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This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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
XGR–STATE BUDGET-DEMOCRATS
RALEIGH, N.C. — With a tax and spending deal already a couple weeks late, North Carolina Democrats complained on Wednesday that the absence of a state government budget from Republicans is delaying the anticipated expansion of Medicaid and making it harder for local educators to hire and retain teachers. Gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Josh Stein joined House Democrats in throwing shade at GOP leaders who control the General Assembly and the behind-the-scenes budget negotiations. By Gary Robertson. UPCOMING: 500 words by 4 p.m.
XGR-SENATE WOODARD-MAYOR
DURHAM, N.C. — North Carolina state Sen. Mike Woodard has filed to be a candidate for mayor of Durham this fall. Woodard is a Democrat who’s served in the General Assembly since 2013. But he previously served on the Durham City Council for several years. SENT: 200 words, photo.
____
SOUTH CAROLINA-DOCKWORKER DISPUTE
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Hundreds of labor organizers are expected to rally Wednesday outside the South Carolina State House in support of Charleston dockworkers at one of the nation’s few ports where union members are not exclusively employed. The International Longshoremen’s Association, Local 1422, says the most recent contract requires that union employees alone load container ships at any new terminals. But the governor has backed the State Port Authority’s appeal of a lower court ruling in an effort to maintain the hybrid workforce of state and union employees at the new Hugh Leatherman Terminal. The dispute has left the $1 billion project largely inactive since its opening two years ago. A pending appeals court decision could deliver a rare victory for organized labor in the state with the lowest union density.
____
VIRGINIA
NEW ZEALAND-VOLCANO-TRIAL
An American woman says she told her new husband she loved him and was certain they would die when a New Zealand volcano erupted in 2019, killing 22 people. Lauren and Matt Urey returned to New Zealand from their home in Richmond, Virginia, to testify Wednesday in the Auckland District Court in the trial of three tourism companies and three directors charged with safety breaches over the Dec. 9 White Island disaster. The honeymooning couple was among 47 people on White Island when superheated gases erupted. Most of the 25 people who survived were severely burned, including the Ureys. The court was shown video statements as well as their testimony. By Rod McGuirk. SENT: 840 words, photos.
____
MARYLAND/DELAWARE
BRITAIN-KEVIN SPACEY TRIAL
LONDON — Prosecutors have rested their sexual assault case against Kevin Spacey in a London courtroom after four men testified against the two-time Oscar winner. Prosecutors read jurors statements Wednesday that Spacey gave investigators denying that he aggressively groped three men and performed a nonconsensual sex act on a fourth. The defense is scheduled to present its case Thursday in Southwark Crown Court. The stakes are high for Spacey, who faces a possible prison term if convicted of a dozen counts against him. The 63-year-old has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges including sexual and indecent assault. By Brian Melley. SENT: 490 words, photos.
____
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.
____
VIDEO
Documents reveal poor nuclear waste management
Iowa Legislature to ban most abortions after 6 weeks
Judge allows Parkland school shooting re-enactment
Manson follower Van Houten released from prison
____
AUDIO
G7 pledges security deals with Ukraine as its NATO membership remains elusive
3 tax prep firms shared ‘extraordinarily sensitive’ data about taxpayers with Meta, lawmakers say
3 dead and 14 injured in Illinois crash involving Greyhound bus and tractor-trailers, police say
US inflation falls to 3%, lowest level in more than 2 years, as price pressures ease
____
U.S. STORIES
NUCLEAR CONTAMINATION-ST. LOUIS — Newly public documents are showing how America’s push for the atomic bomb helped saddle St. Louis with an enduring radioactive waste problem. St. Louis was part of a geographically scattered national effort to build the first nuclear bomb. The Associated Press examined hundreds of pages of internal memos, inspection reports and other items dating to the early 1950s. They show that radioactive material was handled at times with nonchalance and indifference that created pockets of contamination. Some residents worry about the affects to this day. One expert said the nuclear program’s secrecy allowed bad practices to continue for too long. SENT: 2,320 words, photos, video
MANSON FOLLOWER-PAROLE — Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten has been released from a California prison after serving more than 50 years of a life sentence for two infamous killings. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Tuesday that Van Houten “was released to parole supervision.” Her release comes days after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he would not fight a state appeals court ruling that Van Houten should be granted parole. Van Houten was convicted in 1971 of helping Manson’s followers carry out the 1969 killings of Leno LaBianca, a grocer in Los Angeles, and his wife, Rosemary. SENT: 960 words, photos, video, audio. — With MANSON FOLLOWERS-GLANCE, MANSON-AP WAS THERE
BUS CRASH-ILLINOIS — Illinois State Police say a Greyhound passenger bus crashed into three tractor-trailers parked along a highway exit to a rest area in southern Illinois, killing three people and injuring 14 others, some seriously. State police say an initial investigation indicates the bus was traveling westbound along Interstate 70 in Madison County around 1:55 a.m. when it crashed into the semis. State police say four people were taken to a hospital by helicopter and at least 10 were transported by ambulance. The agency says no one in the tractor-trailers was injured in the crash, about 25 miles east of St. Louis. SENT: 310 words, photos.
AP POLL ABORTION — A new poll finds most U.S. adults oppose the strictest bans on abortion. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds the majority of those who live in states that have barred abortion throughout pregnancy say they believe abortion should be available for at least the first six weeks. Most Americans also believe there should be some restrictions. The poll was conducted in late June, around the first anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision reversing Roe v. Wade and undoing nationwide abortion access. The poll finds that adults’ views on abortion have not changed much in the last year and that they remain complex. SENT: 860 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.
