Mississippi Edition

The Jackson-metro area begins its recovery following Tuesday's severe weather.

And, Mardi Grad Indians hold a second line funeral in honor of a local icon.

Then, we examine the factors of learning loss and how a pandemic-altered school year could add more challenges.

Plus, in our Book Club, the people and places changed by America’s mighty waterways in “Holding Back the River.”

Segment 1:

At least 14 tornados have ripped through parts of Mississippi this week damaging hundreds of homes, uprooting trees and leaving thousands without power. Residents in the Capitol city are beginning the recovery process after the most recent wave of storms. The home of North Jackson resident Fred Clark Sr was essentially sliced in half by a tree during Tuesday's tornado. He shares his experience.

Segment 2:

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, New Orleans was a hotspot for cases and deaths. Many of the events that people across the region regularly attend were put on hold -- Bourbon Street and the French Quarter fell quiet. Jazz Fest and many parades were cancelled. Now, New Orleans is allowing gatherings of up to five hundred people. And a few weeks ago, Mardi Gras Indians held a second line funeral, a parade to honor a local icon: Keelian Boyd otherwise known Big Chief Dump. Dressed in masks and elaborate suits, participants said it signaled a return to some sense of normalcy and joy.

Segment 3:

Learning loss represents a clockwork pattern of concern as Mississippi students take an extended break from academics during the summer months. This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, students are also adapting to virtual learning and other changes to educational instruction. In part two of our examination of learning loss, MPB's Desare Frazier speaks with Delta State University Professor Temika Simmons on the persistent challenges and factors facing students, teachers, and families.

Segment 4:

The Mississippi … the Missouri … the Ohio … Three rivers that have sustained Americans for generations, providing drinking water, nourishing crops and transporting goods. Also happening for generations? Diverting water or confining it. Tyler J. Kelley is the author of Holding Back The River: The Struggle Against Nature on America’s Waterways.” He tells the stories of those most impacted by the river’s flow and how the present has changed what rivers used to be.