Podcasts about becca schimmel

Many big-ticket items are under consideration during this session of the Kentucky General Assembly: the budget, redistricting, education bills, abortion, laws regarding criminal justice, the legalizing of medical cannabis, and more. On this week's “In Conversation,” host Rick Howlett talked to reporters Ryland Barton, Jess Clark and Becca Schimmel, along with Dee Pregliasco with the League of Women Voters of Kentucky, to examine and explain the proposed bills and laws, and discuss their possible implications. 

Advocates for medical marijuana continue to speak out after the Mississippi Supreme Court invalidated Initiative 65. We examine the health and economic fall out of the decision.Then, the United States' highest court agrees to hear Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban - setting the stage for the potential overturning of Roe v Wade.Plus, the Bail Project comes to Mississippi.Segment 1:Advocates for Mississippi's medical marijuana ballot initiative are expressing frustration following the Mississippi Supreme Court's opinion that effectively overturned the newly adopted constitutional amendment. Rankin County resident Angie Calhoun was a leading voice for Initiative 65 last fall. She said legalizing medical marijuana would have allowed her son to return home. Now, as she tells our Kobee Vance, she feels the life has been sucked out of her. Daniel Thompson says he's spent tens of thousands of dollars on land for farming and distribution - investments he believes the court has now undermined.Segment 2:Mississippi's 15 Week Abortion ban is drawing national attention, following the United States Supreme Court's decision to hear the case this fall. Pro-life champions are celebrating the move as they view it as an opportunity to challenge Roe v Wade. But advocates for reproductive rights find the situation more grim. Diane Derzis is the owner and CEO of Jackson Women's Health Organization - the only clinic in state that performs abortions. She tells our Desare Frazier, with current make-up of the court, Mississippi's 15-week ban is tailor-made to challenge the Roe opinion.Segment 3:Bail - the temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial on the condition of payment - is receiving elevated scrutiny as criminal justice reforms nationwide look to dismantle the discriminatory practice. And while some states have begun getting rid of their cash bail system, the gulf states have not. That's where The Bail Project hopes to help. It's a national organization -- already running in Louisiana -- that helps bail people out of jail. Robin Sterling is the CEO and Founder of the Bail Project. She tells the Gulf States Newsroom's Becca Schimmel the group is trying to reduce the number of people who are behind bars waiting for their day in court. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A federal emergency relief program targets those facing rent and utility hardships due to the coronavirus pandemic.Then, understaffing in prisons across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama has been a problem for years. We examine why it's so difficult to find and keep new correctional officers.Plus, in our second installment of Your Vote, Your Voice, we explore the different efforts and perspectives shaping the debate over extended early voting.Segment 1:Tenants in Mississippi who are behind on their rent and utility bills due to the coronavirus pandemic can now apply for emergency rental assistance through a federal relief program. Mississippi Home Corporation is administering the emergency rental assistance program tasked with allocating $186 million in aid to tenants who facing financial hardships brought on by lost income, unemployment or increased expenses because of the pandemic. Executive Director Scott Spivey shares more with our Desare Frazier. Segment 2:Across the Gulf States prisons are understaffed, which can mean dangerous and unstable conditions for prisoners and guards. Mississippi is addressing the issue head-on with a unique approach. From the Gulf States Newsroom, Becca Schimmel takes a look at that recruitment effort and examines why it's so difficult to retain correctional officers. Segment 3:In the 2020 election, more than one in six of the 1.3 million ballots cast in Mississippi were some form of absentee ballot. This record coincided with a nation-wide trend - due to the coronavirus pandemic - of larger than usual early and absentee voting. Since then, the record use of mail-in and absentee ballots have brought with it unsubstantiated claims of election fraud and insecurity, propagated by many high profile Republicans - including three of Mississippi's House delegation and Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. All four voted against the certification of the 2020 election results, and Senator Hyde-Smith received national attention for her comments on Sunday "Souls to the Polls" voting.False allegations of fraud and insecurity aside, the 2020 election did reveal a nation-wide appetite for expansion of early voting options, including mail-in ballots. Your Vote, Your Voice explores the different efforts and perspectives shaping the debate over extended early voting in Mississippi. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

