Reporting from Fresno The flower is fake, the puppy belongs to a 24-year-old homeless woman and this strip of dirt under a highway overpass that Ray Polk is trying to turn into a sacred ground of sorts is surrounded by nothing but concrete and tattered tents.
But Polk wears a warm, gap-toothed smile watching the puppy, Mercedes (the name means mercies), tussle with one of the plastic flowers on his memorial to the homeless who have died here.
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As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
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