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Topher L. McDougal

I am a development economist and professor at the Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego, California, where I direct graduate programs in Humanitarian Action and Peace & Justice. My research interests include the economics of peace and conflict, illicit markets (especially for firearms), and human predation of environmental systems. In addition to consulting for various organizations including the World Bank, Mercy Corps, and the International Rescue Committee, I have been a research affiliate at the Centre on Conflict, Development & Peacebuilding (CCDP) at the Graduate Institute for International & Development Studies (Geneva, Switzerland), a principal of the Small Arms Data Observatory (SADO), and an invited scholar-in-residence at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and Tecnológico de Monterrey. My first book, The Political Economy of Rural-Urban Conflict: Predation, Production, and Peripheries (Oxford, 2017), explained how trade networks shape the nature and extent of civil war violence. I received a PhD and MCP from MIT, and a BA from Swarthmore College.

California is about to tax guns more like alcohol and tobacco

May 22, 2024 06:21 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics Law

Starting in July 2024, California will be the first state to charge an excise tax on guns and ammunition. The new tax an 11% levy on each sale will come on top of federal excise taxes of 10% or 11% for firearms and...

Delivering aid during war is tricky − here’s what to know about what Gaza relief operations may face

Oct 23, 2023 08:18 am UTC| Insights & Views

The 2.2 million people who live in Gaza are facing economic isolation and experiencing incessant bombardment. Their supplies of essential resources, including food and water, are quickly dwindling. In response, U.S....

Gaza depends on UN and other global aid groups for food, medicine and basic services – Israel's war means nothing is getting in

Oct 15, 2023 04:03 am UTC| Insights & Views

International aid groups are warning that they cannot deliver food and other basic services to people in the Gaza Strip and that a dire humanitarian crisis is set to worsen. International aid groups provide food and...

Economy

US Inflation Expected to Ease in June, but Fed Rate Hike Risks Persist Amid Middle East Tensions

U.S. consumer inflation likely eased in June, but economists say the slowdown may provide little relief for households or significantly reduce the likelihood of another Federal Reserve interest rate hike later this year,...

South Korea’s KOSPI Enters Bear Market Despite Remaining 2026’s Best-Performing Major Stock Index

South Koreas KOSPI has entered a bear market after falling about 25% from its record high reached in late June, highlighting the sharp reversal of one of the worlds strongest equity rallies. Despite the decline, the...

Japanese Yen Holds Steady as Intervention Hopes Grow Ahead of U.S. CPI Data

The Japanese yen held steady on Tuesday as investors remained alert to the possibility of currency intervention from Tokyo, while most Asian currencies traded in narrow ranges ahead of closely watched U.S. inflation data...

China Trade Surplus Hits $125.6 Billion as June Exports, Imports Smash Forecasts

Chinas exports and imports grew far more than expected in June, highlighting the resilience of the countrys trade sector as strong global demand for artificial intelligence (AI)-related products and technology goods helped...

Goldman Sees Foreign Investors Driving India Stock Market Recovery

Goldman Sachs believes foreign investors could become the key catalyst for Indias next stock market rally after months of heavy selling left global funds significantly underweight on Indian equities. Improving...

Politics

Trump Administration Bars U.S. Travelers From Congo Flights Amid Ebola Outbreak

The Trump administration has imposed new travel restrictions on American citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as the country faces a worsening Ebola outbreak, according to a White House official. Under the...

Iranian Missile Strike on UAE Oil Tankers Kills Indian Crew Member in Strait of Hormuz

An Indian crew member was killed and eight others were injured after two United Arab Emirates oil tankers were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, marking another major escalation in the...

Trump Recommends Darline Graham for Interim South Carolina Senate Seat

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday that he has recommended Darline Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, to serve as South Carolinas interim U.S. senator, urging Governor Henry McMaster to...

Brazil Court Bars Flavio Bolsonaro From Visiting Jair Bolsonaro Ahead of Election

Brazils political landscape took another dramatic turn after Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes barred Senator Flavio Bolsonaro from visiting his father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, for 90 days, citing a...

Trump to Deliver National Address on Declassified 2020 Election Intelligence

President Donald Trump is set to deliver a televised national address on Thursday night focused on newly declassified intelligence concerning investigations into the 2020 U.S. election and what the White House describes as...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Yaskawa Electric Shares Slide as Weak Profit Overshadows Strong AI Demand

Yaskawa Electric Corp. (TYO:6506) shares extended losses for a second consecutive session on Tuesday after the Japanese robotics and factory automation company reported weaker-than-expected quarterly earnings, with...

Australia Flags Child Safety Gaps at Apple, Meta, Google Over Online Sexual Extortion

Australias online safety regulator has warned that major technology companies, including Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft and Snap, still have significant shortcomings in tackling child sexual abuse and the rising threat of...

SoftBank Corp Partners With Sierra to Expand AI Customer Support Across Japan

SoftBank Corp (TYO:9434) announced on Tuesday a strategic partnership with AI startup Sierra to expand artificial intelligence-powered customer support services across its operations in Japan, marking another step in the...

Nvidia Tightens AI Chip Sales in Asia With Stricter Customer Approval Process

Nvidia has reportedly tightened its controls over AI chip sales in Asia by significantly reducing the number of customers authorized to purchase its advanced processors, according to a Financial Times report published...

EU to Propose New Rules Limiting Children's Access to Social Media

The European Commission is preparing to introduce new rules aimed at limiting childrens access to social media platforms, with a formal proposal expected after the summer break, European Commission President Ursula von der...