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.
For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport@ap.org or 877-836-9477.
This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change. Expected stories may not develop, or late-breaking and more newsworthy events may take precedence. Coverage Plan will keep you up to date. All times are Eastern unless specified otherwise.
SOUTH CAROLINA
GAS STATION SHOOTING
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Authorities say a store owner in South Carolina charged with murder this week after shooting a 14-year-old boy he wrongly thought stole water has shot at suspected shoplifters two other times in the past eight years and not faced charges. Richland County deputies say 58-year-old Rick Chow got in a fight with a shoplifter in 2018 and shot the man in the leg. They say in 2015, a suspected shoplifter got in a car after Chow tried to stop him and Chow fired several shots at the vehicle after the suspect threatened to shoot him. Chow’s lawyer has not commented on Monday’s murder charge or the other shootings. By Jeffrey Collins. SENT: 670 words, photo.
ELECTION 2024-DESANTIS-NH
LACONIA, N.H. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked off his first visit to New Hampshire as a declared presidential candidate on Thursday by turning his focus to President Joe Biden and criticizing him for championing a move to demote the early voting state from its prominent role picking presidential candidates. The appearance by DeSantis before New Hampshire voters comes as former President Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail in Iowa, marking the first time both Republicans were pitching themselves before voters as official candidates. By Michelle L. Price, Steve Peoples and Thomas Beaumont. SENT: 920 words, photos, video.
IMMIGRATION-DEFERRED ACTION
HOUSTON — A revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children is scheduled to be debated before a federal judge in Houston who previously ruled the program illegal. Attorneys representing the nine states that have sued to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the U.S. Justice Department and DACA recipients are set to appear at a court hearing Thursday. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen is expected to reconsider the program, which was changed in October. Hanen is not expected to immediately rule. By Juan A. Lozano. SENT: 570 words, photo, audio.
____
VIRGINIA
CARNIVAL MAGIC-MAN OVERBOARD
The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended the search for a 35-year-old man who was reported missing from a Carnival cruise ship off of Florida’s Atlantic Coast. SENT: 150 words, photo.
____
MARYLAND/DELAWARE
BALTIMORE-PROSECUTION POLICY
BALTIMORE — Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates, who took office in January, will hold a press conference to outline the details of his new citation docket to address quality of life offenses in Baltimore. The new system likely represents a departure from his predecessor’s policy of not prosecuting certain low-level offenses. By Lea Skene.
SPELLING BEE
OXON HILL, Md. — The Scripps National Spelling Bee crowns a champion at its prime-time finals. The winner receives more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. By Ben Nuckols. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos. Competition begins at 8 p.m.
HBCUS-PHILANTHROPY
Historically Black colleges and universities, which had seen giving from foundations decline in recent decades, have seen an increase in gifts particularly from corporations and corporate foundations over the last several years. In their pitches, HBCUs have been emphasizing their ability to deliver returns on the investment in student mobility. Amid the reckoning over racial injustice spurred by the killing of George Floyd, a key factor in the giving by corporations has been the influence of their Black employees. The giving to HBCUs is a new trend for corporations, said Marybeth Gasman, a Rutgers University professor. By Annie Ma and Thalia Beaty. SENT: 950 words, photos.
CHANGING WORKFORCE-PLANE MECHANICS
WASHINGTON — Across the U.S. economy, a number of industries are facing the same formidable challenge: Replenishing a workforce that is being diminished by a surge of retirements that began during the pandemic and has continued since. Since 2019, the proportion of retirees in the U.S. population has risen from 18% to nearly 20% — equivalent to about 3.5 million fewer workers. And the trend seems sure to accelerate: The percentage of workers who are 55 or older is nearly 24%, up from only about 15% two decades ago. Among the industries that have encountered frustrating labor shortages, magnified by a steady exodus of older workers, are airline maintenance, construction, manufacturing and nursing, along with some professional industries such as accounting. By Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 1,380 words, photo, audio.
