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RAND conducts analyses and makes recommendations to strengthen the U.S. Department of Homeland Security across its full set of missions to prevent terrorism and enhance security, secure and manage America's borders, enforce and administer immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyberspace, and strengthen preparedness and resilience. In the area of public safety, RAND research addresses drug policy, crime, prison reform, and prisoner reentry, and other topics.

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  Commentary

  How to Put RAND Findings on Veteran Support for Extremism in Context

  A RAND survey found that U.S. veterans appeared to support extremist groups at a rate lower than the general population. In contrast, a new University of Maryland study found that veteran status was the most prominent characteristic among extremists involved in terrorism attacks with four or more victims.

  Sep 11, 2023

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  Commentary

  It's Time to Take Societal Resilience Seriously

  To build the societal resilience required to respond effectively to everything from climate-related emergencies to pandemics, to intentional state-on-state attacks, and disinformation, a joint approach is needed, not only across government, but across wider society.

  Sep 15, 2023

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  Report

  Evaluating Cryptographic Vulnerabilities Created by Quantum Computing in Industrial Control Systems

  Migration to post-quantum cryptography to prepare for future capabilities of quantum computing has implications for industrial control and operational technology systems. These implications affect how system owners should prepare for the migration.

  Oct 4, 2023

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  Report

  The Drivers of and Outlook for Russian-Iranian Cooperation

  Russia and Iran's recent cooperation regarding Ukraine has raised concerns that the once wary partners might be moving toward a more comprehensive, strategic alliance. Such a prospect could have significant consequences for the United States' ability to safeguard its interests in the Middle East.

  Oct 4, 2023

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  Journal Article

  National Travel Distances for Emergency Care

  The paper examines the travel time/distance between a patient’s actual home address and the ED they visited and how these distances/times vary by hospital and patient characteristics using geocoded data from 50 hospital-based EDs from across the US.

  Oct 4, 2023

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  Commentary

  Rightsizing the Russia Threat

  A proper understanding of the threat Russia poses must begin with an accurate appraisal of Russian power. Putin might harbor fantasies of world conquest. But his military cannot even fully conquer any of the four Ukrainian provinces he claims to have annexed last year. Ultimately, those are the constraints that should bound the debate about the extent of the threat.

  Oct 3, 2023

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  Research Brief

  Financial Incentives for Businesses Can Increase Employment of People with Criminal Records

  Connecting individuals with criminal histories to jobs benefits both them and society, but employers are hesitant to hire them. Modest direct financial incentives such as tax credits could motivate employers to hire more people with prior convictions.

  Oct 2, 2023

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  Blog

  Trauma in the Intelligence Community, Climate Change, Cybersecurity: RAND Weekly Recap

  This weekly recap focuses on the toll that trauma takes in the intelligence community, how climate change will affect the federal budget, why it may be time for a new cybersecurity standard, and more.

  Sep 29, 2023

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  Multimedia

  Can South Korea Help the World Beat the Next Pandemic?

  How can South Korea turn its COVID-19 control success into a successful soft-power asset for health diplomacy? The RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy hosted a webinar discussion to promote the sharing of innovative ideas and best practices.

  Sep 29, 2023

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  Report

  Evaluation of the California County Resentencing Pilot Program: Year 2 Findings

  The California County Resentencing Pilot Program was established to support and evaluate a collaborative approach to prosecutorial discretion in resentencing eligible incarcerated individuals. The authors document results from year 2 of the program.

  Sep 27, 2023

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  Report

  Syndromic Surveillance 2.0: Emerging Global Surveillance Strategies for Infectious Disease Epidemics

  To aid in the detection of emerging epidemics and pandemics, researchers investigate the effectiveness of the newest syndromic surveillance strategies — those designed to identify outbreaks before clinical data are available.

  Sep 27, 2023

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  Report

  How Climate Change Affects the Federal Budget and Legislation

  As climate change drives an increase in costly natural disasters, U.S. policymakers need to consider different mitigation policies. Projecting the effects on federal spending and revenue depends on a model that captures important relationships between climate, federal policy, and the economy.

  Sep 27, 2023

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  Blog

  Escalation in Ukraine, a Trilateral Imperialist Threat, Disaster Recovery: RAND Weekly Recap

  This weekly recap focuses on the risk of escalation in Ukraine, the growing threat of a North-Korea-Russia-China partnership, the economics of disaster recovery, and more.

  Sep 22, 2023

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  Commentary

  UFO Research Is Only Harmed by Antigovernment Rhetoric

  There is an undercurrent of conspiracy theory and, relatedly, antigovernment sentiment brewing around the issue of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP). If it grows, it could prove toxic to any factual and scientific discussion of UAPs.

  Sep 22, 2023

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  Commentary

  Cyber Attacks Reveal Uncomfortable Truths About U.S. Defenses

  Without government investments and policies to drive transparency and a clear understanding of what cybersecurity tools do, how well they work, and how securely they are built, the United States risks continuing to offer its adversaries the means to undermine its systems and, ultimately, its security.

  Sep 21, 2023

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  Commentary

  Disaster Recovery Creates Its Own Bubble

  Shortages of workers and materials inevitably make rebuilding slower and more expensive after a natural disaster. In Maui, this is likely to be a problem for agencies like FEMA that provide public assistance. But it will also be a problem for individual households if private insurance payouts are insufficient to rebuild.

  Sep 20, 2023

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  Commentary

  Taking the Measure of AI and National Security

  Transformative technologies should not be abandoned due to their risks. Instead, we should focus on understanding the threats, implementing necessary countermeasures, and utilizing the tools in a safer and more secure manner.

  Sep 20, 2023

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  Journal Article

  Findings from the Sustaining Delivery of the Covenant Programme

  This study, conducted on behalf of the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT), evaluates the grant funding provided through the AFCFT’s Strengthening Delivery Programme (SDP) and Sustaining Delivery Programme.

  Sep 18, 2023

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  Journal Article

  Exploring Which Patients Use Their Closest Emergency Departments Using Geocoded Data

  Each year, roughly 20% of U.S. adults visit an emergency department (ED). Examining ED use, Fewer than half of patients visited the closest ED. Patients who chose a farther ED sought higher-rated hospitals and reported more favorable experiences.

  Sep 18, 2023

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  Blog

  Teacher Pay, the Costs of Insomnia, Wildfire Prevention: RAND Weekly Recap

  This weekly recap focuses on teachers' dissatisfaction with their pay and work hours, the staggering costs of insomnia, connections between wildfires and food insecurity., and more.

  Sep 15, 2023

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  Commentary

  North Korea, Russia and China: The Developing Trilateral Imperialist Partnership

  There are no easy ways for the United States and its allies to counter the developing Russia-China-North Korea partnership. But there are options to consider and steps to take. There are also fissures in their relationships to exploit.

  Sep 13, 2023