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This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION-UNC
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The board of North Carolina’s flagship public university has voted to strictly bar the use of “race, sex, color or ethnicity” in admissions and hiring decisions following recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings striking down affirmative action in forming student bodies. The Board of Trustees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill approved the resolution Thursday. Court majorities last month struck down affirmative action in college admissions in cases involving UNC-Chapel Hill and Harvard University. The resolution tells UNC-Chapel Hill administrators that certain methods to achieve diverse student bodies are now off-limits. One board member criticized the resolution as going well beyond the Supreme Court’s decision. SENT: 420 words, photo.
NASHVILLE AIRPORT-STATE TAKEOVER
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville International Airport has quietly faced an identity crisis for weeks under a new state law, with no clear agreement about who is in charge. The dispute will be the focus of a court hearing Friday. GOP state lawmakers approved plans earlier this year for the state to make most of the airport’s board appointments. The city later sued the state over the change. The authority installed new board members on July 1, saying the organization can’t ignore state law without a court order. The Federal Aviation Administration has told city leaders it will recognize the preexisting board appointed by the mayor until a judge weighs in. By Jonathan Mattise. SENT: 800 words, photos.
BOAT CRASH-MURDAUGH
YORK, S.C. — A judge has approved a $15 million settlement in a lawsuit against a convenience store that sold beer to Alex Murdaugh’s underage son. An investigation found Paul Murdaugh used his older brother’s ID to buy beer in February 2019. That same night authorities say the 19-year-old wrecked a boat, killing Mallory Beach. That fatal boat crash is believed to have spun the downfall of Alex Murdaugh, who is serving a life sentence without parole for the June 2021 killings of his wife, Maggie, and Paul, his youngest son. Prosecutors in this year’s double murder trial had argued that Alex Murdaugh feared the crash would uncover the millions he stole from his clients and law firm. SENT: 210 words, photo.
____
SOUTH CAROLINA
SCHOOL SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATIONS
The parents of a teenager with special needs say he was repeatedly sexually assaulted beginning when he was 14 by an employee at a small private boarding school in South Carolina. They have filed a federal lawsuit against Singleton Investment Properties, the school’s parent company. The lawsuit accuses the company of negligence and failure to reasonably protect the teenager on its premises. John Singleton Jr., who owns Singleton Investment Properties and Whetstone Academy, has denied the the allegations and says a state investigation resulted in no action against the school. By Kate Brumback. SENT: 950 words, photos.
ELECTION 2024-SCOTT-DESANTIS
ANKENY, Iowa — U.S. Sen. Tim Scott is criticizing fellow Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for supporting standards requiring teachers to instruct middle school students that slaves developed skills that “could be applied for their personal benefit.” The South Carolina senator suggests DeSantis might “regret” supporting the Florida curriculum. The Senate’s sole Black Republican spoke to reporters Thursday after a town hall in Iowa, where the candidates stumped ahead of the state party’s Lincoln Day Dinner. Scott said he’d hope every person in the U.S. “and certainly running for president” would recognize slavery was “devastating.” DeSantis has been criticized by teachers, civil rights leaders and President Joe Biden’s White House but defends the curriculum. By Meg Kinnard and Hannah Fingerhut. SENT: 350 words, photos.
____
VIRGINIA
RICHMOND SHOOTING
RICHMOND, Va. — A 19-year-old man police say opened fire in a crowd minutes after a high school graduation in Virginia, killing an 18-year-old graduate and his stepfather, and wounding five others is due in a Richmond courthouse for a preliminary hearing. Police say the suspect targeted a graduate in a long-running dispute between the two teens.
____
MARYLAND/DELAWARE
FORMER GOVERNOR’S AIDE-SHOOTING
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A former Maryland political aide who failed to appear for his trial on federal corruption charges died after suffering two gunshot wounds — one of them self-inflicted — as FBI agents closed in on him in Tennessee. That’s according to an autopsy report made public Friday. Roy McGrath died on April 4 near Knoxvillle, Tennessee, after he failed to appear at Baltimore’s federal courthouse for his March 13 trial. Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen said in a news release that the agent who shot McGrath was acting in self defense “because he had a reasonable belief that McGrath posed a threat of imminent death or serious bodily injury.” By Brian Witte. SENT: 610 words, photo.
MEXICO-US SAILOR
MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s navy has located the boat of a missing American sailor off its southern coast. But the Maryland man who had been sailing it solo was not found. Authorities said Friday that Donald Lawson’s capsized trimaran was found Thursday night by a patrol boat involved in the search 356 nautical miles southwest of the resort city of Acapulco. The Navy said it would continue its search for Lawson, 41, an experienced sailor. A plane had reported spotting a boat similar to the description of Lawson’s on July 23 about 320 nautical miles south of Acapulco. The Navy sent boats to the area, but it was not until Thursday night that they found it. SENT: 340 words.
CONGRESS-OVERSIGHT-BIDEN
WASHINGTON — House Democrats are demanding the release of a transcript from a new FBI witness, saying it contradicts Republicans’ claims in the vast congressional inquiry into President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on House Oversight Committee, sent a letter Friday to committee chair James Comer, R-Ky., asking him to produce the transcribed interview that took place this month with an FBI agent who worked on the federal investigation into the younger Biden’s taxes and foreign business dealings. Republicans responded that the transcript was going through the “normal review process” and would be released after the fact. By Farnoush Amiri. SENT: 450 words, photo.
