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Hansi Lo Wang (he/him)
@hansilowang.bsky.social
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@npr.org correspondent reporting on how elections, the census, the Postal Service and other parts of the U.S. government work • signal: hansi.01 • email: hwang@npr.org • newsletter: hansilowang.com/stay-in-touch
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Hansi Lo Wang (he/him) @hansilowang.bsky.social · Oct 9
Got a news tip about the Census Bureau or Postal Service?

I'm a @npr.org correspondent who can be reached on Signal at hansi.01 (please use a nonwork device), and here’s my latest article:
A major census test begins recruiting workers as some warn about delays
The Census Bureau is looking for temporary workers to carry out next year's major field test of the 2030 census in six states, as the national head count's advocates raise concerns about preparations.
www.npr.org
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: The Senate is no longer officially considering President Trump's nomination of Anthony Lomangino to join the U.S. Postal Service’s governing board, which currently has four Biden-nominated governors and no Trump nominees
www.congress.gov/nomination/1...
Returned to the President under the provisions of Senate Rule XXXI, paragraph 6 of the Standing Rules of the Senate.
January 5, 2026 at 5:11 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: House Appropriations Committee's latest version of its Census Bureau funding bill no longer calls for altering #2030Census results used for divvying up congressional seats. The bill also no longer calls for taking away the bureau’s ability to “inquire” more than twice to get a survey response
rules.house.gov
January 5, 2026 at 4:28 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
On Dec. 5, Republican Rep. Abe Hamadeh of Arizona introduced a bill calling for the #2030Census to ask whether a participant is a dual citizen of the U.S. and another country and, if so, which country
www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
www.congress.gov
December 23, 2025 at 1:37 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: Rep. Pete Stauber of Minnesota is the 19th voting House Republican to cosponsor a resolution saying Congress should ensure the U.S. Postal Service stays an independent federal agency and not privatized. The resolution remains stuck in the House Oversight Committee
www.congress.gov
December 19, 2025 at 1:48 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
On Thursday, the Republican-controlled Senate voted 53-43 along party lines to confirm Joyce Meyer’s nomination to be the next undersecretary of commerce for economic affairs to oversee the Census Bureau
www.senate.gov/legislative/...
U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 119th Congress - 1st Session
www.senate.gov
December 19, 2025 at 1:40 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: The Census Bureau still plans for its American Community Survey to start using newly required checkboxes for “Middle Eastern or North African” & “Hispanic or Latino” under a question about race and/or ethnicity in 2027, according to the Federal Register
www.federalregister.gov/public-inspe...
In addition to the internet self-response option for PRCS, the proposed content for the 2027 ACS and PRCS includes the updated race and ethnicity question, which follows OMB’s 2024 Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 (SPD 15). Currently, race and ethnicity data are collected and tabulated following OMB’s 1997 SPD 15 on Federal race and ethnicity data standards.
December 18, 2025 at 2:13 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: Louisiana tells a federal judge it wants to resume its lawsuit seeking to ban the Census Bureau from including people living in the states with no legal status and those with visas in #2030Census results that the 14th Amendment says must include the “whole number of persons in each state”
Status Report – #63 in Louisiana v. Commerce (W.D. La., 6:25-cv-00076) – CourtListener.com
Joint STATUS REPORT by U S Census Bureau, U S Dept of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, Robert L Santos. (aty,Bell, Kevin)
www.courtlistener.com
December 18, 2025 at 1:59 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: US Postal Service plans to start taking bids from large & small shippers in late January or early February 2026 for access to its "last-mile" delivery network as part of Postmaster General David Steiner's plan for boosting revenue at USPS, which generally receives no tax dollars to keep running
U.S. Postal Service Announces Bid Solicitation for Access to Last-Mile Delivery Network - Newsroom - About.usps.com
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service today announced the Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express stamps it will release in 2026. There will be additional stamp subjects to be announced in the coming w...
about.usps.com
December 17, 2025 at 3:39 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: The Census Bureau is planning for the American Community Survey and the Current Population Survey to start using the agency's new data collection systems in 2027, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office
www.gao.gov/products/gao...
Screen grab of a timeline called "Selected Key Milestones for Census Bureau’s Data Ingest and Collection for the Enterprise (DICE) Implementation"
December 11, 2025 at 3:27 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: An @amstatnews.bsky.social report finds signs that public trust in the accuracy of federal statistics and statistical agencies’ ability to protect privacy and confidentiality declined between June and September
www.amstat.org/policy-and-a...
