Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** April 2, 2024
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How Have Firearm Death Rates Changed Over Time?
Firearm death rates have been rising in the United States in the past few years, reversing a trend of declining deaths since a peak in the mid-1990s.
A new RAND tool allows you to explore the data behind this grim trend by selecting your state to see how rates of firearm homicide and firearm suicide have changed over time as well as when various gun laws were passed or repealed.
The data show that, although gun violence is a nationwide problem, it is not a burden shared equally across states or groups. A deeper understanding of these differences may help inform decisions about which gun policies could help reduce firearm injuries and deaths.
Beyond creating this new tool, our researchers also updated resources on firearm mortality by gender, race, age, and urbanicity, and how state laws affect firearm deaths. These materials are part of the RAND Gun Policy in America initiative, which aims to establish facts that support the development of fair and effective gun policies.
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Solving Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis
The situation in Gaza is increasingly dire. About 80 percent of the population has been displaced. Food, medicine, and shelter are all in short supply. Hundreds of thousands of people are on the brink of famine. Writing in Foreign Policy late last month, RAND's Raphael Cohen explained why solving this crisis isn't as straightforward as it might seem. While getting aid into Gaza has been a major challenge, distribution--delivering aid to those who need it most--may be the more difficult problem to solve. One thing is clear, Cohen says: The international community needs to go well beyond trucks, roads, and floating piers.
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AI and Critical Infrastructure: What Are the Risks?
AI technologies are already being used in America's critical infrastructure systems, including in manufacturing, financial services, transportation, health care, energy, and agriculture. This is likely only the beginning. A new RAND report examines the nexus of AI and critical infrastructure over the next decade. The authors look at how AI may be used to monitor and control critical infrastructure, as well as how adversaries may employ AI for illicit and nefarious acts directed at U.S. critical infrastructure. They consider these issues in the context of "smart cities."
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** RAND Recommends
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- The United States warned Russia about the threat before the Moscow attack. On The World, RAND's Cortney Weinbaum explained how information-sharing works when the nations in question are adversaries.
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- RAND's Bruce McClintock was interviewed about how well the United States works with allies to address challenges in outer space.
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- On Monday, April 8, Georgetown University will host a conference on NATO as the alliance observes its 75th anniversary. RAND's Stephen Flanagan will moderate a panel on the future of deterrence.
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** Events
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Policy Lab: How Can New Technologies Help Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change?
Wednesday, April 24, 2024 (Online)
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