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Why do veterans participate in many public assistance programs at lower rates than nonveterans?
Veterans' Participation in Public Programs
Veterans who receive VA Disability Compensation participate in public assistance programs at lower rates than nonveterans. Their VA income interacts in complicated ways with the rest of the social saf...
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"It appears Hamas is kicking the ball to Israel, knowing very well how difficult it will be for the Israeli government to execute this agreement." https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/31/world/middleeast/trump-gaza-hamas-deal-disarm.html?unlocked_article_code=1.2lA.7UxB.7z5uxM5kJ3nJ&smid=url-share
Trump’s Gaza Deal Sparks Questions on Whether Israel and Hamas Will Comply (Gift Article)
The new 15-point plan, released by the Board of Peace and announced by Trump, calls in part for Israel to end its attacks and Hamas to give up its weapons.
nytimes.com
"[Nonalcoholic] products are suddenly everywhere, but the research has really not kept pace to help us understand how people are using them."
Can Near Beers and Mocktails Help Young People Quit Alcohol?
Low- and no-alcohol drinks may help some young people reduce their alcohol intake, but many continue to consume them alongside traditional beer, wine, and spirits.
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New research underscores the dynamic role of China's Strategic Petroleum Reserve and highlights the importance of ongoing monitoring and analysis:
China's Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a Geoeconomic Tool
China now has the world's largest oil reserve. It was built to protect China's own energy supply but its management will be increasingly consequential for global energy security and international powe...
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New findings suggest that, for some young people, low- and no-alcohol drinks *could* be a socially acceptable way to cut back. For others, though, they're just another option.
Can Near Beers and Mocktails Help Young People Quit Alcohol?
Low- and no-alcohol drinks may help some young people reduce their alcohol intake, but many continue to consume them alongside traditional beer, wine, and spirits.
bit.ly
China's Strategic Petroleum Reserve was built as a resilience tool. But its size compared to other global oil reserves *could* give China the leverage to use it more strategically.
China's Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a Geoeconomic Tool
China now has the world's largest oil reserve. It was built to protect China's own energy supply but its management will be increasingly consequential for global energy security and international powe...
bit.ly
About 1 in every 7 young adults in the U.S. is not working, not in training, and not in school. What's driving this? And what could be done to help disconnected youth? https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/07/30/the-hidden-crisis-facing-millions-of-young-adults-the-excerpt/91076653007/
Why millions of young adults are stuck before they start | The Excerpt
Millions of young adults are disconnected from work, school and training. What would help them find a path forward?
usatoday.com
If the West wants to help bring the war in Ukraine to an end, then an essential component is missing, says RAND's Samuel Charap: a diplomatic process. He argues that European governments have an opportunity to take the initiative. https://bit.ly/3Tpj2nT
Europe Could Help Get Ukraine and Russia to the Negotiating Table
Only diplomacy will end this war. But the U.S.-led process has been episodic and inconsistent. As top Trump officials remain preoccupied with Iran, European governments have an opportunity to take the...
rand.org
Algorithmic insights are the novel techniques, methods, and design know-how that materially improve AI systems. Our new framework can help organizations make informed decisions about which insights warrant security investments.
Securing AI Algorithmic Insights
Algorithmic insights—the novel techniques, methods, and design know-how that materially improve AI systems—are among the most valuable assets in the AI ecosystem. Protecting them from theft or leakage...
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Budget shortfalls and declining enrollment are among the most pressing issues America's public school districts face as they prepare for students to return this fall. How are district leaders navigating this new landscape of reduced resources and competitive pressures?
School District Leaders Are Facing Shrinking Budgets and Fewer Students
Budget shortfalls have become the top challenge U.S. public school district leaders are facing in 2026, with 54 percent of them ranking it in their top three concerns. That's up from 33 percent last y...
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New paper identifies policy options at every level for building the resilience needed to compete effectively in a world of normal AI accidents.
Winning the AI Pentathlon Requires Endurance
The global artificial intelligence race is not just about winning the sprint to transformational AI benefits. It is also a marathon to accumulate the most net benefits over time.
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RAND experts developed tools to map federal spending to different segments of the U.S. population. The latest from the RAND Budget Model: https://bit.ly/44I7TkB
New Tools to Map Federal Spending
Mapping spending on federal programs to those who receive and benefit from the funds can greatly improve precision when estimating the effects of federal spending. By examining where the funds are dis...
rand.org
RAND researchers recently examined two potential conflict scenarios in which China takes military action against Taiwan: an island grab and an invasion. Could sanctions or other economic tools influence Beijing's calculus in either situation?
Deterring China from Attacking Taiwan: The Role of Economic Statecraft
If China appeared ready to move on Taiwan, could sanctions or other economic tools be used to change Beijing's calculus? In this episode of Policy Minded, RAND’s Howard Shatz and Naoko Aoki explore th...
rand.org
Global AI competition isn't just a sprint to develop advanced AI. It's also a marathon to accumulate its net benefits—the gains from AI minus the costs of accidents, misuse, and disruption. New paper:
Winning the AI Pentathlon Requires Endurance
The global artificial intelligence race is not just about winning the sprint to transformational AI benefits. It is also a marathon to accumulate the most net benefits over time.
bit.ly
RAND experts explain how Ukraine's leaders use business principles to maximize both Russian casualties and economic costs.
Ukraine's Winning Strategy Against Russia: Attrition
Over the last two years, Ukraine has developed an effective, if not necessarily novel, strategy of attrition: kill more Russian soldiers, faster. Ukraine's leaders use business principles to maximize ...
