AI in courtrooms: A Mississippi judge sanctioned lawyers after both sides admitted filing AI-assisted briefs with made-up citations, forcing courts to spend extra time on false filings. Data centers vs. communities: Residents and county leaders are pushing back on data centers over water use, power costs, and local control, with Lee County supervisors set to vote on a possible up-to-year moratorium. Critical minerals push: Rapid Critical Metals won British Columbia approval for maiden drilling at its Prophet River gallium-germanium project, targeting multiple geophysical anomalies with results expected later this year. Public health watch: A new review links melioidosis spread to environmental disruption and highlights Mississippi as newly identified endemic, underscoring the need for prevention and faster diagnosis. Workforce training: Mississippi State’s Skills Trade Empowerment Program will fund a leadership and project-management credential for skilled workers moving into supervisory roles. Local STEM pipeline: Global Teaching Project’s Advanced STEM Summer Preparatory Program brought rural Mississippi high school students to Mississippi State for AP STEM prep. Health risk outdoors: CDC and USM experts warn that warmer, humid conditions and animal movement are increasing tick exposure and alpha-gal syndrome risk in Mississippi. Weather alert: Forecasters raised the Gulf tropical threat odds to 50%, with potential impacts for the Lower Mississippi Valley.