The RAND Blog

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How COVID-19 Affected the Nation's Schools: New Data Gives Insights for Planning

RAND surveyed teachers and principals to gauge how the pandemic has affected schooling, what supports these educators need, and how they are thinking about the next school year.

Laura S. Hamilton

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What Happens When States Reopen, Truth Decay, Telemedicine: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the health and economic consequences of states reopening, the dangers of Truth Decay during the coronavirus crisis, helping refugees, and more.

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Vaccination and Coronavirus: Where the Public Good Clashes with Choice and Freedom

With scientists striving for a viable coronavirus vaccine, and public health officials considering its potential rollout, do calls for freedom of choice and anti-vaccination sentiments, as seen in recent televised protests, represent a worrying omen?

Alina I. Palimaru, Marcus Dillistone

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Russia's Challenge and Syria's Chance

With much of Syria lying in ruins, Russia can back a revived United Nations–led peacemaking process, or see the West rebuff its appeals for large-scale aid. If Russia chooses wisely, the West, wealthy Gulf countries, and China could help. If Moscow procrastinates, the West may withhold assistance and continue cooperation with regional partners.

Colin P. Clarke, William Courtney @courtneywmh

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China's Aggression Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Little to Do with COVID-19

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to monopolize the attention of leaders around the world, some international observers of China have concluded that Beijing is attempting to exploit the crisis for geopolitical gain. The reality is that China has been engaging in the same types of pressure tactics for years and will likely continue once the pandemic passes.

Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman

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North Korea Post–Kim Jong Un Reappearance: Expect Business as Usual in the Hermit Kingdom

Kim Jong Un's return, while it leaves much to be desired in the way of explanation, should send one message to the international audience: North Korea's fate rests still in the hands of Kim Jong Un. And judging by appearances in recent days, Kim does not appear to intend to change the course of his strategy to reduce tensions with the United States.

Soo Kim

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RAND's Response to a Past Pandemic: HIV/AIDS

In the 1980s, HIV/AIDS killed 90 percent of those infected. RAND was at the forefront of the research response, providing key data on costs of care, barriers to access, and the disease's effects on quality of life. RAND continues to pursue ways to ease HIV's impact in the United States and Africa.

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Relaxing COVID-19 Restrictions Presents Stark Health and Economic Choices

RAND's new COVID-19 interventions impact tool uses epidemiological and economic models and continually refreshed data to estimate what could happen as restrictions are eased. The tool won't make the choices confronting state leaders less painful. But it can provide clear, evidence-based estimates of the health and economic trade-offs.

Jeanne S. Ringel @JeanneRingel, Raffaele Vardavas, et al.

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How to Help Refugees and Host Countries Combat COVID-19

Having escaped conflict and persecution, refugees now risk illness and death from COVID-19. That risk is heightened by a policy regime that focuses largely on refugees in camps, not the almost two-thirds who live in urban areas. But the crisis could provide an opportunity to reform a broken system for the benefit of refugees and host countries alike.

Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson, Gary Edson

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Civilians Returning from War Zones Need More Support

Deployed civilians often work alongside the military in combat zones or other high-stress, high-risk areas. But when they return, their experience is much different. They come home to support that is often incomplete and insufficient, and sometimes entirely nonexistent.

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Global Challenges to Maintaining a Healthy Workforce During a Pandemic: Views from RAND Experts

As nations across the globe remain in lockdown to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, questions about the future of employment and workforce productivity emerge. During a recent webinar, RAND experts discussed how to get people back to work and improve productivity post COVID-19.

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Public Health Lessons on Intimate Partner Violence Tucked into Tiger King

Substantial work has been done to figure out how best to address intimate partner violence, but with limited attention regarding how best to meet the unique needs of gay, lesbian, and bisexual victims. The popularity of Netflix's Tiger King, and its depiction of intimate partner violence between Joe Exotic and his two husbands, could help to focus attention on a very real, and often hidden, problem.

Sarah MacCarthy

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Preparing for a Post-Vaccine World, Domestic Abuse, the Future of War: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on why we need a blueprint for a post-vaccine world, helping domestic abuse victims during COVID-19, the pandemic's historic economic effects, and more.

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COVID-19 Highlights the Shortcomings of America's Digital Infrastructure

Much like America's aging physical infrastructure, America's digital infrastructure needs updating. To fix these urgent problems, local, state, and federal governments could turn to best practices used in the private sector to develop more reliable software.

James Ryseff

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Should Communities Be Concerned About Digital Technologies to Fight COVID-19?

Personal smart devices offer an unprecedented opportunity to identify, track, map, and communicate about COVID-19. But apps could pose privacy and security concerns.

Abbie Tingstad, Shira H. Fischer @ShiraFischer, et al.