April 2013

Health Care Program Evaluation
blog
Getting To Outcomes: Improvement of Prevention Capacity Unveiled at a Summit of Maine Officials and Stakeholders
Matthew Chinman, Joie D. Acosta, Patricia A. Ebener
Apr 29, 2013
Community-based practitioners can improve their programs using Getting To Outcomes®, a toolkit, training, and onsite-support package which enhances their ability to prevent drug and alcohol use among youth.
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Alzheimer's Disease and Dementias
commentary
Dementia's Growing Cost to Caregivers
Kathleen J. Mullen
Apr 29, 2013
the RWJF's Human Capital Blog
At the rate that the U.S. population is aging, the total cost of dementia could reach half a trillion dollars a year by 2040. Those who care for impaired relatives and friends are acutely aware of the effects of dementia, and unfortunately they are all too familiar with its costs, writes Kathleen J. Mullen.
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Medicaid
commentary
Governors Missing the Point on Medicaid
Carter C. Price @CarterCPrice
Apr 29, 2013
CNN
While a governor or legislator may disagree with Medicaid expansion for philosophical reasons, the claims that the expansion will be a burden on states' economies seem misguided given the full range of projected economic impacts on the states, writes Carter C. Price.
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Cannabis
commentary
7 Key Questions on Marijuana Legalization
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
Apr 26, 2013
USA Today
Policymakers in Washington and Colorado are confronting some new and tricky issues that have never been addressed. For them, and for anyone else thinking about changing their pot laws, there are seven key decision areas that will shape the costs and benefits of marijuana legalization.
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Drug Policy and Trends
blog
Ask Me Anything: Beau Kilmer Answers Drug Policy Questions on Reddit
Apr 26, 2013
Beau Kilmer, co-director of the RAND Drug Policy Research Center and coauthor of Marijuana Legalization: What Everyone Needs to Know, hosted an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session on Reddit this week.
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International Diplomacy
commentary
Why Iran Is Trying to Save the Syrian Regime
Alireza Nader
Apr 25, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
Tehran views Syria as a strategic gateway to the Arab world, a bulwark against American and Israeli power, and, perhaps most importantly, a crucial link to Lebanese Hezbollah, writes Alireza Nader.
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Decisionmaking
commentary
Put Peer Review Under Review
Steven Wooding
Apr 25, 2013
Research Europe
The progress of science and technology shows that good research does get funded—but it doesn’t show that peer review is the best way to select it, writes Steven Wooding.
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Emergency Preparedness
commentary
Lessons from Boston
Arthur L. Kellermann, Kobi Peleg
Apr 25, 2013
New England Journal of Medicine
Boston's health care providers reacted the way they did because they knew what they were supposed to do. Those who did not were smart enough to follow the lead of those who did. That's how a “ritualized” disaster plan works.
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Infectious Diseases
commentary
The Economic Promise of Malaria Reduction
Priscillia Hunt, Stijn Hoorens @StijnHoorens, Erez Yerushalmi
Apr 24, 2013
The RAND Blog
Better understanding of how malaria reduction affects different households, regions, and economic sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa could allow policymakers to assess alternative intervention strategies and allocate resources more efficiently and effectively.
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Russia
commentary
Tsarnaev Brothers' Impact on U.S.-Russian Counterterrorism Cooperation
Andrew S. Weiss
Apr 23, 2013
The Daily Beast
Unfortunately, since 9/11, the ups and downs in U.S.-Russian counterterrorism cooperation have mirrored the unsteady relationship between the two countries, writes Andrew S. Weiss.
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Religion and Civil Society
commentary
Can Catholic Colleges Block Free Condom Distribution?
Chloe E. Bird @ChloeBirdPhD
Apr 23, 2013
Ms. Magazine
If this issue were to be decided on the basis of public health benefits, the outcome would be clear: Condoms indisputably prevent both unintended pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections, writes Chloe Bird.
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commentary
Labor and Opposition in Iran
Alireza Nader, Leila Mahnad
Apr 22, 2013
Foreign Policy
The economic pains caused by the Iranian regime's mismanagement, corruption, and international sanctions have dealt serious blows to worker wages, benefits, and job security — enough reason for Iranian laborers to organize and oppose the regime.
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Emergency Preparedness
commentary
Reacting to Boston
Henry H. Willis @HenryHWillis
Apr 22, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
Basing public safety decisions on risk analysis allows authorities to devote public resources to those counterterrorism measures that have the potential to do the most good, writes Henry Willis.
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Academic Achievement
commentary
Are High-Stakes Tests Counterproductive?
Laura S. Hamilton, Gabriella C. Gonzalez
Apr 22, 2013
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
If we want testing to exert beneficial effects on teaching and learning, we need to advocate for higher-quality tests and for evaluation and accountability systems that use multiple measures and do not rely exclusively on test scores, write Laura Hamilton and Gabriella C. Gonzalez.
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Counterterrorism
commentary
The Day After
Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins
Apr 19, 2013
Slate
The risk of overreaching in the name of homeland security is great. But the best and most likely outcome of this latest attack would be a measured security response built around Americans engaging anew in their own security, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.
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Transportation Economics
commentary
Consider Taxing Miles Traveled
Keith Crane
Apr 19, 2013
Wall Street Journal Online
Mileage-fee rates could be structured to reduce congestion, harmful emissions and excessive road wear, and the enabling technology could support a range of value-added services offering greater convenience and safety for motorists, writes Keith Crane.
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