The Governor extends his Executive Orders, including the statewide mask mandate, while allowing looser restrictions on high school athletic attendance.

Then, a coalition of southern states is working together to push for Medicaid expansion.

Plus, a clash between the State Auditor's office and the Mississippi Department of Education.

Segment 1:

Residents of Mississippi will be required to wear a mask when out in public for at least two more weeks. During a press briefing yesterday, Governor Tate Reeves announced he is extending his Executive Orders mandating masks and limiting social gatherings. Reeves says the transmission rate in Mississippi is declining and he is extending his measures to prevent further spread of the coronavirus in September.

Segment 2:

Proponents for expanding Medicaid in Mississippi are joining forces with other southern states to draw attention to the need for the health insurance program. Healthcare advocates think the challenges heightened by the coronavirus pandemic may encourage Mississippi's Republican majority-led legislature to expand Medicaid. Roy Mitchell is with Mississippi Health Advocacy Program. He tells our Desare Frazier the program has become more vital than ever as the nation combats the virus. We also hear from lawmakers John Hines and Joey Fillingane.

Segment 3:

The coronavirus pandemic is forcing many schools to pivot to virtual learning, and districts across the state are in the process of buying computers and students to meet the demands that come with that shift. The Mississippi Legislature recently passed The Equity in Distance Learning Act, which provides $150 million and directs the Mississippi Department of Education to develop a system for districts to purchase technology. Now, the state auditor is accusing the MDE of ignoring state law on the use of COVID-19 stimulus money. Auditor Shad White tells our Ashley Norwood MDE is slowing down districts' ability to buy computers for students who may need to learn at home.

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The League of Women Voters and Mississippi Conference of the NAACP jointly file suit against the Secretary of State to expand absentee voting for the November election.

Then, 15 years after Katrina, we examine how life has changed for Mississippi coast residents, and how a Hurricane Laura has them paying it forward.

Plus, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are trending down in August. But, health professionals say the threat of the pandemic is far from over.

Segment 1:

The State of Mississippi and the Secretary of State's office are facing two lawsuits over expanding absentee voting due to coronavirus pandemic. Attorneys with the Mississippi Center for Justice appeared in Hinds County Chancery Court last week to ask for clarification on a stipulation to vote by absentee ballot. The legislature temporarily added that those quarantined by a doctor due to COVID 19 can vote absentee. Attorneys with the MCJ argue people with pre-existing conditions and concerns about contracting the virus should be eligible to vote absentee.

Also last week, the Mississippi League of Women Voters filed a joint suit with the Mississippi Conference of the NAACP in federal court with a similar argument. But their case goes further, by asking the court to waive requiring absentee applications and ballots be notarized. Christy Wheeler is with the league says the process is cumbersome. She tells our Desare Frazier the suit is aimed at standardizing the expectations for absentee voting under the legislature's language, and protecting those who fear going to the polls during the pandemic.

Segment 2:

As communities in Texas and Louisiana are cleaning up from Hurricane Laura, Mississippi coast residents are marking the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. MPB’s Evelina Burnett reports, they are reflecting on the many ways life has changed – and paying forward the generosity they experienced.

Segment 3:

After a July that featured the worst rates of community transmission during the pandemic, Mississippi's daily new COVID-19 cases have decreased over several weeks, and statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations have down by almost one third in August. But health officials say the overall numbers are still too high. Dr. LouAnn Woodward and Dr. Mark Horne discuss with out Kobee Vance.

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The Republican National Convention comes to a close as Donald Trump accepts the party’s nomination. We examine a splintered party’s direction under the current president.

Then, today marks the anniversary of Emmett Till’s death. How has his example shaped race relations in the decades since?

Plus, studies suggest Black women are three times more likely to die during pregnancy. What one health group is doing in the Delta to address this alarming rate.

Segment 1:

It was a nomination acceptance speech unlike any before. In an adorned front lawn, complete with Trump-Pence campaign signs and slogans, Donald Trump officially accepted the Republican Party's nomination for re-election. Lucien Smith is Chair of the Mississippi Republican Party. He tells our Desare Frazier the convention has served to present voters a contrast of ideas.

But the 2016 nomination and consequential Presidency of Donald Trump has caused some splintering in the Republican Party. A handful of prominent party members have been outspoken against the President - especially his temperament. Perhaps no group more than The Lincoln Project - whose membership includes Mississippian and Republican campaign strategist Stuart Stevens.

