Receiving a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is a life-changing experience, not just for the person with MS but also for their carer and wider network of family, friends, or colleagues. This chronic, progressive disease of the central nervous system is usually diagnosed before the age of 40 and presents with symptoms such as decreased… Continue reading The Informal Carers Who Help People with MS Need Support More Than Ever
Category: Intel
Origin Story: How Did the Coronavirus Emerge?
President Joe Biden has called for the U.S. intelligence community to “redouble efforts to determine the origins of the COVID-19” pandemic. This mandate is based on a new U.S. intelligence report that indicated several of the lab workers at China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology became sick in autumn 2019 “with symptoms consistent with both COVID-19… Continue reading Origin Story: How Did the Coronavirus Emerge?
Electoral Reform, Trust & the Future of Post-Election Demagoguery
The second of two parts (to read Part 1, click here) Both parties made significant contributions to the post-election conflicts that culminated in the Capitol riots on Jan. 6. The Republican contribution was obvious: the demagoguery of Donald Trump and the willingness of so many Republicans to associate themselves with his claims. The Democratic contribution… Continue reading Electoral Reform, Trust & the Future of Post-Election Demagoguery
New Thinking to Translate Infrastructure Dollars into Resilience
The current federal push for a historic investment in the nation’s infrastructure comes at a time when America’s roads, bridges and other public resources and services appear to be suffering from a chronic resilience deficit. The recent cyberattack on a major oil pipeline, February’s collapse of the Texas electricity grid (PDF), and the persistent effects… Continue reading New Thinking to Translate Infrastructure Dollars into Resilience
How COVID-19 Lessons Can Transform U.S. Mental Health Care
By one estimate, as many people experienced serious psychological distress in just the first month of the pandemic as during the entire year before it began. Elevated rates of anxiety and depression have persisted, drawing new attention to the U.S. mental health system—including fault lines that have persisted for decades. Almost 20 years ago, the… Continue reading How COVID-19 Lessons Can Transform U.S. Mental Health Care
Even North Korea is Socializing Its Brand
The NY Times ran a story “North Korean Propaganda Gets a YouTube Makeover” on 12 Sep 20 online and in their Sunday, 13 September 20 print edition. (see: https://nyti.m s/35RHLXl, which is the photo source). Ironically enough, the Propaganda and Agitation Department of North Korea is responsible of creating and distributing propaganda. (See… Continue reading Even North Korea is Socializing Its Brand
How to Sleep Better Together (or Not): Advice for Sleep-Deprived Couples
Larry and Elyse never imagined they’d end up being one of those “fuddy-duddy” couples who sleep in separate beds. But Larry’s snore was epic. The sheer volume of his snore is why, when Elyse and Larry finally made the decision to sleep in separate beds, Elyse moved into their spare bedroom in the basement. Even… Continue reading How to Sleep Better Together (or Not): Advice for Sleep-Deprived Couples
Making Preschool Investments Count Through the American Families Plan
Public sector investments in voluntary preschool programs have been growing, in line with our understanding of the importance of the early years for children’s development. At the federal level, annual spending on Head Start for three- and four-year-old children living in poverty reached nearly $10 billion as of 2019. States added another $9 billion to… Continue reading Making Preschool Investments Count Through the American Families Plan
U.S.-ROK Summit: Assessing Moon’s Vaccine and Peace Promises
U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in held their first in-person summit in Washington last month, signing a lengthy joint statement that underscored the linchpin alliance forged in the battlefields of the Korean War and a shared vision governed by democratic norms, human rights, and rule of law. The statement charted out… Continue reading U.S.-ROK Summit: Assessing Moon’s Vaccine and Peace Promises
Sexual Assault in the Military, School Security, Mental Health Care: RAND Weekly Recap
We discuss the risk of sexual assault to sexual minorities in the U.S. military; prescribing medications for opioid addiction; improving security in America’s schools; how to transform mental health care; whether micromobility is living up to the hype; and countering Russian propaganda. Photo by U.S. Army U.S. service members who identify as lesbian, gay, or… Continue reading Sexual Assault in the Military, School Security, Mental Health Care: RAND Weekly Recap