Category: Intel

Africa has not traditionally been a high-value market for arms exports, but Russia has been very active on the continent. Moscow is using arms sales there to influence political and military leaders. Russia is the largest exporter of weapons to Sub-Saharan Africa (PDF). Its arms exports to Africa have increased by 23 percent over the… Continue reading What Does Africa Need Most Now: Russian Arms Sales or Good Vaccines?

This week, we discuss how Russia and China manipulated news about COVID-19; the risks of America’s increasingly uncivil behavior; measures to help stabilize the health care marketplace; attracting diverse talent to the public sector; the value of understanding student opinions; and how the West could help Ukraine. Photo by svetikd/Getty Images Both Russia and China… Continue reading News Manipulation, the Risk of Civil War, Russia and Ukraine: RAND Weekly Recap

There is growing bipartisan concern over the power Silicon Valley’s oligopolies wield over American society. Amazon alone controls 72% of U.S. adult book sales, Airbnb accounts for a fifth of domestic lodging expenditures and Facebook accounts for almost three-quarters of social media visits. Just two companies, Apple and Google, act as gatekeepers to 99% of… Continue reading How Platform Transparency Could Help Build Antitrust Cases

The alarming news that Russia is building up troops along the border with Ukraine might seem like deja vu. There were similar headlines this past spring, and intensified fighting along the line of contact in the contested Donbas region has periodically broken out since the so-called “Minsk II” peace deal was signed in 2015. If… Continue reading How Could the U.S. React to Russia’s Latest Posturing on Ukraine?

Leaders of EU member states and institutions have recently renewed calls for Europe to assume a greater role and increased autonomy in transatlantic and global security and defence. Successive U.S. administrations have welcomed a larger European role in defence, and it has become a more urgent priority for the Biden administration as it rebalances its… Continue reading U.S. Support for European Strategic Autonomy Could Boost Transatlantic Solidarity and Security

The future of disease monitoring for global health may depend on the willingness of policymakers to protect data-sharing agreements from global geopolitics. The recent G20 summit sought to focus on global health financing and find ways to build a strong global health surveillance system. Little progress was made. The lack of agreement was not surprising,… Continue reading Global Health Data Sharing: The Case of China and the Two Coronavirus Pandemics

To achieve the Biden administration’s blueprint for solar energy and focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation, state and local governments and companies may need access to capital. The same is true for international governments and corporations committed to the COP26 goals of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Green bonds, which raise capital… Continue reading Green Bonds Can Leave Issuers in the Red

The present national debate over the indoctrination of public school students in controversial theories and practices — such as Critical Race Theory and social and emotional learning — and the desire of objecting parents to seek relief, may give rise to a values choice movement. After all, the liberty interest and ultimate concern at stake when parents choose an education for their… Continue reading The Values Choice Movement Comes before the Supreme Court

Investors have a growing appetite for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) products like green bonds, which have positive societal impacts in addition to risk-adjusted financial returns. Sales of green bonds have grown rapidly over the past decade, from roughly $4.2 billion in 2012 to nearly $300 billion in 2020. The Climate Bond Initiative (CBI), a… Continue reading The Growing Green Bond Market Could Plateau. How Can It Grow Further?