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Experts tracking how states are spending billions of federal dollars to improve rural healthcare told a panel of lawmakers on Thursday what many of them already knew: Mississippi is uniquely opaque about how it will spend this money. 

Jamila McLean, the director of health equity for the State Health and Value Strategies consortium, told legislators at a joint meeting of House and Senate Public Health committees that nearly every other state in the nation has held public meetings to gather input on how to spend this money.

“I do think that Mississippi is an outlier in terms of the availability of the information,” McLean said. 

Some state lawmakers have expressed frustration at the limited role they have played in the application and appropriation of the money and criticized what they see as Gov. Tate Reeves’ lack of transparency in administering the program. 

Rep. Donnie Scoggins, a Republican from Ellisville, homed in on that comment and asked McLean to repeat herself to make sure he understood her.

“To put it bluntly, yes, we have not seen any public information,” McLean said. “All of our tracking is based off of what we are able to find publicly. And there is very little that we are able to find.”

“I appreciate very much you saying that because out of all the 50 states, we probably need the money the most, and it appears we’re the least transparent in using that money,” Scoggins responded. 

Mississippi ranks near the bottom of most health outcome reports and the state’s rural hospitals have for years struggled to remain solvent. 

Thursday’s hearing stems from the federal government awarding Mississippi nearly $206 million in December as part of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program. States will receive payments over five years as part of a national, $50-billion program. 

Congress created the last-minute fund as a part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed last July, to sweeten the deal for Republican lawmakers concerned about the disproportionate impact that rural hospitals are expected to face as a result of the legislation. 

Reeves’ office led the state’s application for the federal money last fall and is overseeing distribution of it. Mississippi’s plan includes a statewide rural health assessment and other initiatives that focus on coordinating care, strengthening the workforce, creating a statewide health information exchange, expanding telehealth opportunities and improving infrastructure.

Mississippi and New Hampshire are the only two states where the governor’s office directly oversees the distribution of the money. McLean told lawmakers, though, that New Hampshire is being more transparent in how it’s using the funds. 

McLean said Mississippi did solicit input from the public via an online survey. Examples of how other states have solicited more public input include having in-person health summits, establishing advisory councils and conducting workshops to advise groups on how to apply for the federal money. 

Reeves announced April 29 that Richard Grimes, a certified public accountant, will serve as project director for the Mississippi Rural Health Transformation Office.

Grimes did not attend Thursday’s hearing, but House Public Health Chairman Sam Creekmore said lawmakers have arranged for Grimes to testify at a June 4 hearing. 

“This is for rural health, and it is to be transformational,” Creekmore said. I think the Legislature has shown that we are serious about transparency, holding people accountable and making sure that these funds are making a difference in our rural communities, which is most of our state.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved Mississippi’s program budget on April 20. 

“What’s going on in Mississippi is not what other states are doing,” Senate Public Health Chairman Hob Bryan said Thursday. “It’s not typical, and what’s going on in Mississippi is not based on some requirement from CMS. It’s an intentional decision to proceed this way in Mississippi.” 

Lawmakers passed oversight and transparency legislation in March requiring the program’s funding to be directed toward rural communities and spending to be reported to the Legislature. Reeves vetoed the bill, arguing it could jeopardize the state’s access to the money by slowing down its distribution and potentially result in a loss of up to $1 billion over five years. Lawmakers failed to override his veto. 

The vetoed legislation would have:

• Mandated quarterly reports on how funds were spent be provided to the Legislature.
• Required a competitive procurement for establishing a statewide health information exchange to support real-time data sharing between providers.
• Called for priority for the funding to be given to rural areas, the Delta, programs that provide direct assistance to Mississippi providers and patients and entities that have not received state or federal assistance for facility improvements or medical equipment in the past three years.

Bryan, a Democrat from Amory, and several other lawmakers have said it’s unthinkable that legislators, who are constitutionally tasked with appropriating money, have largely abdicated their spending authority over these funds to the governor. 

As part of their reasons for siding with the governor, some lawmakers have said their local hospitals asked them not to override the veto because the hospitals were promised a portion of the federal money. 

“It raises the question how do these people know that they’re going to get money out of this program?” Bryan asked. “We keep hearing there’s information being shared with some individuals, but not publicly.”

 Reeves did not respond to Mississippi Today’s questions about the transparency elements the office plans to implement. He also did not respond to a request for an interview with Grimes. 

The governor’s office in January entered into a seven-year, $10.2-million contract with BDO Government Services, formerly HORNE, for consulting and accounting services to administer the program. 

The program’s website currently lists one funding opportunity, for a vendor to assist with the Mississippi Comprehensive State Health Plan. The plan will be used to identify health care gaps and workforce needs to support long-term policy. 

