first Mississippi journalism alive: buff.ly/t2DNQKV
In 2019, the City of Brandon had adopted an ordinance requiring protestors to gather in a specific area of the amphitheater during live events, requiring signs to be handheld and restricting demonstrators from using loudspeakers that “are clearly audible more than 100 ft.”
Mississippi Street Preacher Who Called Concertgoers ‘Jezebels’ Asks SCOTUS to Revive Case
Gabriel Olivier, a Mississippi street preacher who was charged for violating a Brandon ordinance, asked the U.S. Supreme Court to revive his lawsuit.
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December 6, 2025 at 2:01 PM
In 2019, the City of Brandon had adopted an ordinance requiring protestors to gather in a specific area of the amphitheater during live events, requiring signs to be handheld and restricting demonstrators from using loudspeakers that “are clearly audible more than 100 ft.”
“Shrimp prices are up thanks to some of that action,” Ryan Bradley said. “The guys are catching some nice shrimp right now, actually, and getting a good price for them.”
Gulf Shrimpers See Long-Awaited Moment on Federal Seafood Labeling Laws
Mississippi commercial fishermen say years of pushing lawmakers for tougher regulations are finally translating into national policy proposals.
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December 6, 2025 at 1:45 PM
“Shrimp prices are up thanks to some of that action,” Ryan Bradley said. “The guys are catching some nice shrimp right now, actually, and getting a good price for them.”
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Give $120+ → snag our 2025 MFP Christmas socks
Give $50 → get a new MFP sticker
Become a VIP → just $5/month or more gets you a sticker + member benefits
buff.ly/FaWfeTa
December 6, 2025 at 2:51 AM
You’re in luck! Even though Giving News Day has passed, the socks and stickers are still available for supporters:
Give $120+ → snag our 2025 MFP Christmas socks
Give $50 → get a new MFP sticker
Become a VIP → just $5/month or more gets you a sticker + member benefits
buff.ly/FaWfeTa
Give $120+ → snag our 2025 MFP Christmas socks
Give $50 → get a new MFP sticker
Become a VIP → just $5/month or more gets you a sticker + member benefits
buff.ly/FaWfeTa
OPINION: "The reality is that for many artists, the dream of sustaining a creative career now comes with steep odds: volatile income, limited benefits and few protections against technological or market shocks," Joanna Woronkowicz writes.
Opinion | Why It’s Becoming Harder to be an Artist in America
Joanna Woronkowicz writes about the economic challenges artists face and what can be done to help them.
buff.ly
December 6, 2025 at 12:45 AM
OPINION: "The reality is that for many artists, the dream of sustaining a creative career now comes with steep odds: volatile income, limited benefits and few protections against technological or market shocks," Joanna Woronkowicz writes.
Torsheta Jackson digs deep into the systems that shape Mississippi communities and schools. Her reporting makes sure families are not forgotten and the truth isn’t overlooked.
Today, your gift goes THREE times as far to support our 501(c)(3) newsroom.
Donate now: buff.ly/t2DNQKV
Today, your gift goes THREE times as far to support our 501(c)(3) newsroom.
Donate now: buff.ly/t2DNQKV
December 6, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Torsheta Jackson digs deep into the systems that shape Mississippi communities and schools. Her reporting makes sure families are not forgotten and the truth isn’t overlooked.
Today, your gift goes THREE times as far to support our 501(c)(3) newsroom.
Donate now: buff.ly/t2DNQKV
Today, your gift goes THREE times as far to support our 501(c)(3) newsroom.
Donate now: buff.ly/t2DNQKV