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
NORTH CAROLINA-ELECTION CHANGES
RALEIGH, N.C. — A Republican effort to shift control of the North Carolina State Board of Elections from the governor to legislators closed in on final General Assembly approval Tuesday as the House passed a bill that could oust the state elections director a few months before the November 2024 election By Gary D. Robertson and Hannah Schoenbaum. SENT: 730 words, photos.
STATE BUDGET-MEDICAID
RALEIGH, N.C. — Some adults in North Carolina could get Medicaid coverage within weeks because Gov. Roy Cooper says he’ll let the state budget bill coming to his desk become law. The budget’s enactment was the last step necessary for Medicaid expansion provided in the 2010 federal health care law to states to get implemented in North Carolina. That trigger was contained in a standalone expansion law signed in March by the Democratic governor. The Republican-controlled General Assembly gave final approval to the budget Friday. Cooper said there was a lot of things in the budget he disliked but he would “not allow people who are crying for help to wait any longer.” By Gary D. Robertson. SENT: 670 words. UPCOMING: 750 words by 3 p.m.
TROPICAL WEATHER
Communities along the U.S. East Coast are preparing for the arrival of heavy rain, flooding and high winds from an approaching storm. Coastal areas are dismissing classes early and canceling weekend events ahead of an expected landfall in North Carolina. Storm surges between 3 and 5 feet are forecast for parts of the state, with rainfall up to 7 inches in some places. Although the system had reached tropical storm strength, it hasn’t yet been given a name. The National Hurricane Center was still referring to it as Potential Tropical Cyclone Sixteen on Friday morning. It’s moving north around 14 mph with top sustained winds of 50 mph. SENT: 640 words, photos, audio.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE-SPECIAL ELECTION
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — State Rep. Deon Tedder has won the Democratic nomination for an open South Carolina Senate seat by 11 votes. The South Carolina Election Commission certified the runoff results after a recount and the review of 10 disputed ballots. The 11-vote margin out of 4,175 ballots cast did not change in the heavily Democratic district stretching from North Charleston to the Charleston peninsula. Tedder asked his opponent state Rep, Wendell Gillard to accept the results so he can start concentrating on keeping the seat in Democratic hands in the Nov. 7 election. Gillard didn’t immediately rule out challenging the results. Sen. Marlon Kimpson resigned the seat after 10 years in office. SENT: 220 words, photos.
CLIMATE-DOE-BATTERY ANNOUNCEMENT
The Energy Department announced Friday a $325 million investment in new battery types that can help turn solar and wind energy into 24-hour power. The funds will be distributed among 15 projects in 17 states and the Red Lake Nation, a Native American tribe based in Minnesota. Batteries are increasingly being used to store surplus renewable energy to be used later, during times when there is no sunlight or wind. The department says these projects will protect more communities from blackouts and make energy more reliable and affordable. By Isabella O’Malley. SENT: 680 words, photos.
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VIRGINIA
ELECTION 2023-VIRGINIA
RICHMOND, Va. — Early voting has begun in Virginia’s costly, high-stakes and closely watched legislative elections after a week in which elected officials and candidates rallied their supporters across the state. All 140 General Assembly seats are on the ballot. The Legislature is narrowly divided, and both parties say they see a path to a full statehouse majority running through battleground districts centered in central Virginia, Hampton Roads and the outer Washington suburbs. The outcome will determine how much of his agenda Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will be able to enact in his final two legislative sessions. Early voting began Friday. Election Day is Nov. 7. By Sarah Rankin. SENT: 770 words, photos.
VIRGINIA-TRANSGENDER-PARENTS
Two Virginia Beach parents have filed a lawsuit seeking to force their local school system to adopt Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s initiatives for the treatment of transgender students. Those policies roll back many accommodations for transgender students urged by the previous Democratic administration. Last month, the Virginia Beach School Board narrowly voted down a proposal that would have adopted the Youngkin administration’s initiative regarding transgender students. School boards across the state have taken varied approaches to the issue. Some school boards with conservative majorities have adopted the policies. More liberal jurisdictions have balked.By Matthew Barakat. SENT: 580 words, photo.
