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This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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.
NORTH CAROLINA
EX-LEGISLATOR-FRAUD
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A former North Carolina state legislator and Winston-Salem city council member received probation and monetary penalties for pleading guilty to fraud for spending money from the homeless center organization he had led for personal use. U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs accepted on Thursday the guilty plea by Derwin Montgomery to one count of program fraud. A court document says Montgomery converted center funds for personal use starting in or around 2018 and through 2020. The government says that included money for travel and leasing an SUV. Montgomery served on the Winston-Salem council for several years before joining the state House in 2018. SENT: 410 words.
BIDEN
ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — President Joe Biden is set to sign an executive order aiming to bolster job opportunities for military and veteran spouses whose careers are often disrupted by their loved ones’ deployments. Biden is to use a visit to the recently renamed Fort Liberty in North Carolina to highlight the order. The order directs agencies to develop a federal government-wide plan on hiring and job retention for military spouses, bolster child care options, and take more than a dozen additional actions. Biden also will visit students at Nash Community College in Rocky Mount. The college was part of a coalition that received $23.7 million to train students for clean energy jobs. The money is from the Democratic president’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. By Aamer Madhani. SENT: 600 words, photos.
____
SOUTH CAROLINA
DESANTIS-FAITH
GREENVILLE, S.C. — The presidential campaign of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is busy courting white evangelicals – a key voting bloc for the GOP. The governor’s religious rhetoric and hard-charging policies are at the center of his faith outreach. And yet, when it comes to his own Catholicism, the culture warrior is much more guarded, rarely mentioning the specifics of his faith and practice. The governor is the leading alternative to former President Donald Trump. If DeSantis captures the Republican nomination and takes on Joe Biden, two Catholic presidential candidates will face off for the first time in U.S. history. By Tiffany Stanley. SENT: 1,520 words, photos.
____
VIRGINIA
PAT ROBERTSON-LEGACY
NORFOLK, Va. — Pat Robertson united tens of millions of evangelical Christians through the power of television. And then he pushed them in a far more conservative direction with the grace of a folksy, Baptist minister. Robertson’s biggest impact may have been wedding evangelical Christianity to the Republican party to an extent once unimaginable. One expert says the culture wars waged today by Republican candidates for president are partly a product of Robertson. The religious broadcaster died Thursday at the age of 93. By Ben Finley, Peter Smith and Deepa Bharath. SENT: 820 words, photos.
US CAPITOL RIOT-SENTENCING
WASHINGTON — A Virginia man who testified he had “fun” at the U.S. Capitol riot has been sentenced to six years in prison for attacking police as he stormed the building. The prison sentence Markus Maly received Friday is significantly lower than the punishment prosecutors sought for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. The Justice Department had recommended a prison sentence of almost 16 years for Maly, a flooring installer. A prosecutor described the 49-year-old Maly as a “lifelong criminal” with 33 prior convictions on his record. But the judge who sentenced Maly noted most of his crimes date back to his 20s. By Michael Kunzelman. SENT: 890 words, photo.
____
MARYLAND/DELAWARE
CHURCH ABUSE-STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
PORTLAND, Maine — Advocates for survivors of child sexual abuse say momentum is growing for completely removing the statute of limitations for such crimes. Maryland followed Maine and Vermont to become the only three states to have eliminated all time limits on lawsuits. Maryland’s governor signed the law after a report detailed more than 600 children were abused by priests over decades. Lawmakers in Michigan, Rhode Island and Massachusetts are poised to take action before their legislative sessions end. CHILD USA CEO Marci Hamilton says the changes are needed to ensure justice for survivors and to prevent further victims. By David Sharp. SENT: 1,010 words, photos, video.
____
SPORTS
BBA–ROYALS-ORIOLES
Kansas City plays Baltimore at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos.
BBN–NATIONALS-BRAVES
Washington plays Atlanta at Truist Park. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos.
BBC–NCAA SUPER REGIONALS ROUNDUP
News, notes and highlights from the opening day of NCAA super regionals. By Eric Olson. 750 words, photos, by 9 p.m. With separates on each game.
FBN–PANTHERS-SANDERS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Running back Miles Sanders is looking forward to taking on the role of the Carolina Panthers every down back after signing a four-year, $25 million contract to leave the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. Sanders wasn’t thrilled that he only got seven carries for the Eagles in a Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. By Steve Reed. UPCOMING. 600 words, photos by 4 p.m. ET
____
LOCALIZATION:
PRIDE-TRANSGENDER-LOCALIZE IT: As LGBTQ+ communities and their allies hold Pride events this month, transgender people especially are in the spotlight. A driving force for attention for a minority group within a minority group is a bevy of state laws across the U.S. on treatment of transgender people. In some states, there are bans on gender-affirming medical care for minors, restrictions on which bathrooms they can use and whether they can play on girls and women’s sports teams. In other states, there’s been a move to protect some rights for transgender people. We offer ideas for local coverage. Find the latest Localize It guides.
