The Latest Breaking News from Ed Kiersh

After the execution of James G. Broadnax in Texas, questions persist over use of rap lyrics as evidence

After languishing on death row in Texas for nearly two decades, James G. Broadnax was executed on April 30, 2026.

The Conversation · May 6

Scapegoating rap hits new low after July Fourth mass shooting

When local police named 22-year-old Robert E. Crimo III as “a person of interest” in the July 4 mass shootings in an affluent Chicago suburb, several news outlets described him in headlines as a “rapper.”

The Conversation · Jul 7, 2022

Gun violence and the (rap) blame game

Pro-gun Republicans wasted no time blaming gun violence on rap, a tactic with a long and sordid history

Salon · Jun 15, 2022