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u.s. news Diabierna 1 aPriL 2022

Bureau looking at adjusting for undercounts in some numbers

(AP) - The U.S. Census or the numbers used for re-
Bureau is going to look drawing political districts.
at ways to possibly adjust
its annual population es- The bureau is looking at the
timates to account for the feasibility of making “addi-
undercounts of some mi- tional improvements in the
nority groups in the 2020 future,” Battle said during
census numbers, a top a briefing with cities, coun-
official at the statistical ties, tribes and civil rights
agency said Tuesday. groups that had sued the
Trump administration’s De-
A technical research team partment of Commerce over
within the Census Bureau the execution of the once-a-
is looking at the feasibil- decade head count in 2020.
ity of adjusting the numbers The Commerce Department
to reflect the undercounts oversees the Census Bureau.
from the 2020 census, which
provide a foundation for the Even though the overall U.S.
population estimates, so un- population was missed by
dercounts are not baked into a small percentage, 0.24%,
future estimates, said Karen during the 2020 census,
Battle, chief of the bureau’s some minority groups were
population division. overlooked at greater rates
than the previous decade.
The population estimates are The Black population was
used for distributing federal undercounted by 3.3%, those The Asian population was the coalition of cities, coun- census data, like the briefing
funds and measuring demo- who identified as some other overcounted by 2.6% during ties, tribes and civil rights Tuesday. The lawsuit forced
graphic changes in the years race had a 4.3% undercount, the 2020 census, and white groups in the early months of a two-week extension of the
between the once-a-decade almost 5% of the Hispanic residents who are not His- the Biden administration. 2020 count. The coalition had
censuses. No changes can be population was missed and panic were overcounted by claimed a shortened schedule
made to the figures from the more than 5.6% of American 0.6% Under the terms of the set- would cause Latinos, Asian
2020 census used for deter- Indians living on reservations tlement, the Census Bureau Americans and immigrants to
mining how many congres- were undercounted. The Department of Com- agreed to hold periodic up- be missed in the count.
sional seats each state gets merce settled the lawsuit with dates on the quality of the

California governor rejects parole for Manson family member

(AP) — California Gov. Gavin The day before, other Manson fol-
Newsom on Tuesday blocked lowers, not including Van Houten,
parole for Charles Manson fol- killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate
lower Leslie Van Houten, revers- and four others.
ing a panel’s recommendation
that she be freed after spending In his rejection letter, Newsom
a half-century in prison. noted that Van Housen had under-
gone therapy, earned educational
Van Houten, 72, “currently poses degrees and taken self-help classes
an unreasonable danger to society if in prison and had shown “increased
released from prison at this time,” maturity and rehabilitation.”
Newsom said in his parole review.
It was the fifth time that a Califor- But Van Houten also has “gaps in
nia governor has rejected her re- insight” that continue to make her
lease. a danger to society, Newsom said.

Her attorney, Rich Pfeiffer, disput- Van Houten has had 21 parole hear-
ed that view and said the decision ings since 1982. Most parole boards
will be appealed in court. He ac- denied her bid for freedom. But
cused Newsom of rejecting parole five panels have recommended her
because he is worried about “his release since 2016, saying she had
political future” and noted that Van expressed remorse and was no lon-
Houten has a spotless prison disci- ger a threat to public safety.
plinary record.
Newsom rejected a recommenda-
“We’re not fighting (over) Leslie tion made last November.
being a good person. She’s proven
that through her actions for half a He previously reversed parole rec-
century,” he said. ommendations in 2019 and 2020. In
February, the California Supreme
Van Houten is serving a life sen- Court refused to hear Van Houten’s
tence for helping Manson and oth- appeal of the 2020 rejection.
ers kill Los Angeles grocer Leno
LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, Previous Gov. Jerry Brown rejected
in August 1969. Van Houten was 19 Van Houten’s parole in 2016 and
when she and other cult members 2018.
fatally stabbed the LaBiancas and
smeared the couple’s blood on the Manson died in 2017 of natural
walls. causes at a California hospital while
serving a life sentence.