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
ELECTION 2024-PRESIDENT-NORTH CAROLINA
RALEIGH, N.C — North Carolina’s election board finalized on Tuesday the candidates’ names for the state’s March 5 presidential primaries, leaving President Joe Biden as the only Democrat and Republican Donald Trump among the GOP’s competitors. The five-member board voted unanimously to retain candidate lists provided by the Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties last month. UPCOMING: 400 words by 3 p.m.
IN BRIEF:
— COOK-ASSAULT — Police in North Carolina have charged a man with assaulting his wife’s co-worker at a fast food restaurant, saying he grabbed the cook and pushed his head toward a deep fryer.
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MARYLAND/DELAWARE
CYBERSECURITY-WATER PLANTS
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The hacking of a municipal water authority in a small Pennsylvania town is prompting new warnings from U.S. security officials as states and the federal government are wrestling with how to harden water utilities against hackers. Officials say the danger is hackers gaining control of automated equipment to shut down pumps that supply drinking water or contaminate drinking water by reprogramming automated chemical treatments. The efforts took on new urgency in 2021 when the federal government’s leading cybersecurity agency reported five attacks on water authorities over two years, four of them by ransomware and a fifth by a former employee. Potentially hostile geopolitical rivals such as Iran and China are viewed by U.S. officials as a threat. By Marc Levy. SENT: 1,190 words, photos, audio.
IN BRIEF:
— EARTHQUAKE-MARYLAND — The U.S. Geological Survey says a small earthquake shook the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., early Tuesday.
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LOCALIZATION
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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TOP STORIES:
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS – An Israeli official says Israel will defend itself against genocide accusations filed by South Africa with the world court. Eylon Levy, an official in the Israeli prime minister’s office, on Tuesday accused South Africa of “giving political and legal cover” to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that triggered Israel’s war against the militant group. Levy says Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice at the Hague to dispel what he called South Africa’s “absurd blood libel.” By Melanie Lidman, Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy. WITH: ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-LIVE UPDATES. SENT: 1,240 words, photos, video, audio. See more on Israel-Hamas war below.
JAPAN-PLANE FIRE – A large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft have collided on the runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and burst into flames. Officials say five people aboard the coast guard plane were killed. All 379 people on the Japan Airlines flight got out safely. The head of the Transport Ministry Civil Aviation Bureau says the collision occurred when the Japan Airlines’ Airbus A350 landed on a runway where the coast guard aircraft was preparing to take off. The coast guard plane had been preparing to deliver relief goods to residents affected by a deadly earthquake in the region on Monday. By Foster Klug and Mari Yamaguchi. SENT: 865 words, photos, video, audio.
JAPAN-EARTHQUAKE – A series of powerful earthquakes has hit western Japan, leaving at least 55 people dead and damaging thousands of buildings, vehicles and boats. Officials are warning people in some areas to stay away from their homes because of a risk of more strong quakes. Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas a day after a magnitude 7.6 temblor slammed the area on Monday. By Hiro Komae and Yuri Kageyama. SENT: 665 words, photos, video, audio.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR – Officials in Ukraine say the country’s two largest cities were struck by Russian ballistic missile attacks, with five people killed and more than 100 injured. With the war approaching its two-year mark, the Kremlin has stepped up its winter bombardment of urban areas. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the capital of Kyiv and the northeastern city of Kharkiv came under attack early Tuesday. By Illia Novikov And Hanna Arhirova. SENT: 915 words, photos, audio.
ELECTION 2024 – U.S. presidential elections have been rocked in recent years by economic disaster, gaffes, secret video and a pandemic. But for all that tumult, the volatility surrounding this year’s presidential contest has few modern parallels, posing profound challenges to the future of American democracy. Not since the Supreme Court effectively decided the 2000 campaign in favor of George W. Bush has the judiciary been so intertwined with presidential politics. By National Political Writer Steve Peoples. SENT: 1,460 words, photos. An abridged version is also available.
CYBERSECURITY-WATER PLANTS – The hacking of a municipal water authority in a small Pennsylvania town is prompting new warnings from U.S. security officials as states and the federal government are wrestling with how to harden water utilities against hackers. Officials say the danger is hackers gaining control of automated equipment to shut down pumps that supply drinking water or contaminate drinking water by reprogramming automated chemical treatments. By Marc Levy. SENT: 1,190 words, photos, audio.
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