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Mississippi Edition
7/23/20 - Hospital System Under Stress | JPS Superintendent | Book Club: "Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe"
The continuing trend of high cases and hospitalizations keeps Mississippi’s health care system under stress.
Then, how the state’s second largest school system is preparing for the new school year.
Plus, in today’s Book Club, a real ghost town in Mississippi is the setting for “Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe.”
Segment 1:
Governor Tate Reeves is calling on hospitals to implement surge plans, to make room for coronavirus patients in their facilities. For the second consecutive day, the Mississippi Department of Health reported over 1,500 new cases of the coronavirus. High hospitalizations rates associated with the virus also continue to press the health care system. Governor Tate Reeves says the central region of the state only has two ICU beds available, which creates a real danger for anyone in need of critical medical care.
As the state inches closer to crisis state, Health Officer Dr. Dobbs is transparent about what will happen to the level of care if hospitals are pushed to that extent.
Segment 2:
Reaching every corner of the capital city, Jackson Public Schools is the state's second-largest school district. With over fifty school sites and nearly 24,000 scholars, the district has many factors to consider when preparing for the new school year. Superintendent Dr. Errick Greene says his team's plan is based on feedback from the community, and the health safety guidelines of public officials.
Segment 3:
About 40 miles north of Meridian is a ghost town called Electric Mills. There’s not much left except some overgrown sidewalks and pillars. In today’s Book Club, author, Jo Watson Hackl, takes readers to a fictionalized version of Electric Mills in her adventure, “Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe.”
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09/26/2023: UAW Strike | PERS Rates | Stennis Space Partnership
23:51Members of the United Auto Workers union in Mississippi are joining the nationwide strike against the three largest domestic car manufacturers.Then, the rates which state and local governments pay into the Public Employees' Retirement System is expected to rise.Plus, an aerospace partnership in Mississippi that spanned more than a quarter-century has come to a close.
09/25/2023: Doctor reacts to Medicaid investments | Revisiting Rolling Fork | Plantiff on HB 1020 ruling
23:44The state's strained healthcare system may soon see a growth of income from Medicaid, but some doctors say it is not sustainable.Then, it has been six months since a catastrophic tornado ripped across the lower Mississippi Delta and into Alabama, killing at least 23 people and injuring dozens more.Plus, we speak with one of the plantifs of a legal challenge towards House Bill 1020, the law that expands police jurisdiction and creates a temporary court in Jackson.
09/22/2023: Hospital Investments | HB 1020 Ruling | Delta food bus
24:44Governor Tate Reeves is proposing a change to Medicaid reimbursement rates that could inject up to 700 million dollars into the state's troubled healthcare system.Then, the Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled to keep several provisions of a highly contested lawPlus, a farmer in the Delta is converting an old school bus into a mobile fresh food market.
09/21/2023: Don't Ask Don't Tell | Black quarterbacks | Ag Museum
23:47Mississippi's LGBT community is recognizing the 12th anniversary of the repeal of an anti-gay military policy.Then, a new book details how Black quarterbacks have revolutionized professional football.Plus, this week marks the 40th anniversary of the Mississippi Agriculture Museum.
09/20/2023: Public Defender Shortage | EMS Heat | Anne Moody Pt 2
24:13Poor defendants are getting left behind in Mississippi's criminal justice system. But legal experts and the leader of the state's public defender office have solutions.Then, a deep dive into the surge in EMS calls for unhoused people in New Orleans due to relentless heat.Plus, part two of our reflection on the life of a civil rights icon Anne Moody.
09/19/2023: Mississippi River Waterline | Respiratory illnesses Pt. 2 | Civil Rights Sit-ins Honored
23:35The water line on the Mississippi River is dropping rapidly with little rainfall on the horizon.Then, doctors say parents play an important roll in keeping children safe from respiratory illnesses.Plus, we reflect on the life of a civil rights icon who participated in the Jackson sit-ins.
09/18/2023: RSV, Flu and COVID | WIC Budgets | College Courses
23:58The CDC is reporting increased hospitalizations for COVID-19, as well as a rise in cases of RSV. We talk to an expert in pediatric infectious disease.Then, a Congressional gridlock on the spending budget could have significant effects on mothers and children in poverty. Plus, who should influence what colleges teach? A recent report reveals most Americans say not the government.
9/15/2023 - Voting Rights Politics | Public Funds, Private Schools | Life Insurance
22:46Two Democratic Candidates for state office are announcing their plans to work together to protect elections.Then, the state's largest educator association has filed an amicus brief for a case that alleges state funds were illegally sent to private schools.Plus, a life insurance policy locator is helping to recover millions of dollars in unclaimed property for Mississippians.
09/14/2023: Child Poverty Rates | Heat in rural areas | Welding training in prisons
22:21Mississippi youth advocates are reacting to new Census data that shows a near doubling of child poverty rates in the nation.Then, this year’s extreme heat is taking a toll on rural communities across the country.Plus, several inmates in the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility have completed training and have begun a new career path in welding.