UMMC and the FCC come together to champion new efforts in tele-health. And Senator Wicker discusses the American Rescue plan and corporate response to the Georgia voting laws.Then, health officials provide updates on vaccine progress in the state.Plus, violence is down in Mississippi prisons. We hear from the commissioner of MDOC.Segment 1:The tele-health center at the University of Mississippi Medical Center is being recognized by federal officials for meeting the rising demand of remote medicine. The center received $1 million dollars in federal funding last year from the FCC's COVID-19 tele-health program. The funding helped to purchase tablets and other take-home electronics so patients can monitor their health and keep in touch with physicians. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Mississippi U.S. Senator Roger Wicker toured the facility last week. Chairman Carr says Senator Wicker was an early advocate for tele-health at the start of the pandemic, and recalled a visit to a pilot program in Ruleville.The Senator has also recently spoken out against the corporate response to the new Georgia voting laws, and has championed some of the relief provided through the American Rescue Plan despite voting against earlier this year. He discussed his positions on the two issues with our Kobee Vance.Segment 2:Mississippi's health leaders are calling on health care providers to help vaccinate more Mississippians. During a roundtable with the Mississippi Medical Association last week, State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers and State Heath Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs laid out a plan to get more vaccines to local providers.Segment 3:Violence at Mississippi prisons has gone down significantly, according to the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Both serious and minor infractions at Parchman fell by about 63 percent from 2019 to 2020. MDOC is reporting violence at all state prisons is down by 52 percent in the same time period - statistics that include riots that occurred January 2020. Commissioner Burl Cain, who took over the department in May of 2020, tells our Becca Schimmel the drop is a result of new strategies implemented to reduce incentives for gang activity. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Health leaders in the Magnolia State discuss vaccine expansion.Then, a new study analyzes the obstacles Mississippians with felony convictions face as they try to re-enter the community.Then, a Mississippi casino offers employees an incentive for getting vaccinated.Segment 1:After a steady declining slope in coronavirus cases, Mississippi is experiencing a slight leveling-off as residents resume activity without statewide mitigation strategies in place. State Heath Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs and State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers say even though vaccine eligibility is ever-expanding and restrictions are lifted, the virus still poses a threat. Vaccines are helping reduce the spread of the virus, but cases and deaths still mount one year after the pandemic began. As the state nears 7,000 COVIV-19 related deaths, Dr. Byers and Dr. Mark Horne of the State Medical Association say it's important to remember the death count is more than a number.Segment 2:Nearly 11% of Mississippi's population is ineligible to vote - a result of the state's disenfranchising statutes. The data, from 2018, is part of a report analyzing the barriers residents with felony convictions face as they attempt to re-enter the community. Organizers, like Nsombi Lambright hope to use the "Our Voices, Our Vote" report to bring change to the Mississippi criminal legal system and restore voting rights for all incarcerated citizens who have served their prison term. She shares more with our Becca Schimmel.Segment 3:A casino along Mississippi's Gulf Coast is offering employees a financial incentive for each COVID-19 vaccine shot they receive. Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in D'Iberville says they will give associates $150 per shot in their effort to reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission. The casino has also partnered with a hospital to have vaccines administered at its clinic. LuAnn Pappas is CEO of the Scarlet Pearl. She says the campaign is aimed at mitigating the impact COVID-19 is having on the hospitality industry and the coast community. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A recent study provides more detail on transmission of COVID-19 in pediatric carriers.Then, Alabama's governor is seeking to improve conditions in correctional facilities by expanding private prisons. But reform advocates in the region are urging a different approach.Plus, after a Southern Remedy Health Minute, we preview the pandemic anniversary special.Segment 1:High school students throughout the state are gearing up for spring break. The week long reprieve from classes is often a time vacations and travel. But without an available vaccine for adolescents, health care professionals caution transmission of the coronavirus is still a risk for the demographic. And now, more details are being revealed about the extent of transmission in children during the pandemic. Around 38 thousand coronavirus cases have been identified in Mississippi children under the age of 18. But a recent study examining antibodies finds there could be as many as 10 times more pediatric infections than previously thought. Dr. Charlotte Hobbs, Pediatrician at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and lead author of the study says it's possible that many of these children never showed symptoms of the disease. She shares more with our Kobee Vance.Segment 2:Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama all have higher incarceration rates than most of the country, but each state is testing a different approach to address the issue. Alabama's Governor Kay Ivey recently signed a lease for two new privately owned prisons. This decision sparked uproar with the public and the legislature. From the Gulf States Newsroom, Becca Schimmel takes a look at the region's differing approaches to reducing incarceration rates and overcrowding.Segment 3:Southern Remedy Health MinuteSegment 4:Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the day the world Health Organization first declared COVID-19 a pandemic. It's also the day Mississippi reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19. Coming up in place of Mississippi Edition tomorrow … we have a special broadcast revisiting some of the biggest stories of the past year in our region. It's called “A Year Like No Other: COVID-19 In the Gulf States.