Here are the morning’s top stories on Wednesday, August 14, 2024…
- Several cities or counties in California are fighting to stop syringe exchange programs from operating in their communities over concerns about discarded syringes. That includes in Santa Ana, where city leaders do not want the state to authorize a syringe exchange program, which would provide clean needles to reduce the risks of infectious diseases for people who use drugs. If Santa Ana officials succeed, Orange County could remain one of the largest counties in the country without a needle exchange.
- 26 pro-Palestinian protesters who stopped traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge for more than four hours earlier this year were arraigned on Tuesday. In a statement announcing the charges, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the demonstration created an extreme safety risk.
- President Joe Biden’s decision to bow out of his reelection campaign has transformed the 2024 election for California voters, according to a new poll from UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS).
Needle Exchange Programs Now Operate in Most California Counties. But the Pushback Continues
Harm reduction advocates in parts of California with starkly different political histories, Santa Ana and Santa Cruz, are hoping the state approves their respective applications to run syringe exchange programs. The Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz had distributed clean needles before a lawsuit from residents concerned about litter forced the group to stop last year. Toni Rodriguez, an artist and activist in Santa Cruz, said losing syringe exchange programs only makes drug use more dangerous.
Now the Harm Reduction Coalition is hoping once again to get authorization from the state to operate. The group’s application is being considered amid the latest stage of opposition to syringe exchange programs in California. Over in Orange County, Santa Ana city leaders passed a resolution earlier this year against a proposal by another nonprofit to distribute syringes, arguing the program would put the health and safety of residents at risk.
Harris/Walz Ticket Rises with California Voters, Berkeley IGS Poll Reveals
Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, are making dramatic inroads with California voters who were lukewarm about Biden, according to a new UC Berkeley IGS poll. The survey of likely voters released today shows the Harris/Walz ticket leading former President Donald Trump and Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance by 25 points — up from an 18 point advantage in the February IGS poll when Biden topped the ticket.
Black voters, who supported the Biden/Harris ticket by 58% to 23%, now favor Harris/Walz by 74% to 15%, an uptick of 16 percentage points toward the Democratic nominee. Latino voters also favor Harris by 10 percentage points more than they did Biden. She leads Trump 58% to 34%, compared with Biden’s 48% to 35% edge in the February IGS poll.
Prosecutors Charge 26 Pro-Palestinian Protesters who Blocked Golden Gate Bridge
Arraignments began on Tuesday for the 26 pro-Palestinian protesters who stopped traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge for more than four hours earlier in April. Protestors demanded a cease-fire in Gaza, where the death toll has reached nearly 40,000 people since October 7th, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.