Indiana Digest
Here’s a look at how AP’s general news coverage is shaping up for select Indiana stories. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s complete coverage of Indiana and the rest of the world, visit Coverage Plan at newsroom.ap.org
Questions about coverage plans are welcome and should be directed to the AP-Indianapolis at 317-639-5501 or indy@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This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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.
TOP STORIES:
WINTER WEATHER
MISSION, Kan. -- Temperatures plunged far and fast Thursday as a winter storm packing snow, ice, and powerful winds formed ahead of Christmas weekend, claiming five lives on a South Dakota tribal reservation and complicating holiday travel. In much of the country, the Christmas weekend could be the coldest in decades. Along Interstate 90 in northern Indiana, crews were braced to clear as much as a foot of snow as meteorologists warned of blizzard conditions there starting Thursday evening. About 150 National Guard members also have been deployed to help snow-bound Indiana travelers. By Heather Hollingsworth and Jill Breed. SENT: 780 words, photos. Will be updated.
INDIANA FEDERAL JUDGE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. The federal judge who struck down Indiana’s ban on same-sex marriages a year before the U.S. Supreme Court did so nationally has decided to step down from full-time status after 25 years. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Young announced his decision Thursday with President Joe Biden’s nomination of Magistrate Judge Matthew Brookman to take his place overseeing the federal courtroom based in Evansville. SENT: 200 words.
AROUND THE STATE:
CRASH CONVICTION
LEBANON, Ind. — A man has been convicted in a drunken-driving crash in central Indiana that severely injured another motorist, leaving her paralyzed. Prosecutors said Ryann Early, 36, had a blood-alcohol content nearly twice Indiana’s limit for driving after the October 2020 crash in Boone County that left the other motorist a quadriplegic and in need of assistance for all self-care activities and mobility. UPCOMING: 180 words.
SPORTS:
BKC--BUTLER-CREIGHTON — Butler plays Creighton at CHI Health Center Omaha. UPCOMING: 150 words, more on merits.
BKC--NORTHERN ILLINOIS-INDIANA STATE — Northern Illinois plays Indiana State at Hulman Center. UPCOMING: 150 words, more on merits.
LOCALIZATION:
BROADBAND MAP-LOCALIZE IT — States are racing against a deadline to challenge the map federal officials will use to divvy up the nation’s largest-ever investment in high-speed internet. At stake is a share of the $42.5 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, part of the infrastructure measure President Joe Biden signed into law last year. We provide resources and questions for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
MIGRATION-ASYLUM BAN-LOCALIZE IT — Under Trump-era asylum restrictions, migrants have been denied rights to seek asylum under U.S. and international law 2.5 million times since March 2020 on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. Amid uncertainty over the restrictions’ future, we offer suggested reporting threads for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
HOMELESS COUNT-LOCALIZE IT — A national tally of homelessness released Monday finds that the total number of unhoused people across the U.S. was about the same earlier this year as it was in 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic hit the nation hard. The result represents a balancing of conflicting forces sparked by the pandemic: job losses and rising rents along with eviction protections and tax breaks. We offer ideas for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
VIDEO
Anxious holiday travelers brace for weather delays
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman Fried in US custody
Arizona election lawsuit goes to trial
Zelenskyy: Ukraine “will never surrender”
AUDIO
US braces for dangerous blast of cold, wind and snow
Associates of FTX founder plead guilty to criminal charges
Senate hits snag in bid to pass $1.7 trillion spending bill
Migrants at US-Mexico border await ruling on asylum limits
U.S. STORIES
CONGRESS-BUDGET
WASHINGTON —- The Senate appears back on track to pass a $1.7 trillion bill to finance federal agencies through September. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Thursday that the Senate would consider some 15 amendments before voting on final passage of the package. Most of the amendments will be subject to a 60-vote threshold to pass, generally dooming them to failure in the evenly divided 100-member Senate. An agreement from both sides on which amendments would be voted on was needed to lock in an expedited vote on final passage and get the measure approved before a government shutdown would begin at midnight Friday. By Kevin Freking. SENT: 571 words, photos
BORDER WALL-SHIPPING CONAINERS
PHOENIX —- Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey will take down a makeshift wall made of shipping containers at the Mexico border, settling a lawsuit and political tussle with the federal government over trespassing on federal lands. The Biden administration and the Republican governor entered into an agreement that Arizona will cease installing the containers in any national forest, according to court documents filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court. The stipulation says Arizona must remove the shipping containers already present in southeastern Cochise County by Jan. 4. The resolution comes just two weeks before Democrat Katie Hobbs, who opposes the construction, takes over as governor. SENT: 314 words, photo
ZELENSKY-WASHINGTON-HOW IT HAPPENED
WASHINGTON —- The idea of a daring wartime trip by Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Washington had percolated for some time before the surprise visit was revealed just hours ahead of the Ukrainian president’s arrival. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi discussed the visit with Ukrainian officials during a summit in Croatia in October. And Biden administration officials had for months been talking with Ukraine about a potential Zelenskyy visit. Zelenskyy had indicated to President Joe Biden the U.S. was the first country he wanted to visit when the time was right for him to travel. Finally, on Dec. 11, Zelenskyy told Biden the time had arrived. From there, things quickly fell into place for Wednesday’s whirlwind visit. By Seung Min Kim. SENT: 971 words, photos.
STORYSHARE
NEW FROM THE AP: CLIMATE STORYSHARE NETWORK
Looking for more state news and photos? Sign up to participate in AP StoryShare, an online platform at storyshare.ap.org where news organizations from a growing list of states share content. We also have topical networks with reporting dedicated to education (K-12 and higher ed) and Indigenous peoples, shared by news organizations around the country. Our latest topical network: AP StoryShare-Climate, focused on climate change coverage from across the U.S. Access is free for AP members. For account information, contact Jennifer Lehman at jlehman@ap.org and Larry Rosenthal at lrosenthal@ap.org
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