Statewide: College Towns And The Coronavirus
On this week's episode, we examine the economic blow of students leaving college towns and the health risks associated with their planned return.
When elected officials control the maps, they are not just participating in democracy. They are engineering the habitat in which democracy thrives or languishes. That makes redistricting not only a political problem, but also an operations research problem.
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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On this week's episode, we examine the economic blow of students leaving college towns and the health risks associated with their planned return.
Few of the coronavirus’ many inconveniences tax Americans like the line. Food banks in Vermont and Arizona have miles-long queues of cars. At testing sites in Florida, motorists show up with full gas tanks to keep air conditioning pumping all day. Travel to Europe is off, with America waiting behind other nations to re-enter someday. Even the electronic realm is tied up: Amid 11% unemployment, people applying for benefits report frozen computer screens and abrupt phone disconnections. Sometimes, the reward waiting at the end is simply a chance to try again tomorrow.
As the United States marked a subdued Independence Day last weekend, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to surge in many places, prompting governors of several states to implement or reinstate strict protocols meant to combat it.
First New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut enacted policies requiring 14-day quarantines for travelers from certain states currently experiencing COVID-19 infection spikes. Now, Chicago has jumped onto the travel restriction bandwagon, requiring travelers from COVID-19 hot spot states to self-quarantine for up to 14 days. What will this accomplish? Unfortunately, nothing constructive, with several harmful consequences.
The coronavirus era has intensified the strategic decoupling between the United States and China. At this historical juncture, supply chains are now deemed the critical strategic drivers of regional and global security dynamics, business operations and the engine of economic activity.

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