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The mayor of the Capital city assesses the city's infrastructure and water challenges following a week-long winter storm.Then, vaccine hesitancy continues to be prominent within the Black community - including health care workers.Plus, the Society of Archivists responds to a bill designed to restructure of the board of Archives and History.Segment 1:Parts of Mississippi are still under a boil water advisory nearly a week since the winter storm started. Temperatures in much of the state rose well above freezing over the weekend, allowing much of the accumulated ice to melt. But in the state's capital city, crews are working to restore water, and deliver bottled water to the city's most vulnerable. Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba says the city was not built to sustain an event like last week's storm. He shares more with our Becca Schimmel.Segment 2:While many people are clamoring to get a coronavirus vaccine, some are choosing not to get it right now. Vaccine hesitancy appears to be happening more within the Black community AND among Black health care workers. Shalina Chatlani with the Gulf States Newsroom, talked with Black women in the health care field about what's guiding their choices.Segment 3:Quietly last week, the Mississippi Senate passed SB 2727 - a bill proposing a restructuring of the board of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Founded in 1902, MDAH is the second-oldest agency of its kind. As currently designed, new board members are nominated from within the existing board, and then confirmed by the Senate. According to the bill, board members will become political appointees of the Governor and Lt. Governor. Some, like the Society of Mississippi Archivists, see this as a move to politicize a traditionally non-partisan agency. Jessica Perkins Smith is President of the Society. She fears the the change would jeopardize how the agency honestly shares the state's complex history. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After topping a quarter-million first doses, state health officials say the expect new vaccines will be available within a month.Then, a recent report reveals inmates with disabilities face dire circumstances in Mississippi prisons.Plus, the debate over how to rehabilitate Mississippi's state parks intensifies in the senate.Segment 1:Mississippi is crossing new thresholds in vaccination distribution. More than a quarter-million Mississippians have been vaccinated against the coronavirus. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs says the vaccine rollout in the state is running smoothly, and two additional vaccines could make the vaccine rollout more efficient. The AstraZeneca vaccine trial is nearing completion, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is expected to be approved by the FDA in two weeks. dr. Dobbs says he has not seen detailed data from the study but says publicly available information looks promising.As the department continues reaching more residents with vaccinations, it is also monitoring tests for traces of the new variants. State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers says that, unlike some other states in the region, Mississippi has not yet seen signs of a variant strain.Segment 2:A new report from Disability Rights Mississippi alleges cruel and unusual punishment at the hands of the state Department of Corrections. MDOC, which is under investigation by the Departent of Justice following a string of violent outbreaks and deaths, has been under new leadership since last spring. But the new report brings to the surface new concerns as it details allegations of abuse and discrimination against inmates with disabilities from 2020. Jane Walton is the communications director for Disability Rights Mississippi, a private non-profit advocacy group. She details the report with MPB's Becca Schimmel.Segment 3:Debate over how best to operate Mississippi's neglected state parks is growing controversial. The Senate recently passed a bill that creates a study committee to determine if state parks should be returned to local governments, repurposed, or leased to private companies to operate. The plight of the state's public parks has been a stated priority of Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the midst of the region’s declining industries, politicians are betting big on job training, with millions directed at those who lost jobs in coal mining and power plants. The U.S. Department of Labor recently announced nearly $5 million for worker training programs in Appalachia. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky announced more than $2 million in funding from the National Dislocated Workers fund, and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced more than $1 million in funding from the same program. But critics say worker training alone is no solution and that such retraining programs have a poor record in actually connecting dislocated workers with local employment that pays a comparative wage. Ted Boettner, an economist and executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, argues that a more broad-based approach to jobs, public investment, and wages will be necessary for coal country. Becca Schimmel from the Ohio Valley ReSource reports.

