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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This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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
US CAPITOL RIOT-SENTENCING
A North Carolina man who stormed the U.S. Capitol while free on bail for an attempted murder case is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday for attacking police officers with a pole attached to an American flag during the mob’s riot. Matthew Jason Beddingfield, 22, appeared to flash a Nazi salute toward the Capitol after attacking officers trying to protect the building from rioters on Jan. 6, 2021, according to federal prosecutors. By Michael Kunzelman. UPCOMING : 600 words by 2 p.m., photo.
BANK OF AMERICA-JUNK FEES
Bank of America must reimburse customers more than $100 million and pay $150 million in fines for “double-dipping” on overdraft fees, withholding reward bonuses on credit cards and opening accounts without customer consent. It is one of the highest financial penalties in years against Bank of America, which has largely spent the last 15 years trying to clean up its reputation and market itself to the public as a bank focused on financial health and not on overdraft fee income. By Michelle Chapman. SENT: 430 words, photo.
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VIRGINIA
ELECTION 2023-VIRGINIA-VOTING
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Republicans on Tuesday rolled out an early and absentee voting push ahead of this fall’s critical elections, an effort intended to boost ballot access measures GOP legislators have sought to repeal in recent years. By Sarah Rankin.
MOUNTAIN VALLEY PIPELINE
FALLS CHURCH, Va. — A federal appeals court has again blocked construction on a segment of a contentious natural gas pipeline being built through Virginia and West Virginia. The stay was issued Monday by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond. It comes after Congress passed legislation requiring issuance of all necessary permits for construction of the 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline. The law also stripped the 4th Circuit from jurisdiction over the case. Environmentalists, however, argued that Congress overstepped its authority by enacting the law and that the law violates the separation of powers outlined in the Constitution. The stay issued Monday is just temporary until the court can hear full arguments in the case. By Matthew Barakat. SENT: 350 words, photo.
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LOCALIZATION:
SUPREME COURT-ETHICS-LOCALIZE IT: Records obtained by The Associated Press show that Supreme Court justices attended publicly funded events at colleges and universities that allowed the schools to put the justices in the room with influential donors, including some whose industries have had interests before the court. The AP’s investigation also found that justices lent the prestige of their position to partisan activity and advanced personal interests such as book sales. The court says ethical guidelines were followed. We provide a list of institutions included in AP’s published reporting and tips for pursuing reporting and record requests for visits by justices in your area. Find the latest Localize It guides.
US-SOC-WORLD CUP-LOCALIZE IT: America’s star-studded women’s World Cup team has community ties from coast to coast. We list them for you and include players with U.S. ties from some other teams as well. We also point you to local club resources for potential watch parties and other events and link to AP’s planned coverage. Find the latest Localize It guides.
LOCALIZE IT-LEFT BEHIND LEAD: Providence-Left Behind LeadMany cities have been excavating and revealing lead pipes as they do work on water mains, then reburying them, an investigation by the Associated Press has found. The practice has been common. But the city of Detroit, which went through bankruptcy, shows that cities didn’t have to make a choice that risks lead poisoning for another generation of young children. Detroit decided to dig up all of its lead pipes. Some cities say there are financial or social obstacles to removing all lead pipes, and that some homeowners don’t want city workers on their property. But people who study lead poisoning, which can deprive children of cognitive abilities, call the practice of leaving them in the ground immoral. We offer details on lead pipes per state and tips for finding out the status of lead pipe removal in your community. Find the latest Localize It guides.
DISUNITED METHODISTS-LOCALIZE IT: More than 6,000 United Methodist congregations — a fifth of the U.S. total — have received permission to leave the denomination, according to the latest tally in a long-running schism over theology and the role of LGBTQ persons. Most of those departures, which began with a trickle in 2019, occurred this year during a just-completed round of meetings of the denomination’s regional governing bodies. Many of the departing congregations are joining the new, more conservative Global Methodist Church. We offer details on congregations that are leaving and tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
MATERNAL MORTALITY-LOCALIZE IT: The United States has the highest rate of maternal mortality among wealthy nations. A new state-by-state study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association details which racial or ethnic communities saw the highest increases in maternal mortality between 1999 and 2019, as well as states and regions of the U.S. where the rates are high. We show you how to find your state’s data and provide ideas for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
MOMS FOR LIBERTY-LOCALIZE IT: Moms for Liberty, a “parental rights” group that the Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled extremist for its attacks on inclusion in schools, is looking to take over more school boards and get involved in other education races in 2024 and beyond. The effort is setting up a clash with teachers unions and others on the left who view the group as a toxic presence in public schools. We offer a look at the group’s background and various chapters and provide reporting pathways to explore. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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.
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VIDEO
Rains cause flooding in Vermont
A look into AP’s SCOTUS investigation
Detroit carmakers, UAW set for tense contract talks
Rare fossils from the age of dinosaurs to go up for auction
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AUDIO
Supreme Court justices and donors mingle at campus visits. These documents show the ethical dilemmas
Zelenskyy says NATO’s ‘absurd’ plans for Ukraine fall short
A grand jury being seated Tuesday could decide whether Trump is charged over Georgia’s 2020 election
GOP confidence in 2024 vote count low after years of false election claims, AP-NORC poll shows
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U.S. STORIES
SUPREME COURT-ETHICS — Records obtained by The Associated Press show that Supreme Court justices have attended publicly funded events at colleges and universities that allowed the schools to put the justices in the room with influential donors, including some whose industries have had interests before the court. The records show schools used the justices as inducements for donations, even while expressly saying the events were not fundraisers. Supreme Court justices provide only a limited accounting of expenses-paid travel and sometimes fail to disclose events altogether. SENT: 2,800 words, video, photos, audio. With SUPREME COURT-BOOKS — For colleges and libraries seeking a big name for a guest lecturer, few come bigger than Sonia Sotomayor, the Supreme Court justice who rose from poverty in the Bronx to the nation’s highest court. But emails show officials frequently found that an appearance by Sotomayor came with an additional benefit — namely the purchase of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of copies of her books. SENT: 2,300 words, video, photos, audio. With SUPREME COURT-UNIVERSITY TEACHING — Documents obtained by The Associated Press through public records requests reveal that some all-expenses-paid trips to justices for university teaching, particularly to attractive locales stateside and abroad, are light on classroom instruction, with ample time carved out for the justices’ leisure. SENT: 1,300 words, video, photos, audio.
NORTHEAST FLOODING — A storm that dumped two months of rain in two days is bringing more flooding across Vermont. Many communities are marooned by high water, and a dam is threatening to overflow just upstream from the state capital of Montpelier. SENT: 970 words, video, photos, audio.
GEORGIA ELECTION INVESTIGATION — A new grand jury being seated this week in Atlanta will likely consider whether criminal charges are appropriate for former President Donald Trump or his allies for their efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. SENT: 1,130 words, photo, audio.
MILITARY RECORDS INFERNO-50 YEARS LATER — Fifty years ago, millions of files were destroyed in a huge fire at the Military Personnel Records Center in suburban St. Louis. The loss has forced veterans and their families to fight for benefits, medals and recognition they’d earned. Some people believe it was an intentional attack. Investigators zeroed in on a janitor’s carelessly discarded cigarette, but no official cause was ever determined. SENT: 2,460 words, photos.
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