A25 U.S. NEWS SATURDAY 22 AUGUST 2020 Postmaster says election mail will go through despite cuts By LISA MASCARO, ANTHO- increase in mail-in ballots. NY IZAGUIRRE and CHRIS- At Friday's hearing, DeJoy TINA A. CASSIDY said he'd had "no idea" Associated Press equipment was being re- WASHINGTON (AP) — New moved until the public out- Postmaster General Louis cry. DeJoy said Friday he has Now that it's widely known, no plans to restore mailbox- Democrats pressed him for es and other agency cuts his plan to ensure election made since he took over in mail and ballots arrive on June, sparking fresh ques- time. tions over how the Postal "Do you have a more de- Service will ensure timely tailed plan?" demanded delivery of an expected Sen. Maggie Hassan of surge of mail-in ballots for New Hampshire, asking for the November election. it by Sunday. It was DeJoy's first time pub- "I don't think we'll have a licly answering questions complete plan by Sunday since summer mail delays night," DeJoy replied, ac- brought a public outcry. knowledging it was just be- Testifying before a Senate ing formed. committee, the ally of Presi- He is expected to testify be- Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, left, is escorted to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office on Capi- dent Donald Trump said "it tol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. fore the House on Monday. was his "sacred duty" that Associated Press Meanwhile, attorneys gen- ballots arrive on time. But eral in Pennsylvania, Cali- he told senators he did not about widescale mail-in cost-cutting initiatives are postal workers have said is fornia, Delaware, Maine, yet have a plan for han- voting and said ensuring causing an upheaval that a major cause of delivery Massachusetts, North Caro- dling a crush of election ballots arrive was his "No. 1 threatens the election. delays. He vowed more lina and Washington D.C., mail. priority between now and With mounting pressure, changes are coming to filed a lawsuit on Friday to From the White House, Election Day." DeJoy promised this week postal operations after No- halt the changes. In all, Trump delivered fresh com- The outcry over mail delays to postpone any further vember. some 20 states and sever- plaints over the mail-in and warnings of political changes until after the Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, al voting rights groups are ballots expected with the interference have put the election, saying he wanted said the public's concern now suing. coronavirus pandemic. As Postal Service at the center to avoid even the percep- is understandable, par- As House Democrats pre- he did, the House pushed of the nation's tumultuous tion of interference. A num- ticularly given Trump's ef- pare for Saturday's vote, ahead with plans for a rare election year, with Ameri- ber of blue mailboxes have forts to stop universal mail- Republicans are mounting Saturday vote to block the cans of both parties rallying been removed, back-of- in ballots. Many states a counter-offensive, saying postal cutbacks and funnel around one of the nation's shop sorting equipment are encouraging mail- the concerns about mail $25 billion to shore up op- oldest and more popular has been shut down and in voting in response to delivery are overblown and erations. institutions. overtime hours have been voters'pandemic-related the money is unnecessary. DeJoy declared that the The new postmaster gen- limited. fears of going to crowded In a memo to House Re- Postal Service "is fully ca- eral, a Trump donor who But DeJoy told senators he polling centers on Election publicans, leaders called pable and committed to took the job at the start has no plans to restore the Day. the legislation a "conspir- delivering the nation's elec- of summer to revamp the equipment, saying it's "not Trump has said he wants to acy theory" by Democrats tion mail securely and on- agency, is facing a back- needed." And he stood by block agency emergency to "spread fear and mis- time." He distanced himself lash over changes since his a new rule that limits late funding that would help information" about mail from Trump's objections arrival. Democrats warn his delivery trips, which several the service handle a great operations.q 4 people missing after pipeline explosion at port in Texas CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) the area at the time, ac- Friday afternoon, accord- — A dredging vessel at a cording to the county's top ing to Canales. Texas port hit a natural gas elected official, Nueces Gov. Greg Abbott issued a pipeline Friday, sparking an County Judge Barbara Ca- statement saying that the explosion that sent six peo- nales. Four of those people state was working closely ple to the hospital and left were missing, six were taken with authorities in the area four others missing, authori- to hospitals and eight were and that the Texas Com- ties said. uninjured, she said. mission on Environmental The explosion happened Corpus Christi