Journalists from around the state discuss the news of the week with host Bill Bryant, including the announcement of Lt. Col. (Ret.) Amy McGrath to run against Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the 2020 election. Scheduled guests: Tom Loftus, Louisville Courier Journal; Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource at WKU Public Radio; and Will Wright, Lexington Herald-Leader.

Journalists from around the state discuss the news of the week with host Bill Bryant, including the announcement of Lt. Col. (Ret.) Amy McGrath to run against Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the 2020 election. Scheduled guests: Tom Loftus, Louisville Courier Journal; Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource at WKU Public Radio; and Will Wright, Lexington Herald-Leader.

Host Bill Bryant and a panel of journalists discuss the week's news, including the latest on the primary election campaigns. Scheduled guests: Daniel Desrochers, Lexington Herald-Leader; Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource and WKU Public Radio; and Hillary Thornton, WKYT-TV in Lexington.

Host Bill Bryant and a panel of journalists discuss the week's news, including the latest on the primary election campaigns. Scheduled guests: Daniel Desrochers, Lexington Herald-Leader; Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource and WKU Public Radio; and Hillary Thornton, WKYT-TV in Lexington.

Journalists from around the state discuss the news of the week with host Bill Bryant, including the latest on the state's political races. Scheduled guests: Daniel Desrochers, Lexington Herald-Leader; Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource and WKU Public Radio; and Kevin Wheatley, WDRB in Louisville.

Journalists from around the state discuss the news of the week with host Bill Bryant, including the latest on the state's political races. Scheduled guests: Daniel Desrochers, Lexington Herald-Leader; Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource and WKU Public Radio; and Kevin Wheatley, WDRB in Louisville.

On this edition of Eastern Standard:  The hepatitis A outbreak in at least a dozen Kentucky counties is now the worst in the nation. We’ll hear about the response from the food industry.   WEKU's Cheri Lawson visits with author Silas House about his new book, Southernmost.   We’ll peer around the future’s next corner for a look at what’s ahead in manufacturing.   A new project in West Virginia to make good use of coal waste - while a new health study finds the surge in cases of black lung disease especially concentrated among coal miners in Central Appalachia. We'll have reports from Brittany Patterson and Jeff Young of the Ohio Valley Resource.   Becca Schimmel of member station WKYU on a new study detailing the Kentucky wage gap.   And, something completely different - yet, completely familiar.

