April 2015

Egypt

commentary
Seduced by a Strongman?
It is not true that domestic politics can be quarantined from foreign policy. In fact, Egypt's domestic and foreign policies are becoming more entangled by the day. And that bleed-over should raise concerns.
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Apr 30, 2015
Jeffrey Martini

Drug Policy and Trends

commentary
Unprecedented Changes in Marijuana Policy
The marijuana policy landscape changed dramatically in 2014. Legal sales for nonmedical purposes began in Colorado and in Washington state. Voters in Washington, D.C., Alaska, and Oregon passed initiatives to liberalize their marijuana laws. Uruguay also started implementing its marijuana legalization law.
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Apr 30, 2015
Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer
commentary
The Forgotten Cornerstone in the Immigration Reform Debate
The Executive Office for Immigration Review manages the U.S. immigration court system and thereby plays a pivotal role in assuring the timely processing of foreign nationals and the security of the nation and its borders. It should not be left out of discussions of immigration reform.
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Apr 30, 2015
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein, Martina L. Melliand
Security Cooperation

commentary
Shinzo Abe Visit Caps New Dawn in U.S.-Japan Relations
A shift toward “collective self-defense” will allow Japan to take joint military action with its allies even when it is not directly attacked and thereby participate in security measures beyond its borders. Prime Minister Abe's trip to Washington this week is intended to cement Japan's deepening bilateral security alliance with the U.S.
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Apr 30, 2015
K. Jack Riley @K_Jack_Riley, Scott W. Harold
Traumatic Brain Injury

commentary
Traumatic Brain Injury Isn't Just an NFL Problem
Chris Borland retired early out of concern for his long-term mental and emotional health as a result of football's well-documented link to traumatic brain injury. Hopefully, his bold move will lead to better prevention and treatment of brain trauma in football, but it is also an issue for young athletes, military veterans, and others.
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Apr 30, 2015
Terri Tanielian
Afghanistan

commentary
The Afghan Warlord with a Cheshire Cat Grin
Matiullah Khan was an Afghan militia leader turned police chief whose rise to power demonstrated both the dangers and opportunities posed by the lack of governance in Afghanistan. The victim of a Taliban suicide bomber, his death left a power vacuum that persists today. His successor, Gulab Khan, was murdered last week.
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Apr 30, 2015
S. Rebecca Zimmerman
Health and Wellness Promotion

commentary
Wellbeing Project to Weave Science Into Government Decisions
Wellbeing is about individuals having the skills and opportunity to live a meaningful life. There are countless things that cities do that either contribute or detract from that sense of meaning. Santa Monica's Wellbeing Project is working to fundamentally change how the government thinks about its citizens.
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Apr 29, 2015
Anita Chandra
Workforce Diversity

blog
Scientific Workforce Diversity: A Conversation with Raynard Kington
Grinnell College president and RAND alumnus Raynard Kington discusses the need for (and reality of) diversity in the biomedical scientific workforce.
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Apr 28, 2015
Energy Consumption

essay
Power to the People: How Smart Grids Can Change the Way We Live
A modernized, 'smart' grid could change how much you pay for electricity, where it comes from, and how likely you are to lose it in a summer storm. But has the reality of the smart grid kept pace with the promise?
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Apr 27, 2015
Underage Substance Use Prevention

commentary
What Works in Early Life to Prevent Tobacco and Alcohol Addiction?
Tobacco and alcohol addiction are widespread public health risks across the European Union. Both merit tackling at a young age. Evidence-based, early interventions are available that can be applied in small-scale settings to prevent underage alcohol and tobacco abuse.
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Apr 23, 2015
Daniel Schweppenstedde
Patient Experience

commentary
More Long-Term Health Conditions, Poorer Health Care Experiences
Patients with multiple long-term health conditions are more likely to report poorer experiences in primary care than those with fewer health problems. A patient-centered model that takes into account the severity of disease — and the impact of combinations of diseases, on patient quality of life and health care experiences — could make a difference.
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Apr 23, 2015
Catherine L. Saunders, Charlotte Paddison
Migrants

commentary
What Does It Take to Rescue Migrants at Sea?
European Union leaders gathered today for an emergency summit to discuss a concerted response to the humanitarian disaster unfolding in the Mediterranean Sea. As a former officer serving aboard an Italian Navy warship deployed in Operation Mare Nostrum in November 2013, Giacomo Persi Paoli is well aware of the challenges.
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Apr 23, 2015
Giacomo Persi Paoli
United States Department of Defense

commentary
Fixes for Risk Assessment in Defense
Defense Department approaches to risk management could be improved if they focused on complex strategic judgments — questions on which information is imperfect, dozens of variables interact in nonlinear ways, and human choice and agency generate unpredictable patterns.
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Apr 22, 2015
Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr
United Kingdom

commentary
Letter from London
There is evidence of decisiveness and clarity in the UK's foreign policy outlook. Yet there is also ambivalence, partly explained by preelection domestic politics, some aspects of which challenge the very notion of the UK as a unitary foreign policy actor.
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Apr 21, 2015
Paul Cornish
Threat Assessment

commentary
Rethinking Risk in Defense
The way the United States uses risk in national security has too often been ill-defined and misleading. The country needs a more focused and precise understanding of risk at the highest levels. In the process of developing one, risk processes should be judged by how they contribute to the making of effective strategy.
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Apr 20, 2015
Michael J. Mazarr @MMazarr
Russia

commentary
Putin: Eyes Wide Shut
The Russia that the United States faces today is more assertive and more unpredictable—and thus, in many ways, more dangerous—than the Russia that the U.S. confronted during the latter part of the Cold War.
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Apr 20, 2015
F. Stephen Larrabee