Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived at the White House yesterday for a state visit with President Joe Biden—the first such visit by a Japanese leader since 2015. This historic moment reflects deepening ties between Washington and Tokyo. Writing in Foreign Affairs just before Kishida’s visit, RAND's Jeffrey Hornung discussed the recent history of the U.S.-Japan alliance, why it’s so vital to U.S. interests, and how Washington can position this relationship as the “hub” of its diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific. “It is time to make the U.S.-Japanese alliance far more central to American grand strategy,” Hornung says. Read more »

Veterans, who have put their lives and health on the line for their country, should have access to safe and healthy working conditions after leaving military service. But evidence suggests that veterans are uniquely vulnerable to poor working conditions and may be more likely to work in unhealthy jobs. A new RAND paper explores these issues and identifies potential opportunities to address them. The researchers emphasize that future policy changes should be informed by robust data on veterans' employment outcomes, including job quality, earnings, and workplace conditions. Read more »