Six days before the invasion of Ukraine, a small group of Russian soldiers huddled together in their tents in Belarus. One of them had covertly acquired a smartphone—barred by the military—and together, the group logged on to Western news sites. There, they read a story that shocked them: according to Western intelligence reports, Russia was… Continue reading The Russian Military Has Failed Its Sons
Category: Intel
Extremism Online, Russia’s Military, Preventing Police Killings: RAND Weekly Recap
This week, we discuss the spread of extremism and hate online; Russia’s lack of concern for the lives and well-being of its military personnel; how much private health plans pay hospitals compared with Medicare; the evidence of Truth Decay in Europe; what we know about police violence and how to stop it; and how the… Continue reading Extremism Online, Russia’s Military, Preventing Police Killings: RAND Weekly Recap
Three Principles for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security
Almost 25 years ago, Kim Dae-jung was inaugurated as president of South Korea. In his inaugural address, he defined three amazingly prescient principles for Korean Peninsula peace and security: First, we will never tolerate armed provocations of any kind. Second, we do not have any intention to harm or absorb North Korea. Third, we will… Continue reading Three Principles for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security
Rethinking the EU’s Role in European Collective Defence
The war in Ukraine has laid bare Europe’s reliance on NATO and the United States—and to some degree the UK—as guarantors of its security. All are sending military aid to Ukraine, as well as soldiers to reinforce NATO’s presence on the continent. Sweden and Finland are poised to join NATO soon. French President Emmanuel Macron’s… Continue reading Rethinking the EU’s Role in European Collective Defence
Camping Bans and Group Shelters Unlikely to Solve Homelessness Crisis
Increasingly, the debate around reducing street homelessness around Los Angeles is focused on what to build. Should the city continue to direct most resources toward creating permanent housing with services, which has proven to be a costly and slow process? Or should it try to rapidly add more group shelters and shared tiny homes—which, under… Continue reading Camping Bans and Group Shelters Unlikely to Solve Homelessness Crisis
How Schools’ COVID-Aid Joy Ride Could Send New Hires Off a Fiscal Cliff — Again
As school districts across the country grapple with declining enrollments induced by the pandemic, many are engaged in spending sprees like those of the past leading to widespread layoffs and budget cuts when federal money ran out. Bolstered by $190 billion in pandemic relief funding from Washington, the nation’s public schools are hiring new teachers and… Continue reading How Schools’ COVID-Aid Joy Ride Could Send New Hires Off a Fiscal Cliff — Again
Addressing the Shortage of Behavioral Health Clinicians: Lessons from the Military Health System
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an initiative dedicated to improving the nation’s understanding of mental health concerns and promoting access to quality behavioral health care. However, access to behavioral health services is one of the top challenges for the U.S. health care system, and this has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The shortage… Continue reading Addressing the Shortage of Behavioral Health Clinicians: Lessons from the Military Health System
Combating Disinformation by Bolstering Truth and Trust
For Jessica Cecil, today feels a bit like the Dark Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire, in which agreed-upon facts endure in only a few isolated places of elite discussion and there is no common language of politics. Cecil, founder and former head of the Trusted News Initiative, a global alliance of major… Continue reading Combating Disinformation by Bolstering Truth and Trust
Russia Will Struggle to Sustain Its Disinformation Machine, Former New York Times/BBC Chief Tells RAND Europe
As former head of the New York Times and the BBC, Mark Thompson has tackled disinformation on both sides of the Atlantic. One of his big takeaways: It’s not as easy as you might think to sustain a successful disinformation campaign. “The Russian disinformation machine has taken some good kicks because of facts on the… Continue reading Russia Will Struggle to Sustain Its Disinformation Machine, Former New York Times/BBC Chief Tells RAND Europe
A Four-Day Week: Is America Ready?
How do you make four equal five? That’s a question many Americans are asking as they ponder the future of the time-honored five-day school week. As alluring as a calendar filled with three-day weekends may seem, research shows that short school weeks can have educational and health risks for students, but also benefits for them… Continue reading A Four-Day Week: Is America Ready?