Timeline for the 2010 census

October 1st, 2009 Halt to gov't raids not an option to boost censusWASHINGTON — With the 2010 census six months away, the Commerce Department said Thursday it won't seek a halt to immigration raids as it did in the previous census in hopes of improving participation in hard-to-count communities. In a statement, the department said it is committed to an accurate count of U.S.

September 30th, 2009 AP Exclusive: Son sure Ky. census taker was slainLONDON, Ky.

September 24th, 2009 Census workers trained to deal with hostile peopleWASHINGTON — Violence against census employees is rare, the Census Bureau said Thursday, but it nevertheless trains its canvassers in how to deal with angry or hostile citizens. On Sept. 12, Bill Sparkman, a 51-year-old census canvasser, was found hanged from a tree in rural Clay County, Ky.

September 22nd, 2009 Groves urges public campaign to boost 2010 censusWASHINGTON — The head of the Census Bureau says he's worried the poor economy and tensions over immigration will deter people from participating in next year's high-stakes count. Robert Groves appeared before Congress on Tuesday for the first time since he was confirmed in July.

September 21st, 2009 Census: 150,000 gay couples report they're marriedWASHINGTON — Nearly 150,000 same-sex couples reported being in marriage relationships last year, many more than the number of actual weddings and civil unions, according to the first U.S. census figures released on same-sex marriages.

September 11th, 2009 Census Bureau severs ties with ACORN in 2010 countWASHINGTON — The Census Bureau on Friday severed its ties with ACORN, a community organization that has been hit with Republican accusations of voter-registration fraud. "We do not come to this decision lightly," Census director Robert Groves wrote in a letter to ACORN, which was obtained by The Associated Press.

September 9th, 2009 Herbert: Utah still 'smarting' from 2000 censusSALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said Wednesday the state is still "smarting" from missing out on a fourth House seat following the 2000 census.

September 1st, 2009 Iraq reschedules nationwide census for Oct. 2010BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government has rescheduled a nationwide census for Oct.

August 24th, 2009 Kenya holding first national census in a decadeNAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya began its first national census in a decade Monday amid an outcry over one question that asks people to identify their ethnic group — a contentious issue in this East African nation. The weeklong census is meant to update statistics on population and other trends, with preliminary results released in December.

August 16th, 2009 US Census to Utah: Missionaries don't countSALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Census Bureau has told Utah's elected leaders it won't count Mormon missionaries serving overseas in the nation's next head count.

July 14th, 2009 Senate confirms Obama's pick to lead 2010 censusWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's nominee to be census director was approved Monday by the Senate, ending weeks of opposition from a pair of Republicans over his role in next year's high-stakes count. The voice vote confirming Robert Groves, a veteran survey researcher at the University of Michigan, came after supporters urged action so that Groves can take the helm in the final months before the headcount.

June 24th, 2009 Locke urges end to GOP block on census nomineeWASHINGTON — Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on Wednesday urged Congress to immediately end a GOP block on President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the 2010 census, saying continued delays are putting the high-stakes head count at risk. Robert Groves, a veteran survey researcher with the University of Michigan, was easily approved by a Senate committee last month.

June 19th, 2009 White House: Census to better count gay couplesSAN FRANCISCO — U.S. Census Bureau officials said Friday that married same-sex couples will be counted as such in the 2010 national tally, reversing an earlier decision made under the Bush administration.

April 21st, 2009 Latino pastor group urging census boycottNEWARK, N.J. — A nationwide group of Latino ministers has a message for illegal immigrants: Stand up, but refuse to be counted in the 2010 U.S.

April 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Supreme Court Thursday dismissed a plea that sought direction to the government to undertake a caste-based census in 2011. A bench of Chief Justice K.G.