On this edition of Eastern Standard:  The hepatitis A outbreak in at least a dozen Kentucky counties is now the worst in the nation. We’ll hear about the response from the food industry.   WEKU's Cheri Lawson visits with author Silas House about his new book, Southernmost.   We’ll peer around the future’s next corner for a look at what’s ahead in manufacturing.   A new project in West Virginia to make good use of coal waste - while a new health study finds the surge in cases of black lung disease especially concentrated among coal miners in Central Appalachia. We'll have reports from Brittany Patterson and Jeff Young of the Ohio Valley Resource.   Becca Schimmel of member station WKYU on a new study detailing the Kentucky wage gap.   And, something completely different - yet, completely familiar.

Journalists from around the state discuss the news of the week with host Bill Bryant, including a major court ruling affecting recent public pension legislation. Scheduled guests: Adam Beam, the Associated Press; Jack Brammer, Lexington Herald-Leader; and Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource and WKU Public Radio.

Journalists from around the state discuss the news of the week with host Bill Bryant, including a major court ruling affecting recent public pension legislation. Scheduled guests: Adam Beam, the Associated Press; Jack Brammer, Lexington Herald-Leader; and Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource and WKU Public Radio.

Journalists from around the state discuss the news of the week with host Bill Bryant. Scheduled guests: Ryland Barton, Kentucky Public Radio (from KET's Frankfort studio); Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource and WKU Public Radio; and John Stamper, Lexington Herald-Leader.

Journalists from around the state discuss the news of the week with host Bill Bryant. Scheduled guests: Ryland Barton, Kentucky Public Radio (from KET's Frankfort studio); Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource and WKU Public Radio; and John Stamper, Lexington Herald-Leader.

Journalists from around the state discuss the news of the week with host Bill Bryant. Scheduled guests: Ronnie Ellis, CNHI News Service; Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource and WKU Public Radio; and Lawrence Smith, WDRB in Louisville.

Journalists from around the state discuss the news of the week with host Bill Bryant. Scheduled guests: Ronnie Ellis, CNHI News Service; Becca Schimmel, Ohio Valley ReSource and WKU Public Radio; and Lawrence Smith, WDRB in Louisville.

Bill Bryant and a panel of journalists discuss the week's news from the commonwealth, including the announcement by Gov. Matt Bevin and legislative leaders of a proposal to substantially overhaul Kentucky's public pension system and the University of Louisville's firings of athletic director Tom Jurich and men's basketball coach Rick Pitino. Scheduled guests: John Cheves from the Lexington Herald-Leader; Becca Schimmel from Ohio Valley ReSource at WKU Public Radio; and Lawrence Smith from WDRB-TV in Louisville.

Bill Bryant and a panel of journalists discuss the week's news from the commonwealth, including the announcement by Gov. Matt Bevin and legislative leaders of a proposal to substantially overhaul Kentucky's public pension system and the University of Louisville's firings of athletic director Tom Jurich and men's basketball coach Rick Pitino. Scheduled guests: John Cheves from the Lexington Herald-Leader; Becca Schimmel from Ohio Valley ReSource at WKU Public Radio; and Lawrence Smith from WDRB-TV in Louisville.

Journalists from around the state discuss news of the week with host Bill Bryant, including a preview of Saturday's Fancy Farm political speeches in Graves Co. Scheduled guests: John Cheves from the Lexington Herald-Leader; Becca Schimmel from Ohio Valley ReSource at WKU Public Radio; and Lawrence Smith from WDRB-TV in Louisville.

Journalists from around the state discuss news of the week with host Bill Bryant, including a preview of Saturday's Fancy Farm political speeches in Graves Co. Scheduled guests: John Cheves from the Lexington Herald-Leader; Becca Schimmel from Ohio Valley ReSource at WKU Public Radio; and Lawrence Smith from WDRB-TV in Louisville.

In this episode of Mountain News & World Report, learn how the Farmacy program started in Letcher County, Kentucky is becoming a model for health and economic transition nationwide. Hear youth from Appalachia talking about their perceptions of their eastern Kentucky home and whether or not they can stay. And reporting on the Trans-Pacific Partnership by Becca Schimmel of the Ohio Valley ReSource.