Mississippi must obligate all of its first-year funds by October and spend them by September 2027. 

A new report looking at Amazon’s data center facilities in Mississippi argues the projects have likely already increased rates for residential customers in the state. Since 2024, the company has announced four data centers in the state, with locations in Ridgeland, Canton, Clinton and Vicksburg. Together, Amazon is looking to invest $25 billion into Mississippi, creating 2,000 jobs.

While state leaders have touted the immense economic impact of the projects — in terms of power grid investment, job creation and job training — Thursday’s report by Synapse Energy Economics Inc. estimates that the data center projects have already increased rates for Entergy Mississippi’s residential customers by $10.60 each month. Based on public utility filings, the researchers estimated the utility has charged residential customers in the state a total of about $38 million for data center investments as of March.

The average monthly bill amount cited in the report, from 2024, is $157.

The report, commissioned by groups Earthjustice and Environmental Advocates Mississippi, stresses that the figure is an estimate because much of the information behind Entergy’s agreement with Amazon isn’t available to the public. But while it’s hard to nail down an exact amount, the authors are confident the projects have driven rates up.

 ”Based on, you know, all of the publicly available evidence, we are quite confident that rates have increased because of data center investments,” Ben Havumaki, one of the report’s authors, told Mississippi Today.

In 2024, the state Legislature passed Senate Bill 2001, which was signed into law, allowing Entergy and Amazon to skip through usual regulatory processes to expedite the company’s investment. Among several changes, lawmakers hid the company’s agreement with Entergy, the state’s largest power provider, from the public.

“(SB 2001) creates an unusually frictionless path for the utility to make investments on behalf of data centers,” said Havumaki, a principal associate with Synapse based in Massachusetts who studies utility regulations around the country.

One of the ways the law eased that path was by allowing Entergy to recover, through its rates, costs associated with the data center projects even before the facilities are running, he said.

“Normally, utilities make investments on their own dime, then they go before the regulatory commission and they make the case for the investment,” Havumaki added. “If the commission finds that it’s prudent, then (the utility) is permitted to recover that investment (through rates).

“That usually would occur in public  with transparency and reasonable vetting from other parties. In this case, a lot of that is just shrouded in regulatory cover and secrecy.”

The state agency tasked with regulating utilities, including approval of spending and rate increases, is the three-member Mississippi Public Service Commission.

In a Thursday statement responding to the Synapse report, Entergy said its customers “are not subsidizing data centers — they’re benefitting from them.”

“Independent regulators in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana confirm that data centers are paying their fair share, plus additional benefits for customers,” the statement said. “And, the Trump administration has pointed to Entergy’s data center agreements as a success story for customers, in line with the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge.”

Amazon’s spending as a large customer allows Entergy to make needed grid improvements and in turn reduce power outages, the utility added.

“They are fully funding their infrastructure needs, and their presence helps keep bills affordable while supporting reliability improvements across the state,” Entergy said. “Customer confidentiality doesn’t reduce accountability. The facts are clear: Technology investment is making power in Mississippi more reliable, more affordable, and more competitive.”

While acknowledging an increase in rates, Entergy projects that by 2030 customers’ monthly bills will be 16%, or about $30, lower than they would be without Amazon’s investment. Entergy, though, has released limited data backing up those claims, citing trade secrets in its agreement with Amazon.

The utility announced its “Fair Share Plus” pledge in March, claiming the data center projects would lead to over $2 billion in savings for Mississippi ratepayers.

In its own statement to Mississippi Today, Amazon echoed that it’s paying its fair share.

“We pay the full cost of the power and infrastructure we use through long-term investments in transmission, substations, grid upgrades, and new energy generation that help strengthen the broader grid for everyone. We believe other large energy users should as well,” a spokesperson for the company wrote. “That’s why we work with utilities on long-term agreements and investments that modernize aging infrastructure to help maintain affordable, reliable power for homes, businesses, hospitals, and communities on the grid where we operate.”

We’ve talked a lot about artificial intelligence and data centers in Mississippi Marketplace.

Over the past few weeks, state leaders have chimed in with their thoughts on AI. 

Last week, Gov. Tate Reeves announced the release of the Mississippi Statewide AI framework. While it does not set policy, compliance, accountability or any requirements, it provides a foundation for how the state would like AI to be incorporated into education and the workforce.

According to a Facebook post from the governor, the document “establishes statewide AI priorities and provides a structured, stage-by-stage map of the AI skills learners need from K-12 through career leadership.” 

Andy Gipson, Mississippi’s agriculture commissioner and a candidate for governor, added his thoughts about AI on Facebook.

“I have traveled all across Mississippi and I can tell you firsthand: the Real People of Mississippi have real concerns about AI and the future of Mississippi. Politicians and leaders should not discount or ignore those concerns,” Gipson wrote. He called for balancing economic development with “real world needs and concerns of real Mississippi people.”

