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
ELECTION 2024-SUPREME COURT
RALEIGH, N.C. — One of the remaining Democrats on the North Carolina Supreme Court says he won’t seek reelection next year. Associate Justice Mike Morgan was elected to the state’s highest court in 2016. That victory gave Democrats a majority on the court for the first time in nearly 20 years. The court returned to a 5-2 Republican majority in January after GOP election victories. That GOP majority recently wrote blockbuster opinions overturning decisions on gerrymandering and voter ID generated by the previous Democratic majority. Morgan said on Thursday that he was now looking at other options moving forward and couldn’t say whether he’d serve out the rest of his eight-year term. By Gary D. Robertson. SENT: 580 words.
CONSTRUCTION SITE FIRE
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Officials in North Carolina say firefighters are battling a giant blaze at a construction site. The Charlotte Fire Department tweeted that the four-alarm fire broke out at a construction site in the South Park neighborhood. Images from the scene showed huge flames and a yellow crane could be seen amid huge clouds of smoke. SENT: 90 words. Will be updated.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
XGR-SOUTH CAROLINA BUDGET
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A group of six House and Senate negotiators discuss how to resolve differences in each chamber’s $13 billion spending plan for next year for South Carolina. Unlike many years, they weren’t far apart — a healthy economy and tax collections have helped both sides get much of what they want. By Jeffrey Collins. UPCOMING: 500 words by 5 p.m., photo.
BEST BEACHES
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A 9-mile stretch of Florida sugar-white sand in an unspoiled natural setting alongside the Gulf of Mexico is the nation’s best beach for 2023. That’s according to an annual ranking released by a university professor known as “Dr. Beach.” The state park on St. George Island just off the Florida Panhandle drew the top honor Thursday from Stephen Leatherman, professor in the Department of Earth & Environment at Florida International University. This year’s top 10 list marks the 33rd year Leatherman has rated America’s beaches. St. George Island is frequently on the list. Leatherman said what set it apart this year is its natural beauty, lack of development and abundant activities including fishing, swimming, kayaking, cycling, camping and an unparalleled view for stargazers. By Curt Anderson. SENT: 600 words, photo.
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VIRGINIA
TEEN CATFISHED-TRIPLE KILLING
RICHMOND, Va. — With the Virginia State Police under scrutiny after a former trooper kidnapped a 15-year-old California girl and killed three members of her family, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said last year that he had requested a full investigation by the state’s watchdog agency. But due to a previously existing mutual agreement between state police and the watchdog, state police appear to have simply investigated the matter themselves. By Sarah Rankin and Denise Lavoie.
VIRGINIA ELECTIONS-YOUNGKIN ENDORSEMENTS
RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Glenn Youngkin is set to issue a third round of endorsements in Virginia legislative races, backing 19 more Republican candidates, including six who are in contested primaries. Among those set to receive the governor’s backing Thursday are Emily Brewer and Tara Durant, both members of the House of Delegates facing spirited challenges for the GOP nomination in state Senate races. Details of the endorsements were provided to The Associated Press ahead of a formal announcement. All 140 General Assembly seats will be on the ballot this fall in an election that will determine party control of the legislature for the final two years of Youngkin’s term. By Sarah Rankin. SENT: 750 words, photo.
ALASKA JILL BIDEN BROADBAND
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Native villages have long been caught on the wrong side of the digital divide with no internet connections or a sluggish link at best. For some, the only option is a bank-busting satellite uplink. One village is paying $3,000 a month. Jill Biden late Wednesday made the first visit by a first lady to the southwest Alaska community of Bethel to tout broadband investments in Alaska Native villages and other tribal organizations through the $1 trillion 2021 infrastructure bill. So far, nearly $1.8 billion has been awarded to 157 tribal entities to improve broadband access across the U.S. In Alaska, 21 projects have received more than $386 million. By Mark Thiessen. SENT: 810 words, photos.
FRANCE-CANNES-JOHNNY DEPP
CANNES, France — Just a year ago, the image of Johnny Depp smiling and waving atop the Palais steps at the Cannes Film Festival would have been unthinkable to most — including to Depp, himself. This time last year, Depp was immersed in a libel trial he brought against Amber Heard, his ex-wife, based on a 2018 Washington Post op-ed piece in which she referred to herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” This week, though, he’s been celebrated in Cannes with his first film in three years even while public opinion remains sharply divided. Depp told the AP that he once felt that he had found “the basement to the bottom.” By Jake Coyle. SENT: 1,180 words, photos, video.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
BALTIMORE SUBWAY DEATH
BALTIMORE — Police say a man accused of pushing another man onto the tracks at a Baltimore subway station, electrocuting him, has been arrested in New York. SENT: 150 words, photo.
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SPORTS
BBA–ANGELS-ORIOLES
BALTIMORE — The Orioles send Tyler Wells to the mound for the series finale against Mike Trout and the Angels. By Baseball Writer Noah Trister. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game starts at 12:35 p.m. ET.
HKN–PANTHERS-HURRICANES
RALEIGH, N.C — The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers meet Thursday night in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference final series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. By Aaron Beard. UPCOMING: 700 words and photos. Game starts at 8 p.m.
