Policy Currents | The latest RAND updates
View in Browser: [link removed]
** RAND research and commentary on the issues that matter most
------------------------------------------------------------
Sep 23, 2021
Taliban May Test China-Pakistan Partnership
Both China and Pakistan have welcomed the Taliban back to power. The two countries share a long history of cooperation and have much in common on Afghanistan policy. They also have a mutual adversary--India--and stand to benefit from the Taliban's success.
But counterterrorism could be an area of contention, says RAND's Derek Grossman. Islamabad's selective pursuit of only some terrorists may misalign with Beijing's efforts to counter all terrorists who seek to harm Chinese economic interests in Pakistan, as well as separatists who could destabilize China's Xinjiang region from across the border. If the Taliban allow Afghanistan to become a platform for international terrorism, then the Chinese-Pakistani relationship will be tested more than ever.
Read more: [link removed]
Approaches to Media Literacy Education Vary, and Obstacles Are Common
Media literacy education is an essential tool to help counter Truth Decay, the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life [[link removed]]. A new RAND survey of K-12 public school teachers finds that most schools are addressing media literacy in some manner. But this appears to be happening on a classroom-by-classroom basis instead of being directed by school, district, or state leadership. Most teachers reported a lack of training and resources. The survey also indicates that media literacy education varies across schools of different ethnic compositions and poverty levels.
Read more: [link removed]
Lessons from COVID-19 Infections on Navy Ships
In the early months of the pandemic, the U.S. Navy scrambled to prevent COVID-19 from spreading through the close quarters of its ships. The Navy's handling of the high-profile outbreak on the USS Theodore Roosevelt revealed some cracks in the service's readiness to respond to major medical events. A new RAND report examines these shortfalls and considers other possible emergencies that could occur aboard a ship, such as mass-casualty events or the need for large-scale trauma care.
Read more: [link removed]
Incarcerated Parents: A Forgotten Population
Mass incarceration has contributed to significant, harmful, and lasting racial and class disparities in America's prisons. The result? One in 10 Black children in the United States has an incarcerated parent. In a new Q&A, part of an ongoing series of conversations [[link removed]] with RAND president and CEO Michael Rich, researchers Dionne Barnes-Proby, Celia Gomez, and Monica Williams discuss their study of what can be done to better support these parents and, in turn, improve the well-being of their children and families.
Read more: [link removed]
How to Prevent Veteran Suicides
The United States needs greater investment in data and science to develop solutions that prevent veteran suicides. That's according to RAND's Rajeev Ramchand, who testified yesterday before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. For example, 69 percent of veterans who died by suicide in 2019 used a firearm. Collecting better and more-comprehensive data on veteran gun ownership and storage could save lives, says Ramchand. He also recommends improving the national mortality data infrastructure, using data to better understand veterans' health care experiences outside the VA, and encouraging the collection of data on suicide when testing new and promising mental health treatments.
Read more: [link removed]
A Reimagined Workforce Development System for the 21st Century
The second artist-in-residence in RAND's Art + Data program [[link removed]] is Morcos Key, a Brooklyn-based design studio. The designers--Wael Morcos and Jon Key--created an animated illustration of a reimagined workforce development system based on RAND research [[link removed]]. The study pinpoints the ways in which the U.S. workforce development and employment system is failing many, and envisions how educators, employers, workers, and other stakeholders can rebuild it to bring about a much-needed transformation.
Read more: [link removed]
** Trending Reports
------------------------------------------------------------
Reducing the Risk of Extremist Activity in the U.S. Military
[link removed]
Estimated Savings from International Reference Pricing for Prescription Drugs
[link removed]
** RAND in the News
------------------------------------------------------------
North Korea on COVID Mega Lockdown
Here and There, Santa Fe Public Radio
[link removed]
COVID-19 Creates Dire U.S. Shortage of Teachers, School Staff
Associated Press
[link removed]
A Low-Tech, Unkillable 'Mesh' of Targeting Drones Could Help Destroy a Chinese Fleet Invading Taiwan
Forbes
[link removed]
** RAND Review: Discover the Stories Behind the Research
------------------------------------------------------------
What pulls people into violent extremism, and how do they get out of it? How is Costa Rica slashing carbon emissions? Where can you find RAND in Chinese science fiction?
Read RAND Review: [link removed]
The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.
** Follow RAND
------------------------------------------------------------
Twitter
[link removed]
Facebook
[link removed]
LinkedIn
[link removed]
Instagram
[link removed]
Privacy statement
[link removed]
Unsubscribe
[link removed]
Manage your subscriptions
[link removed]
RAND Corporation
1776 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401-3208
[link removed]
RAND is a registered trademark.
