Busting the myths that surround herd immunity
It seems simple enough to grasp: Protecting more people from COVID-19 — either by exposure or inoculation — makes it harder for the coronavirus to spread.
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?
Fake Hermès Birkin bags and other counterfeit luxury goods are popular not only with people on a budget, but also with those with deeper pockets, a new study suggests.
Researchers from the National University of Singapore analyzed millions of counterfeit purchases by American consumers from more than 24,000 U.S. zip codes on a major cross-border, e-commerce platform. They found that both lower- and higher-income individuals are “significantly more likely” to buy fake luxury items than middle-income consumers, according to a press release by INFORMS on Monday.
A new study from INFORMS suggests warehouse robots perform better when they work together instead of operating independently.
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It seems simple enough to grasp: Protecting more people from COVID-19 — either by exposure or inoculation — makes it harder for the coronavirus to spread.
North Carolina health officials expect the state to receive as many as 400,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine per week by the beginning of April — a jump of 175,000 doses made possible by the production of the new Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The road to a COVID-19 shot often leads through a maze of scheduling systems: Some vaccine seekers spend days or weeks trying to book online appointments. Those who get a coveted slot can still be stymied by pages of forms or websites that slow to a crawl and crash.
North Carolina health officials expect the state to receive as many as 400,000 first doses of vaccine per week by the beginning of April, a jump of 175,000 doses made possible in large part by the start of production of the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine.
With public health experts responding on the fly to a once-in-a-century pandemic, the person behind a much-criticized vaccination registration software said everything won’t go smoothly.

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