Before the news, an announcement: We’re changing the format and frequency of this newsletter. Starting next week, The Bulletin will go out only on Mondays and Wednesdays and debut a new design. Don’t worry: In each edition, you’ll still get a thorough roundup of news in the gun violence space, plus links to The Trace’s latest stories. To make up for the reduced frequency, each newsletter will be somewhat lengthier.
We’re making this change in order to provide greater context on the news we share — to go in-depth on the issues in a way that a daily newsletter can’t. Ultimately, we want to make The Bulletin a better newsletter for all of our readers. We hope that you’ll find the new format valuable after it launches next week.
Thank you for your readership. Your regular Bulletin is below.
Featured Story
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who has been sanctioned by the United States for alleged human rights abuses, invited Elon Musk to Russia after filming himself driving a machine gun-mounted Cybertruck, a vehicle produced by the billionaire’s Texas-based company, Tesla. Kadyrov, often described as a warlord, said that he received the Cybertruck from Musk; the Tesla CEO has denied that claim. [Al Jazeera/Politico EU]
Chicago
Ahead of the start of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago today, media attention has largely focused on the policy records of presumptive presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. But residents say the fervor around the convention, and the arena where it will take place, misses the real face of the city hosting it: Chicago is defined by the harms of gun violence and, just as importantly, the resilience of those who live there.
The Trace’s Rita Oceguera spoke to a dozen Chicagoans to learn what they want DNC participants to know about the toll of gun violence on their neighborhoods. Residents, often survivors themselves, said they want politicians to leave their misconceptions behind, look beyond statistics, and visit their communities to directly hear from those affected. These conversations, they told Oceguera, would help leaders better understand the issue, the work already underway to improve it, and what resources are needed.
What to Know Today
ICYMI: Laws meant to keep firearms away from unstable people are under attack by Second Amendment radicals. An investigation by The Trace and Rolling Stone exposes the ugly campaign to undermine a bipartisan compromise to stop mass shootings.
New research suggests that the start of deer hunting season is associated with a substantial increase in shootings in rural American counties. The findings were consistent even when excluding shootings that resulted from hunting accidents. The study, which examined 854 rural counties, adds to a body of research indicating that greater availability of firearms is associated with increased risk for gun violence. [JAMA Network Open]
A gate at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio came under fire in two separate shootings on Saturday morning, prompting base security personnel to return gunfire during the second incident. The shootings took place at a gate near residential buildings. The military said a motive for the shootings is not yet clear. [The New York Times]
Atlanta rapper Young Thug was arrested two years ago on weapons, racketeering, and gang conspiracy charges, and has remained in jail despite calls for his release. His trial is already the longest in Georgia’s history, and appears nowhere close to being finished. One way his legal ordeal could conclude: The GOP challenger for county district attorney has promised to end his prosecution if elected. [The New York Times/Billboard]
Via The Weekly Briefing newsletter: A Tennessee law allowing teachers to carry guns in schools under some circumstances caused uproar and discord before legislators approved it. But as the new academic year begins, educators appear to have little interest in arming teachers: Not a single school system has indicated that it’s actively planning or working to train employees to carry a gun voluntarily under the new law. [Chalkbeat Tennessee]
Archive
Gun Violence Isn’t Just a City Problem
Between 2011 and 2021, the overall firearm death rate in rural counties was nearly 40 percent higher than in urban counterparts. (May 2023)
