Hello! The Carolinas News Editor is Tim Rogers. The breaking news supervisor is Jack Jones.

A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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. Advisories and digests will keep you up to date.

Some TV and radio stations will receive shorter APNewsNow versions of the stories below, along with updates.

TOP STORIES:

DEM 2016-CLINTON

RALEIGH — Hillary Clinton pushed back against Donald Trump’s questions about her religion and her competence Wednesday, casting him as a candidate with not much else to say about how he’d lead the nation. Over two consecutive days, Trump has sought to focus his struggling campaign on Clinton, as Republican leaders have demanded. On Tuesday, in a video clip of his remarks, Trump appeared to suggest the public doesn’t know “anything about Hillary in terms of religion.” By Ken Thomas and Lisa Lerer. SENT: 730 words, AP Photos NCCB103, NCCB102, DCAB101, NCCB101, DCEV108.

XGR–LGBT RALLY

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s law preventing local governments from passing anti-discrimination protections and directing which public bathrooms transgender people can use has earned a fresh wave of resistance from both activists and Charlotte-Mecklenburg School officials who have announced the system’s transgender students can choose the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity. The Human Rights Campaign, Equality NC and TurnOUT! NC are set to hold a “rally against hate” late Wednesday between the Legislative Building and the old Capitol building where Gov. Pat McCrory keeps his office calling for a full repeal of the law in the final days of the General Assembly’s session. By Anna Gronewold. SENT: 540 words.

With:

— XGR–LGBT RALLY-THE LATEST.

XGR–STATE BUDGET

RALEIGH — Budget negotiations are getting down to the short rows at the North Carolina General Assembly, where top legislative leaders working to resolve remaining differences as the new fiscal year begins late next week. House and Senate Republicans have been talking for the past two weeks about differences in their competing legislation to run state government for the next 12 months. Each chamber agreed to spend a little more than $22.2 billion in competing bills they passed, although they spent in different ways. By Gary D. Robertson. SENT: 500 words.

XGR–HIGH SCHOOL MATH

RALEIGH — The North Carolina General Assembly is divided on how to address complaints from high school students and parents that the Common Core math courses are confusing and overly complicated. The House on Wednesday rejected the Senate version of a bill that would allow high school students to choose between traditional math courses like algebra and geometry alongside the newer “integrated” pathway that the state adopted as part of Common Core in 2012. The bill would have directed districts to offer both math class sequences to students starting in the 2018-2019 school year. SENT: 260 words.

AMOEBA DEATH

RALEIGH — An Ohio woman who went whitewater rafting in North Carolina has died of an infection after being exposed to an amoeba naturally present in warm fresh water. North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control suspects Naegleria fowleri (nuh-GLEER’-ee-uh FOW’-lur-ee), a one-celled organism that can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis. SENT: 350 words.

With:

— AMOEBA DEATH-THE LATEST.

LOST COLONY

MANTEO — Archaeologists on North Carolina’s Roanoke Island found pottery pieces that could have been part of a jar belonging to a medicine maker of the Roanoke Island voyages and perhaps a member of the “Lost Colony.” Two quarter-size fragments, colored blue, white and brown, were discovered buried in the soil near an earthen mound believed to have been a 16th century fort, The Virginian-Pilot (http://bit.ly/28LXEO5) reported. SENT: 200 words.

IN BRIEF:

— XGR–MCCRORY-BILL SIGNINGS, from RALEIGH — Legislation designed to resolve tax, education and property issues associated with redrawing the North Carolina-South Carolina border has been signed by Gov. Pat McCrory. SENT: 120 words.

— XGR–TOLL CONTRACT, from RALEIGH — A bill pushed through the North Carolina House by Charlotte-area legislators to cancel a private company’s contract to build and operate special toll lanes on Interstate 77 appears doomed in the Senate this year. SENT: 130 words.

— ANIMAL FEEDING SITE-MAP, from WASHINGTON — Environmental groups have joined to produce an interactive map revealing the locations of more than 6,500 animal feeding operations across North Carolina. SENT: 130 words.

— DEPUTY SHOOTING-NORTH CAROLINA, from SHELBY — A North Carolina sheriff’s office says a deputy shot and killed a man after the man attacked him with a metal chair. SENT: 130 words.

— MCCRORY-LIAISON, from RALEIGH — Gov. Pat McCrory’s chief lobbyist at the General Assembly is officially moving on to another job within state government. SENT: 90 words.

___

If you have stories of regional or statewide interest, please email them to [email protected]. If you have photos of regional or statewide interest, please send them to the AP state photo center in New York, ([email protected]) or call 888-273-6867. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact AP Customer Support at [email protected] or 877-836-9477.

The AP, Raleigh