Mississippi Edition

Severe thunderstorms are sweeping through Mississippi today. We're speaking to the National Weather Service. Then, the Mississippi Department of Transportation says they need more funding to keep the state's roads and bridges safe. Plus, the debate continues on if Mississippi lawmakers should intervene in the state employees' retirement system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

Thousands of Mississippi children are abused and neglected in our state every year. The attorney general's office and child advocacy groups are partnering to put a stop to the abuse.    Then, March Madness is over, but many schools across the region got the chance to compete in this year’s NCAA basketball tournament. How does getting a shot at the championship impact...

Federal prosecutors are helping to crack down on gang violence in Jackson. Then, the war between Israel and Hamas has led to thousands of casualties among civilians. Mississippi's 2nd District Congressman says it risks the long-standing relationship between the US and Israel. Plus, doctors say you need to wear protective glasses when looking at the solar eclipse today, even if it's cloudy. Hosted...

Lawmakers want to redefine what constitutes illegal 'ballot harvesting' in Mississippi. Then, the federal government is stepping in to help Jackson notify next-of-kin when someone dies.  Plus, a descendent of Ida B Wells shares how she is trying to keep her great-grandmothers 'legacy alive'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Mississippi Senate is set to confirm Dr. Lance Evans as the next State Superintendent of Education.  Then from the Gulf States Newsroom, formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones are learning how to get facetime with their state lawmakers and advocate for change. Plus, the solar eclipse is just a few days away, and astronomers say it will be years until another one passes near Mis...

What bills are being taken off the table as lawmakers move beyond a major deadline in the state legislature? Then, get outside and walk for a bit! That's the challenge being given by heart health experts as part of national Walking Day.   Plus, archaeologists are uncovering clues about the lives of long-gone plantation owners and their slaves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...

Today is the last day the Mississippi Senate can take up a House bill that would transform how the state's public schools are funded.  Then, from the Gulf States Newsroom, the debate continues over the rights of frozen embryos in Alabama. IVF treatments were temporarily halted and some worry the new law that allowed them to resume, may not be enough. Plus, it's National Public Health Wee...

HPV vaccines can help prevent one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. But the rate of vaccinations in Mississippi are among the lowest in the nation. Then from the Gulf States Newsroom, Last March, a tornado tore through Rolling Fork, residents of one mobile home park haven’t been able to return. Plus, the national NAACP is honoring a Mississippi woman for her part in holding the Ran...

Lawmakers are moving one step closer to Medicaid expansion for the working poor, but discussions remain heated. Then, multiple law enforcement agencies are moving into phase two of an operation to crack down on crime in Jackson. Plus, March is National Endometriosis Awareness Month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senate lawmakers are considering an amendment to a House's Medicaid bill and substitute it with their own language. Then, the US Supreme Court is considering if the FDA adequately regulates a major abortion pill. Plus, a coastal Mississippi facility is the new testing grounds for an aircraft that can fly, without landing, for months. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lawmakers and several advocacy groups are calling on the legislature to pass bills that can help the lives of Black Mississippians. Then, Tech companies promised Mississippi cities a solution for all their water bill problems – promises the cities were desperate to believe. Instead, a new investigation reveals how those companies exploited cities and played a large part in Jackson’s ongoing water...

The issue of abortion is back before the US Supreme Court today over a widely used drug for chemical abortions, and whether the FDA had the authority to make it more accessible. Then, Jackson’s water provider says everyone should pay what they owe. But residents say their new bills are still wrong. Plus, wages and healthcare access remain top priorities for the Mississippi Black Women's Round Tabl...

It's been 1 year since an EF4 tornado destroyed several towns in Northwest Mississippi, including Rolling Fork, Amory, and Silver City. Then, doctors continue to call on lawmakers to address the state's financial crisis in healthcare. They say Medicaid is a major part of the solution. Plus, black women in Mississippi are being encouraged to participate in a 'coding bootcamp' to prepare them for a...

The final two former Rankin County officers who call themselves the Goon Square are sentenced after brutalizing two black men last year. Then, lawmakers continue to disagree over how the state should fund public education. Plus, several bills moving through the legislature could re-define what rights are available to transgender Mississippians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

The largest sentencing so far has been handed down to a former member of the Rankin County "Goon Squad". Then, some dollar stores are closing their doors across the nation, but Dollar General is expanding their operations. Plus, the Public Employees' Retirement System for Mississippi is strained for long-term viability, and the state legislature wants to understand why. Hosted on Acast. See acast....

A coalition of advocacy groups for people with Down Syndrome met with lawmakers during their first advocacy day at the Capitol. Then, the first of the officers involved with the Rankin County Goon Squad are being sentenced in federal court this week.  Plus, a new book gives a unique insight into the life of a volunteer during Freedom Summer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

The Board of Mississippi's retirement system for public employees is pushing back against an attempt from lawmakers to replace them with political appointees. Then, Five years after an ecological disaster, residents of the Mississippi Coast want more say in how much floodwater is sent into the Mississippi Sound. Plus, it's been 4 years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The State Epidemiolo...

A vote this week could move the state one step closer to restoring the ballot initiative process. But votes in the Senate may be difficult to piece together. Then, some lawmakers want to create a process for early voting. Plus, many students and alumni of the Mississippi University for Women are saying thanks that a bill has died that would have merged the university with another. Hosted on Acast....

Senate lawmakers have killed their bill for expanding Medicaid benefits for Mississippi's working poor, but their plan isn't completely dead yet. Health leaders also weigh in on the state's lacking access for care. Plus, activists are calling on the legislature to make it easier for people leaving prison and re-entering society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hemp-based cannabis products would be subject to the same regulations as medical cannabis if a bill passed by the Mississippi House becomes law. Then, an advocate for incarcerated Mississippians says prisoners often don't have access to proper healthcare. Plus, lawmakers are considering if Mississippi should have early voting options. The state's head elections official weighs in. Hosted on Acast....

Jackson's water system could be controlled by a new nine-person board if a bill that passed in the state Senate becomes law.  Then, an advocate for the rights of the incarcerated says Mississippi prisons are worse than outlined in a Department of Justice investigation. Plus, we speak with two authors about their guide for more than 200 museums across the state. But first, we recap yesterday's...

Voters are going to the polls today for Mississippi's party primaries. Then, Alabama lawmakers have been trying to legalize gambling in the state for years, but there have been some bumps in the road. Plus, Forecasters say the impacts of last year's drought remain, and could affect the state this dry season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tomorrow is Mississippi's Primary election. We speak with Secretary of State Michael Watson about what voters can expect at the polls. Then, When it comes to building houses, affordable is not the same thing as cheap. Plus, a new novel follows the story of a woman in World War 1 who has to face aspects of racism, sexism, and poverty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The state Senate is advancing an education funding bill. But it's very different from what House lawmakers have already passed. Then, we tour a clinic that is offering Invitro Fertilization services. Plus, a Mississippi student is being recognized for their poetry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The state Senate's Elections Committee has advanced a bill to strengthen penalties for campaign finance violations.  Then, Mississippians will soon be able to buy over-the-counter birth control. Plus, some Mississippians are being indicted without legal representation according to a new report from the Marshall Project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.