Mississippi

What to watch for in Tuesday’s high-stakes elections

Abortion rights are playing a pivotal role in elections in Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

The Fight to Reverse Increasing Maternal Mortality Rates

The U.S. has some of the highest mortality rates in the world. A study in North Carolina found approaches that are making a difference.

  • By Rachel Gottlieb

‘Do Not Drink the Water,’ Mississippi Governor Tells Jackson Area’s 250,000 Residents

“The city cannot produce enough water to fight fires, to flush toilets and to meet other critical needs,” Gov. Tate Reeves said.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

$53.3 Million. 33 Jobs. No Plan. That’s How Mississippi Lawmakers Are Spending BP Oil Spill Money.

Business leaders hoped the state would use money from the 2010 oil spill to transform Mississippi’s coastal economy. Instead, lawmakers are using much of it to fill gaps in local government budgets and fund projects with few metrics for success.

  • By Anita Lee, Sun Herald

Conditions at Mississippi’s Most Notorious Prison Violate the Constitution, DOJ Says

“The problems at Parchman are severe, systemic, and exacerbated by serious deficiencies in staffing and supervision,” the report said.

  • By Jerry Mitchell, ProPublica

In Mississippi, Another Push to Ease Restrictions on Divorce

The change would make things easier for someone trying to end a marriage against their partner’s wishes.

  • By Mariel Padilla, The 19th

Price Jumps Prompt Pocketbook Policies in States

The Midwest and South are seeing the biggest spikes.

  • By Tim Henderson, Stateline

Rural Leaders Fear They’ll Miss Out on Infrastructure Money

Small towns might not have the staff to write grants, according to state and association officials.

  • By Aallyah Wright, Stateline

The Best and Worst States for Child Well-Being

Massachusetts took the top spot in the KIDS COUNT Data Book, an annual survey from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, while Mississippi ranked 50th.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Lowest Rates, Highest Hurdles: Southern States Tackle Vaccine Gap

"It's not a Covid vaccine thing. It's a Mississippi thing."

  • By Aallyah Wright, Stateline

Best and Worst States for City Manager Jobs

The median salary for the highest 10% of city manager positions is $227,000, but not all these executives nationwide fare as well when it comes to pay and opportunities, according to a recent report.

  • By Brent Woodie

Pandemic Prompts Some States to Pass Struggling Third Graders

Citing mental health concerns, some states are delaying third-grade retention.

  • By Aallyah Wright, Stateline
Featured eBooks
The State of Trust in Government
Cybersecurity in State and Local Government
Building Data Literacy in the State and Local Workforce

What Can Parks Do When Demand Rises as Budgets Decline?

Though there may be greater appreciation for the nation’s parks, many are still fighting for funding. Some states are finding solutions.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Families Say Athletic Bans Would Exact Toll on Rural Transgender Youth

This year, state lawmakers across the country have filed more than two dozen bills that would ban transgender youth from playing on sports teams that don’t align with their sex at birth.

  • By Aallyah Wright, Stateline

In America, Covid Vaccine Eligibility Is a ‘Crazy Quilt’ of State Rules

Across the country, a mishmash of rules to qualify for the Covid-19 vaccine is creating difficulties for people seeking the shots.

  • By Phil Galewitz, KFF Health News

High Obesity Rates in Southern States Magnify Covid Threat

In the American South, obesity is playing a role not only in covid outcomes, but in the calculus of the vaccination rollout.

  • By Sarah Varney, KFF Health News

Mid-Sized City Mayors Urge Feds Not to Forget Them in Climate Fight

The type of infrastructure investment needed to advance the Biden administration’s climate policy goals could be out of reach for many small and mid-sized cities without federal help.

  • By Andrea Noble

‘It’s Patchwork’: Rural Teachers Struggle to Connect in Pandemic

Some teachers are hand-delivering reading material to students’ homes.

  • By Aallyah Wright, Stateline

Biden Criticizes ‘Neanderthal Thinking’ as Two Governors Roll Back Mask Mandates

The Republican governors of Texas and Mississippi this week announced plans to ease public health restrictions, prompting the rebuke from the president.

  • By Andrea Noble

Hospitals, ICU Beds Reach Capacity Across U.S. as Pandemic Surges

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | DOJ investigates Kansas City’s contracting policies… cities expand pilot programs providing guaranteed income... Mississippi prisons deal with understaffing.

  • By Andrea Noble

Biden Names Intergovernmental Affairs Chief

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | New Orleans nixes Mardi Gras parades due to Covid … Mississippi governor calls for axing state’s income tax … Leaders in both parties urge against out-of-state political supporters moving to Georgia ahead of special election.

  • By Bill Lucia