What To Know Today

The FBI didn’t release crime estimates in any quarter last year because not enough agencies are reporting data. The bureau only produces quarterly national estimates when at least 60 percent of law enforcement agencies voluntarily submit data to the FBI’s reporting system. On Monday, the FBI reported that in 2021, for the fourth straight quarter, the required threshold had not been met. Only 52.5 percent of agencies (9,881 of 18,818) contributed information in the last quarter. The decline in voluntary reporting comes more than a year after the FBI switched to a new system. Criminologists say NIBRS, the new tool, will eventually provide more detailed crime estimates, but the switchover has been sluggish and far fewer agencies are using it thus far. Why it matters: When the FBI does release final 2021 numbers later this year, it’s likely to be less accurate because it will rely on the inputs of far fewer agencies. “This is a pretty stark warning that our understanding of crime in 2021 will be substantially hampered,” tweeted crime data analyst Jeff Asher, who first flagged the news. 

Ketanji Brown Jackson’s prescient warning about conspiracy-fueled violence. In December 2016, a 28-year-old man fired three shots in a D.C. pizza restaurant, motivated by the Pizzagate internet conspiracy theory propagated by radio host Alex Jones. Jackson was the federal judge presiding over the case, and as she sentenced the Pizzagate shooter to four years in prison, she issued a warning: “The fear is now that, even though no one was physically harmed in this case, other people who are worried about other issues will take up arms with the intent of sacrificing lives in order to achieve what they believe is a just result,” Jackson said. “That kind of system of justice is utterly incompatible with our constitutional scheme and with the rule of law.” New York Times reporter Elizabeth Williamson flagged the incident yesterday, which she writes about in her new book about the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting and the rise of conspiracy theories.

Indiana became the 24th state to enact a permitless carry law. Governor Eric Holcomb signed the bill eliminating licensing requirements for people 18 and over to carry a handgun in public. Alabama and Ohio enacted similar laws this month.

Former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens’ ex-wife accused him of abuse. In court documents filed on Monday, Sheena Greitens accused the GOP Senate candidate of domestic violence, and threatening to kill himself if she didn’t support him during the 2018 scandal that led to his resignation. She alleged that on three separate occasions in 2018, multiple people intervened to limit her then-husband’s access to firearms. [See our resource guide on where to find help If you’re experiencing suicidal thoughts or depression.]

Michigan governor vetoed a bill requiring concealed carry licenses to be processed during emergencies. Republican lawmakers passed a bill, vetoed on Friday, that would have required county clerks to continue processing applications for concealed handgun licenses even during emergencies designated by the state or local governments. Governor Gretchen Whitmer opposed the bill because it could force county clerks and law enforcement agencies to prioritize such services over other emergent priorities.

Data Point

8 — the number of people who were killed in nine mass shootings across the United States over the weekend, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines mass shootings as events where four or more people are injured in one incident. More than 60 people were injured. [CNN]