Politics and views in the United States.

The Supreme Court weighs cities ability to manage a growing homelessness crisis, anti-Israeli protests spread to college campuses nationwide, and more states consider legislation to ban firearms at voting sites and ballot drop boxes

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Welcome to 2024 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

And the fact that the courts have crippled our ability to do our jobs, to help get people into shelter, is criminal.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed says a 2018 ruling by the Ninth Circuit has exacerbated homelessness in her city.

The court found it unconstitutional to fine or arrest people for sleeping outdoors if shelter space is lacking.

But with the Supreme Court taking up the issue, Western cities say that makes it difficult to manage homeless camps.

Advocacy groups say the laws essentially punish people for being poor and want the court to leave the ruling in place.

Prosecutors are presenting witnesses in former President Donald Trump's first criminal trial.

They say he faked business records to hide payments to a porn star and protect his 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump denies having an affair with Stormy Daniels.

His lawyers argue efforts to keep the story of the affair from influencing the election is part of democracy.

Columbia University moved classes online Monday during protests over the school's ties to Israel.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams says more than 100 people have been arrested.

New Yorkers have every right to express their sorrow, but that heartbreak does not give you the right to harass others, to spread hate.

A school rabbi is urging Jewish students to leave campus for the Passover holiday, saying some demonstrators are using anti-Semitic language.

Several dozen protesters were also arrested Monday at Yale University.

The Republican National Committee is seeking 100,000 volunteers to monitor balloting in battleground states this November.

Campaign spokesperson Caroline Levitt says they'll also need lawyers to handle any voting irregularities.

We're gonna play offense this time around.

We're not gonna play defense like we unfortunately did in 2020.

We're gonna have soldiers, poll watchers on the ground.

More states are considering banning firearms at polls and ballot drop boxes.

About half of the current 21 state bans came in the last two years amidst widespread unfounded claims of election rigging.

Emma Brown with Giffords Law Center pointed to armed men showing up at ballot drop boxes in Arizona.

The risk of gun violence at the polls is heightened, which means that legislation at the state level is even more critical than it ever has been.

Brown says voter suppression and armed intimidation disproportionately target Black and Brown people and are forcing some to reconsider being election workers.

Women political candidates are four times more likely than men to experience abuse based on their gender.

Erin Velarde with the advocacy group Vote Run Lead says top aides and women journalists are also seeing increasing levels of threats.

This is something that permeates women in politics, not just for the folks that are stepping up to lead, but for the ecosystem of women around them.

I'm Catherine Carley for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.