Arizona Digest UPDATED

Here’s a look at how AP’s general news coverage is shaping up for select Arizona stories. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s complete coverage of Arizona 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-Phoenix bureau at 602-258-8934 or aparizona@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This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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 Mountain unless specified otherwise.

TOP STORIES:

ARIZONA-IMMIGRATION BALLOT

PHOENIX — The Arizona Senate approved a proposed ballot measure that would ask voters in November to make it a state crime for noncitizens to enter the state through Mexico at any location other than a port of entry. The proposal approved Wednesday on a 16-13 party-line vote would draw Arizona directly into immigration enforcement by letting state and local police arrest people crossing the border without authorization and giving state judges the power to order people convicted of the offense to return to their country of origin. By Jacques Billeaud. SENT: 800 words.

ARIZONA BOY-STARVATION DEATH

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A northern Arizona was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder in the 2020 starvation death of his 6-year-old son. Authorities say the boy was locked in a tiny bedroom closet for 16 hours a day over a month with his older brother as punishment for stealing his family’s food at night when their parents were asleep. A Coconino County Superior Court jury on Thursday issued its verdict against 28-year-old Anthony Martinez in the death of his son, Deshaun Martinez. SENT: 380 words, photos.

COLORADO RIVER-ARIZONA TRIBES

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation Council has unanimously approved a proposed water rights settlement that carries a price tag larger than any such agreement enacted by Congress. The tribe has one of the largest single outstanding claims in the Colorado River basin, and Thursday’s vote marks one of many approvals needed to finalize a deal that has been years in the making. SENT: 630 words.

SPORTS:

ARIZONA ST-ROSSINI

TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona State has named longtime sports business executive Graham Rossini as its next athletic director. An Arizona State alum, Rossini replaces Ray Anderson, who stepped down as athletic director in November. SENT: 270 words.

BBC-P12-ARIZONA ST-OREGON ST

Mason Guerra hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and Nelson Keljo pitched four innings of no-hit relief to help Oregon State beat Arizona State 3-2 on Thursday in the Pac-12 Tournament. Oregon State (42-14) needs Arizona to defeat California in the final game of pool play to advance to the semifinals. Arizona State (32-26), which also lost to Stanford 8-7 on Tuesday, was eliminated from the tournament.

BKL-MYSTICS-MERCURY

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Mercury host the Washington Mystics in WNBA action Thursday night. Phoenix is off to a 2-1 start while Washington has lost all four of its games so far this season. UPCOMING: 300 words. Game starts at 7 p.m.

BBO-OWNERS

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball says robot home plate umpires are unlikely for 2025. Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says there has not been as much progress in the minor leagues this year as MLB had hoped for. Manfred said if and when the automatic ball-strike is adopted, it likely would be a challenge system. By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum. SENT: 690 words.

FBN-NFL-FILLING THE WEEK

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The NFL hasn’t scheduled a game for every day of the week. Yet. New Orleans defensive end Cameron Jordan says the NFL is going to be the new 7-Eleven open 24 hours giving fans a chance to watch them play any given day. The 2024 schedule has the NFL close to filling every day of the week with a game with Wednesday the latest day added with a Christmas doubleheader. By Pro Football Writer Teresa M. Walker. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos.

LOCALIZATION:

US-D-DAY-80TH ANNIVERSARY-LOCALIZE IT: June 6 is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion that helped change the course of World War II, when nearly 160,000 Allied troops landed in Normandy, launching the effort, code-named Operation Overlord, that would eventually wrest western France from Nazi control. We offer resources and suggestions for covering this anniversary in your community. Find the latest Localize It guides.

US-PRIDE-LOCALIZE IT: LGBTQ+ communities and their allies are holding Pride events this month across the U.S. and around the world. Pride is a combination of commemoration, rally and celebration. And it’s shaped by the present political situation, particularly efforts in recent years to curtail the rights of transgender people. We offer resources for finding local events along with context, legislative info and reporting suggestions. Find the latest Localize It guides.

US-JUVENILE-DETENTION-LAWSUITS-LOCALIZE IT: A group of 66 people sent to juvenile facilities in Pennsylvania as children have filed lawsuits alleging that they suffered physical and sexual abuse by guards, nurses, supervisors or other staff. They say some attacks were reported but ignored or not believed. Similar lawsuits have been filed recently by the same New York firm in Illinois, Maryland and New Jersey. A Michigan suit was settled in 2020. We detail the other suits and offer reporting suggestions. Find the latest Localize It guides.

