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Inside Missouri’s first statewide science and engineering competition
Springfield-area students earned spots at the International Science & Engineering Fair after winning top honors at Show‑Me SCIENCE.
Why Aljamain Sterling beats Youssef Zalal at UFC Vegas 116
The longtime Serra-Longo Fight Team rep will guard his ground as a Top 5 featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship when he meets Youssef Zalal in the main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex.
Top 5: Ryan Spann submissions
The Fortis MMA rep will take on Marcus Almeida in a UFC Vegas 116 heavyweight showcase on Saturday at the UFC Apex.
Prince George’s Co. will charge new fees — but only on certain types of businesses
The Prince George’s County Council in Maryland just passed a bill that levies new fees on only certain businesses that operate there.
Ilia Topuria goes off on 'dumb as f***' Arman Tsarukyan
Top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan has made as many headlines for his antics outside of the cage as in it. The 29-year-old has stuck a fan on his walkout to the octagon, head butted an opponent during face-offs, engaged in a post-fight brawl at RAF 6, got thrown off an airplane and ...
Crab Fest returns with packed entertainment lineup
The Astoria Warrenton Crab and Wine Festival is back for a lively weekend of fresh seafood and nonstop entertainment taking place from April 24-26 at the Clatsop County Fair and […]
Mythos found 271 Firefox flaws – but none a human couldn’t spot
: Mozilla CTO says AI means developers finally have a chance to get on top of security
Top 10 things to do this weekend, festival season kickoff edition
Find the best places to be this weekend in Cincinnati, from Asian Food Fest to Jane Austen Festival to belated Earth Day celebrations.
Carter, Muller Earn Top Business Student Awards
Josiah Carter of Sanford, Fla., and Ashley Muller of Cabot received the top two annual student awards presented by the Arkansas Tech University LeMoyne Smith School of Business during an awards reception at Chambers Cafeteria West Dining Room on Tuesday, April 21. Carter is the winner of the 2026 ATU…
'Pretty stunning': Data shows political division is a top concern for Americans
'Common Ground': UNITE CEO Tim Shriver analyzes the alarming rise of political polarization in America on 'Special Report.'
My Smartwatch Gives Me Health Anxiety. Experts Explain How to Make It Stop
After dealing with health anxiety caused by tracking my body's metrics on smartwatches, I took matters into my own hands with expert advice.
From politics to portfolios: the market impact of rising populism
Populism has become part of the global landscape, rooted in frustrations over inequality, stagnant mobility, and a sense that mainstream policymakers have failed to adapt to shifting economic realities.
Stockton sports roundup features best teams, athletes hitting stride
The best are hitting their stride. Top teams and athletes delivered big performances in San Joaquin County spring sports from April 6-11.
Mystics, Monumental Sports bring a different kind of support to DC girls
The Washington Mystics and Monumental Sports, through a new nonprofit called EquipHer, gave away three free sports bras to every girl at Hart Middle School.
SBA administrator speaks to ABC13 on economic uncertainty ahead of midterm elections: 'It's a blip'
With the war in Iran and growing costs creating uncertainty, the economy is atop voters minds heading into the 2026 midterms. While data reveals Texas is faring better economically than much of the country, growth might be slowing.
Memphis area spring sports top performers for Week 8 of the 2026 season
Here are Memphis area high school baseball, softball, boys soccer and lacrosse top performers from Week 8 of the 2026 season.
This Senior Couple Started a Business to Stop Snoring. Their Ad Was ‘Too Pornographic’ — Then They Hit $250K in Monthly Sales: ‘It’s Lunacy’
Lloyd and Sue Ecker went all the way back to 1888 to find a snoring solution.
No. 22 on the list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians: Michael Owen
Owen has positioned himself as a champion for local voters rather than a top-down policymaker.
Top Futurist Sees Major Disruption Ahead For Healthcare
Healthcare is being rapidly reshaped by AI, data, and tech giants. Futurist Thomas Koulopoulos explains why traditional providers must adapt—or be disrupted.
ISS astronauts are in the middle of a tech overhaul
The astronauts will be using HP ZBook Fury G9 laptops.
United Q1 earnings top estimates as premium business partly offsets fuel price surge
United Airlines will report first quarter earnings after the bell on Tuesday, capping off a stretch that whipsawed the sector, and the airline, on oil prices, merger talk, and broader questions about the health of the consumer.
