NV-Nevada News Digest
Here’s a look at how AP’s general news coverage is shaping up for select Nevada stories. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s complete coverage of Nevada 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 Las Vegas bureau at (702) 382-7440 or aplasvegas@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This information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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 Pacific unless specified otherwise.
TOP STORIES:
CHASING HORSE ARREST-NEVADA
LAS VEGAS — Former actor Nathan Chasing Horse could be facing multiple sexual assault and sex trafficking charges and life in prison. Chasing Horse, known for his role in the Oscar-winning Kevin Costner film “Dances With Wolves,” was arrested Tuesday near Las Vegas. He remains jailed Wednesday. Police say he built himself a reputation as a so-called medicine man and used that position to abuse young Native American girls and women. By Rio Yamat. SENT: 620 words, photos.
SYNAGOGUE THREAT-ARREST-VEGAS
LAS VEGAS — A man accused of telephoning threats to “shoot up” a Southern Nevada synagogue is due to make an initial court appearance Wednesday in Las Vegas. Michael Sanchez, 37, was arrested Sunday after authorities traced to him calls accusing Jewish congregation members of being child molesters who didn’t deserve to live and allegedly referring to a San Diego-area synagogue shooting in 2021. UPCOMING. Story, length on merits.
CARSON CITY SHOOTING-TEENS ARRESTED
CARSON CITY — Carson City sheriff’s deputies have arrested three more suspects in a gang-related shooting last week that involved at least a half-dozen teenagers, including two who were injured — one critically. UPCOMING: 200 words.
DROUGHT-PUMPING WATER-WEST
Amid a major drought in the Western U.S., a proposed solution comes up repeatedly: large-scale river diversions, including pumping Mississippi River water to parched states. Just this past summer, the idea caused a firestorm of letters to the editor at a California newspaper. In 2021, the Arizona state legislature passed a measure urging Congress to investigate pumping flood water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River to bolster its flow. By Brittney J. Miller, Cedar Rapids Gazette.
CALIFORNIA DROUGHT-SNOW SURVEY
PHILLIPS STATION, Calif. — The California Department of Water Resources will conduct a survey of the Sierra Nevada snowpack and officials will discuss the state’s water outlook. UPCOMING: Story, length to be determined.
CRYPTOCURRENCY-FRAUD
BOSTON — The founder of a cryptocurrency and virtual payment services company who authorities say cheated dozens of investors out of about $7.5 million, which he used to buy a house, cars, jewelry, and other luxuries, has been sentenced to more than eight years in prison. Randall Crater, 52, founded Las Vegas-based My Big Coin Pay Inc. in 2013, offering virtual payment services through a fraudulent digital currency, My Big Coin, from 2014 to 2017, the U.S. attorney’s office in Boston said in a statement on Tuesday. SENT: 280 words.
IN BRIEF:
— FATAL CAMPER FIRE-NEVADA: A woman has been killed and a man badly burned in a camp trailer fire near U.S. Interstate 80 in rural northeast Nevada.
SPORTS:
BKL-WNBA CHARTER FLIGHTS-EXPLAINER
Brittney Griner’s return to the WNBA this summer after being traded in a dramatic prisoner swap in December with Russia has collided with free agency, creating potential travel complications for the league out of safety concerns for her. If Griner, who is a free agent but has said she’ll return to Phoenix, needs special travel accommodations — such as chartered flights — the league will have to come up with a plan for the 6-foot-9 star. Griner’s safety when traveling will be a top priority for the team and the league. By Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg. SENT: 690 words.
FBN-SUPER BOWL-INSIDE THE NUMBERS
It’s only fitting that the top two quarterbacks in the regular season based on All-Pro voting are the last two quarterbacks standing in the NFL this season. First-team All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes will take his Kansas City Chiefs into the Super Bowl against second-team All-Pro Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. This marks the seventh time since the merger that the first-team All-Pro quarterback will face the second-teamer for the championship. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. SENT: 720 words.
