August 2014

commentary

A Diplomatic Solution for Ukraine

Despite uncertainty about Russian military plans and the outcome of Ukrainian operations against pro-Russian separatists, it's not too soon to consider how to lay the foundations for a negotiated solution. If Moscow were unwilling to reach a fair settlement, the West would have options to increase its leverage.

Ian Bond, Denis Corboy, et al.

announcement

Brian Michael Jenkins Joins Elite Panel on Domestic Intelligence Gathering

The "Blue Ribbon Panel" will preside over work by a Business Executives for National Security task force to determine whether post-9/11 reforms have kept pace with evolving threats to homeland security.

commentary

Foreign Fighters Are a Global Threat

The threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters cannot be resolved by the United States, or any ally, working alone. It calls for broad international cooperation on law enforcement, intelligence sharing and other areas for many years to come.

Christopher S. Chivvis

commentary

Germs Go Back to School, Too: Five Ways to Protect Your Kids

With kids working and playing in close contact and sharing supplies and equipment, schools can be hotbeds for infection. Each year, K-12 students miss about 60 million school days due to colds and the flu combined. But these five approaches can help reduce their chance of spreading infections and getting sick.

Jeanne S. Ringel @JeanneRingel

commentary

Meeting the Caregivers Challenge

Ill or injured military personnel and veterans and people with dementia are unique populations, but they give us a preview of the enormous long-term care challenges Americans will face in the decades to come.

Emily K. Chen, Jeffrey Wasserman

commentary

Women's Menstrual Hygiene in India: The Health and Environmental Implications

According to India's 2011 census, 89 percent of the nation's rural population lives in households that lack toilets. This absence of proper sanitation presents public health challenges and affects Indian women disproportionately.

Mahlet Atakilt Woldetsadik

commentary

Flexibility Is Key in Administration's Call for Teacher Equity Plans

Metrics like teacher experience and licensure reveal little about teachers' impact on student learning. The focus should be on disadvantaged students' access to effective teachers.

Jennifer L. Steele, John Engberg, et al.

commentary

Data Key to Tackling Racial Profiling in Ferguson

Authorities in Ferguson would be wise to consider following Cincinnati's example in dealing with mistrust between police and citizens after the police shooting of a young black man. The city embarked on a thorough examination of racial profiling by its police force and took steps to deal with the perception that bias was influencing the way police officers performed their duties.

K. Jack Riley @K_Jack_Riley

commentary

Make Russia an Offer on Ukraine It Can't Refuse

An international initiative that does not appear to emanate from NATO or the EU could help bring Russia to the table, in part by accepting that Moscow, too, has a role. An international peacekeeping force could open the way for a negotiated end to the conflict.

Olga Oliker, Keith Crane

blog

Pardee RAND Promotes Diversity in Public Policy Through Summer Faculty Workshop

The Pardee RAND summer faculty workshop aims to help scholars who teach at historically black colleges and universities strengthen their approach to research and bring new analytic thinking, tools, and practices back to their students, inspiring them to pursue graduate education and careers in public policy.

commentary

Taking It One Crisis at a Time

The main difference between the immediate post-Cold War decade and the post-9/11 era as regards the variety of international challenges is that during that earlier period these challenges were faced and dealt with seriatim, rather than allowed to accumulate.

James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins

commentary

Mending the Marriage Between Colleges and the Military

Without a concerted effort to change military executive education, military services will continue a misguided effort to buy academic credibility, and some elite universities will continue selling their names. Most importantly, the Untied States will miss an opportunity to hone the critical thinking of its next generation of military leaders.

Paula G. Thornhill

commentary

Disrupting Terrorist Safe Havens

Disrupting the terrorist safe havens in Syria and Iraq would require a balanced approach that makes the business of terrorist planning and training difficult without entangling U.S. forces in new conflicts and angering the very populations the United States seeks to assist.

Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

blog

Andrew Parasiliti Named Director of Center for Global Risk and Security at RAND

Andrew Parasiliti, former editor in chief of Al-Monitor.com, has been named director of the Center for Global Risk and Security. His background also includes appointments as executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies-US and Corresponding Director, IISS-Middle East.

commentary

Always Hungry? Here's the Real Reason Why

The problem of obesity cannot be attributed to a single dietary or physiological factor, like too much sugar, too much fat, or even factors like viruses, bacteria, and endocrine disrupters. The real problem is that Americans now live in a food swamp and there is just too much food easily available.

Deborah A. Cohen