O.R. and Analytics in the News

Sheldon H. Jacobson: Should court storming by fans in college basketball be banned?

Sheldon H. Jacobson: Should court storming by fans in college basketball be banned?

Chicago Tribune, February 28, 2024

When Wake Forest University’s Demon Deacons defeated Duke University’s Blue Devils on Saturday, Wake Forest students stormed the court, celebrating their team’s victory over a much-maligned in-state rival. Duke player Kyle Filipowski got injured during the exuberant on-court celebration and chaos, which prompted calls to end court storming, with an eye on protecting the players.

Local AI Leaders and Duke Faculty Contribute to Federal Roundtable on AI Regulation

Local AI Leaders and Duke Faculty Contribute to Federal Roundtable on AI Regulation

Newsbreak, February 28, 2024

On February 20, 2024, a group of leaders in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector met at North Carolina Center University. The meeting aimed to discuss future regulations and policy decisions about AI. The meeting was organized by Congresswoman Valerie Foushee and Congresswoman Deborah Ross, who represent North Carolina’s fourth and second districts respectively.

The Best and Worst States for Health Care

The Best and Worst States for Health Care

Money Geek, February 25, 2024

Access to health care services and the affordability of health insurance are crucial to overall health but vary widely across the United States. MoneyGeek analyzed a host of statistics, from health outcomes — such as preventable deaths and rates of certain diseases or risk factors — to health access and cost — such as how many people are uninsured and have low-cost health insurance options available — to find the best and worst states for health care in 2023.

The Houthis Proved Ballistic Missiles Can Hit Moving Vessels

The Houthis Proved Ballistic Missiles Can Hit Moving Vessels

The National Interest, February 22, 2024

The Houthi conflict has provided some important data points for military analysts. It turns out that ballistic missiles can indeed hit vessels in motion, though not reliably. U.S. warships can block such missiles very well, with a dozen interceptions to their credit so far

Facial Recognition: Coming Soon to an Airport Near You

Facial Recognition: Coming Soon to an Airport Near You

The New York Times, February 18, 2024

Biometric technology is expanding at airports across the United States — and the world — and transforming the way we move through them, from checking a bag to boarding the plane.

Women, Minorities Bear Brunt of Higher Auto Loan Premiums

Women, Minorities Bear Brunt of Higher Auto Loan Premiums

Mirage News, February 13, 2024

New research has found that women and minorities are more likely to pay higher premiums when they take out auto loans. A new study conducted by researchers at three leading universities found that women and minorities pay a statistically significant and greater dealer interest rate markup than men and non-minorities.

Exclusive: Tariffs and the Supply Chain

Exclusive: Tariffs and the Supply Chain

Contractors Supply Magazine, February 12, 2024

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the supply chain topic has been on the headlines constantly. First, it was due to the limited availability of groceries on store shelves. Then, it was the semiconductor chips shortage that caused automobile production to be severely restricted. Home prices went up sharply due to the shortage of materials and more people expanding their housing footprint by building offices and additions. Then, there was the Russian invasion of Ukraine.