The Nation's Data at Risk - 2025 Report
The American Statistical Association is the world’s largest community of statisticians, the “Big Tent for Statistics.
www.amstat.org
December 10, 2025 at 12:36 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
On Monday, a federal judge threw out Missouri Republicans’ lawsuit against a referendum effort on the state’s new congressional map, which could help Republicans win an additional U.S. House seat in the 2026 midterm election
www.courtlistener.com/docket/71658...
Memorandum & Order – #39 in Missouri General Assembly v. von Glahn (E.D. Mo., 4:25-cv-01535) – CourtListener.com
MEMORANDUM AND ORDER: For the reasons stated, the Court GRANTS Defendants' 21 Motion to Dismiss and DENIES as moot the State's 2 Motion for a Preliminary Injunction. The Court will issue a separat...
www.courtlistener.com
December 9, 2025 at 12:48 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
UPDATE: We're still waiting for SCOTUS to say how it will handle cases out of Alabama, Mississippi & North Dakota about whether private individuals & groups — whose lawsuits have been the main way of enforcing Voting Rights Act’s Section 2 — can keep suing. Next scheduled SCOTUS order day is Dec. 15
December 8, 2025 at 2:34 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
My latest @npr.org story: A Trump administration official has signaled a potential rollback of the racial and ethnic categories approved for the #2030Census and other future federal government forms
Trump official signals potential rollback of changes to census racial categories
Trump officials are reviewing changes to racial and ethnic categories that the Biden administration approved for the 2030 census and other federal government forms, a White House agency official says.
www.npr.org
December 5, 2025 at 11:58 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
ICYMI: The Supreme Court hasn't finished weighing in on redistricting. Stay tuned for a ruling in a case about Louisiana's congressional map. Depending on the timing, a ruling that weakens Voting Rights Act protections against racial discrimination may lead to more gerrymandering before the midterms
Redistricting deadlines for the midterms loom as states wait for a Supreme Court ruling
Depending on the timing, a Supreme Court ruling that weakens Voting Rights Act protections against racial discrimination may lead to more states redrawing congressional maps before the 2026 midterms.
www.npr.org
December 5, 2025 at 1:15 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
BREAKING: The Supreme Court has cleared the way for Texas to use a new congressional map that could help Republicans win five more U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterms. A lower court found the map is likely unconstitutional for discriminating based on race
www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
25A608 Order
www.documentcloud.org
December 4, 2025 at 11:03 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: Rep. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona is the 18th voting House Republican to cosponsor a resolution saying Congress should ensure the U.S. Postal Service stays an independent federal agency and not privatized. The resolution remains stuck in the House Oversight Committee
www.congress.gov
December 4, 2025 at 2:23 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: The Census Bureau says it's trying to get the release schedule for economic indicators back on track after the government shutdown by shortening data collection periods and accelerating data processing "while still adhering to established quality standards"
www.census.gov/econ/indicat...
Given these constraints, the Census Bureau determines: - For our PFEIs to return to their original release schedules, processing stages must be accelerated and condensed where possible while still adhering to established quality standards IMPLEMENTATION Below are the general strategies the Census Bureau is employing to bring the PFEIs back to their original release schedule as quickly as possible: - Data collection – Shorten the collection window. For example, if the typical process allows 10 business days to obtain response, narrow it to seven days. For construction indicators that use field representatives, there may be an opportunity to collect two reference periods simultaneously. - Review and analysis – Reduce the time allotted. Temporarily reallocate resources to prioritize high-value review and correction while ensuring the shorter analysis period will not negatively impact data quality. - Nonresponse Treatment – Generally no change as this process is automated. Additional attention is paid to this stage to mitigate any negative effects of reduced response stemming from a shorter collection window. - Estimation / seasonal adjustment – Minimal change as this process is mostly automated. There may be an opportunity to readjust resources to help fast track review and validation component of seasonal adjustment. - Approvals and dissemination – Streamline internal clearance materials and presentations to core metrics required for approval. Temporarily reallocate resources to fast-track review, approval, and dissemination processes.
December 3, 2025 at 11:44 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: Ensuring the accuracy of the #2030Census and Census Bureau survey data is among the top challenges facing the Commerce Department this fiscal year, the department inspector general's office says
www.oig.doc.gov/wp-content/O...
Ensuring Quality Population Data The Census Bureau conducts the decennial census, a constitutionally required count of the U.S. population, every 10 years. Although the 2030 decennial is more than 4 years away, the bureau has been planning for it since 2019. Its challenge will be to provide enough oversight over the decennial and its follow-up operations to ensure the accuracy of the data it collects—data that will help stakeholders make important political, economic, and social policy decisions that affect the entire nation. In addition to the decennial, the bureau conducts over 130 surveys, measuring changing U.S. demographic and economic conditions, for itself and on behalf of other agencies. The bureau’s ongoing challenge is to maintain these surveys’ quality and accuracy.