Bill Cork, executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority, weighed in on Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical on AI, entitled Magnifica Humanita. On his blog, Cork breaks down key areas in which he agrees with the Pope and offers his own experience as an AI user and as a development official who has sat across the table from many of the companies building AI. 

“Receive Magnifica Humanitas with gratitude and obedience. Heed its warnings on power, labor, children and truth. But also receive the gifts of this age with proper thanks. Pray that these tools become instruments of translation rather than confusion, access rather than exclusion, and communion rather than mere connection,” Cork wrote. 

Data center pushback

AI is inextricably tied with the data center build out rapidly expanding in Mississippi, and there continues to be pushback from residents. This includes: 

• People across the state who are opposed to or skeptical of data centers being built near them often bring up a lack of transparency from the company and local officials, and that there were no opportunities for community input on the project. Others have welcomed the new investment in their city.
• In April, the city of Ridgeland, which is home to two Amazon data centers, amended its zoning ordinance to place more requirements on any new data center projects, including distance from residential properties, security measures and when generators can be run. 
• A potential data center in Jackson has postponed its rezoning hearing in order to address concerns from the community and the city. 
• The Jackson City Council postponed a vote on a data center moratorium. There will be a public hearing about data centers and a zoning ordinance on June 22.  

In other news:

• A new report from MDA outlines a strategy for Mississippi to become a leading domestic producer of critical minerals, focused on lithium-rich brines. 
• Rosedale Distilling Company is investing $17 million in the Mississippi Delta town of Rosedale to open a new distillery, event spaces and retail shops. 
• Memphis-based International Paper broke ground on a $225 million packaging facility in Rankin County. The investment will bring around 150 jobs according to the company.
• The University of Southern Mississippi’s Innovation Week for the Gulf Blue program highlighted new technologies and opportunities along the Gulf Coast. Ideas included artificial reefs to grow the oyster population and artificial intelligence tools for marine data analysis.

Will we see more conversations/debates about AI policy and regulation in the upcoming elections or in the next legislative session? Send me your thoughts at marketplace@mississippitoday.org

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Democratic leaders in a handful of southern states are lobbying for South Carolina to reprise its role as the party’s first-in-the-nation state to cast primary ballots in 2028, arguing that the state best represents the initial playing field for presidential candidates to build the coalitions needed to win.

The state party chairs of five Democratic parties, including Mississippi’s, wrote a letter Thursday to the Democratic National Committee calling on party leaders “to do everything in your power to ensure South Carolina continues to serve as the indispensable first proving ground for Democratic presidential nominees.” The DNC is currently debating the order in which states will vote in the next round of presidential primaries.

The state should hold the first presidential balloting in 2028, they argued, in part because it “is not simply a geographic starting point. It is a moral and political compass for our party and our nation.”

The DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee is meeting this week, hearing presentations from the dozen states seeking to lead off its 2028 calendar. Other Southern states, including Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, are in the mix.

South Carolina chair Christale Spain, who is set to make her argument on behalf of the state later Thursday, has said she believes her state has “more to offer than other states do,” including “the role of Black folks.”

“The fight for voting rights is no longer just a courtroom battle, it is an electoral one,” the Democratic chairs from Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia wrote in the letter, provided to The Associated Press ahead of its release. “And it begins in South Carolina.”

“Any effort to diminish South Carolina’s role in the primary process would be a step backward for the Democratic Party’s stated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” they wrote. “It would signal to Southern Democrats and to Black voters in particular, that their loyalty to this party is taken for granted. We refuse to accept that, and we will stand firmly against it.”

In a separate letter to DNC leaders, Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus Institute — which has partnered with the South Carolina Democratic Party on several presidential debates in the past — reiterated those sentiments.

“To remove or diminish South Carolina’s standing in the primary calendar would send precisely the wrong message to Black voters and to every voter who has been told their voice does not matter until after the outcome is already decided,” Thompson wrote.

For years, South Carolina has held one of the earliest Democratic primaries in the country. As the first Southern state to hold its primary, South Carolina has been the initial gauge of a candidate’s ability to appeal to Black voters, who play an outsized role among the state’s Democratic voters.

In 2020, Joe Biden’s ability to make that appeal — along with a coveted endorsement from Rep. Jim Clyburn, the state’s lone congressional Democrat and for a time the top Black Democratic lawmaker on Capitol Hill — helped him revive a flagging primary campaign, win a resounding victory in South Carolina, and go on to secure the nomination.

