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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NORTH CAROLINA
COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRESIDENT
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s community college board chose a local campus president on Friday to become the next top executive of the 58-college system. The approval of Wilkes Community College president Jeff Cox following a nationwide search will mark the fifth permanent president of the system in just eight years. The legislature is now considering a measure that would overhaul who appoints board members and rework system administration to give the president more power. By Gary Robertson. UPCOMING: 400 words by 4 p.m.
SHOOTING-BASKETBALL-IN-YARD
TAMPA, Fla. — A North Carolina man accused of shooting and wounding a 6-year-old girl and her parents waived extradition during a brief hearing in a Florida courtroom. Twenty-four-year-old Robert Singletary is being held on a fugitive warrant in Tampa until North Carolina officials pick him up. He was arrested Thursday evening. The Tuesday night shooting near Gastonia, North Carolina, happened after neighbors say children tried to retrieve a basketball that rolled into Singletary’s yard. The Gaston County Police Chief declined to say what led to the shooting. A 6-year-old girl was grazed in the cheek by a bullet. The girl’s father, who had run to her aid, was shot in the back. SENT:480 words, photo, video.
XGR-DRIVER’S LICENSES
RALEIGH, N.C. — A measure heading to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk would reduce permanently the time that young drivers have to hold a learner’s permit before advancing to unsupervised driving. The General Assembly gave its final approval Thursday to a bill that essentially extends and modifies a law approved during the COVID-19 pandemic to address delayed driver’s education classes. That law shortened through the end of 2022 the time a teenager had to hold the permit before getting what’s called a limited provisional license from 12 months to six months. The bill returns the time to at least six months until going to nine months permanently in 2024. SENT: 400 words.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
ELECTION 2024-HALEY-SCOTT
COLUMBIA, S.C. — As the 2024 Republican field begins to take shape, the potential of a faceoff between Nikki Haley and Tim Scott is putting some of their mutual supporters in the critical early voting state of South Carolina in a conundrum as they weigh which candidate to support. By Meg Kinnard. SENT: 1,230 words, photos. By Meg Kinnard. SENT: 1,230 words. words .
URBAN TREE PLANTINGS
HARTFORD, Conn. — A global pandemic, coupled with a national reckoning on race, has led to an historic amount of money for urban tree-planting and maintenance in underserved, often concrete-covered “heat islands” throughout the U.S. Urban forestry advocates, who’ve argued for years about the benefits of more trees in cities, see this historic moment as a huge opportunity to permanently transform often low-income neighborhoods where residents have grappled with dirtier air, dangerously high temperatures and other challenges because they don’t have a leafy canopy overhead. By Susan Haigh. SENT: 1,270 words, photo, video.
— With: URBAN TREE PLANTINGS-LOCALIZE IT
OBIT-BAIRD
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Woodrow “Woody” Baird, a former longtime Associated Press journalist in Memphis, has died. He was 77. Baird was a dogged, straight-talking and skilled journalist who covered everything from Elvis Presley to panda bears for The Associated Press in the Memphis region for 27 years. His wife said Baird had suffered a stroke a week before he died April 11 in Memphis. Baird retired from his post in the city in 2009. He was a prolific writer who covered every type of news, including the criminal trial of former state Sen. John Ford and the annual migration of fans to Graceland for Elvis’ death anniversary. By Adrian Sainz. SENT: 800 words, photo.
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VIRGINIA
DERELICT FISHING GEAR
NORFOLK, Va. — The U.S. government is launching a new program to combat the scourge of abandoned and lost traps for catching crabs and lobster, which have been diluting harvests and killing other fish in coastal waters from Maine to Alaska. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has chosen William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science to anchor the program, while providing $8 million in funding over the next four years, the university announced Friday. By Ben Finley.
RAILROADS-STOCK BUYBACKS
OMAHA, Neb. — Rail unions want railroads to take some of the billions they’re using every year to buy back their stock and use it to improve safety in the wake of several high-profile derailments and hire more workers. The 12 unions said Friday that collectively the six biggest freight railroads spent over $165 billion on buybacks — well above the $119 billion they spent on upgrading and maintaining their track and equipment between 2015 and last year. At the same time, their safety record worsened as they overhauled their operations to cut costs and eliminated nearly one-third of all rail jobs. Greg Regan with the Transportation Trades Department labor coalition says “the priorities of the railroads are out of whack.” By Business Writer Josh Funk. SENT: 1,020 words, photo
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SPORTS
BBO–NATIONALS-TWINS
MINNEAPOLIS — The Washington Nationals start a three-game series in Minnesota against the Twins at Target Field. By Patrick Donnelly. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game starts at 7:10 p.m. CDT.
BBO–PAUL NEWBERRY-MLB EXPANSION
The Oakland Athletics’ planned move to Las Vegas affects far more than two cities. It’s another step toward baseball expansion, which will bring two new teams into the big leagues, not to mention eight new minor-league teams. Who are the favorites to land a new franchise? By Sports Columnist Paul Newberry. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 5 p.m. EDT.
FBN–NFL DRAFT-DUBOSE’S JOURNEY
INDIANAPOLIS — Grant DuBose bet on himself even when nobody else dared. He accepted the only scholarship he was offered out of high school. He worked three jobs when the COVID-19 season canceled his season. He left Division II Miles College to try out with Division I Charlotte at the urging of a friend. Then after two good seasons with the 49ers, Now he could see the payoff — going from bagging groceries and working Wal-Mart shifts to a pro football career. By Michael Mart. SENT: 750 words, photos.