____
SPORTS
BBA–YANKEES-ORIOLES
New York plays Baltimore at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos.
BBN–NATIONALS-METS
Washington plays New York at Citi Field. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos.
FBN–COMMANDERS-DURANT
ASHBURN, Va. Kevin Durant was among those in attendance for the second open practice of Washington Commanders training camp. The NBA star is a longtime Washington football fan who grew up in the area in Seat Pleasant, Maryland. Durant’s presence is the latest positive sign of the Commanders in the spotlight since new ownership took over last week. By Stephen Whyno. SENT: 330 words, photos.
____
LOCALIZATION
TORNADO-MANUFACTURED DANGER-LOCALIZE IT: The Associated Press analyzed tornado deaths and found that since 1996, 53% of the tornado deaths in people’s homes were in mobile or manufactured housing. That’s even though manufactured homes are less than 6% of the American housing stock. It’s more than 800 deaths in mobile or manufactured homes. And when tornadoes are weak — with winds of 135 mph or less — an even higher proportion of tornado deaths at home, 79%, are in mobile homes. This is a story that is easily localized, by looking at tornado deaths, mobile home rates and applicable federal rules in your state and counties. We provide data and reporting suggestions. Find the latest Localize It guides.
EDUCATION-STUDENT HOMELESSNESS-LOCALIZE IT: Federal data on homeless students, based on a count of children identified by schools nationwide, found the number fell 21% from the 2018-2019 school year to the 2020-2021 school year, during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s a decrease of more than 288,000 students, but it’s unlikely all of those kids suddenly got housing. Instead, the number likely reflects kids who stopped going to school or whose lack of housing was unknown to school officials. We provide tips for covering student homelessness. Find the latest Localize It guides.
WAGE WARS-STATES-LOCALIZE IT: “Now hiring” signs have become common since the coronavirus pandemic, as businesses ranging from hospitals to hamburger joints sought to counteract employee resignations and retirements by raising wages. Many public sector employers also have struggled to attract and retain workers amid aggressive competition from the private sector. During the past couple of years, employee vacancy rates have ballooned in many states, counties, cities and public school districts. States have responded with one of the largest surges in pay raises in the past 15 years. Many local governments also have increased pay. We offer ideas for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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 provideideas 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.
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.
____
VIDEO
Tornadoes are killing more people in mobile homes
Donald Trump faces further charges
At rally, actors say SAG strike goes beyond their own needs
____
AUDIO
Trump accused of asking staffer to delete camera footage in Florida classified documents case
Schools lost track of homeless kids during the pandemic. Many face a steep path to recovery
Homeless struggle to stay safe from record high temperatures in blistering Phoenix
Ford recalls 870K F-150 pickups in US because parking brakes can turn on unexpectedly
____
U.S. STORIES
TORNADO-MANUFACTURED-DANGER — When tornadoes strike, people aren’t just killed at home. Sometimes, they are killed by their homes. An AP analysis shows that tornadoes are disproportionately killing more people in mobile or manufactured homes, especially in the South. They often victimize the most economically vulnerable residents. Since 1996, tornadoes have killed 815 people in mobile or manufactured homes. That’s 53% of all the people killed in their homes during a tornado. Yet only 6% of America’s housing units are manufactured homes. How mobile homes are anchored to the ground is key. If they are not tied down well experts say they become flying death traps. By Seth Borenstein, Camille Fassett and Michael Goldberg. SENT: 2,005 words, photos, video. An abridged version of 1,050 words is also available. WITH: TORNADO-MANUFACTURED DANGER-ONE-FAMILY –Tornadoes in the United States are disproportionately killing more people in mobile or manufactured homes, especially in the South. SENT: 745 words, photos.
TRUMP-CLASSIFIED-DOCUMENTS-EXPLAINER — Donald Trump has been indicted on three additional charges in a case that accuses him of illegally possessing classified documents. These new allegations, in a case stemming from a 2022 raid at his Florida estate, add fresh detail to the criminal case initially issued last month. The former president faces three new charges in a superseding indictment issued by federal prosecutors on Thursday. Trump is newly accused of asking a staffer at his Mar-a-Lago club to delete camera footage at his Florida estate in an effort to obstruct the federal investigation into his possession of classified documents. The employee is also now charged in the case. By Meg Kinnard. SENT: 1,135 words, photos. Find related content in our Trump Investigations hub on AP Newsroom.
WAGE-WAR-STATES — Pay is rising for many public sector employees as governments try to compete for new workers and stem a tide of retirements and resignations. Turnover rates in state and local governments are double the norm of the past two decades. That’s prompted pay raises from many states, counties, cities and schools. The pay hikes come as governments and taxpayers feel the consequences of empty positions. Some states have about one-quarter of their prison guard positions empty — posing challenges for security. SENT: 1,160 words, photos.
EXTREME-WEATHER — Dangerous heat is forecast to “engulf” much of the eastern half of the United States as extreme temperatures spread from the Midwest into the Northeast and mid-Atlantic where some residents will see their hottest temperatures of the year, according to the National Weather Service. The little nighttime cooling normally experienced in summer will further diminish, prompting excessive heat warnings. SENT: 610 words, photos, video.
FORD-F-150-RECALL — Ford is recalling more than 870,000 F-150 pickup trucks in the U.S. because the electric parking brakes can turn on unexpectedly. SENT: 215 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 StoryShareis 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.