For the 2024 cycle, Biden led a DNC effort to have South Carolina go first overall in the party’s primary, citing the state’s more racially diverse population compared to the traditional first-in-the-nation states of Iowa and New Hampshire, which are overwhelmingly white. New Hampshire, which rejected the DNC’s plan, held a leadoff primary ahead of South Carolina anyway, and Biden — who didn’t campaign or have his name on the ballot — still won by a sizable margin after supporters mounted a write-in campaign on his behalf.

Biden, who also handily won South Carolina’s 2024 contest, pushed for a revamped primary calendar that saw Nevada go second. He also pushed the Democratic primary in Michigan — a large and diverse swing state — ahead of the expansive field of states voting on Super Tuesday, the date in early March when multiple states hold primaries and the largest number of delegates needed to win the nomination are up for grabs.

Although the calendar won’t be set until later this summer, Democrats likely to be among their party’s 2028 slate have been making the rounds in South Carolina for months

If Mississippi ever decides to move away from from its official nickname – The Magnolia State –  here’s a suggestion: The Diamond State.

No, we don’t produce diamonds – not the gemstone kind. We lack the ancient volcanic structures required to form and bring natural diamonds to the surface. We do specialize in diamonds, the baseball and softball kind. Our diamonds produce terrific baseball and softball players and therefore teams that often go elsewhere and win championships.

Banner season for baseball

This has been a banner spring. I am going to try not to leave out anyone, but probably will. There’s so much. Herewith a recounting:

• Look at the national Division I baseball rankings heading into this weekend’s NCAA regionals. All three of the state’s largest universities are ranked in the D1 Baseball top 20 with Southern Miss at No.7, Mississippi State at No. 17 and Ole Miss at No. 18. No other state has that many. Only Texas and Florida, with much larger populations and far more colleges, have as many as two. Ole Miss and State already have won national championships this decade and Southern Miss has now been to 10 straight NCAA Tournaments. Only Florida (18) has been to more.
• Special mention here to Southern Miss, which recently won both the Sun Belt regular season and tournament championships and now has a record of 44-15, marking the 10th straight season the Golden Eagles have won at least 40 games. No other NCAA Division I baseball program in the country has done that. And USM does it with less. Of the 16 college teams hosting regionals, 15 have athletic budgets of more than $100 million – most much, much more. Southern Miss operates on about $30 million a year.
• Special mention also Hattiesburg, which is home to two outstanding college baseball programs: USM and William Carey University (41-18), one of only two undefeated teams remaining in the NAIA World Series being played at Lewiston, Idaho. The Crusaders have won their first three World Series games and play Taylor University (Indiana) Thursday night. Little wonder, Hattiesburg has two nicknames now: the Hub City and Baseburg.
• Mississippi’s baseball excellence is not limited to four-year schools. Pearl River Community College, down in Poplarville, is fast becoming the Los Angeles Dodgers of junior college baseball. The Wildcats (48-11), down 4-1 after seven innings, rallied for a 6-5 victory over Madison College (Wisconsin) Wednesday night. The Wildcats have now won their first two games of the DII Junior College World Series at Enid, Oklahoma. Pearl River, under Coach Mike Avalon, won the national championship in 2022.

Success in softball

It’s not just baseball, either. Mississippi’s softball excellence has become a thing. Witness:

• Mississippi State has come seemingly out of nowhere in this postseason to win an NCAA Regional in Oregon and a Super Regional at Oklahoma. The Bulldogs lost 8-0 to Texas Tech on Thursday in the NCAA Softball World Series at Oklahoma City. Ole Miss’ softball team advanced to to the finals an NCAA Regional this season, finally losing to Texas Tech, the powerhouse team State plays first.
• Belhaven University was playing Trine University (Indiana) in the NCAA D-III World Series at Salem University on Thursday after winning a Super Regional last week in Jackson. The Blazers (42-10) are making their second World Series appearance over the past three seasons.
• William Carey plays softball, too, and plays it very well. The Crusaders finished the season 41-14 with a roster chock-full of Mississippi natives. They won the Southern States Conference and made it to the championship game of the NAIA opening round tournament, losing by one run.
• Pearl River plays softball, too. Boy, do they play softball. Pearl River won the junior college national championship at Boiling Springs, North Carolina, on Monday night, defeating Des Moines Area Community College 2-1 in the championship game. The Wildcats won five straight games in the national tournament under Coach Christie Meeks. Anna Grace Garcia, the winning pitcher in four of those five victories, was the World Series MVP.

Update, 5/28/2026: This article has been updated to show Mississippi State lost to Texas Tech on Thursday in softball.

GREENVILLE — Former Greenwood Police Officer Jamario Sanford, 38, will serve seven-and-a-half years in federal prison for conspiring to transport cocaine through portions of the Mississippi Delta. He is now in federal custody.

