Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
Web version: [link removed]
** Oct. 10, 2024
------------------------------------------------------------
Hurricane Evacuation: What the Whole Community Can Do
Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida last night, bringing punishing winds and rain. As the storm barreled across the Gulf of Mexico earlier this week, millions of Floridians were under mandatory evacuation orders. Some followed these orders, while others hunkered down and prepared to ride out what was expected to be one of the largest hurricanes on record.
Why would someone choose not to evacuate in the face of life-threatening consequences?
Recent RAND research has shown that people often have good reasons for staying put, such as transportation difficulties, the costs associated with evacuating, or trouble finding support or shelter for their pets. What's more, evacuation orders can be complex, written in the wrong language, or communicated using the wrong channels. And in some cases--particularly in historically marginalized communities--people might not trust the messenger.
All this makes evacuation a "whole community" effort, says RAND's Aaron Clark-Ginsberg. Everyone has a role to play. To start, government officials issuing evacuation orders have an obligation to provide messaging that's clear, appropriate, and detailed. They should also work to reduce barriers to evacuating. Civil society supporting affected communities can amplify government messages and provide people with direct support.
People who are under an evacuation order should follow government sources to stay up-to-date on the specific guidance provided. And finally, people who know someone who is under an evacuation order should check in to make sure they're evacuating and offer to provide support: a place to stay, food, or simply empathy and comfort.
Read more: [link removed]
October 7 and the Limits of Diplomacy
This week marked the first anniversary of Hamas's October 7 terrorist attack against Israel. The devastating war in Gaza that soon followed continues today, which may leave many Americans wondering why the United States has not been able to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. According to RAND's Raphael Cohen, it has not been for lack of trying, but U.S. diplomacy has its limits. "Outside mediators can't end this war," he says, "particularly if the combatants themselves don't want to stop fighting."
Read more: [link removed]
U.S. Health Care Explained
Have U.S. health care systems rebounded from COVID-19? How did the United States achieve historically low rates of people who are uninsured? What factors continue to drive high health care costs? We recently asked RAND experts these questions and more to better understand the state of American health care. One key challenge is massive consolidation within health care markets, which limits competition and gives larger entities the power to set prices. This has "not delivered on the promise of better coordination, better health outcomes for people, or better quality of care," says RAND's Cheryl Damberg. "The only thing we've seen is bigger and more expensive."
Read more: [link removed]
** RAND Recommends
------------------------------------------------------------
- Project Canary, a new collaboration between RAND and METR, will receive funding through The Audacious Project, an initiative housed at TED, to study the growing risks of artificial intelligence and help make future AI systems safer.
[link removed]
- In The Hill, RAND's Rosanna Smart describes how community gun violence often gets lost amid high-profile mass shootings, which are relatively rare incidents. This could lead to policy proposals that may not be effective at reducing gun violence writ large, she says.
[link removed]
- RAND's Jan Osburg discusses the need for a space rescue service, which "could greatly reduce the risk associated with human spaceflight missions and thus ultimately encourage the expansion of humanity into space."
[link removed]
** Events
------------------------------------------------------------
Policy Lab: Generative AI and Information Warfare
Thursday, October 24, 2024 (Online)
[link removed]
Shaping the Future of U.S. National Security
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 (Santa Monica, CA)
[link removed]
** Subscribe to the Policy Currents Podcast
------------------------------------------------------------
You already get the latest insights from RAND in your inbox. Why not your earbuds? Policy Currents is available as a weekly podcast. New episodes every Friday.
Subscribe now: [link removed]
** Follow RAND
------------------------------------------------------------
RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.
[link removed]
Connect with us on:
Twitter: [link removed]
Facebook: [link removed]
LinkedIn: [link removed]
Instagram: [link removed]
Privacy Policy: [link removed]
Unsubscribe to stop receiving these emails: [link removed]
Manage your subscriptions
[link removed]
RAND
1776 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
