A bill advancing in Mississippi says anyone could cite religious objections to avoid a public or private employer’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

The body of an infant found in the Pascagoula River in Jackson County more than 30 years ago was exhumed this week.

This undated photo provided by the Center for Biological Diversity shows a Pascagoula map turtle. The federal government says it will decide whether protection is needed for Pascagoula map turtles, found only in Mississippi, and Pearl River map turtles, found in Mississippi and Louisiana. The agreement settles a lawsuit filed in January calling for a declaration that Pearl River map turtles and Pascagoula map turtles are endangered or threatened. One is found in the Pearl River watershed in Louisiana and Mississippi, and the other only in part of Mississippis Pascagoula River system. Pascagoula and Pearl River map turtles are among 13 species of map turtles, named for shell markings that resemble maps.