Sanford approached the bench Wednesday with the aid of a cane to make a final plea for mercy from Debra Brown, chief judge for the Northern District of Mississippi. He stood from the office chair where he had been allowed to sit before standing to address the court in light of his ailments, and clutched the podium to tell of the bad choices and misfortunes that led him to participate in a drug run that was really an FBI undercover operation.

“I was in need at the time,” Sanford told the court. “I had just lost my job. My wife was about to have a child.”

He recounted a past suicide attempt, being shot eight times and other near-death experiences while working in law enforcement agencies in the Delta. He also spoke of childhood traumas and longstanding mental health conditions that have required counseling. He also brought the court’s attention to upcoming eye surgeries.

“I do belong here. And I’m asking for the mercy of this court … I’m standing against my flesh now. I’m standing myself here because I’m tired,” Sanford said.

Sanford was indicted for providing armed police escort for what he believed was the transportation of 25 kilos of cocaine through Leflore, Sunflower and Washington counties. He took bribe payments totaling $12,800 from a local drug dealer turned government informant as part of the run.

He convinced Tyquana Rucker of the Greenwood Police Department to provide police escort for a transport of narcotics on June 22, 2022. Sanford later told federal investigators that Rucker wasn’t well-informed about the circumstances of the fake drug run. Although indicted, Rucker’s charges were dropped on Oct. 30. 

The story of law enforcement-assisted drug trafficking was complicated by new revalations in court. Sanford had been fired from the Greenwood Police Department by the time of the run, although he did accept bribe payments while employed as an officer. No evidence suggests Sanford or Rucker carried a gun on the night of the staged drug transport, which still garnered Sanford an enhancement as part of his probation office pre-sentence report.

Sanford also said he did not know his co-conspirator, former Sunflower County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Marvin Flowers, and he only met Flowers on the day of their arrests in October. Flowers pleaded guilty to conspiring to attempt to aid the transport of the drugs through Sunflower County. He is scheduled to be sentenced in July.

In all 14 former and current officers were arrested as part of the federal crackdown on drug trafficking in the region. Six former Delta law enforcement officers have pleaded guilty. A jury found Greenville Police Officer Chaka Gaines not guilty in May for conspiring to attempt to aid the transportation of narcotics through Greenville. Two additional trials of former officers are scheduled this summer. 

Four additional police officers are scheduled to be sentenced this summer.

The officers were charged in six indictments. At the outset of the operation, a local drug dealer and FBI informant convinced Delta officers to participate in fake drug runs simulated by federal agents as part of multiple stings.

In determining Sanford’s sentence, Brown considered his recent charges and behavior since his arrest. She was concerned that he was charged with aggravated assault while on bond for the conspiracy charge. Goodloe Lewis, his defense attorney, reminded the court that the incident from which the charge stemmed happened prior to securing his bond.

Brown also expressed concern regarding an incident at a local pool hall. A video of Sanford pushed to the ground and kicked by unknown assailants surfaced on Facebook in March. The incident took place in the parking lot near The Rack and Cue pool hall in Greenville.

Although the sentencing guideline called for between 10 years and life in prison, a pre-sentence report altered Brown’s calculation. 

Lewis asked the court to have mercy on Sanford due to his health issues. He also mentioned that former police officers “don’t hold up well” in custody. He told Brown that Sanford would be “a poor candidate for prison.”

Brown said she could not get past the gravity of Sanford’s crime and its implications for civil society.

“The unchecked corruption of law enforcement is a big problem,” she said. “It makes me concerned which direction this country is headed honestly.”

The U.S. marshals then put Sanford in cuffs as he faced the gallery. Cuts and red bruises shone under his tired eyes. The marshals led him through a wood-panelled side door. He ambled into custody with their assistance. 

Sanford asked to be booked in a prison near his family in Greenville.

“I don’t know if you’ve been an unlucky person in this world,” Brown told Sanford before court adjourned. “I know there’s something that got to you this day.”

“I wish you peace as you move forward.”

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled for a Black death row inmate from Mississippi who claims there was racial bias in the makeup of the jury that convicted him.

By a 5-4 vote, the justices sided with Terry Pitchford, who was sentenced to death for his role in the killing of a grocery store owner.

“In this case, whether due to confusion, oversight, an overly hurried jury selection process, or some other cause, things broke down,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the court. Chief Justice John Roberts and the court’s three liberal justices joined with Kavanaugh.

READ MORE: A Mississippi death penalty jury was seated. With one Black juror.

There were 11 white jurors and one Black juror in a trial with similarities to that of another Black man on Mississippi’s death row, whose conviction the high court overturned seven years ago.

It’s unclear what happens next in Pitchford’s case. Justice Neil Gorsuch, who dissented, suggested the state still could argue Pitchford’s conviction should be sustained. If his conviction is overturned, the state could seek to retry him.

