June 2012

commentary

Why Aren't Americans Listening to Disaster Preparedness Messages?

Given the recent spate of highly publicized disasters, why don't more Americans pay attention to the advice of public health officials? The messages they are getting are largely based on unverified assumptions, not hard evidence. Equally concerning, these assumptions may inadvertently hinder preparedness.

Lori Uscher-Pines, Anita Chandra, et al.

blog

RAND Research Contributes to the 11th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation

Adequate compensation is critical to recruiting and retaining an all-volunteer force—in peacetime and wartime alike. To assess the effectiveness of U.S. military pay and benefits, the president directs a review of military compensation every four years. Four RAND studies contributed to this review.

commentary

Time to Shift Talk to Health Care Costs

The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act is unquestionably historic, but there is a critical aspect of health care reform that still needs to be fixed. The nation needs to take decisive action to address the rising costs of health care, writes Arthur Kellermann.

Arthur L. Kellermann

blog

Violence in Syria Intensifies as UN Plans Action Group Meeting in Geneva

Violence in Syria has only intensified since the failed ceasefire, leading the UN to suspend its observer mission and prompting comparisons to the war in Bosnia in the 1990s.

commentary

Pro-Growth Austerity

Government austerity and economic growth are not antonyms: Austerity in debt-financed government spending complements economic growth, rather than conflicting with it, writes Charles Wolf.

Charles Wolf, Jr.

commentary

Gulf States Among Top in New HIV, AIDS Cases

Improving HIV prevention and medical care delivery to persons living with HIV/AIDS should be a collaborative effort, particularly in the Gulf States region, where resources are limited but the epidemic is expanding, writes Vivian Towe.

Vivian L. Towe

blog

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Vulnerable Populations

June is National PTSD Awareness Month and June 27th is PTSD Awareness Day, providing an opportunity to recognize the challenges faced by survivors of trauma who live with PTSD symptoms. RAND research is helping increase awareness about the disorder and inform policy about how to prevent and address it.

Lisa S. Meredith

commentary

Egypt's New President Has the Mandate—What about the Power?

Mohamed Morsi's victory is a huge step in Egypt's political development, but his authorities were recently curtailed by the military and it is unclear how much power he will actually wield, writes Jeffrey Martini.

Jeffrey Martini

announcement

Former RAND Researcher Elizabeth McGlynn Receives AcademyHealth's Distinguished Investigator Award

Former RAND researcher Elizabeth McGlynn has been honored with AcademyHealth's 2012 Distinguished Investigator Award. Her extensive research on health care quality has had an enormous impact on how experts evaluate health care reform.

commentary

Children Left Behind with Brown's Cuts to Programs

Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget for the next fiscal year slices funds from established, successful programs that for decades have helped California's youngest and most at-risk children gain a foothold in their own educations.

Lynn A. Karoly

announcement

James Drake, 'Father of Windsurfing' and RAND Engineer, Dies at 83

James Drake, a former RAND aeronautical engineer who is also considered the father of windsurfing died on June 19 in his hometown of Pfafftown, North Carolina. He was 83.

commentary

The Egyptian Military Wins Again

The Muslim Brotherhood now faces a choice. It can seat Mursi and continue to legitimate a post-Mubarak transition that seems designed to advance the narrow interests of Egypt's officer corps. Or it can return to the streets with the aim of unseating the military council, writes Jeff Martini.

Jeffrey Martini

blog

Resources for Servicemembers and Veterans with PTSD

As Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day approaches on June 27th, policymakers continue to look for ways to best help our nation's servicemembers and veterans with PTSD and other combat related mental health problems.

commentary

Debating Hillary

Absent further developments or revelations, history will judge Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of state as solid if unspectacular, writes James Dobbins.

James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins

blog

Can Summer Learning Programs Prevent Skill and Knowledge Loss?

Today is National Summer Learning Day, a day established to raise awareness of the significance summer learning plays in educational achievement.