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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This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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.
NORTH CAROLINA
ELECTION 2023-MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
RALEIGH, N.C. — Voters in Charlotte again elected Vi Lyles to lead North Carolina’s largest city and residents of Durham and Chapel Hill chose new mayors during the final round of local elections in the state this fall. Elections were conducted Tuesday in over 460 cities, towns and villages in North Carolina. SENT: 390 words, photos.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
SOUTH CAROLINA SENATE-SPECIAL ELECTION
A 33-year-old Democrat will soon be the youngest senator in the South Carolina Senate. State Rep. Deon Tedder won a special election for the open Senate seat on Tuesday. The state election commission reports Tedder picked up more than 81% of the votes to defeat Republican Rosa Kay. Tedder will be sworn in when the Senate’s regular session begins in January. At 33, he will be the youngest senator by nearly five years. Only seven of the state’s 46 senators are younger than 50. The Charleston area seat came open when Marlon Kimpson resigned after 10 years in office to develop trade policy in President Joe Biden’s administration. SENT: 170 words, photo.
OBIT-RUDY MANCKE
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina naturalist Rudy Mancke, who shared his vast love for the outdoors with public television viewers and radio listeners for decades, died Tuesday, Mancke’s wife, Ellen, told South Carolina Public Radio that the host of NatureNotes on radio and NatureScene on television died from complications of a liver disease while surrounded by his family. He was 78. By Jeffrey Collins. SENT: 520 words, photo.
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VIRGINIA
ELECTION 2023-VIRGINIA
RICHMOND, Va. — A handful of ultra-competitive Virginia legislative races remain undecided after Democrats won enough contests to take control of both the House and Senate in a blow for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The Associated Press has not yet called two House races and one Senate race that will determine the final margins in each chamber. Senate Republicans conceded late Tuesday that Democrats had taken that chamber’s majority. House Republicans had not issued any kind of statement as of mid-morning Wednesday, nor had Youngkin. By Sarah Rankin. SENT: 450 words, photos.
COMMERCIAL SEX RING ARRESTS
BOSTON — Three people have been arrested on allegations that they ran a sophisticated commercial sex ring in Massachusetts and Virginia that catered to well-connected clients such as elected officials and military officers. Prosecutors alleged Wednesday that the individuals used two websites and a network of brothels in Massachusetts and eastern Virginia to make hundreds of thousands of dollars. Acting Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Josh Levy said authorities believe potentially hundreds of people bought sex services through this ring, including doctors, lawyers, accountants, elected officials, military officers, government contractors, professors and executives at tech companies. By Alanna Durkin Richer. SENT: 160 words.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
BALTIMORE PROSECUTOR-TRIAL
GREENBELT, Md. — A former top prosecutor for the city of Baltimore has declined to testify at her federal trial on charges that she lied to improperly access retirement funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Former state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby’s attorneys rested their case on Wednesday. Jurors are expected to hear closing arguments after a lunch break. Prosecutors say Mosby lied about the finances of a side business to improperly access retirement funds. Mosby’s attorneys say she legally obtained and spent the money on two Florida homes. Mosby gained a national profile for prosecuting Baltimore police officers after Freddie Gray, a Black man, died in police custody in 2015. By Michael Kunzelman. SENT: 510 words, photo.
TEEN’S-DEATH-POLICE-CUSTODY
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A Maryland board is scheduled to take up a $235,000 payment to the family of Anton Black, a 19-year-old Black man who died during a struggle with police on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in 2018, in order to settle litigation over how the state medical examiner’s office handled the autopsy. By Brian Witte.
ABORTION REFERENDUMS
After voters in Ohio approved a constitutional amendment protecting the right to abortion and other forms of reproductive healthcare, advocates in at least a dozen states are hoping to take abortion questions to voters in 2024. Moves to enshrine reproductive rights are already set for the ballot in Maryland and New York. Voters in states including Florida, Missouri and South Dakota could be asked to roll back existing restrictions. Voters in Iowa and Pennsylvania might be asked to restrict access. And there are efforts to get both protections and restrictions on the ballot in Colorado. Ohio on Tuesday became the seventh state where voters have opted to protect abortion access over the past year. By Geoff Mulvihill. SENT: 1,300 words, photos.
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LOCALIZATION
OPIOID CRISIS-SETTLEMENTS-LOCALIZE IT: Legal settlements could provide local and state governments $50 billion to fight the deadly U.S. opioid overdose crisis. What will that look like in your community and how will the funds be distributed? We suggest resources and reporting threads for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
SOCIAL-MEDIA-CHILDREN-STATES-LOCALIZE IT: Dozens of U.S. states, including California and New York, have sued Meta Platforms Inc. alleging that they are harming young people and contributing to the youth mental health crisis. The lawsuits claim that the social media giant deliberately designed features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms, leading to depression, anxiety and eating disorders. We list the states who are suing together, states that have filed separate lawsuits and states that are not suing, along with tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
BALLOT INITIATIVES-LOCALIZE IT: This year marks the 125th anniversary of South Dakota becoming the first state in the nation to enact a process for citizens to initiate ballot measures — a prominent example of direct democracy in America. Today about 165 million people live in 25 states with provisions that let residents bypass the legislature to amend the constitution and enact or repeal laws. We list out the states where these provisions exist, offer resources and suggest tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
SCHOOL VOUCHERS-COST-LOCALIZE IT: Some of the states letting higher-income families use taxpayer money for private school tuition are seeing more families than they expected taking them up on the offer, and they might have to scramble to shore up their budgets on the fly as a result. We name the states with these expanded programs and offer suggestions for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
ELECTIONS-WORKER TURNOVER-LOCALIZE IT: Local election offices across the country are seeing historic turnover, an exodus fueled by election conspiracies and threats against election workers. We highlight AP’s findings and offer resources and tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
ISRAEL-HAMAS-STYLE GUIDE-LOCALIZE IT: This advisory includes AP’s latest guidance related to the Israel-Hamas war, including important context and definitions. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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VIDEO
Animal Lovers Bid Farewell to National Zoo’s Giant Pandas
Ivanka Trump testifies at her family’s business fraud trial
Paradise returns to life five years after California’s deadliest wildfire
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AUDIO
House votes to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib over her Israel-Hamas rhetoric in a stunning rebuke
Americans divided over Israel response to Hamas attacks, AP-NORC poll shows
Bridgeport mayor claims win, but do-over looms in election upended by video of ballot box stuffing
Adidas says it may write off remaining unsold Yeezy shoes after breakup with Ye
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