Mississippi

Black Voters Sue Over Mississippi's Jim Crow-Era Election Law

7:39pm September 24, 2019

by Debbie Elliott

Four African Americans are suing over a Jim Crow-era election rule that requires statewide officeholders to win a majority of the popular vote and at least 62 of 122 Mississippi state house districts.

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Citing the "Billy Graham rule," Mississippi Rep. Robert Foster declined to be interviewed in an all-day ride-along by a female journalist unless she brought a man along for the trip. The reporter, Larrison Campbell, refused.

Mississippi Gubernatorial Candidate's Condition For Female Reporter: Bring A Man

8:25pm July 11, 2019

by Vanessa Romo

"I did not want there to be a perception that I was riding with another female and that something promiscuous was going on or anything like that," Robert Foster told NPR.

Waveland and other beaches in Mississippi are closed because of a large algae bloom along the coast. The beach is seen here last September, as storm clouds from Tropical Storm Gordon approached.

Toxic Algae Bloom Closes 25 Beaches On Mississippi's Coast, Fed By Fresh Floodwaters

4:34pm July 09, 2019

by Bill Chappell

The blue-green algae "can cause rashes, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting," the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality says.

The Supreme Court has struck down a conviction of a death row inmate, citing racial bias in jury selection.

Politics & Government

Supreme Court Strikes Down Conviction Of Mississippi Man On Death Row For 22 Years

6:47pm June 21, 2019

by Nina Totenberg

Curtis Flowers was tried six times for the same crime, and the court said it made its decision because of bias in jury selection. Now it's up to Mississippi whether to try him again.

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Sen. Thad Cochran, shown here in 2013, used seniority to steer billions of dollars to his home state of Mississippi.

Thad Cochran, Long-Serving Mississippi Senator, Dies At 81

5:35pm May 30, 2019

by Merrit Kennedy

Cochran used his considerable influence, including serving as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to direct billions of dollars to Mississippi.

People line up to enter the Supreme Court in Washington, Wednesday.

Politics & Government

Supreme Court Justices Seem Incredulous At Repeated Racial Bias In Jury Selection

6:07pm March 20, 2019

by Nina Totenberg

In a Mississippi death penalty case, the justices were skeptical of the way the state picked and dismissed black jurors and appeared ready not to uphold the conviction.

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In 2011, Esco's best friend from high school died of AIDS-related causes. One of Esco's exes also died of an AIDS-related condition. And another friend took his own life after he got his diagnosis — out of fear his family would find out.

Ending HIV In Mississippi Means Cutting Through Racism, Poverty And Homophobia

9:43am March 16, 2019

More than half the new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. are in Southern states, where the rates among gay and bisexual black men remain stubbornly high, despite the existence of medicine to stop the virus.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., seen at a debate with Democrat Mike Espy in Jackson, Miss., won a runoff election to hold her seat on Tuesday.

Politics & Government

Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith Wins Miss. Senate Runoff After Racially Charged Campaign

10:29pm November 27, 2018

by Jessica Taylor

Revelations about Hyde-Smith in recent weeks revived memories of the state's dark history of racism and violence. She prevailed over Democrat Mike Espy and has to run again in 2020 for a full term.

President Trump made two campaign appearances this week with Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who has stumbled over the state's racist past and faces a tight runoff election Tuesday.

Politics & Government

Mississippi's Racial History Casts Shadow Over Final Senate Race Of 2018

9:05am November 27, 2018

by Jessica Taylor

The special election runoff in deep red Mississippi was expected to be a sleepy affair — a formality, even. Instead, the race has tightened as the GOP candidate stumbled over the state's racist past.

Democrat Mike Espy and Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith participate in a televised Senate debate Tuesday night in Jackson, Miss.

Politics & Government

Racial Controversy Stirs Mississippi Senate Runoff

3:01pm November 21, 2018

At a debate Tuesday night, Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith apologized to anyone offended by her "public hanging" remark. Her African-American opponent Mike Espy said she reinforces stereotypes about the state.

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