Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
Web version: [link removed]
** Feb. 27, 2025
------------------------------------------------------------
The Opioid Crisis and Older Americans
The opioid crisis is increasingly affecting older Americans. To start, the prevalence of opioid use disorder is rising rapidly among Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older. Older Americans are also experiencing the social impacts of opioid addiction: An estimated 2.6 million grandparents are helping to raise the children of parents who are unable to care for them because of substance use.
Yesterday, RAND's Bradley Stein testified about these issues before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. He outlined a range of policy options that Congress might consider. For example, expanding public health insurance coverage for nonmedication therapies could help reduce the use of opioids for pain management.
Measures such as these could help the millions of older Americans affected by opioid addiction. More broadly, such actions could improve health care for a growing elderly population with complex needs.
Read more: [link removed]
Edging Out China Requires Revamping the U.S. Power Grid
The U.S. power grid needs an upgrade: At least 70 percent of transmission lines are more than 25 years old, and large investments are required to simply maintain reliability standards. Further, says RAND's Ismael Arciniegas Rueda, revitalizing the grid is critical to ensuring that the United States can maintain a technological edge over China. This is largely because of the growing power needs of energy-intensive technologies like AI. But increasing America's power capacity won't be easy. Barriers include sourcing critical hardware, fielding a skilled labor force in engineering and project management, and executing infrastructure "megaprojects."
Read more: [link removed]
Evaluating a California Resentencing Program
The California County Resentencing Pilot Program was created to encourage prosecutors to reconsider sentences given to some people in state prison. The three-year project, which involved nine counties, illustrates one way that states are investing in strategies to reduce the sizes of prison populations--with the aim of both protecting public safety and reining in corrections spending. RAND researchers evaluated the program and found that a modest number of people have been resentenced. But improvements are needed to ensure that more cases can be reviewed.
Read more: [link removed]
** RAND Recommends
------------------------------------------------------------
- Many states and schools have revamped their curricula in recent years. But teachers may not be getting the training they need to skillfully use these materials, says RAND's Julia Kaufman.
[link removed]
- RAND's Jeffrey Hornung discusses Japan's efforts to boost its resilience and communications in outer space.
[link removed]
- "Blockship attacks" obstruct key waterways by deliberately sinking ships, running them aground, or crashing them into infrastructure. examines this threat.
[link removed]
** Events
------------------------------------------------------------
Admissions Webinar: Master of National Security Faculty Panel
Thursday, March 6, 2025 (Online)
[link removed]
The U.S.-Japan Alliance Series
Monday, March 10, 2025 (Los Angeles, CA, and Online)
[link removed]
RAND Health Care Workforce Summit
Monday, March 17, 2025 (Washington, DC)
[link removed]
Policy Lab: Why AI Projects Fail
Wednesday, March 26, 2025 (Online)
[link removed]
** Learn the Tools of Defense Policy Analysis
------------------------------------------------------------
Applications are open for Pardee RAND Graduate School's new Master of National Security Policy degree program. Full-time and part-time schedules are available at our campuses in Santa Monica, CA, and Arlington, VA.
[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
X: [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
