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
XGR—CRITICAL RACE THEORY-NORTH CAROLINA
RALEIGH, N.C. — Hiring managers in North Carolina would be prohibited from urging applicants for state government jobs to endorse certain social or political beliefs under a Senate bill receiving its first hearing on Wednesday. A Senate Judiciary Committee is considering legislation that bans “compelled speech” in the hiring process for state agencies and institutions and creates a list of beliefs that could not be “promoted” in state government workplaces — concepts some lawmakers have equated to “critical race theory.” The proposal would prevent agency staff from encouraging or requiring applicants to explain their political beliefs, affiliations or principles as a condition of employment. By Hannah Schoenbaum. UPCOMING: 550 words by 4:30 p.m. EST.
XGR–PRIVATE SCHOOL GRANTS
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s taxpayer-funded initiative for scholarships for students to attend private schools would be open to all children — not just those in low- and middle-income families — in legislation that began advancing within the General Assembly on Wednesday. The proposed massive expansion of the Opportunity Scholarship Program, which passed a Senate committee, was celebrated by top Republican leaders at the General Assembly as a milestone for school choice. By Gary Robertson. UPCOMING: 600 words by 3 p.m.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
SENTENCE SHORTENED
The South Carolina Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday on whether a lower court judge’s order cutting 18 years off a murderer’s sentence is valid. A prosecutor said he talked about reducing Jeroid Price’s sentence after Price reported an escape and two witnesses said he saved prison guards from serious injuries while behind cars. But the prosecutor said the judge signed the order without his written permission. A lawyer for Price, who is also a prominent lawmaker, said everything was on the level and this is a political fight over another man’s freedom. By Jeffrey Collins. UPCOMING: 700 words by 4:30 p.m.
HBCUS-NEW SPORTS
There is a growing phenomenon at historically Black colleges and universities. HBCUs are adding sports outside the more typical offerings of football, basketball, and track and field. Black athletes are participating more at the NCAA level in sports such as women’s gymnastics and men’s volleyball. HBCUs are catching up to give them options. Organizations such as the HBCU Wrestling Initiative, HBCU Gymnastics Alliance and even USA Volleyball have helped move the process forward. By Cliff Brunt. SENT: 900 words, photo.
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VIRGINIA
MENTAL HEALTH PATIENT-DEATH
RICHMOND, Va. — A prosecutor asked a judge Wednesday to approve a request to put seven sheriff’s deputies and three others on trial together in the case of a 28-year-old Black man who died after he was pinned to the floor as he was being admitted to a mental hospital. The sheriff’s deputies and three hospital workers are charged with second-degree murder in the March 6 death of Irvo Otieno. The prosecutor argues in a motion filed Wednesday that the 10 defendants “acted together” and should be tried together. By Denise Lavoie.
PAKISTAN US ARRESTS-FRIENDS
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A northern Virginia man is scheduled to plead guilty on terrorism charges nearly 15 years after he and four friends traveled to Pakistan hoping to engage in holy war. By Matthew Barakat. UPCOMING: 600 words by 2 p.m.
EARNS-NORFOLK SOUTHERN
OMAHA, Neb. — Norfolk Southern said it expects February’s fiery Ohio derailment to cost it $387 million, but that total will likely increase over time and that doesn’t reflect how much the railroad’s insurance companies will eventually cover. The Atlanta-based railroad provided that estimate of the cost of the Feb. 3 derailment outside East Palestine, Ohio, Wednesday when it released its first-quarter earnings report. That derailment and several others since then have prompted a nationwide focus on railroad safety. That cost estimate includes the $30.9 million the railroad has pledged to help the community recover, but it doesn’t reflect how much Norfolk Southern will put into funds to cover any long-term health problems and compensate residents. By Business Writer Josh Funk. SENT: 690 words, photo.
EARNS-BOEING
Boeing says it lost $425 million in the first quarter as it continues to deal with production problems on its airline jets. The loss is more than Wall Street expected. Boeing said Wednesday that revenue jumped 28% from a year earlier, however, beating analysts’ expectations. The company continues to get orders as airlines scoop up new planes to meet rising travel demand. Boeing’s latest production problem involves fittings used to attach the tail to the fuselage on its 737 Max jet. Airlines will have to wait for new planes while Boeing fixes the problem. By David Koenig. SENT: 630 words, photos.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
ADNAN SYED-MOTION
BALTIMORE — Attorneys for Adnan Syed are asking a Maryland appellate court to reconsider its recent decision to reinstate his murder conviction and life sentence after finding the rights of the victim’s family had been violated. Baltimore prosecutors moved to vacate Syed’s conviction at a court hearing last year, allowing him to regain his freedom after 23 years behind bars. But attorneys for Hae Min Lee’s family filed an appeal, saying her brother received insufficient notice to attend the hearing, and an appellate court last month agreed. In a motion filed Wednesday, Syed asked the court to reconsider the reinstatement. By Lea Skene. SENT: 650 words, photo.
