Hello! The Carolinas News Editor is Tim Rogers. The breaking news supervisor is Skip Foreman.

A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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.

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TOP STORIES:

COAL ASH-NORTH CAROLINA-WATER WARNINGS

RALEIGH — Officials in North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory’s administration are telling a string of misleading half-truths about the safety of well water containing a cancer-causing chemical near Duke Energy coal ash pits, a veteran state toxicologist said Wednesday, and he charged that they are the ones responsible for any resulting fear and confusion. Toxicologist Ken Rudo’s comments in a statement issued through his attorney came a day after high-ranking state environmental and health officials blamed Rudo for sowing fear about dangerous chemicals near Duke Energy sites with “questionable and inconsistent scientific conclusions.” By Emery P. Dalesio and Michael Biesecker. SENT: 770 words.

CAMPAIGN 2016

ABINGDON, Va. — In the 2016 presidential campaign, it’s long been an article of faith: The rules of political gravity don’t apply to Donald Trump. Maybe now they do. After winning state after state while bouncing between controversies in the GOP primaries, Trump is still stumbling on the stump. His latest unforced mishap: an off-hand remark that critics quickly slammed as a suggestion that gun-rights backers should take a literal shot at Hillary Clinton should she win the White House. By Jill Colvin, Steve Peoples and Josh Lederman. SENT: 960 words, AP Photos FLAH108, VAEV127, IAAH132, NYR101.

With:

— CAMPAIGN 2016-THE LATEST.

TRUMP-WHAT DID HE SAY?

UNDATED — Jim Herriott says he doesn’t know if Donald Trump meant to incite violence against rival Hillary Clinton when he remarked that maybe there was something gun-rights supporters could do to stop Clinton. He hopes not. Herriott, an unaffiliated voter in Raleigh, North Carolina, was one of numerous citizens across the country asked Wednesday what they thought Trump was saying at a campaign rally the day before. SENT: 680 words.

FERRIS WHEEL FALL

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Government investigators have not yet determined how a Ferris wheel seat flipped over at a Tennessee county fair, sending three children plummeting 30 to 45 feet to the ground. But the accident that left a 6-year-old girl with a traumatic brain injury sharpened the focus Tuesday on how carnival ride operators are regulated. After a 2014 audit found shortcomings in Tennessee’s regulatory program for rides at fairs and amusement parks, state officials decided to get out of the inspection business altogether. Now, the state relies on private inspectors hired by operators and other states’ regulators to determine whether roller coasters, zip lines and Ferris wheels are safe. By Erik Schelzig. SENT: 610 words. AP Photos TNGRE104, TNGRE102, TNGRE101, TNGRE107.

IN BRIEF:

— MILITARY-RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, from WASHINGTON — The U.S. military’s highest court is upholding the bad-conduct discharge of a Marine who argued that the disciplinary action violated her religious beliefs. SENT: 130 words.

— MUNICIPAL BROADBAND, from MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A federal appeals court has overturned a Federal Communications Commission ruling allowing city-owned broadband services to expand into areas overlooked by commercial providers. SENT: 120 words.

— CHARLOTTE ROBBERY-SHOOTING, from CHARLOTTE — Police in North Carolina say two people were shot during a robbery and a suspect was later shot by officers after a two-county chase that ended when the suspects crashed their getaway vehicle into a utility pole. SENT: 120 words.

— AMOEBA-RELATED DEATH, from CHARLOTTE — The whitewater channels at the U.S. National Whitewater Center in North Carolina have reopened six weeks after a visitor died from a brain-eating amoeba. SENT: 110 words.

— MURDER FUGITIVE-ARREST, from OCALA, Fla. — The suspect in a deadly shooting who was captured in North Carolina after evading authorities for decades is now in a north Florida jail. SENT: 130 words.

— GAS STATION SHOOTING, from NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Police say a North Carolina woman has died after she was shot over the weekend at a gas station in North Little Rock. SENT: 90 words.

— CHILD SEX CHARGES-ADOPTION, from WILMINGTON — A North Carolina woman has pleaded guilty to sex charges involving a 14-year-old boy who her family was in the process of adopting from the Philippines. SENT: 130 words.

— POLICE STANDOFF-MAN DIES-NORTH CAROLINA, from ASHEVILLE — Authorities in North Carolina say an Asheville man involved in a standoff with police officers has died. SENT: 130 words.

— UNION FIRE DEATH, from WEDDINGTON — Officials have identified a former Union County prosecutor as the person found dead in a Weddington house fire. SENT: 130 words.

SPORTS:

FBN–TOO MUCH TECHNOLOGY?

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Panthers coach Ron Rivera believes enough is enough when it comes to technology and its impact on the NFL game. He’s not a fan of tablets on the sideline where coaches can view videos from previous plays — and then make adjustments. He says too much technology takes away from the game-planning that coaches put in during the week. Some coaches feel differently. By Steve Reed. UPCOMING: 800 words, AP photos by 6 p.m.

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The AP, Raleigh