2013

commentary

The FDA Ban on Trans Fat Should Be Just the Beginning

Most people lack the information they need to judge or track the quantity and quality of the nutrients they consume. The FDA should take a disease prevention approach — as it is currently doing with trans fat — in promoting standards that address how all foods are prepared and served away from home.

Deborah A. Cohen

commentary

Just Ignore Karzai and Press On

As important as a bilateral security agreement is to formalize America's long-term presence in Afghanistan. The current draft doesn't spell out the details of a U.S. military presence after 2014, including the size, composition, and strategy of U.S. forces. Those details are what matter most.

Seth G. Jones

commentary

Innovation and America's 21st Century Air Force

Lost in the US defense budget debates are deeper issues about the relationship between the military and American society. In many ways, these issues are especially stark for the Air Force. Can the US Air Force improve this connection?

Paula G. Thornhill

commentary

To Eliminate the 'Readiness Gap,' Preschool Is Just the Beginning

Preschool for four-year-olds should be as common as kindergarten is for five-year-olds. Ultimately, the goal should be the elimination of the readiness gap through expanded access to preschool, written materials in the home, and technology that could improve delivery of such materials.

Michael D. Rich @michaeldrich

q&a

Quick Takes: The Convenience Revolution in the Treatment of Minor Health Problems

Convenient options for treating minor health problems are an important new feature of the health care landscape. Ateev Mehrotra discusses these options and their implications for the medical marketplace.

commentary

Here's to Our Health

Atop the new mayor's agenda should be improving the health and well-being of Pittsburgh residents. With an unassailable electoral mandate in hand, Mr. Peduto is positioned to take bold steps. And the best way to do that is by applying scientific and medical evidence to shape an integrated, citywide, health-policy framework.

Tamara Dubowitz @TamaraDubowitz, Anita Chandra, et al.

commentary

A First Step in Geneva

The Geneva agreement is only a first step toward a comprehensive deal but it is an important achievement. Iran's ability to move toward a nuclear weapons breakout capability has been halted in return for limited sanctions relief.

Alireza Nader

commentary

Playing Good Cop, Bad Cop with Iran

On the one hand, U.S. negotiators must convince their Iranian counterparts that the United States is serious about offering genuine sanctions relief in return for Tehran making concessions on its nuclear ambitions. On the other hand, the negotiating team must also assuage the concerns of allies and members of Congress.

Jeffrey Martini

commentary

We're Close to a Good Deal with Iran. Why Sabotage It?

It appears that Iran and the P5+1 are close to agreeing for Tehran to suspend major aspects of its program, including the enrichment of uranium to a medium level of 20 percent, and installation of more advanced centrifuges, in return for reversible and limited easing of sanctions.

Alireza Nader

commentary

Can the Affordable Care Act Help Asthma Sufferers Breathe Easier?

ACA reforms can potentially address barriers that get in the way of individuals with asthma getting the care they need. At the population level, the law has the potential to improve outcomes and efficiency and equity of services for chronic conditions such as asthma for which cost-effective preventive treatments exist.

Marielena Lara

commentary

Are County Masking Requirements the Future of Influenza Prevention?

If it doesn't seem that state laws as currently written can help increase the number of health care workers vaccinated against influenza, then what can? There is evidence that imposing consequences for vaccination refusal, including the requirement to wear a surgical mask, can help.

Dmitry Khodyakov, Lori Uscher-Pines, et al.

blog

U.S. Air Force Academy Presents Natalie Crawford with Thomas D. White National Defense Award

RAND Senior Fellow Natalie Crawford received the U.S. Air Force Academy's 2012 Thomas D. White National Defense Award for her significant contributions to national security. Previous award winners include the Air Force's first chief of staff, General Carl Spaatz, and actor Bob Hope.

blog

Cognitive Tutor: Encouraging Signs for Computers in the Classroom

A first-year algebra curriculum that blends tutoring software with conventional textbook learning had a positive effect for high school algebra students. Researchers found significant improvements—a change equivalent to moving from the 50th percentile to the 58th on an algebra posttest.

commentary

An Inexpensive Prescription for Medicare

If Congress wants to save Medicare, it can start by driving waste and excess out of the system. This can be done without impoverishing patients or driving doctors out of business, if physicians are willing to practice smarter, more efficient medicine. Spending on prescription drugs is a case in point. 

Walid F. Gellad

commentary

They Also Serve: Understanding the Needs of Military Caregivers

Military families play a critical role in supporting U.S. servicemembers during deployment and afterwards. Equally vital but often less visible is the role played by those who care for the servicemembers who return with disabling injuries or illnesses and require long-term support beyond what the formal health care system provides.

Rajeev Ramchand @RRamchand, Terri Tanielian