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 LEGISLATURE
RALEIGH, N.C. —- The North Carolina General Assembly could conduct override votes on several bills that Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has vetoed in recent weeks, including measures that would wrest away from him and future governors the ability to select members to the State Board of Elections and several key regulatory bodies. By Gary Robertson. Story on merits by 4 p.m. With photos of lawmakers.
NC–ELECTION 2024-GOVERNOR-NORTH CAROLINA
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein is holding his most public campaign event to date, nine months after the Democrat entered the race. The sitting attorney general was set to hold on Tuesday a rally on the Shaw University campus in Raleigh. By Hannah Schoenbaum. SENT: 160 words. Story will be updated by 2 p.m. with coverage of rally. With photos of Stein and Gov. Roy Cooper.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
US-BIDEN-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has been interviewed as part of an independent investigation into his handling of classified documents, the White House said late Monday. It’s a possible sign that the investigation is nearing its end. By Darlene Superville and Eric Tucker. SENT: 784 words.
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TOP STORIES
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Israeli warplanes hammered the Gaza Strip neighborhood by neighborhood, reducing buildings to rubble and sending people scrambling to find safety in the tiny, sealed-off territory as Israel vowed a retaliation for Hamas’ surprise weekend attack that would “reverberate … for generations.” Aid organizations pleaded for the creation of humanitarian corridors to get aid into Gaza, warning that hospitals overwhelmed with wounded were running out of supplies. Israel has stopped entry of food, fuel and medicines into Gaza, and the sole remaining access from Egypt shut down Tuesday after airstrikes hit near the border crossing. By Josef Federman and Issam Adwan. SENT: 1,310 words, photos, videos, audio.
BIDEN-MIDEAST — The outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas is threatening to delay or derail a country-by-country diplomatic push by the United States to improve relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The startling attack by Hamas has also raised new questions about whether Palestinian ambitions for sovereignty can be put aside. By Aamer Madhani and Ellen Knickmeyer. SENT: 1,280 words, photos. UPCOMING: 1,300 words after 1 p.m. Biden speech.
CONGRESS-SPEAKER — The House Republican majority is stuck unable to coalesce around a new House speaker. After having ousted Kevin McCarthy a week ago, there is no endgame in sight. On Tuesday evening, two leading contenders, Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan are scheduled to address colleagues behind closed doors at candidate forum. But they appear to be splitting the vote. McCarthy is openly ready to reclaim the gavel he just lost, but that’s a longshot option unlikely to sway the handful of hardliners who just ousted him. They’ve created a stalemate that threatens to keep Congress partly shuttered. By Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking. SENT: 655 words, photos.
TRUMP-FRAUD LAWSUIT — Evidence shown at former President Donald Trump’s New York civil business fraud trial shows that he signed a 1994 document that gave the true size of the New York penthouse that was listed later as far larger on his financial statements. The evidence appeared in an email attachment shown during testimony Tuesday from Allen Weisselberg, the former finance chief of Trump’s company. James’ lawsuit alleges that Weisselberg engineered Trump’s financial statements to meet his demands that they show increases in his net worth and signed off on lofty valuations for assets despite appraisals to the contrary. Trump denies any wrongdoing. By Michael R. Sisak and Jennifer Peltz. SENT: 905 words, photo.
AFGHANISTAN-EARTHQUAKE — Clinging to hope that finding survivors was still possible, Afghan rescuers and villagers kept digging through rubble on Tuesday in western Herat province, three days after one of the deadliest earthquakes killed more than 2,000 people there. Elsewhere in Herat, people were digging graves for their loved ones. On a barren field in the district of Zinda Jan, a bulldozer removed mounts of earth to clear space for a long row of graves. By Omid Haqjo and Rahim Faiez. SENT: 860 words, photos.
SCI-RING OF FIRE-ECLIPSE-EXPLAINER
UNDATED — Tens of millions in the Americas are getting front-row seats for a rare “ring of fire” eclipse of the sun. What’s called an annular solar eclipse will briefly dim the skies over sections of the western U.S. and Central and South America on Saturday. As the moon lines up precisely between Earth and the sun, it will blot out all but the sun’s outer rim. A bright, blazing border will appear around the moon for as much as five minutes along a narrow path stretching from Oregon to Brazil. It’s a prelude to the total solar eclipse that will sweep across Mexico, the U.S. and Canada next April. By Marcia Dunn. SENT: 940 words. W/ photos.
