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** Sep 14, 2023
Insomnia Costs the U.S. More Than $200 Billion Per Year

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the world. And if you're among those who struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep, then you know that it's hard to get through the next day. The symptoms of insomnia are debilitating. And those symptoms--such as difficultly thinking clearly and maintaining concentration--have major costs in the aggregate.

Researchers at RAND and RAND Europe have studied this staggering economic toll. They estimate that those who experience chronic insomnia miss up to 18 workdays per year and spend even more days (up to 54) present at work but not fully productive.

This pulls down the U.S. economy by more than $200 billion every year. Other major economies also forgo tens of billions of dollars in lost productivity.

The good news is that there are effective treatments for insomnia. If more is done to recognize and address insomnia, then it could help tens of millions of people improve their well-being--and save the world tens of billions of dollars a year.

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Public Defenders Are Overworked. Caseload Limits Can Help

Many public defenders are overloaded with work. As a result, these attorneys are forced to prioritize some cases over others, may fail to fully investigate an issue, or may not be able to file the motions they should. This inevitably leads to harm. To address this, a new RAND report explores possible national workload standards by calculating the amount of time public defenders need to provide adequate representation in an array of adult criminal cases. Such standards can help ensure the justice system better serves all those who rely on it.

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Why the U.S. Should Strengthen Ties in Central Asia

Central Asia--made up of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan--is seldom a top priority for U.S. foreign policy. But according to RAND's Hunter Stoll, now may be a good time for Washington to make greater long-term investments and rebuild its reputation there. Central Asia's souring relations with Russia and growing skepticism of China have created a rare window of opportunity, he says. And while Russian and Chinese influence in the region will never go away entirely, the United States should take advantage to ensure that it doesn't "remain on the periphery."

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** RAND Recommends
- China is reportedly using artificial intelligence to spread disinformation about the wildfires in Maui. RAND's William Marcellino, coauthor of a recent paper on dealing with this emerging threat, spoke to the New York Times.
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- RAND's Bruce Bennett was quoted in Vox about this week's meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un: "You've got overlapping imperialist objectives. That might not go so well."
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- Marketplace Morning Report covered RAND's new study on teachers' salaries and hours worked, which finds that only one-third of U.S. teachers feel their base salary is adequate.
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** Events
Why Don’t Food-Insecure Veterans Enroll in SNAP? Insights from New RAND Research, Government, and Veteran Organizations
Thursday, September 21, 2023 (Online)
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Navigating Science- and Technology-Focused Postsecondary Options in the Pittsburgh Region
Tuesday, September 26, 2023 (Online)
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Policy Lab: Building the U.S. Workforce Through Stackable Credentials
Thursday, September 28, 2023 (Online)
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Balancing the Needs of Requesting and Producing Parties: Getting E-Discovery Right
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 3-4, 2023 (Arlington, VA)
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** About RAND
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.

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