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
POLITICAL CONSULTANT DIES
HARKERS ISLAND, N.C — A veteran North Carolina Democratic political consultant died over the weekend after he was ejected from the boat he was riding in near some of the state’s barrier islands. The National Park Service says 42-year-old Conen Morgan of Raleigh died on Sunday. The park service says three passengers were in a rented boat south of Shackleford Banks when it took a wave that ejected them. They all made it to shore but one passenger — identified later as Morgan — collapsed around the wave line. Gov. Roy Cooper tweeted that Morgan’s “hard work and determination made a real, positive difference for people of North Carolina.” SENT: 310 words.
AP POLL AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
WASHINGTON — As the Supreme Court decides the fate of affirmative action, most people in the U.S. say the court should allow consideration of race as part of the admissions process. Yet few believe students’ race should play a significant role in those decisions. A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds 63% say the Supreme Court should not stop colleges from considering race or ethnicity in their admission systems. The poll shows little divide along political or racial lines. People are more likely to say grades and standardized test scores should be significant factors. Lawsuits are challenging admissions systems at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. By Collin Binkley and Emily Swanson. SENT: 1,130 words, photos.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
GAS STATION SHOOTING
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina gas station owner has been charged with murder in the death of a 14-year-old boy whom he allegedly chased from the store and shot in the back. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott says station owner Rick Chow incorrectly suspected that Cyrus Carmack-Belton had shoplifted water from the Shell station. After a verbal confrontation, Carmack-Belton fled and was pursued by Chow’s son. Rick Chow joined the chase, armed with a pistol. Lott says Chow fired, striking Carmack-Belton in the back. The teen was pronounced dead at the hospital. A coroner says Carmack-Belton died from a single gunshot wound to his right lower back and the injury is consistent with someone running away from assailants. By Jeffrey Collins. SENT: 660 words, photos.
ELECTION 2024-DESANTIS-IOWA
WASHINGTON — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is kicking off his presidential campaign in Iowa at the start of a busy week that will take him to 12 cities in three states. DeSantis is testing his pitch as the most formidable Republican challenger to former President Donald Trump. The Florida governor’s two-day trip to the leadoff caucus state starting Tuesday comes after a stumbling online announcement last week that formalized his long-anticipated entry into the growing Republican 2024 field. DeSantis’ Iowa travel will be followed by stops in early primary states New Hampshire and South Carolina later this week. By Thomas Beaumont. SENT: 880 words, photos.
IN BRIEF:
— SIX SHOT-SOUTH CAROLINA — A South Carolina sheriff’s office says one person was killed and five others injured in a shooting on Memorial Day.
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VIRGINIA
TARGET- PRIDE MONTH BACKLASH
RICHMOND, Va. — Activists in the LGBTQ+ community are calling for new ways to mobilize against threats to their long fight for equality. This comes after Target announced last week that it removed some products and relocated its Pride displays to the back of certain stores in the South after protestors confronted workers in stores. Activists have said new campaigns are needed to convince corporate leaders not to cave to anti-LGBTQ+ groups. Target is the latest company to face backlash over its support for the community. Nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in state legislatures around the country this year and at least 18 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors. By Denise Lavoie and Andrew Selsky. SENT: 870 words, photos.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
SPELLING BEE
OXON HILL, Md. — Since it ended in an eight-way tie in 2019, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has gotten smaller, but also more capricious. With only one path into the bee, last year’s runner-up didn’t even make it back to nationals this year. And once spellers arrive, they have to navigate onstage vocabulary, which tests a different skill and base of knowledge. The changes help ensure the bee will have a sole champion, but they have some former spellers lamenting the end of a “golden era.” By Ben Nuckols. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos.
BIDEN
WILMINGTON, Del. — President Joe Biden is marking one of the saddest days of his life, the death of his son Beau. Biden and his wife, Jill, prayed for Beau Biden on Tuesday during a special Mass at a Roman Catholic church near the president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware. The first lady carried a bouquet of flowers. Beau Biden was 46 years old when he died of brain cancer in 2015. He’s the son of Joe Biden and his late first wife, Neilia. She died in a 1972 car crash that gravely injured Beau Biden and his younger brother, Hunter Biden, and killed their baby sister. By Darlene Superville. SENT: 430 words, photos, audio.
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SPORTS
BBA–GUARDIANS-ORIOLES
BALTIMORE — Kyle Gibson takes the mound for the Orioles against Cleveland’s Cal Quantrill. By Baseball Writer Noah Trister. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game starts at 7:05 p.m. ET.
BBN–NATIONALS-DODGERS
LOS ANGELES — Freddie Freeman and the Los Angeles Dodgers look to continue their dominance over the Washington Nationals in the middle game of a three-game series. The Dodgers have won 11 of the last 14 meetings against the Nationals. By Joe Reedy. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos. Game starts at 10:10 p.m. ET
BBC–NCAA REGIONALS-THINGS TO KNOW
A look at the top story lines in the NCAA baseball tournament. By Eric Olson. 750 words, photo, by 4 p.m.
