GovExec Daily: How the Ukraine War – and COVID-19 – is Affecting Inflation and Supply Chains
Dr. David Simchi-Levi, director of the MIT Data Science Lab, joins the podcast to discuss how recent events have shocked the global system.
In the run-up to the 2026 midterm elections, the political parties in many states are working to redefine their congressional district maps to gain every possible edge. From California and Texas to Tennessee and Virginia, redistricting efforts have taken center stage. The Supreme Court has sanctioned partisan gerrymandering, and the system has evolved to one in which state legislature majorities get to determine who is most likely to fill those seats in Congress.
In short, gerrymandering has become a central feature of the system, not a bug. But what if we rethink the structure entirely?
A study published in Management Science finds that the industry’s standard approach of matching video game players against opponents with similar skill levels is not necessarily the most effective way to keep people engaged. Instead, researchers show that more sophisticated matchmaking systems—ones that account for how players respond to recent wins, losses and competitive experiences over time—can significantly increase player retention.
Gendered differences may impact how medical students rank their preferred schools when matching for residency, according to study data published in Organization Science.
Across two studies, the data show that men and women navigate the Main Residency Match differently and highlight the need for improved education on the process, according to Samuel E. Skowronek, PhD, assistant professor of management at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, and Joyce C. He, PhD, assistant professor of management and organizations at UCLA Anderson School of Management.
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Dr. David Simchi-Levi, director of the MIT Data Science Lab, joins the podcast to discuss how recent events have shocked the global system.
Medical supply companies with boards that included at least two women recalled life-threatening products almost a month sooner than those with all-male boards, according to our forthcoming study examining thousands of medical product recalls from 2002 to 2013.
How will we know when the COVID-19 pandemic is at an end? Will we live with the virus forever? What happens next? Experts have some answers for you.
Francis Fukuyama, the U.S. political scientist who once described the collapse of the Soviet Union as the “end of history,” suggested that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine might be called “the end of the end of history.” He meant that Vladimir Putin’s aggression signals a rollback of the ideals of a free Europe that emerged after 1991. Some observers suggest it may kick off a new cold war, with an iron curtain separating the West from Russia.
The US Senate passed a bill that will make daylight saving time permanent around the clock. Only two states do not use daylight saving time, Arizona and Hawaii. If the bill passes the House, which is by no means certain at this time, it would reach President Biden’s desk to be signed into law, with implementation set for 2023.

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