December 3, 2025 at 12:50 AM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee voted 20-19 along party lines to advance a bill calling for excluding people living in the states without U.S. citizenship from #2030Census results that the 14th Amendment says must include the “whole number of persons in each state”
Screen grab showing the House Oversight Committee's 20-19 vote for advancing HR 151
December 2, 2025 at 7:31 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: The U.S. Postal Service is not consistently tracking maintenance issues at its more than 31,000 facilities across the country, an audit by the USPS inspector general's office finds
www.uspsoig.gov/reports/audi...
What We Found The Postal Service did not consistently define and manage deferred maintenance and lacked accurate cost estimates to effectively prioritize resources. This occurred because it did not establish a common framework to track all deferred maintenance or ensure data integrity. As a result, the Postal Service projected $20 billion in deferred maintenance using limited definitions and data. Conversely, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG) created a more granular estimate of $13 billion using available data consisting of reported issues and current cost approximations — a baseline example for the Postal Service as it improves its data. We also identified $1.1 million in paid invoices where work was not completed. We additionally identified unreported maintenance issues during site visits and from required assessments. This occurred because staff did not understand the importance of their role in reporting facility issues, and the Postal Service did not sufficiently oversee its assessment program. As a result, maintenance issues went undetected, limiting visibility into facility conditions. Without a comprehensive understanding of the total scope of deferred maintenance, the Postal Service cannot accurately estimate future maintenance funding needs. Promoting a culture of timely reporting and resolution of maintenance needs can help prevent minor problems from escalating.
December 1, 2025 at 8:11 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: The House Oversight Committee is set to vote Dec. 2 on whether to advance a bill calling for excluding people living in the states without U.S. citizenship, such as green card holders, from #2030Census results that the 14th Amendment says must include the “whole number of persons in each state”
Full Committee Business Meeting - United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
oversight.house.gov
November 28, 2025 at 11:12 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
BREAKING: Federal judges are allowing North Carolina to use a new congressional map that could help Republicans win an additional U.S. House seat in the 2026 midterm election
www.courtlistener.com/docket/68059...
Memorandum Opinion and Order – #216 in WILLIAMS v. HALL (M.D.N.C., 1:23-cv-01057) – CourtListener.com
MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER signed by CIRCUIT JUDGE ALLISON J. RUSHING, CHIEF DISTRICT JUDGE RICHARD E. MYERS, II, AND JUDGE THOMAS D. SCHROEDER on 11/26/2025; that NAACP Plaintiffs' motion for a pre...
www.courtlistener.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:27 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
NEW: U.S. Postal Service is not reliably tracking excess and underutilized space at its facilities and, for six years, did not file legally required, annual reports to Congress on extra space that other federal agencies could use, USPS inspector general's office finds
www.uspsoig.gov/reports/audi...
What We Found The Postal Service did not effectively manage excess and underutilized space as it does not have reliable data, the amount of this space throughout its network is unknown, and it does not have a comprehensive space reduction strategy. The data reliability issues occurred as the Postal Service lacks comprehensive data collection and verification processes and requirements. For example, we found no recorded assessments to collect space utilization data for over 63 percent of all properties (21,588). Postal Service staff acknowledged these data deficiencies and have begun initiating corrective actions. The continued lack of reliable data, however, limits visibility into excess or underutilized spaces that could drive more financially beneficial alternatives, such as operational repurpose, rental, or disposal. As a result, we estimate $14.8 million in potential lost rental revenue from August 2023 through July 2025. Since 2017, the Postal Service also has not complied with a legal mandate to annually report excess space to Congress. Going forward, it will be crucial for the Postal Service to take immediate action to comply with this mandate, so decision-makers have pertinent information to support network modernization and related cost-reduction efforts.
November 26, 2025 at 5:15 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
On Nov. 21, the Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit claiming a longstanding Michigan state law allowing U.S. citizens who were born abroad (including those with U.S. military parents) and have never lived in the U.S. to vote in federal and state elections violates the state's constitution
www.documentcloud.org
November 25, 2025 at 4:34 PM
hansilowang.bsky.social
UPDATE: The wait begins for the Supreme Court's final decision on whether Texas can use a new congressional map that could help the Republicans win five more U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterm election. Briefs from all of the map's challengers are now in...
www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?...
Search
www.supremecourt.gov
November 24, 2025 at 10:02 PM