Health Workforce & Access: UMMC hosted hundreds of Mississippi high school students for an “Exploring Health Care Pathways” event, highlighting nursing, dentistry, and medicine as the state works to address a shortage of direct patient-care physicians. Cancer Care Milestone: UMMC says a Meridian woman with hilar cholangiocarcinoma received what it believes is Mississippi’s first liver transplant for that rare bile duct cancer type, underscoring the role of transplant plus multidisciplinary oncology teams. COVID Monitoring: CDC modeling says COVID infections are rising or likely rising in nearly all states, while wastewater surveillance shows higher activity in places including Mississippi—another reminder that “low” national numbers can hide local upticks. Air Quality & Tech Expansion: In Southaven, residents and civil rights/environment groups are pushing back on xAI’s Mid-South growth, citing concerns about unpermitted gas turbines, transparency, and potential health impacts. Local Safety: A Jackson-area motorcycle crash sent one person to the hospital after a collision with two vehicles at an intersection. Community Health Education: Mississippi’s push for better public health readiness also shows up in a new statewide cybersecurity select committee aimed at protecting hospitals and schools from attacks.