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RAND research and commentary on the issues that matter most
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Mar 18, 2021
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Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
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The U.S. COVID-19 vaccination effort is in full swing, with more than 2.4 million shots being administered each day. But distributing vaccines has been challenging. States and local health systems have had to rely on improvisation and on-the-fly decisionmaking to create order from chaos—sometimes with mixed results.
So how can the United States achieve more efficient, faster vaccine distribution? The key may be the mathematics discipline known as game theory, says RAND's Luke Muggy. For example, applying game theory could help state authorities calculate how many vaccines need to be sent to each vaccination center. And as vaccination sites expand from health clinics and hospitals to stadiums and event centers, better management tools may be more important than ever. Read more »
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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former U.S. President Donald Trump, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed sign the Abraham Accords in Washington, September 15, 2020. Photo by Tom Brenner/Reuters
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By signing the Abraham Accords last year, four Muslim nations—the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco—have taken an initial step to normalize ties with Israel. The agreement represents a political breakthrough. But a new RAND paper suggests that it could also move the region away from conflict and toward prosperity. The authors estimate that, assuming new relations evolve into deeper economic integration, Israel's four new partners could see the creation of 150,000 new jobs. This number could grow if more nations sign on.
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Chandra speaking at a community resilience event at RAND's Santa Monica headquarters. Photo by Diane Baldwin/RAND Corporation
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As the vice president and director of RAND Social and Economic Well-Being, Anita Chandra and her team focus on some of today's toughest challenges, such as rebuilding after the pandemic, answering for centuries of racial injustice, and preparing for the effects of climate change. In a new Q&A, she discusses the role that RAND research can play in finding solutions. “We can offer innovative ways forward for policymakers,” she says, “and make sure they aren't…defining problems the same way they did in the 20th century.”
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Two guided-missile destroyers, the USS Sterett and the USS John S. McCain, move through the South China Sea, February 9, 2021. Photo by MC3 Cheyenne Geletka/U.S. Navy
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American and Chinese officials are meeting in Alaska today to discuss the tense state of U.S.-China relations. But resetting the relationship seems unthinkable at this point, says RAND's Derek Grossman. Beijing has refused to change its assertive behavior, and it appears that the Biden administration plans to take an exceptionally hard line against China. Going forward, the two powers are likely to only cooperate on “narrow and limited challenges of mutual concern,” he says.
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Photo by AzmanJaka/Getty Images
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After the pandemic hit, there was a 20-fold increase in the rate of telemedicine use. But this increase occurred mostly among more affluent people and those who live in metropolitan areas. That's according to a new RAND study. At the same time, office-based medical visits have declined by nearly 50 percent and were not fully offset by telehealth. This evidence reinforces concerns that the pandemic is worsening existing disparities in health care utilization.
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Delegates attend talks between Afghan government and Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar, September 12, 2020. Photo by Ibraheem al Omari/Reuters
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Facing stalled peace talks and a May 1 deadline for withdrawing all remaining U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan, the United States has thrown what RAND's James Dobbins calls a “Hail Mary” pass. The Biden administration has proposed prioritizing the formation of an interim Afghan government that brings in the Taliban as an equal partner. This seems unlikely to facilitate a troop withdrawal by the deadline, says Dobbins. But it may still be beneficial, because it could lead Kabul and the Taliban to at least begin discussing core issues.
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Since 2018, RAND has been studying “Truth Decay,” the diminishing role of facts in American public life. Our redesigned Truth Decay website serves as a hub for anyone who wants to learn more about this phenomenon and explore RAND research on its causes, consequences, and potential solutions.
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