Why are flags at half-staff, and how long will they stay after Jimmy Carter's death?
The White House ordered public flags to be displayed at half-staff for a period of 30 days from Carter's day of death, who died Dec. 29. Flags are flown at half-mast on ships and at naval stations. On shore, flags are flown at half-staff, meaning the flagpole is attached to a building or stuck in the ground.