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
TRANSGENDER LAWMAKER-MONTANA-THINGS TO KNOW HELENA, Mont. — Republican leaders in Montana are expected to continue to forbid a transgender lawmaker from speaking in the statehouse this week. The standoff over Rep. Zooey Zephyr’s remarks are the latest high-profile example of statehouse leaders deciding who can be heard during legislative debates. House Speaker Matt Regier said last week he won’t let Zephyr speak until she apologizes for saying lawmakers would have “blood on their hands” if they passed a ban on gender-affirming care. Zephyr says she won’t apologize. The dispute illustrates the tensions around culturally divisive issues including firearms, racial justice and rights for the LGBTQ+ community. The issues are dominating America’s political discourse. By Amy Beth Hanson and Matthew Brown. SENT: 1,270 words, photos.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
SUPREME COURT-CLIMATE CHANGE
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has rejected appeals from oil and gas companies that are fighting lawsuits from state and local governments over whether they can be held responsible for harms resulting from global warming. The justices handed the companies a setback Monday in their legal fight with city, county and state governments that want the cases to be heard in state courts, where both sides agree the governments stand a better chance of winning large damage awards. Monday’s orders from the high court affected cases from California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland and Rhode Island. Similar suits are pending in other states claiming that oil and gas produced by the companies led to greenhouse gas emissions, which contributed to climate change and caused harm locally. SENT: 210 words, photo.
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SPORTS HKN-PLAYOFFS-COACHING WAR OF WORDS
Dallas coach Peter DeBoer hasn’t been shy to point out Minnesota was one of the most penalized teams in the NHL this season, to Dean Evason’s chagrin. The New York Islanders’ Lane Lambert was surprised to hear Carolina counterpart Rod Brind’Amour rip officiating for a missed call. And Toronto’s Sheldon Keefe elicited a confused reaction from two-time Stanley Cup winner Jon Cooper about Tampa Bay manipulating referees. No one is standing on benches and yelling through panes of glass – yet – but the first round of the playoffs is an old-school throwback to coaches of yesteryear having it out off the ice to set the tone for their teams in their series. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 4 p.m. EDT.
HKN–FACEOFF
The test of the NHL playoffs isn’t just about the performance of top-line stars. It’s as much about how well teams manage to keep moving forward after key injuries that sideline key names. Dallas has managed to do it, with Tyler Seguin coming off a big game with Joe Pavelski out. So too has Carolina, which is down two top-line forwards and lost another over the weekend but still took a 3-1 series lead on the New York Islanders. By Aaron Beard. UPCOMING: 800 words by 4 p.m.
CAR–NASCAR-IN THE PITS
TALLADEGA, Ala. — Richard Childress was back in victory lane at Talladega Superspeedway for the 13th time in his NASCAR career. Kyle Busch brought him to the party, and Childress has his grandson to thank. By AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer. 700 words. By 4 pm.
BBA–RED SOX-ORIOLES
BALTIMORE — The Orioles try for their seventh straight win when they open a three-game series against Boston. The Red Sox are in last place in the AL East despite being above .500. By Baseball Writer Noah Trister. UPCOMING :600 words, photos. Game starts at 6:35 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.
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VIDEO
Bird strike sparks plane engine fire after takeoff
Florida homeowner fires at delivery driver, probe ordered
Dragon bursts into flames during Disneyland show
US President Biden returns to Washington, D.C.
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AUDIO
Ex-officer who fatally shot Breonna Taylor hired as a deputy
Struggling Bed Bath & Beyond files for bankruptcy protection
Did Ed Sheeran hit pilfer Marvin Gaye classic? Trial to tell
Cities reviving downtowns by converting offices to housing
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U.S. STORIES
MEDIA-FOX NEWS-TUCKER CARLSON — Fox News says it has agreed to part ways with Tucker Carlson, less than a week after settling a lawsuit over the network’s 2020 election reporting. The network said in a press release Monday that the popular and controversial prime-time host’s last program aired on Friday. Carlson became Fox’s most popular personality after replacing Bill O’Reilly in Fox’s prime-time lineup in 2016. He’s also consistently drawn headlines for controversial coverage, including most recently airing tapes from the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection to minimize the impact of the deadly attack. There was no immediate explanation from Fox about why Carlson was leaving. SENT: 300 words, photo.
PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING — Jury selection has begun in the federal death penalty trial of a truck driver accused of shooting to death 11 Jewish worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. Robert G. Bowers, from the Pittsburgh suburb of Baldwin, faces 63 counts in the Oct. 27, 2018, attack at the Tree of Life synagogue, where members of three Jewish congregations were holding Sabbath activities. U.S. District Judge Robert Colville thanked prospective jurors at the start of Monday’s proceedings. If convicted, Bowers could get the death sentence. The 50-year-old offered to plead guilty in return for a life sentence, but federal prosecutors turned him down. SENT: 800 words, photo, video, audio.
COMMUNITY COLLEGES-TEACHERS — Teachers say students who need extra help in subjects such as algebra can struggle to learn if the content is taught in an abstract, isolated manner. That’s why a Washington state program features two teachers in the classroom: one provides job training and the other teaches basic skills in reading, math or English language. More than 6,000 Washington community and technical college students enrolled in the Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training program, known as I-BEST. The program is so successful that 12 states have begun implementing an I-BEST model at one or more education institutions. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.
BREONNA TAYLOR-EX-OFFICER — The former Louisville police officer who fatally shot Breonna Taylor has a new job in law enforcement in a county northeast of the city. WHAS-TV reports that the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office has hired Myles Cosgrove. Activists announced a protest in response Monday at the small sheriff’s department. Taylor was killed in March 2020 when police used a faulty drug warrant to break through her door. None of the white officers who fired into the Black woman’s home were charged in her death. The FBI later found that their superior officers used false information to obtain the warrant. SENT: 400 words, photos, audio.
DAUNTE WRIGHT-POLICE SHOOTING-OFFICER — Kim Potter, the Minnesota police officer who said she mistook her gun for a Taser and killed Daunte Wright in 2021, was released from prison early Monday. The Minnesota Department of Corrections says Potter was released around 4 a.m. “out of an abundance of caution.” The department confirmed Friday she would be released Monday but declined to say what time out of security concerns. Potter, a white officer for a suburban Minneapolis department, fatally shot Wright, 20, who was Black, during a traffic stop in April 2021. The shooting happened during the trial of Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed George Floyd. Wright’s death set off several days of protests. SENT: 510 words, photos.
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