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
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NORTH CAROLINA
ELECTION 2024-GOVERNOR
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper formally endorsed Attorney General Josh Stein to succeed him, saying Wednesday that the fellow Democrat would build upon Cooper’s efforts to improve public schools, health care and the state’s economy. The endorsement by Cooper, who is barred from seeking a third consecutive term in 2024, is hardly unexpected. Stein served as head of Cooper’s consumer protection division for several years when Cooper was attorney general himself. By Gary Robertson. SENT: 410 words.
WETLANDS-STATE FIGHTS
The Supreme Court in May sharply curtailed the Clean Water Act’s power to protect millions of acres of wetlands. After the federal court decision, the fight over wetlands protections will be fought more often at the state level. Roughly half of states link their protections to standards set by the federal government, and those protections will weaken after the justices’ decision. Some states may try and strengthen their rules. Others like North Carolina can loosen them after the federal change, a win for developers and agricultural groups. By John Flesher and Michael Phillis. SENT: 1,210 words, photos.
DEAD DOGS-ARREST
EVESHAM, N.J. — Two people were charged with animal cruelty and child endangerment after the bodies of at least 30 dogs were found at a southern New Jersey home this week. Thirty-five-year-old Rebecca Halbach and 32-year-old Brandon Leconey were arrested Monday in Evesham. Officers found both live and dead dogs along with several cats and rabbits. Investigators say up to 100 dogs died in the home, including many believed to have been buried on the property. Police went there after someone associated with an animal rescue group reported seeing malnourished and sick dogs around the property. The rescue group had given the pair money to care for some of its dogs. It’s not clear if Halbach or Leconey have retained attorneys. SENT: 280 words.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
TROPICAL WEATHER
CEDAR KEY, Fla. — Hurricane Idalia is unleashing life-threatening wind and rain in Florida and Georgia. It made landfall as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane early Wednesday in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula. Then it moved east of Tallahassee toward Valdosta, Georgia, where downed powerlines shut down part of the interstate highway into town. Coastal storm surge as high as 16 feet in places remained a major concern. More than 230,000 customers are without power as trees snap in the winds and water turns roads into rivers. The National Weather Service says Idalia will hit the Carolinas as a tropical storm before moving out to sea. By David Kozin. SENT: 1,070 words, photos, video, audio.
— With HURRICANE IDALIA-BIG BEND, TROPICAL WEATHER SUPERMOON.
HOSPITAL MERGER
ATLANTA — An Atlanta-area hospital system has completed its takeover of Augusta University’s hospitals. Both the University System of Georgia and Marietta-based Wellstar Health system say the deal will mean greater financial stability, more medical training and better care. Wellstar now controls Augusta University Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Georgia, and the rights to build a hospital in suburban Augusta. The hospitals are key training grounds for the Medical College of Georgia. As part of the 40-year deal, Wellstar is assuming $234 million in debt and will pay the university system at least $111 million to use the Medical College of Georgia name. The hospitals will now be called Wellstar MCG Health. By Jeff Amy. SENT: 690 words. photo.
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VIRGINIA
SPECIAL ELECTION
RICHMOND, Va. — The former law partner of a retired Virginia legislator has handily won a special election to fill the vacant southwest Virginia seat in the House of Delegates. State results from Tuesday’s election showed Republican Jed Arnold got about 80% of the just over 2,000 votes cast in the conservative 6th House of Delegates District. Democrats did not have a candidate on the ballot. Arnold won’t have long to serve in the district. Because of redistricting, all legislative candidates are running this year under new maps, so the current 6th District will effectively expire. Arnold is also a candidate in the newly created 46th District. It’s a Republican stronghold in the same general area. He is also unopposed in that race. SENT: 300 words, photo.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
BALTIMORE-MASS SHOOTING-REPORT
BALTIMORE — A new report examining Baltimore’s response to a mass shooting at a neighborhood block party last month says that police ignored multiple warning signs and failed to take proactive measures in the hours leading up to the shooting. The report released Wednesday says those failures could indicate officer bias. The Baltimore Police Department has promised command-level leadership changes in response to the findings. Two people died and 28 others were injured when gunshots tore through a large crowd filling the courtyard of the Brooklyn Homes public housing complex in south Baltimore the morning of July 2. Most of the victims were teens and young adults. By Lea Skene. SENT: 740 words, photos.
