Featured Story
Amid a surge in gun violence, city leaders in Richmond, Virginia, announced that they are enforcing an 11 p.m. curfew for minors, an initiative they’ve dubbed “Operation Safe Summer.” According to 8News polling, about 70 percent of local residents don’t believe that the curfew will make a difference. [ABC 8News]
Bang for the Buck
The National Rifle Association’s charitable arm has settled with the District of Columbia by agreeing to make significant changes to the organization’s handling of funds.
Yesterday, on the heels of a corruption trial that ended in February in which top NRA executives were found liable for financial misconduct and corruption, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb announced a settlement with the gun group’s foundation. Measures to safeguard donor contributions will include compliance training for all board members; the formation of an audit committee; and establishing new policies for grantmaking and loans, The Trace’s Chip Brownlee reports.
Philly
Cities, States, and Now Grieving Families Are Taking Ghost Gun Makers to Court
From 2019 to 2022, the representation of ghost guns in criminal firearms recovery across Philadelphia increased by a staggering 311 percent, according to the city’s lawsuit, which it settled earlier this month. In 2022, the Philadelphia Police Department recovered over 575 ghost guns while conducting criminal investigations. Now, one family is taking the nation’s biggest ghost gun manufacturer to court.
“The system is finally catching up with the crisis,” said Adam Garber, executive director of CeasefirePa, a statewide gun safety organization.
What to Know Today
In Chicago, law enforcement leaders from federal, state, and local departments have come together to unveil a new initiative to investigate and prevent crime. The Crime Gun Intelligence Center will use cutting-edge technology to analyze gun violence in real time and work to prevent further criminal activity. The partnership between the ATF, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, and Chicago Police is part of a national rollout of similar programs, and the Chicago undertaking will be one of the largest in the country. [ABC7 Chicago]
A new study highlights differing assessments of aspirations among young people recently exposed to gun violence in their communities. The researchers reported an unexpected finding: that exposure to gun homicide was associated with a stated goal of graduating from college. [Journal of Early Adolescence]
Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington announced that $330,000 in mini-grants will be given to organizations and nonprofits across the district to curb gun violence. While the Metropolitan Police Department indicated gun violence data from 2024 shows promising trends, the mayor said it remains important to fund initiatives that tackle the root causes of gun violence. [DC News Now]
Crime data from the city of Milwaukee finds that homicides are down nearly 50 percent compared to two years ago. City officials cite the effectiveness of community outreach programs in the downward trend. [Wisconsin Public Radio]
Archive
How the NRA Ended Up on Trial for Corruption: A timeline of the reporting and investigations since The Trace exposed self-dealing at the nonprofit nearly five years ago. (January 2024)
