Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News from EconoTimes

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Wed, Jan 21, 2026 09:09 PM All times are UTC

Follow Series

©Econometrics LLC . All Rights Reserved.

Michael J. Armstrong

Associate professor of operations research, Brock University

I work in the field of operations research. This specialty uses mathematical models to analyze and improve the performance of systems in business and the public sector. My current research involves models of military combat. These models can help us understand issues in international security studies and in military history. I have analyzed missile warfare at sea (e.g., anti-ship cruise missiles), rocket defenses on land (e.g., Israel's Iron Dome), and key battles in history (e.g., Balaclava, Gettysburg, and Coral Sea).

I have also collaborated on research to help university students make better decisions about their studies. We have examined how students respond to feedback about their grades, and how well they perform when repeating courses.

I have been a Fulbright visiting research chair at Norwich University, and a visiting professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Most of my research papers are available on Brock University's Digital Repository site.
http://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/6819

I teach courses in quality improvement, game theory, and operations management. I hold several professional certifications from the American Society for Quality.

Israel seems poised for a massive invasion of Gaza rather than prolonged attrition

Oct 16, 2023 09:12 am UTC| Politics

In the days since the Oct. 7 surprise attack by Hamas, Israel has counted its dead and secured its borders. The country now faces a grim choice. Will it continue trading air strikes and rocket fire with Hamas militants...

Cannabis in Canada: Debunking myths about the real impacts of legalization

Oct 10, 2023 07:39 am UTC| Law

Before Canada legalized recreational cannabis in October 2018, there was considerable debate about its potential effects. Some predicted it would trigger an economic goldrush, while others worried it would lead to public...

Give cannabis producers more packaging and labelling flexibility

Jan 19, 2021 04:57 am UTC| Law

While efforts to legalize recreational cannabis nationally have stalled in the United States, New Zealand, Mexico and Israel, Canadas legal market continues to evolve. Health Canada has recently been receiving...

Global Geopolitics Series

Iran flexes its missile muscle with terrible consequences

Jan 14, 2020 00:34 am UTC| Insights & Views

Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) recently demonstrated its sophisticated missile technology by attacking U.S. military bases in Iraq. But later the same day, its missiles unintentionally destroyed an...

Cannabis quality involves careful science and carefree highs

Jun 19, 2019 02:03 am UTC| Insights & Views Law

Canadas legal cannabis industry continues to make progress. Product shortages are decreasing. Store numbers are increasing. And edible cannabis regulations have just been finalized. With these basics falling into place,...

How Canadians are buying cannabis and getting high now that it's legal

Feb 19, 2019 16:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law Health

There was much speculation throughout 2018 about Canadas soon-to-be-legal cannabis market. But only recently has data become available that shows what cannabis consumers really want and actually buy. For example,...

Where's the weed? Clues to Canada's cannabis shortages

Jan 27, 2019 14:33 pm UTC| Business

Wheres the weed!? Thats been a common Canadian refrain lately. Shortages appeared almost immediately after recreational cannabis sales began last October. Provincial distributors subsequently blamed producers and...

1 2 3

Economy

Trump's Greenland Gambit Ignites Transatlantic Tariff War: Global Markets on Edge

Tariff Threats Rise Over Greenland Annexation Drive Effective February 1, 2026, President Trump has significantly increased pressure on Denmark by threatening to levy 10% tariffs on major NATO and EU alliesincluding...

Asian Fund Managers Favor Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea for 2026 Amid AI and Chip Boom

Asian fund managers are growing increasingly bullish on Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, while sentiment toward India has turned negative, according to Bank of Americas January fund manager survey. The shift reflects...

Trump Says $2,000 Tariff Dividend Possible Without Congress Approval

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his administration may be able to issue a $2,000 payout to American citizens without needing approval from Congress, citing the surge in revenue generated from his trade...

Japan Government Bond Rout Deepens as Election Spending Fears Shake Markets

Japans government bond market is experiencing a sharp sell-off as investors react nervously to rising political promises of tax cuts and fiscal stimulus ahead of a snap election. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichis decision to...

WTI Crude Oil Prices Slide as Inventory Concerns and Geopolitical Risks Weigh on Market

West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices declined on Wednesday as traders focused on mounting geopolitical uncertainty and expectations of a build in U.S. crude inventories, which overshadowed supply disruptions from...

Politics

Trump Signs Executive Order to Limit Wall Street Investment in Single-Family Homes

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening signed a new executive order designed to curb Wall Street investors from buying and speculating on single-family homes, a move aimed at improving housing affordability and...

Trump’s Greenland Ambition Sparks NATO Tensions, Trade War Fears, and Global Market Turmoil

U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited international controversy by declaring there is no going back on his ambition to control Greenland, a move that has unsettled NATO allies, strained U.S.-Europe relations, and...

Syria Announces Ceasefire With Kurdish Forces as U.S. Pushes Integration Deal

Syria has announced a four-day ceasefire with Kurdish-led forces in the northeast, marking one of the most significant shifts in territorial control since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad over a year ago. The...

U.S. Plans NATO Staff Reductions, Raising Fresh Concerns Over Alliance Commitment

The United States is planning to reduce the number of personnel stationed at several key NATO command centers, a move that is already heightening concerns across Europe about Washingtons long-term commitment to the...

Trump Says U.S. and NATO Will Reach Agreement on Greenland’s Future

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States and NATO will eventually come to an agreement regarding the future of Greenland, emphasizing that any deal would satisfy both Washington and the military...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Elon Musk Says Tesla Cybercab and Optimus Production Will Start Slowly Before Rapid Growth

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has cautioned investors and technology enthusiasts that the early production rate of the companys highly anticipated Cybercab robotaxi and Optimus humanoid robot will be agonizingly slow before...

Micron to Buy Powerchip Fab for $1.8 Billion, Shares Surge Nearly 10%

Shares of Taiwans Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp jumped nearly 10% on Monday following news that U.S. memory chip giant Micron Technology plans to acquire one of Powerchips fabrication facilities in Taiwan,...

Tesla Revives Dojo Supercomputer Project With AI5 Chip at the Core

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) is set to restart development of its next-generation supercomputer, Dojo3, marking a renewed push into artificial intelligence infrastructure. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Sunday that work on...

South Korea Seeks Favorable U.S. Tariff Terms on Memory Chip Imports

South Korea is moving to secure favorable treatment from the United States on tariffs affecting memory chip imports, following recent trade actions announced by the U.S. government. A spokesperson from South Koreas...

South Korea Sees Limited Impact From New U.S. Tariffs on Advanced AI Chips

South Koreas trade minister said a newly announced U.S. tariff on certain advanced computing chips is expected to have only a limited short-term impact on South Korean companies, while cautioning that future measures could...