DECRIMINALIZING FENTANYL TEST STRIPS-LOCALIZE IT: A growing number of states are decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips, seeking to protect people who use drugs from unwitting exposure to the highly potent synthetic opioid ravaging the U.S. with overdose deaths. We providea look at these states and offer tips for localization. Find the latest Localize It guides.
VOTING RIGHTS ACT-LOCALIZE IT: This month marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Shelby v. Holder, which dismantled a key provision of the Voting Rights Act requiring certain jurisdictions to submit voting-related changes for federal review. We provide tips and resources for localizing the story, plus an audio Q&A. Find the latest Localize It guides.
WITH: Audio Localize It: Q&A with AP writer Christina A. Cassidy
ELIMINATING RAILROAD CROSSINGS-LOCALIZE IT: The Biden administration is handing out more than $570 million in grants to help eliminate railroad crossings in 32 states just as the industry is increasingly relying on longer and longer trains to cut costs. We point you to the list of projects and offer local reporting suggestions. Find the latest Localize It guides.
FLOOD INSURANCE LAWSUIT-LOCALIZE IT: Louisiana and nine other states have filed a lawsuit against the federal government over sharp increases in national flood insurance rates slated to be phased in over the coming years. Dozens of local Louisiana governments and flood control districts also are plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. district court in New Orleans on Thursday. The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are among the defendants. We list the plaintiffs, point you to data on rate changes and offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
GOVERNMENT HONEYBEES-LOCALIZE IT: While judges, lawyers and support staff at the federal courthouse in Concord, New Hampshire keep the American justice system buzzing, thousands of humble honeybees on the building’s roof are playing their part in a much more important task — feeding the world. The Warren B. Rudman courthouse is one of several federal facilities around the country participating in the General Services Administration’s Pollinator Initiative, a government program to assess and promote the health of bees and other pollinators, which are literally critical to life on Earth. We point you to the other federal sites and offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
____
VIDEO
Trump Attorney: “Bad moment for our history”
US Supreme Court rules in favor of Black Alabama voters
Heading to NC, Biden quiet on Trump indictment
ISS astronauts install solar arrays
____
AUDIO
Trump-appointed judge who issued rulings favorable to him assigned to oversee criminal case
Delayed justice: 3 states remove all time limits on child sex abuse lawsuits
FBI arrests Texas businessman linked to impeachment of state Attorney General Ken Paxton
Stock market today: Wall Street is off to a mixed start; Big Tech climbs
____
U.S. STORIES
TRUMP-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS — Donald Trump’s historic criminal case on felony charges of mishandling classified documents is set to unfold in Florida and will at least initially be overseen by a federal judge who issued rulings favorable to him last year and expressed repeated skepticism of Justice Department positions. The assignment of U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, confirmed Friday by a person familiar with the development, is a rare bit of good news for Trump in the face of an indictment with several criminal charges that carries the prospect of a years-long prison sentence. Trump has declared his innocence. He is due in court Tuesday in Miami. SENT: 1,470 words, video, photos, audio. Developing. With TRUMP-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS-LIVE UPDATES.
TEXAS-ATTORNEY GENERAL-IMPEACHMENT — A businessman at the center of the scandal that led to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s historic impeachment is set to make an initial appearance in federal court following his arrest by the FBI. Records show Nate Paul was taken into custody and booked into an Austin jail on Thursday afternoon. He’s expected in court on Friday morning. Federal prosecutors have yet to reveal what charges led to his arrest. The records showed the 36-year-old was being held on a federal detainer for a felony. One of Paul’s lawyers says he may comment after his court appearance. SENT: 580 words, photos. Developing.
ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING-EXPLAINER — Owners of General Motors and Ford electric vehicles will be able charge at many of Tesla’s large network of stations across the U.S. starting next year. But the bigger news announced by both Detroit-area automakers is that they’ll adopt Tesla’s EV charging connector. This could force the rest of the auto industry to change charging plugs to Tesla’s, standardizing the plugs to a single type. Think of VHS vs. Beta as rival standards for videocassette tapes years ago. UPCOMING: 700 words by 4 p.m., photos.
PITTSBURGH-SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING-ANALYSIS — In the ongoing trial of the gunman in the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, victims are reliving their traumas on the witness stand, and investigators are presented often-graphic evidence of the nation’s deadliest antisemitic attack. This might seem unnecessary in a case where even the defense attorney admits Robert Bowers committed the killings, but it’s part of a longer-range strategy of his lawyers to try to avoid the death penalty and instead get him a life sentence in prison. SENT: 1,270 words, photos.
____
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.
