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See running total of how much money Mississippi is turning down by not expanding Medicaid
Mississippi would receive an additional $2.04 billion the first year Medicaid was expanded to provide health care coverage for the working poor, according to projections compiled in June by the state’s University Research Center. Based on that projection, Mississippi Today is unveiling a digital tracker that will run continuously...
On this day in 1905
Civil rights leader Myles Horton, whom some called “The Father of the Civil Rights Movement,” was born. Born to a poor family, he saw the value of organizing while working at a sawmill and similar jobs. As a teenager, he became involved in a strike for higher wages while working at a tomato factory.
Southern Miss to deploy students in 10-county region to confront ‘intense news desert’
Editor’s note: This article was written by Dominic Minadeo of the Center for Community News and is republished below with permission. Click here to read the story on the Center for Community News website. Starting next fall, The University of Southern Mississippi will roll out an expansive community journalism...
Mississippi hospitals see rising occupancy rates over last four years
Mississippi hospitals are fuller than they were four years ago, according to data collected by the federal government between March 2020 and April 2024. Hospitals with over 250 licensed beds saw a 7.6% increase in average annual occupancy rates, or the percentage of staffed beds filled with patients, from 73.1% in 2020 to 80.7% in 2024.
Interest on unprecedented amounts of federal cash keeps state budget afloat
Over the last 12 months, the state collected $7.7 billion in revenue, about $18.4 million or 0.24% more than was collected the previous fiscal year. If not for collecting $68.7 million or 84.4% more in interest earnings than the previous fiscal year, the state would have been in the rare situation of collecting less revenue than the previous year for only the sixth time since 1970.
On this day in 1876
The Hamburg Massacre took place in South Carolina after Black members of a militia marched on the Fourth of July. Two white farmers, temporarily obstructed from traveling through town, brought a formal complaint, demanding the disbandment of the militia. When the trial began, hundreds of armed white men known as “Red Shirts” descended on the small Black community, and militia members retreated to a warehouse they used as their armory. The attackers fired a cannon at the armory, eventually killing seven Black men: Allen Attaway, Jim Cook, Albert Nyniart, Nelder Parker, Moses Parks, David Phillips and Hampton Stephens. Also killed was Thomas McKie Meriwether, the white victim.
Podcast: State Sen. Hob Bryan says roads, drinking water more important than tax cuts
State Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, covers a wide array of issues facing the state during an interview with Mississippi Today’s Bobby Harrison and Geoff Pender. Bryan argues Mississippi’s ability to deal with major issues will be stymied if the personal income tax is eliminated as some politicians advocate.
Federal court hearing on Mississippi absentee ballots pits Republicans against Republicans
A federal judge will hear arguments Tuesday on a lawsuit brought by the state and national Republican parties and the state Libertarian Party that seeks to bar Mississippi election workers from counting mail-in absentee ballots after the date of an election. U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, a senior-status judge, set...
On this day in 1961
Future U.S. Rep. John Lewis was released after 40 days from Mississippi’s most notorious prison, the State Penitentiary at Parchman. Jackson police arrested him and other Freedom Riders who entered a “whites-only” area of the bus station and refused to move on. After Lewis, a son of...
Mississippi Republicans love at least one project Trump now calls a ‘green new scam’
Some of Mississippi’s top Republicans, namely Gov. Tate Reeves and U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, traveled last week to Marshall County in north Mississippi, a stone’s throw from the state line with Tennessee, to celebrate the groundbreaking for a new electric vehicle battery plant. “Today we broke ground on...
As heat rises, inmates and staff swelter in Mississippi’s prisons
As of Friday, five of the six locations where Mississippi’s prisons are located are under a National Weather Service heat advisory. And the Mississippi Department of Corrections has no clear timeline as to when it will install air conditioning to bring relief to inmates and staff. “We are continuing...
Salaries for two public university presidents creep toward $1 million a year
Two public university presidents in Mississippi now make almost $1 million a year each while pay for faculty and staff at the state’s eight universities remains stagnant. The hefty salaries are largely, but not entirely, due to the private foundations for the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University supplementing the state salaries for Glenn Boyce and Mark Keenum, respectively.
On this day in 1963
Clyde Kennard — railroaded in 1960 because he dared to try to enroll at an all-white college in Mississippi — died of cancer just months after being freed from prison. He died on the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, which promised “all men are created equal.”
Hosemann: Study confirms PERS ’13th check’ for Mississippi retirees protected
An analysis paid for by the Legislature reaffirms the position that the yearly cost of living adjustment — often referred to as the 13th check — that retirees in the state pension system receive cannot be reduced or taken away, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said. Hosemann’s office refused...
Mississippi judge blocks Biden attempt to ensure LGBTQ+ medical treatment
A federal judge in Mississippi has blocked enactment of a Biden administration rule designed to prevent medical care from being denied to those seeking treatment related to gender identity or sexual orientation. The lawsuit U.S. Southern District Judge Louis Guirola Jr. ruled on Wednesday was filed by 15 states, including...
State GOP plans to endorse judicial candidates, while Democratic Party does not
The leaders of the Mississippi’s two major political parties recently offered two opposing plans for how much they plan to interact with candidates competing for one the state’s three contested races for the state Court of Appeals and the state Supreme Court. Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Mike Hurst...
Photo Gallery: Environmental coverage across Mississippi
As photojournalists, we travel across the state, capturing moments that resonate beyond pixels and frames. From the Delta to the Gulf Coast, we bear witness to the environmental issues shaping the lives of Mississippians firsthand. These images document the impact of climate change, pollution, and natural disasters on local communities. Traveling to the heart of these stories is integral to Mississippi Today’s commitment to honest and impactful reporting, ensuring that the voices and experiences of those affected are vividly portrayed.
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