Segment 2:

Sixty-five years ago today, a young black boy visiting from Chicago was brutally murdered in the Mississippi Delta for allegedly flirting with a white woman. His death galvanized the civil rights movement - a movement often defined by the March on Washington exactly eight years following his murder. For some, Till now serves as a modern day symbol for injustice against African Americans nationwide. Jerry Mitchell, author and founder of the Mississippi Center for Investigative Reporting, tells our Ashley Norwood Till has become a modern day symbol for injustice to African Americans throughout the Black Lives Matter movement.

Segment 3:

As COVID rages on, the inequities that contribute to Black mothers being 3x more likely to die during pregnancy compared to white women are exacerbated further, especially in communities like Sunflower County, which experiences one of the highest per-capita rates of COVID in the country. Through the BUILD Health Challenge, a partnership has stepped up to provide families with information, resources and support to help them navigate pregnancy and motherhood during COVID. Melanie Williams is the Program Manager for the Delta Health Alliance.

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Hurricane Laura comes ashore, bringing with it high winds and heavy rain. We look at how it could affect Mississippi as it begins it’s turn eastward.

Then, expungements were a core issue of the Governor’s veto of a comprehensive criminal reform bill. We explore why reform advocates feel they should be expanded.

Plus, in today’s Book Club: A longtime GOP strategist has given up on his party as he details in his book, “It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump.”

Segment 1:

Hurricane Laura roared ashore along the southwest Louisiana coastline in the early hours of the morning, having intensified to strong Category 4 status with winds reaching 150 miles per hour and a storm surge unprecedented for the area. We're joined by Robert Ricks of the National Weather Service in Slidell.

MEMA Director Greg Michel is calling on Mississippians to stay weather aware as Laura tracks inland. He says the storm's path resembles 2005's Hurricane Rita - which brought tornadic activity to the state.

Segment 2:

When Governor Tate Reeves vetoed a bi-partisan criminal justice reform bill last month, he cited the expanded number of expungements, and the perceived safety concern they presented, as a key factor in his decision. House Bill 658 would have allowed Mississippians to get up to three non-violent felony convictions removed from their record. State law currently allows one felony expungement. Advocates and lawmakers seeking this type of reform say it helps those convicted of felonies get their lives back on track. MPB's Desare Frazier speaks with an expungement recipient, an attorney with the Mississippi Center for Justice, and a lawmaker hoping to bring the bill back.

Segment 3:

Stuart Stevens has been a staunch Republican for most of his life. A top strategist for Republican presidential candidates George W. Bush and Mitt Romney. The Jackson native helped Haley Barbour, Thad Cochran, and Roger Wicker get elected. But now Stevens has given up on his party because of the GOP’s embrace of President Donald Trump. Stevens new book is called “It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump.”

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State officials monitor Hurricane Laura as it continues to intensify ahead of landfall.

And, after a period of decline, the rolling average of COVID-19 cases ticks up.

Plus, we examine how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting Mississippi’s HBCUs.

Then, after a Southern Remedy Health Minute, the FDA issues emergency use of a new form of treatment for COVID-19.

Segment 1:

Hurricane Laura is intensifying quickly - building from a Category 1 to a Category 3 storm in the last 12 hours, with maximum sustained winds now at 115 miles per hour. But, the worst could be yet to come as forecasters predict the storm could strengthen to a Category 4 before landfall late tonight or early tomorrow. While the predictive cone shows the center of the storm landing in southwest Louisiana, Mississippi officials are monitoring Laura as it is still poised to bring wind, rain, and storm surge to Mississippi. Governor Tate Reeves says the state is preparing for the worst.

In addition to the looming threat of Hurricane Laura, the state is continuing it's fight against COVID-19. Recent reports of daily cases have not followed the downward trend of last week. Governor Reeves says Mississippians need to keep doing the little things.

Segment 2:

Institutions of higher learning in Mississippi are facing multiple challenges restarting classes amid the coronavirus pandemic. But as MPB's Ashley Norwood reports, leaders at historically Black colleges and universities say the impact at their schools -- is greater.

