The RAND Blog

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Veterans Need to Share Their Stories

In his book War and Homecoming: Veteran Identity and the Post-9/11 Generation, Travis Martin explores how veterans see themselves—and how that is influenced by the way civilians see them. He delves into stereotypes of military service, then argues that veterans can craft their own identities by telling their own stories.

Kayla M. Williams @KWilliams101

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How COVID-19 Transformed the Jobs Market

The COVID-19 pandemic initially devastated the U.S. economy. It also exposed and exacerbated existing inequities in society. But in as yet unpredictable ways, it may have accelerated profound changes in how labor works today.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

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Keeping Teachers of Color in the Classroom Will Take More Than a Pay Raise

All students—but particularly Black and Latinx students—benefit academically and socially from having teachers who are people of color. Policymakers and education leaders can help these teachers stay in the profession by making teaching more financially sustainable and fostering collegial relationships within school communities.

Elizabeth D. Steiner @ED_Steiner, Ashley Woo, et al.

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Politics of Ukrainian Reconstruction

When fighting subsides, Ukraine may undergo reconstruction on the scale of the post–World War II Marshall Plan. Debate is ramping up about core issues, such as the scope of reconstruction, sources of funding, and reforms needed for success. Ukraine and the West might begin now to forge consensus on these issues.

Howard J. Shatz @HowardJShatz, Khrystyna Holynska, et al.

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Intelligence Work Is Exciting. And Traumatizing

The intelligence community needs to communicate to its workforce about the varied forms of trauma, how it affects individuals, and what resources exist to help. Protecting the intelligence workforce can help protect us all.

Heather J. Williams @HeatherJWill

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Five Factors to Watch as the Chinese Communist Party Faces Protests

It may be too soon to compare protests against China's zero-COVID policy to the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement. But looking back to 1989 still provides valuable insights into what might happen next.

Amanda Kerrigan

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As F-15s Leave Okinawa, an Opportunity to Change Indo-Pacific Air Tactics with Unmanned Options

As it considers its future force mix and posture in the Indo-Pacific region and elsewhere, the U.S. Air Force has options that go beyond traditional platforms. Among them are rapidly maturing concepts for generating and sustaining high-tempo operations in forward areas with autonomous, runway-independent air vehicles.

David A. Ochmanek

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Ukraine's Lessons for the Future of Hybrid Warfare

A new decision-analysis approach is necessary to capture the use of disinformation in the context of hybrid warfare. Multiple tools must be integrated to help generate a robust policy response to modern hybrid threats.

Weilong Kong, Timothy Marler

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Measure ULA Reflects the Wrong Lessons from Proposition HHH

Los Angeles voters approved the so-called “mansion tax,” Measure ULA, which proponents suggested will raise funds for about 26,000 new units of affordable housing over the next decade. But a key labor provision casts doubt on that optimistic projection.

Jason M. Ward @jason_m_ward

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Export Controls Give ASML and the Netherlands an Opportunity to Lead by Example. Will They Take It?

Dutch tech company ASML makes the complex machines required to construct advanced microchips, and it sells many of these machines to China. Harmonization of export controls between the United States and the Netherlands could limit China's development of military technologies and its human rights abuses.

Martijn Rasser, Jason Matheny @JasonGMatheny

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Taiwan, Putin's Holy War, Mining the Moon: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on why China likely won't attack Taiwan anytime soon, Vladimir Putin's “holy war” in Ukraine, why it's time to make rules for space-mining, and more.

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What's the Harm in Talking to Russia? A Lot, Actually

Despite the way it is commonly portrayed, diplomacy is not intrinsically and always good, nor is it cost-free. In the Ukraine conflict, the problems with a push for diplomacy are especially apparent. The likely benefits of negotiations are minimal, and the prospective costs could be significant.

Raphael S. Cohen, Gian Gentile

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Russian Aircraft Keep Crashing. Could Sanctions Be the Cause?

At least six fixed-wing Russian aircraft have crashed over Russian-controlled airspace since September. Sanctions placed on Russia by the West could well be affecting Russia's ability to manufacture and maintain parts needed to keep aircraft safe.

Michael Bohnert @mbohnert

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Working Moms' Winter Math Is Getting Tougher

Working mothers remain disproportionately responsible for raising children, and no one can work and take care of sick kids at the same time. In the coming months, the tripledemic of COVID, the flu, and RSV will pull a lot of working mothers out of the office for days at a stretch, compounding the obstacles that women already face.

Kathryn A. Edwards @keds_economist

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Informing the Debate About Telemedicine Reimbursement: What Do We Need to Know?

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. payers and policymakers broadly expanded payment for telemedicine services and relaxed many regulations. To decide the long-term fate of pandemic-era temporary telemedicine, policymakers should consider the effects of telemedicine on health care spending, patient outcomes, and health equity.

Ateev Mehrotra, Lori Uscher-Pines