“Mr. Pitchford is now entitled to a fair trial in the state court,” Joseph Perkovich, who argued the case for Pitchford at the Supreme Court, wrote in an email.

Doug Evans, a now-retired prosecutor with a history of dismissing Black jurors for discriminatory reasons, had excused four other Black people at Pitchford’s trial. Black people make up more than 37% of Mississippi’s population.

The Supreme Court ruled 40 years ago in Batson v. Kentucky that jurors could not be excused from service because of their race and set up a system by which trial judges could evaluate claims of discrimination and the race-neutral explanations by prosecutors.

Pitchford’s case focused on whether his lawyers did enough to object to Judge Joseph Loper’s rulings and whether the state Supreme Court acted reasonably in ruling they had not.

Pitchford’s lawyers made the necessary arguments and the state high court acted unreasonably, Kavanaugh wrote.

In dissent, Gorsuch wrote that Pitchford had to show that no fair-minded judge could rule as the Mississippi court did and that the record in the case was crystal-clear in his favor.

“As I see things, Mr. Pitchford has failed to satisfy either of these standards,” Gorsuch wrote, joined by Justices Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett and Clarence Thomas.

In 2019, the Supreme Court overturned the death sentence and conviction of Curtis Flowers, because of what Kavanaugh then described as a “relentless, determined effort to rid the jury of Black individuals.” Evans was the prosecutor in that case, and Loper presided over the final two of Flowers’ six trials.

Pitchford, now 40, was 18 when he and a friend decided to rob the Crossroads Grocery, just outside Grenada in northern Mississippi. The friend shot store owner Reuben Britt three times, fatally wounding him, but was ineligible for the death penalty because he was younger than 18. Pitchford was tried for capital murder and was sentenced to death.

The case has been making its way through the court system for 20 years. In 2023, U.S District Judge Michael P. Mills overturned Pitchford’s conviction, holding that the trial judge did not give Pitchford’s lawyers enough of a chance to argue that the prosecution was improperly dismissing Black jurors.

Mills wrote that his ruling was partially motivated by Evans’ actions in prior cases. A unanimous panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the ruling.

Evans did not respond to The Associated Press’ attempt to reach him for comment when he retired.

Update, 5/28/2026: This article has been updated with additional details, including a comment from an attorney who represented Terry Pitchford in Supreme Court arguments.

A frenzied redistricting effort ahead of the November elections has reshaped congressional voting districts for millions of Americans — and it isn’t over yet.

Since President Donald Trump urged Texas Republicans to redraw U.S. House districts last year, Republicans in Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida and Tennessee also have enacted new maps that could help the party win additional seats in the midterm elections. Louisiana is expected to join those ranks soon, and Alabama Republicans are appealing a court decision blocking a map they support.

So far, Republicans think they could gain as many as 14 seats from their redistricting efforts while Democrats think they could gain six seats from new districts in California and Utah.

Trump hopes the unusual mid-decade redistricting can help Republicans retain control of the closely divided House, despite negative approval ratings and historical tendencies for the incumbent’s party to lose seats in the midterms.

Here’s a look at the latest developments in the redistricting battle:

Louisiana House to vote on redistricting

The U.S. Supreme Court in April struck down Louisiana’s congressional map, which contains two majority-Black districts held by Democrats, as an illegal racial gerrymander. That prompted Republican Gov. Jeff Landry to postpone Louisiana’s May 16 congressional primary until later this summer to allow time for redistricting.

The state House is expected to consider a revised congressional map this week that gives Republicans a better chance of winning one of those two seats. The Senate already passed a different version of the new map. The two chambers are trying to agree on a redistricting plan before the June 1 end of their legislative session.

Alabama seeks permission for new map

Republican Attorney General Steve Marshall on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the state to use a Republican-drawn congressional map in the midterm elections. Marshall wants to set aside a preliminary injunction issued Tuesday against the map by a federal judicial panel.

The lower court judges said the plan, which includes only one majority-Black district, “intentionally discriminated based on race.” They ordered the state to continue using a court-imposed map containing two districts where Black residents compose a majority or close to it. Both of those seats currently are held by Democrats.

Missouri court upholds new map — again

The Missouri Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a legal challenge from the NAACP that claimed no extraordinary occasion existed for Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe to call lawmakers into a special session on redistricting last year. The court ruled unanimously that the state constitution gives governors discretion in calling special sessions.

The Supreme Court already has rejected two other challenges to a new U.S. House map that gives Republicans an improved chance to win another seat by reshaping a Democratic-held district based in Kansas City. Opponents have one more possibility to stop the plan, with an initiative petition to put it to a statewide referendum.

