Plus, immigration and the future of Social Security, and what’s ahead for education in 2025.
| A spike and decline in US homicides In 2020, the average U.S. city experienced a surge in its homicide rate of almost 30%—the fastest spike ever recorded in the country. Over 24,000 people were killed across the nation. Homicides remained high in 2021 and 2022, but have fallen dramatically in 2023 and 2024. What explains these patterns of violence and how can civic leaders address the problem? Rohit Acharya and Rhett Morris share valuable insights from new data. |
| A key point “The analyses in this report suggest that cities that help more boys from low-income neighborhoods to graduate high school and find work are less likely to experience high levels of homicide.” – Rohit Acharya and Rhett Morris |
| More research and commentary Immigration and the future of Social Security. Changes in U.S. fertility and death rates have caused a demographic shift, leaving a large population of retirees to be supported by a relatively smaller population of workers. Simon Hodson, Emma Phillips, and Tara Watson shed light on how this trend may unfold in the years ahead and how immigrants help support the country’s aging population. What’s ahead for education in 2025. Experts in the Brookings Brown Center on Education Policy discuss education-related topics that they will be watching in the coming year, including the impact of Supreme Court cases, college costs, and potential changes from the Trump administration. |
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