for obtaining the only cross-formats interview by an international news agency with New Zealand’s prime minister after she returned to work after giving birth. https://bit.ly/2OWuW2Y
for accountability journalism made possible through an open records request, reporting that New Jersey environmental regulators had failed for nearly a decade to put out a legally required annual report on water pollution that identifies the state’s worst polluters and how the state is holding them responsible. His exclusive story drew a pledge by the governor that the publication of the reports would resume, and kudos from the state’s major news outlets. https://bit.ly/2LysvUS
for gaining exclusive all-formats access to an already endangered shorebird’s primary nesting area. The AP team documented the plight of the piping plovers being squeezed out by surging Great Lakes waters during this spring’s Midwestern flooding. The package put the birds’ story into the broader context of climate change, explaining that the rising waters result from prolonged heavy rainfall and snowmelt that some experts believe will become a “new normal,” threatening the fragile Great Lakes coastline habitat. https://bit.ly/2NhTVB4
“... Due to the distractions caused by the unfounded AP article last week, I am stepping down as President of YOUR college effective immediately.”
Rear Admiral Jeffrey Harley, head of the elite U.S. Naval War College, pushed the button on that all-staff missive Monday after the Navy announced it was reassigning him in the wake of exclusive reporting by Jennifer McDermott and Michelle R. Smith – reporting that produced two APNewsBreaks in 72 hours.
Their first NewsBreak moved Friday, confirming the military was investigating allegations that Harley spent excessively, abused his hiring authority and otherwise behaved inappropriately, including keeping a margarita machine in his office. Three days later, the AP team was first again with word that the Navy was removing Harley from his post pending the outcome of its probe.
Both stories gained huge traction with customers and on social media. The scoops by McDermott’s and Smith were “just the tip of the iceberg,” one source said, and they’ve since led to new tips.
For dogged and diligent reporting that exposed questionable leadership at the heart of the Navy’s brain trust, McDermott and Smith win this week’s Best of the States prize.
for chasing official confirmation that Congo’s current Ebola outbreak passed 1,000 deaths. AP had anticipated the grim milestone and when Mwanamilongo confirmed the news with the minister of health, we were first with text, photos and a graphic. https://bit.ly/2Y74Gqe
for breaking news that Adele and her husband Simon Konecki have separated, getting the first statement from the singer’s rep about the split. https://bit.ly/2UCZGr9
for his assessment of how President Trump’s businesses have fared in the first two years of his presidency, determining that his family business has taken a major hit. https://bit.ly/2s7EPR2
for discovering that the Yankees paid pitcher CC Sabathia a $500,000 bonus even though he came up short on pitching the requisite number of innings needed to earn the bonus. Sabathia was ejected from the final regular season game just six outs shy of his target when he hit an opposing batter with a pitch, retaliating for a near miss on a Yankees player. https://bit.ly/2saEXzq
for their quick reaction to a vague advisory about a “John Doe” appearing in court on an unspecified charge, putting the AP at an all-formats competitive advantage when Michael Cohen made a surprise guilty plea to lying to Congress.https://bit.ly/2Qm0FhBhttps://bit.ly/2PpG8Ee
for her story revealing new details about the 1959 killing of black teenager William Roy Prather, including that the Justice Department has now referred the case to the state authorities for potential further prosecution. Originally one white teenager pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received a six-month sentence while others allegedly involved were given probation or walked free. https://bit.ly/2C5L9AB
for exclusively announcing the nominees for the 2018 Songwriters Hall of Fame, getting a full day scoop over other media outlets reporting the news. http://bit.ly/2zLCUaq
for reporting on Twitter expanding its purge of questionable accounts in recent months, ever since revelations that Russian agents and other malicious types manipulated it during the 2016 election. https://bit.ly/2O1UtY6
for their investigation that found tenants of a large Kushner Cos. residential building were subject to relentless noise and other disagreeable conditions in an effort to force them out. A lawsuit by 20 of the tenants and a separate state investigation followed the story.https://bit.ly/2NT8fvR
for breaking news of Verizon’s partial retreat on selling and sharing wireless data about its customers’ phone locations. https://bit.ly/2t9J9jB
for revealing that Mick Mulvaney, interim head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, dissolved a group of outside experts meant to act as a sounding board for the agency as it protects consumers from abuses by financial institutions. https://bit.ly/2MtIstE
for a series of scoops in the days before the start of the 2018 World Cup competition – including word that U.S. star Hope Solo was discouraging the choice of the United States as a host for the 2026 World Cup. Solo has been critical of U.S. soccer governance. Harris also snagged an exclusive interview with Liverpool’s American owner John Henry, and he told how MasterCard was forced, after a public backlash, to scrap a charity initiative to donate 10,000 meals to hungry children for every goal scored by Latin American idols Lionel Messi and Neymar.https://bit.ly/2JYdQ4Shttps://bit.ly/2t9akul
for her exclusive story about how the U.S. Coast Guard and Mexican Navy were going after drug smugglers on the high seas – even as the two countries' governments sparred on trade and immigration. https://bit.ly/2q9kvNU
for being first with the news that the Trump administration would extend temporary residency for nearly 7,000 Syrians in the U.S., but cut it off so new arrivals couldn’t apply. http://wapo.st/2EP02Vz
for interviews with six more women who charge that maestro Charles Dutoit sexually abused them, including one who alleged rape. http://bit.ly/2Dbc9KM
for foresight in spending two years photographing the construction of the Mercedes-Benz stadium, leading to an extraordinary time-lapse video.http://bit.ly/2jPVhEMhttp://bit.ly/2mTZ596