Policy Currents

A new framework to measure human potential; what factors are associated with prescription drug shortages; Army enlistment waivers in the age of legal marijuana; when and how quantum technologies might be used; the legal barriers to supervised drug consumption sites; and an announcement about RAND CEO and president, Michael Rich. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

What the United States can do to counter the potential threat of new Chinese missiles; the pandemic and rising infant deaths in Nigeria; how investments in data could help prevent veteran suicide; protecting older adults from financial scams; and the emerging American mindset on China. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

How the China-Russia relationship affects U.S. interests; how raising the minimum wage could affect workers’ health insurance coverage; the benefits of increasing funding for women’s health research; improving supply chain resilience; and one approach to countering extremism in the military. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

A look at the trade-offs of a shorter school week; why countering domestic terrorism may require a new U.S. intelligence strategy; data showing that Black motorists are more likely to be charged with a misdemeanor for excessive speeding; and the big unanswered question of the Afghanistan war. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

What schools need to better support undocumented and asylum-seeking students; understanding what leads Russia, Iran, and China to use their military forces abroad; renters’ options as California’s eviction moratorium ends; Americans’ perspectives on veterans; and the potential consequences of short-tenured leaders in Japan. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

How linking U.S. drug prices to those in other nations could cut costs; unemployment insurance’s failings; the rise in anti-Asian American violence; helping communities recover after continuous disasters; and reducing extremism in the U.S. military. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

What needs to be done to ensure more Americans get vaccinated against COVID-19; Afghanistan’s worsening refugee crisis; understanding environmental racism; how political polarization may affect health insurance purchasing decisions; and helping extremists find pathways to deradicalization. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Insights on ISIS-K; why the Afghanistan withdrawal shouldn’t reduce confidence in other U.S. security commitments; how many lives were saved by the early U.S. COVID-19 vaccination campaign; how the pandemic continues to affect unemployment; and why America may need a “virtual reality check.” For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Insights from RAND researchers on the collapse in Afghanistan; parents’ views on sending their kids back to school; and budget and staffing challenges facing U.S. school districts. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

The case for shrinking prisons and their budgets; a national deterrence strategy for ransomware attacks; the trade-offs of making U.S. military activities less predictable; addressing barriers to COVID-19 vaccination among Black Americans; and strategies to counter violent extremism in the military. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

A guide to help teachers implement media literacy education; a look at sexual harassment and gender discrimination among active-duty U.S. Army soldiers; how labor regulations may be affecting L.A.’s push to build supportive housing; and addressing the risk of conflict in the Arctic. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Historic lynchings in the American South are linked to lower voter registration among Black people; how a drop in demand for Afghanistan's opiates could affect the country and its people; why COVID-19 has changed the childcare debate; support for wildland firefighters; and helping veterans who are experiencing food insecurity. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Ways to keep up the fight against COVID-19; countering sexual assault and sexual harassment in the U.S. military; foreign disinformation campaigns on social media; how algorithms could help social media users moderate their own content; and the risks of launching into a “new space era.” For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

A model for paying college athletes; measuring the risk of small gatherings during the pandemic; what some colleges are doing to support incoming freshmen; using big data to help reduce infant mortality; and the effects of U.S. sanctions in Syria. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Artwork inspired by RAND research; understanding the risk of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the U.S. Army; use of “gray market” caregiving among Americans; managing the changing U.S.-China relationship; and the intersection of cyberattacks and supply chains. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Job-related stress threatens America's supply of teachers; confronting a more globally active Russia; whether France is ready for a hypothetical war in Europe; how investing in America’s infrastructure could help to address social inequities; and helping Pittsburgh residents to shape the future of their neighborhoods. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

China’s approach to competition with the United States; how the coronavirus may have emerged; what parents think about kids returning to classrooms in the fall; income inequality in America; and what to expect from the upcoming summit between President Biden and Vladimir Putin. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

What could happen if the United States fails to meet its vaccine goal; the risk of sexual assault to sexual minorities in the U.S. military; prescribing medications for opioid addiction; America’s schools on two different paths; and the risks of using geoengineering to counter the effects of climate change. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

How Truth Decay is fueling Americans’ vaccine hesitancy; the debate over vaccine patent waivers; how the shift to remote work is reinforcing inequalities; preventing the Capitol attackers from becoming martyrs; and the Arctic’s role in climate and national security. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

How schools operated during the pandemic; why the U.S. economy needs working moms; stress-testing California’s COVID-19 reopening strategy; the relationship between defense spending and economic growth; and how China lost the Philippines. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

What satellite images reveal about the Uyghurs; how the United States can play a larger role in the global vaccination effort; messaging strategies to help end the pandemic; what Americans think about reopening the economy and schools; and what’s next for policing in America. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Insights from RAND related to Biden’s congressional address; Russia and China—”superspreaders” of malign and subversive information on COVID-19; and guidance for a new era in outer space. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Tips from RAND research for effective summer learning programs; America’s competitors in the “gray zone” short of war; why it’s so hard to get into the middle class; China-Iran cooperation; and a post-pandemic wake-up call. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

A look at the ways COVID-19 is affecting demographic trends; how targeting vaccines to people with a lot of contacts could end the pandemic more quickly; understanding the Iran Threat Network; why U.S. intelligence needs open-source information; and how to deter North Korea. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Public trust in the CDC declined during the pandemic; insights from interviews with former extremists; educating students with disabilities in the COVID-19 era; Russian mercenaries; and how a federal vehicle miles traveled fee could replace the gas tax. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .