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A28 U.s. news
Diamars 8 september 2020

Harris warns suppression, interference could alter election

(AP) — Democratic vice Harris initially called for the
presidential nominee Kamala officer to be charged, while
Harris says foreign interfer- making clear she wasn't aware
ence, doubt cast about the of all the facts in the case.
election by President Donald In the interview that aired
Trump and voter suppression Sunday, she reiterated her
could potentially cost her and call for charges against the
Joe Biden the White House officer. But Harris, a former
in November.“I am a realist San Francisco district attor-
about it. Joe is a realist about ney and California attorney
it," the California senator general, also softened her re-
said during an interview with marks and emphasized that
CNN's “State of the Union” the decision was up to the lo-
that aired Sunday. cal prosecutor.
The 2020 election will be “Everyone is entitled to due
held under challenging cir- process, everyone, including
cumstances. police officers. And I encour-
It will be the first U.S. elec- age that. I support that,” Har-
tion in over a century to be ris said. "I’m clearly not the
conducted during a pandem- prosecutor in the case. And
ic, which is expected to lead the prosecutor in the case
to a massive surge in mail must make a decision based
voting. Trump has repeatedly on all of the evidence and
railed against mail balloting, all of the laws that include
which he says without offer- giving everyone, and in par-
ing proof will lead to wide- the outcome.“We have clas- nominee, the White House, Biden win, they will make it ticular those who might be
spread voter fraud. And for sic voter suppression, we she said: “Theoretically, of a priority to try and restore charged, due process in the
the first time in decades, both have what happened in 2016, course, yes.” those provisions.“There will process.”
parties will be able to closely which is foreign interfer- “I do believe that there will be many obstacles that peo- Another issue Harris touched
scrutinize who casts ballots ence. We have a president be foreign interference in the ple are intentionally placing on was Trump's handling of
due to a recent court ruling who is trying to convince the 2020 election and that Rus- in front of Americans' ability the coronavirus and whether
that wiped out tighter restric- American people not to be- sia will be at the front of the to vote,” Harris said. Harris she would trust a vaccine that
tions on poll monitoring. lieve in the integrity of our line,” she said. was also asked about whether Trump hopes will soon be
Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence election system and compro- Harris also singled out a 2013 it was a mistake to call for available, even though medi-
agencies have concluded mise their belief that their Supreme Court ruling that charges in the shooting of Ja- cal experts have cautioned
Russia is once again attempt- vote might actually count,” invalidated parts of the Vot- cob Blake, a Black man who that more testing is needed.
ing to interfere in the elec- Harris said. “These things are ing Rights Act. She said that's was shot in the back seven “I would not trust his word,”
tion by amplifying discord all at play.”When asked di- led some states to pass laws times by a white police of- Harris said. "I would trust the
in the country. That all adds rectly if foreign interference that are intended to limit ac- ficer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, word of public health experts
up to a volatile environment could cost her and Biden, cess to the ballot for racial which led to days of protest and scientists, but not Don-
that Harris says could alter the Democratic presidential minorities.She said if she and and property destruction. ald Trump.”

Census Bureau must temporarily halt winding down operations

to end operations at the end districts. The revised plan portioned and that the federal
of September. The coalition would have the Census Bu- funds be distributed using an
had argued the earlier dead- reau handing in the appor- accurate census.
line would cause the Census tionment numbers at the end “Thus, the balance of the
Bureau to overlook minor- of December, under the con- hardships and public inter-
ity communities in the cen- trol of the Trump administra- est tip sharply in Plaintiffs’
sus, leading to an inaccurate tion, no matter who wins the favor," Koh said.
count. election in November.More Neither the White House nor
Because of the pandemic, than a half dozen other law- the Commerce Department
the Census Bureau pushed suits have been filed in tan- had immediate comment.
back ending the count from dem across the country, chal- In a message emailed to re-
the end of July to the end of lenging Trump’s memoran- gional offices and headquar-
October and asked Congress dum as unconstitutional and ters late Saturday, the Census
to extend the deadline for an attempt to limit the power Bureau said the statistical
turning in the apportionment of Latinos and immigrants of agency and the Commerce
(AP) — The U.S. Census ing is held on Sept. 17. numbers from December, color during apportionment. Department “are obligated to
Bureau for now must stop The once-a-decade head as required by law, into next “The court rightfully recog- comply with the Court’s Or-
following a plan that would count of every U.S. resident spring. When the Republi- nized the Trump administra- der and are taking immediate
have it winding down op- helps determine how $1.5 can-controlled Senate failed tion’s attempted short-cir- steps to do so." Further guid-
erations in order to finish trillion in federal funding is to take up the request, the cuiting of our nation’s census ance would be provided later,
the 2020 census at the end distributed and how many bureau was forced to create a as an imminent threat to the the bureau said. Some steps
of September, according to congressional seats each state revised schedule that had the completion of a fair and ac- also have been eliminated in
a federal judge's order.U.S. gets in a process known as census ending in September, curate process,” said Kristen the processing phase that will
District Judge Lucy Koh in apportionment.The tempo- according to the statistical Clarke, president and execu- take place between when the
San Jose, California, issued rary restraining order was agency. tive director of the Lawyers’ count ends and when the ap-
a temporary restraining or- requested by a coalition of The lawsuit contends the Committee for Civil Rights portionment numbers must
der late Saturday against cities, counties and civil Census Bureau changed the Under Law, one of the be turned in, increasing the
the Census Bureau and the rights groups that had sued schedule to accommodate groups that brought the San risk for errors, but the “Cen-
Commerce Department, the Census Bureau, demand- a directive from President Jose lawsuit.In her order, sus Bureau is confident that
which oversees the agency. ing it restore its previous Donald Trump to exclude Koh wrote that previous it can achieve a complete and
The order stops the Census plan for finishing the census people in the country ille- court cases had concluded accurate census and report
Bureau from winding down at the end of October, in- gally from the numbers used that it’s in the public interest apportionment counts," Fon-
operations until a court hear- stead of using a revised plan in redrawing congressional that Congress be fairly ap- tenot said in the court papers.