The Most Popular RAND Research of 2021

The year began with a deadly attack on American democracy. On January 6, a mob of insurrectionists, persuaded by falsehoods about the 2020 presidential election, laid siege to the U.S. Capitol, attacking law enforcement officers and calling for the sitting vice president to be hanged. And while 2021 was the year of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines,… Continue reading The Most Popular RAND Research of 2021

Published
Categorized as Intel Tagged

Helping People Affected by Conflict: Q&A with Jacqueline Burns

Jacqueline Burns joined the U.S. Air Force because she wanted to help people, face to face, on the ground, whose lives had been torn apart by conflict or disaster. She was still in training when the attacks of 9/11 changed the mission. Burns, now a senior policy analyst at RAND, spent 12 years as an… Continue reading Helping People Affected by Conflict: Q&A with Jacqueline Burns

Taiwan Would Be Better Off Alone

And then there were 14. That was the new tally of Taiwan’s official diplomatic partners following Nicaragua’s decision earlier this month to swap ties with Taipei for Beijing. The Solomon Islands and Kiribati did the same in 2019. But a curious fact has been overshadowed in the coverage of Taiwan’s losses: Taipei has at times… Continue reading Taiwan Would Be Better Off Alone

Published
Categorized as Intel Tagged

Taiwan Is Safe Until at Least 2027, but with One Big Caveat

Six years. That is how long Taiwan might have left before suffering a Chinese military attack. At least that was the estimate according to outgoing commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Admiral Philip Davidson, back in March during open Congressional testimony. Since then, observers have seized on Davidson’s comments—which apparently reference the 100th anniversary of the… Continue reading Taiwan Is Safe Until at Least 2027, but with One Big Caveat

Published
Categorized as Intel Tagged

On Veterans Day, There Are Still Thousands of Homeless Vets in L.A. We Followed 26 to Find Out Why

When the encampment dubbed Veterans Row was emptied last week, dozens of tents, tarps, and flags disappeared from San Vicente Boulevard. But moving 40 or so people onto the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus is a minimal step forward: An estimated 3,900 veterans live unhoused in Los Angeles. That number, which has remained essentially… Continue reading On Veterans Day, There Are Still Thousands of Homeless Vets in L.A. We Followed 26 to Find Out Why

Published
Categorized as Intel Tagged

Supporting America’s Veterans: RAND Weekly Recap

In this Veterans Day edition of the weekly recap, we discuss how to help veterans experiencing homelessness; better care for veterans with “invisible wounds”; data showing that veterans need more support when transitioning into civilian jobs; and a Q&A with two RAND researchers who have served. An encampment of tents with American flags in Los… Continue reading Supporting America’s Veterans: RAND Weekly Recap

Published
Categorized as Intel Tagged

Politicians Face Violence and Threats from Voters—and Each Other. Are We Nearing a Civil War?

Last week, an anonymous caller told a Republican congressman who voted with Democrats in favor of the infrastructure bill that he and his staff should die. On Monday, Twitter added a warning label to a cartoon video shared by a different Republican congressman in which he assassinated a colleague from across the aisle. On Wednesday,… Continue reading Politicians Face Violence and Threats from Voters—and Each Other. Are We Nearing a Civil War?

Published
Categorized as Intel Tagged

Is Russia About to Make a ‘Serious Mistake’ in Ukraine?

Russian military shifts and stinging Kremlin criticisms of Ukraine are raising questions about Moscow’s aims. In 2014, Russia’s seizure and annexation of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine led to a strong Western response—a jump in military aid to Ukraine, a NATO buildup on its eastern flank, and unprecedented sanctions. What could be in store… Continue reading Is Russia About to Make a ‘Serious Mistake’ in Ukraine?

Published
Categorized as Intel Tagged

Supply Chain Disruptions: The Risks and Consequences

By now the impacts of supply chain disruption are becoming all too familiar: shortages, inflation, factory closures, goods waiting at ports to be unloaded. All these impacts are serious enough, but another more-hidden concern lurks just beneath the surface: the impact of supply chain failure on national security, broadly defined as a nation’s ability to… Continue reading Supply Chain Disruptions: The Risks and Consequences

Published
Categorized as Intel Tagged