LOCALIZATION:
TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANTS-LOCALIZE IT — Hundreds of cities and counties across the U.S. will receive a share of over $800 million in federal grants to improve the safety of streets and intersections, under funding announced Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The competitive grants include nearly $590 million to carry out 37 projects making physical safety improvements to roadways in 22 states. An additional $212 million is being distributed in smaller increments for hundreds of traffic safety planning efforts across the country. We show you how to find out where the money is headed and offer suggestions for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
MASS SHOOTINGS-STATES-LOCALIZE IT — Mass shootings have commanded public attention on a disturbingly frequent basis across the U.S. Some have happened in states with easy access to guns. But others have occurred where firearms already are highly restricted. With each shooting, the nation’s political divide on gun policy appears to be widening. We offer suggestions for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
SOUTHERN MIGRATION-LOCALIZE IT — The U.S. South’s population has boomed in this decade. Last year, the Northeast and Midwest lost residents, and the West grew by an anemic 153,000 people, primarily because a large number of residents left for a different U.S. region. In contrast, the South grew by 1.3 million new residents, and six of the 10 U.S. states with the biggest growth last year were in the South. We provide resources and suggestions for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
OPIOID CRISIS-NALOXONE-LOCALIZE IT — Access to naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid overdoses, has increased dramatically in recent years. But experts and advocates say more needs to be done to make sure it’s available when needed. We provide resources for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
SCHOOL VOUCHERS-LOCALIZE IT — In more than a dozen red states, Republican lawmakers are pushing legislative policies this year that would expand or create programs that give millions of taxpayer dollars to families that want to take their children out of public school. We offer ideas for localizing the story. Find the latest Localize It guides here.
VIDEO
FBI searches Biden’s Rehoboth Beach, Delaware home
Harris heads to Memphis for Tyre Nichols funeral
Black history AP class rejected in Florida catches on
AUDIO
Flights canceled, at least 2 dead as ice storm freezes US
Job market still hot, December openings rise to 11 million
Nikki Haley planning Feb. 15 launch for 2024 White House bid
Family of Tyre Nichols prepares to lay him to rest
U.S. STORIES
TYRE NICHOLS-FUNERAL — The Rev. Al Sharpton will deliver the eulogy for Tyre Nichols three weeks after the man’s death following a brutal beating by Memphis police after a traffic stop. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump will deliver a call to action at Wednesday’s funeral. The service was postponed by hours because of icy weather. The 29-year-old Nichols was a skateboarder, father and amateur photographer. In the weeks since his death, five officers have been fired and charged with murder, and their specialized unit was disbanded. Two more officers have been suspended. Two Memphis Fire Department emergency medical workers and a lieutenant were also fired. By Aaron Morrison and Travis Loller. SENT: 530 words, photos, audio.
TYRE NICHOLS-POLICE RECORDS — Memphis police records show four of five Memphis officers charged with killing Tyre Nichols after violently beating him committed previous infractions. The documents obtained by The Associated Press show the infractions included using minor physical force during an arrest, failing to report a domestic violence situation, and a car crash. Two officers received reprimands for failing to file “response to resistance” forms after incidents involving women they arrested. Other infractions were related to car accidents and equipment issues. The officers’ lawyers either declined to comment on the records or did not respond to requests for comment. By Adrian Sainz. SENT: 570 words, photo.
BIDEN-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS — The FBI is conducting a search of President Joe Biden’s Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, home as part of its investigation into the potential mishandling of classified documents. That’s according to a statement from Biden’s personal lawyer. The search Wednesday follows a 13-hour, top-to-bottom review of his Wilmington, Delaware home on Jan. 20, when agents located additional documents with classified markings and also took possession of some of his handwritten notes. The president has been voluntarily allowing the Justice Department into his residences as investigators seek to determine how classified documents from Biden’s time as vice president and a senator wound up in his home and office. By Eric Tucker, Colleen Long and Zeke Miller. SENT: 530 words, photos.
CONGRESS-POLICE REFORM — The release of footage showing Memphis, Tennessee, police officers violently beating Tyre Nichols has renewed calls for Congress to pass police reform legislation. The pressure to act comes nearly two years after negotiations broke down along partisan lines, pushing the issue of police brutality to the back of the line of legislative priorities. It underscores again how Congress often fails to deliver solutions even when there is broad agreement on the source of the problem. Nichols’ parents are expected to attend President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address next week in an attempt to push for action from Washington. By Farnoush Amiri. SENT: 840 words, photo.
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