Stockpiling ahead of higher tariffs is a big mistake, experts say
Many consumers are rightfully concerned about escalating trade tensions.
We are drowning in numbers, and we no longer understand what they mean. Every day, headlines bombard us with figures meant to inform: billions in spending, trillions in debt, percentages signaling growth or decline. But for most of us, these numbers blur together. They register as “large” or “small,” but almost never as real. And that is more than a math problem. It is a civic one.
INFORMS has awarded Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) its 2026 Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in Advanced Analytics, Operations Research and Management Science, for reengineering how global cloud infrastructure is planned and delivered, applying advanced analytics and AI to orchestrate complex fulfillment decisions across its rapidly expanding data center network.
In the rush to adopt artificial intelligence, many employers are now requiring that employees use AI tools. As you’re using AI, be intentional and selective. It’s critical that you know yourself. Research published in Management Science found that AI is most valuable for people who understand their own abilities and limitations. Assess yourself, so you can factor this into your process for incorporating AI into your work.
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Many consumers are rightfully concerned about escalating trade tensions.
President Donald Trump has signed orders to impose 25 percent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10 percent levy on goods from China.
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump has kicked off his second term with a bold tariff policy that is shaking up global trade.
On Jan. 21, OpenAI launched the $500 billion Stargate Project with partners like Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Oracle. This initiative aimed to secure American AI leadership, create jobs, and boost the economy. Initially, this boosted the stock prices of these companies.
Living in limbo: An estimated 2 million U. S. federal employees were thrust into a decision they did not seek to make. A deadline from the Trump Administration was halted last week, and is now in the hands of a judge. When a deadline is set those employees will have to make a high-stakes choice: Take a buyout and resign, or they can choose to stay in an uncertain job environment, including the possibility of being laid-off or having significant changes in work duties or leave with a buyout. This current reprieve gives these federal employees a little more time, but the fundamental question for each of them remains: What’s the right move for your career and future?

OR/MS Today is the INFORMS member magazine that shares the latest research and best practices in operations research, analytics and the management sciences.
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