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This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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
IN BRIEF:
— AIRBOAT CAPSIZES — The U.S. Coast Guard says 11 people were rescued after an airboat capsized off the Outer Banks.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
ELECTION 2024-DESANTIS-SOUTH CAROLINA
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to headline next month a barbecue billed as South Carolina’s largest annual gathering of Republicans. Event host Rep. Jeff Duncan told The Associated Press on Thursday that the presidential candidate will speak Aug. 28 at the Faith & Freedom BBQ in Anderson. This centerpiece appearance provides DeSantis with an opportunity to make his case in front of a large number of party activists, with whom Republican primary front-runner Donald Trump has remained popular. The fundraiser benefits Duncan’s reelection campaign and has long been a showcase for possible White House contenders. Success in South Carolina has historically been a catalyst for GOP presidential nominees. By Meg Kinnard. SENT: 410 words, photos.
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VIRGINIA
MOUNTAIN VALLEY PIPELINE
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is allowing construction to resume on a contested natural-gas pipeline that is being built through Virginia and West Virginia. Work on the Mountain Valley Pipeline had been blocked by the federal appeals court in Richmond, Virginia, even after Congress included the project’s approval as part of the bipartisan bill increasing the debt ceiling. President Joe Biden signed the bill in June. The high court’s order came Thursday, as a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the case. The Biden administration backed the company in calling for the Supreme Court’s intervention. Environmental groups have opposed the the $6.6 billion project. SENT: 430 words, photos.
IN BRIEF:
— RICHMOND SHOOTING — Online court records show a teen charged in a fatal shooting at a Richmond graduation last month is now facing a first-degree murder charge.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
SQUEEGEE WORKER-SHOOTING
BALTIMORE — A Baltimore teenager was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter Thursday in the deadly shooting of a baseball bat-wielding driver who approached youths washing windshields at a busy downtown intersection last summer. The jury verdict came following a 10-day criminal trial rife with racial and political overtones. Defense attorneys tried to assign some responsibility to Timothy Reynolds, 48, who was killed after he armed himself with a bat and confronted the youths. Prosecutors, however, argued the defendant planned and executed the shooting. The high-profile tragedy reignited longstanding debate last year about Baltimore’s squeegee workers, mostly Black teens from disadvantaged backgrounds looking to make fast cash. By Lea Skene. SENT: 1,120 words, photos.
ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-CAPITOL RIOT
NEW YORK — The day after Jan. 6, 2021, then-President Donald Trump denounced the rioters who had violently stormed the Capitol building. Two and a half years later, his public characterizations have dramatically changed. Since leaving office, Trump has downplayed the violence, lionized the rioters as patriots and spread false claims about who was involved. He’s not only vowed to pardon a “large portion” of Jan. 6 defendants if he wins a second term in the White House, but he has also fundraised for them, met with their families and collaborated on a song that became a surprise iTunes hit. By Jill Colvin. SENT: 1,290 words, photos.
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SPORTS
BBN–NATIONALS-METS
NEW YORK — In a matchup of All-Star pitchers, rookie Kodai Senga (7-5, 3.27 ERA) starts for the New York Mets against Washington right-hander Josiah Gray (7-8, 3.45) in the opener of a four-game series at Citi Field. By Jerry Beach. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos. Game starts 7:10 p.m.
FBC–ACC-MEDIA DAYS-CLEMSON-OLD SCHOOL DABO
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Clemson’s Dabo Swinney barely uses the transfer portal much and wasn’t crazy when paying players, now a part of the game under NIL, first came up in the game. Yet, the ACC’s longest tenured coach keeps winning in his way, once more defending league championship as he starts his 15th full season in charge of the Tigers. By Pete Iacobelli. UPCOMING, 600 words by 6 p.m.
FBC–ACC-MEDIA DAYS-NOTEBOOK
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Notes from the final day of the ACC’s football media sessions with visits from Clemson, Boston College, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. By Pete Iacobelli.
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LOCALIZATION
LGBTQ+ POPULATION-EXPLAINER-LOCALIZE IT: Laws restricting bathroom access, prohibitions against participating in sports and bans on gender-affirming care have been increasing in Republican-led states across the U.S. in recent years. The laws will directly impact millions of people, but the kind of demographic data that normally helps policy makers shape and measure the impact of new laws is scant. We point you to existing numbers for your area and provide ideas for local reporting. Find the latest Localize It guides.