NWSL AWARDS EXPANSION FRANCHISE TO COLUMBUS,MARKING THE LEAGUE’S 18TH CLUB | News
Haslam Sports Group, Nationwide and Drs. Christine and Pete Edwards lead movement to bring globe’s top women’s soccer league to Central Ohio for inaugural 2028 season
Bentley Named Among the Top Graduate Business Schools in U.S. News Ranking
Bentley University is ranked a top U.S. graduate business school by U.S. News & World Report. Discover how the program prepares graduates for today's job market.
Partnership offers one-stop site for mental health, recovery services in Manchester
Manchester officials on Tuesday announced a partnership with the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester (MHCGM) to enhance the city's response to homelessness, substance use disorder and mental health issues.
These cities are the best to start a business. Where Atlanta ranks
A new WalletHub report found Atlanta was the 12th best city in the U.S. for starting a business. The top five cities are all located in Florida.
Framework’s New Ultra-Repairable 'Pro' Laptop Lets You Ditch Windows Entirely
The Framework Laptop 13 Pro comes with better battery life, a better chip, and—finally—a touchscreen.
Framework is building an eGPU kit for its Laptop 16
The OCuLink Dev Kit is due to ship later this year.
Framework Laptop 13 Pro is the first major revision to the original Framework Laptop
Laptop includes Core Ultra Series 3 CPUs, a bigger battery, and a touchscreen.
Rock band ZZ Top to perform in Lancaster in September
Rock band ZZ Top will perform in Lancaster later this year, exactly one year after the last time the band performed here.
Why soccer match timing confuses American sports fans
The clock never stops running in soccer, but referees add more time at the end. The clock counts up, not down, unlike in most American sports.
Framework announces Laptop 13 Pro, ‘the MacBook Pro for Linux users’
Battery, rigidity, CAMM memory, and so much more.
Framework’s first eGPUs turn its laptop into a desktop PC
Only power users need apply — and you’ll have to shut down the laptop before you plug or unplug.
Why soccer match timing confuses American sports fans
The clock counts up, never stops, and the game continues past 90 minutes — here's what's happening
Why soccer match timing confuses American sports fans
The clock counts up, never stops, and the game continues past 90 minutes — here's what's happening
Smith hits fifty as Rawalpindiz misery continues
Steve Smith's half-century helped Multan Sultans inflict an eighth straight defeat on Rawalpindiz. Australia's Smith struck 56 from 31 balls at the top of the order to set up Multan's chase of 167, while his compatriot Ashton Turner hit an unbeaten 37 to see them over the line with eight balls to spare. Rawalpindiz, who are already eliminated from the PSL, immediately struggled after choosing to bat first as Shahzaib Khan fell in the first over before skipper Muhammad Rizwan trudged to 26 from 29 balls.
How to get last-minute tickets to FIFA Men’s World Cup
Grab your laptop, coffee and get ready to be patient. That is, if you want to try and secure some men's World Cup tickets Wednesday morning.
Trump Is Creating a Whole New Class of War Profiteers
New evidence shows that there are certain pecuniary interests at play in our recent excursion into the Middle East.
Trump will participate in marathon Bible-reading event with other top Republicans
The America Reads the Bible event — with each participant reading a passage aloud — is being livestreamed this week from the Museum of the Bible in Washington and other locations.
Registered Nurses, Customer Service Representatives and Retail Salespersons are the Top Jobs in February - Alabama Department of Labor
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 21, 2026 Registered Nurses, Customer Service Representatives and Retail Salespersons are the Top Jobs in February MONTGOMERY - Data collected and analyzed by the Alabama Department of Workforce’s Labor Market Information (LMI) Division shows that in February 2026, there were 104,060 job ads posted in Alabama, representing a monthly increase of […]
Stop Paying for a VPN: Firefox Just Built One Right Into Your Browser
Mozilla's built-in VPN offers an extra layer of privacy for your browser traffic without requiring a separate subscription.
Hendersonville's Mia Nitsche leads Week 9 girls spring sports top performers
Hendersonville's Mia Nitsche scored four goals to lead the list of Week 9 WNC high school spring sports girls top performers.
Yankees Birthday of the Day: Joe McCarthy
Remembering the quiet, unassuming man who led the Yankees to seven titles.
