Mississippi Edition

The Army Corps of Engineers evaluates plans for the Yazoo Backwater Pump Project.

Then, the Mississippi Supreme Court rules against further expanding absentee voting, while an injunction in federal court requests an immediate ruling in a similar suit.

Plus, state officials say Mississippi is faring better in the battle against coronavirus transmission than it did following the Fourth of July.

Segment 1:

Damage Assessments are being sent to the Army Corps of Engineers to show how a flood prevention system could have made an impact in last year's historic flooding in the Mississippi Delta. Plans for the Yazoo Backwater Pump Project are being evaluated by the Corps of Engineers after months of damage assessment. In a press briefing Friday, Governor Tate Reeves was flanked by Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith and Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson to express their support for the project.

Segment 2:

Lawyers for the Mississippi Center for Justice argue absentee voting should be expanded in the state during the pandemic - granting eligibility to voters who wish to avoid crowded poll sites in adherence to public health guidelines. But late last week, the Mississippi Supreme Court struck down that argument while clarifying what conditions do allow a person to vote absentee. Attorney Robert McDuff of the Mississippi Center for Justice explains the ruling with our Desare Frazier.

Segment 3:

Mississippi's Health Officer says data indicates the state is not yet seeing a spike in cases following the Labor Day holiday. The state's COVID numbers sharply rose in July following Independence Day. Widespread transmission led Governor Tate Reeves to issue a statewide mask mandate in August. Dr. Thomas Dobbs says he's glad to see the state is not repeating the trends from earlier this summer. Governor Tate Reeves credits Mississippians for the state's progress but says the decline in cases could be sharper - noting a suspected flattening last week.