The RAND Blog

q&a

The End of the U.S. COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Q&A with RAND Experts

We asked RAND experts to reflect on the past three years: What were the effects on the United States and around the world, what has changed, what are the most important takeaways, what was done right, and what was done wrong? At the same time, they looked ahead to what might be done to mitigate the health and geopolitical impacts of future pandemics.

blog

Ukraine's Recovery, Mental Health First Aid, School Staffing: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the trade-offs of Ukraine's reconstruction, the effects of a Mental Health First Aid training program, school staffing challenges, and more.

commentary

What the Drone Strikes on the Kremlin Reveal About the War in Ukraine

False flag, special op, or fizzled attack—it may not be possible to get to the bottom of who launched drones at the Kremlin and why any time soon. But the incident and reactions it has elicited from the war's major players reveal just how important weaponized, long-range drones have become in this conflict.

Brynn Tannehill

commentary

Why Does Ukraine Want Western Jets?

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine has requested Western fighter jets. Why does it want them? Of what use could they be? And what are some of their limitations?

John Hoehn, William Courtney @courtneywmh

commentary

Preventing Intelligence Leaks: Let's Start Over

The United States badly needs a new secrecy paradigm to protect classified information, and one that also improves government transparency. Our archaic system for keeping classified information secure is terminally flawed, and no amount of triage tinkering can hope to fix it.

James B. Bruce

commentary

Coast Guard Leans Forward in New UxS Strategy but Faces Significant Challenges

The rise of unmanned systems creates a challenging landscape for the U.S. Coast Guard as it endeavors to conduct its diverse missions in the future. To address emerging technologies and prepare for forthcoming threats, the service recently released a strategic plan.

Eric Cooper, Scott Savitz

essay

Mental Health First Aid: Training People to Help Others

An innovative program trains and empowers people to not look away from those experiencing mental illness, but to listen to them, reassure them, and encourage them to get help. Most trainees of the program in New York City were still using what they had learned five years later.

commentary

Hybrid Work Is Here to Stay. It's Time for Security to Catch Up to Our New Normal

As hybrid work becomes the new normal, workplace practices—security-focused and otherwise—may need to reconsider whether physical presence necessarily improves either security or work outcomes.

Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung

commentary

Do Car Companies Know Where Their Critical Minerals Come From?

The initial slate of electric vehicles qualifying for a new federal tax credit was announced in April. Key to eligibility is the source of critical minerals used in their batteries. While the list of acceptable nations of origin is still being worked out, there's an important practical question the IRS should ask: Do carmakers really know where their critical minerals come from?

Tom LaTourrette, Fabian Villalobos @doktor_wolfhaus

commentary

The Problems Facing VA Modernization Are Bigger Than Its Software Systems

The list of criticisms of the new Veterans Affairs electronic health record system, Oracle Cerner, is long. It's expensive, downtime has been high, and doctors' orders have gone missing, putting patient safety at risk. How did this implementation go so wrong? And what should be done now?

Shira H. Fischer @ShiraFischer

blog

Violence in Sudan, Alcohol Use, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the violence in Sudan, preventing alcohol-related deaths, the North Korean nuclear threat, and more.

commentary

The Fight for Sudan Was Inevitable

When conflict in Sudan did not end after the 2005 peace agreement, the international community fell into a familiar pattern of never-ending negotiations. But conflict resolution focused on agreements that split power between armed groups rarely leads to sustainable peace. The effects of such misbegotten efforts are plain to see.

Jacqueline Gardner Burns

commentary

An Opportunity to Learn from Our COVID-19 Successes and Failures

COVID-19 showed that the U.S. pandemic response plans of the past were no match for a protracted nationwide health emergency. What lessons were learned that could help the United States effectively protect its population and other vital national interests going forward?

Mahshid Abir

commentary

New Clinical Outcome Assessments Could Improve Treatment for Parkinson's

The prevalence of Parkinson's disease has doubled over the last 25 years, and over 8.5 million people are living with the disease worldwide, but treatment options are limited. The development of new clinical outcome assessments could lead to new treatments for the disease.

Claire E. O'Hanlon, Carrie M. Farmer @carriefarmer, et al.

commentary

A Civilian U.S. 'Joint Chiefs' for Economic Competition with China?

China's aggressive activities are presenting a serious, sustained challenge to the international order. To position itself for this new era, the United States could create a civilian equivalent to the Joint Chiefs of Staff with a mandate to manage the expanding role of U.S. civilian departments in geopolitical and economic competition.

Barry Pavel @BarryPavel, Daniel Egel