Why it may be time to talk to Russia; what might lead Moscow to escalate the war in Ukraine; the compounding effects of racial bias; what economic research says about abortion; and why the Navy should stick with its mine-hunting dolphins. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

America's uneven economic recovery from the pandemic; launching 988, the new mental health hotline; the disproportionate effects of an increase in firearm homicides; challenges facing U.S. schools; and why investing in women’s health research benefits everyone. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

Personal firearm storage in the United States; why “replacement theory” is so dangerous; what it might take to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine; lessons from the 2017 battle for Raqqa; and the economic returns of foreign language learning. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

The implications of a Post-Roe America; the threat of deepfakes; what determines a nation’s global standing; and the launch of a new mental health emergency hotline. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

Countering the illegal flow of synthetic opioids; unblocking the Black Sea to free up Ukrainian grain; the link between poor sleep and dementia; mental health services in NYC; and defining the metaverse. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

Teachers are stressed at a higher rate than other working adults; how states can play a role in preventing mass shootings; “don’t poke the bear” as a flawed model for U.S. strategy toward Russia; San Francisco’s open-air drug dealing problem and what to do about it; and countering violent nonstate actors. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

Announcing our new president and CEO; Americans’ views on the U.S. Foreign Service; mapping online violent extremist rhetoric; America’s new mental health hotline; and transportation equity for older adults. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

Which gun laws work—and which ones don’t; tracking extremism online; defending against mass attacks; insights from RAND experts on the war in Ukraine. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

The Truth Decay phenomenon and how to stop it; what civilian technology professionals think about military applications of artificial intelligence; the link between school lunch nutrition standards and childhood obesity; why focusing so much on preventing escalation in Ukraine might be counterproductive; and a new approach to regulating space activity. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

How tapping into Facebook data can help host countries help refugees; a survey of people experiencing homelessness in L.A.; understanding burnout among military health care providers; leveraging technology to help incarcerated people reenter the community; and how the U.S. should respond to cyberattacks. For more information on this week’s episode, visit rand.org/podcast.