Fire Depart- Quality was monitoring the at about 8 a.m. in the Port ment Chief Robert Ro- air quality. of Corpus Christi when the cha said that upon arrival, That agency said in a news dredging vessel Waymon L firefighters "encountered release Friday afternoon Boyd struck a submerged heavy fire and smoke that it has not "noted any pipeline, Coast Guard Lt. conditions." By late Friday levels of concern at this Marina Lawrence said. The morning, the supply line time." Rocha said most of Port of Corpus Christi said in feeding fire had been shut the heavy smoke had been a statement that it was a off, Rocha said. One of the blowing into a rural area. In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, Coast Guard natural gas pipeline. hospitalized workers was in The National Transportation crews respond to a dredge on fire in the Port of Corpus Christi Initial reports indicated serious condition, he said. Safety Board said it is inves- Ship Channel, Aug. 21, 2020 in Corpus Christi, Texas. about 18 workers were in The fire was contained by tigating the accident.q Associated Press A26 SATURDAY 22 AUGUST 2020 U.S. NEWS Judge lifts veil on New York City police discipline records NEW YORK (AP) — With posting unproven or false scores of disciplinary re- complaints could sully of- cords already online, a ficers' reputations and federal judge on Friday compromise their safety, said she is lifting a tempo- but their lawyer, Anthony rary restraining order that Coles, failed to pinpoint had barred New York City's an instance where an of- police watchdog agency, ficer was put in jeopardy police department and because someone had ob- other entities from making tained information about such information public. his or her discipline history. Judge Katherine Polk Fail- Instead, Coles focused his la's ruling, a blow to pub- argument Tuesday on a lic safety unions seeking a cartoon of police mugshots way around a new state that accompanied a re- transparency law, came cent Guardian article high- a day after the New York lighting officers who had chapter of the American racked up the most com- Civil Liberties Union won an plaints in a database that appeals court's consent to news website ProPublica publish records of 320,000 obtained prior to Failla's or- NYPD complaints dating to In this file image made from police body cam video, New York Police officers arrest a man on a der, saying the story would the mid-1980s. boardwalk, Sunday, June 21, 2020, in New York. live forever "on the global "Any injunctive relief that I Associated Press web where everybody would order could not put would look at" it. that particular horse back the order is lifted. The police continue hiding records of good on a promise to post New York lawmakers, in the barn," Failla said on a department, which also police discipline and mis- a database of misconduct spurred to action by pro- telephone conference an- probes complaints through conduct." complaints online. She tests over the police killing nouncing the decision. She its internal affairs bureau, CCRB Chairman Fred Da- heard arguments on the of George Floyd in Minne- also found that the unions plans to post information vie said: "I applaud today's matter on Tuesday. Failla apolis and other police mis- failed to show that officers about departmental disci- decision — the fight for took over the case when it conduct, repealed a law would suffer irreparable plinary charges against of- transparency has been de- was transferred from state in June that for decades harm from letting the pub- ficers on its website, Failla layed, but not deterred." court. blocked the public disclo- lic see complaint records. said. A spokesperson for the The Police Benevolent As- sure of disciplinary records The ruling led someone on Organizations that have unions did not immediately sociation, representing for police officers, as well the call to shout: "Whoa!" long championed police comment on the decision New York City police offi- as firefighters and correc- Failla said the temporary reform lauded the ruling. other than to say that they cers, and other public safe- tional officers. restraining order will stay in Legal Aid Society law- will be challenging it in the ty unions focused primarily While the law was on the effect until 2 p.m. Monday yer Corey Stoughton said 2nd Circuit Court of Ap- on blocking the release of books, the officers' unions while the unions appeal. Failla's decision "rightfully peals. complaints deemed un- sued to make it even more The watchdog agency, the rejects the police unions' Failla's decision reversed substantiated or unfound- restrictive so that the pub- Civilian Complaint Review baseless attempts to un- the order she issued after ed, and matters in which lic and even the victims of Board, said it plans to allow dermine the Legislature's the unions sued the city officers were exonerated or police misconduct couldn't the public to search officer decisive repeal of Police on July 15 to block Mayor a settlement was reached.