A Surge in Deaths Puts Fentanyl at Heart of US Election

To understand the US presidential election, it is essential to understand the politics of fentanyl. About 8 in 10 swing-state voters say that misuse of the synthetic opioid is a “very important” or “somewhat important” issue when deciding who to vote for in November — more than the number who cite abortion, climate change, labor and unions, or the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, a recent Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll found. For Joe Biden and Donald Trump, that is both a challenge and an opportunity.