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A reminder this information is not for publication or broadcast, and these coverage plans are subject to change.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

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TOP STORIES:

VOTER ID-NORTH CAROLINA

RALEIGH — The federal government and others who sued to overturn North Carolina’s voter identification law told the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday that keeping the photo ID mandate and other rules in place for the November elections would harm black voters and increase confusion. Their lawyers also want early in-person voting restored to 17 days in the fall election season because the 2013 law, which had reduced it to 10 days, was struck down justifiably for racial discrimination. They were responding to last week’s request by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory and other state officials to delay a ruling by a lower appeals court striking down several sections of the law. By Gary D. Robertson. SENT: 600 words.

GOVERNOR 2016-ENDORSEMENT

RALEIGH — North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory sought to invigorate his re-election campaign Thursday by accepting in person another key law enforcement endorsement and rolling out a new ad proclaiming a close relationship with police. Making a public campaign appearance at a Raleigh hotel, McCrory received the backing of the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association, the state’s largest law enforcement lobbying group with more than 10,000 members. By Gary D. Robertson. SENT: 510 words.

MCCLENDON-DUKE UNIVERSITY

OKLAHOMA CITY — Duke University has filed a $9.9 million claim against the estate of former Chesapeake Energy Corp. CEO Aubrey McClendon for pledges the Duke alumnus made that the university says were unpaid at the time of his death in a fiery highway crash. The claim, which the Durham, North-Carolina-based school filed Aug. 12 in Oklahoma County District Court, is among several totaling hundreds of millions of dollars that seek part of the estate. McClendon was one of the founders of the Oklahoma City-based petroleum and natural gas exploration and production company and part owner of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder. By Tim Talley. SENT: 500 words.

EXONERATION-SETTLEMENT

RALEIGH — A North Carolina man awarded $3.25 million in a settlement for the 24 years he spent in prison for a rape he didn’t commit likely will continue to live simply, as he has done since he was paroled in 2012, his attorney said Thursday. The Hickory City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the settlement with Willie Grimes, who was sentenced in July 1989 to life for two counts of first-degree rape and nine additional years for one count of second-degree kidnapping for the assault of 69-year-old Hickory woman in 1987. By Martha Waggoner. SENT: 380 words.

UVM GAME CANCELED-LGBT LAW

BURLINGTON, Vt. — The University of Vermont has canceled its women’s basketball team’s upcoming game in North Carolina over a state law that governs transgender bathroom access. The Catamounts were scheduled to face the Tar Heels on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus on Dec. 28, but announced the cancellation on their athletic website Wednesday night. SENT: 260 words.

TROPICAL WEATHER

MIAMI — Rivers surged across a large section of the Dominican Republic on Thursday as a broad area of low pressure headed east to the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas, officials said. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said the system’s strongest winds were below tropical storm strength but that it could strengthen as it approaches Florida and the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend. SENT: 260 words, AP Photo NY4C.

IN BRIEF:

— OBIT-PLYLER, from MONROE — Former state Sen. Aaron Plyler, a lawmaker who wielded power over the state budget and was a strong advocate of higher education, has died. He was 89. SENT: 130 words.

— SOCIAL SECURITY-FRAUD UNIT, from RALEIGH — The Social Security Administration has opened a North Carolina office which is dedicated to identifying disability fraud across the state. SENT: 110 words.

— FOOD WORKERS SICKENED, from EDENTON — Police in Edenton say 15 workers at a Chowan County restaurant and catering service had to be treated at separate hospitals for what officials believe was carbon monoxide poisoning. SENT: 120 words.

— TERROR ACCUSATIONS-NORTH CAROLINA, from ASHEVILLE — A North Carolina man charged with plotting an Islamic State-inspired attack has pleaded not guilty. SENT: 100 words.

SPORTS:

FBN–KICKING OFF

CHARLOTTE — NFL MVP Cam Newton will see his most extensive playing time of the preseason against the Patriots, while Tom Brady may have to take a back seat to Jimmy Garoppolo. Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Newton and the rest of the starters from last year’s NFC championship team will play into the third quarter. Newton has played sparingly the first two preseason games, leading five drives culminating in one touchdown and two field goals. By Sports Writer Steve Reed. SENT: 880 words, AP Photos MASR112, MASR107, MASR113, MASR108, MASR109, MASR110, NY165, NY180, NCCB201.

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The AP, Raleigh