HOLLYWOOD STRIKES-LOCALIZE IT: Three years after the pandemic brought Hollywood to a standstill, the film and TV industry has again ground to a halt. This time, though, the industry is engaged in a bitter battle over how streaming — after advancing rapidly during the pandemic — has upended the economics of entertainment. Tens of thousands of actors have now joined screenwriters on picket lines outside studios and streaming services’ headquarters, seeking better pay and more details about streaming audiences. We provide tips on finding strike events near you and ideas for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
HEAT WAVE-LOCALIZE IT:Swaths of the United States are sweltering under an onslaught of searing temperatures. Around one-third of Americans are under some type of heat advisory, with the most blistering temperatures in the South and West, where even the regular simmer has turned up a notch. We offer tips for localization. Find the latest Localize It guides.
HUNGER-COLLEGE-STUDENTS-LOCALIZE IT: Many college students who are struggling with hunger are facing the potential loss of food stamp benefits that were boosted in the pandemic. COVID-era rule changes made it easier for as many as 3 million students to enter the SNAP, or food stamps, program. But now those changes are expiring, and thousands of college students will be gradually removed from a program they say is still vital to their ability to feed themselves and stay in school. We offer tips and resources for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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.
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VIDEO
Burning crane falls to street in New York City
Hunter Biden reaction splits along party lines
Mega Millions jackpot approaches $1 billion
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AUDIO
July has been so blistering hot, scientists already calculate that it’s the warmest month on record
Biden looks to provide relief from extreme heat as record temperatures persist
Arizona teen Alicia Navarro missing for nearly 4 years shows up safe at Montana police station
Senate GOP leader McConnell briefly leaves news conference after freezing up midsentence
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U.S. STORIES
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT-JAN 6-TRUMP — Lawyers for Donald Trump are meeting with members of special counsel Jack Smith’s team as a potential indictment looms over the former president’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter, who said the Thursday meeting included Trump lawyer John Lauro. Trump earlier this month was informed by Smith’s office that he was a target of the Justice Department’s investigation, suggesting that an indictment could be soon. A spokesman for Smith declined to comment on the meeting. SENT: 500 words, photos. UPCOMING: Monitoring developments in all formats.
BIDEN-HEAT — President Joe Biden plans to announce new steps to address the extremely high temperatures threatening millions of people as heat waves spread across the United States. The White House says officials are trying to increase worker protections, improve weather forecasts and make drinking water more accessible. Thursday’s announcement comes as nearly 40% of the U.S. population faces heat advisories.SENT: 1,170 words, photos.
ELECTION 2024-DESANTIS-RACE — Civil rights activists cheered when Ron DeSantis pardoned four Black men wrongfully convicted of rape as one of his first actions as Florida’s new governor. But four years later, as DeSantis eyes the presidency, African American leaders decry what they call a pattern of “policy violence” against people of color executed by the DeSantis administration that reached a new low point following the recent release of new “anti-woke” public school curriculum on Black history. Florida’s teachers are now required to instruct middle school students that slaves “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” SENT: 1,590 words, photos.
SCHOOL SHOOTING-MICHIGAN — A judge in Michigan is hearing evidence to support a request to sentence a teen school shooter to life in prison. A sheriff’s investigator says a handwritten journal detailed Ethan Crumbley’s plan. Crumbley was 15 years old when he killed four fellow students and wounded others at Oxford High School in 2021. Crumbley pleaded guilty to murder and other charges. Because of his age, the now-17-year-old is entitled to a hearing at which a judge will look at his family life, mental health and other factors. Crumbley could be given a minimum sentence somewhere from 25 years to 40 years. SENT: 660 words, video, photos. Developing.
OLYMPICS-SEX ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS — Six years into its mission to remedy the sex-abuse crisis in Olympic sports, the U.S. Center for SafeSport is struggling. The Associated Press examined five cases that exposed flaws at the overwhelmed agency that has been criticized by athletes, Olympic leaders and investigators with Washington connections. Less than 15% of the more than 12,500 cases the center investigated from 2017 through 2022 ended with a formal resolution. Many other cases were closed because of administrative issues. The backlog, delays in resolving cases and confusion surrounding the reporting led one athlete to conclude the center is woefully under-equipped for its mission. SENT: 1,770 words, photos, 1,100-word abridged version.
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