October 2019

commentary

Our Future Lies in Making AI Robust and Verifiable

We are hurtling towards a future in which AI is omnipresent. This AI-enabled future is blinding in its possibilities for prosperity, security, and well-being. Yet, it is also crippling in its fragility. What might it take for it all to come to a screeching halt?

Danielle C. Tarraf

commentary

Treating Breast Cancer Is Not Just About the Disease: Its Wider Impacts Need to Be Considered, Too

Successes in the early treatment of breast cancer are to be celebrated. But those achievements need not limit the development of further and better treatment for patients. Understanding the disease's wider effects could help bring this about.

Daniela Rodriguez-Rincon, Catriona Manville

q&a

The Science of Climate Policy: Q&A with Benjamin Preston

Benjamin Preston, a senior policy researcher and director of RAND's Community Health and Environmental Policy Program, specializes in climate risk and adaptation, disaster recovery, and resilience. In this Q&A, he discusses common misperceptions about climate change and how to decarbonize the U.S. economy.

commentary

Restorative Justice Isn't a Panacea, but It Can Promote Better Relationships Among Students

Restorative practices aren't necessarily a cure-all. But if implemented well, they can contribute to an overall solution. Teaching children to treat one another with respect has the potential to make schools safer and to help kids get along better throughout their lives.

Joie D. Acosta, Matthew Chinman, et al.

commentary

How the U.S. Withdrawal from Syria Provides a Boost to ISIS

President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria could provide the ISIS terrorist group with the time and space to regrow its organization and extend its networks throughout the Middle East. The longer-term strategic effects of the decision could reverberate in the region for years to come.

Colin P. Clarke

commentary

The Syrian Withdrawal: Where Things Stand

Without an orderly process for its national security decisions, the Trump administration has defaulted to the worst option regarding Syria. The sudden withdrawal of U.S. forces has left an opening for Russia to exploit. It also left the Kurds, a U.S. partner, to fend off a Turkish assault.

James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Jeffrey Martini

commentary

Iran, the Unitary State

Current and future U.S. policy toward Iran must begin with the premise that the Islamic Republic is the sum of its parts and that to try to empower moderates or disempower hard-liners is naive. Rather, Washington should strive to deal with Iran as it is, not as Washington wishes it were.

Afshon Ostovar, Ariane M. Tabatabai

commentary

U.S. Economic War on China Weakens Nuclear North Korea, Too

An effective way to bend North Korea toward denuclearization may be exerting consistent and targeted pressure on China. Diminishing Beijing's relevance isn't a cure-all. But it could pierce Kim's illusion of invincibility and place him in a bind to make some concessions.

Soo Kim

commentary

Indecision in Washington Compounded the Kurds' Dilemma

Core qualities of statesmanship and statecraft have been notably lacking in charting the U.S. administration's Syria end game. This has compounded the unavoidable costs of withdrawal with charges of betrayal and a retreat under fire.

James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Jeffrey Martini

blog

School Start Times, Streaming Apps, Brexit: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on later school start times, how streaming apps could help Americans be more active, the latest Brexit news, and more.

commentary

Do Workers' Protections Need to Depend on Employee Status? Looking Beyond AB 5

As the nature of work evolves and the relationships between workers and firms become increasingly complex, it's possible that disentangling worker protections from worker classification rules will become a policy option worth further exploration.

Samantha Cherney, Lynn A. Karoly

commentary

Embrace Open-Source Military Research to Win the AI Competition

Unless the Pentagon embraces a more open approach to artificial intelligence, it will be left behind. Private sector innovation in this space is too fast. But what are the risks of disseminating potentially sensitive AI technology? And what should not be disclosed?

Jasmin Léveillé

commentary

Iran's Proxies Are More Powerful Than Ever

The Trump administration has pursued a so-called maximum pressure strategy designed to alter the course of Iran's foreign and security policies, which relies heavily on sanctions to change Iranian behavior. Financial sanctions are an important part of any counterterrorism strategy. But they aren't enough.

Ariane M. Tabatabai, Colin P. Clarke

commentary

Review of Behavioral Health Technician Training, Policies, and Practice Identifies New Opportunities

Behavioral health technicians are trained to be an essential part of the mental health clinical team, serving as provider extenders who work alongside and support licensed mental health providers. What are the factors that affect these roles? And how can the Military Health System most effectively incorporate them into mental health care settings?

Stephanie Brooks Holliday, Bradley Blair, et al.

commentary

Synthetic Opioid Crisis Still Growing, Often Among Unwitting Users

Although opioid prescriptions in the U.S. have fallen, opioid overdose deaths remain at historic levels. The continued spread of fentanyl and other illicitly manufactured synthetic opioids suggests the problem could still get worse.

Bryce Pardo, Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer