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
HOUSE SPEAKER-NORTH CAROLINA
RALEIGH, N.C. — A lawsuit by a North Carolina local elected official alleging House Speaker Tim Moore ruined his marriage by having an affair with his wife has been resolved two weeks after it was filed, attorneys said on Monday. Lawyers for Moore and Scott Lassiter confirmed the resolution in separate emails, but said little more when asked for details, such as whether the lawsuit filed in Wake County court is being withdrawn or a settlement has been reached. By Gary Robertson. UPCOMING: 400 words by 3 p.m., AP photo.
ROLLERCOASTER-NORTH CAROLINA
State investigators were on site at a North Carolina amusement park after a crack was discovered on a support beam on one of their popular roller coasters. Tommy Petty, chief of the state Department of Labor’s Amusement Device Bureau, said investigators from his department “already came and went” from Carowinds early Monday morning. He declined to share details about their findings. Carowinds’ Fury 325 was shut down Friday. Video of the ride showed the beam bending, the top of it visibly detached, as cars with passengers whirled by. The rest of the park remains open. By Hannah Schoenbaum and Kimberlee Kruesi. SENT: 130 words, video.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
FATAL-FIRE SOUTH-CAROLINA
GREEN POND, S.C. — Authorities in South Carolina say six people were found dead after a house fire and a man has been charged with the attempted murder of the lone survivor of the blaze. The Colleton County Sheriff’s Office says authorities found the deceased victims and one person in critical condition at a home in Green Pond around 11 a.m. Sunday. The survivor was airlifted to a hospital from Green Pond, about 42 miles west of Charleston. The names of the survivor and the six victims weren’t immediately released. The sheriff’s office says 33-year-old Ryan Lenard Manigo has been charged with attempted murder, with possible additional charges pending autopsy results. State arson investigators are assisting with the case. SENT: 210 words.
ELECTION 2024-DEMOCRATS
WASHINGTON — Nearly six months after the Democratic Party approved President Joe Biden’s plan to overhaul which states lead off its presidential primary, implementing the revamped order has proven anything but simple. New Hampshire is in open rebellion. South Carolina and Nevada are on board but have faced stiff Republican pushback. In Michigan, compliance may mean having to cut the state legislative session short, despite Democrats controlling both chambers and the governor’s mansion. And then there’s Iowa, which is looking for ways to still go first without violating party rules. Party officials expect the process to continue through the end of the year — even as the 2024 race heats up all around it. By Will Weissert. SENT: 1,300 words, photos.
VIRGINIA
COAL-COUNTRY DRAG
SHAMOKIN, Pa. — In red communities across America, lawmakers are pushing to restrict drag performances or LGBTQ+ rights. Yet deep in Pennsylvania coal country, The Associated Press followed for a year a family of drag performers firmly woven in the fabric of the larger community. The drag performers have hosted sold-out bingo to fundraise for a local theater and have packed bars and restaurants for Mimosas & Heels Drag Brunches for bridal parties and military members. The drag performers’ trouble is more likely to come from politicians passing laws restricting what they can do. A bill aimed at banning drag shows in public places remains stalled in a state Senate committee with little prospect of advancing. By Carolyn Kaster and Calvin Woodward. SENT: 1,300 words, photos.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
BALTIMORE BLOCK PARTY SHOOTING
BALTIMORE — Police in Baltimore say more than one person is suspected of opening fire during a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore that killed two and wounded 28 others, many of them under 18. The circumstances leading up to the shooting early Sunday remained under investigation after police spent hours combing a massive crime scene in the Brooklyn Homes area in the southern part of the city. Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley says there were a total of 30 victims, with more than a dozen believed to be minors. No arrests had been made by early Monday. Worley says it wasn’t clear if the shooting was targeted or random. By Juliet Linderman. SENT: 750 words, photos, video, audio
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SPORTS
BBA–ORIOLES-YANKEES
NEW YORK — Domingo Germán (5-5) makes his first start for the New York Yankees since throwing the 24th perfect game in major league history last Wednesday in Oakland. He faces Tyler Wells (6-4) and the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a four-game series between AL East rivals. By Larry Fleisher. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos. Game starts 7:05 p.m.
