Share
Mississippi Edition
3/22/21 - Second Coronavirus Variant in MS | JSU Vaccination Event | Repatriation of Native Remains
Health officials confirm a second coronavirus variant in Mississippi.
Then, Jackson State University steps up to promote vaccination.
Plus, indigenous remains are repatriated to the Chickasaw nation.
Segment 1:
Mississippi health officials are reporting the first identified case of the South African strain of coronavirus in Harrison County. State Health officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs says the South African strain or B.1.3.5.1 is more easily spread. State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers is urging people to get vaccinated. He says even though some of the vaccines may not prevent infection, they will still reduce hospitalizations and deaths.
Segment 2:
Mississippi's expanded coronavirus vaccine eligibility means college students are now able to get their shots - and colleges and universities in the state are hosting COVID-19 vaccination clinics to make access easier. This weekend, Jackson State University attracted nearly 300 students, faculty and community members. JSU President Thomas Hudson tells MPB's Kobee Vance vaccination is the best path toward normalcy.
Segment 3:
The Chickasaw Nation is receiving the remains of 403 Native Americans along with 83 lots of burial objects from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. The return marks the largest repatriation of human remains in Mississippi History, and the first for the state agency. Meg Cook is the Director of Archeology Collections.
More episodes
View all episodes
08/11/2025: Gaza Hunger | Early Childhood Education | F.A.R.M. Plan
24:00|What role does Mississippi play in the ongoing conflict along the Gaza Strip? Two members of the Israeli community share their thoughts.Then, the state's largest non-profit supporting pre-k education shares details on what Mississippi students need to succeed.Plus, a new initiative by the Department of Agriculture and Commerce could help prepare Mississippi's farmers for the future.
08/08/2025: Hemp Opinion | Heat Sounds | Voting Rights Act
23:44|An advisory opinion from Attorney General Lynn Fitch is upending Mississippi's hemp industry.Then, Temperature data shows New Orleans is getting hotter. But what would the data sound like?Plus, a civil rights activist talks about the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. The legislation was passed 60 years ago this week.
08/07/2025: DEI Lawsuit | FCC Visit | State Superintendent of Education
24:03|A lawsuit to stop the enforcement of an anti-DEI law is in the hands of a federal judge.Then, an FCC commissioner is in Jackson with U.S. Senator Roger Wicker to talk broadband expansion.Plus, we continue our conversation with State Superintendent of Education Lance Evans. Hear his plans for the new school year.
08/06/2025: DEI Lawsuit | Education Funding | Voting Rights Act Anniversary
27:22|Educators, students, and parents testify in federal court about the impact of Mississippi’s law banning Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs.Then, more than 137 million pandemic relief dollars were clawed back from schools earlier this year. Now, that money is being returned.Plus, today marks the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The nation's Voting Rights Act turns 60 today. A professor and civil rights activisttalks about voting gains and losses.
08/05/2025: Special Elections | Flesh Eating Bacteria | Changes to FEMA
24:15|Special primary elections are underway in the state for 7 legislative seatsThen, Doctors in the state are cautioning folks about a rare bacteria in waterways.Plus, the state's lead Emergency Manager shares what changes at FEMA could mean for Mississippi.
08/04/2025: Gaza Hunger Crisis | Broadband Expansion | VA Research 100th Anniversary
24:25|Mississippians with ties to Israel and Gaza share their thoughts on the current hunger crisis.Then, changes to federal funding isn't slowing the state's push to expand broadband access.Plus, officials at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Jackson celebrate 100 years of medical research by VAs across the nation.
08/01/2025: School Choice | Pearl River Flood Mitigation | Asylum Graveyard
23:30|A state legislative leader says one of his top priorities for the next session is expanding school choice.Then, the Army Corps of Engineers hears what residents in Jackson think about different versions of the "One Lake Project", an effort to mitigate flooding along the Pearl River.Plus, students at the University of Mississippi Medical Center are relocating thousands of graves, a unique opportunity to better understand the state's medical history.
07/31/2025: Neshoba Day 1 | School Driving Safety | History Award
24:02|Stump speeches are underway at the annual Neshoba County Fair. Hear what some Mississippi elected officials are talking about. Then, Children are going back to school. That means drivers need to slow down even if they're in a hurry to keep kids safe in school zones.Plus, the head of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History receives a prestigious lifetime achievement award.
07/30/2025: Judicial Error | Job Corps | Hacked Public Meeting
24:02|A U.S. District Judge in Mississippi writes a temporary ban of the state's DEI ban. It contained numerous errors, sparking questions about whether artificial intelligence was used to help write it.Then, another federal court stops the closure of Job Corps Center in the state and across the country. Plus, a virtual meeting to determine how best to spend millions in opioid settlement dollars is interrupted by a hacker showing crude images.