South Carolina pulls the plug on redistricting

As early in-person voting began Tuesday in South Carolina’s June 9 primaries, the Republican-led state Senate ended efforts to redraw the state’s congressional districts this year. A plan previously passed by the House sought to redraw the state’s only Democratic-held district to give Republicans a better chance at winning it.

But some Republican senators said it was too late to make changes. Others expressed reservations that the plan could backfire by adding too many Democratic voters in districts held by Republicans.

Florida judge lets GOP map stand

Voting rights groups contend Florida’s new congressional districts should be struck down for violating a state ban on intentional partisan gerrymandering. But a state judge on Tuesday declined to issue a preliminary injunction against using the map in the midterm elections.

The judge said the plaintiffs hadn’t shown their claims of partisanship are likely to succeed. Voting rights groups said they would quickly appeal to a higher court and would continue pursuing the case all the way to the state Supreme Court, if necessary.

Tennessee map faces several challenges

A state court panel dismissed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging the Republican-led legislature went beyond the special session agenda set by Republican Gov. Bill Lee when it passed a new congressional map. Meanwhile, a federal court on Tuesday declined to issue a temporary restraining order in a separate lawsuit contending that Tennessee’s new U.S. House districts are racially discriminatory.

The new Republican-drawn map carves up a majority-Black district in Memphis — a city where more than half the population is Black — giving Republicans an improved chance to win the state’s only Democratic-held seat. Several lawsuits are still pending in federal courts.

A rezoning hearing for a potential data center in Jackson has been postponed until June. 

The applicant, Saxum Investment Company, asked to delay the hearing until a city Planning Board meeting on June 24. Robert Ireland, an attorney with Watkins and Eager representing Saxum, said the company wants more time to engage with the community and city. 

Because the request was made less than five business days before Wednesday’s meeting, Saxum had to go before the Planning Board on Wednesday to ask for the postponement.

“The city has committed to presenting data center specific standards to address the city’s concerns about noise, emissions, utility burdens and other issues. Saxum encourages the adoption of these standards and wants to pursue a project that meets the concerns of Jackson citizens and its city leaders,” Ireland said to the board. 

Saxum is asking to rezone about 190 acres of mostly undeveloped land in northwest Jackson from residential and commercial to heavy industrial use. There is currently a horse track on the proposed site, which is close to the Presidential Hills neighborhood. 

In a packed conference room, residents from the surrounding area and across Jackson loudly voiced opposition to the project or any data center in Jackson. 

“Even if we wanted a data center here, even if we decided to do something like that as a city, this process has not been transparent,” said Matt Casteel, whose 2-acre family farm, WurmWorks, sits in the middle of the proposed site. 

Council considers data center regulations

This comes as the City Council debates a six-month moratorium on new data center projects in Jackson. Last week, the council voted to table a proposed ordinance until members have a clearer picture of the moratorium’s impact. 

According to the city attorney’s office, such a moratorium impacts city zoning ordinances, and passing it without the proper public notice process could create a due-process violation. Council President Brian Grizzell, who introduced the measure, disagreed, arguing the idea was just to study the impact of data centers ahead of time.

“This is a six-month cooling period to give us time to put our heads together, figure this out, to work with zoning, work with planning,” Grizzell said at last week’s City Council meeting. 

At the meeting, Ireland pointed out that if the data center is the size of one proposed for Clinton, it would bring in about $60 million to the city and over $80 million to the school district over 10 years. But he warned that there is a “finite window of opportunity” for Jackson to attract a data center project. 

Data centers in Mississippi

Tech companies are racing against one another to build more data centers. According to Pew Research, there are currently 3,000 operational data centers and an additional 1,500 in development in the United States. There are around 750 planned data centers in the South. 

Data centers vary in size but the advent of artificial intelligence has accelerated the need for large data centers, called hyperscalers. These centers, such as Amazon in Madison and xAI in Southaven, can meet the large computational power needed to train and run AI models. 

In Mississippi, there are seven confirmed data centers in various stages of development. While some have welcomed the data centers and their historic investment, others have pushed back against them citing their high energy usage and concerns over water consumption and noise and air pollution.

There will be a public hearing at 6 p.m. on June 22 in City Council chambers to discuss data centers and a zoning ordinance. Members of the crowd on Wednesday promised that they’d be there.

This history-making Mississippi State softball team already has written a fascinating story, lifting an often largely ignored sport in the Magnolia State’s headlines. Win or lose at the Women’s College World Series, which begins Thursday in Oklahoma City, that story is about to get all the more intriguing. At this point, State is playing with house money. Nobody expected this.

Problem is, Texas Tech, the Bulldogs’ first opponent, is playing with real money – West Texas oil money. Millions. We’ll get to that.

