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Chip Brownlee

@bychipbrownlee.com
1.3K followers 2.4K following 186 posts

Staff writer @thetrace.org Protonmail: chip.c.brownlee@protonmail.com Signal: byChipBrownlee.01

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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 17/09/2026
The violence prevention programs designed to work with young people most at risk of being shot or becoming involved in violence are losing federal support. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has amplified enforcement. Memphis has been a ground zero for both funding cuts and force.
thetrace.org
‘No One Is Born a Killer’
As the National Guard prowls city streets and federal funding for violence interruption dries up, a small but mighty team in Memphis works to stop teen gun violence before it happens.
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The Trace @thetrace.org · 17/09/2026
As the National Guard prowls city streets and federal funding for violence interruption dries up, a small but mighty team in Memphis works to stop teen gun violence before it happens. Published in partnership with @theguardian.com
thetrace.org
‘No One Is Born a Killer’
As the National Guard prowls city streets and federal funding for violence interruption dries up, a small but mighty team in Memphis works to stop teen gun violence before it happens.
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The Trace @thetrace.org · 08/09/2026
Birmingham has long struggled with violence and crime. As far back as its founding, the city has had a reputation of being dangerous. Mayor Randall Woodfin is working to change this. He spoke to @bychipbrownlee.com about the city’s approach to reducing shootings:
thetrace.org
Is Birmingham Bucking Its Long Struggle With Gun Violence?
Birmingham is on track to see one of its lowest homicide rates on record. Mayor Randall Woodfin discusses the city's progress.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 17/08/2026
Silencers and short-barreled firearms like sawed-off shotguns have been heavily regulated under the National Firearms Act for nearly a century. That just changed.
thetrace.org
The Justice Department Lets 90-Year-Old Regulations on Silencers Fade Away
The DOJ let a judge block longstanding registration requirements on silencers and short-barreled guns like sawed-off shotguns. But the new legal landscape is murky.
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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Cecilia Vega says she was pressured by Bari Weiss and other CBS execs to include misinformation and political bias in reporting that aired this year. "Never in my career, until now, have I felt that those edits, that those suggestions, came from a place of misinformation or politics."
ms.now
“60 Minutes” correspondent says Bari Weiss pressured her to report on events that “never happened”
Cecilia Vega said CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss pressured her to include “misinformation” and “political bias” in several news segments.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 22/07/2026
The ruling against New Jersey’s assault weapons ban is likely only the first, and could mark the beginning of the end for similar laws in nearly a dozen states.
thetrace.org
New Jersey Just Lost Its Assault Weapons Ban. Here’s Why That Matters for the Rest of the Country.
The Supreme Court is poised to rule such bans unconstitutional next year.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 15/07/2026
GrabAGun says it is “uniquely positioned” to benefit from a Trump administration proposal to allow guns to be shipped directly to buyers. Donald Trump Jr. has 300,000 shares in the company. Two senators have questions about that. www.thetrace.org/newsletter/t...
thetrace.org
Todd Blanche, Donald Trump Jr. Face Questions Over Direct-to-Door Gun Rule
GrabAGun says it is “uniquely positioned” to benefit from a proposal allowing guns to be shipped directly to buyers. Donald Trump Jr. has 300,000 shares in the company.
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The Trace @thetrace.org · 15/07/2026
www.thetrace.org/newsletter/t...
thetrace.org
Todd Blanche, Donald Trump Jr. Face Questions Over Direct-to-Door Gun Rule
GrabAGun says it is “uniquely positioned” to benefit from a proposal allowing guns to be shipped directly to buyers. Donald Trump Jr. has 300,000 shares in the company.
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Brian Lyman @brianlyman.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Really interesting story. Worth your time.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 08/07/2026
Gun violence has plummeted in Baltimore — along with other crimes. Yes, violence is falling nationwide. But Baltimore is outpacing the nation. And unlike other cities, it never had a COVID violence spike to begin with. So this is much more than a "return to normal." My latest for @thetrace.org
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Jennifer Mascia @jenmascia.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
America's 250th birthday was marred by gun violence — but not as much as in past years. There were 139 shootings in the U.S. on July 4th, down slightly from last year, and down considerably from 5 years ago.
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Jennifer Mascia @jenmascia.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
My latest, with graphics @bychipbrownlee.com
thetrace.org
July 4th Shootings This Year Went Down — Again
But it wasn’t without tragedy, as mass shootings took place in Mississippi, New York, and South Carolina over the weekend.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 30/06/2026
This time next year, the Supreme Court could be striking down state assault weapons bans. The court has agreed to hear challenges to laws in Illinois and Connecticut. After relisting a bunch of AWB cases for weeks upon weeks, SCOTUS finally granted cert.
