Policy Minded

We discuss why America's international standing has declined—and what can be done to reverse the trend; long-term challenges that schools face in mitigating COVID-19 risks; the pandemic's effects on the leisure and hospitality industry; what Shinzo Abe's resignation means for the U.S.-Japan alliance; and why pardoning Edward Snowden would come with security risks. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

We discuss Americans' views on voting during the pandemic; what makes the U.S. Postal Service so essential; law enforcement leaders' perspectives about strategies to "defund the police"; the potential costs and benefits of brain-computer interfaces; and COVID-19's effect on social services in Los Angeles. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

We discuss how radicalization and political violence could rise in 2020; the link between workplace diversity and the gender pay gap; shortcomings of the Israel-UAE normalization agreement; the West's potential role in Belarus; and what happened to COVID-19's "temporary" layoffs. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

We discuss a new RAND research center focused on racial equity policy; L.A.'s high unemployment, and why some groups are worse off than others; what might happen if China develops a successful COVID-19 vaccine; how the U.S. military services approach leadership; eating habits among people in the UK; and the national security risks of an insider threat at Twitter. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

We discuss the challenges of planning for U.S. elections in the face of COVID-19; why artists need more support right now; how the pandemic complicates hurricane recovery; North Korea's conventional artillery; and what it will mean if the Quad becomes openly anti-China. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

We discuss where China will be in 2050; privacy concerns surrounding mobile tools used to track COVID-19 infections; what types of supports parents need while their kids are at home; how telemedicine can help provide more specialized health services; when and how the Putin era might end; and why the United States fails in "irregular warfare." For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

We discuss insights from RAND researchers on reopening schools in the fall; how the decline in commercial real estate could help address the housing crisis; challenges facing the U.S. unemployment system; helping post-9/11 veterans receive treatment for substance use and behavioral health disorders; and the debate over Confederate statues in the United States. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

We discuss how to recover students' learning losses after a long break from school; what Americans can do to fight Russian trolls; inequities within the U.S. unemployment system; whether the Houthis will become the next Hizballah; and which country—the United States or China—has the edge in artificial intelligence. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

We discuss Americans' online shopping habits during COVID-19; learning to live in a riskier world; a move to redirect police funds in Los Angeles; how to improve U.S. pandemic preparedness; teachers' concerns about students' media literacy; and helping marginalized communities overcome toxic stress. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.

We discuss Americans' perceptions of the USPS; what can be done to ensure safe and secure elections in the fall; a program in Nigeria that helped improve maternal health and reduce child deaths; using machine learning to detect misinformation online; and combatting new types of online abuse. For more information on this week's episode, visit rand.org/podcast.