Media Coverage

Media articles featuring INFORMS members in the news.

Most Recent Media Coverage

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Second Time Around

Second Time Around

Hamodia, December 6, 2020

As the Western world was first hit by mass spread of the novel coronavirus last spring, governments acted with near uniformity in enacting shutdowns of society, shuttering schools and all establishments deemed “non-essential.” Amid spiking rates of hospitalizations, deaths, and fears about the virus, the vast majority of Americans accepted the multifaceted challenges of lockdown. There were factors that pushed the public to give elected officials much leeway. A pandemic of this sort had never been dealt with in the nation’s recent memory and lack of preparedness was understandable. 

Ultracold Temperatures Protect the Potency of COVID-19 Vaccine

Ultracold Temperatures Protect the Potency of COVID-19 Vaccine

Egypt Independent, December 6, 2020

This week, a widely shared tweet falsely claimed that because a COVID-19 vaccine is stored at ultracold temperatures it is not a vaccine, but rather a transfection agent used to genetically modify human beings. “Any vaccine that needs to be shipped and stored at -80 degrees isn’t a vaccine. It’s a transfection agent, kept alive so it can infect your cells and transfer genetic material. Don’t let them fool you. This is genetic manipulation of humans on a massive scale. Shut it down,” the tweet falsely stated.

Study Examines Non-COVID Deaths

Study Examines Non-COVID Deaths

Alton Daily News, December 7, 2020

A new study indicates Illinois saw a significant increase in non-COVID 19 deaths earlier this year as the pandemic began. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign looked at data from March through May of this year and compared the numbers to previous years. They discovered roughly 120,000 “excess deaths” that could not directly be connected to COVID. “These are things that in many ways can't be explained,” said Dr. Sheldon Jacobson, a Founder Professor of Computer Science at UIUC. “They could be possibly because people are not getting treatment for acute conditions or they are not practicing preventative medicine. It could be mental health issues.”

Can Your Employer Force You to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?

Can Your Employer Force You to Get a COVID-19 Vaccine?

Wink News, December 6, 2020

With two vaccines expected to receive federal approval in the U.S. within a matter of weeks, hopes for beating the coronavirus are looking up. Yet for millions of workers and businesses, the emerging immunizations also raise a host of questions, not the least of which is this: Can your employer require that you get vaccinated? For now, vaccination plans are focused on prioritizing who will receive the first doses, beginning with those who are most vulnerable as well as most exposed to the disease.

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Artificial Intelligence

Study finds ChatGPT mirrors human decision biases in half the tests

Study finds ChatGPT mirrors human decision biases in half the tests

Celebrity Gig, April 2, 2025

Can we really trust AI to make better decisions than humans? A new study says … not always. Researchers have discovered that OpenAI’s ChatGPT, one of the most advanced and popular AI models, makes the same kinds of decision-making mistakes as humans in some situations—showing biases like overconfidence of hot-hand (gambler’s) fallacy—yet acting inhuman in others (e.g., not suffering from base-rate neglect or sunk cost fallacies).

Why 23andMe’s Genetic Data Could Be a ‘Gold Mine’ for AI Companies

Why 23andMe’s Genetic Data Could Be a ‘Gold Mine’ for AI Companies

TIME, March 26, 2025

The genetic testing company 23andMe, which holds the genetic data of 15 million people, declared bankruptcy on Sunday night after years of financial struggles. This means that all of the extremely personal user data could be up for sale—and that vast trove of genetic data could draw interest from AI companies looking to train their data sets, experts say.

Healthcare

Want to reduce the cost of healthcare? Start with our billing practices.

Want to reduce the cost of healthcare? Start with our billing practices.

The Hill, March 11, 2025

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as the new secretary of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s de facto healthcare czar. He will have influence over numerous highly visible agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, among others. Given that healthcare is something that touches everyone’s life, his footprint of influence will be expansive. 

We all benefit from and are hurt by health insurance claim denials

We all benefit from and are hurt by health insurance claim denials

Atlanta Journal Constitution, January 23, 2025

Health insurance has become necessary, with large and unpredictable health care costs always looming before each of us. Unfortunately, the majority of people have experienced problems when using their health insurance to pay for their medical care. Health insurance serves as the buffer between patients and the medical care system, using population pooling to mitigate the risk exposure on any one individual.

Supply Chain

LM Podcast Series: Looking at the state of the supply chain with Rob Handfield

LM Podcast Series: Looking at the state of the supply chain with Rob Handfield

Logistics Management/, April 22, 2025

During this podcast Handfield addressed various topics, including: the current state of the supply chain; steps and actions shippers should consider related to tariffs; how the supply chain is viewed; the need for supply chain resiliency; and supply chain risk mangement planning, among others. 

Tariff fight continues between U.S. and China

Tariff fight continues between U.S. and China

FOX News, April 18, 2025

Oklahoma State University's Sunderesh Heragu joins LiveNOW's Austin Westfall to discuss the evolving economic landscape after President Trump implemented tariffs on some of our biggest trade partners. Most tariffs have been halted for now -- but not with China. Beijing and the White House have levied steep tariffs on each other. Trump announced that tariffs on China would reach 145 percent. In response, China imposed 125 percent tariffs on U.S.-imported goods.

Climate