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
SUPREME COURT-EARLS
RALEIGH, N.C. — A North Carolina Supreme Court justice ended on Wednesday her federal lawsuit against a state commission because she said the state panel scrutinizing her public comments about the courts, colleagues and race has dismissed an ethics complaint against her. An attorney for Associate Justice Anita Earls, one of two registered Democrats and the only Black jurist on the seven-member court, filed paperwork to end the lawsuit that she filed in August against the state Judicial Standards Commission and its members. by Gary Robertson. UPCOMING, 650 words by 2 p.m. With AP Photo.
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SOUTH CAROLINA
XGR-TRANSGENDER-HEALTH-SOUTH-CAROLINA
The South Carolina House is expected to take up a proposed ban on transgender minors’ health care, while Missouri lawmakers are discussing several bills that impact transgender people, including bills that place restrictions on bathroom use and require teachers to tell parents if students use different pronouns at school. By James Pollard.
ELECTION 2024-US HOUSE-DUNCAN RETIRES
ANDERSON, S.C. — Republican U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan says he will not run for an eighth term in his solidly Republican South Carolina district. Duncan says it is time to bring fresh ideas to the district. Duncan was first elected in 2010. He made energy policy one of his chief concerns, pushing for more nuclear power. Duncan’s Faith and Freedom BBQ gathered thousands of conservatives in Anderson to hear from key Republicans from across the country. But his conservative reputation took a hit last year when his wife of 35 years filed for divorce, blaming a sexual relationship Duncan was having with a lobbyist. The Third District is solidly Republican in the western and northern part of South Carolina. SENT: 330 words, photo.
ELECTION 2024-REPUBLICANS-DEBATES
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Another Republican presidential debate has been canceled after Nikki Haley’s refusal to participate in any forum that doesn’t include ex-President Donald Trump. CNN announced Wednesday its Sunday debate is off. ABC and WMUR-TV a day earlier called off their Thursday debate. Haley says she’ll only take part in debates if Trump is onstage. The cancelations mean for the first time in years there won’t be an on-the-ground face-off ahead of New Hampshire’s primary next week. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had committed to take part in more debates. But Trump has skipped all of the GOP debates thus far, so Haley’s participation had been the deciding factor in whether they would go on. By Meg Kinnard. SENT: 350 words, photo.
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VIRGINIA
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE-FENTANYL
RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia Senate committee is set to consider for another year a Republican-sponsored bill that would allow drug dealers to be charged with second-degree murder if a user dies of an overdose. GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin has pitched the change as a way to tackle rising deaths from fentanyl. By Sarah Rankin.
VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE-CAMPAIGN FINANCE
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia elected officials would be prohibited from spending their campaign funds on personal expenses such as mortgages, vacations or gym memberships under a bill a House subcommittee has advanced on a bipartisan basis. Virginia is a national outlier for lacking such a law already. It’s something good governance advocates have long sought but lawmakers at the General Assembly have killed year after year for over a decade, despite a bipartisan insistence that they want to find compromise on a reform. The measure that advanced from a subcommittee Wednesday morning now goes to a different committee. It would have to clear both full chambers before going to GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin. By Sarah Rankin. SENT: 790 words, photo.
CLEAN ENERGY-PENTAGON
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department will install solar panels on the Pentagon as part of a Biden administration plan to promote energy conservation and clean energy. The Pentagon is one of 31 government sites that are receiving grants for the Energy Department program, which the administration says is intended to “reestablish the federal government as a sustainability leader” and promote President Joe Biden’s commitment to clean energy. The 31 projects selected for $104 million in grants are expected to double the amount of carbon-free electricity at federal facilities and create 27 megawatts of clean-energy capacity while leveraging more than $361 million in private investment. By Matthew Daly. SENT: 610 words, photos.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
BUDGET-MARYLAND
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore holds a news conference to discuss his budget plan, which is being submitted to lawmakers for consideration during the legislative session. By Brian Witte.
BALTIMORE POLICE CONSENT DECREE
BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Police Department has reached compliance with two sections of its court-ordered reform agreement — including a piece that governs transportation of people in custody, which landed the agency under federal oversight in the first place following the 2015 death of Freddie Gray. By Lea Skene.
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LOCALIZATION
CLIMATE-STATES-RENEWABLE ENERGY-LOCALIZE IT: Five states are requiring utilities to transition to generating 100% of their electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040. But opposition to projects from local officials have hindered states’ aggressive timelines for transitioning to cleaner energy production. That’s prompted some of them to grab the power to override local restrictions and allow state authorities to approve or disapprove locations for utility-scale projects. We offer reporting tips and list the states with hard renewable goals, and the more than dozen states that have given themselves some power to preempt local zoning restrictions to make way for these projects. Find the latest Localize It guides.
