Truth Decay, Opioid Settlement Funds, Veterans Health Care: RAND Weekly Recap

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	Truth Decay, Opioid Settlement Funds, Veterans Health Care: RAND Weekly Recap
	admin
	2020-10-23
发布年	2020
语种	英语
国家	美国
领域	资源环境
正文(英文)	We discuss why "Truth Decay" is the existential threat of our time; how to spend opioid settlement funds to save the most lives; helping veterans overcome the invisible wounds of war; why China has so few friends; who should pay for disaster losses; and programs that are promoting social and emotional learning in and out of the classroom. Image by frankpeters/Getty Images Fighting Back Against Truth Decay Truth Decay, the diminishing role of facts and analysis in American public life, cuts much deeper than any political party or demographic. It's the existential threat of our time, says RAND president and CEO Michael Rich. In a new commentary, he explains how the “civic disease” of Truth Decay has led Americans to disengage; fueled distrust in democratic institutions; and enfeebled the U.S. response to the pandemic, climate change, domestic terrorism, and more. Fortunately, there are reasons for optimism: America has survived bouts with Truth Decay before. And none of them ended without a renewed faith in objective analysis to guide public policy. That's exactly what RAND is striving for now, says Rich. Photo by Moussa81/Getty Images How Opioid Settlement Funds Can Be Spent to Save the Most Lives Yesterday, the U.S. Justice Department announced an $8 billion settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma for the company's role in the opioid crisis. According to RAND experts, money from such a settlement could quickly save lives and mitigate lifelong harms, but it must be carefully allocated. To do the most good, the money should go toward expanding access to the overdose-reversal drug naloxone; supporting needle exchange programs and supervised injection facilities; providing more effective treatment; and helping mothers and children. Photo by Bush Institute CC BY-NC-ND 2.0/Paul Morse What Does High-Quality Care Mean for Veterans with Invisible Wounds? Veterans often experience symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury long after their military service ends. These invisible wounds of war can have a significant negative effect on veterans and their families. High-quality care can help, but many veterans have difficulty accessing it. A new RAND study seeks to establish a universal definition of high-quality care for PTSD and TBI. This could improve coordination among organizations that serve veterans and provide a model for effective treatment. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin, June 5, 2019 Photo by Maxim Shipenkov/Pool/Reuters China's Friends Are Few and Unreliable China and the United States are actively shoring up their diplomatic relationships in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. Washington has fared quite well. But Beijing's “belligerent tone, muscular foreign policy, and near-constant saber rattling have won it no new friends,” says RAND's Derek Grossman. China's partnerships are with pariah states that are unreliable, unimportant, or both. This presents a major challenge for China as great-power competition ramps up. Two cars destroyed by a tornado in Washington, Illinois, November 19, 2013 Photo by Jeff Haynes/Reuters When Disaster Strikes, Who Should Cover the Losses? Paying for losses from floods, fires, hurricanes, and other hazards has traditionally been a state and local function. But over time, this responsibility has shifted to the federal government. According to RAND experts, as the frequency and severity of disasters increase—along with the losses they cause—it may be time to reconsider how risk is shared. The researchers suggest four approaches that could shift some responsibility back to state and local entities, helping encourage more resilient planning and building practices. Photo by Stephanie Drenka/Big Thought Eva Kali/AdobeStock Promoting Social and Emotional Learning, in and Out of the Classroom How do children benefit when both schools and out-of-school time programs collaborate to improve social and emotional learning? And what does it take to build this kind of partnership? To find out, RAND researchers conducted one of the most-comprehensive SEL implementation studies to date that follows programs in six different communities. Early findings offer lessons that may be useful to school districts and out-of-school time providers looking to offer their own programs. Listen to the Recap Get Weekly Updates from RAND If you enjoyed this weekly recap, consider subscribing to Policy Currents, our newsletter and podcast. Stay Informed RAND Policy Currents Email Subscribe to the podcast. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
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来源平台	RAND Corporation
文献类型	新闻
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/299994
专题	资源环境科学
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	admin. Truth Decay, Opioid Settlement Funds, Veterans Health Care: RAND Weekly Recap. 2020.