Segment 3:

Southern Remedy Health Minute

Segment 4:

The Food and Drug Administration is granting emergency use authorization for convalescent plasma in the continued fight against COVID-19. Flanked by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, President Trump described the treatment as safe and effective. Dr. Richard Summers is Vice Chancellor of Research at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He explains the storied use of plasma in treatment, and the status of plasma trials in the fight against COVID-19.

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As weakened Tropical Depression Marco drifts west, attention turns to Hurricane Laura as it enters the Gulf of Mexico.

Then, the GOP kicked off its convention last night. We talk to local delegates on the message the party is sending as it re-nominates President Trump.

Plus, legislators near the end of the months-long DMR budget battle.

Segment 1:

Gulf coast cities are facing flash floods, storm surges, and and strong winds as Tropical Storm Marco moves west. But the looming threat of Hurricane Laura in the southern Gulf is adding another layer of concern and preparation for Mississippi residents. Laura strengthened to hurricane status earlier this morning, reaching maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. Forecasters predict Laura could become a Category 3 storm before it's anticipated landfall in southwest Louisiana later this week. Governor Tate Reeves wants all Mississippi residents to consider the threats Laura could bring the state.

Jackson, Harrison, and Hancock Counties have prepared shelters in case they are needed, but emergency officials are concerned about coroanvirus transmission. Earl Etheridge, Director of Emergency Services in Jackson County, says residents should prioritize evacuations over shelters if possible. He tells our Kobee Vance, the storm surge associated with hurricanes pose the most immediate threat.

Segment 2:

A small team of Mississippi Republican delegates is in Charlotte, North Carolina for the party's national convention. The four day event began yesterday and continues through Thursday. State party chair Lucien Smith is there and says most of the events are virtual because of the coronavirus pandemic. He tells our Desare Frazier shifting to a virtual convention is a challenge, but says the party still has a clear message for voters.

Segment 3:

Mississippi lawmakers are reaching a compromise on a budget for a state agency that's been without funding for nearly two months. The legislature failed to pass a budget for the Department of Marine Resources in June, and again earlier this month when they briefly returned to address the Governor's education veto. The delay is the product of a divide between the House and Senate over who should have authority to spend funds the state receives from oil and natural gas leases - known in legislative circles as GOMESA funds. House Republican Charles Busby and Senate Republican Brice Wiggins join us.

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Tropical Storm Marco inches closer to the Gulf Coast while Laura expects to strengthen before landfall later this week.

And, state officials prepare residents for dangers associated with the looming tropical cyclones.

Plus, healthy habits to strengthen the immune system ahead of an unprecedented flu season.

Segment 1:

Tropical Storm Marco is expected to move along the lower portions of the southeast Louisiana coastal parishes today and tonight, potentially bringing heavy rain, storm surge and coastal flooding to the Misssissippi Gulf Coast Counties. In the southeastern Gulf, Tropical Storm Laura poses a threat of hurricane force winds and rain later in the week. We're joined by Freddie Zeigler, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New Orleans.

Segment 2:

Mississippi is under a state of emergency as its coastal areas brace for a potential back-to-back punch of tropical weather events. In a press conference announcing the emergency declaration, Governor Tate Reeves acknowledged the unprecedented situation the Gulf Coast states are facing. MEMA Director Greg Michel says there is a short window available between the two storm tracks should Mississippians need to evacuate. He says it is important for residents to be on alert.

Segment 3:

Since the early days of March, Mississippi, like much of the nation, has faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In late July and early August, as cases surged, the health care system fell under strain to treat those infected with the virus. Now, as fall approaches, health officials worry flu season could exacerbate that stress on Mississippi's hospitals. They say the best way for residents help is to get a flu vaccine. But according to Josie Bidwell, Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, a healthy, well-maintained immune system is a good asset any time of year. 

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The Governor signs an Executive Order outlining attendance restrictions for college football games.

Then, the Democratic National Convention came to a close last night. We reflect on the historic event with some of Mississippi's participants.

Plus, in celebration of the 19th Amendment, a conversation with the League of Women Voters on the struggle for suffrage.

Segment 1:

College football season in Mississippi is back, but this fall is going to look much different. While the state's flagship programs are expected to play, it will be in front of significantly reduced crowds due to restrictions put in place by Governor Tate Reeves. Reeves addressed his latest executive order in a briefing yesterday.

