have lost their house, their car, their job, their business, their records, their photographs, everything. chris? chris: steve harrigan reportingg from kentucky, thank you. now to the spike in crime across the country. at least a dozen major cities hitting all-time homicide records already this year. meanwhile, major retailers are pleading for help as smash-and-grab robberies are on the rise. the white house says more guns and the continuing pandemic are behind the crime surge, but critics point to changes in cash bail and more lenient prosecutors, calling on the federal government to do more. in a moment we ll talk with the mayor of the country s biggest city, new york s bill de blasio. but first, let s turn to david spunt at the white house for a look at how the biden administration is responding. david. reporter: chris, the white house and justice department are pumping millions of dollars into fighting crime, but city leaders on the ground say it s not working fast enough.