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Mississippi Edition
4/9/21 - Conversation with State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs | Migrant Works Pleas for Protection
Overall coronavirus cases are trending down. Vaccine rollout is now in its fifth month. We talk to the State Health Officer about how Mississippi is faring in its year long fight against COVID-19.
Plus, migrant workers profoundly affected by the ICE raid of 2019, are calling on action from the Biden Administration.
Segment 1:
Vaccines for COVID-19 have been available to all Mississippi residents 18 and over for more than three weeks now, but the effort to educate and encourage vaccination has been a five month endeavor for the Department of Health. Still, despite being one of only a few states to offer widen availability, the rate of Mississippians receiving at least one dose is below the national average. About one in every four Mississippi residents have gotten one shot - a rate that falls eight points below the national average of 33 percent.
State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs says hesitancy and access have been the two most significant challenges in getting the state to the roughly 80 percent rate needed to reach a level of herb immunity. In part one of our conversation, we discuss vaccine hesitancy, access, the question of booster shots.
Segment 2:
During the winter wave of coronavirus cases and deaths, residents in long term care facilities were especially hard-hit. The number of outbreaks in those facilities reached their highest points in January, right when vaccine distribution began in the state. Now, three months later, outbreaks and deaths within that group has declined significantly. We pick up our conversation with State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs discussing the vaccine effort in long term care facilities, and how a recent health grant from the CDC can help Mississippi continue it's fight against COVID-19.
Segment 3:
Advocates for immigrant workers in Mississippi are calling on the Biden administration to overturn policies that target undocumented immigrant communities. They say the President can start by protecting those affected by the 2019 ICE raids. Yesterday, those advocates gathered outside the Department of Labor's capital city office to deliver a letter to the Wage and Hour Division, urging the Biden administration to create protections for immigrant workers
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05/03/2024: Medicaid Bills Dead | Tiny Desk Host | HIV De-stigmatization
24:02This year's legislative plans to expand Medicaid have died in Mississippi.Then, NPR’s Tiny Desk has a new series host and producer-- Bobby Carter – Who got his start in radio at Jackson State University.Plus, a new billboard campaign seeks to de-stigmatize HIV.
05/02/2024: Medicaid Stalls Near Finish Line | Bi-Lingual Voter Engagement Initiative | Alzheimer's Study
23:58After months of debate, plans for expanding Medicaid in Mississippi may have ended for this legislative session.Then, language barriers can prevent many people from voting. A new initiative seeks to bridge that gap.Plus, a new study by the University of Mississippi and Harvard has found a connection between bad cholesterol and Alzheimer's Disease.
05/01/2024: Medicaid Conference Report | Abortion Ban in Florida | Oldest Standing Home in Mississippi
23:50The future of Medicaid expansion is on the line at the state legislature today.From the Gulf States Newsroom, an abortion ban in Florida is set to go into effect today, severely limiting access for many across the South.Plus, what's the story behind the oldest standing structure in Mississippi? The answer in this week's History is Lunch.
04/30/2024: CCID Jurisdiction | Utility Bill of the Month | Education Funding Formula
23:38A bill heading to the Governor's desk could add time to an expanded police presence within the capital city.Then, water utilities in the South are notorious for poor customer service, leaving customers trying for months to fix inaccurate bills. In some cases, years.Plus, what a new education funding formula could mean for classrooms in Mississippi.
04/29/2024: MS Student Funding Formula | Gaza Conflict Protests | Bobby Rush
24:08Mississippi lawmakers are sending a bill to the Governor that would create a new education funding formula.Then, local organizers are calling for a ceasefire in Gaza as the war between Israel and Hamas nears it's seventh consecutive month.Plus, the state legislature is honoring blues legend Bobby Rush for his recent Grammy win.
04/26/2024: Medicaid Discussions Stall | Speaker Responds | Health and Gospel Fair
23:10Lawmakers are running out of time to expand Medicaid benefits to the working poor as the session nears a close.But Mississippi's Speaker of the House Jason White says he's still confident the state can pass a bill for Medicaid.Plus, health officials are seeking new methods to reach under-served communities.
04/25/2024: Business Leaders for Medicaid Expansion | Organ Donor Month | "Outliving the White Lie" author
21:31Mississippi business leaders are calling for Medicaid expansion, but lawmakers remain deadlocked.Then, how registering to be an organ donor can save lives.Plus, Mississippi's dark history often gets a cleaner slate than it should. A new book seeks to clear the air.
04/24/2024: Medicaid Meeting | Air Pollution | History is Lunch
23:46Mississippi legislators are trying to reach an agreement over Medicaid expansion as the session nears an end. Then, Nearly four in ten people, in the U.S. live in counties that have unhealthy levels of air pollution. How do counties in Mississippi stack up?Plus, A former Mississippi politician is sharing stories of his experience in the state legislature through a short film.
04/23/2024: Disenfranchisement Bills | Gang Crack-down in Jackson | Crop Prices
23:53Almost 3 dozen people convicted of felony crimes in Mississippi could soon have their voting rights restored. Then, Law enforcement officials in Jackson say a federal program meant to address gangs and other violent crimes in the capital city -is set to begin soon. Plus, fluctuating crop prices have caused major shifts in what's being planted this year.