Policy Minded

A look at the trade-offs of a shorter school week; why countering domestic terrorism may require a new U.S. intelligence strategy; data showing that Black motorists are more likely to be charged with a misdemeanor for excessive speeding; and the big unanswered question of the Afghanistan war. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

What schools need to better support undocumented and asylum-seeking students; understanding what leads Russia, Iran, and China to use their military forces abroad; renters' options as California's eviction moratorium ends; Americans' perspectives on veterans; and the potential consequences of short-tenured leaders in Japan. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

How linking U.S. drug prices to those in other nations could cut costs; unemployment insurance's failings; the rise in anti-Asian American violence; helping communities recover after continuous disasters; and reducing extremism in the U.S. military. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

What needs to be done to ensure more Americans get vaccinated against COVID-19; Afghanistan's worsening refugee crisis; understanding environmental racism; how political polarization may affect health insurance purchasing decisions; and helping extremists find pathways to deradicalization. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

Insights on ISIS-K; why the Afghanistan withdrawal shouldn't reduce confidence in other U.S. security commitments; how many lives were saved by the early U.S. COVID-19 vaccination campaign; how the pandemic continues to affect unemployment; and why America may need a "virtual reality check." For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

Insights from RAND researchers on the collapse in Afghanistan; parents' views on sending their kids back to school; and budget and staffing challenges facing U.S. school districts. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

The case for shrinking prisons and their budgets; a national deterrence strategy for ransomware attacks; the trade-offs of making U.S. military activities less predictable; addressing barriers to COVID-19 vaccination among Black Americans; and strategies to counter violent extremism in the military. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

A guide to help teachers implement media literacy education; a look at sexual harassment and gender discrimination among active-duty U.S. Army soldiers; how labor regulations may be affecting L.A.'s push to build supportive housing; and addressing the risk of conflict in the Arctic. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

Historic lynchings in the American South are linked to lower voter registration among Black people; how a drop in demand for Afghanistan's opiates could affect the country and its people; why COVID-19 has changed the childcare debate; support for wildland firefighters; and helping veterans who are experiencing food insecurity. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

Ways to keep up the fight against COVID-19; countering sexual assault and sexual harassment in the U.S. military; foreign disinformation campaigns on social media; how algorithms could help social media users moderate their own content; and the risks of launching into a "new space era." For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.