RAC–PREAKNESS-MAGE’S CONNECTIONS
BALTIMORE — Lost in the big picture of several horse deaths and multiple scratches leading up to the Kentucky Derby was the story of winner Mage’s unique connections. He’s the first Derby champion with Venezuelan ties since Canonero II in 1971 and technically has 382 different owners. He’ll try to make all of them happy by doing what Canonero did in taking the first two legs of the Triple Crown, with the Preakness up next. By Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 4 p.m. EDT.
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LOCALIZATION:
VICTIMS COMPENSATION-RACE-LOCALIZE-IT: Black people are disproportionately denied aid from state programs that reimburse victims of violent crime. That’s according to an AP examination of data from 23 states that shows Black applicants were nearly twice as likely as white applicants to be denied aid in some states, including Indiana, Georgia and South Dakota. The denials add up to thousands of Black families missing out on millions of dollars in aid each year. Experts say the disparities are rooted in biases embedded in the design of victim compensation programs, among other factors. We provide exclusive data, plus tips and resources for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
DARTMOUTH NATIVE AMERICAN REMAINS-LOCALIZE IT: Dartmouth College announced that it found the skeletal remains of 15 Native Americans in its possession and was working to identify and repatriate the remains. The announcement comes as universities around the country have struggled to return tens of thousands of Native artifacts to tribes as required by federal law. We provide details and offer resources for local reporting. Find the latest Localize It guides.
HEALTH WORKER SHORTAGE-LOCALIZE IT: Thousands of doctors and nurses signed on to work in the country’s most desperate regions during the COVID-19 in exchange for forgiveness of their medical school debt. But now, the National Health Service Corps, the program that brought them onboard, is in jeopardy, caught up in the battle over the federal debt ceiling. We provide details and offer tips for local reporting. Find the latest Localize It guides.
STUDENT TEST SCORES-LOCALIZE IT: New data on student test scores from a dozen states has been incorporated into an analysis of learning setbacks tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. The data was released Thursday by researchers at Harvard and Stanford universities as an update to their Education Recovery Scorecard, which now examines learning loss in math and reading across school districts in a total of 41 states. We provide details and offer tips for local reporting. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
IMMIGRATION-ASYLUM-LOCALIZE IT: Migrants who seek refuge in the United States are confronting a fundamental shift in border enforcement and opportunities for seeking asylum amid a surge in arrivals at the Southwest border. Coronavirus restrictions on immigration are coming to an end this week after three years. Those rules were used nearly 3 million times to quickly expel migrants without greater penalties. We provide suggestions for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
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VIDEO
US President Biden in Japan for G7 summit
Montana is first state to do complete TikTok ban
Man indicted in theft of ‘Wizard of Oz’ ruby slippers
San Francisco has first-in-the-nation drag laureate
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AUDIO
South Carolina moves closer to abortion ban, a Southern trend that puts pressure on Virginia
Biden’s reelection campaign sees ‘viable pathways’ to 2024 election win
Fewer Americans apply for jobless benefits, labor market still showing strength
Surf’s up! Florida’s St. George Island beach named nation’s best in annual ranking
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U.S. STORIES
SUPREME COURT-SOCIAL MEDIA LIABILITY — The Supreme Court has sidestepped a case against Google that might have allowed more lawsuits against social media companies. The justices on Thursday returned to a lower court the case of a family of an American college student who was killed in an Islamic State terrorist attack in Paris. SENT: 800 words, photos.
ELECTION MISINFORMATION-TWITTER — Election falsehoods are thriving on Twitter after former President Donald Trump dug in on these claims at a CNN town hall, despite Twitter owner Elon Musk’s insistence that false stolen-election claims on the platform “will be corrected.” An analysis shows the 10 most widely shared tweets promoting a “rigged election” narrative in the five days after the town hall have not been labeled or removed. SENT: 810 words, photos.
BORDER PATROL-CUSTODY DEATH — U.S. authorities say an 8-year-old girl died Wednesday in Border Patrol custody in Harlingen, Texas, a rare occurrence that comes as the agency struggles with overcrowding. Customs and Border Protection said she died after “a medical emergency,” without providing additional information on the cause. SENT: 270 words, photo. Developing.
MED-RSV VACCINE — Federal health advisers are debating a first-of-its-kind RSV vaccine to protect newborns by immunizing their moms late in pregnancy. The virus fills hospitals with wheezing babies each winter. Pfizer’s research shows a late-pregnancy shot is 82% effective at preventing severe RSV in the infants’ first months of life. Food and Drug Administration scientists say it appears safe but have some questions about premature birth. SENT: 780 words, photos. Developing.
FARMLAND PASTORS-SUICIDE PREVENTION — Factors largely outside of farmers’ control – from increasingly unpredictable weather to growing costs – make the threat of losing the beloved family farm a constant worry. That’s been affecting mental health and driven an uptick in suicides among agricultural workers. So heartland states like Minnesota and South Dakota are training rural clergy in suicide prevention, teaching pastors how to start conversations about mental health. SENT: 1690 words, video, photos, 1,080-word abridged version.
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