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10 Dec, 10 tweets, 4 min read
NEW: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves held a Christmas party at the governor's mansion hours after ordering all Mississippians to limit indoor gatherings to 10 people.

“The governor’s mansion is not just a mansion—it’s a museum," he said yesterday. mississippifreepress.org/7442/gov-reeve…
Gov. Reeves: "(Hosting Christmas parties at the governor's mansion) allows us to really send a message to the people of Mississippi that you can return to a life that is somewhat normal, but in a way that minimizes risk, that mitigates risk..." mississippifreepress.org/7442/gov-reeve…
Yesterday, Mississippi reported 2,746 new cases of COVID-19—the single worst day in the state since the pandemic began.

But Gov. Reeves looked at the positive.

“There were 2.8 million Mississippians that didn’t get the virus today," he said. mississippifreepress.org/7442/gov-reeve…
Gov. Reeves said one of the “more frustrating things about 2020” for him is “mask shaming.”

“We don’t have to pick on each other. We don’t have to tell everybody that they’re stupid,” he said.
mississippifreepress.org/7442/gov-reeve…
“If you go to a party of 10 people, just on average, there is a 19% chance that somebody there is going to be shedding the virus," said MS State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs.

Dobbs has urged all to avoid all social gatherings outside of nuclear family.
mississippifreepress.org/7442/gov-reeve…
Dr. Dobbs: “It’s not just up to me and the governor for this to go well—it’s up to everybody. And I’m proud to see local leaders making hard decisions to protect their constituents. That’s real bravery and I appreciate it.” mississippifreepress.org/7442/gov-reeve…
The Daily Mail, which published photos from Gov. Reeves’ mansion party last night, reported today that “there appeared to be little social distancing” and “it appeared only the servers were wearing facial coverings.” dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9…
"The virus is going to virus. It is going to spread."
—Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves
mississippifreepress.org/7442/gov-reeve…
Most baffling is how Gov. Reeves says he listens to public health experts, but doesn't always "agree" with them—as if the opinion of a man with a bachelor's in economics is equal to the expertise of doctors who have devoted their lives to health.
mississippifreepress.org/7442/gov-reeve…
If you support our work to hold power to account and keep Mississippians informed through these difficult times and beyond, please follow @MSFreePress and support non-profit, paywall-free journalism with a one-time or recurring donation at the link: mfp.ms/donate

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More from @ashtonpittman

Ashton Pittman Profile picture
14 Dec
A Mississippi mayor who urged defiant Wiggins residents to wear masks has died of COVID-19.

Mayor Joel Miles "faced many (who) felt it unnecessary to wear one. As he was trying to protect others, not everyone did their part to protect him," wrote his wife.mississippifreepress.org/7494/wiggins-m…
“When COVID-19 first appeared, I, myself, said some very ignorant things concerning this awful disease," wrote Mayor Joel Miles' widow, Mary. "But I have learned the hard way this is not a hoax. It is real!"
mississippifreepress.org/7494/wiggins-m…
While some other Republicans in Mississippi pushed COVID-19 conspiracy theories and spoke up against mask mandates, Mayor Miles embraced masks as a public health tool.

When Gov. Reeves ended the statewide mask order, Mayor Miles instituted a local order. mississippifreepress.org/7494/wiggins-m…
Read 5 tweets
Ashton Pittman Profile picture
14 Dec
This is a load of partisan bull.

1. Mississippi—the only state that did not significantly expand voting access (a "scheme," the governor calls it) in the midst of the deadliest pandemic in 100 years—is one of just THREE states (with MO & OK) that did not exceed 2008 turnout.
2. Other states' election systems were not "upended" with "last-minute schemes" to "radically alter voting methods."

Instead, other states made voting more accessible to all, ensuring historic turnout. That's not a "last-minute scheme." That's democracy.
3. But Mississippi did ensure that many poor rural and Black voters in this state remained effectively disenfranchised—and made many risk their safety by voting in person.
Read 15 tweets
Ashton Pittman Profile picture
13 Dec
NEW: I knew Charley Pride was a trail blazer as the first Black country superstar. But until I started writing this after learning of his death from COVID-19 earlier today, I didn't realize how many incredible his life story was. Some things I learned: 1/
mississippifreepress.org/7476/charley-p…
Charley Pride was born in Sledge, Miss., in 1934—a town of fewer than 350 people. He walked four miles to a segregated grade school each day while white children passed on buses.

He bought his first guitar with money he earned picking cotton. 2/ mississippifreepress.org/7476/charley-p…
Charley Pride became a country radio star even as RCA released singles that didn't include photos of him.

So when he appeared before a crowd of 10,000 white fans in Detroit, their applause quickly turned to stunned silence upon realizing he was Black. 3/ mississippifreepress.org/7476/charley-p…
Read 10 tweets
Ashton Pittman Profile picture
12 Dec
You'll probably fail if you simply fight for the Democratic Party in the South.

But if you fight for democracy in the South, which is what @staceyabrams did, you'll change America.
If you overcome race-centric disenfranchisement in the South with democracy, it really would change it all.

Even the GOP would have to change or die. Since the 60s, the GOP has relied heavily on the Southern Strategy—appealing to white racism. Without the South, it doesn't work.
If the GOP suddenly had to listen to the needs of Black southerners and other southerners of color in order to have a chance at winning the South (and thus the electoral college), neither the Southern strategy nor Trumpism would work any longer.
Read 9 tweets
Ashton Pittman Profile picture
11 Dec
The imaginary states of "New California" and "New Nevada" have now joined the GOP effort to overturn the election by disenfranchising the real states of WI, MI, GA & PA.

This gets more coup-coup by the day.
BIG:
YUGE.
Read 5 tweets
Ashton Pittman Profile picture
11 Dec
I've received more end-of-year press releases from porn sites (who added me to their press list for some reason) in the past day than there have been town hall meetings held by my congressman, @StevenPalazzo, in the past 10 years.

And that's far more obscene than any porn, imo.
To be clear: I've received 2 end-year-press releases from porn sites in the past day.
Rep. Gene Taylor, the Democrat Palazzo defeated in 2010, regularly held town halls seven times a year when he was a congressman.

And no, exclusive tele-townhalls where callers are screened is no substitute for coming to your district & engaging with your constituents in person.
Read 16 tweets

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