CHINESE CONSULATE-CAR CRASH
SAN FRANCISCO — Police have released few details about their investigation into why a driver crashed a vehicle into the Chinese consulate building in San Francisco and what prompted officers to fatally shoot the suspect inside the building. The Chinese government said the driver perpetrated a “violent attack.” By Olga Rodriguez. Upcoming:
ELECTION 2024-SENATE-CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES —- Former baseball MVP Steve Garvey joined the race Tuesday to succeed the late California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, giving Republicans a splash of star quality on the ballot in a heavily Democratic state where the GOP hasn’t won a Senate race in 35 years. By Michael R. Blood. SENT: 855 words. W/photo
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LOCALIZATION
FBC-TURF WARS-LOCALIZE IT: Over the last 50 years, the number of artificial turf fields at the top level of college football has essentially doubled to 71% of the total. Many schools find turf is cheaper to maintain, particularly for concerts or other non-athletic events, even though there are concerns about athlete injuries. We provide a list of schools that currently use grass fields and offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
EDUCATION-TECH SPENDING-LOCALIZE IT: An infusion of federal pandemic relief to America’s schools sparked a boom in the education technology sector, an industry where research and evidence are scarce. An Associated Press analysis of public records finds that districts spent tens of millions of dollars on apps, games and tutoring websites. Schools often have little or no evidence that the programs helped students, and some were rarely used. We offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
US-SEX EDUCATION-STATE LAWS: Many states are shifting their approach to sex education in K-12 schools, further complicating and polarizing it. A dozen state or county agencies have parted ways with federal grants that help monitor teenagers’ sexual behaviors and lower rates of STDs. It worries experts, who say students won’t reliably learn about adolescence, safe sexual activity or relationship violence. We point you to some state data and resources and offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
ELECTIONS-MISINFORMATION-LOCALIZE IT: The 2024 election is just around the corner, and misinformation around voting and elections persist. Expertise in voting procedures and trends is crucial to both debunking online falsehoods and effectively covering elections. This guide offers tips for distinguishing fact from fiction around elections, including the measures governments are taking to safeguard voting and the realistic threats to local elections. Find the latest Localize It guides.
CHILD CARE FUNDING-LOCALIZE IT: After two years of receiving federal subsidies, 220,000 child care programs across the country lost funding. Part of the largest investment in child care in U.S. history, the monthly payments ranged from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars. The funding that ended Saturday was meant to stabilize the industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Providers say ending it puts at risk millions of children and their families. We highlight states where the situation is most dire, give some examples of state actions to try and curb the problem and offer suggestions for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
AUTO-WORKERS-STRIKE-LOCALIZE IT: The United Auto Workers union expanded its strikes against Detroit automakers, ordering 7,000 more workers to walk off the job in Illinois and Michigan. The move announced Friday is supposed to put more pressure on the companies to improve their offers. It marked the second time the union has widened the walkout, which started two weeks ago at three assembly plants. The most recent additions are a Ford plant in Chicago and a General Motors assembly factory near Lansing. We list the city and state of each strike location along with tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
HAWAII WILDFIRES-WATER GAPS-LOCALIZE IT: A recent fire on Maui highlighted a nationwide problem: Many communities lack enough backup power to fight fires and supply clean water when in a disaster knocks out power. Hours before devastating wildfires scorched the historic community of Lahaina, a shortage of backup power for critical pumps seriously hindered firefighting efforts on a blaze 24 miles away, in the mountain town of Kula, county water director John Stufflebean told The Associated Press. Experts said it’s unclear how big the vulnerability is across the country, but many systems lack sufficient backup power to keep pressure in their water pipes when the electric grid fails. We provide suggested reporting threads and questions for local water utilities. Find the latest Localize It guides.
VEHICLES VS. PEDESTRIANS-LOCALIZE IT: October is Pedestrian Safety Month, and government statistics show that pedestrian roadway deaths have been on the rise for years. Safety advocates say part of the problem is increasingly large trucks and SUVs that are especially dangerous to walkers, runners and bicyclists. Since 2011, pedestrian and cyclist deaths have increased by 64%, to an estimated 8,413 in 2022. We provide links to national and state data and offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
RAILROAD PROJECTS-LOCALIZE IT: The Biden administration announced more than $1.4 billion in grants Monday to improve railroad safety and boost capacity across the country. Much of the money for the grants comes from the 2021 infrastructure law. The money will fund 70 projects in 35 states and Washington D.C. We list the projects and offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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AUDIO
Under heavy bombing, Palestinians in Gaza move from place to place, only to discover nowhere is safe
Biden interviewed as part of special counsel investigation into handling of classified documents
Powerball jackpot up to $1.73 billion as lottery losing streak continues
VIDEO
Former President Donald Trump attends start of civil fraud trial
Hunter Biden arrives at courthouse for arraignment on federal gun charges
Buffalo roundup draws crowd to South Dakota’s Custer State Park
Jacksonville sheriff says bodycam video shows officers were justified when they beat Black suspect
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