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SPORTS
BBA–RED SOX-ORIOLES
BALTIMORE — Tyler Wells takes the mound for the Orioles against Boston’s Tanner Houck. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game starts at 1:05 p.m. ET.
BBN–NATIONALS-METS
Washington plays New York at Citi Field. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos.
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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.
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VIDEO
S Korea’s Yoon: US visit looks to our shared future
College town supports Montana transgender lawmaker
Only on AP: training aims to root out sex abuse in prisons
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AUDIO
Trial opens in E. Jean Carroll’s rape lawsuit against Trump
Montana transgender lawmaker faces censure or expulsion
Ed Sheeran testifies in “Let’s Get It On” copyright suit
No one is driving this taxi. What possibly could go wrong?
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U.S. STORIES
ELECTION 2024-BIDEN-FOUR YEARS AGO — As President Joe Biden seeks a second term, he won’t have to endure glitchy Zoom connections, or stage forgettable, socially distanced rallies. He can fly to packed campaign events on Air Force One, make policy announcements from the Rose Garden and alter global affairs with his actions. Just as the 2024 campaign will be different from the 2020 campaign during the pandemic, Biden will be a different candidate. He won’t be able to hold on to the White House in the same way he won it three years ago — holding virtual events from the basement of his Delaware home and avoiding travel for months at a time. A return to more typical campaign life presents both opportunities and potential challenges for Biden. SENT: 1,330 words, photos.
FEDERAL PRISONS-ABUSE — Sexual abuse in the nation’s federal prisons must be rooted out. That’s the message the Justice Department’s second-highest-ranking leader carried to prison wardens gathered for their first nationwide training since revelations that a toxic, permissive culture at a California prison allowed abuse to run rampant. The Associated Press gained exclusive access to the training for wardens of the country’s 122 federal prisons. It was the first since an AP investigation uncovered deep, previously unreported flaws within the federal Bureau of Prisons. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco says teams of experts and officials will soon be fanning out to women’s prisons around the country to follow up on reforms the agency adopted last fall. SENT: 770 words, photos, video.
SUPREME COURT-TAX SALES — The Supreme Court will decide the case of a woman who lost her one-bedroom condo in Minneapolis over $2,300 in unpaid taxes, plus interest and penalties. Hennepin County sold Geraldine Tyler’s apartment for $40,000 and kept every penny. Lawyers for the now 94-year-old Tyler say the county violated constitutional protections against having property taken without “just compensation” and excessive fines. A legal foundation representing Tyler says Minnesota is among a dozen states and the District of Columbia allowing local jurisdictions to keep the excess money. The county says Tyler could’ve sold the property and kept whatever was left after paying off the mortgage and taxes. The Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday. SENT: 520 words, photo.
TRUMP-COLUMNIST-LAWSUIT — A writer suing Donald Trump has taken the stand to tell jurors that the future president raped her after she accompanied him into a deluxe department store fitting room in 1996. E. Jean Carroll began testifying Wednesday in the trial of her federal lawsuit. Trump denies Carroll’s allegations. He has said he wasn’t at the store with Carroll and doesn’t even know her. Carroll has said that after a chance encounter at Bergdorf Goodman, the two bantered about trying on lingerie and went into a dressing room. According to her, Trump then suddenly attacked her. The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Carroll has done. SENT: 600 words, photos, video, audio.
BUD LIGHT BACKLASH — Bud Light may have fumbled its attempt to broaden its customer base by partnering with a transgender influencer. But experts say inclusive marketing is simply good business, and it’s here to stay. On April 1, transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney posted a video of herself with a Bud Light can with her face on it that the brand sent her, setting off backlash almost immediately. Bud Light’s sales fell 17.6% the week ending April 15, and two top marketers have taken a leave of absence. Still, marketing experts say younger people support diversity efforts and want companies to take a stand on controversial issues. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.
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