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How Opioid Settlement Funds Can Be Spent to Save the Most Lives

Yesterday, the U.S. Justice Department announced an $8 billion settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma for the company's role in the opioid crisis. According to RAND experts, money from such a settlement could quickly save lives and mitigate lifelong harms, but it must be carefully allocated. To do the most good, the money should go toward expanding access to the overdose-reversal drug naloxone; supporting needle exchange programs and supervised injection facilities; providing more effective treatment; and helping mothers and children. Read more »

Photo by Bush Institute CC BY-NC-ND 2.0/Paul Morse

What Does High-Quality Care Mean for Veterans with Invisible Wounds?

Veterans often experience symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury long after their military service ends. These invisible wounds of war can have a significant negative effect on veterans and their families. High-quality care can help, but many veterans have difficulty accessing it. A new RAND study seeks to establish a universal definition of high-quality care for PTSD and TBI. This could improve coordination among organizations that serve veterans and provide a model for effective treatment. Read more »

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin, June 5, 2019. Photo by Maxim Shipenkov/Pool/Reuters

China's Friends Are Few and Unreliable

China and the United States are actively shoring up their diplomatic relationships in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. Washington has fared quite well. But Beijing's “belligerent tone, muscular foreign policy, and near-constant saber rattling have won it no new friends,” says RAND's Derek Grossman. China's partnerships are with pariah states that are unreliable, unimportant, or both. This presents a major challenge for China as great-power competition ramps up. Read more »

Two cars destroyed by a tornado in Washington, Illinois, November 19, 2013. Photo by Jeff Haynes/Reuters

When Disaster Strikes, Who Should Cover the Losses?

Paying for losses from floods, fires, hurricanes, and other hazards has traditionally been a state and local function. But over time, this responsibility has shifted to the federal government. According to RAND experts, as the frequency and severity of disasters increase—along with the losses they cause—it may be time to reconsider how risk is shared. The researchers suggest four approaches that could shift some responsibility back to state and local entities, helping encourage more resilient planning and building practices. Read more »

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Promoting Social and Emotional Learning, in and Out of the Classroom

How do children benefit when both schools and out-of-school time programs collaborate to improve social and emotional learning? And what does it take to build this kind of partnership? To find out, RAND researchers conducted one of the most-comprehensive SEL implementation studies to date that follows programs in six different communities. Early findings offer lessons that may be useful to school districts and out-of-school time providers looking to offer their own programs. Read more »