The Trace

A dark money operation — involving two connected gun rights groups, a D.C. law firm, and a Georgetown professor — aims to strike down gun restrictions through the Supreme Court. The middleman is an undercover cop turned evangelical pastor, who funds this legal attack through anonymous donors. Published in partnership with Mother Jones.

Natrona County, Wyoming, is contending with an unnatural, unrelenting epidemic of suicide — and most incidents involve a gun. But red flag laws, formerly seen as a bipartisan solution to gun violence, were banned by the state earlier this year. --- If you are having thoughts of suicide, help is available 24 hours a day: Call 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (@988Lifeline) or text 741741 to reach the @CrisisTextLine. More resources: https://lnkd.in/eyH5n2Gw

In a new study, researchers explored how perceptions of safety lead people to believe they need guns for survival. “Unless you actually have conversations with individuals who are intimately associated with the problem,” said a co-author, “you may not understand the nuances involved in the issues.”

In April, residents of South Carolina’s most rural county were shaken by the killing of 14-year-old Markayla Roberts as she slept in her bed. They mobilized to confront long-standing gun violence, but met barriers at every turn.

Post-Bruen, judges appointed by Republican presidents are more likely to strike down gun restrictions, while Democratic appointees are more likely to uphold them.

For a new study, researchers from HBCUs across the country asked young Black men who either owned a gun or had owned one recently why they carried. Their answers provide insights into preventing violence.

The Supreme Court’s 2022 Bruen decision imposed a new “history and tradition” test for gun laws. The justification: The test would make lower court rulings more objective. But a Trace analysis of post-Bruen gun cases shows that ideology seems to be as big a part of judicial decision-making as ever.

Three years ago, a sweeping investigation by The Trace and USA TODAY found that the ATF — the federal agency in charge of policing the gun industry — had been mostly toothless and conciliatory, bending over backward to go easy on wayward gun dealers. Agency data indicates that the ATF has since conducted a sustained and expanded crackdown on lawbreaking gun dealers. More in today's Bulletin, which also features reporting from Courthouse News, Mother Jones, and CBS News:

Amid an already chaotic campaign season — marred by two apparent attempts on Trump’s life — election offices are boosting security. Here’s what they’re doing in swing states. Via Votebeat:

The ATF revoked more gun store licenses in 2024 than in any year over the past two decades, reflecting the Biden administration’s zero tolerance policy toward lawbreaking dealers. But a Trace review shows that some licenses were pulled for minor infractions.