From Donald Trump to Jacob Frey — has politics lost its profanity filter?
If there was ever a set of rules for politicians interfacing with the public, steadfast avoidance of profanity might have been at the very top of such a list. Robert’s Rules of Order, which are often invoked in political spaces, certainly prohibit personal insults, including profanity. But these are new times. Just last week, President Donald Trump […]
Recapping Indiana politics headlines in 60 seconds
IndyStar Statehouse reporter Kayla Dwyer recaps the top politics headlines in 60 seconds from the week of April 13.
South Florida tops WalletHub list of 10 best cities to start a business
According to a new report by personal finance company WalletHub, Miami and Hialeah, Florida, are among the 10 best large cities to start a business in.
As ‘Marathon’ Goes On Sale, Is A Free-To-Play Switch In The Cards?
Marathon needs to stop losing players, so is going free-to-play a way to do that? It's complicated, given the situation.
Sports extravaganza brings international military students together at Fort Lee
FORT LEE, Va. — It was a hot day, but that didn’t stop the energy on the field.Laughter and competition filled the air as international military studen...
Top sportscaster Joe Buck finalizing deal to host ‘ESPN Jeopardy!’
“Monday Night Football” play-by-play man Joe Buck has done everything there is to do in sports, or so it seems. The almost 57-year-old — his birthday is Saturday, April 25 — has provided coverage of six Super Bowls, 24 World…
Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections
[Dear DSOS readers – this article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in early December, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting. We found that many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data, and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first three articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report, the second one analyzing a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report, and a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research]. In this fourth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we shine a spotlight on seven studies that were web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group (the ERRG is an ad hoc committee headed by New America’s Political Reform Program and joined by the American Enterprise Institute, the Unite America Institute and Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law). This research consortium has been led by Lee Drutman, senior fellow with New America’s Political Reform Program. These seven studies are simply not credible from any objective standard about how political “science” is supposed to illuminate our understanding of either ranked choice voting or politics in general. The feature that six of these seven studies have in common is that they all used surveys – artificial, simulated elections -- to attempt to say something cogent or interesting about ranked choice voting (RCV) elections. None of them used real world data from actual RCV elections – either the 1000+ elections in the US or the many thousands of elections from places like Australia, Ireland and elsewhere where RCV has been used for 100 years. While a few of these studies conclude with some mixed positives about RCV, our analysis here is content neutral. The idea that, with a political reform like RCV, you can ask respondents in a mock, artificial election to vote with that method, with only the barest of explanation about how RCV works or its likely impacts (i.e. no spoiler candidates, majority winners, voters liberated to pick their favorite candidates, coalition-building), and then ask them their thoughts/reactions about voting in that system, with fake candidates and no real campaigning, no real exposure to an actual election or actual candidates, rests on some very puzzling assumptions. The findings of these seven studies actually are contradicted by the findings from many other studies based on real-world RCV elections. These New America studies also failed to list the real-world RCV studies in their own citations, instead including those studies that reinforced their conclusions. The seven studies featured in this article were chosen because they form a cohesive cohort which precisely illustrates one of the main points of our research paper, namely that using surveys, i.e. artificial elections, or mathematical/theoretical models, instead of real-world data, is in fact “shaky political science.” Below are summaries of our analysis of five of the seven New America studies. You can read our complete analysis of all seven studies at our paper, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting.” Choosing to “Vote As Usual” by Andre Blais, Carolina Plescia, and Semra Sevi. New America. (Blais et al., 2021). This study, web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group, used two surveys in which respondents completed ballots for simulated elections using plurality, approval, RCV and point (Score) voting. In both cases the authors provided the respondents with only minimal explanation of each method. For example, the entire explanation for RCV was “For this vote, rank the candidates from your first to your last choice (you do not need to rank them all). This is called the ranked vote.” That’s it. The study did not provide any context or explanation to survey respondents about why she/he might want to rank multiple candidates. Participants were not even told that ballots would be tabulated using an “instant” runoff, not to mention any description of RCVs ability to eliminate the spoiler effect or liberate voters to rank their favorite candidates without fear of helping the “greater evil” candidate to win. That’s like taking an iPhone back in time to 1970 and asking someone if they like it better than their rotary phone without explaining how it works. Their first survey targeted states that