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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NORTH CAROLINA
XGR–ELECTIONS BILL VETO
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper announced he is vetoing on Thursday a sweeping elections bill that would end a grace period for voting by mail, make new allowances for partisan poll observers and tighten rules for same-day voter registration. In a video message released Thursday, Cooper accused legislative Republicans of using their slim veto-proof majorities to execute “an all-out assault on the right to vote,” which he said has nothing to do with election security and everything to do with keeping and gaining power. Cooper, who is term limited and cannot run for reelection in 2024, had successfully blocked several provisions contained within the 43-page bill during past sessions. But Republicans now hold the narrow three-fifths supermajority they need to override his veto. By Hannah Schoenbaum. UPCOMING: 650 words by 1:30 p.m.
EDUCATION-EARLY CHILDHOOD
Across the country, books and lessons that represent different families and identities are increasingly the target of conservative pushback — even when they’re for the youngest of learners. Educators and free-speech advocates say the books and lessons caught up in these bans often simply acknowledge the existence of different identities. That’s crucial, experts say, to help young children develop empathy and an understanding of themselves — especially for children whose families include people of color or LGBTQ+ relatives. Of the bans targeting picture books, about three-quarters are books that address LGBTQ+ themes and roughly half mention race, PEN America says. By Annie Ma. SENT: 880 words, photos.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
MURDAUGH FRIEND-GUILTY PLEA
KINGSTREE, S.C. — A longtime friend of convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh has pleaded guilty to helping the disgraced attorney steal millions of dollars of insurance settlements from the sons of Murdaugh’s dead housekeeper. Cory Fleming wasn’t immediately sentenced after his guilty plea Wednesday in a South Carolina courtroom. The 54-year-old former attorney got a nearly four-year sentence for similar federal charges earlier this month. He’s the second Murdaugh associate ordered to prison since investigators began scrutinizing every aspect of Murdaugh’s life in 2021. Murdaugh is serving a life sentence for killing his wife and son. SENT: 580 words, photo.
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VIRGINIA
VIRGINIA-TRANSGENDER STUDENTS
RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s new model policies for the treatment of transgender students comply with federal and state nondiscrimination laws and school boards must adopt them, Virginia’s attorney general said in a legal analysis released Thursday. By Sarah Rankin.
RUSSIAN-DNA SMUGGLING
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A Russian scientist was sentenced to probation Thursday for illegally smuggling test tubes filled with DNA from endangered species into the U.S., in an incident that initially caused alarm among Customs agents who discovered the tubes. By Matthew Barakat.
CIA SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
FAIRFAX, Va. — A CIA officer trainee has been convicted in Virginia of attacking a female colleague with a scarf and kissing her inside a stairwell at the agency’s headquarters in Langley. The unusual case has sparked a legal reckoning within CIA in which two dozen women have come forward in recent months to report sexual misconduct to Congress. CIA officer Ashkan Bayatpour was found guilty of assault and battery. He acknowledged the unwanted touching but insisted he intended it as a joke. The CIA declined to comment on the criminal case but said it has reformed its handling of sexual misconduct claims. By Jim Mustian and Joshua Goodman. SENT: 1,370 words, photos.
DOLLAR TREE RESULTS
Dollar Tree’s fiscal second-quarter results beat Wall Street’s estimates as the discount retailer experienced strong sales and increased traffic at its stores. Dollar Tree Inc. earned $200.4 million, or 91 cents per share, for the period ended July 29. A year earlier the Chesapeake, Virginia-based company earned $359.9 million, or $1.60 per share. This topped the 88 cents per share that analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research expected. Revenue totaled $7.33 billion, which was better than Wall Street’s forecast of $7.22 billion. By Michelle Chapman. SENT: 370 words, photo.
SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS-BOEING
Airline supplier Spirit Aerosystems says it’s aware of a quality issue involving elongated fastener holes on the aft pressure bulkhead on certain models of the 737 fuselage it produces. The company said because it uses multiple suppliers, only some units are impacted and it will continue to make unit deliveries to Boeing. By Michelle Chapman. SENT: 210 words, photo.