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"Just this week, we saw a frontier AI model autonomously hack an outside company to achieve its goals. These and even greater capabilities may eventually be in the hands of cybercriminals globally."
Safeguarding the Future in the AI Era: Q&A with Sella Nevo
Sella Nevo focuses on developing policies to promote the safe and effective use of AI and biotechnology. His mandate at RAND: to help ensure the most pivotal technologies of our time benefit humanity ...
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Many public school districts are operating in a more competitive and financially precarious landscape than in the past, with potential implications for student learning.
School District Leaders Are Facing Shrinking Budgets and Fewer Students
Budget shortfalls have become the top challenge U.S. public school district leaders are facing in 2026, with 54 percent of them ranking it in their top three concerns. That's up from 33 percent last y...
bit.ly
"Recent reporting and analyses suggest that the tide has turned in Ukraine's favor. Russia's war economy is going underwater."
Ukraine's Winning Strategy Against Russia: Attrition
Over the last two years, Ukraine has developed an effective, if not necessarily novel, strategy of attrition: kill more Russian soldiers, faster. Ukraine's leaders use business principles to maximize ...
bit.ly
This new framework can help organizations make informed decisions around securing AI algorithmic insights.👇
Securing AI Algorithmic Insights
Algorithmic insights—the novel techniques, methods, and design know-how that materially improve AI systems—are among the most valuable assets in the AI ecosystem. Protecting them from theft or leakage...
bit.ly
This new report outlines approaches that can help U.S. military planners anticipate blind spots in future U.S.-China space competition. https://bit.ly/4fmT5g8
Forecasting Future U.S.-China Space Competition
China has ramped up its investments in space. New methodologies for synthesizing research and development efforts by the United States and China can project trends in space capabilities and operations...
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Could economic pressure stop China from moving against Taiwan? Find out in a new episode of the Policy Minded podcast:
Deterring China from Attacking Taiwan: The Role of Economic Statecraft
If China appeared ready to move on Taiwan, could sanctions or other economic tools be used to change Beijing's calculus? In this episode of Policy Minded, RAND’s Howard Shatz and Naoko Aoki explore th...
rand.org
"With AI chatbots, the question is not simply what rules to write. It is whether those rules can be tested, audited, and enforced before the damage [to teenagers] is done."
Teens are turning to chatbots for mental health help. We need rules to keep them safe
The share of young people using AI chatbots for mental health advice rose more than 40% in a single year, researcher writes.
statnews.com
"We should be ready for the day when some youth-facing AI mental health tools make adolescents' lives better. But we should not excuse the unproved products in teenagers' pockets today."
Teens are turning to chatbots for mental health help. We need rules to keep them safe
The share of young people using AI chatbots for mental health advice rose more than 40% in a single year, researcher writes.
statnews.com
How might advances in AI affect the future strategic potential of cyber operations? New paper by Michael Sulmeyer of Georgetown University: https://bit.ly/3RDFBEK
How Will AI Affect Cyber Operations?
Artificial Intelligence may finally convert cyber operations from being employed mostly as tactical tools over the past 20 years into their often theorized but seldom realized potential of truly strat...
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The percentage of Americans who lack health insurance has fallen to record lows in recent years. But the numbers appear to be creeping back up. RAND's Christine Eibner explains in a new Q&A:
Making Health Insurance More Affordable: Q&A with Christine Eibner
The high cost of U.S. health care has become a very big problem. In this Q&A, senior economist Christine Eibner explains how many Americans have health insurance, ways to cut costs, and the trade-...
rand.org
The New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite largely eradicated from the U.S. 60 years ago, is back. RAND's Tyler Hoard discusses.
The Texas Screwworm Cases Are a Wake-Up Call for U.S. Biosecurity
The U.S. biosecurity system is poorly prepared for new threats. Naturally occurring crop diseases not yet present could cause billions of dollars in losses if introduced here. Engineered pathogens del...
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"There's no route to continued progress on homelessness if we don't find new strategies to supplement today's encampment resolutions."
Los Angeles' Homelessness Strategy Needs a Next Act
Four years ago, outreach workers in Hollywood knew where to find their unsheltered clients. Most lived in clusters of tents that workers could visit weekly, delivering services and building trust to h...
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Reducing administrative complexity could cut health care costs without harming quality, says RAND's Christine Eibner. But it might also result in fewer choices for consumers.
Making Health Insurance More Affordable: Q&A with Christine Eibner
The high cost of U.S. health care has become a very big problem. In this Q&A, senior economist Christine Eibner explains how many Americans have health insurance, ways to cut costs, and the trade-...
rand.org
How can Los Angeles continue to make practical progress in reducing the number of citizens who are unsheltered? RAND's Louis Abramson discusses:
Los Angeles' Homelessness Strategy Needs a Next Act
Four years ago, outreach workers in Hollywood knew where to find their unsheltered clients. Most lived in clusters of tents that workers could visit weekly, delivering services and building trust to h...
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Nearly 5 million U.S. veterans have used psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, or MDMA. Our new survey explores veterans' psychedelic use and attitudes as the federal government accelerates research into psychedelic-assisted therapies: https://bit.ly/44y3aBI
U.S. Veterans and Psychedelics
What does the evidence say about U.S. veterans' use of specific psychedelic substances (such as psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, and ibogaine), their psychedelics policy preferences, and how these compare w...
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