Policy Currents

We discuss how much more private health plans pay hospitals compared to what Medicare pays; data suggesting that the global spread of COVID-19 began weeks before it was declared a pandemic; potential obstacles to COVID-19 vaccination; the digital learning divide; three firearm restrictions that could reduce gun deaths; and how mobile technology can help those experiencing homelessness. For more in...

We discuss how climate change will continue to affect wildfire risk; the uneven distribution of U.S. economic growth over the last four decades; workplace screening for COVID-19 symptoms; America’s jihadists; and how Chinese aggression could be advancing U.S. objectives. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss why America’s international standing has declined—and what can be done to reverse the trend; long-term challenges that schools face in mitigating COVID-19 risks; the pandemic’s effects on the leisure and hospitality industry; what Shinzo Abe’s resignation means for the U.S.-Japan alliance; and why pardoning Edward Snowden would come with security risks. For more information on this week...

We discuss Americans’ views on voting during the pandemic; what makes the U.S. Postal Service so essential; law enforcement leaders’ perspectives about strategies to “defund the police”; the potential costs and benefits of brain-computer interfaces; and COVID-19's effect on social services in Los Angeles. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss how radicalization and political violence could rise in 2020; the link between workplace diversity and the gender pay gap; shortcomings of the Israel-UAE normalization agreement; the West’s potential role in Belarus; and what happened to COVID-19's “temporary” layoffs. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss a new RAND research center focused on racial equity policy; L.A.’s high unemployment, and why some groups are worse off than others; what might happen if China develops a successful COVID-19 vaccine; how the U.S. military services approach leadership; eating habits among people in the UK; and the national security risks of an insider threat at Twitter. For more information on this week’...

We discuss the challenges of planning for U.S. elections in the face of COVID-19; why artists need more support right now; how the pandemic complicates hurricane recovery; North Korea’s conventional artillery; and what it will mean if the Quad becomes openly anti-China. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss where China will be in 2050; privacy concerns surrounding mobile tools used to track COVID-19 infections; what types of supports parents need while their kids are at home; how telemedicine can help provide more specialized health services; when and how the Putin era might end; and why the United States fails in “irregular warfare.” For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand...

We discuss insights from RAND researchers on reopening schools in the fall; how the decline in commercial real estate could help address the housing crisis; challenges facing the U.S. unemployment system; helping post-9/11 veterans receive treatment for substance use and behavioral health disorders; and the debate over Confederate statues in the United States. For more information on this week’s e...

We discuss how to recover students’ learning losses after a long break from school; what Americans can do to fight Russian trolls; inequities within the U.S. unemployment system; whether the Houthis will become the next Hizballah; and which country—the United States or China—has the edge in artificial intelligence. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss Americans’ online shopping habits during COVID-19; learning to live in a riskier world; a move to redirect police funds in Los Angeles; how to improve U.S. pandemic preparedness; teachers’ concerns about students’ media literacy; and helping marginalized communities overcome toxic stress. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss Americans’ perceptions of the USPS; what can be done to ensure safe and secure elections in the fall; a program in Nigeria that helped improve maternal health and reduce child deaths; using machine learning to detect misinformation online; and combatting new types of online abuse. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss RAND researchers’ insights on police reform in the United States; why bans on facial recognition won’t fix law enforcement; restrictions on firearms that are likely to reduce deaths; the changing nature of work during the COVID-19 crisis; and the challenges facing working moms. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss a new RAND tool that uses air travel data to track the spread of the coronavirus; preparing for a heat wave during the pandemic; what might convince Americans to get a COVID-19 vaccine; whether the U.S. should consider strengthening its relationship with Taiwan; why caregivers need more support from employers; and providing aid for struggling college students. For more information on th...

We discuss facing the realities of systemic inequality and racism; Americans’ struggles to pay the pills during the pandemic; the growing wealth gap in the United States; how COVID-19 affected schools; the spread of disinformation; modeling the future of the pandemic; and what small businesses need to survive. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss the effects of easing restrictions put in place to combat COVID-19; how “Truth Decay” is playing out during the pandemic; why it’s time to replace the government’s digital infrastructure; using cell phone data to track COVID-19 cases; how psychiatrists feel about telemedicine; and ways to help refugees and their host countries. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org...

We discuss how to ensure that a vaccine—once ready—is accessible and affordable; what more can be done to address the rise in domestic violence during the pandemic; COVID-19's historic economic effects; planning hospital needs for ventilators and respiratory therapists; and what the future of warfare might look like. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss a new RAND tool that estimates the effects of rolling back or maintaining social distancing and other disease-fighting measures; state police powers and COVID-19; protecting food workers and volunteers; and how China is trying to distract from its role in the pandemic. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss the proposed use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19; long-term economic effects of the pandemic; why household workers need more support; U.S.–North Korea relations after Kim Jong Un; helping Egyptian women overcome barriers to employment; and Americans’ views about the news. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss new evidence about the effects of U.S. gun laws; changes schools may have to make when they reopen; faith-based organizations’ role in pandemic response; why we need to prepare for hurricane season now; and understanding COVID-19 sex and gender differences. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss who calls the shots during a pandemic; how to reduce medical supply shortages; what can be done to help people experiencing homelessness; North Korea’s nuclear blackmail; and how teachers use digital instructional materials. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .

We discuss how hospitals can prepare for a surge of critically ill patients; the need to reform America’s unemployment system; schools’ shift to online learning; why it’s important to support food supply chain workers; what happens if the ACA is overturned during the pandemic; and addressing the threat posed by quantum computers. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast...

We discuss ways to support the mental and emotional health of America’s health care workers; whether you should consider taking a loved one out of a long-term care facility; what’s being done to address food access challenges; why Washington should reengage with the world after COVID-19; tips to promote kids’ social and emotional well-being; and how the pandemic may affect the Middle East. For mor...

We discuss RAND experts’ insights about COVID-19's devastating effects on the economy–and what recovery might look like; how to make America’s blood supply more sustainable; why Gaza’s water crisis makes it harder to fight the pandemic; college and career readiness in a time of uncertainty; supporting small and medium-sized businesses in the wake of COVID-19; and the 10-year anniversary of the Aff...

We discuss the dangers of misinformation during the pandemic; how the United States is responding; the role of telemedicine; effects on the economy; the move to online education; and some simple strategies to support sleep and overall well-being. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast .