Tariffs, Guns, and Horses

Weekend Reads: May 31, 2019

The Genealogy Site That Helped Catch the Golden State Killer Is Grappling with Privacy

Natalie Ram | Slate | Tweeted by Jennifer Huddleston

GEDmatch, a genealogy database with over a million users, gave users more control over their personal data, but now allows law enforcement to use that data for minor crimes.

Uber Drivers Seek Extra Cash Working for House Flippers

Will Parker and Cameron McWhirter | The Wall Street Journal | Tweeted by Adam Thierer

In the fast-growing house flipping industry, firms are hiring Uber drivers to scout leads for potential flips. This is evidence that new technologies like Uber open up new opportunities.

Former Football Pros Die at a Faster Rate Than Baseball Veterans—and the Reasons Are Surprising

Meredith Wadman | Science | Shared by Tyler Cowen

Past studies comparing professional football players with the general public have shown lower rates of heart disease in NFL players, but a study comparing pro football players and pro baseball players paints a different picture.

US Beer Industry Blames Trump Tariffs for 40,000 Job Losses

Joe Deaux | Bloomberg | Retweeted by Alex Tabarrok

US brewers are dealing with Trump’s tariffs by raising prices, laying off workers, and delaying innovation and expansion.

Tech Giant Brings Software to a Gun Fight

Jay Greene | The Washington Post | Retweeted by Brent Skorup

Salesforce has instituted a policy barring retail users of its software from selling semiautomatic weapons and some other firearms.

Trump Says China Is Paying for His $16 Billion Tariff Bailout to Farmers. That's Simply Not True.

Eric Boehm | Reason | Shared by Donald Boudreaux

Most of the debate surrounding Trump’s tariffs has focused on who pays them. Basic economic theory, as well as higher prices, show that Americans are paying for them.

America’s First Greenbelt May Be in Jeopardy

Nolan Gray | CityLab | Retweeted by Emily Hamilton

Lexington, Kentucky, also known as the “Horse Capital,” is weighing the need for affordable housing in the city against the identity of the surrounding farmlands.

One Driver Can Prevent a Traffic Jam

Sue Shellenbarger | The Wall Street Journal | Tweeted by Michael D. Farren

A Seattle engineer has honed techniques to prevent traffic jams, but they can seem unnatural in rush hour traffic.