Today, Explained

The spike in gun violence

Dec 27, 2021

Join Alec MacGillis, a ProPublica reporter, and Nikesha Billa, a Philadelphia mother confronting the tragedy of losing her son to gun violence, as they delve into America's alarming surge in homicide rates. They discuss the factors behind the 30% increase in gun violence during 2020 and the emotional toll it takes on families. Nikesha shares her personal struggles for safety and highlights local justice reforms, while exploring how community initiatives can shape the lives of vulnerable youth amid rampant violence.

50:33

Episode guests

Nikesha Billa

Alec MacGillis

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Navigating Gun Violence and Justice Reform

20min

Navigating Gun Violence and Accountability in a Pandemic Era

3min

Exploring Youth in the Context of Gun Violence

3min

Youth Voices Amidst Gun Violence

13min

Philadelphia's Election and Criminal Justice Reform

9min

America's homicide rate rose by almost 30 percent in 2020. It was the biggest spike in 60 years, and the murder rate was even higher in 2021. In this repodcast, ProPublica’s Alec MacGillis explains what might be causing “The Great Regression."

Today’s show was reported and produced by Miles Bryan, Jillian Weinberger, and Alec MacGillis, with editing help from Matt Collette, engineered by Efim Shapiro, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.

Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained

Support Today, Explained by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.