Here’s a look at how AP’s general news coverage is shaping up for select stories. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s complete coverage of North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, and the rest of the world, visit Coverage Plan at newsroom.ap.org
Questions about coverage plans are welcome and should be directed to 919-510-8937, 202-641-9660, 410-837-8315, 804-643-6646 or metro@ap.org. Mid-South Assistant News Director Jonathan Drew can be reached at 919-510-8937 or jdrew@ap.org.
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This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change. Expected stories may not develop, or late-breaking and more newsworthy events may take precedence. Coverage Plan will keep you up to date. All times are Eastern unless specified otherwise.
NORTH CAROLINA
DRIVER’S LICENSES
RALEIGH, N.C. — The mandatory supervised driving period in North Carolina for young people before they can drive by themselves will be scaled back permanently after Gov. Roy Cooper said on Friday he’ll let a bill become law without his signature. The General Assembly sent Cooper last month legislation addressing in part when a teen can move up from a learner’s permit to what’s called a limited provisional license. UPCOMING: 330 words by 2 p.m.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
MURDAUGH KILLINGS-CIVIL LAWSUITS
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Alex Murdaugh may be serving a life sentence for killing his wife and son, but the legal system is far from done with him. As he sat in his cell, Murdaugh’s lawyers dealt with several problems, telling an insurer suing to get back $3.4 million that Murdaugh lied about the fall that would kill his housekeeper and asking a judge to give them $160,000 more from Murdaugh’s 401K retirement account to pay for his appeal on his murder convictions. By Jeffery Collins. SENT: 620 words, photo.
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VIRGINIA
ELECTIONS 2023 VIRGINIA
RICHMOND, Va. — Early voting in Virginia’s primaries is kicking off, and there is an unprecedented number of contests in the state’s General Assembly races. Many observers think that’s due to the redistricting process that crafted new maps for candidates to run under. The number of nomination contests between parties is about even in the House of Delegates. But in the Senate, there are nearly twice as many nomination contests on the Democratic side. Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, a Democrat, says some challengers “don’t have a chance in the world of winning.” But he says they’re forcing incumbents to spend money that could otherwise go to upcoming swing-district fights with Republicans. By Sarah Rankin. SENT: 1,000 words, photo.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
DIGITAL AD TAX
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland Supreme Court hears arguments in an appeal of a lower court’s ruling that the state’s first-in-the-nation tax on digital ads is unconstitutional. By Brian Witte.
SCHOOL BUS-SHOOTING ATTEMPT
OXON HILL, Md. — Police in Maryland say three masked attackers boarded a school bus earlier this week and one tried to shoot a student but the gun malfunctioned. SENT: 280 words, photo.
CROSSWALKS-BLIND PEDESTRIANS
CHICAGO — A federal ruling blasting Chicago planners for not equipping more of their intersections with audible signals that help blind pedestrians cross busy streets has given advocates a victory they call long overdue. The judge’s recent ruling could push other major U.S. cities to install accessible pedestrian signals. The decision mirrors a previous federal ruling in New York, which is ahead of schedule in complying with a judge’s mandate to retrofit most of its signalized crosswalks in the next decade. Fewer than three dozen of Chicago’s nearly 3,000 intersections with visual crossing signals are equipped with audible cues. A future hearing could determine how many intersections must be upgraded and when. By Jeff McMurray. SENT: 1,090 words, photos, video.
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SPORTS
BBO–ORIOLES-BRAVES
ATLANTA — Max Fried looks to keep up his brilliant start when the the Atlanta Braves begin a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles. By Paul Newberry. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos. Game begins at 7:20 p.m. EDT.
BBN–NATIONALS-DIAMONDBACKS
PHOENIX — Washington right-hander Josiah Gray faces Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly when the Nationals and Diamondbacks open a three-game series. By John Marshall. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Starts at 6:40 p.m. PT.
CAR–NASCAR-MALCOLM IN THE FRONT
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Frankie Muniz is no longer Malcolm in the Middle. More like Malcolm in the Front. The multitalented actor-turned-race car driver is leading the ARCA Series, one of the lower rungs on the NASCAR feeder system, through the first three races in his first full season in the series as it heads to Kansas Speedway this weekend. By Dave Skretta. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 6 p.m. CT.
GLF–WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tommy Fleetwood, who has won six times on the European Tour but has never won a PGA Tour event, leads the Wells Fargo Championship by one shot entering the second round. Rory McIlroy, a three-time winner at Quail Hollow, is lurking three shots back. By Steve Reed. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 8 p.m.
HKN–DEVILS-HURRICANES
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes look for a 2-0 series lead when they host the New Jersey Devils in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. By Aaron Beard. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts at 8 p.m.
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LOCALIZATION:
BLACK PROTESTANTS-CHURCH ATTENDANCE-LOCALIZE IT: The wide empty spaces in pews between parishioners at a service at Zion Baptist Church in South Carolina’s capital highlights a post-pandemic reality common among many Black Protestant churches. Attendance fell 15 percentage points at such churches during COVID outbreak, according to a new Pew survey. Researchers say no other major religious group registered a decline of this magnitude. We provide tips and resources for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
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VIDEO
Mixed reactions in NYC to subway choking incident
Massive fire overtakes Calif. industrial building
Jury finds Ed Sheeran didn’t copy Marvin Gaye classic
State Dept. honors foreign service members
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AUDIO
Some call NYC subway choking criminal, others hold judgment
US adds a solid 253,000 jobs despite Fed’s rate hikes
Embattled 1st Black St. Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner resigns
Yeezy shoes still stuck in limbo after Adidas split with Ye
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U.S. STORIES
ECONOMY-JOBS REPORT — America’s employers added a healthy 253,000 jobs in April, evidence of a labor market that still shows surprising resilience despite rising interest rates, chronically high inflation and a banking crisis that could weaken the economy. The unemployment rate dipped to 3.4%, matching a 54-year low. SENT: 1,000 words, photos, audio.
ELECTION 2024-DESANTIS — The day Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took office, he vowed to pursue an agenda that would heal the state’s political divisions. On Friday, four years later, DeSantis concluded a legislative session establishing him as perhaps the most accomplished conservative governor in the nation’s culture wars. The leading rival to former President Donald Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential campaign has pushed the limits of divisive cultural battles and in most cases has won — backed by Republican supermajorities in Florida’s legislature. The moves position DeSantis well among primary voters but spark concerns among others in the party who fear his dogged pursuit of conservative cultural priorities may further divide the nation. SENT: 1,200 words, photo.
ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-COLUMNIST-LAWSUIT — Accounts of rape and assault shared by women at a civil trial against Donald Trump mark the first time that any of the numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against the former president have been heard in a court of law. Trump has repeatedly and vehemently denied the allegations. He opted not to appear in court during the trial to rebut E. Jean Carroll’s accusation that he raped her decades ago. Instead he flew overseas. As Trump campaigns for a 2024 presidential bid, the Carroll case provides another test of Trump’s ability to survive scandals that would sink others. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.
JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN — President Joe Biden is expected to announce Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., a history-making fighter pilot with recent experience countering China in the Pacific, to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. If confirmed by the Senate, Brown would replace the current chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Mark Milley, whose term ends in October. If Brown is confirmed by the Senate, it would be the first time that both the Pentagon’s top military and civilian leadership positions were held by African Americans. SENT: 280 words, photos. Developing.
WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW 101 — To the casual viewer, competing at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show might look as simple as getting a dog, grooming it and leading it around a ring. But there’s a lot more to getting to and exhibiting in the United States’ most prestigious canine event. The 147th annual show starts Saturday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. SENT: 930 words, photos.
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