Reeves' restrictions on the game day experience come as the department of health is investigating two known outbreaks on college campuses. Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers says social activities off campus are leading to these outbreaks. In light of these investigations, MPB's Ashley Norwood reports on how schools are responding to concerns over COVID-19.

Segment 2:

Mississippi Delegates to the Democratic National Convention are applauding the four day virtual event which ended last night with Joe Biden accepting the presidential nomination. His running mate, Kamala Harris, is the first African American and Asian American woman to be nominated vice president. Hinds County Administrator Jennifer Riley-Collins, a delegate, tells our Desare Frazier she was moved by candidate Biden's message. Mississippi's delegates were pledged Tuesday night from the Bennie Thompson Auditorium on the campus of Tougaloo College. College President Dr. Carmen Walters says it was a way to showcase one of Mississippi's oldest HBCU's while joining a message of unity.

Segment 3:

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment - securing the right to vote for American women. Carol Anderson is co-president of the Mississippi League of Women Voters. She shares the story of the long struggle for suffrage, and how the fight to get voters to the polls continues.

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The state experiences a daily spike in COVID-19 cases, and colleges and schools manage outbreaks.

Then, on the eve of flu season, medical professionals emphasize the importance of vaccines to take the pressure off a strained health care system.

Plus, in our Book Club, a different perspective on the gruesome murder of Emmitt Till in the book, “Let the People See.”

Segment 1:

Following a week of daily reports below 1,000, Mississippi is experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases. The department of health reported 1,348 new cases yesterday - the highest daily mark since July 30th. Governor Tate Reeves says while the high case number needs to be acknowledged, it doesn't indicate a trend.

The one-day spike comes as high school and college students continue to return to campus. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs says his department are closely monitoring outbreaks in high schools, and is investigating two incidents on college campuses.

Segment 2:

Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 remain high in Mississippi, and health officials are concerned that the upcoming flu season could further strain the state's health care system. Nearly 900 people are currently hospitalized with the coronavirus in Mississippi, and health officials say an intense flu season could add to those numbers and overwhelm the state's hospital capacity. Aside from testing, there are no clear ways to tell the flu and coronavirus apart, says Dr. Mark Horne, President of the Mississippi State Medical Association. He shares more on the intersection of the pandemic and flu season with MPB's Kobee Vance.

Segment 3:

In recent years, several books have been released about Emmitt Till. They’ve each recounted the kidnapping and murder of the black 14 year-old from Chicago visiting family in Mississippi in 1955. When we talked with Elliott Gorn last year about his book, “Let the People See” he brought a different perspective to an act that galvanized the civil rights movement. Now, in light of the current Black Lives Matter protests, Till’s murder is as relevant as ever.

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With the Postmaster General set to appear before Congress, a local postal leader responds to federal decisions that have slowed mail processing in the capital city.

Plus, the Flag Commission moves one step closer to selecting a new design for the November vote.

Then, after a Southern Remedy Health Minute, a Mississippi lawmaker supports a citizen group's effort to bring the 1894 flag to the ballot.

Segment 1:

U.S. Postal Workers in Mississippi are expressing concern as changes made to mail processing has caused significant delays. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a former CEO of a logistics company, has drawn wide criticism in recent weeks over executive decisions to cut costs within the postal service. These changes include removing mail processing machines, reducing the workforce and eliminating overtime. Sunny Thigpin is president of the Jackson Area Local of American Postal Workers Union. The retired expediter tells our Desare Frazier sorting machines are being removed in local mail-rooms, causing deliveries to slow down.

Segment 2:

Only five flags remain in the running to become Mississippi's new state flag. The nine member Flag Commission met yesterday to discuss submissions, make minor adjustments to designs, and rank their top five out of eight flag options. All five submissions selected for the final round feature a design element called the Choctaw Star - a move ensuring the state's tribal heritage will be included on the flag presented to voters in November.

Segment 3:

Some Mississippians are upset over the process of changing the state flag. The group Let Mississippi Vote has created a ballot initiative that puts the retired flag and three other flag designs on the statewide ballot. The group rallied in the capital city last weekend. State Senator Joey Fillingane of Sumrall voted against changing the flag and supports the initiative. He says when the public was allowed to vote on the flag in 2001, it set a precedent for public input the state legislature did not honor.

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