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LOCALIZATION
ELECTIONS 2024-EDUCATION-LOCALIZE IT: School board races have become hotly divided, with intense influence from outside groups and polarizing rhetoric, as education has vaulted to center stage in national politics. And in this upcoming November general election, school board races across several key states will be on the ballot. We provide tips for backgrounding candidates and an overview of conservative and progressive groups influencing races, plus ideas for questions to ask candidates that go beyond political talking points. Find the latest Localize It guides.
UKRAINIANS-TEMPORARY-LEGAL-STATUS-LOCALIZE IT: The Biden administration announced a major expansion of temporary legal status for Ukrainians already living in the United States, granting a reprieve for those who fled Russia’s invasion. The Homeland Security Department said the move is expected to make 166,700 Ukrainians eligible for Temporary Protected Status, up from about 26,000 currently. To qualify, Ukrainians must have been in the United States by last Wednesday, two days before the announcement. The temporary status was originally scheduled to expire on Oct. 19, 2023 but is being extended 18 months to April 19, 2025. The expansion comes as the administration extends Temporary Protected Status to people from a growing number of countries as part of a carrot-and-stick approach to immigration. We offer data resources and tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
PANDEMIC AID-GOVERNMENTS-LOCALIZE-IT: Thousands of local governments across the U.S. have reported spending nothing from their share of $350 billion of federal pandemic relief funds approved two years ago. But AP interviews with local and federal officials suggest that the publicly available data is misleading — pockmarked by differing interpretations over exactly what must be reported, lagging in timeliness and failing to account for some preliminary planning. We offer tips for localizing stories about how state and local governments are using their share of the pandemic aid. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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.
MEDICAID-STATES-LOCALIZE IT: Federal Medicaid officials are expressing concerns about the way some states are handling a massive eligibility review for millions of people on the government health-care program for lower-income residents. In some cases, people dialing into state call centers with questions about Medicaid have had to wait on hold for long periods, prompting some to simply hang up. Federal officials also have raised concerns about the high rates of people dropped from Medicaid for procedural reasons, such as not returning forms needed to renew their coverage. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently sent letters to all states and the District of Columbia reminding them of various federal regulations regarding Medicaid. We link to the letters and break out lists of states contacted about call center concerns and termination concerns, along with other resources and tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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AUDIO
Trump is set to surrender at a Georgia jail on charges he sought to overturn his 2020 election loss
Republican candidates fight each other, and mostly line up behind Trump, at the first debate
Deadly heat wave in the central US strains infrastructure, transportation and the Texas power grid
Uber raises minimum age for most California drivers to 25, saying insurance costs are too high
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TOP STORIES
GEORGIA ELECTION INDICTMENT — Donald Trump has hired a new lead attorney for his Georgia case as he’s set to surrender on charges he schemed to overturn the 2020 election in the state. Prominent Atlanta criminal defense attorney Steve Sadow says in a Thursday court filing he’ll be lead counsel. Trump’s booking process is expected to yield a historic first: a mug shot of a former American president. SENT: 1,010 words, photos, audio. UPCOMING: Will be updated.
CIA-SEXUAL MISCONDUCT — A CIA officer trainee has been convicted in Virginia of attacking a female colleague with a scarf and kissing her inside a stairwell at the agency’s headquarters in Langley. The unusual case has sparked a legal reckoning within CIA in which two dozen women have come forward in recent months to report sexual misconduct to Congress. SENT: 1,370 words, photos.
CALIFORNIA-BIKER BAR SHOOTING — Authorities say three people were killed and several others were wounded in a shooting at a Southern California biker bar. The gunman is believed to have been a retired law enforcement officer and was also killed by deputies. The shooting occurred Wednesday evening at Cook’s Corner in rural Trabuco Canyon in Orange County. It has long been a popular watering hole for motorcyclists. SENT: 500 words, video, photos, audio.
MED-GUN VIOLENCE-SCIENCE — Gun violence prevention research has experienced a small boom in the wake of mounting shooting deaths, expanded funding and burgeoning advocacy. A growing number of cities are teaming with researchers to develop evidence-based plans to cut down on fatal shootings. In Tennessee — a state riven this year by a school shooting in Nashville and political turmoil afterward — the city of Knoxville is working on a program to reduce firearm homicides. It includes an outreach program, Turn Up Knox, that works with police and community advocates. Importantly, though, it does not count on new gun restrictions. SENT: 1,580 words, video, photos, 1,050-word abridged version.
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