Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
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** May 8, 2025
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Boosting Border Security Through Local Partnerships
The Shadow Wolves of southern Arizona are a Native American tactical unit assigned to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. They use centuries-old tracking skills to detect transnational criminal organizations that operate around the southern border.
According to RAND experts, the United States could benefit from more units like this. In fact, if federal law enforcement taps into the local knowledge of tribal populations and Indigenous communities while providing units like the Shadow Wolves with drones and other advanced technologies, then it could help create a "powerful security framework."
"By continuing to invest in these relationships, the United States not only strengthens border security," the RAND experts write, "but also fosters greater cooperation with communities that have historically guarded America's frontiers."
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A Return to Nuclear Diplomacy with Iran?
Ten years after the Iran nuclear deal was finalized and five years after the first Trump administration repealed the accord, much has changed in the Middle East. But how to stop Iran's nuclear development remains a challenge for Washington. According to RAND's Raphael Cohen, it's unclear if a new deal will materialize. But there are benefits to the new Trump administration's ongoing diplomatic efforts. For one thing, it may be able to make a better deal. And if not, then Washington may decide that a deal with many of the same flaws as the original is preferable to potentially messy military action.
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RAND's Jim Mitre on Artificial General Intelligence and National Security
In a new Q&A, RAND's Jim Mitre discusses how U.S. national security officials can prepare for a future in which the world achieves artificial general intelligence--an AI that possesses human or superhuman capabilities. At a minimum, leaders need to take steps to avoid technological surprise, Mitre says: "What I worry about is that if artificial general intelligence ever does come about, the U.S. government is not well prepared to handle it. We don't want to stumble into that world."
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** RAND Recommends
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- Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, RAND's Derek Grossman discusses India's strikes on Pakistan and what might happen next: "Both sides have a clear incentive to ensure it does not get out of hand and to the nuclear level."
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- In response to the reported uptick in civilian deaths in Ukraine since ceasefire talks began, RAND's Samuel Charap tells the New York Times that an increase in attacks doesn't necessarily mean rejection of the negotiating process.
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- RAND experts explain why the United States, South Korea, and Japan should cooperate on shipbuilding: "The United States cannot compete with China alone."
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** Events
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The Future of Standardized Assessment
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 (Online)
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How Resilient Is China's Economy?
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 (Online)
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Policy Lab: Protecting Schools, Protecting Students
Thursday, May 22, 2025 (Online)
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Admissions Webinar: Master of National Security Faculty Panel
Thursday, May 29, 2025 (Online)
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