SCOTUS granted cert to two assault weapons ban cases, Viramontes v. Cook County, Illinois, and Grant v. Higgins.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 25/06/2026
The Supreme Court just handed down a major Second Amendment ruling — one that may have big consequences for how future gun rights cases will be judged. In a 6-3 decision, the court struck down Hawaii’s default ban on guns in public-facing private businesses.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 18/06/2026
The Supreme Court on June 18 narrowed the federal ban on gun possession by people who use illegal drugs, ruling that the government must show that their drug use poses a risk of dangerous behavior.
thetrace.org
Supreme Court Limits the Federal Gun Ban on Drug Users
The court unanimously ruled that, without evidence of danger, the government cannot bar people from owning guns because they occasionally use marijuana.
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Jennifer Mascia @jenmascia.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
527 million guns have been produced for the U.S. market since 1899, according to new gun manufacturing data published by the ATF and analyzed @bychipbrownlee.com The actual number of guns still in circulation could be lower — 403 million, according to one estimate.
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The Trace @thetrace.org · 13/06/2026
“Switches” can convert semiautomatic guns into fully automatic weapons capable of firing dozens of rounds in seconds. In Connecticut, a new law will ban the sale of weapons that can be easily converted. The law is a part of a growing trend. The latest @bychipbrownlee.com:
thetrace.org
States Take a Different Approach to Getting ‘Switches’ Off the Streets
A new law in Connecticut is part of a growing trend.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 05/06/2026
The ATF wants to repeal a Biden-era rule meant to help identify people illegally dealing guns without a license. Critics warned it would target ordinary private sellers and expand background checks. But a @thetrace.org review of 600+ federal prosecutions found little evidence that happened.
thetrace.org
The Trump Administration Made a Big Show of Repealing a Biden-Era Gun Rule. It Never Amounted to Much Anyway.
A Trace analysis of more than 600 federal prosecutions found the rule didn’t have the intended effect.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 04/05/2026
A new analysis of state data by The Trace links the chain to a quarter of California’s crime guns. The retailer also sold a shotgun to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attacker. www.thetrace.org/2026/05/turn...
thetrace.org
Turner’s Outdoorsman Sold the Largest Share of Guns Traced to Crimes in California
A new analysis of state data by The Trace links the chain to a quarter of California’s crime guns. The retailer also sold a shotgun to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner attacker.
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Jennifer Mascia @jenmascia.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Making sense of the ATF's flurry of gun proposals announced earlier today: Most appear to focus on reducing paperwork, codifying practices the ATF already allows, or removing rules already blocked by courts, @bychipbrownlee.com reports
thetrace.org
The ATF Proposed 34 Changes Aimed at “Modernizing” Gun Regulations
Agency leader Robert Cekada portrayed the measures as historic, but most seemed administrative or perfunctory. One drew condemnation from gun reform groups.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 01/05/2026
The agency’s new leader, Robert Cekada, portrayed the measures as historic, but most seemed administrative or perfunctory. One drew immediate condemnation from gun reform groups. My latest on the ATF’s newest proposals: www.thetrace.org/2026/04/atf-...
thetrace.org
The ATF Proposed 34 Changes Aimed at “Modernizing” Gun Regulations
Agency leader Robert Cekada portrayed the measures as historic, but most seemed administrative or perfunctory. One drew condemnation from gun reform groups.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 23/04/2026
The Firearms Policy Coalition, which has been losing membership dues and contributions, told prospective donors they could give David Hogg “the middle finger” by contributing on his birthday. www.thetrace.org/2026/04/fpc-... @thetrace.org
thetrace.org
The Gun Rights Group Trying to Fundraise Off a Parkland Survivor’s Birthday
The Firearms Policy Coalition told prospective donors they could give David Hogg “the middle finger” by contributing.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 21/04/2026
Over the last two years, a murder-suicide or family annihilation has occurred 1.8 times per day on average.
Over the last two years, a murder-suicide or family annihilation has occurred 1.8 times per day on average.
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Michigan Advance @michiganadvance.com · 17/04/2026
GOP-led states move to punish enforcement of red flag gun orders michiganadvance.com/2026/04/17/r... From @bychipbrownlee.com for @thetrace.org
michiganadvance.com
GOP-led states move to punish enforcement of red flag gun orders • Michigan Advance
ERPO laws, also known as red flag laws, once enjoyed support from across the political spectrum. Now, six states have prohibited enforcing the orders — and in some cases, prescribed fines or criminal ...
