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This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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.
EDITORS: Please note that XGR-TRANSGENDER RIGHTS-NORTH CAROLINA, listed on an earlier digest, will not move this cycle. It is now scheduled for Friday.
This update adds: NC—Budget-Medicaid Expansion
____
NORTH CAROLINA
TRANSGENDER RIGHTS-NORTH CAROLINA
RALEIGH, N.C. —- After North Carolina enacted a ban on gender affirming care for minors, a look at how the political landscape has changed in the years since Democrats in the state fought back against the “bathroom bill.” By Hannah Schoenbaum. UPCOMING:
ENT-MUSIC-RHIANNON GIDDENS
NEW YORK —- Rhiannon Giddens is as much a scholar as a musician. Along with her two Grammy Awards, she’s been the recipient of a MacArthur “genius grant” for her work showing the influence of Black musicians on the history of art forms like folk and country. She also won a Pulitzer Prize this year for co-writing an opera that addresses slavery. Yet the Giddens is now is showing a different side — even a saucy side — with an accessible new album with roots in all types of American music: rock, soul and Cajun along with folk and country. “You’re the One” is out Friday. By DAVID BAUDER. SENT: 1,000 words.
_____
SOUTH CAROLINA
ELECTION 2024-REPUBLICANS-DEBATE
COLUMBIA, S.C. —- Next week, Republicans will hold their first presidential debate of the 2024 campaign. So far, eight candidates say they’ve met the qualifications to be on the debate stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday. But that also means that some in the broad GOP field are running short on time to make the cut. To qualify, candidates need to satisfy polling and donor requirements set by the Republican National Committee. That means reaching at least 1% in three high-quality polls and having a minimum of 40,000 donors. Former President Donald Trump has indicated he’s likely to skip the debate and hold a competing event. By Meg Kinnard. SENT: 1,445
ELECTION 2024-REPUBLICANS-GEORGIA
ATLANTA —- Several Republican White House hopefuls are appearing at a conservative conference with hopes of making up ground against Donald Trump. But the former president’s shadow may be especially difficult to escape in the city where he was just indicted. Trump won’t speak at an Atlanta event where radio host Erick Erickson will welcome six GOP contenders. The event takes place 10 miles from the jail where Trump must soon surrender on a racketeering indictment related to the 2020 election. The timing offers one more example of the struggle facing Trump’s rivals. Trump dominates primary polls and media attention, and four indictments have only seemed to harden his popularity among core Republican voters. By BILL BARROW. SENT: 1,000 words.
____
VIRGINIA
PHILANTHROPY-DONORS CHOOSE
NEW YORK — DonorsChoose has seen a banner year for donations in 2023, setting records by collecting nearly $10 million during Teacher Appreciation Week in May. Earlier this month, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donated $2 million to match 50% of all DonorsChoose pledges for one day – a marked departure from the way the largest U.S. philanthropy normally makes donations, based on its own meticulous research and big-picture priorities. The platform is also seeing plenty of engagement from donors in a time when overall giving is generally down, especially among young people. Alix Guerrier, DonorsChoose CEO, says the platform’s appeal to slightly older donors is even stronger. By Glenn Gamboa SENT: 846 words.
____
MARYLAND/DELAWARE
HIKER KILLED
BALTIMORE — Authorities say DNA has linked the killing of a Maryland woman found near a hiking trail to a home invasion and assault in Los Angeles earlier this year. Officials announced the connection at a Thursday evening news conference in Harford County. The case of Rachel Morin, a mother of five from suburban Maryland, has drawn extensive media attention and widespread speculation in recent weeks. Despite the DNA match, authorities haven’t yet identified the suspect, who they believe randomly targeted Morin. They released surveillance footage showing him leaving the Los Angeles crime scene. By Lea Skene. SENT: 338 words.
UNITED STATES-JAPAN-SOUTH KOREA
CAMP DAVID, Md. —- President Joe Biden has opened a Camp David summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as the allies pledge to consult with each other in the event of a security crisis or threat in the Pacific. That agreement is one of several joint efforts that they’re expected to announce at the meeting. The three countries are looking to strengthen security and economic ties amid increasing concerns about North Korea’s persistent nuclear threats and China’s provocations in the region. By Aamer Madhani and Darlene Superville. SENT: 1,210 words.
BALTIMORE-SHOOTING ARREST
BALTIMORE —- A second teenager has been arrested in connection with Baltimore mass shooting that left two people dead and 28 others injured during a neighborhood block party earlier this summer. Baltimore police announced the arrest Thursday evening. Eighteen-year-old Tristan Brian Jackson has been charged with multiple counts of attempted murder and firearms offenses. Police said surveillance video shows him firing five rounds from a handgun toward a group of people who were fleeing. It was unclear from court papers whether anyone was injured by bullets fired from his gun. Jackson does not yet have an attorney listed in online court records. One of the teens injured by gunfire at the party has also been charged with illegal weapon possession. By Lea Skene. SENT: 600 words.
