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-GOVERNOR
RALEIGH, N.C. — Outgoing North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan says he’s weighing a 2024 bid for governor. Morgan told the NC Insider news service this week that many within the state Democratic Party are asking him to look at a gubernatorial candidacy. Attorney General Josh Stein has been the only high-profile Democrat to get into the race. Morgan says he believes getting in would enhance Democrats’ efforts to retain the executive mansion. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is barred by term limits from running again now. The Republican gubernatorial field already includes state Treasurer Dale Folwell, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker. SENT: 380 words, photos.
SUPREME COURT-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has struck down affirmative action in college admissions, forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies. In a 6-3 decision, the court overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation’s oldest private and public colleges, respectively. The two programs violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for a conservative majority. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the decision “rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.” By Mark Sherman. SENT: 1,020 words, photos, audio. — With: SUPREME COURT-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION-DIVERSITY; SUPREME COURT-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION-EXPLAINER
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VIRGINIA
SHERIFF-BRIBERY CHARGES
RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia sheriff has been indicted on federal public corruption charges for allegedly handing out auxiliary deputy sheriff’s appointments in exchange for cash bribes and large donations to his reelection campaign. Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins is charged in a 16-count indictment, along with three businessmen who are accused of paying bribes to Jenkins. The indictment unsealed Thursday charges all four men with conspiracy, wire fraud, and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. Jenkins was first elected as sheriff in 2011. He is accused of soliciting and accepting bribes totaling at least $72,500 from the three indicted businessmen and at least five others, including two FBI undercover agents during his 2019 re-election campaign. By AP Legal Affairs Writer Denise Lavoie. SENT: 410 words.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
MARIJUANA-MARYLAND
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland is becoming the latest state to legally sell recreational marijuana. About 100 stores that already have been licensed to sell the cannabis for medicinal purposes will be able to begin selling it recreationally on Saturday, more than five years after the state started selling medical marijuana. By Brian Witte.
ASBESTOS TOWN
MISSOULA, Mont. — A health clinic in a Montana town plagued by deadly asbestos contamination faces millions of dollars in penalties after a jury found it submitted 337 false asbestos claims to the U.S. government. The false claims made patients eligible for Medicare and other benefits they shouldn’t have received. The verdict leaves the clinic liable for $3.2 million from damages incurred by the government, plus millions of dollars in potential penalties. The case focused on the Center for Asbestos Related Disease clinic in Libby, Montana, which gained national notoriety when it was declared a deadly Superfund site two decades ago. The verdict against the clinic could undermine numerous lawsuits from asbestos victims against BNSF Railway and others that courts have held liable for the contamination. By Matthew Brown and Amy Beth Hanson. SENT: 730 words, photos.
MEAT PROCESSING
DES MOINES, Iowa — Smaller meat and poultry operators in 17 states will receive $115 million in grants. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the funding Thursday. The grants are the latest in a series of awards the Biden administration has made that are intended to increase meat and poultry processing, benefiting farmers and providing more job opportunities in largely rural areas. The funding includes 10 awards to recipients in 12 states totaling $77 million through a program that finances the start-up or expansion of meat and poultry processing plants. The USDA has made five awards totaling $38 million through a processing expansion program that will help independent producers in five states. By Scott McFetridge. SENT: 240 words, photo.
