The ATF, charged with policing the gun industry, lets dealers get away with falsifying records and selling firearms without background checks.
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American lives, shaped by guns.
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Jennifer Mascia is a news writer and a founding staffer at The Trace. She previously covered gun violence at The New York Times.
Politics
John Lott, who pushes the theory that “more guns = less crime,” was hired in October to advise on crime data.
Law
Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman says some lawmakers carry guns “all the time.” He’s seeking bipartisan support to end the exemption that allows federal legislators to go armed on the job.
Extremism
Civilians didn't open fire on January 6, but that doesn’t mean the Trump supporters who congregated at the Capitol weren’t armed.
How We Fix This
2020's shooting surge was overwhelming and in many cities unprecedented. But for outreach workers and other experts, it also led to new ideas and approaches.
Gun Policy
The violence in Washington has intensified efforts to make state capitols gun-free.
Daily Bulletin
What To Know Today Ohio governor signs “stand your ground” law. Republican Governor Mike DeWine on Monday signed legislation that significantly expands the state’s self-defense protections. Under current law, there is a duty to retreat…
What To Know Today Washington braces for the prospect of violent far-right protests. Extremism experts tell The Washington Post that the assorted followers of President Trump, including white nationalists and militia members, who have converged on the nation’s capital to…
What To Know Today NEW from THE TRACE: A record-breaking surge in gun violence compounds the traumas of 2020. In over a dozen cities, homicides rose by 50 percent or more this year. In their data-driven feature, Champe Barton,…
What To Know Today “Stand your ground” bill reaches governor’s desk in Ohio while gun reform languishes. After the 2019 mass shooting in Dayton, which left nine people dead and 24 others wounded, Republican Governor Mike DeWine introduced a…
John Lott has a mysterious new federal job that may allow him to shape the crime data that is released to the public.
Despite an alleged plot to storm the state Capitol in Michigan, firearms are still allowed there, and in seven other legislatures. We spoke to lawmakers trying to rid their workplaces of guns.
WHAT TO KNOW TODAY Experts say the destabilizing effects of the pandemic are behind the rise in homicides. Criminologists and residents in cities across the country tell The New York Times that the destabilizing fallout from…
Election 2020
The pandemic made the gathering of signatures risky, thwarting reform efforts in Ohio, Oregon, and Oklahoma.
Coronavirus & Guns
With shootings on the rise, a promising model for preventing retaliatory gun violence has been disrupted by pandemic precautions.
Evidence suggests that a less aggressive approach can reduce police shootings, so cities are experimenting with new models.
