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Commentary

No Need to Wait for Congress to Address Mass Shootings

After three mass shootings in the span of a week left 53 wounded and 34 dead, pressure is mounting on Congress to respond with legislation to restrict access to guns and ammunition. But there is no need to wait for new laws. There are steps that can be taken immediately that evidence suggests could help prevent attacks or reduce the death toll from them.

Aug 23, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Influence of Out-of-Network Payment Standards on Insurer-Provider Bargaining: California's Experience

California's experience implementing a policy to address surprise medical billing demonstrates that out-of-network payment standards can influence payer-provider bargaining leverage, affecting prices and network breadth.

Aug 23, 2019
Report

Report

Evaluation of California's Global Payment Program: Final Report

The Global Payment Program seeks to improve health care for California's uninsured by using federal funds to make prospective payments for inpatient, outpatient, and nontraditional services. This report presents the final evaluation of the program.

Aug 22, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Reaching Vulnerable Populations in the Disaster-Prone US Gulf Coast: Communicating Across the Crisis Lifecycle

This article discusses results from a 2016 survey of Gulf Coast residents to explore potential vulnerabilities and resilience-building capacities in the region.

Aug 21, 2019
News Release

News Release

Americans' Spending on Illicit Drugs Nears $150 Billion Annually; Appears to Rival What Is Spent on Alcohol

Spending on cannabis, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine by Americans reached nearly $150 billion in 2016, with a large proportion of spending coming from the small share of people who use drugs on a daily or near-daily basis.

Aug 20, 2019
Commentary

Trump's Tariffs Against China Aren't Working. And There's No Quick Resolution in Sight

Given the goals the United States has articulated publicly, it is difficult to see an early resolution to the U.S.-China trade disputes. In any case, comprehensive trade barriers against China may be as much the goal as the lever. U.S. measures may also have been always more political than economic in motivation.

Aug 20, 2019
Testimony

Testimony

Illicit Supply of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids: Transitioning Markets and Evolving Challenges: Addendum

Document submitted on August 19, 2019, as an addendum to testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism and Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations on July 25, 2019.

Aug 20, 2019
Testimony

Testimony

Implications of U.S.-China Collaborations on Global Health Issues: Addendum

Document submitted on August 19, 2019, as an addendum to testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission on July 31, 2019.

Aug 20, 2019
Commentary

Why Vanguard Bank and Why Now? Explaining Chinese Behavior in the South China Sea

What can Vietnam do now to make Chinese assertiveness against it less likely going forward? Although deepening the U.S.-Vietnam defense partnership in the short-term may be contributing to trouble with China, closer cooperation in the long-run could serve to deter China. Enhancing cooperation with Vietnam's other defense partners—namely Australia, Japan, and India—could help to deter Beijing as well.

Aug 19, 2019
Commentary

Japan's Hormuz Dilemma

Japan is a staunch U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific. But any decision to support a coalition against Iran in the Middle East is likely to put Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a tough position.

Aug 16, 2019
Commentary

Syria Changed the Iranian Way of War

To get a sense of the playbook that Tehran might consult in any future conflict with the United States, Washington should pay close attention to what the Iranians have learned in Syria.

Aug 16, 2019
Commentary

I'm a Sleep Specialist. Here's How I Prepare My Two Teenagers for the First Day of School

Sleep deprivation has measurable negative effects on teens' behavior and health. Early school start times make it difficult for teens to get sufficient sleep. A RAND sleep expert shares how she helps her teens transition from summer back to waking up early for school.

Aug 15, 2019
Research Brief

Research Brief

Assessing the Use of Data Analytics in Department of Defense Acquisition

This research brief addresses congressional concerns about the use of data analysis, measurement, and other evaluation-related methods in U.S. Department of Defense acquisition programs and decisionmaking.

Aug 13, 2019
Report

Synthetic Opioid Surge Is a U.S. Public Health Emergency

In less than six years, the number of fatal overdoses in the United States that involve synthetic opioids has increased tenfold. Where are synthetic opioids concentrated? And to what extent is the problem spreading?

Aug 13, 2019
Report

Report

Assessing Department of Defense Use of Data Analytics and Enabling Data Management to Improve Acquisition Outcomes

Congress asked about acquisition data analytics in the Department of Defense. This report identifies and measures capabilities and recent progress. Barriers to improvement include a culture against data sharing due to security and burden concerns.

Aug 13, 2019
News Release

California Rules to Limit Surprise Medical Bills Are Working, but Influence Insurer-Provider Bargaining

A California law that limits the size of bills from out-of-network physicians for care delivered in hospitals appears to be protecting patients' financial liability. But it has shifted bargaining leverage in favor of insurance plans and had potential unintended consequences.

Aug 12, 2019
Commentary

Searching for Signs of Doi Moi in North Korea

President Trump's second summit with Kim Jong Un prompted voluminous commentary about whether Pyongyang might adopt the “Vietnam model” of economic reform and opening up, known as doi moi. Some version of doi moi is not impossible in North Korea, but it will likely be more difficult than it was in Vietnam and made all the more so by Kim's reluctance to risk losing absolute control.

Aug 12, 2019
Report

Forensic Familial and Moderate Stringency DNA Searches: Policies and Practices in the United States, England, and Wales

Forensic DNA databases help solve crimes. When an exact DNA match is not found, familial DNA and moderate stringency search may provide investigative leads. Evidence-based practices can guide policymakers on the use and effectiveness of this method.

Aug 12, 2019
Commentary

Reagan's Cold War Lessons for Handling Russia

Rising public protests in Russia may be putting the Kremlin on the defensive at home. But Moscow is playing offense abroad, challenging the West more than at any time since Ronald Reagan's presidency. Reagan's strategy to counter the Kremlin back then offers insights that could help guide U.S. policy today.

Aug 9, 2019
Commentary

Iran's Cooperation with the Taliban Could Affect Talks on U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has acknowledged that his country has some level of cooperation with the Taliban. How did Iran's relationship with the Taliban come about? And how might it affect the future of U.S.-Taliban talks?

Aug 9, 2019

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