Ashton Pittman

State reporter Ashton Pittman is from Hattiesburg, Miss. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, where he studied journalism and political science.

Recent Stories

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Governor Attempts to Ban Mississippi Abortions, Citing Need to Preserve PPE

Gov. Tate Reeves says he is halting abortions in Mississippi to help free up personal protective equipment for hospitals to use as they deal with an escalating number of COVID-19 cases statewide.

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Rep. Palazzo: Rural Hospitals ‘On Brink’ of ‘Collapse,’ Need Relief Amid Pandemic

Congress must assist rural hospitals in its upcoming bill aimed at blunting the economic devastation the coronavirus has wrought, Mississippi Congressman Steven Palazzo wrote in a letter to top U.S. House leaders on Tuesday.

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Two Mississippi Congressmen Skip Vote on COVID-19 Emergency Response Bill

Two Republican Mississippi Congressmen, U.S. Reps. Steven Palazzo and Trent Kelly, did not show up for a vote on the #FamiliesFirst Coronavirus Response Act.

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'Do Not Go to Church': Three Forrest County Coronavirus Cases Bring Warnings

The Mississippi State Department of Health confirmed two more cases of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, in Mississippi this morning. All three known patients currently reside in Forrest County.

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'An Abortion Desert': Mississippi Women May Feel Effect of Louisiana Case

A Louisiana abortion law would turn the Bayou State into "an abortion desert" and would have strong ripple effects for women in Mississippi and other states across the country, opponents say. The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments in the case Wednesday.

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The TANF Players

Since the last issue, a huge corruption scandal hit Mississippi with allegations of theft inside a State agency working with prominent Mississippians, Republican donors and former pro wrestlers. Here are the major accused players.

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GOP Wants to Override Jackson's Abortion Clinic 'Buffer Zone' Law

Jackson's medical facility "buffer zone" law, which minimizes protest activities in the immediate vicinity of the state's only abortion clinic, may be short-lived if a Republicans bill in the Mississippi Legislature becomes law.

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'Sprawling Conspiracy' Ensnares Voucher Beneficiaries, Republican Donors

At least two people who donated significant sums to Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves' campaign allegedly engaged in what the state's top elected official calls a "disgusting abuse of power."

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New Republican Legislator Resigns Under Pressure from Speaker Gunn

Mississippi House Rep. Ramona Blackledge, the Republican woman whom Jones County voters sent to Jackson to represent them in the Mississippi House of Representatives, is resigning just weeks into her term.

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Poll: Mississippians Back Medicaid Expansion, Hyde-Smith ‘Flailing’

"Given her flailing approval rating, it is no surprise that Senator Hyde-Smith is in an already tightening race with Mike Espy," Espy Campaign Manager Joe O'Hern said. "Whether it is Senator Hyde-Smith's disturbing comments about public hangings, her open support for voter suppression at the 'other' universities, her clear track record of hyper-partisanship in the Senate or her D.C. insider ambitions, these approval numbers are a clear sign that Mississippians are looking for change and are unhappy with Cindy Hyde-Smith as their senator."

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