June 2022

Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy

commentary
Science and Security: Setting the Direction for the UK's Research Relationship with China
UK-China research has the potential to sustain the very forms of academic excellence that a more-isolationist approach sets out to protect, while also raising the possibility of bridge-building and tackling shared problems. For this to become a reality, knowledge and understanding of China in the United Kingdom must improve.
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Jun 30, 2022
Higher Education Policy Institute
Peter Carlyon

Russia

commentary
War of the Worlds: How Cognitive Dissonance and Repression Shape Russian Perceptions of the Conflict in Ukraine
Cognitive dissonance theory offers a compelling explanation for one of the confounding phenomena emerging from the war in Ukraine—Russians who refuse to believe their Ukrainian family members' lived experiences of the war. How is it that of the two cognitions Russians are wrestling with, the Kremlin's manufactured truth often prevails?
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Jun 29, 2022
InkStick
Alyssa Demus
Russia

q&a
Russia's Ambitions and the War in Ukraine: Q&A with Dara Massicot
Dara Massicot is a senior policy researcher at RAND who specializes in Russian military strategy. In this interview, she discusses Russia's war in Ukraine, its incorrect assumptions about Ukraine's will to fight, and how hard it's going to be for Russia to restore its military capabilities.
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Jun 29, 2022
Military Strategy

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What Better Way to Use the Arsenal of Democracy?
At what point can the United States and other countries no longer afford the massive transfer of weapons to the Ukrainians, lest they jeopardize the readiness of their own militaries? When does the arsenal of democracy shift to the arsenal for self? These are questions that are starting to be raised as the demand for weapons becomes clear in what is now a protracted war in Ukraine.
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Jun 28, 2022
RealClearDefense
David E. Johnson
Environmental Pollution

essay
Environmental Racism: How Historic Redlining Continues to Affect Communities
Starting in the 1930s, neighborhoods across America were redlined—marked on government maps as too hazardous, as in, too Black or too immigrant, for federal home loans. When zoning officials needed somewhere to put a new factory or freeway, those redlined neighborhoods were like a bullseye that they hit again and again.
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Jun 27, 2022
Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids

blog
Synthetic Opioids, Ukrainian Grain, the Metaverse: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on countering the illegal flow of synthetic opioids, freeing up Ukrainian grain to prevent famine, the importance of defining the metaverse, and more.
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Jun 24, 2022
Russia

commentary
Should Ukraine Settle with Russia?
Should the United States humiliate Russia—and Russian President Vladimir Putin specifically—over the Russo-Ukrainian War? It could lead to escalation and new wars, but the United States and NATO may need to think twice before offering concessions.
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Jun 22, 2022
RealClearDefense
Raymond Kuo @Kuorum1
Russia

commentary
Has the War in Ukraine Damaged Russia's Gray Zone Capabilities?
Russia's actions are to blame for the damage done to its gray zone capabilities, but it's the West's choice to see whether this respite represents a short-term aberration or presents opportunities for some long-term fixes.
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Jun 22, 2022
The National Interest
Raphael S. Cohen
International Diplomacy

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Do Americans Know Who Their Diplomats Are? Or What They Do?
Americans have a limited understanding of how diplomats are selected and how diplomacy interacts with other elements of the U.S. national security establishment. Efforts to better inform and engage the American public about the work of diplomacy and who American diplomats are would lead to a greater understanding of the job and its people.
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Jun 20, 2022
The Hill
Michael S. Pollard @MichaelSPollard, Charles P. Ries @charles_ries
Jordan

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Jordan: Challenges and Successes in COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Lockdown restrictions that may have contributed to low COVID-19 case numbers in Jordan early in the pandemic resulted in economic stresses and increased psychological distress in the general population. RAND researchers identified challenges faced by Jordanians during the crisis and the country's innovative and equitable response to mitigate them.
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Jun 20, 2022
The RAND Blog
Nazia Wolters, Mahshid Abir
Emerging Technologies

commentary
The Metaverse: What It Is and Is Not
The metaverse is quickly expanding, but its meaning remains unclear. Until an agreement on a definition of “metaverse” is reached, efforts to manage the technology development and related public policy could be muddled at best.
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Jun 20, 2022
Inside Sources
Swaptik Chowdhury, Timothy Marler
Ukraine

commentary
What if Russia's Army Fails in Ukraine?
Fighting in Ukraine will likely continue. But battlefield advantages could continue to ebb and flow, too. The West should prudently prepare for Ukrainian success as well as a less favorable outcome.
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Jun 20, 2022
The Hill
Peter A. Wilson, William Courtney @courtneywmh
Suicide

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Will the New 988 Hotline Be a Game Changer for Mental Health or a Missed Opportunity?
Someone dies from suicide in the United States every 11 minutes, a rate that has increased almost 30 percent since 2000. The 988 mental health hotline will launch on July 16, but states need to clear significant hurdles: funding the expanded crisis response system and making sure people know it's available.
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Jun 20, 2022
Los Angeles Times
Ryan K. McBain @ryankmcbain, Stephanie Brooks Holliday
Teachers and Teaching

blog
Teachers' Stress, Drug Dealing in San Francisco, Preventing Mass Shootings: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on stress among America's educators, what state governments can do to prevent targeted violence, stopping open-air drug dealing in San Francisco, and more.
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Jun 17, 2022
Health Insurance Cost Sharing

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The Importance of Getting the Affordable Part of the Affordable Care Act Right
The ACA's expansion of Medicaid and the marketplaces that sell subsidized policies have helped decrease the uninsured rate. Research on being underinsured shows that affordability at the point of care is central to keeping people healthy. For example, a new study found a significant relationship between having health insurance and better asthma control.
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Jun 17, 2022
CHEST
Petra W. Rasmussen
Trade Barriers

commentary
Unblocking the Black Sea for Ukrainian Grain
As Russia has been blockading ports around Odesa, Ukrainian grain exports in May were more than 60 percent lower than a year ago. Global hunger has hit a new high while 22 million tons of grain in Ukraine could rot if not exported soon.
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Jun 15, 2022
The Hill
Bradley Martin, William Courtney @courtneywmh