CAR–NASCAR-FEUD FALLOUT
CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR now has a dilemma on its hands. After Chase Elliott, its most popular driver, appeared to intentionally wreck Denny Hamlin at the Coca-Cola 600, Hamlin called for Elliott to be suspended for a race. That’s what NASCAR did last year when Bubba Wallace wrecked Kyle Larson. The big question is whether NASCAR will bench its most well-known driver and risk irritating fans. On the other hand, if NASCAR doesn’t, it could look like there is a double standard. UPCOMING. By Steve Reed.
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LOCALIZATION:
2020 CENSUS-LOCALIZE IT: America got older, faster during the decade ended in 2020. New census figures released Thursday show the share of U.S. residents age 65 or older ballooned by more than a third from 2010 through 2020, while the share of children declined, particularly those under age 5. Aging was propelled by the two largest cohorts in the U.S.: more baby boomers turning 65 and millennials moving later into their 20s and 30s. Also, fewer children were born between 2010 and 2020. The most recent census was the first since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015. The survey showed same-sex households made up 1.7% of households that included couples. Find the latest Localize It guides.
BIRTH TO DEATH-LOCALIZE IT: To be Black anywhere in America is to struggle with health problems from birth to death. Black Americans are more likely than white people to die during childbirth, suffer from asthma, mental health troubles, high blood pressure, and Alzheimer’s. The reasons are myriad: worse access to adequate medical care, neighborhoods that are polluted, lack of healthy food choices, mistrust of doctors. But the core problem is racism over centuries that afflicts Black people from cradle to grave. We direct you to state and local data and offer tips for telling this story in your community. Find the latest Localize It guides.
With audio guide: BIRTH TO DEATH-LOCALIZE IT-PANEL DISCUSSION
TRANSGENDER HEALTH-MODEL LEGISLATION-LOCALIZE IT: Legislation to restrict gender-affirming care is often pre-written and shopped out by a handful of interest groups. So-called model legislation has been used in statehouses for decades. Critics say model legislation allows a handful of far-right groups to create a false narrative around gender-affirming care for minors that is based on distorted science. Political observers say Republicans’ recent focus on such legislation is a “wedge issue” to motivate their voting base. The AP obtained the texts of more than 130 bills in 40 state legislatures and analyzed them for similarities to model bills peddled by the groups Do No Harm and the Family Research Council. We provide tips on localizing the story, including examples of some key model bills that you can check against legislation in your state. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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.
With audio guide:
VICTIMS COMPENSATION RACE LOCALIZE IT-GUIDE PART 1
VICTIMS COMPENSATION RACE LOCALIZE IT-GUIDE PART 2
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VIDEO
Biden arrives at the WH as Congress races on debt bill
Woman rescued at partially collapsed Iowa building
Mississippi boy shot by police speaks about incident
Grazing goats used to fight wildfires under threat from overtime law
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AUDIO
Biden attends memorial Mass to mark 8 years since son Beau’s death from brain cancer
Crucial days ahead as debt ceiling deal goes for vote and Biden calls lawmakers for support
9 injured in shooting near beach in Hollywood, Florida
Stock market today: Wall Street is mixed as DC moves to avoid default
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U.S. STORIES
AP POLL-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION — As the Supreme Court decides the fate of affirmative action, most people in the U.S. say the court should allow consideration of race as part of the admissions process. Yet few believe students’ race should play a significant role in those decisions. A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds 63% say the Supreme Court should not stop colleges from considering race or ethnicity in their admission systems. The poll shows little divide along political or racial lines. People are more likely to say grades and standardized test scores should be significant factors. Lawsuits are challenging admissions systems at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. SENT: 1,130 words, photos.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES-LEASES — Thanks to a boost from the government, leasing — not buying — is becoming the most affordable way to get your hands on an electric vehicle. Last year’s Inflation Reduction Act provided a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 to use toward an EV. A dealer can apply that credit to any leased electric vehicle, no matter where it’s made, to reduce a customer’s monthly payment. Not so for people who buy an EV. For buyers, only EVs made in North America qualify for the full tax credit. And only 10 of the 49 electric vehicles for sale in the United States this year meet that requirement. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.
PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING — Prosecutors are describing how a heavily armed suspect barged into a Pittsburgh synagogue and shot every worshipper he could find in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. The suspect in the 2018 synagogue massacre went on trial Tuesday, more than four years after the attack that killed 11 worshippers from three congregations who were meeting at the Tree of Life synagogue. Robert Bowers could face the death penalty if he is convicted of some of the 63 counts he faces. The trial follows a month-long jury selection process. Twelve jurors and six alternates will hear the case. SENT: 780 words, photos, audio.
DEBT LIMIT — President Joe Biden says he “feels good” about the debt ceiling and budget deal negotiated with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The Republican speaker urged skeptics Tuesday to look at “the victories” in the package. The White House and congressional leaders are working to ensure passage in time to lift the nation’s borrowing limit and prevent a U.S. default. Some hard-right conservatives are criticizing the deal, while liberals decry new work requirements for older Americans in the food aid program. A key test will be Tuesday when the House Rules Committee considers the package. The full House is expected to vote Wednesday. Officials say the U.S. risks default June 5. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
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