held 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and used the real candidates’ names in the survey; the second survey used fictitious candidates. In other words, they surveyed respondents who had only ever participated in plurality elections, had no history or background with using RCV or any of the other methods, had no clue about its likely impacts, and did not communicate how the alternative methods would be counted, and then asked them: “How satisfied are you with using each system?” Predictably, the winner was plurality elections, the system used for president, Congress, gubernatorial and state legislative elections – in other words, the method they have been using, year after year, all their voting lives. With so little explanation of RCV and its impacts, this study is simply not credible in discovering anything useful about real-world RCV elections. It merely shows that a basic voter education campaign is needed when adopting a new election system. Additionally, the result contradicts many other post-election surveys following real RCV elections, asking opinions from voters who had just participated in a RCV election, that showed a great deal of satisfaction with RCV (see details on that in Studies 22-25 in our paper, as well as the four studies cited in the review for Study 28). Share Other studies on “satisfaction” and “understanding” make similar mistakes, in terms of basing their surveys on inadequate explanation to respondents and lack of education about context. How could any survey ever hope to measure accurately, in essence simulate a real-world election, without actual campaigning candidates, the media writing about those candidates, organizations endorsing candidates and voters being inundated with crucial information? More than anything, what these “studies” based on surveys show is that if you ask voters about something they don’t know very much about, and fail to adequately educate them, their responses will unsurprisingly reflect their confusion. Equally puzzling is that New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group, headed by political scientist Lee Drutman, found this to be a credible enough study that they not only published it but highlighted it in Drutman’s own discussion of research related to ranked choice voting. This pattern was repeated in study after study featured by New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group. For example in Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: Voter Guides Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens by Cheryl Boudreau, Jonathan Colner, and Scott MacKenzie, the researchers based their analysis on a survey which found that respondents who were asked to vote in a simulated RCV election, with minimal explanation of RCV or how it works, displayed less evidence of being informed about how to use RCV effectively, with the least informed voters ranking fewer candidates. As pointed out under the study above, in a real election voters are informed by a wide variety of methods, including public education by the election administration, by interested political groups, the media, and the candidates themselves who benefit from voters being aware of how to vote in the new system. In Support for Ranked-Choice Voting across Race and Partisanship by Joseph Anthony, David C. Kimball, Jack Santucci and Jamil Scott, the researchers used respondents from different parties and races voting in simulated plurality and RCV elections, who indicated their satisfaction with each voting method. Instead of using real world election results, the authors fell back on the easy, armchair and less reliable academic research methodology of making up mock elections. As with the other studies, little explanation was given of how RCV works or what its implications might be (electing majority winners or eliminating spoilers, for example). Unsurprisingly, this study found that respondents were not very satisfied with RCV. However, when the authors added an explanation that RCV has a tendency to elect more women and people of color, they found that this greater explanation increased the preference for RCV. The more voters were familiar with it, and the more they understood potential positive impacts – surprise! -- the more they were open to switching away from the status quo. Of note, the results from this study are thoroughly contradicted by a number of other studies whose data was obtained from real RCV elections with real voters. Those studies show a great deal of satisfaction with RCV. More “fake election” research An interesting wrinkle on this “research by fake elections” approach, which only served to illustrate how unreliable such “research” can become, was taken in Ranked-Choice Voting, Runoff, and Democracy: Insights from Maine and Other U.S. States by Joseph Cerrone and Cynthia McClintock_,_ also web-hosted and funded by New America’s ERRG. It gets high marks for creativity, but an eye-roll for thinking this could possibly add anything meaningful to our understanding of real world RCV elections. This study tried to determine whether RCV, plurality or two-round runoff elections provided greater voter satisfaction and acceptance of election results. To determine that, the authors conducted a survey asking if voters were satisfied with a fictional newspaper report of an election, with three different versions given to respondents – plurality, runoff and RCV, with variations of Republican/Democrat winners and variations of “come-from-behind” winners,” i.e. candidates not initially in first place but who win the “runoff.” Again, a minimal explanation of RCV or how it works was given, and the survey showed that respondents had the greatest unfamiliarity with RCV than the other methods. The unsurprising result? Respondents were much more satisfied with “come-from-behind” victories in a traditional two-round runoff election than in RCV, even though RCV is also a runoff system but with a single round of