Monica L. Northington, MD, MPH

08/05/2025

Vibrio, a flesh-eating bacterium, is resurfacing yet again, with more than 30 cases reported this year in the Gulf of America.

08/05/2025

This is an amazing opportunity for rising Juniors and Seniors in Mississippi colleges and universities! But act quickly!!!

The Children’s Foundation of Mississippi is now accepting applications for the Early Childhood Student Scholars Pilot Program, launching in Fall 2025. This is a leadership and learning opportunity for rising juniors and seniors from Mississippi colleges and universities who want to be part of turning the curve for Mississippi’s children.

We’re seeking students from a wide range of academic backgrounds—including public health, education, social work, business, journalism, law, medicine, policy, and more—who are ready to use their skills to create lasting change in our state.

About the Program
This is a pilot version of a long-term initiative we plan to grow in the years ahead, thanks to support from Mississippi LIFT. For this first cohort, the program will run for one semester, offering an intensive, collaborative experience as we refine and shape what the full program will become.

As a Student Scholar, participants will:
Design and lead a research or storytelling project tied to early childhood systems and outcomes
Collaborate with statewide partners and contribute to real-world nonprofit efforts
Participate in virtual meetings with professionals across philanthropy, policy, health, and education
Create materials and messages that may be featured in events or our Chat About Children podcast
Build your leadership, communication, and systems-thinking skills in a hands-on environment
Stipend
Participants will receive a $3,500 stipend as a recognition of the time, effort, and commitment this opportunity requires.

Program Details
Timeline: Fall 2025 semester

Format: 5–6 virtual meetings (scheduled based on group availability) and up to two in-person retreats, depending on student schedules

Eligibility: Rising juniors and seniors from any major, enrolled at a Mississippi college or university

Application Deadline: Rolling; priority given to applications received by August 11, with a deadline of August 29

Applicant Notification: Selected students will begin hearing back the week of August 11 for an interview

Apply Here: https://forms.gle/H6YQpEY7LaJyCWAn6

We invite faculty to share this opportunity with students who show promise as leaders, researchers, storytellers, or change-makers. This program is built to connect students across disciplines and campuses—uniting them in a shared goal of improving systems for Mississippi’s youngest residents.

At the Children’s Foundation of Mississippi, we believe that for Mississippi to reach its potential, our children must reach theirs. This program is one way we’re working to turn the curve—by investing in the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our state.

Questions? Please contact:

Bailey Shelton
Director of Communications and Outreach
Children’s Foundation of Mississippi
bailey@childrensfoundationms.org

The Children’s Foundation of Mississippi is now accepting applications for the Early Childhood Student Scholars Pilot Program, a one-semester leadership opportunity for rising juniors and seniors at Mississippi colleges and universities. This pilot cohort will run during Fall 2025, giving students...

08/02/2025

“Eating this ultraprocessed food may be good for you and the planet,” says CNN.
Right. And drinking Diet Coke is hydration.

Let me explain what’s actually happening when you ingest these products:

A Beyond Burger contains ~20+ engineered ingredients: pea/soy protein isolates (often extracted with solvents like hexane), methylcellulose (the same thickener used in wallpaper paste that your body can’t digest), “natural flavors” (a catch-all for lab-created compounds companies don’t have to disclose), cultured dextrose (a fermentation product that can include MSG-like compounds), and modified starches (chemically altered fillers).

Impossible adds soy leghemoglobin, a GMO yeast–derived “bleeding” agent that wasn’t in the human food supply before 2019.

When these hit your system, your body responds like it does to any ultra-processed food: inflammatory cascades, blood-sugar dysregulation, and gut-microbiome disruption. Your metabolism doesn’t magically treat a plant patty differently because the label says “plant-based.”

Quick label check: If it needs a lab to make it, a paragraph-long ingredient list to explain it, or words like isolates, modified starches, gums, or “natural flavors,” it’s ultra-processed. Real food reads like a recipe, not a chemistry set.

Don’t believe every headline. These are still ultra-processed foods… they hit your metabolism like a Cheeto with better PR.

If you’re plant-based, stick to actual plants: vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, olive oil, herbs, and minimally processed staples. If you eat meat, choose regeneratively raised options.

Your body has evolutionary wisdom about real food. Trust it over marketing headlines.

08/02/2025

ABSOLUTELY NOT

The Trump administration is pushing for Americans to upload personal health data to new apps run by private tech companies. This initiative aims to make accessing health records and monitoring wellness easier.

08/02/2025

Learn the warning signs for su***de, help those in crisis, and change the conversation.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

07/31/2025

With a new school year just around the corner, you may see some increased anxiety in your child. It is important not to dismiss it but help your child understand it is ok to be nervous. Here are a few ways to help your child develop positive skills for combatting anxiety.

07/27/2025

Common drugs can make hot days more dangerous

07/27/2025

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/universalaccesstocovidvaccineandrfkhearing