Mississippi Independent
@msindy.bsky.social
The Mississippi Independent is a nonprofit news outlet, part of an expanding base of organizations designed to fill gaps in local MS coverage brought on by the economic decline of conventional media. Visit the page at https://msindy.org/
Pleased to see national outlets follow our story from earlier this month about Google censoring the accounts of immigrants who say they were abused in ICE detention facilities. Here it is again ICYMI msindy.org/p/google-era...
Google erasing immigrants’ accounts of experiences in ICE facilities
Vanished review of Mississippi ICE facility raises questions about who controls public records of immigrant detention
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Advocates say people released from ICE facilities are often victims of taxi-fare extortion, despite federal standards requiring facilities to provide free rides. We found at least one driver charging $200 to $600 per passenger for rides as short as 10 minutes. msindy.org/p/mississipp...
The taxi driver, the prison lieutenant and an alleged scheme to prey on immigrants at an ICE detention facility in Mississippi
For years, advocates warned that immigrants released from ICE facilities were forced to take exorbitant taxi rides; records now link accused driver to private prison firm in Natchez
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Most Mississippi Delta counties contain cancer clusters linked to high pesticide use, according to 2 new reports, placing one of the nation’s most agriculturally productive regions at the center of a renewed national debate over pesticide safety. msindy.org/p/mississipp... @msindy.bsky.social
As Trump supports pesticide makers, new studies highlight Mississippi Delta cancer concerns
A majority of Mississippi Delta counties contain cancer clusters linked to the high use of controversial herbicides, according to two recently published reports, which place one of the nation’s most a...
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A white Republican lawmaker in Mississippi filed a resolution that would rescind the election of two Black state senators if the Supreme Court guts Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. msindy.org/p/msleg-gop-...
GOP senator moves to eliminate majority-Black districts as Supreme Court ruling nears
A Republican state senator filed a resolution that would rescind the election of two Black state senators if the Supreme Court guts Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
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Mississippi’s capital city could soon face interrupted commercial air travel as a protracted federal funding impasse in Washington, D.C., continues to strain airport security operations across the country.
Jackson airport, Mississippi’s busiest, faces possible shutdown amid DHS funding standoff
Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport could face closure as a prolonged DHS funding impasse strains TSA staffing
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Inmates die frequently in Mississippi's prisons. Their families are often left without real answers, and many never get to say goodbye. An inmate told Angel Readus her brother was bleeding to death. She never saw him again. msindy.org/p/mississipp... @msindy.bsky.social
‘Please, Judge, Help Me’: A letter from jail, then an unexplained death
Monquel Nason begged for dialysis and medical care before becoming one of a growing number of Mississippi prison death cases in which families have been left in the dark
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In the first week of March 2026, as the Mississippi Legislature approached one of its final procedural deadlines, Rep. Becky Currie (R-Brookhaven) stood on the House floor and offered a number she could not fully explain.
Prison deaths: Legislature can’t agree on how — or even whether—to address them
In the first week of March 2026, as the Mississippi Legislature approached one of its final procedural deadlines, Rep.
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“You need to call down to the prison, something is going on with your brother,” read the message, sent through Facebook Messenger from a prisoner. It was a disturbing sentence for Readus to read when her sibling was incarcerated inside a system with a reputation for brutality, neglect and death.
‘Please, Judge, Help Me’: A letter from jail, then an unexplained death
Monquel Nason begged for dialysis and medical care before becoming one of a growing number of Mississippi prison death cases in which families have been left in the dark
msindy.org
This Mississippi book club was supposed to help reduce recidivism. So why did state prison officials quash a podcast inspired by the club? We talked to Hidden Mirrors host and Indy editor Alan Huffman about the controversy.
The prison book club podcast Mississippi tried to kill
Why did MDOC's support for the 'Hidden Mirrors' podcast turn into hostility?
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Mississippi’s senior senator has routinely bucked Donald Trump. Will he see any backlash from the MAGA faithful?
Roger Wicker’s public breaks with Trump, MAGA a delicate balancing act
As chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Mississippi’s senior U.S.
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Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Mississippi’s senior U.S. senator, has bucked Donald Trump on several high-profile issues. Yet, Wicker has largely remained one of Trump’s most dependable allies, avoiding rebuke from the MAGA faithful.
Roger Wicker’s public breaks with Trump, MAGA a delicate balancing act
As chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Mississippi’s senior U.S.
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The fight over teacher pay in Mississippi stretches back decades, woven into the state’s broader struggles over education funding, racial equity and political will. Soon, the Mississippi Senate will take up the latest version of a pay hike for educators. #msleg
Senate to debate $5K teacher pay raise amid flurry of ed bills
A proposed $5,000 across-the-board teacher pay raise is headed for the Senate, marking a significant step in ongoing efforts to boost educator compensation in Mississippi.
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In case you missed it. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Mississippi Independent@msindy.bsky.social · 6mo agoEpstein identified disadvantaged students in Mississippi, some of whom were shuttled to and from Epstein’s Caribbean island to attend the Piney Woods School, a boarding school for African-American students south of Jackson, and at Millsaps College and Mississippi College. msindy.org/p/epstein-an...
Epstein identified disadvantaged students in Mississippi, some of whom were shuttled to and from Epstein’s Caribbean island to attend the Piney Woods School, a boarding school for African-American students south of Jackson, and at Millsaps College and Mississippi College. msindy.org/p/epstein-an...
Epstein and Mississippi: What was his fascination with children in poverty?
Among the intriguing, unexpected revelations in the long-awaited Epstein files are that the notorious child trafficker and pedophile had a deep interest in Mississippi.