HKN–HURRICANES-ISLANDERS
NEW YORK — Ilya Sorokin and the New York Islanders look to avoid being pushed to the brink of elimination as they return home and host the Metropolitan Division-winning Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of their first-round series. The Hurricanes outlasted the Islanders 3-2 in overtime of Game 2 to take 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. By Vin A. Cherwoo. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos. Game starts at 7 p.m. EDT.
BBA–TIGERS-ORIOLES
BALTIMORE — The Orioles try for their fourth straight win when they open a three-game series against Detroit. Tyler Wells starts for Baltimore against Michael Lorenzen. By Baseball Writer Noah Trister. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game starts at 7 p.m. ET.
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LOCALIZATION:
TREE PLANTINGS-LOCALIZE IT — The federal government is funding tree-planting and tree-care projects in a huge way. President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act makes a historic $1.5 billion investment in urban forestry, prioritizing projects that benefit underserved communities. That’s in addition to funding included for tree projects in Biden’s infrastructure law and the COVID-19 relief legislation known as the American Rescue Plan. Tree advocates see this massive investment as a game-changer for urban communities that suffer from dirtier air, dangerously high temperatures and other challenges because they lack a leafy canopy. We offer suggestions and resources for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
LEARNING TO READ-LOCALIZE IT — Third-graders across the country face a looming crisis. The majority will move onto fourth grade next year and will be expected to read well, even though many haven’t received adequate instruction because of the pandemic-fueled school interruptions and a reliance in some places on ineffective teaching methods. The latest data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress — which tested hundreds of thousands of fourth and eighth graders across the country this year — reflected historic learning setbacks. We provide tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
DIVERSITY BANS-STATES-LOCALIZE IT — Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. Taken alone, each of those words may appear laudable — even noncontroversial. But strung together, those words have become a new flashpoint in a cultural and political battle over the role of race, gender and sexuality in American institutions. Governors and lawmakers in numerous Republican-led states have proposed restricting “diversity, equity and inclusion” initiatives at higher education institutions and, in some cases, throughout state government. We provide resources and suggestions for local reporting. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
EARTH DAY-LOCALIZE IT — More than 190 countries celebrate Earth Day on April 22 each year. We offer ideas for local coverage. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
PHILANTHROPY-VOLUNTEERISM-LOCALIZE IT — As pandemic-related government aid programs end and inflation rises, nonprofits of all kinds are looking everywhere and trying everything to get volunteers. The Associated Press is moving a series of stories this week to mark National Volunteer Week. We’re also providing a Localize It guide with state data and an audio Q&A with AP reporter Thalia Beaty. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
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VIDEO
Historic investment made in urban trees across U.S.
US Coast Guard recovers 3 ‘unresponsive people’ during search
Cygnus Space Freighter departs from space station
Holocaust Days of Remembrance Ceremony held at Capitol
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AUDIO
Once-a-week nightmare: US mass killings on a record pace
Thefts prompt 17 states to urge recall of Kia, Hyundai cars
Radio host Larry Elder announces 2024 GOP bid for president
Historic investment in urban trees underway across the U.S.
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U.S. STORIES
ABORTION PILL — The Supreme Court is facing a self-imposed Friday night deadline to decide whether access to a widely used abortion pill will stay unchanged until a legal challenge to its Food and Drug Administration approval is resolved. The justices are weighing arguments that allowing restrictions contained in lower-court rulings to take effect would severely disrupt the availability of the drug, mifepristone, which is used in the most common abortion method in the United States. It has repeatedly been found to be safe and effective, and has been used by more than 5 million women in the U.S. since the FDA approved it in 2000. SENT: 760 words, photos, audio. UPCOMING: Developing; timing of ruling unclear.
MASS KILLINGS-RECORD PACE — The U.S. is setting a record pace for mass killings this year. In the last week, four people were fatally shot at a Sweet 16 party in Alabama, and a man shot and killed another four people in Maine. The carnage has taken 88 lives in 17 mass killings over 111 days. Only 2009 was marked by as many such tragedies in the same period of time. That’s according to a database maintained by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. On average the data shows at least four people have died in mass killings once every six and 1/2 days this year. The numbers exclude perpetrator deaths. SENT: 1,000 words, photos, audio.
CLERGY ABUSE-JUDGE’S CONFLICT — An Associated Press investigation finds a federal judge donated tens of thousands of dollars to New Orleans’ Roman Catholic archdiocese and consistently ruled in favor of the church amid a contentious bankruptcy involving nearly 500 clergy sex abuse victims. It’s created an apparent conflict that could throw the case into disarray. Confronted with AP’s findings, U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry abruptly convened attorneys on a call last week to tell them he is now considering recusal from the high-profile bankruptcy he oversees in an appellate role. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
ALEC BALDWIN-SET SHOOTING — Prosecutors in New Mexico will dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against actor Alec Baldwin in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western film “Rust.” It was the only charge he faced. A status conference was scheduled for Friday in state District Court about next steps in the case. Special prosecutors Kari Morrisey and Jason Lewis say their investigation is not over, and Baldwin has not been absolved. SENT: 850 words, video, photos, audio. Developing.
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