US-CAR-INDY-500-LOCALIZE IT: It’s race week for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500, when a field of 33 cars will cross the famed yard of bricks Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for what is considered “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” We list out qualifying U.S. drivers and their hometowns, along with preview highlights, tips for watching the race and covering it locally. Find the latest Localize It guides.

US-BIDEN-RURAL HOSPITALS-LOCALIZE IT: Emergency care access has been significantly limited in some communities, with nearly 200 hundred hospitals either closing or downsizing their services in the last two decades. Yet, President Joe Biden has made his accomplishments around health care a signature part of his reelection campaign. To get a better understanding of how this campaign messaging is playing in rural communities, The Associated Press recently traveled to Williamston, North Carolina, a town that lost its only hospital late last year. We provide resources for looking at closed and converted hospitals in your state and offer suggestions for local reporting. Find the latest Localize It guides.

US-MED-DRUG-OVERDOSES-LOCALIZE IT: The number of U.S. fatal overdoses fell last year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted the numbers Wednesday. CDC officials noted the data is provisional and could change after more analysis, but that they still expect a drop when the final counts are in. The agency says about 107,500 people died of overdoses in the U.S. last year. That’s down 3% from 2022. We link to the data and offer suggested reporting tips. Find the latest Localize It guides.

US-MED-TICK SEASON-LOCALIZE IT: Tick season is starting across the U.S., and experts are warning the bloodsuckers may be as plentiful as ever. Another mild winter and other favorable factors likely means the 2024 tick population will be equal to last year or larger, some researchers say. The most common tick is the blacklegged tick, which spreads Lyme disease and is found primarily in the Northeast, Midwest and South. We’ve provided some tips and reporting tools to write stories about tick season for your audience. Find the latest Localize It guides.

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VIDEO

AUDIO

Tornado kills multiple people in Iowa as powerful storms again tear through Midwest

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of 2003 sexual assault in lawsuit

Female White House chef duo has dished up culinary diplomacy at state dinners for nearly a decade

Average US vehicle age hits record 12.6 years as high prices force people to keep them longer

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TOP STORIES:

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TOP STORIES

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ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Norway, Ireland and Spain said they would recognize a Palestinian state, a historic but largely symbolic move that further deepens Israel’s isolation more than seven months into its grinding war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel immediately denounced the decisions and recalled its ambassadors to the three countries. By Joseph Wilson, Melanie Lidman and Joseph Krauss. SENT: 1,130 words, photos, audio.

ISRAEL-HAMAS-SEXUAL-VIOLENCE — The United Nations and other organizations have presented credible evidence that Hamas militants committed sexual assault during their Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel. But two testimonies by volunteers with the Israeli search and rescue

organization ZAKA, have been debunked. Still, they have helped fuel a global clash over whether sexual violence occurred during the attack, and on what scale. By Tia Goldenberg and Julie Frankel. SENT: 3,090 words, photos.

BIDEN-JUDGES — The Senate has confirmed the 200th federal judge of President Joe Biden’s tenure. That’s about a month earlier than when Donald Trump hit the 200 threshold in his term. Trump still holds the edge when it comes to the most impactful confirmations — those to the Supreme Court and the country’s 13 appellate courts. Democrats and liberal advocacy groups say Biden is bringing greater diversity to the federal judiciary in terms of demographics and professional background. By Kevin Freking and Seung Min Kim. SENT: 980 words, photos.

BRITAIN-ELECTION — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has set July 4 as the date for a national election that will determine who governs the U.K. Sunak’s ruling Conservatives have seen support dwindle steadily after 14 years in power. By Jill lawless and Brian Melley. SENT; 720 words, photos. video.

IRAN — Iran’s supreme leader prayed over the coffins of the country’s late president, foreign minister and other officials killed in a helicopter crash, a ceremony that saw hundreds of thousands of people later follow a procession honoring them down the capital’s main boulevard. Iran’s Shiite theocracy views mass demonstrations as crucial to demonstrate their legitimacy. But the funeral service for President Ebrahim Raisi and others saw a turnout onlookers described as noticeably lower than that of a 2020 procession honoring Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, slain in a U.S. drone strike. By Jon Gambrell. SENT: 1,070 words, photos, videos.

MED-WEIGHT-LOSS-DRUG-KIDS -- Use of diabetes and obesity medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and other so-called GLP-1 drugs has soared among teens and young adults. New research shows that the number of 12- to 25-year-olds who used the medications climbed from about 8,700 a month in 2020 to 60,000 a month in 2023. Overall, in 2023, nearly 31,000 children aged 12 to 17 and more than 162,000 people aged 18 to 25 received the drugs. By Jonel Aleccia. SENT: 800 words, photos.

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