IMMIGRATION-COURT BACKLOG-LOCALIZE IT: Immigration courts are buckling under an unprecedented 3 million pending cases, most of them newly arrived asylum-seekers. Judges, attorneys and migrant advocates worry that’s rendering an already strained system unworkable, as it often takes several years to grant asylum-seekers a new stable life and to deport those with no right to remain in the country. We offer resources and tips for local reporting. Find the latest Localize It guides.
TRANSGENDER HEALTH-2024 LEGISLATURES-LOCALIZE IT: Republican-led state legislatures are again set to consider bills restricting medical care for transgender youth and, in some cases, adults, returning to the issue a year after a wave of high-profile bills became law and sparked lawsuits. We list the relevant measures in each state and offer tips for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
BLACK-HISTORIC-COMMUNITIES-LOCALIZE IT: Historic Black communities have dwindled from their once-thriving existence in the United States and efforts to preserve what’s left encounter complicated challenges. The incorporated towns were founded by formerly enslaved people and often had their own churches, schools, stores and economic systems. Researchers estimate fewer than 30 historic Black towns are left, compared to more than 1,200 at the peak about a century ago. While some enclaves stand up to outside forces looking to repurpose the land, others find compromise that keeps the historical legacy alive. We list the locations of some of the remaining incorporated towns and offer suggestions for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides.
NATIVE AMERICAN-SIGNS-LOCALIZE IT: Authorities from Minnesota to Maine are adding Native American language translations to road signs and building facades. The signage is part of an effort to revitalize Native languages and draw attention to Native communities that have longstanding ties to the areas. Others are doing it to make Native American residents feel more welcome. We list locations where this is happening and offer tips and resources for local reporting. Find the latest Localize It guides.
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AUDIO
US pledges new sanctions over Houthi attacks will minimize harm to Yemen’s hungry millions
In new filing, Trump lawyers foreshadow potential lines of defense in classified documents case
Overdraft fees could drop to as low as $3 under new Biden proposal
Steely Dan, R.E.M., Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford get into Songwriters Hall of Fame
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TOP STORIES:
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — A shipment of medicine for dozens of hostages held by Hamas is en route to Gaza. France and Qatar arranged the delivery by brokering the first agreement between Israel and the militant group since a weeklong cease-fire in November. The deal also includes the delivery of additional medicine and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the besieged coastal enclave. The war in Gaza shows no sign of ending and has sparked tensions across the Middle East, with a dizzying array of strikes and counterstrikes in recent days from northern Iraq to the Red Sea and from southern Lebanon to Pakistan. By Najib Jobain and Samy Magdy. SENT: 1,195 words, photos.
UNITED-STATES-HOUTHIS — The United States has put Yemen’s Houthis rebels back on its list of specially designated global terrorists. That move announced piles financial sanctions on top of American military strikes in the Biden administration’s latest attempt to stop the militants’ attacks on global shipping. Officials say they’ll design the financial penalties to minimize harm to Yemen’s 32 million people. Yemenis are among the world’s poorest and hungriest people after years of war between the Iran-backed Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition. But aid officials are concerned about the fallout from the U.S. action. Officials say they’ll review the designation if the Houthis cease their attacks on shipping in the vital Red Sea route. By Ellen Knickmeyer, Matthew Lee and Aamer Madhani. SENT: 935 words, photos, graphic, video.
TRUMP-COLUMNIST-LAWSUIT — Donald Trump has been warned to keep his voice down in court after writer E. Jean Carroll’s lawyer said that the former president was grumbling loudly to his attorneys. That was while she testified Wednesday that he shattered her reputation after she accused him of sexual abuse. Carroll was the first witness in a trial to determine damages, if any, that Trump owes her for remarks he made while he was president. His statements responded to a 2019 memoir in which Carroll said Trump sexually attacked her in spring 1996 in a luxury Manhattan department store’s dressing room. By Michael R. Sisak, Larry Neumeister and Jake Offenhartz. SENT: 1,000 words, photos, video, audio.
WINTER-WEATHER — Authorities are urging people in the Pacific Northwest to avoid travel as an ice storm threatens to turn mountain highways treacherous and topple trees onto power lines. Ice storm warnings include parts of southwest Washington and northwestern Oregon. That covers Portland. Schools and government buildings have closed in some areas, and warming shelters have opened. Officials warn of dangerous icy roads and new power outages. Freezing air has spread as far south as North Florida. By Claire Rush. SENT: 1,010 words, photos, videos, audio.
BRITAIN-ROYALS — Kensington Palace says the Princess of Wales has been hospitalized after undergoing planned abdominal surgery and will remain at the private London Clinic for up to two weeks. Buckingham Palace revealed moments after news of Kate’s hospitalization was released that King Charles III would undergo a “corrective procedure” next week for an enlarged prostate. The palace said the king’s condition is benign. The palace says the 75-year-old monarch has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate “in common with thousands of men each year.” By Danica Kirka. SENT: 480 words, photos, audio.
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