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Jennifer Mascia @jenmascia.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Trump's pardons are depriving the Crime Victims Fund of vital revenue. So far $113M in criminal fines has been forgiven that could have gone to shooting survivors and other victims of violent crime. My latest, w/@us.theguardian.com:
thetrace.org
Trump’s Pardons Are Costing Shooting Survivors Millions
A Trace analysis found that revenue once generated by fining white-collar criminals is drying up — now that the president has pardoned so many of them.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 16/04/2026
Republican lawmakers are seeking to punish anybody who enforces an extreme risk protection order. www.thetrace.org/2026/04/repu...
thetrace.org
This Law May Help Prevent Mass Shootings, but GOP-Led States Are Trying to Ban It
Republican lawmakers are seeking to punish anybody who enforces an extreme risk protection order.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 15/04/2026
Renita Francois is the city’s first deputy mayor for community safety and will oversee the newly created Mayor’s Office of Community Safety. Read my interview with her: www.thetrace.org/2026/04/reni...
thetrace.org
How This Deputy Mayor Plans to Reduce Violence in New York City
Francois is the city’s first deputy mayor for community safety and will oversee the newly created Mayor’s Office of Community Safety.
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Josiah Bates @josiahbates.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Around six months ago, a 9-year-old boy was shot and killed inside a home in Springfield, Illinois. The case is still unsolved. But what stood out, especially in a city this size, was the silence around it. For @thetrace.org I went to Springfield to understand why 🧵
thetrace.org
No Public Outcry In Springfield After a Kid Is Killed. Why?
Officials in Springfield, Illinois, created a task force to build trust with the community and prevent the type of shooting that claimed Cash Russell’s life. There’s little evidence it’s helping.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 06/04/2026
Police in the nation’s biggest city are recovering a growing number of 3D-printed guns, law enforcement officials said. www.thetrace.org/2026/04/3d-p...
thetrace.org
New York City’s Spike in 3D-Printed Guns Prompts Push for Tougher Laws
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is advocating legislation that would make 3D-printing guns a crime.
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The Trace @thetrace.org · 23/03/2026
President Donald Trump’s tariffs are increasing the cost of firearm ammunition. Business owners fear the war with Iran could drive prices higher. The Trace spoke with gun and ammo shops about how they’re coping. Read more: thetr.ac/ulp9m
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 21/03/2026
Robert S. Mueller III, 81, Dies; Rebuilt F.B.I. and Led Trump Inquiry www.nytimes.com/2026/03/21/u...
nytimes.com
Robert S. Mueller III, 81, Dies; Rebuilt F.B.I. and Led Trump Inquiry
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Mikki Kendall @karnythia.blacksky.app · 09/03/2026
This didn't happen. The perception that it did is largely based on fictional shows that were about rich people. Much more common was a household where one person (theoretically Dad in a het household) was the higher earner and paid the housing costs and the other paid utilities & food
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Jennifer Mascia @jenmascia.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Gun rights advocates joined with gun violence prevention leaders to create a set of state-level gun policies that both sides could live with. A rare bit of good news on the gun beat from @bychipbrownlee.com:
thetrace.org
‘Bridging the Divide’ on Firearms Laws
A new project brought together people from opposing sides of the gun debate to craft model legislation for violence prevention.
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The Trace @thetrace.org · 02/03/2026
What do you think of our gun violence coverage? We’re giving away Trace hats to people who let us know. Take our survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/YFQQS2C
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The Trace @thetrace.org · 27/02/2026
📣 We want your feedback! 🧢 And you could receive one of @bychipbrownlee.com's favorite hats for sharing it. Take our survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/YFQQS2C
Image of (very fashionable) Trace hat, plus text: This is one of Chip Brownlee's favorite hats.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 25/02/2026
The Trace has fact-checked the president’s baseless claims about violent crime and immigrants during his State of the Union. www.thetrace.org/2026/02/trum...
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 23/01/2026
“These actions will make Americans less safe and more vulnerable to gun violence,” Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock, Maryland Senator Angela Alsobrooks, and six members of Congress wrote in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
thetrace.org
Bulletin: Lawmakers Blast Federal Funding Cuts to Gun Violence Prevention
A Trace analysis found that the Trump administration has terminated grants worth more than $200 million for gun violence prevention programs and research.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 22/01/2026
The White House is touting a new analysis from the @counciloncj.org showing that homicides and crime reached record or near-record lows in 2025. But violence has been falling at a quick pace since at least 2022, when the U.S. began recovering from the historic spike in violence that began in 2020.
