Mississippi's flag, the last US state banner to feature a Confederate emblem, was permanently retired Wednesday when it was lowered from the state's capitol and removed from the grounds. An honor guard lowered three state flags that were on the capitol property, folded them and presented them to state officials who drove them via formal motorcade towards a nearby museum where the 126-year-old standard will be relegated to history. The move comes one day after Governor Tate Reeves signed a bill ordering the flag's removal, which comes in the wake of coast-to-coast protests over the police killing of African American George Floyd in May. mlm/st