BBN–REDS-NATIONALS
WASHINGTON — The NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds look for a fourth win in five games when they open a four-game series at the Washington Nationals. By Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game starts at 6:05 p.m. EDT.
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LOCALIZATION:
NEW LAWS-LOCALIZE IT: New state laws take effect this month in states across the U.S. Some impose restrictions on abortion or gender-affirming treatments for minors. Others raise or lower taxes, and tighten or loosen gun laws — sometimes depending on whether the state legislature is led by Democrats or Republicans. We offer tips for covering some of the major themes in these laws. Find the latest Localize It guides.
SUPREME-COURT-STUDENT-LOANS-LOCALIZE IT:The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected President Joe Biden’s plan to cancel or reduce student loan debts for millions of borrowers. Find the latest Localize It guides.
SUPREME COURT-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION-LOCALIZE IT: The conservative Supreme Court has struck down affirmative action in college admissions and appears poised to overturn Biden’s student loan forgiveness. What does that say to students of color, who have been saddled with outsize student loans and who face more difficult paths to college enrollment? We offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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.
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VIDEO
Shooting victims include more than a dozen minors
Six found dead in South Carolina, 1 critical, 1 charged
At least a dozen hurt as car plows into restaurant
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AUDIO
US recommends Americans reconsider traveling to China due to arbitrary law enforcement, exit bans
The wait for US passports is creating travel purgatory and snarling summer plans
In 370 days, Supreme Court conservatives dash decades of abortion and affirmative action precedents
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U.S. STORIES
BALTIMORE BLOCK PARTY SHOOTING — Police in Baltimore say more than one person is suspected of opening fire during a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore that killed two and wounded 28 others, many of them under 18. The circumstances leading up to the shooting early Sunday remained under investigation after police spent hours combing a massive crime scene in the Brooklyn Homes area in the southern part of the city. Acting Police Commissioner Richard Worley says there were a total of 30 victims, with more than a dozen believed to be minors. No arrests had been made by early Monday.. Worley says it wasn’t clear if the shooting was targeted or random. SENT: 750 words, photos, video.
MASS SHOOTINGS-SURVIVORS — Beyond medical bills in the millions and the weight of trauma and grief, mass shooting survivors and their family members contend with scores of changes showing how their lives have been upended by violence. From financial costs such as hospital bills, rehabilitation, counseling and a service animal to personal costs including giving up a career, strained relationships and the loss of autonomy and a sense of security, survivors from shootings in Uvalde, Colorado Springs, Las Vegas and Highland Park say a few tragic minutes have shifted their entire trajectories. SENT: 1,280 words, photos.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EDUCATION LEGACY ADMISSIONS — In the wake of a Supreme Court decision that removes race from the admissions process, colleges are coming under renewed pressure to put an end to legacy preferences, the practice of favoring applicants with family ties to alumni. Long seen as a perk for the white and wealthy, opponents say it’s no longer defensible in a world with no counterbalance in affirmative action. President Joe Biden suggested that colleges should rethink the practice after the court’s ruling, saying legacy preferences “expand privilege instead of opportunity.” For critics of legacy admissions, the renewed debate over fairness in admissions has offered a chance to swing public sentiment behind their cause. SENT: 1,130 words, photos, audio.
PASSPORTS-THE WAIT — A much-feared backup of U.S. passport applications has snarled summer plans for would-be travelers around the world. Somewhere around March, people who thought they were renewing or applying for new passports in plenty of time for their summer trips flooded what the State Department says is a system still short-staffed from cuts during the pandemic. Some 500,000 applications are submitted a week, setting the process up to issue more than the 22 million passports issued last year. That’s created a mini-nation of people with family dreams and big money at stake holding the phone, refreshing the screen, queuing up, spending more money and fuming online — before any of them set foot near an airport. SENT: 1,670 words, photos, audio.
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