Mississippi Edition

Mississippians on the Hill and on the street provide their thoughts on the impeachment hearings. Then, after Byte Size Tech, how a local hiring event is helping more Mississippians enter the workforce.

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Impeachment hearings began last week in the House Intelligence Committee and members from both sides of the aisle are beginning to consider the evidence. MPB's Michael Guidry spoke with Representative Steven Palazzo of Mississippi's fourth Congressional district about the proceedings that he considers a sham.

Mississippi voters are also talking about the historic public hearings. Charles Kennedy of Corinth and Polly Anna Brown of Tupelo believe the President is being treated unfairly. They recently spoke with MPB's Desare Frazier in Tupelo while attending the President's rally. Jackson resident John Byrd supports the impeachment inquiry.

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Byte Size Tech

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After a long, steady decline that started in 2012, Mississippi's unemployment rate is rising again. It is now the highest it has been in nearly three years. To help combat this growing trend, a workforce development program at MPB is hosting a hiring event that will feature over forty potential employers. MPB's Sharon Person sat down with our Ezra Wall to discuss Mississippi's workplace needs.

A longtime colleague remembers the service of the late Mississippi House Speaker Billy McCoy. Also, the alarming trend of trying youth offenders as adults in Mississippi. And environmental advocates are talking about a Gulf Coast version of the Green New Deal. Plus, novelist Margaret Wilkerson Sexton is in our Book Club.

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A longtime House Democrat is remembering the public service career of former Mississippi House Speaker Billy McCoy, who died Tuesday.  Representative Steve Holland of Plantersville says his fellow Democrat was instrumental in passing the state's current education funding formula, but will be most remembered for legislation creating a four-lane state highway system. Holland spoke with MPB's Ezra Wall.

Services for Billy McCoy will be Friday afternoon at 2 at Gaston Baptist Church. He was 77.

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A new report out today shows, nearly five-thousand children in Mississippi have been charged as adults in the last twenty-five years. Of those, three out of four are African American. It's part of an online story available today from the public radio show, Reveal. Reporter Ko Bragg talks about her findings with MPB's Ezra Wall.

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An environmental initiative is being launched that focuses on helping communities of color on the Gulf Coast.  The Gulf South for a Green New Deal is a plan crafted by community leaders, indigenous peoples, farmers, and small business members.  Gordon Jackson is the Chair of the Environmental and Climate Justice Committee for the Biloxi NAACP.  He tells MPB's Kobee Vance, while the Green New Deal is a good idea, it need to be tailored to fit the needs of the Gulf South. Fifty groups across five southern states have co-sponsored the initiative , and more than 100 organizations have endorsed the policy.

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In her debut novel, Margaret Wilkerson Sexton told the story of three generations of a black New Orleans family in World War 2, the 1980s and post-Katrina. That book, “ A Kind of Freedom” was met with high praise and a nomination for the National Book Award. Now, Wilkerson Sexton is out with her next book, “The Revisioners.” It’s the story of a former slave and her neighbor in 1924 and then her descendant’s relationship with her white grandmother. The themes are similar. But was that intentional? Margaret Wilkerson Sexton tells us.

Mississippi Edition for Wednesday, November 13, 2019:

Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson previews impeachment-related hearings in the House later today. Then, the federal immigration program known as DACA is before the U.S. Supreme Court. Mississippi advocates and immigrants weigh-in. And after a Southern Remedy Health Minute, Democratic challenger Mike Espy says he's ready to go another round against U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith.

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The Washington version of must-see TV makes its debut with the first public hearing in the impeachment inquiry. Cameras are in place in a House office building just south of the Capitol for the opening session this morning. Witnesses are expected to provide evidence about President Donald Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. MPB's Ezra Wall spoke with Congressman Bennie Thompson. The Mississippi Democrat talks about what he's expecting to hear during today's testimony. 

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Immigrants rights advocates are speaking out following a hearing in the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday that threatens the legal status of thousands of young immigrants. The immigrants are part of a program designed to help people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. It's called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals - or DACA. The Trump Administration has tried to rescind the program, only to have the lower courts block his action. Patricia Ice of the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance talks with MPB's Desare Frazier.

Jesus is a food service worker. We're not using his last name to protect his identity. The aspiring restaurant manager says the DACA program allowed him to seek the education he will need to achieve his goals.

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Segment 3: Southern Remedy Health Minute - Rash

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Democrat Mike Espy says he wants a rematch against Cindy Hyde-Smith for the U.S. Senate seat. Espy lost last year's special election for the two remaining years of retired Senator Thad Cochran's six year term. He says in spite of Democrats losing the recent gubernatorial election, he sees a path to victory in 2020, as he explains to our Kobee Vance.

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PHOTO: AP Photo

Mississippi Edition for Tuesday, November 12, 2019:

Mississippians are waking up to some frigid temperatures this morning. But how long will the cold last? Plus, the states top for official has a warning about improperly heating your home. Then, a new report looks at how race and racism continue to plague the Deep South more than a hundred years after the end of Reconstruction. And after a Mississippi StoryCorps, a Gold Star Mother remembers the kids and service of her son.

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Most Mississippians woke up this morning to temperatures far below what they were the last couple of days. And forecasts show tonight's temps could drop even more, with much of Mississippi reaching well below freezing. MPB's Ezra Wall spoke with meteorologist Anna Wolverton of the National Weather Service in Jackson.

The state's top fire official is Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney, who is also the state Fire Marshal. While some of us might be tempted to add a little warmth to the house by lighting a fire or using a space heater, Chaney says it's important to use those items properly. 

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Mississippians and other southerners are still deeply divided on issues of race and the perceptions surrounding them. A recent report called "Divided By Design" shows wide differences in the perceptions of white and black southerners. Mitch Landrieu is the former mayor of New Orleans and is a principal in the report. He talked about it with MPB's Ezra Wall.

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Segment 3: StoryCorps

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Families who have made the ultimate sacrifice were honored during a recent Veteran's Day ceremony. MPB's Kobee Vance has more on a Mississippi gold star family.  

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Photo: AP Photo