Mississippi

The hurricane virtually flattened the entire town, destroying or damaging nearly every home. Rebuilding efforts took another hit in 2010 with the BP oil spill.

Tiny Pearlington, Miss., was obliterated 10 years ago. In a town of 1,700, only two houses stood relatively unscathed. Volunteers did most rebuilding, for better or worse, and recovery has been slow.

Mississippi has long ranked near the bottom of the states in educational performance. In a bid to change that, 21 school districts are suing the state for more than $200 million in education funding.

Many couples have traveled to states where gay marriage is recognized to get hitched. Those who do have a much harder time getting divorced once they get back home.

The University of Mississippi is making an ongoing effort to remove potentially divisive and racially charged symbols to try and make the campus more welcoming, but not everybody welcomes the changes.

Medicaid in Mississippi provides insurance to 1 in 5 residents. But funding could stop July 1 if politicians don't act. The Legislature has brought the program to the brink over a debate about expanding it under the Affordable Care Act.

Starting in July, doctors and midwives in Mississippi will be required by law to collect samples of umbilical cord blood from babies born to some girls under the age of 16. Officials will analyze the samples and try to identify the fathers through matches in the state's DNA database.