REGIONAL THEATER REBOUND
NEW YORK — Everyone who enters Barter Theatre in southwestern Virginia is met and welcomed by Katy Brown, the producing artistic director. It’s a simple touch but a telling one for the 90-year-old theater in Abingdon that has forged a very human connection with its 8,000 residents. Barter Theatre is not just a theater; it’s their theater. Barter may offer a roadmap as regional theaters struggle to reconnect with lagging post-pandemic audiences. Lessons from other regional theaters — like embracing digital ways to connect, hosting events like LGBTQ Nights, rethinking the traditional calendar and even re-configuring theater lobbies — could help. By Mark Kennedy. SENT: 1,320 words, photos.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
CAPITOL RIOT-PHOTOGRAPHER ATTACKED
WASHINGTON — A Maryland man who attacked an Associated Press photographer and threw a flagpole and smoke grenade at police officers guarding the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, has been sentenced to five years in prison. Prosecutors say 56-year-old Rodney Milstreed prepared himself for violence on Jan. 6 by injecting steroids and arming himself with a four-foot wooden club disguised as a flagpole. Before U.S. District Judge James Boasberg sentenced Milstreed on Friday, a prosecutor showed videos of the rioter’s attacks on the photographer and police. A Capitol police officer suffered a concussion when Milstreed hurled his wooded club at a line of officers. By Michael Kunzelman. SENT: 710 words, photos.
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LOCALIZATION
MEDICAID-STATES-LOCALIZE IT: About 500,000 people who lost Medicaid coverage in 30 states are getting their health insurance at least temporarily restored, as states work to fix a computer system glitch that had prevented them from automatically assessing an individual’s eligibility, federal officials said Thursday. We list out the states where this occurred and offer resources for covering the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
CENSUS-SURVEY DATA-LOCALIZE IT
For lovers of facts about life in the United States, it has been like drinking from a firehose in recent days as the U.S. Census Bureau released new, 2022 survey data on income, poverty, health insurance coverage, commuting times, education levels, disabilities and military service, among many other topics. We walk you through the data options and suggest some reporting threads. Find the latest Localize It guides.
OVERDOSE REVERSAL DAY-APPALACHIA-LOCALIZE IT
An effort to destigmatize the use of overdose reversal drugs that started as a pilot in two West Virginia counties has been expanded to all thirteen states in Appalachia this year. The first-ever “Appalachian Save a Life Day” was held Thursday as Narcan can be purchased over the counter for nonprescription use. The nasal spray was approved by federal regulators to appear on drug store shelves earlier this spring. More than 180 counties participated at more than 300 different sites. We offer resources and tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
FIREFIGHTERS-CONTAMINATED GEAR-LOCALIZE IT: Firefighters around the country are concerned that gear made with the toxic industrial compound PFAS could be one reason for cancer among their ranks. The chemical, which has been linked to an increased risk of health problems including several types of cancer, is used in protective gear to repel water and other substances when fighting a fire. AP lists states that have taken or are considering legislative action and offers tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
PLANTING-TREES-LOCALIZE IT: Hundreds of communities around the country will share more than $1 billion in federal money to help them plant and maintain trees under a federal program that is intended to reduce extreme heat, benefit health and improve access to nature. We list the total funds received by community organizations in each state and offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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VIDEO
Migrants arrive to southern US border despite closure
Archive footage of media mogul Rupert Murdoch as he steps down as Fox and News Corp chairman
Zelenskyy thanks US for wartime support in National Archives speech
AUDIO
VP Harris, a former prosecutor, will lead new White House office of gun violence prevention
Strikes against automakers spread to 38 locations in 20 states, Stellantis and GM are targeted
2 arrested in drive-by attack at New Mexico baseball stadium that killed 11-year-old boy
Tropical storm warning issued for US East Coast with landfall expected in North Carolina on Friday
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