Law and Business

commentary

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

commentary

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

commentary

Is Seabed Mining an Opportunity to Break China's Stranglehold on Critical Minerals Supply Chains?

China dominates global supply chains for nearly all critical mineral resources, including the rare earths that power decarbonization technologies. Seabed mining may be a way to diversify critical minerals supply chains and break China's stranglehold on supplies of some of the world's most important natural resources.

Tom LaTourrette

commentary

How Russia's War in Ukraine Has Impacted Its Christian Image

Over the past decade, the Russian government has taken pains to present itself as a bastion of Christianity and traditional values. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, however, there have been noticeable cracks in the receptivity to this messaging strategy.

Ryan Bauer

commentary

Emerging Domestic Battery Supply Chain Should Be Wary of China's Information Ops

China has a huge stake in producing lithium-ion batteries, and is not above waging disinformation campaigns against U.S. firms involved in the battery supply chain. Extraction sector companies could work with cybersecurity experts and the U.S. intelligence community to educate their executives and local governments about any foreign disinformation risks.

Fabian Villalobos @doktor_wolfhaus

commentary

Cannabis Legalization in Europe: Planning Ahead

Since 2012, multiple jurisdictions have changed their laws to legalize the production, possession, and use of cannabis for nonmedical purposes. While most of these changes took place in the Americas, there are signs that the European legal landscape might be changing, too.

Mafalda Pardal @PardalMafalda

commentary

Green Jobs and Skills Development for Disadvantaged Groups

Many countries have plans to increase green job opportunities. To make sure that everyone can benefit from this promised green transition, it is important to understand how people with low qualifications, and other marginalised groups, might be able to access green jobs.

Joanna Hofman @JoannaBHofman

commentary

Santa Monica's 'Builder's Remedy' Experiment Holds Lessons for the Region

More than 124 municipalities across Southern California are struggling to meet their state housing allocations. When Santa Monica fell out of compliance with state housing law, this triggered what is known as the ”builder's remedy“ and created a revealing natural experiment.

Jason M. Ward @jason_m_ward

commentary

America's Pacific Island Summit: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The United States hosted its first Pacific Islands Summit in September. Pacific Island leaders and observers from over a dozen states participated in the event and pledged to jointly tackle various challenges. But this historic summit was hardly an absolute success, and should be put within its proper context.

Derek Grossman @DerekJGrossman

commentary

Medicare Drug Price Negotiation: Key Decisions to Reach a 'Fair Price'

Government negotiation of Medicare drug prices—even for a small set of older, single-source drugs—is a remarkable policy development. But how exactly will the government do it?

Andrew W. Mulcahy @AndrewWMulcahy

essay

How Veterans Fare in the Civilian Labor Market

Around 200,000 service members transition to the civilian labor market every year. They often find it's like falling into another dimension, one where employers don't even speak the same language. More than a decade of RAND research has sought to ease that transition.

commentary

The Iran Protests: A Crossroads in Governance?

Iran has seen large-scale protests in response to the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of the Iranian morality police in September. But are these protests the spark that will usher in a democratic form of governance in Iran?

Karishma R. Mehta

commentary

Enhance U.S. Rare Earth Security Through International Cooperation

Most rare earth elements and materials are sourced from overseas but China dominates extraction and processing. With closer multinational cooperation, the United States and its allies and partners could reduce vulnerabilities due to the dependency on China.

Marta Kepe @martakepe, Fabian Villalobos @doktor_wolfhaus

essay

Dog Tag Bakery: A Fresh Start for Veterans

A bakery in Washington, D.C., brings together service-disabled post–9/11 veterans, military spouses, and caregivers. For five months, they are immersed in an intensive entrepreneurial-focused business program. It's become a model for helping veterans and others in the military community reestablish their lives.

q&a

Army Lessons and Organizational Change: Q&A with Dwayne Butler

Before coming to RAND, Dwayne Butler served in the U.S. Army for 20 years. In this interview, he discusses how his military career prepared him for the research he is doing now on organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion.