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

Become a contributor

Bookmark Econotimes

Fri, Sep 25, 2026 09:15 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.

Rewarding your loyalty with points

Dec 16, 2018 13:06 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy

How many points have you collected so far this holiday shopping season? Like millions of consumers, you likely belong to at least one loyalty rewards program. These programs give you points, miles or some virtual...

Israel-Gaza brinkmanship slips over the brink

Nov 26, 2018 16:55 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The Israeli-Gazan conflict flared up dramatically recently when Gaza militants fired more than 460 rockets and mortar shells into Israel. Iron Dome interceptors shot down about 100 of the projectiles, while most of the...

Legal cannabis vs. black market: Can it compete?

Oct 17, 2018 21:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

The Oct. 17 launch of legal recreational cannabis in Canada brings many challenges. Retailers are now worrying about possible product shortages or web site glitches. Governments are still debating how to handle amnesties,...

Cannabis with your coffee? Ontario could have thousands of pot retailers

Sep 18, 2018 12:37 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Legalized cannabis is just a month away, but Ontario wont have any cannabis stores until April. Thats due to the provinces recent decision to have cannabis outlets run by businesses rather than a government agency,...

Ontario uproots its plans for selling weed

Aug 27, 2018 15:27 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Ontario has announced big changes to its recreational cannabis retail plan. Government-owned Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation (OCRC) will still sell online, but will no longer open physical stores. Instead, businesses...

Better borrowing boosts start-ups

Jul 24, 2018 06:26 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

Starting a new business can be satisfying but stressful. Among other tasks, entrepreneurs must raise enough funds for their ventures. But it turns out the type of funding matters, not just the amount. Start-ups funded via...

Provinces prepare to push pot

Jul 12, 2018 06:19 am UTC| Insights & Views

Cannabis retailing isnt Doug Fords top priority as Ontarios new premier. But its on his agenda. As he said in June: The stated goal … is to ensure that we can tackle the illegal market. To pursue that goal, Ontario...

1 2 3

Economy

Oil Prices Fall on U.S.-Iran Hormuz Deal Hopes

Oil prices fell on Friday, ending a two-day rally as traders weighed reports that the United States and Iran were discussing a phased agreement that could eventually reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease disruptions to...

Canadian Dollar Faces Pressure as Fed-BoC Policy Gap Widens

The Canadian dollar could remain under pressure through the end of 2026 as diverging monetary policy between the Federal Reserve and Bank of Canada weighs on the currency, according to CIBC Capital Markets. CIBC expects...

Japanese Yen Rebounds as Trump Flags Currency Weakness

The Japanese yen ended a five-day losing streak on Friday, rebounding from the closely watched 160-per-dollar level after Tokyo disclosed that U.S. President Donald Trump had raised concerns about the currencys weakness...

US Comfortable With Canada Trade Standoff as Import Bans Loom

President Donald Trumps administration is prepared to maintain its escalating trade dispute with Canada as new import restrictions approach and Washington threatens additional tariffs on key Canadian industries. U.S. Trade...

Dollar Falls as Oil Eases, Yen Jumps on Intervention Signals

The U.S. dollar weakened on Friday as oil prices retreated, although the currency remained headed for a second consecutive weekly gain as expectations for another Federal Reserve rate hike increased. The Japanese yen,...

Politics

Colombia Extradites FARC Dissident Leader ‘Spider’ to US

Colombia has extradited Geovany Andres Rojas, a senior commander of a dissident faction linked to the former FARC rebel movement, to the United States, where he is wanted on drug-trafficking charges. Rojas, widely known by...

Evan Gershkovich Says FSB Set Trap for 2023 Russia Arrest

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich says Russias Federal Security Service orchestrated an elaborate sting operation that led to his 2023 arrest on espionage charges, according to his first detailed published...

Saudi Arabia Seeks Military Support as Houthi Attacks Escalate

Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani military chiefs were expected to discuss support for Saudi Arabia as escalating Houthi attacks intensify security concerns across the Middle East, while new restrictions on Iranian flights add...

Putin Says Ukraine Peace Proposals Remain on Table

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that proposals aimed at ending the 4-1/2-year war in Ukraine remain under consideration, although Moscow must determine which options best serve Russias interests. Speaking to...

Iran Rejects Nuclear Concessions in Hormuz Deal

Iran will not compromise on its nuclear rights even if the United States accepts Tehrans proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to a senior Iranian official, underscoring major obstacles to ending the...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

AMD Hits $1 Trillion as BofA Raises Price Target to $720

Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) has joined the $1 trillion market capitalization club, and BofA Securities believes the semiconductor giant has room to climb further as artificial intelligence drives stronger demand...

US Appeals Court Upholds Anthropic AI Supply Chain Ban

A U.S. federal appeals court has upheld the Department of Wars decision to exclude Anthropic from its supply chain, handing the Trump administration a significant victory in a closely watched dispute over military use of...

Solidigm Eyes $150 Billion IPO as SK Hynix Expands AI Storage Push

SK Hynix subsidiary Solidigm is considering a U.S. initial public offering as early as next year that could value the semiconductor storage company at as much as $150 billion, according to a Reuters report on Friday. The...

Meta Found Liable in New Mexico Facebook Data Privacy Case

A New Mexico jury has found Meta Platforms liable for misleading consumers about Facebook user privacy and data-sharing practices in a case tied to the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The verdict followed a two-week trial in...

DaVoice Sues Perplexity AI Over Trade Secrets

AI technology startup DaVoice has filed a lawsuit against Perplexity AI in California federal court, accusing the artificial intelligence company of misappropriating trade secrets connected to wake word technology used in...