____
LOCALIZATION:
VICTIMS-COMPENSATION-REFORMS-LOCALIZE IT: Thousands of violent crime victims turn to compensation programs in every state for help with medical bills, relocation, funerals and other expenses. The programs disperse millions of dollars each year, but The Associated Press found racial inequities and other barriers in how claims are denied in many states. Across the country, victims are using their stories to try to change the systems that excluded them. They have organized rallies, testified at legislatures and met with dozens of lawmakers — with much success. Legislatures in more than half of U.S. states have passed measures to improve their programs over the last three years. We offer details on these legislative changes and tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
OPIOID-CRISIS-PURDUE-BANKRUPTCY-LOCALIZE IT: A federal court on Tuesday cleared the way for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s proposed settlement with state and local governments across the U.S. and other entities to be finalized. It’s among the largest and most high-profile settlements of its kind, but it’s far from the only one. State and local governments are figuring out how they’re going to use money from opioid settlements with drugmakers, distribution companies and, in some cases, pharmacies. The settlements were designed to avoid some of the pitfalls of the big national deals between states and tobacco companies in the 1990s, which saw spending go to government priorities that had nothing to do with the direct damage inflicted by tobacco. But advocates still worry about the details of how the opioid money will be spent and who gets the power in deciding. We point you to state data and offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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.
____
VIDEO
Schumer: Senate to stay until ‘job is done’
DeSantis wraps up one-day Iowa campaign blitz
Iowa collapsed building owner fined
____
AUDIO
The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is now underway. Here’s what to know
House OKs debt ceiling bill to avoid default, sends Biden-McCarthy deal to Senate
Renewable energy surges, driven by solar boom and high fuel prices, report finds
Know any airplane mechanics? A wave of retirements is leaving some US industries desperate to hire
____
U.S. STORIES
DEBT LIMIT-GETTING A DEAL — The path toward a default-averting deal between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy wasn’t always clear. The two principals did not know each other well, Democrats repeatedly insisted on not negotiating on the nation’s borrowing obligations while Republicans demanded spending cuts that the White House did not want. But with trusted deputies on both ends and pressure to avoid blame for a devastating default, Biden and McCarthy were able to strike a deal. UPCOMING: 900 words by 3 p.m., photos. With DEBT LIMIT — After sailing through the House on a bipartisan vote, the debt ceiling and budget cuts package now goes to the Senate. SENT: 1,020 words, video, photos, audio. UPCOMING: Developing; timing of Senate vote unclear; With DEBT LIMIT-McCARTHY — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is nothing if not a political survivor. SENT: 900 words, photos.
ELECTION 2024-DeSANTIS-TRUMP — Former President Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail Thursday as his chief rival for the GOP presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is undertaking his first swing through early voting states as an official candidate. SENT: 920 words, video, photos, audio. UPCOMING: Will be updated with events throughout the day.
AI CHIPS-EXPLAINER — The hottest thing in technology is an unprepossessing sliver of silicon closely related to the chips that power video game graphics. It’s an artificial intelligence chip, designed specifically to make building AI systems such as ChatGPT faster and cheaper. The chips and their leading designer, Nvidia, are now at the center of what some experts consider an AI revolution that could reshape the technology sector and possibly the world along with it. SENT: 580 words, photos.
SPELLING BEE — The Scripps National Spelling Bee crowns a champion at its prime-time finals. The winner receives more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos, video. Competition begins at 8 p.m.
____
NEW TO STORYSHARE: SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM NETWORK
Looking for more state news and photos? Sign up to participate in AP StoryShare, an online platform where news organizations from a growing list of states share content.
Besides state and regional news, StoryShare offers distinctive reporting around broad topics such as climate, education and Indigenous affairs. The platform now also has a network devoted to solutions-focused journalism.
Access to StoryShare is free for AP members. For account information, contact Jennifer Lehman at jlehman@ap.org or our team at storyshare@ap.org.
____________________
If you have photos of regional or statewide interest, please send them to the AP state photo center in New York, 888-273-6867. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport@ap.org or 877-836-9477.
_____________________
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
