Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that he stands by remarks he made at a political fundraising event last week — that he believes Christians are “a little less scared” of COVID-19 because of their belief in eternal life. Mississippi has the highest per-capita rate of new coronavirus cases and deaths in the United States, followed by Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Louisiana. Reeves has declined to set school mask mandates or business restrictions to try to slow the spread of the virus the past few months, saying he is relying on people to take personal responsibility.