On this edition of Your Call’s Media roundtable, we're discussing how the Trump administration’s decision to terminate funding for violence prevention programs has affected communities such as Bogalusa, Louisiana.
After Trump returned to the White House, his Justice Department cancelled $800 million in funding meant for groups combating gun violence, sexual assault, hate crimes, and related issues nationwide.
According to KFF Health News, since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, gun violence has shattered any sense of peace or progress in Bogalusa. Louisiana suffers from the nation’s second-highest firearm death rate — and Bogalusa, a predominantly Black community with 10,000 residents, has seen dozens of shootings and a violent crime rate approaching twice the national average.
Guests:
Chris Stein, senior politics reporter for the Guardian US, based in Washington
Renuka Rayasam, senior correspondent for KFF Health News
Resources:
The Trace: What Researchers Learned About American Gun Violence in 2025
The Guardian: ‘We’re back at stage one’: Trump cuts rock Louisiana town plagued by gun violence
KFF Health News: Guns, Race, and Profit: The Pain of America’s Other Epidemic
