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The RAND Blog

Military Health and Health Care
commentary
Supporting the Mental Health Needs of National Guard and Reserve Members
Justin Hummer, Kimberly A. Hepner @KimberlyHepner
Sep 22, 2021
RealClearDefense
Over one million U.S. military service members are members of the National Guard or reserves. These troops are being tested like never before, but they do not receive the same physical and mental health care coverage provided to their active-duty counterparts. It may be time to explore policy solutions to ensure that these service members have access to high-quality mental health care.
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Homeland Security
commentary
Charting a Strategic Path Forward for DHS in an Evolved Threat Landscape
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Sep 22, 2021
Homeland Security Today
Twenty years have passed since 9/11 and the establishment of DHS. During that time, fundamental and profound changes have occurred in the threats and risks confronting the United States. When updating the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review report and the department Strategic Plan, it may make sense to consider a new operational and organizational path forward.
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Japan
commentary
What Instability at the Top Means for Japan's Alliance with the United States
Jeffrey W. Hornung
Sep 22, 2021
Nikkei Asia
Having shorter-serving prime ministers tends to minimize Japan's ability to operate as a strategic player. The longer the tenure, the greater the confidence in exercising a broader set of foreign policy tools. If Suga's resignation is the start of revolving-door prime ministers, the implications for Japan's security and foreign policies, and the U.S.-Japan alliance, could be significant.
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Afghanistan
commentary
China and Pakistan See Eye to Eye on the Taliban—Almost
Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman
Sep 21, 2021
Foreign Policy
Beijing and Islamabad share a long history of cooperation and have much in common on Afghanistan. Both are poised to benefit strategically from the Taliban's success. But the Taliban's resurrection almost certainly will add some stress to an otherwise positive and productive bilateral partnership.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Summit Gives Biden Chance to Nudge Post-Soviet States Toward Democracy
William Courtney @courtneywmh, Kenneth Yalowitz
Sep 20, 2021
The Hill
President Biden is likely to invite the thriving Baltic countries to his “summit for democracy” in December. But he might also invite four mid-tier post-Soviet states: Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine—imperfect democracies all. By both praising and nudging this latter set, Biden could give his agenda more meaning.
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Preschool Children
commentary
Parenting During the Pandemic: Communicating with Children About COVID-19
Lucy Gilder, Emma Leenders
Sep 20, 2021
The RAND Blog
School and nursery closures, lockdowns, and ongoing pandemic restrictions brought huge changes to children and families. The way parents communicated with their children about these events was vital in helping children to cope.
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Health Care Costs
blog
Prescription Drug Prices, Unemployment Insurance, Anti-Asian Racism: RAND Weekly Recap
Sep 17, 2021
This weekly recap focuses on lowering prescription drug prices, reforming unemployment insurance, addressing anti-Asian racism, and more.
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Arctic Region
commentary
No Need to Read Between the Lines: How Clear Shifts in Nordic Strategies Create Opportunities for the United States to Enhance Arctic Security
Jalen Zeman
Sep 15, 2021
The RAND Blog
Norway, Sweden, and Finland have dramatically shifted their plans and actions in response to Russian threats in the European Arctic. This change could provide an opportunity for the United States to further strengthen cooperation, enhancing security and better countering Russia in the region.
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Employment and Unemployment
commentary
Will Unemployment Insurance Be Reformed? Ask Businesses, Not Workers
Kathryn A. Edwards @keds_economist
Sep 15, 2021
New York Times
The expiration of pandemic benefits points to the flaw at the heart of unemployment insurance: The constituency that pays for benefits isn't the constituency who receives them. Lasting reform to the unemployment insurance system will mean finding a way to benefit employers directly.
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September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks
commentary
The Guilt I Carry Over 9/11 Drives Me to Help Others
Jonathan P. Wong @jonpwong
Sep 13, 2021
San Diego Union-Tribune
RAND policy researcher and U.S. military veteran Jonathan Wong reflects on how the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks have influenced how he has lived his life since that day.
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Emergency Preparedness
commentary
Hurricane Ida Is Part of a Cycle of Disasters—Mitigating Their Impact Means Building Back Better
Jay Balagna, Aaron Clark-Ginsberg @aclarkginsberg
Sep 13, 2021
CNN
Building back better means focusing on recovery that not only restores damage from a disaster but also reduces future risk. To meet that goal today, we need to look at the ways our disaster preparedness and response systems actually create risk themselves, by reinforcing things like wealth inequality, systemic discrimination, or access to crucial services.
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Belarus
commentary
Moscow Hesitated in Poland—Will It in Belarus?
William Courtney @courtneywmh
Sep 13, 2021
The Hill
Forty years ago, Russia used a major military exercise in part to scare Poland's communist leaders into cracking down on protesters. A similar Russian exercise now could be aimed in part at pressuring Belarus. If so, the West could respond in several ways.
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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
blog
Boosting Vaccine Acceptance, Afghanistan's Refugee Crisis, Environmental Racism: RAND Weekly Recap
Sep 10, 2021
This weekly recap focuses on addressing vaccine hesitancy, preventing an even-bigger humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, and how to develop antiracist environmental policies.
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Racial Discrimination
q&a
The Compounding Effects of Racism: Q&A with James Anderson, Rachel Perera, and Heather Gomez-Bendaña
James M. Anderson, Rachel Perera, Heather Gomez-Bendaña, Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich
Sep 10, 2021
RAND's James Anderson, Rachel Perera, and Heather Gomez-Bendaña are working to create an interactive tool that illustrates how the effects of bias compound over time. Their aim is to improve understanding of how seemingly small disparities can add up to create significant inequality.
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Environmental Regulation
commentary
Achieving Decarbonization and Energy Equity Through Reconciliation
Liam Regan, Benjamin Lee Preston @bl_preston
Sep 9, 2021
United Press International
The past two years have witnessed increasingly vocal calls for rapid decarbonization of the global economy through a clean energy transition. How can Congress ensure that new costs associated with a clean energy transition do not fall disproportionately on lower-income ratepayers?
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Public Health
commentary
Tech Assets Might Help Make Public Health Data More Equity-Centered
Douglas Yeung @DouglasCYeung, Christopher Nelson, Tara Laila Blagg
Sep 9, 2021
Inside Sources
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified broad societal inequities and trained a spotlight on the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. public health system. What would more equity-centered, tech-engaged public health data look like?
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