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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

East Germany Narrows Economic Gap With West but Wealth Divide Persists

More than three decades after German reunification, the economy of former East Germany has made major progress toward matching the west, particularly in employment and household income. However, significant differences...

Trump Threatens EU Tariffs Over Canada Membership Proposal

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose steep tariffs on the European Union if Brussels moves ahead with a proposal to make Canada the blocs first associate member, raising the prospect of renewed trade...

BOJ Set for 25-Basis-Point Rate Hike as Yen Weakness Fuels Inflation

The Bank of Japan is widely expected to raise interest rates by 25 basis points on September 18, as policymakers confront persistent inflation and prolonged weakness in the Japanese yen. The anticipated BOJ rate hike would...

Asian Currencies Mixed as Dollar Holds Gains After Fed Rate Hike

Asian currencies traded mixed on Thursday as the U.S. dollar remained near a seven-week high following the Federal Reserves first interest rate increase in three years. The Japanese yen stayed near a two-week low as...

Gold Rebounds Above $4,300 Despite Hawkish Fed Rate Hike

Gold prices rebounded on Thursday, climbing back above the $4,300-an-ounce level as investors assessed the Federal Reserves first interest rate hike in three years and its signal that further monetary tightening could come...

Politics

ICE Agent Arrested in Minneapolis Over Venezuelan Man Shooting

A federal immigration officer accused of shooting and wounding a Venezuelan man during a Minneapolis immigration operation was arrested Wednesday, eight months after the incident became a focal point of controversy...

Paris Talks Focus on Lebanon Army Needs as UNIFIL Exit Looms

European and Arab military chiefs are set to meet in Paris on Thursday to assess the Lebanese Armed Forces military and financial needs as concerns grow over the planned withdrawal of U.N. peacekeepers and the risk of...

US-China Experts Push AI Nuclear Safeguards to Prevent Military Escalation

U.S. and Chinese security experts are calling for stronger safeguards on military artificial intelligence, warning that autonomous AI systems could trigger a dangerous escalation between the two nuclear powers if their...

North Korea Vows to Expand Nuclear Arsenal Amid U.S.-Led Military Buildup

North Korea has reaffirmed plans to expand its nuclear arsenal, arguing that increased U.S.-led military cooperation with South Korea and Japan has made a stronger nuclear deterrent necessary. Speaking Thursday at the...

Trump Eyes End to Iran War, Plans Gulf Leaders Meeting

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he hopes the seven-month war with Iran is approaching an end, as reports indicate he plans to meet Gulf leaders in New York next week to discuss the conflict and a potential...

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

France Urges Faster AI Push Despite Safety Risks

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure has pushed back against calls to slow artificial intelligence development, arguing that such proposals could benefit U.S. technology leaders while making it harder for France and...

Guterres Urges Stronger Global AI Safeguards Ahead of UN Assembly

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned world leaders on Wednesday that the rapid development of artificial intelligence carries significant risks that governments cannot afford to overlook, highlighting a...

Databricks to Invest $350 Million in Singapore AI Expansion

Databricks plans to invest more than $350 million in Singapore over the next three years, expanding its presence in the city-state as demand rises for its data and artificial intelligence products. The privately held data...

SK Hynix, Intel Discuss U.S. Memory Chip Production Deal

SK Hynix is reportedly in discussions with Intel over a potential agreement to manufacture memory chips in the United States, a move that would mark the South Korean semiconductor giants first U.S.-based memory production....

DOJ Will Investigate AI-Related Crimes, Attorney General Blanche Says

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Department of Justice will investigate individuals or companies connected to artificial intelligence when there is evidence they have violated federal criminal law, while...