OHER-BLIND SIDE
MEMPHIS —- A court agreement signed by Michael Oher when he was 18 that allowed a Memphis couple to make medical and financial decisions for him is under scrutiny. The former NFL player is asking a court to end the agreement, called a conservatorship, reached in 2004 with Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. He’s accusing the Tuohys of enriching themselves at his expense and lying to him by having him sign papers making them his conservators rather than his adoptive parents. The Tuohys deny they kept money from him from the film about his life, “The Blind Side.” The agreement has drawn criticism, including from one expert who questions how and why it was reached. By Adrian Sainz, Jonathan Mattise and Ben Finley. SENT: 1,000 words.
____
LOCALIZATION
EDUCATION-CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM-LOCALIZE IT: Across the country, students have been absent at record rates since schools reopened after COVID-forced closures. More than a quarter of students missed at least 10% of the 2021-22 school year, making them chronically absent, according to data compiled by Stanford University and The Associated Press. The absences added to the time that students missed during the school closures and pandemic disruptions, and cost them crucial time in classrooms as schools worked to help them recover from massive learning setbacks. We offer data on absenteeism for 40 states and tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE-CLIMATE CHANGE-LOCALIZE IT: Across the U.S., municipal water systems and sewage treatment plants are at increasing risk of damage from floods and sea-level rise that climate change is making worse. The storm that walloped Vermont last month hit Ludlow especially hard, damaging the picturesque ski town’s sewage pipes in addition to flooding homes and destroying roads. It also exposed vulnerabilities in the village’s water infrastructure that cities and towns larger than Ludlow could face, too, as climate change makes storms both more unpredictable and ferocious. We offer local data on wastewater system flooding risk across the country, an embeddable interactive and tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
CONGRESS-BIDEN ECONOMY-LOCALIZE IT: There are so many dots on the maps they blur into blobs — each one reflecting trillions of public and private dollars flowing in the U.S. this past year to build thousands of roads, bridges and manufacturing projects in communities large and small. Packaged as “Bidenomics” by the White House, the effort is the product of three major bills from Congress and the president’s hoped-for roadmap for reelection. Republicans have balked at what they said was unwarranted federal spending. We provide maps to look for projects in your state and tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
——
VIDEO
____
AUDIO
Emergency services chief on Maui resigns. He faced criticism for not activating sirens during fire
Wildfire nears capital of Canada’s Northwest Territories as fleeing residents fill roads and flights
Trump lawyers seek April 2026 trial date in federal election subversion case
Drone shot down over central Moscow, no injuries reported
____
U.S. STORIES
UNITED STATES-JAPAN-SOUTH KOREA — President Joe Biden opened a historic summit with Japan and South Korea at Camp David on Friday by saying that “our countries are stronger and the world is safer … as we stand together.” Biden opened the summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as the allies pledge to consult with each other in the event of a security crisis or threat in the Pacific. The three countries are looking to strengthen security and economic ties amid increasing concerns about North Korea’s persistent nuclear threats and China’s provocations in the region. SENT: 1,280 words, photos, video.
HAWAII-FIRES-CLIMATE-GENTRIFICATION — The fires that broke out on Maui last week have exacerbated Hawaii’s housing crisis as more than more than 3,000 buildings in Lahaina were damaged or destroyed, leaving many wondering if homeowners can afford to rebuild. Climate gentrification, the concept that changes in housing markets happen after extreme weather events, can result in new, expensive developments that make the area more tourist-friendly and can exclude people that originally lived there. Experts note this phenomenon has been observed in other U.S. regions affected by climate-related events, such as New Orleans, LA after Hurricane Katrina and Paradise, CA after the 2018 Camp Fire. SENT: 1,130 words, photos.
TROPICAL WEATHER — Hurricane Hilary has grown rapidly to Category 4 strength off Mexico’s Pacific coast and could reach Southern California as the first tropical storm there in 84 years. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said a tropical storm watch has been issued for Southern California, the first time that has ever been done. SENT: 410 words, photo, audio.
ELECTION 2024-REPUBLICANS-GEORGIA — Several Republican White House hopefuls are appearing at a conservative conference with hopes of making up ground against Donald Trump. But the former president’s shadow may be especially difficult to escape in the city where he was just indicted. Trump won’t speak at an Atlanta event where radio host Erick Erickson will welcome six GOP contenders. The event takes place 10 miles from the jail where Trump must soon surrender on a racketeering indictment related to the 2020 election. SENT: 1,000 words, photos, audio.
____
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.