GEORGIA ELECTION INDICTMENT
ATLANTA — The only person who spent time behind bars as a result of the indictment related to efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia has been released from jail. A lawyer for Harrison William Prescott Floyd had negotiated a $100,000 bond on Tuesday with the office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Floyd was charged along with Trump and 17 others in an indictment that accuses them all of illegally conspiring to subvert the will of Georgia voters. Lawyers for Trump and the other defendants negotiated bonds before their clients surrendered at the Fulton County Jail by the deadline last Friday. Floyd turned himself in Thursday without first having a bond. By Kate Brumback. SENT: 590 words, photos.
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LOCALIZATION
ALTERNATIVE POLICING-MENTAL HEALTH-LOCALIZE IT: The Associated Press has found that 14 of the 20 most populous U.S. cities are experimenting with removing police from certain, non-violent 911 calls and sending behavioral health clinicians. Most programs were launched or expanded in the last few years, riding a groundswell of anger over police killings and nationwide call for reforms. Initiatives in major cities including New York, Los Angeles, Columbus, Ohio, and Houston had combined annual budgets topping $123 million as of June. There’s no aggregate, comprehensive data yet on the programs’ effects, and their scope and public reception vary considerably. We list out the 14 cities with links to some of the programs along with resources and ideas for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
BROADBAND-AFFORDABILITY-LOCALIZE IT: One of the programs set up to ensure affordable internet for all is set to run out by the middle of 2024. The Affordable Connectivity Program’s primary allocation of $14.2 billion is projected to run out unless Congress takes steps to renew it. That could end access to affordable broadband for the more than 20 million households that use it. It also could hinder the Biden administration’s effort to bring connectivity to the people who need it most. With the clock ticking, the White House and advocacy groups are working to push Congress to extend the program this year. We provide data on how many eligible households are participating at the state- and congressional district-level along with suggested reporting threads and other tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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
Hurricane Idalia unleashes fury on Georgia and Florida, swamping the coast and closing highways
Millions more workers would be entitled to overtime pay under a proposed Biden administration rule
Judge’s illness delays sentencing for ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio in Jan. 6 case
‘Breaking Bad’ stars reunite on picket line to call for studios to resume negotiations with actors
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TOP STORIES
TROPICAL WEATHER — Hurricane Idalia is unleashing life-threatening wind and rain in Florida and Georgia. It made landfall as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane early Wednesday in the lightly populated Big Bend region, where the Florida Panhandle curves into the peninsula. Then it moved east of Tallahassee toward Valdosta, Georgia, where downed power lines shut down part of the interstate highway into town. Coastal storm surge as high as 16 feet in places remained a major concern. More than 230,000 customers are without power as trees snap in the winds and water turns roads into rivers. SENT: 1,010 words, video, photos, audio. With TROPICAL WEATHER-LIVE UPDATES.
GEORGIA-ELECTION INVESTIGATION-REPUBLICANS — Republicans in Washington and Georgia are looking for ways to punish Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for indicting Donald Trump. But Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and some other Republicans in the state are opting out of the push, even as Trump eggs it on. Kemp has kept criticism of Willis at arm’s length, underlining how ingrained his divide with Trump has become. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.
TESLA-AUTOPILOT-INVESTIGATION — Tesla is letting some drivers to use its Autopilot driver-assist system for extended periods without making them put their hands on the steering wheel, a development that has drawn concern from U.S. safety regulators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has ordered Tesla to tell the agency how many vehicles got a software update making the change and what its plans are for wider distribution. SENT: 760 words, photo.
LABOR-OVERTIME CHANGE — The Biden administration is proposing a new rule that would make 3.6 million more U.S. workers eligible for overtime pay, reviving an Obama-era policy effort that was ultimately scuttled in court. The new rule would require employers to pay overtime to so-called white collar workers who make less than $55,000 a year, up from the current threshold of $35,568, which was set by the Trump administration in 2019. In another significant change, the rule proposes automatic increases to the salary level each year. SENT: 560 words, photos, audio.
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