Voting During A Pandemic
San Diegans are already casting their ballots in the 2020 general election. The local registrar has established more than 200 early voting sites or ballot drop off locations for those who don’t want to wait until election day. With the pandemic and questions about the U.S. Postal Service weighing on people’s minds, the process of voting is getting added scrutiny. KPBS reporter Shalina Chatlani gives us an update on the recent numbers and the issues popping up around California.
RELATED: How To Use The KPBS General Election Voter Guide
SCOTUS Sides With Trump On Census
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for President Donald Trump to end the census early. Advocates for underrepresented communities have been demanding extra time after Trump initially wanted a September 30th deadline, given all the COVID-19 challenges. This week’s SCOTUS action comes amid an ongoing hearing for a new justice that could cement an even more conservative court. KPBS reporter Max Rivlin-Nadler tells us how local census outreach groups are reacting to the news.
RELATED: City Heights Organizers Fear Undercount After Supreme Court Orders Census Count Halted
Asylum Seekers Returned
During the Trump administration, the asylum system has all but disappeared. Thousands of people from countries around the world have either been deported back to their unsafe home countries or ignored altogether as they wait in limbo at the Southern border in Mexico hoping their cases will be heard. San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Kate Morrissey has covered this topic extensively and talks about her recent report on what happened to a young man who was returned to Honduras.
RELATED: Whistleblowers Say CBP Knowingly Broke The Law As It Turned Back Asylum-Seekers