The White House (via OMB) strongly protests Congressional efforts within the FY 2027 NDAA to prohibit the purchase of warships from foreign shipyards. The Administration argues that these restrictions undermine national security by limiting flexibility and hindering its strategy of leveraging allied yards, such as in the 'Finland model,' to drive investment into U.S. shipbuilding capacity. This signals a significant policy shift toward integrating international partners into advanced naval construction, suggesting the Pentagon is prepared to bypass traditional domestic build requirements for future combat vessels.
Evaluation of depot buprenorphine provision in treatment and recovery services in England
English Summary
The RAND evaluation concludes that depot buprenorphine (DB) provision has expanded markedly in England following new grant funding, exhibiting a rapid, S-shaped uptake curve. Key evidence shows a sharp increase in provision, with recipients often being younger women with lower disability rates compared to other opioid substitution treatment groups. The report advises policymakers that while DB offers benefits like improved adherence, its high cost and limited real-world evidence base require careful management. Therefore, the findings are intended to guide the Department of Health and Social Care in optimizing the provision of this long-acting injectable treatment to maximize recovery outcomes and ensure cost-effectiveness.
中文摘要
蘭德研究所（RAND）的評估報告指出，在獲得新的撥款資助後，英格蘭地區的儲配型丁丙諾啡（depot buprenorphine, DB）服務提供量顯著擴大，呈現出快速的S型採用曲線。關鍵證據顯示，服務提供量急劇增加，且接受服務的個案往往是相較於其他鴉片類替代治療群體中，具有較低殘疾率的年輕女性。報告建議政策制定者，雖然DB能帶來改善依從性等益處，但其高昂的成本和有限的真實世界證據基礎，要求必須謹慎管理。因此，本研究結果旨在指導衛生與社會照護部（Department of Health and Social Care），優化此種長效注射治療的提供方式，以最大化恢復成效並確保成本效益。
Related Entries
-
1.
-
2.
The Western Pacific remains a highly active theater defined by sustained U.S.-led military exercises and escalating great power competition. Key evidence includes continuous joint operations, such as RIMPAC 2026 in Hawaii and the deployment of CSGs into the South China Sea, juxtaposed with increased naval activity from both China (PLAN task groups) and Russia near Japan's critical straits. These movements underscore a strategic push by non-allied powers to assert presence and challenge regional norms. Policy implications dictate that allied nations must maintain robust multilateral cooperation and interoperability to safeguard freedom of navigation and manage escalating tensions in the Indo-Pacific.
-
3.
The article argues that the post-Cold War era of U.S. unipolarity, established by the perceived invincibility demonstrated during the Gulf War, has ended. This decline is driven by globalization and technological diffusion, which have democratized advanced military capabilities, allowing regional actors to challenge major powers. Consequently, policymakers must prepare for a more volatile international order marked by frequent crises, heightened costs for securing global trade chokepoints, and reduced predictability from American power. The new rules dictate that great powers can no longer effortlessly impose their will through force.
-
4.
The article argues that current market borrowing costs are rising independently of the Federal Reserve's policy stance, challenging the assumption that the Fed controls all rates. Evidence shows significant increases in key rates—such as 2-year Treasuries and mortgages—even while the effective federal funds rate remains steady. This divergence occurs because market rates reflect complex factors like inflation expectations, credit risk, and geopolitical volatility, which are outside the central bank's direct control. Policymakers should therefore recognize that sustainable rate moderation requires credible disinflation and disciplined government budgets, rather than relying solely on Fed intervention.
-
5.
Despite recent trade setbacks, the U.S. retains fundamental structural economic leverage over China, particularly in high-tech sectors and intermediate goods. While Beijing can temporarily weaponize specific resources like rare earths, these chokepoints are vulnerable to diversification efforts by the West. The article argues that the most effective strategy is not unilateral action but coordinated multilateral pressure from U.S. allies across Asia and Europe. Washington must therefore coordinate its economic statecraft with partners to maximize damage to China’s export-dependent model.