United States

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North Korea and China Aren't the Allies You Think They Are

China and North Korea have a history of friction, despite being seen as allies. As Russia, China, and North Korea move toward a closer trilateral partnership, the United States and its allies need to recognize that there are seams in the relationships that can be used to undermine it.

Bruce W. Bennett @bwbennett

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UFO Research Is Only Harmed by Antigovernment Rhetoric

There is an undercurrent of conspiracy theory and, relatedly, antigovernment sentiment brewing around the issue of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). If it grows, it could prove toxic to any factual and scientific discussion of UAPs.

Marek N. Posard @mnposard, Caitlin McCulloch

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Escalation in Ukraine, a Trilateral Imperialist Threat, Disaster Recovery: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the risk of escalation in Ukraine, the threat of a North-Korea-Russia-China partnership, the economics of disaster recovery, and more.

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Cyber Attacks Reveal Uncomfortable Truths About U.S. Defenses

Without government investments and policies to drive transparency and a clear understanding of what cybersecurity tools do, how well they work, and how securely they are built, the United States risks continuing to offer its adversaries the means to undermine its systems and, ultimately, its security.

Chad Heitzenrater

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Disaster Recovery Creates Its Own Bubble

Shortages of workers and materials inevitably make rebuilding slower and more expensive after a natural disaster. In Maui, this is likely to be a problem for agencies like FEMA that provide public assistance. But it will also be a problem for individual households if private insurance payouts are insufficient to rebuild.

Aaron Strong @resourceecon

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Looking Beyond the War: Planning for Ukraine's Reconstruction

More certain than the outcome of the war is the need for an extensive post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. It is likely to be the largest post-war rebuilding effort since the one in Europe after World War Two. The United States and its allies and partners have an intense interest in the success of reconstruction.

Charles P. Ries @charles_ries, Howard J. Shatz @HowardJShatz

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The Strawman Defense Is Torching Taiwan's Military

There are many reasons why the political future of Taiwan Strait relations is uncertain, but the military considerations for Taiwan are much more straightforward. Taiwan should invest in capabilities that are highly survivable and potent against a potential attack from mainland China.

Michael J. Lostumbo

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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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Separate U.S. Alliances in East Asia Are Obsolete

Washington manages its alliances with Tokyo and Seoul separately. But growing South Korean and Japanese military capabilities make a conversation about more integration unavoidable.

Christopher B. Johnstone, Jeffrey W. Hornung

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How to Put RAND Findings on Veteran Support for Extremism in Context

A RAND survey found that U.S. veterans appeared to support extremist groups at a rate lower than the general population. In contrast, a new University of Maryland study found that veteran status was the most prominent characteristic among extremists involved in terrorism attacks with four or more victims.

Todd C. Helmus @Helmus, Ryan Andrew Brown, et al.

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The Four-Day School Week, AI and Social Media Manipulation, School Safety: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the costs and benefits of a four-day school week, how artificial intelligence is bringing a new era of social media manipulation, the effects of placing police officers in schools, and more.

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U.S. and Israel on Parallel Paths

From the political roles of religious fundamentalism, to the inability of either side to find compromise with the other, to leaders facing legal struggles, the United States and Israel have a lot in common.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

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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 Solution to Telemedicine Prescribing of Buprenorphine Seems Clear to Everyone but DEA

For more than a decade, Congress, clinicians, and policymakers have been requesting implementation of a special registration pathway that would allow registered clinicians to prescribe buprenorphine without an in-person visit requirement. It's clear to us that the time to implement the pathway is now.

Lori Uscher-Pines, Haiden A. Huskamp, et al.

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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.