With its bold ground offensive into the southern Kursk region of Russia, Ukraine appears to have the initiative against its enemy. And according to RAND's Gian Gentile and Adam Givens, “In war, as military history shows, initiative is everything.” Gentile and Givens break down three past examples of this kind of risk-taking: George Washington's Delaware River crossing in the fall of 1776, General Douglas MacArthur’s amphibious landing at Inchon in September 1950, and Germany's failed attack on Kursk in July of 1943. These case studies suggest that Ukraine's audacity has created an advantage, they say: “It can still win its war against the Russian invaders.” Read more »

As of December 2021, approximately 3.7 million U.S. adults were on probation or parole supervision. One way to address high recidivism rates among this group may be to establish partnerships between community supervision agencies and people who have lived experience with the justice system. To learn more about the potential challenges and opportunities associated with “lived experience initiatives,” researchers from RAND and the University of Denver convened a workshop of experts. The findings suggest that, overall, this approach is promising. As one workshop participant put it, “Most folks would rather work with someone who has walked a mile in their shoes.” Read more »