Here's a look at how AP's general news coverage is shaping up for select Kansas stories. For up-to-the minute information on AP's complete coverage of Kansas and the rest of the world, visit Coverage Plan at newsroom.ap.org
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LOCALIZATION
US 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.
US-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 th 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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VIDEO
3 men of Palestinian descent shot and injured in Vermont
Donald Trump draws cheers, some boos in Haley’s backyard at Clemson-South Carolina football game
Tensions simmer as newcomers and immigrants with deeper US roots strive for work permits
AUDIO
Busiest holiday travel season in years is off to a smooth start with few airport delays
Tape reveals Donald Trump pressured Michigan officials not to certify 2020 vote, a new report says
Federal Reserve’s favored inflation gauge tumbles in November as prices continue to ease
For years, he couldn’t donate at the blood center where he worked. Under new FDA rules, now he can
TOP STORIES:
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Thousands of Palestinian families are fleeing from the brunt of Israel’s expanding ground offensive into Gaza’s few remaining, overcrowded refuges. The movement comes as the military launches heavy strikes across the center and south of the territory. Palestinian health officials say dozens of people have been killed. The fleeing families arrive on foot or riding donkey carts loaded with belongings. A stream of people flowed into Deir al-Balah — a town that normally has a population of around 75,000. It has been overwhelmed by several hundred thousand people driven from northern Gaza as the region was pounded to rubble. By Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Lee Keath. SENT: 1,080 words, photos, and audio.
ELECTION-2024-MICHIGAN-TRUMP-INSURRECTION-AMENDMENT — Michigan’s Supreme Court is keeping former President Donald Trump on the state’s primary election ballot. The court said it will not hear an appeal of a lower court’s ruling from groups seeking to keep Trump from appearing on the ballot. Wednesday’s ruling follows a Dec. 19 decision by a divided Colorado Supreme Court, which said Trump is ineligible to be president after his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. By Corey Williams and Nicholas Riccardi. SENT: 595 words, photos.
ELECTION 2024-HALEY-SOUTH CAROLINA — Nikki Haley is betting her 2024 presidential candidacy on winning South Carolina. But the politics of Haley’s home state have shifted far to the right since she was governor. That threatens her ability to tap into her local roots to notch the victory she has promised. By Meg Kinnard. SENT: 1,310 words, photos.
HAWAII-WILDFIRE-THE-VULNERABLE — A wildfire that tore through the heart of the Hawaii island of Maui this summer showed how older residents are at particular risk from disasters. Sixty of the 100 people killed in the Maui fire this summer were 65 or older. As climate change has intensified natural disasters including wildfires and hurricanes, the number of people exposed to such hazards has increased. Studies around the world have suggested that wildfire disproportionately affects socially vulnerable people. By Gene Johnson, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, Mark Thiessen and Lindsey Wasson. SENT: 1,290 words, photos.
ENDANGERED-SPECIES-ACT-AT-50 — On Dec. 28, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act. It enjoyed nearly unanimous bipartisan support but soon became controversial. The United States’ own national animals, the bison and the bald eagle, had been driven to near extinction. When they started to recover, Americans saw the Endangered Species Act as a success. But when animals that people had never heard of began interfering with development, it was a different story. By Travis Loller. SENT: 2,180 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,075 words is also available.
MIGRATION-MEXICO-US- — A top U.S. delegation is to meet with Mexico’s president in what many see as a bid to get Mexico to do more to stem a surge of migrants reaching the U.S. southwestern border. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has said he is willing to help, but also says he wants to see progress in U.S. relations with Cuba and Venezuela, two of the top senders of migrants, and more development aid for the region. Both sides face strong pressure to reach an agreement after past steps failed to stop the influx. SENT: 745 words, photos.
OBIT-TOM-SMOTHERS — Tom Smothers, half of the Smothers Brothers and the co-host of one of the most socially conscious and groundbreaking television shows in the history of the medium, has died at 86. The National Comedy Center, on behalf of his family, said in a statement Wednesday that Smothers died Tuesday following a cancer battle. “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour” debuted on CBS in the fall of 1967 with a mix of music and comedy that included satirical sketches lampooning the Establishment and railing against the Vietnam War. SENT: 1,470 words, photos.
RODEO-TEENAGE-BULL-RIDER — Najiah Knight is a 17-year-old bull rider with a big dream. She wants to be the first woman to compete at the top level of the Professional Bull Riders tour. She’s garnered attention in bull riding circles for years. She’s eligible for the top tour at 18, but the competition is fierce and the sport dangerous. Najiah insists her dream is achievable. She was the only woman to qualify in her age group for the Junior World Finals this month. She fell off in her two attempts but chalks it up as the latest step in her journey. SENT: 1,650 words, photos. video. An abridged version of 1,045 words is also available.
BURNING-MAN-EXPERIMENTAL-EVOLUTION — Burning Man organizers don’t foresee major changes in 2024 thanks to a hard-won passing grade for cleaning up this year’s festival, despite a rainstorm that turned Nevada’s high desert into a muddy quagmire. Despite the successful inspection, debate continues over whether the 30-year-old gathering has grown too big. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.
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ONLY ON AP
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AP POLL-ELECTION 2024-VOTING — With the presidential primaries around the corner, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that only about one-third of Republicans say they’re confident that voting tallies will be accurate. The skepticism comes after years of Donald Trump blaming prior losses, including in the 2020 election, on voter fraud. By Nicholas Riccardi and Linley Sanders. SENT: 870 words, photo, audio.
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