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u.s. news Dialuna 2 november 2020

Texas high court denies GOP effort to reject Houston votes

(AP) — The Texas Supreme Court on Sun-
day denied a Republican-led petition to toss
nearly 127,000 ballots cast at drive-thru voting
places in the Houston area.

The state’s all-Republican high court rejected the
request from a state representative and two GOP
candidates without explaining its decision. Their
effort to have the Harris County ballots thrown
out is still set to be taken up during an emergency
hearing in federal court on Monday.
Conservative Texas activists have railed against ex-
panded voting access in Harris County, where a re-
cord 1.4 million early votes have already been cast.
The county is the nation’s third largest and a cru-
cial battleground in Texas, where President Donald
Trump and Republicans are bracing for the closest
election in decades on Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen is expected to
rule on the same issue on Monday. Hanen's deci-
sion to hear arguments on the brink of Election
Day drew attention from voting rights activists.
The Texas Supreme Court also rejected a nearly
identical challenge last month.
Conservative GOP activists have filed a battery
of court challenges over moves to expand voting
options during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Texas election law makes no explicit allowances for thru locations are legal but received no response.
challenges have not involved President Donald drive-thru voting and that only voters who need Texas is one of just five states that did not allow
Trump’s campaign. assistance are eligible to cast a ballot curbside. for widespread mail-in voting this year during the
Woodfill's lawsuit also noted that all but one of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed nearly
Trump won Texas by nine points in 2016 but polls drive-thru centers were set up “in Democrat areas 18,000 people statewide. Abbott instead expand-
have shown Democrat Joe Biden still within reach of the county." More than 40% of Harris County ed early voting by one week, and that extra time
in America's biggest red state. Democrats also need residents are Latino, and about one in five residents helped Texas already surpass 2016's total votes even
to flip only nine seats to reclaim a majority in the are Black. before Tuesday's election.
Texas House for the first time in 20 years, and have More than 9.7 million people have cast early bal-
aggressively targeted several races in Harris Coun- Counting the drive-thru votes, Woodfill argued, lots in Texas, where turnout typically ranks among
ty. would “call into question the integrity and legality the lowest in the country. Some elections experts
of a federal election." predict that total turnout in Texas could surpass
Harris County has offered 10 drive-thru locations 12 million, and Harris County officials have taken
where its nearly 5 million residents can cast ballots The Texas Supreme Court, which is controlled en- more steps than most to expand voting access.
in their cars instead of going inside polling centers. tirely by Republicans, rejected an identical lawsuit
The accommodation aims to prevent transmis- last month. Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, The county tripled the number of polling places
sion of the coronavirus. Jared Woodfill, a former who runs the county's elections, had asked Repub- and last week had eight locations that stayed open
chairman of the Harris County GOP, argued that lican Gov. Greg Abbott to affirm that the drive- for 24 hours.

Tropical Storm Eta ties record; expected to become hurricane

(AP) — Rain-heavy Tropical kilometers) east of the Nicaragua- duras could get 15 to 25 inches ( 380 first time the Greek letter Eta is be-
Storm Eta strengthened on Sun- Honduras border and was heading to 640 millimeters of rain, with 35 ing used as a storm name because in
day as it headed for a drenching westward at 15 mph (24 kph). inches (890 millimeters) in isolated 2005, after the season ended meteo-
collision with Central America. areas. rologists went back and determined
The system ties the record for Forecasters expect Eta to become there was a storm that should have
the most named storms in an At- a hurricane by Monday and it was Heavy rains also are likely in eastern gotten a name, but didn’t.
lantic hurricane season. forecast on Tuesday to hit the Ni- Guatemala, southern Belize and Ja-
caraguan coast, where a hurricane maica. Hurricane season still has a month
Eta had maximum sustained winds warning was posted. to go, ending Nov. 30. And in 2005,
of 50 mph (85 kph) Sunday, the U.S. is the 28th named Atlantic storm Zeta formed toward the end of De-
National Hurricane Center said. It Forecasters said central and north- this season, tying the 2005 record for cember.
was centered about 345 miles (560 ern Nicaragua into much of Hon- named storms. However, this is the

Salt Life founder facing manslaughter charge in teen's death

(AP) — A founder of the ing his arrest in connection ville, about 280 miles (450 ki- Hutto and some friends start- pany since he and his partners
Salt Life clothing brand with the death of 18-year-old lometers) from the hotel, the ed Salt Life in 2003, its brand sold the business in 2013 for
is facing a manslaughter Lora Grace Duncan, whose Florida Highway Patrol said. aimed at boaters, surfers and almost $40 million.
charge in the death of an body was found Thursday Investigators have not said fishermen who spend time
18-year-old woman at a at a Palm Beach County ho- how they believe Hutto is on the ocean. Hutto is cred- Jail records do not show if
Florida hotel. tel. She had been shot, police connected to Duncan's death ited with coming up with the Hutto has an attorney. He
said. Further details have not or if they had a relationship. name. will be transferred to Palm
Michael Troy Hutto, 54, was been released. Duncan was from Lake City, Beach County, where he will
being held without bond a town 60 miles (95 kilome- The company issued a state- face an initial court hearing
Sunday at the Duval County Hutto was arrested Friday in ters) west of Jacksonville. ment saying Hutto has not and more details will be re-
jail in Jacksonville follow- his hometown of Jackson- been involved with the com- leased.