First, what the Bulldog softballers have achieved: State, which entered the NCAA Tournament with a 38-18 record (just 9-15 in the murderous SEC), traveled cross-continent to Eugene, Oregon, and swept through an NCAA Regional there, winning three straight games while allowing only two runs. The Bulldogs blanked host Oregon, the nation’s 12th ranked team, 4-0 behind pitcher Alyssa Faircloth’s no-hit, 10-strikeout performance, They were just getting started.

Next, State traveled to Norman, Oklahoma, to take on the second ranked Oklahoma Sooners in a best-of-three Super Regional. It appeared a mismatch: No. 2 vs. unranked, 20-4 in the SEC vs. 9-15. Furthermore, Oklahoma has tradition as a softball powerhouse, having played in the previous nine Women’s College World Series. This will be State’s first.

It gets better. State trailed the Sooners 5-1 early in the opener before storming back for nine runs over the last two innings for an 11-9 victory. It was Oklahoma’s first Super Regional loss since 2015.

Understand: The Sooners play in a softball Super Regional every year. After dropping a 7-1 decision in Game Two, the Bulldogs shocked the Sooners and their packed stadium of 4,250 fans by winning Game Three 6-0 on Delaney Everett’s three-hit shutout. Get this: It was the first time proud Oklahoma had been shut out in 399 games.

You want some added spice? State coach Samantha Ricketts is a former Oklahoma softball All American and graduate assistant coach. Nobody knows better than she what her team had achieved winning a Super Regional at Norman. 

Now then, let’s jump ahead to what the Bulldogs face Thursday at Oklahoma City. This is where a good story becomes captivating. State plays Texas Tech in the eight-team, double elimination tournament’s first game at 11 a.m.

And I know what many non-softball fans are thinking: Hmmm, Texas Tech softball, where have I heard about them before?

Well, it was probably on July 24, 2024, when Texas Tech made front page news, the lead story on ESPN Sportscenter, signing former Stanford pitching star NiJaree Canady to a $1 million contract to switch schools and lead Tech to college softball’s promised land.

Canady, a phenomenal talent, had led Stanford to two straight Women’s College World Series as a dominating pitcher. She had achieved a 41-10 overall record, a 0.66 earned run average, 555 strikeouts and 9 saves in her freshman and sophomore seasons. But she also wanted to hit. She wanted to become softball’s Shohei Ohtani. That was Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco’s recruiting pitch to her – that she could play first base and hit when she wasn’t pitching if she came to Tech. Glasco also enlisted Patrick Mahomes, the NFL superstar and Tech alum, in the recruitment of Canady, a native Kansan and a devoted Kansas City Chiefs fan.

And, oh yes, there was the NIL deal, and this is where West Texas oil money comes into play. Tech offered a one-year, $1,050,024 contract (a million for Canady, $50,000 for living expenses, $24 for her jersey number). She apparently is a smart young lady. She took it. Who pays a cool million for a softball player, you ask? Billionaire couple John and Tracy Sellers, both former Texas Tech athletes, that’s who. John played football. Tracy played softball. They have donated millions upon millions to Tech, including to Canady’s NIL deal.

Softball, you see, is different than other sports. One player – one great pitcher – can make a mediocre team a national contender. In softball, a pitcher can pitch nearly every game. We saw it in Mississippi back in 1999-2000, when Courtney Blades transferred to Southern Miss from Nicholls State  and proceeded to take the Golden Eagles to two consecutive Women’s College World Series. Blades had a two-year record of 95-13 for USM. She was the national player of the year. She is the only softball player in the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Alas, Blades did get not millions playing college softball. Not back then.

But this is now. Texas Tech is getting their money’s worth. Canady took Texas Tech, which had never been much good at softball, to the Women’s College World Series last season. The Red Raiders advanced to the championship game before losing to Texas in the finale. She then signed a $1.2 million contract to return to Tech in hopes of winning it all.

And now the first obstacle to Tech’s multi-million dollar dream is Mississippi State. I have no way of knowing what State’s total NIL package for softball is, but I know it probably not even 20% what one player makes at Texas Tech. 

But I also know the Bulldogs have three quality pitchers to throw at Tech, including Californian Delaney Everett, the Super Regional hero. You talk about a Cinderella story. Everett pitched a three-hit shutout in Game Three of a Super Regional in her first start of the season. And I know that, despite losing, Florida scored 34 runs against Texas Tech in last week’s three-game Super Regional, including 12 runs against Canady.

State was highly competitive in a three-game series at Florida back in early April, losing 2-0 and 5-4, sandwiched around a 9-5 victory over the Gators. What’s more, State is playing much better softball now than the Bulldogs were then. This should be fun.

These Bulldogs are surely underdogs, but they have proven they can play against top level teams winning at Oregon and at Oklahoma. Besides, money isn’t everything, although, as we’ve seen at Texas Tech, it sure does make it easier.