AP today announced new journalists in the key states of Delaware, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Vermont. The only global news organization with journalists in all 50 states, these additions reaffirm AP’s commitment to state news and its unrivaled U.S. footprint as it focuses on providing digital-first journalism.
Here is the memo to staff from U.S. News Director Josh Hoffner:
I am thrilled to announce several new hires and opportunities across the U.S. that highlight our commitment to a 50-state reporting footprint in every format. These positions broaden our reporting reach in key states that produce heavy amounts of news and at the same time expand our visual presence at a time when readers and customers are increasingly looking to AP for first-rate visual and digital presentations surrounding our best work. Please welcome our new staffers as they come on board and congratulate the current ones who are moving to new locations.
Kim Kruesi is moving from Nashville to Providence, Rhode Island. Kim has long been one of the top state government reporters in the country, most notably providing regular standout coverage of abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned. She also has been the lead reporter on many big breaking stories, including the school shooting in Nashville in 2023, and she has a knack for public records requests and accountability journalism. She is eager for a new challenge in a new location and will remain closely involved in our national state government reporting from New England.
Leah Willingham is moving from West Virginia to Boston. Leah joined the AP through the Report for America program in 2020 in Mississippi and became a permanent reporter in West Virginia two years later. Leah is a talented storyteller and is especially adept at surfacing overlooked stories on the biggest themes of the day, including a story about a small town’s loss of the newspaper in West Virginia’s poorest county, a deep look at the last abortion clinic in the state and a series of stories about the impact of COVID-19 on Mississippi. She starts in Boston in May.
Obed Lamy is our new Indiana-based video journalist. Obed joins us from Voice of America, where he was based in Chicago. He covered a range of breaking news, enterprise and light-hearted pieces. His work with Voice of America included continuing coverage on the Haitian migrant community in Springfield, Ohio, during the 2024 election season. A Fulbright scholar, Obed graduated from Northwestern University in 2024 with a master’s degree of fine arts in documentary media and the University of Arkansas in 2021 with a master’s degree in journalism. He’s originally from Haiti and started at AP last week.
Amanda Swinhart is our new Vermont-based video journalist. Amanda had a stellar, six-year run at CNN in Washington before moving back to her native Vermont last year. At CNN, she covered everything from the White House to Capitol Hill to hurricanes. She formerly worked at the Fox and NBC affiliates in Boston and got her start at the ABC affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her many stops made her a complete pro at breaking news and video – two pillars of the AP in 2025. She started Monday.
Mingson Lau is our new Delaware-based video journalist. Mingson comes to AP from the NBC affiliate in Las Vegas, where he covers breaking news and is a one-man band in reporting, video, photos, social, digital and writing. His previous work included exploring the issue of abortion after the overturning of Roe v. Wade as a visual fellow with the Carnegie-Knight News21 reporting initiative at Arizona State University, his alma mater. He starts March 24.
Sarah Raza is our new reporter in South Dakota. Sarah most recently was a climate intern at The Washington Post and previously served as managing editor of The Stanford Daily at her alma mater – a tenure that coincided with coverage of campus protests over the war in Gaza. While at the Post, she showcased her eye for significant national climate stories when she traveled to Houston for a piece about the new mayor rolling back public transit initiatives in the oil and gas capital. Sarah started this week.
Sophie Bates is our new video journalist in Mississippi. Sophie joins us from the ABC affiliate in Toledo, Ohio, where she works as a multimedia journalist. Sophie is an aggressive reporter whose role in Ohio is a mix of breaking news and deeper off-the-news investigative stories. She recently worked on a five-part investigative series on homelessness and affordable housing in the Toledo area. She will start in early April.