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Representatives erupted into whoops and cheers in the Mississippi House chamber as Rules Committee Chairman Rep. Fred Shanks, R-Brandon, announced today that Gov. Tate Reeves had postponed his annual State of the State speech “indefinitely"—minutes before he was expected to speak. buff.ly/GVC6Rzp
Gov. Reeves Abruptly Postpones State of the State Address ‘Indefinitely’
Gov. Tate Reeves has postponed his annual State of the State speech “indefinitely.”
mississippifreepress.org
For immigrant families in Mississippi, the legislative proposals have compounded fears already heightened by the return of Trump administration enforcement policies. msindy.org/p/immigratio...
'Immigration harboring' bills raise question: When does helping become a crime?
State lawmakers have introduced a slate of immigration-enforcement bills this session, including House Bill 1037, which would create state felonies for harboring or transporting undocumented immigrant...
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Mississippi officials, including Gov. Reeves, and Elon Musk don't want you to know about the harms of data centers. If you want to know about the potential detrimental environmental impacts of data firms like Musk's xAI, just visit Boxtown, an historic Black community in South Memphis.
Living beside the Colossus of Boxtown
Residents of historic Black community skeptical of official enthusiasm for massive AI projects
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Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith used to get straight As on free trade. Then along came Trump and his tariff policies. Their unwavering support for these wildly unpopular moves have now earned both of Mississippi's GOP senators a failing (F) grades.
Sens. Wicker, Hyde-Smith earn F grades on free trade as Trump tariffs reshape GOP identity
With tariffs used to force geopolitical concessions, Mississippi economy faces fallout and questions are raised about congressional oversight and changing GOP identity
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As the shutdown drags into week 3, Mississippi faces one of the worst health crises in the nation. ACA and Medicaid cuts will push up premiums by 314% in the nation’s poorest state, leaving 23 rural hospitals on the brink of survival. @msindy.bsky.social msindy.org/p/as-governm...
As government shutdown drags on, Mississippi healthcare crisis deepens
As the federal government enters its third week of shutdown, few states have more at stake than Mississippi.
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'No Kings' protests: Opposition movement grows to encompass Americans of all walks of life msindy.org/p/no-kings-p...
'No Kings' protests: Opposition movement grows to encompass Americans of all walks of life
As the dust settles from Mississippi’s No Kings protests on Saturday, this much is becoming clear: Opposition to the Trump administration’s perceived threat to American democracy is drawing larger and...
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NEW from Cassandra Welchlin: "Let’s be clear: Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is not just a date on the calendar—it’s a glaring receipt, marked by exhaustion, resilience and the deep cost of being chronically underpaid." msindy.org/p/opinion-bl...
Opinion: Black Women’s Equal Pay Day: “The check is long overdue”
Let’s be clear: Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is not just a date on the calendar—it’s a glaring receipt, marked by exhaustion, resilience and the deep cost of being chronically underpaid.
msindy.org
Many thanks to the @msindy.bsky.social for reprinting this article from @thebulwark.com : Teaching the Holocaust just got harder in Mississippi msindy.org/p/teaching-t...
Teaching the Holocaust just got harder in Mississippi
A new state law forbids education increasing ‘awareness’ of issues relating to race. How are educators supposed to teach history?
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I wrote about the No Kings Protest yesterday in Gulfport, MS for @msindy.bsky.social Opinion: On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, a glimpse of an emerging protest movement msindy.org/p/opinion-on...
Opinion: On the Mississippi Gulf Coast, a glimpse of an emerging protest movement
Writer among millions of Americans who turn out for mass marches, many for the first time
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NEW: Why reform that ignores disabled and incarcerated people isn’t reform at all msindy.org/p/opinion-wh...
Opinion: What we miss when we talk about prison reform
Why reform that ignores disabled and incarcerated people isn’t reform at all
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A Mississippi father of four from Denmark remains in immigration custody after being arrested at his final citizenship interview by ICE agents in mid-April. @msindy.bsky.social @alanhuffman.bsky.social msindy.org/p/danish-leg...
Danish legal immigrant in Mississippi for more than a decade detained in ICE facility
Family and friends marshal support after man’s arrest while pursuing U.S. citizenship
msindy.org
Thanks to @charress.bsky.social and @msindy.bsky.social for staying on this story: Elderly Navy veteran says ex-cop knocked her out during Gulf Coast political dispute msindy.org/p/elderly-na...
Elderly Navy veteran says ex-cop knocked her out during Gulf Coast political dispute
A 74-year-old Mississippi woman who was allegedly assaulted by a retired Long Beach police officer during a roadside protest claimed during an emotional phone call with The Mississippi Independent tha...
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Welcome new followers! We are the Mississippi Independent, a nonprofit collective of local journalists aimed at filling in gaps in media coverage in MS. Make sure to subscribe to our site >> msindy.org
THE MISSISSIPPI INDEPENDENT | Substack
We're Mississippi journalists objectively covering issues of interest to a progressive audience. Got a tip? Email Mississippi.Indy@gmail.com. Click to read THE MISSISSIPPI INDEPENDENT, a Substack publ...
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At a time when readers often have difficulty differentiating between truth and internet rumors or disinformation, there is a pressing need for journalists to report objectively and to rely upon documented facts. msindy.org/p/seeding-ne...
Seeding new journalism in Mississippi’s capital city
Jackson high school students report on hometown topics under innovative news program
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Listing as nation's most endangered river cites defunding of federal programs as threat to environment, infrastructure https://msindy.org/p/how-trump-administrations-rash-funding
