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.
For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at apcustomersupport@ap.org or 877-836-9477.
This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
XGR–LEGISLATIVE SESSION-SOUTH CAROLINA
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Republican lawmakers who pull all the levers of the South Carolina Legislature say that what they call “social issues” should not dominate the new session. The 170-seat General Assembly reconvenes Tuesday. Republican leaders’ sights are set on priorities new and old after leaving part one of a two-year session with several boxes on the Republican wish list left unchecked. Top issues include increasing energy capacity in the growing state, banning gender-affirming medical care for minors and adding accountability for public charter schools. One issue that isn’t expected to come up in the Senate? According to Republican Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, that’s abortion. By James Pollard.
WINTER WEATHER
DES MOINES, Iowa — A sprawling storm has hit the South with high winds and tornado warnings that blew roofs off homes, flipped over campers and tossed about furniture in Florida. Another storm brought cities across the Midwest to a standstill with more than half of foot of snow. as it heads to the Northeast. The National Weather Service says a storm with 55-mph wind and hail moved through the Florida Panhandle and into Alabama and Georgia by sunrise Tuesday, along with reports of radar-confirmed tornadoes. Farther west, up to a foot of snow could blanket a broad area stretching from southeastern Colorado all the way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The weather has already affected campaigning for Iowa’s Jan. 15 precinct caucuses. By Scott McFetridge and Kathy McCormack. SENT: 1,070 words, photos, video, audio.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
PUBLIC SAFETY-MARYLAND GOVERNOR
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore outlines measures he is proposing to improve public safety in the upcoming legislative session, which begins Wednesday. By Brian Witte.
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LOCALIZATION
ELECTION 2024-STATE SUPREME COURTS: Crucial battles over abortion, gerrymandering, voting rights and other issues will take center stage in next year’s elections for state supreme court seats — 80 of them in 33 states. We offer a state-by-state breakdown and some suggested reporting tips. Find the latest Localize It guides.
AI-ELECTION 2024-LOCALIZE IT: Manipulated images and videos surrounding elections are nothing new — but 2024 is the first U.S. presidential contest where sophisticated AI tools that can produce convincing fakes in seconds are just a few clicks away. We provide key terms to know in your coverage, along with tips for identifying AI-generated content and details on state laws regulating political deepfakes. Find the latest Localize It guides.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SHEDDING STOCKPILES-LOCALIZE IT: Some states that stockpiled millions of masks and other personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic are now throwing the items away. An Associated Press survey found that at least 15 states have tossed out some of the PPE items because they are expiring or have more than they need, while others have sold extra materials at bargain prices or have tried to give away surplus masks, gowns and gloves but have had difficulty finding entities willing to take them. We list states that have thrown out PPE, those that say that haven’t and we offer tips on how to report this locally. Find the latest Localize It guides.
ABORTION-LEGISLATURES-LOCALIZE IT: The June 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that ended a national right to abortion did not end the political and legal battles surrounding it. Instead, it provided a jolt. Voters, courts and lawmakers are all likely to have a lot to say about state-level abortion policy in 2024. We break down the status of abortion bans in various states, offer an embed code for a map you can publish and suggested reporting tips. Find the latest Localize It guides.
EDUCATION-MISSING STUDENTS-LOCALIZE IT: After enrollment plunged in American public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, an analysis published in February by The Associated Press found an estimated 230,000 students in 21 states who were still missing from school. These students didn’t move out of state, and they didn’t sign up for private school or homeschool. The AP is updating its analysis to reflect data that is now available from the 2022-2023 school year. With the new numbers, the estimate for the number of missing students is now around 50,000. The update shows the education system has moved closer to a post-pandemic equilibrium. However, it hardly means schooling is back to how it was before. This is a guide to localizing stories on missing students, with links to AP’s new data analysis. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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AUDIO
A US citizen has been arrested in Moscow on drug charges
Central US walloped by blizzard conditions, closing highways, schools and government offices
Spain makes face masks mandatory in hospitals and clinics after a spike in respiratory illnesses
Earth shattered global heat record in ’23 and it’s flirting with warming limit, European agency says
TOP STORIES:
TRUMP-CAPITOL-RIOT — Former President Donald Trump says a president “has to have immunity.” But federal appeals court judges in Washington are expressing deep skepticism that the Republican former president is immune from prosecution on charges that he plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election he lost to Joe Biden. On Tuesday Trump returned to the federal courthouse in Washington for his appeal of charges against him. The three-judge panel also questioned whether they had jurisdiction to consider the appeal at this point in the case, raising the prospect that Trump’s effort could be dismissed. During lengthy arguments, the judges repeatedly pressed Trump’s lawyer to defend claims that Trump was shielded from criminal charges. By Eric Tucker, Alanna Durkin Richer and Lindsay Whitehurst. SENT: 1,290 words, photos, video, audio.
CAPITOL-RIOT-RAY-EPPS — A man targeted by right-wing conspiracy theories about the U.S. Capitol insurrection has been sentenced to a year of probation for joining the attack by a mob of fellow Donald Trump supporters. Ray Epps appeared by video and wasn’t in the Washington courtroom when a judge sentenced him. Epps’ sentencing occurred in the building where Trump was attending an appeals court hearing. Right-wing media outlets amplified conspiracy theories Epps was an undercover government agent who helped incite the Capitol attack to entrap Trump supporters. By Michael Kunzelman. SENT: 890 words, photos.
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is holding talks in Israel as he seeks a plan for Gaza’s post-war future. Israeli troops, meanwhile, pushed ahead Tuesday in the beleaguered territory where heavy bombardment and fighting shook refugee camps and hampered efforts to get relief to the population. The U.N. says Israel has repeatedly rejected planned convoys of medicine and other supplies to northern Gaza. Those killed in latest strikes included seven members of the family of a well-known dentist in Gaza. Nine Israeli soldiers also died. Blinken is also trying to prevent an all-out war between Israel and Lebanon’s militant group Hezbollah. By Matthew Lee, Najib Jobain and Samy Magdy. SENT: 1,190 words, photos, video, audio.
WINTER WEATHER — A sprawling storm has hit the South with high winds and tornado warnings that blew roofs off homes, flipped over campers and tossed about furniture in Florida. Another storm brought cities across the Midwest to a standstill with more than half of foot of snow. as it heads to the Northeast. The National Weather Service says a storm with 55-mph wind and hail moved through the Florida Panhandle and into Alabama and Georgia by sunrise Tuesday, along with reports of radar-confirmed tornadoes. Farther west, up to a foot of snow could blanket a broad area stretching from southeastern Colorado all the way to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The weather has already affected campaigning for Iowa’s Jan. 15 precinct caucuses. By Scott McFetridge and Kathy McCormack. SENT: 1,065 words, photos, video, audio.
FORT-WORTH-EXPLOSION — Firefighters are scouring the wreckage of a historic Fort Worth hotel as they investigate the cause of a massive explosion that shattered windows, littered the streets with debris and injured 21 people, including one critically. The Monday blast blew doors and sections of wall into the road in front of the 20-story downtown Sandman Signature Hotel, where authorities say rescuers found several people trapped in the basement. By evening, officials said everyone seemed to have been accounted for, though the search continued overnight. The fire department is working with state inspectors and utility workers to determine the exact cause of the explosion, though authorities believe a gas leak was to blame. By Jamie Stengle. SENT: 755 words, photos, videos, audio.
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