Policy Currents

Why Asian Americans need unconditional support; research to help inform the gun policy debate; the education “arms race”; supporting climate migrants’ mental health; use of cancer screenings during the pandemic; and addressing the unemployment system’s failings. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Applying game theory to make vaccine distribution more efficient; potential economic benefits from the Abraham Accords; why a U.S.-China reset is unlikely; disparities in telehealth use; and the latest on U.S. policy in Afghanistan. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

COVID-19 testing in schools is complex but doable; when the pandemic really began; updating security clearance guidelines for younger generations; how to integrate family caregivers into health care teams; and dealing with daylight saving time. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

What’s behind the high levels of vaccine hesitancy among Black Americans; the link between sexual harassment and sexual assault in the U.S. military; why President Biden can’t turn back the clock on the Iran nuclear deal; and focusing on civic education after the Capitol attack. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Stress topped the reasons why teachers quit—even before COVID-19; a reimagined U.S. strategy for the Middle East; building a path toward peace in Yemen; reasons to be wary of new domestic terrorism laws; and the decline of America’s middle class. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Setting or capping hospital prices could save billions; curbing “low-value” health care; how vaccinating the most active can protect the most vulnerable; the calculus of Myanmar’s generals; and how the Capitol attack could affect the future of government security clearances. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Israelis’ and Palestinians’ views on their conflict; how sexual assault and sexual harassment affect separation from the U.S. military; what new COVID-19 variants mean for the vaccination effort; America's response to the coup in Myanmar; giving peace a chance in Afghanistan; and tips for improving your sleep (and your relationship) during the pandemic. For more information on this week’s episode,...

The pandemic is changing the way we think about the unemployment system; it will be harder to stop domestic extremists than homegrown jihadists; the relationship between housing insecurity and sleep; Alexei Navalny and protests in Russia; and behavioral health disparities in the U.S. military. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Allowing transgender troops to serve in the military; U.S. prescription drug prices are more than double those in other countries; food insecurity during the pandemic; the history of attacks on Western diplomatic facilities; and how the Biden administration can galvanize space diplomacy. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Keeping COVID-19 vaccines moving can save more lives; why we need a national commission to investigate the U.S. Capitol attack; using media literacy education to counter “Truth Decay”; a U.S. grand strategy of restraint; and recreational marijuana retailers. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

The threat of continued political violence after the U.S. Capitol attack; insights from RAND experts on COVID-19 vaccines; transforming mental health care in America; the spike in telehealth use early on during the pandemic; civic engagement in the COVID-19 era; and why the United States sends aid to foreign countries. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

A statement from RAND’s president and CEO on the U.S. Capitol Siege; psychological distress during the pandemic; how to address medical mistrust about COVID-19 vaccinations; family caregivers as frontline workers; the astronomical price of insulin in the United States; and Unemployment Insurance’s continued failure to reform. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Our top 10 list of RAND research projects covers a wide range of topics, including how COVID-19 is affecting schools, educators, and students; new findings on gun laws; foreign interference in U.S. elections; China’s grand strategy; and income inequality in America. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Americans’ financial struggles amid the pandemic; learning from the first phase of COVID-19 vaccinations; why online schools may be here to stay; ways to improve the well-being of home care workers; how corporate culture leaves women behind; and what Joe Biden’s Africa strategy might look like. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

The costs of vaccine nationalism; how a civic education revival could help counter Truth Decay; what the Biden administration should expect from South Korea; the Coast Guard’s new icebreaker fleet; and why the Philippines is sticking by America’s side. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

Four ways the Biden-Harris team can restore America’s civic infrastructure; what to expect from the next Director of National Intelligence; how Syria’s forever war has created forever refugees; community volunteers and disaster response; and Costa Rica’s ambitious plan to fight climate change. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss a checklist to help hospitals allocate scarce but lifesaving resources; insights from America’s educators about teaching during the pandemic; the lopsided effects of a shift to remote working; what a drop in community college enrollment might mean for the economy; the consequences of a hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan; and how President-elect Biden can deter North Korea. For more infor...

We discuss the importance of treating co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders among veterans; what to consider when making changes to psychedelic drug policy; why family caregivers should be part of the formal health care team; U.S.-China competition in the Indo-Pacific; and 2020’s record-breaking fire season. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss the risks and benefits of a potential Internet of Bodies revolution; what happens if the ACA is struck down and COVID-19 is considered to be a preexisting condition; a drop in the use of preventive care; how much Americans value their health during the pandemic; and science-based strategies for dealing with election anxiety. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/po...

We discuss what might happen if there isn’t global coordination when a COVID-19 vaccine is available; Americans’ feelings about voting and election safety and integrity; why women are leaving the labor force in record numbers; measuring the safety of automated vehicles; and a better way to negotiate with North Korea. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss why “Truth Decay” is the existential threat of our time; how to spend opioid settlement funds to save the most lives; helping veterans overcome the invisible wounds of war; why China has so few friends; and who should pay for disaster losses. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss how Americans respond to Russian memes on Facebook; the possibility of domestic terrorism during election season; why college students need more mental health support; the downside of a “lean” electric grid; and the role of allies and partners in U.S. military operations. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss online tools used to divide Americans during election season; how much higher insulin prices are in the United States than in other countries; the history of America’s unemployment system and Black workers; what parents can do to keep kids’ learning on track amid the pandemic; and countering Russian tactics in the Black Sea region. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand...

We discuss how Russia uses social media to divide Americans; a sharp increase in alcohol consumption during the pandemic; how the COVID-19 recession and recovery is leaving Black workers behind; how prepared schools were before the pandemic hit; TikTok’s vulnerabilities; and a tabletop strategy game developed by RAND experts. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

In this bonus episode, we bring you a conversation with RAND researchers about election safety and security in 2020. They discuss how prepared states are to conduct elections during a pandemic, concerns about voting by mail, how vulnerable the election is to cyberattacks, the threat of disinformation, and more. Watch the full conversation on RAND's YouTube channnel . For more information on this w...