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LOCALIZATION:
LEFT BEHIND BARS-PELL GRANTS: Thousands more inmates will graduate with college degrees as the federal government increases Pell Grants for those behind bars. At California’s Folsom Prison, the programs are lifechanging for those who get the degrees. We share a report with state enrollment numbers and demographic data and offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
BROADBAND-STATES-LOCALIZE IT: The Biden distribution’s plan for sending $42.5 billion in federal grant money to the states in the push to bring broadband connectivity to every household in the U.S. includes accountability measures and gives the states a six-month window to submit plans to distribute the money. We point you to broadband and funding maps and offer suggestions for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
DISPOSABLE E-CIGARETTES: The number of different electronic cigarette devices sold in the U.S. has nearly tripled to over 9,000 since 2020, driven almost entirely by a wave of unauthorized disposable vapes from China, according to tightly controlled sales data obtained by The Associated Press. We provide resources and tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
RAIL SAFETY-STATES-LOCALIZE IT: Spurred on by train derailments, some states crisscrossed by busy freight railroads aren’t waiting for federal action to improve safety and are pursuing their own remedies amid industry opposition and questions about whether states even have that authority. Legislatures in at least a dozen states have advanced measures in recent weeks, including some in states that have witnessed disruptive derailments. We provide details on legislative action in individual states and resources for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
WILDFIRES-COMMUNITIES-LOCALIZE IT: As the Biden administration tries to turn the tide on worsening wildfires in the U.S. West through a multi-billion dollar cleanup of forests choked with dead trees and undergrowth, federal land managers already have fallen behind on several of their priority forests for thinning — underscoring the challenge of reversing decades of lax forest management and aggressive fire suppression. We provide a list of the priority landscapes and which states they’re located in, along with resources for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
SMALL BUSINESS-FARMERS MARKETS-LOCALIZE IT: During the pandemic, farmers markets were a haven for customers and vendors. The markets are now building on that goodwill. We offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
CENSUS-ESTIMATES-RACE-LOCALIZE IT: Without immigration, the white population in the U.S. would have declined last year. Immigration also propelled the expansion of the Asian population, which was the fastest-growing race or ethnic group in the U.S. Births outpacing deaths helped propel growth in Hispanic, Black, tribal and Hawaiian populations. Population estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show what drove changes in different race, ethnic and age groups last year. We provide tips for localizing this story to your community. Find the latest Localize It guides.
ABORTION-LOCALIZE IT: A year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion policy has changed in most states. Bans on abortion throughout pregnancy — with some exceptions — are now in place in 14 states. Deep restrictions have been adopted in others, while most Democrat-controlled states have taken steps to protect access. We provide tips for covering the anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in your states and communities. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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VIDEO
More smoke heading toward parts of US and Canada
Firefighters rescued after boat goes over falls
Texas mall shooting police body cam video released
Norfolk Southern CEO focusing on safety and service
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AUDIO
Supreme Court rules that colleges must stop considering the race of applicants for admission
Rain hasn’t quelled Canadian wildfires, and more smoky haze is on the way, officials say
Safety concerns dominate Norfolk Southern railroad CEO’s job since Ohio derailment
Scientists have finally ‘heard’ the chorus of gravitational waves that ripple through the universe
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U.S. STORIES
SUPREME COURT-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION — The Supreme Court has struck down affirmative action in college admissions, forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies. In a 6-3 decision, the court overturned admissions plans at Harvard and the University of North Carolina, the nation’s oldest private and public colleges, respectively. The two programs violate the Constitution’s equal protection clause, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for a conservative majority. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in dissent that the decision “rolls back decades of precedent and momentous progress.” SENT: 910 words, photos, audio.
HEAT WAVE — An oppressive heat wave blamed for at least 13 deaths in Texas and another in Louisiana continued to blanket the South on Thursday, as authorities warned of dangerous, triple-digit temperatures. Extreme heat and humidity increased the potential for heat-related illnesses, and lingering power outages have exacerbated the misery in some areas. SENT: 800 words, video, photos, audio.
AIRLINE DELAYS — Backups are easing at U.S. airports thanks to a break in the weather, yet there are still hundreds of delays and cancellations for travelers in what is expected to be the peak day for holiday travel, and pockets of dicey weather threaten to scramble air traffic this weekend. More than 1,000 U.S. flights have been delayed and nearly 400 had been canceled before 9:30 a.m. Eastern on Thursday. SENT: 500 words, photos, audio.
TRUMP-MEDIA-INSIDER TRADING — Three Florida men have been charged with making more than $22 million illegally by insider trading ahead of the public announcement that an acquisition firm was going to take a media company owned by former President Donald Trump public. The court papers said the men were invited to invest in Digital World Acquisition Corp. and were provided confidential information about DWAC and another special purpose acquisition company, Benessere Capital Acquisition Corp. SENT: 500 words, photos.
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