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Josiah Bates @josiahbates.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
An administration that pushes "law and order" has pulled over $1 billion from gun violence prevention, mental health and public safety programs. More details on the numbers from @bychipbrownlee.com
thetrace.org
Trump Has Slashed Federal Funding for Gun Violence Prevention. But How Much Exactly?
For a new analysis, The Trace catalogued how many grants were canceled or redirected during Trump’s first year in office.
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 15/01/2026
Police have declared a north Minneapolis protest an "unlawful assembly" as demonstrators remain in the area after a federal agent shot a man in the leg. We're still at the scene of the protest and will continue to provide updates on law enforcement actions.
bit.ly
Live: Federal agent shoots, injures man in north Minneapolis
Gov. Tim Walz addressed Minnesotans in a live broadcast Wednesday night on the surge of federal immigration agents in the state. A federal judge has declined to immediately rule on the ICE surge in Minnesota.
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 15/01/2026
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, after a second shooting by federal agents in the city in a week: “It’s certainly not creating safety when a huge percentage of the shootings that have taken place so far this year in Minneapolis have been by ICE.”
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Jon Collins @jcollins.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
She says ICE agents mocked her: “The ICE agent who had pepper sprayed into the vents of my car said ‘you guys gotta stop obstructing us, that’s why that lesbian b—— is dead,’ verbatim, speaking of Renee Good. Which filled me with absolute rage and shock..." www.mprnews.org/episode/2026...
mprnews.org
‘I was flooded with fear’: Minnesotans describe their encounters with ICE, being detained
From an Uber driver to a school drop off, MPR News spoke with Minnesotans who were stopped or detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Breaking WaPo: The FBI executed a search warrant this morning at a Post reporter's home as part of an investigation into a government contractor accused of illegally retaining classified materials. 
It's highly unusual and aggressive for law enforcement to conduct a search on a reporter's home.
washingtonpost.com
FBI executes search warrant at Washington Post reporter’s home
The reporter, Hannah Natanson, covers the federal workforce and has been part of The Post’s most sensitive coverage of the first year of the second Trump administration.
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The Trace @thetrace.org · 13/01/2026
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani enters office with the city’s lowest gun violence rate on record. But rather than riding that wave, he’s preparing to overhaul the machinery of public safety itself.
thetrace.org
Mamdani Plans to Rewrite New York City’s Public Safety Playbook
The new mayor has promised to focus on prevention. Here’s what experts think of his ideas.
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The Trace @thetrace.org · 13/01/2026
Years before federal immigration agents shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, reporter Lila Hassan began investigating ICE’s history of deadly force. ICE’s January 7 shooting of Good resembles many of the shootings Hassan reviewed.
thetrace.org
What Can ICE’s History of Deadly Force Tell Us About the Renee Good Shooting?
Journalist Lila Hassan spent years investigating how the agency deploys force — and how it treats agents who open fire.
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Josiah Bates @josiahbates.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
A violence interrupter in Minneapolis got an alert about a shooting last week. Then it updated: officer-involved. “We automatically thought ICE.” The aftermath illustrates how federal enforcement actions can undermine local public safety. My latest for @thetrace.org
thetrace.org
It Took Years to Rebuild Trust in Minneapolis After George Floyd. Then ICE Came.
Community organizers fear that ICE's shooting of Renee Good could erode fragile gains made between residents and law enforcement.
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The Trace @thetrace.org · 10/01/2026
Federal immigration agents claimed they shot and killed Renee Good because she tried to run them over with her car. A law professor told The Trace about the policies governing use of force with moving vehicles and fleeing suspects. thetr.ac/22sk2
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The Trace @thetrace.org · 10/01/2026
“Everything about these incidents indicates that these are probably shootings that did not need to happen,” Christy Lopez, a former senior civil rights litigator at the Justice Department who now teaches at Georgetown Law, said after examining The Trace’s list in December.
thetrace.org
How Many People Have Been Shot in ICE Raids?
The Trace is tracking gun incidents connected to Trump’s immigration crackdown. Know of one? Please be in touch.
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Tali Woodward @taliwoodward.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
The Trace has been tracking shootings related to Trump's immigration crackdown. With Portland, we're at 16. Please see our tracker for more detail @jenmascia.bsky.social @bychipbrownlee.com
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Chip Brownlee @bychipbrownlee.com · 09/01/2026
Including yesterday's shooting of two people in Portland, The Trace has identified 44 incidents of use of force by federal immigration agents since January 2025. That includes 16 shootings, 4 of which were fatal. Seven other people have been wounded. www.thetrace.org/2025/12/immi...
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