Natural Hazards

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Teacher Pay, the Costs of Insomnia, Wildfire Prevention: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on teachers' dissatisfaction with their pay and work hours, the staggering costs of insomnia, connections between wildfires and food insecurity., and more.

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It's Time to Take Societal Resilience Seriously

To build the societal resilience required to respond effectively to everything from climate-related emergencies to pandemics, to intentional state-on-state attacks, and disinformation, a joint approach is needed, not only across government, but across wider society.

Rebecca Lucas

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After Maui Fires, Food Security Is a Major Concern and Opportunity

The full impact of the deadly Maui fires on food resilience strategies remains to be seen. But the disaster highlights an urgent need for a systems-based approach to address both food security and wildfire prevention.

Lena Easton-Calabria

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The State of Public Education, the Opioid Crisis, Defending Taiwan: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the state of public education in America right now, a missing piece of the strategy for addressing the opioid crisis, emerging technology that could help defend Taiwan, and more.

commentary

Much of the Damage in Maui Will Be Invisible, but Very Real

In addition to decimating buildings and other infrastructure, disasters also destroy human capital, the collective knowledge and skills that drive individual economic earnings, as well as regional economic growth. Failing to address these more-hidden damages is incredibly costly.

Isaac M. Opper

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Maui Wildfires, Regulating AI, Ukraine's Civilian Resistance: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the invisible damage of Maui’s wildfires, making the artificial intelligence supply chain safer, how Ukrainian civilians resist Russia, and more.

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Russia's Frontlines, India's 'Power' Moves, Food Security: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on dysfunction on Russia’s front lines, India’s regional diplomacy, stopping mass shooters who seek fame, and more.

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Climate Security Is National Security

Mitigating the effects of climate change will require a whole-of-government approach and a redefinition of national security to embrace a more panoramic set of risks. Government officials are saying lots of the right things. But is it being done, and done quickly enough?

Andrew R. Hoehn @AndyHoehn, Thom Shanker

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Reconstructing Ukraine, Wildfires, Telehealth: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on reconstructing Ukraine, what to do about wildfires, virtual mental health care services, and more.

commentary

We Aren't Helpless in the Face of Increasing Fires and Smoke

Modernizing, better funding, and expanding wildland firefighting forces in North America won't make fires or smoke magically disappear. A massive paradigm shift is necessary. But it's clear something needs to happen immediately too.

Jay Balagna

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RAND Turns 75: A Look Through the Decades At World-Changing Research

From anticipating the Space Age in the 1940s to studying gun policy and COVID-19 responses in the 2020s, RAND is celebrating 75 years of research that has made a difference.

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Opioids in America, Silicon Valley Bank, Semiconductors: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on addressing America's illicit opioids problem, Silicon Valley Bank’s demise, Taiwan’s semiconductor dominance, and more.

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An Early Warning System for Landslides Protects Sitka, Alaska

A 2015 landslide that killed three people in Sitka, Alaska, changed how residents looked at the steep hills all around them. The community worked with researchers to develop a warning system to prevent such tragedies in the future.

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Earthquake in Turkey and Syria, Facial Recognition, Gun Violence: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, regulating the use of facial recognition technology by law enforcement, improving data collection on gun violence, and more.

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Earthquake in Turkey, Syria: Insights from RAND Researchers

Thousands of people have been confirmed dead in one the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey and Syria in the past century. As search-and-rescue missions ended and recovery began, a handful of RAND researchers shared some of their initial thoughts.