Every year, RAND surveys thousands of teachers, principals, and superintendents who are members of the American Educator Panels to keep tabs on what is happening in K–12 public schools. We recently launched an American Youth Panel for people ages 12 to 21 and an American Parents Panel. Together, these panels now allow us to gather… Continue reading The State of Public Education in 2025 in Five Charts
Tag: Intel
GLP-1 Agonists in Perimenopause: Unique Risks and Potential Opportunities
Glucagon-like-peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), including medications like Ozempic® and Zepbound®, have transformed weight management and treatment of chronic disease. But while GLP-1s are commonly used by perimenopausal women, this population has been largely ignored in studies of the drugs’ risks and benefits. Originally developed for Type 2 diabetes, these medications have gained FDA approval for… Continue reading GLP-1 Agonists in Perimenopause: Unique Risks and Potential Opportunities
Raising Costs to Nuclear Proliferators
Israeli and U.S. military strikes in June have raised the cost to Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons. Proliferators must now weigh military risks along with political and financial costs. Iran may be a special case; it has invested so much that it may try to restart its nuclear arms effort. Other potential nuclear rogues may… Continue reading Raising Costs to Nuclear Proliferators
Leashing Chinese AI Needs Smart Chip Controls
China’s stunning achievements in AI have one glaring weak spot: access to compute—the raw processing power that fuels AI and relies on large volumes of advanced semiconductors. The United States currently has a tenfold advantage over China in total compute capacity, a gap that may only widen over time. U.S. tech firms are pouring billions… Continue reading Leashing Chinese AI Needs Smart Chip Controls
Writing a Defense Strategy That Sticks
This commentary was originally published by Defense One on August 1, 2025. Defense strategy has become a booming enterprise, yet its core themes often boil down to a single word—or just a few. Donald Rumsfeld’s tenure in the Pentagon was defined by “transformation,” while Lloyd Austin’s strategy (PDF) emphasized “campaigning” and “integrated deterrence.” Robert Gates… Continue reading Writing a Defense Strategy That Sticks
Russia’s Use of Crypto Schemes
To maintain access to international markets in the face of Western economic pressure, Russia is increasingly turning to noncurrency payment schemes. The state has strong incentives to obscure its transactions and reduce reliance on fiat currencies (such as the dollar or euro) to evade sanctions and avoid scrutiny. This month, the head of Rosfinmonitoring, Russia’s… Continue reading Russia’s Use of Crypto Schemes
Leading States Offer a Roadmap to Jobs of the Future
It’s hard to plan for jobs of the future that promise to be vastly different. But the future is rapidly approaching in advanced manufacturing. How can state governments, education and training organizations, and employers start to collaborate now to create these new jobs? Manufacturing jobs a decade, or even five years, from now will require… Continue reading Leading States Offer a Roadmap to Jobs of the Future
A Science-Based Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide: There’s Room at the Table for Everyone
Veteran suicide remains a critical issue in the United States, claiming more than 6,000 lives annually. The suicide rate among veterans exceeds that of nonveterans and for two decades has been rising at a faster pace. Despite significant efforts by government and private sectors, the problem persists. In recent research, we took stock of existing… Continue reading A Science-Based Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide: There’s Room at the Table for Everyone
The Health Care System Is Broken—and Prior Authorization Is a Big Part of the Problem
The U.S. health care landscape is undergoing historic change—from Medicare drug price negotiations to rising public scrutiny of insurance practices. As policymakers have increasingly focused on addressing administrative waste, prior authorization has become a top priority. In June, several private insurers pledged to address the issue of prior authorization. They promised to reduce the number… Continue reading The Health Care System Is Broken—and Prior Authorization Is a Big Part of the Problem
This Digital Skills Training Tripled Job Rates. Why Didn’t It Survive?
Imagine this: You’re looking for a job, and every application asks for the same thing—upload your resume, attach a cover letter, complete an online form, and expect a confirmation by email. What if you don’t have email? And uploading a file feels like a technical puzzle? What if you’ve never used a word processor or… Continue reading This Digital Skills Training Tripled Job Rates. Why Didn’t It Survive?