Gun violence as a market failure

+ Iran's president dies in helicopter crash US Edition - Today's top story: California is about to tax guns more like alcohol and tobacco − and that could put a dent in gun violence [View in browser]( US Edition | 20 May 2024 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [Medications to treat alcohol use disorder]( - [Have hard water? Those minerals have health benefits]( - [Why pizza tastes so good]( Lead story Could tax policy help tame gun violence? It might. At the very least, it could curb gun sales. That’s according to Topher McDougal, a professor of economic development and peacebuilding who has thought deeply about California’s first-in-the-nation excise tax on firearms. California’s levy can be thought of as a Pigouvian tax, McDougal writes. These are designed to reduce “negative externalities,” or harms involving third parties such as society at large. Taxes on alcohol and tobacco are classic examples. And as of July, California will start to do something unprecedented: [It will tax guns comparably to alcohol](. Will it make a difference to the gun violence crisis that kills 40,000 Americans annually? Other states will be paying close attention to California’s experiment. [ [Understand what’s going on in Washington and around the world. Get our Politics Weekly newsletter.]( ] Tracy Walsh Economy + Business Editor It will soon cost a bit more to buy a gun in California. Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty Images [California is about to tax guns more like alcohol and tobacco − and that could put a dent in gun violence]( Topher L. McDougal, University of San Diego The US homicide rate is far above the rate of other nations. Politics + Society - [Iran crash: President Raisi’s death leaves Tehran mourning loss of regime loyalist]( Eric Lob, Florida International University Ayatollah Ali Khamenei announced a five day period of mourning following the discovery of wreckage on hillside. - [How the Gaza humanitarian aid pier traces its origins to discarded cigar boxes before World War II]( Frank A. Blazich Jr., Smithsonian Institution A pre-World War II US Navy plan for a modular floating platform has developed into a key lifeline in Gaza and at disaster sites around the world. - [Student anger over the Vietnam War erupted into violence in the ’60s − a terrorism expert explores if the same could happen today]( Javed Ali, University of Michigan Student-led protests in response to US engagement in the Vietnam War mounted in the 1960s and led to a group called the Weather Underground that believed in direct confrontation with the state. Economy + Business - [Americans leave a huge chunk of change at airport security checkpoints − here’s what it means for the debate over getting rid of pennies]( Jay L. Zagorsky, Boston University Air travelers left nearly $1 million behind at TSA checkpoints in 2023. Ethics + Religion - [‘Mary gardens’ bring Catholic piety to the garden]( Kayla Harris, University of Dayton; Bridget Retzloff, University of Dayton In the 20th century, an engineer from Philadelphia encouraged others to create their own Mary gardens and established a company that sold seeds with Marian plant names. Education - [How community colleges kept students engaged during and after the pandemic]( Xueli Wang, University of Wisconsin-Madison One community college created a science pathway program that boasts a 100% employment rate for graduates. International - [Young Hondurans’ desire to migrate is influenced by factors beyond poverty and violence]( Maria Estela Rivero Fuentes, University of Notre Dame New research challenges the conventional wisdom that those who enjoy some form of employment and strong support networks are more inclined to attach themselves to a set geography. Arts + Culture - [Why does pizza taste so good?]( Jeffrey Miller, Colorado State University Pizza might seem like a simple food, but it’s uniquely equipped to excite our brains and thrill our taste buds. Science + Technology - [AI chatbots are intruding into online communities where people are trying to connect with other humans]( Casey Fiesler, University of Colorado Boulder People participate in online communities to share experiences and sympathy. AI chatbots that join the conversation can only pretend to offer either. - [Is hard water bad for you? 2 water quality engineers explain the potential benefits and pitfalls that come with having hard water]( Sarah Blank, Iowa State University; Timothy Ellis, Iowa State University Hard water might dry out your hair and skin − but having hard water isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Health + Medicine - [Alcohol use disorder can be treated with an array of medications – but few people have heard of them]( Joseph P. Schacht, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Alcohol is responsible for more deaths than overdoses from opioids and all other substances combined, yet less than 10% of people with alcohol use disorder receive treatment. 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The remaining two swing states – Nevada and Wisconsin – are in the middle of the pack, neither very like the U.S. as a whole nor very demographically unlike the nation overall.]( From the story, [Some states’ populations are very much like the US overall – including 5 key states in the 2024 presidential election]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [Giving Today]( [New!] • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Follow us on social media: • [Bluesky]( • [Mastodon]( • [Threads]( • [Nostr]( • [LinkedIn]( • [Instagram]( • [Facebook]( • Or [get a daily text from us]( - - About The Conversation We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to [help you make sense of our complex world](. 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