Right To Try Law, Don’t Splurge On Premium Gasoline, Why Only Three Percent Own Ninety-Nine Percent Of Guns

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• AAA Study: You're Likely Wasting Money When You Splurge On Premium Fuel

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  Ever occasionally fill up your car with a tank of premium gas, even though your car runs just fine on regular? You may think you’re giving your car a nice little boost, but a new study from AAA finds that these higher octane fuels don’t necessarily translate into higher quality performance. A representative from AAA breaks down what the new study found, and looks at how much money American drivers are essentially wasting on premium fuel.

• A Small Percentage Of Americans Own Most Of The Nation's Guns

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  A recent report shows that 50% of the guns in America are owned by just 3% of the population. We talk about the cultural and political implications of those numbers.

• Survey: Only 3 Percent Of Americans Own Half The Guns In US

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  While the number of American gun owners has declined, the number of purchased firearms in the United States has increased sharply, a new study found.

  Approximately half of the guns in America are owned by just 3 percent of the population, according to the survey conducted by Harvard and Northwestern universities.

  Christopher Ingraham, a data reporter for The Washington Post, said the percentage of Americans who own a gun has been on the decline for nearly two decades.

  “On the other hand,” he said, “If we look at FBI background check data, that shows us that the number of guns that are being purchased on a monthly basis is just skyrocketing, and, particularly, that’s been happening during the (Barack) Obama administration.”

  The percentage of Americans who own guns decreased from 25 percent to 22 percent, according to the report. It also found about 78 percent of Americans don’t own guns, and 19 percent of adults in the U.S. own the remaining half of firearms in the country.

  The Guardian newspaper referred to the 3 percent group as “super-owners” and said they own an average of 17 guns each.

  “People who don’t own guns might look at these numbers and think, ‘Seventeen guns, oh my God! These people must be all stocking up for the apocalypse or something,’” said Ingraham. “But if you talk to gun owners, folks who do own that, they’re like, ‘Yeah, you know what, that seems like a reasonable number.’”

  Ingraham said there are many reasons why people may own a high number of guns. Many Americans are collectors who appreciate historically significant firearms. Others do so unconsciously, purchasing a gun here and there like how other people acquire shoes or video games.

  “I think that the easy stereotype to go to is that these people are all kind of paranoid and looking to stock up on guns and ammunition in order to stave off the end of the world or some kind of terrible apocalyptic scenario,” Ingraham said. “And that certainly may be the case for some folks, but there’s a real diversity and reasons for why people own guns.”

  The latest survey is one of the more comprehensive looks at gun ownership in America, said Ingraham. But it’s only a snapshot, and social researchers are eager to continue to study the topic, particularly because it’s suspected some gun owners may be reluctant to admit to possessing a firearm.

• Senator Ron Johnson Advocates For Right To Try Law

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  Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson has authored a bill called the Trickett Wendler Right to Try Act of 2016 which would allow terminally ill patients to receive experimental drugs that haven’t been approved by the FDA yet. A legal expert talks to us about the ethics of the proposed law.