counting. Interestingly, the dissatisfaction with RCV disappeared for those who were more familiar with RCV. In fact, among those respondents who were “very familiar” with RCV, they were equally satisfied with RCV, runoff and plurality. Surprise, surprise. Again, what this study revealed, more than anything, is not only the inadequacy of the explanation for RCV given by the authors of this study, but the failure of the research format itself, thinking that such an artificial mock election could somehow simulate what actually happens in the real world in a real RCV election. Those four studies reviewed above are fitting examples of inadequate and shaky political “science.” Other studies reviewed in our paper from the New America/Electoral Reform Research Group cohort which also used mock elections included: Ranked-Choice Voting is an Acquired Taste by Joseph Anthony and David C. Kimball. New America. (Anthony et al., 2021). Ranked-Choice Voting is No Refuge for Extreme Candidates by Melissa Baker. New America. (Baker, 2021). Also included in this New America cohort is Does Ranked-Choice Voting Reduce Racial Polarization? by Yuki Atsusaka and Theodore Landsman, which actually did use real-world election results data but applied an odd and unconventional methodology to the data which relied on shaky assumptions and non-real-world scenarios that were too divorced from reality. To determine levels of “racially polarized voting,” the researchers imagined “ethnic parties,” by which they mean political parties for each ethnic group, which was especially odd since the election data they were using came from nonpartisan RCV races. But then they made an even odder assumption, namely that since race and ethnic characteristics of studied voters were not available, the authors tried to infer that information based on who voters selected and the racial make-up of voters in each district. This amounted to little more than vague and ambiguous guesswork dressed up with a bunch of mathematical equations used to give it a veneer of scientific appearance. Indeed, it seemed to assume racial polarization in order to prove racial polarization. Based on this questionable methodology, the authors concluded that RCV doesn’t reduce racial polarization. But the premise of this study missed an obvious reality: since RCV incentivizes more candidates to run and can result in more diverse fields of candidates, one would expect more racially-polarized voting in voters’ top rankings, not less, because more voters would have someone on that ballot who represents their racial or ethnic identity and more freedom to vote for their real first choice. By encouraging more diverse candidates and eliminating the spoiler effect, RCV facilitates voting for a favorite candidate of your own race and then selecting a second choice with the best likelihood of winning. The real measure is what voters do with their additional rankings – do they consider other candidates and vote “for the best of the rest”? This study didn’t tell us anything useful about that. But readily available data shows this is common in real RCV elections, and candidates act on this knowledge by engaging with voters outside their racial group. So the authors of this study failed to consider or account for what actually happens in real-world elections, and their conclusions are tainted by this failure. New America has contributed a great deal over the past 2.5 decades to our understanding of many policy areas, including politics and political reform (full disclosure: Steven Hill, one of the authors of this article and of the “Shaky Political Science” research paper and series, is a former senior fellow and former director of New America’s political reform program, 2005-2010). So it was especially disappointing that New America funded and published such a large batch of dubious studies about ranked choice voting. The stated praiseworthy goal of its Electoral Reform Research Group was to inspire new academic research about ranked choice voting that would shed light and help the public better understand the impacts of RCV. Instead, the ERRG research did just the opposite. It produced dubious research that created more confusion and misinformation. In so doing, New America’s political reform program contributed to “shaky political science.” Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS, a reader-supported digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe
WhatsApp Testing Paid 'Plus' Subscription Tier
WhatsApp has started testing a paid subscription tier called WhatsApp Plus, which adds a set of personalization options on top of the standard messaging experience, according to WABetaInfo.
Rep. Blake Moore discusses health care affordability
Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, vice chair, House Republican Conference and member of the House Ways and Means Committee and its Subcommittee on Health, joined Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health and AHA chair-elect, for a fireside chat. While the conversation covered topics including health care access and regulation, the overarching theme was making health care more affordable for both patients and hospitals and health systems.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Review Roundup
AMD Ryzen 9000, Featured, Review Roundup AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 tested AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 is a new top-end AM5 desktop processor built around a dual 3D V-Cache design. It features 16 Zen 5
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Benchmarks: The Best Desktop Performance For Linux Developers, Creators Review
Today we can finally share performance benchmarks of the long-rumored AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition processor.
Cone Health’s Jamilla Pinder Named? to List of Outstanding Women in Business
Triad Business Journal honor recognizes top leaders in business.
Cone Health’s Jamilla Pinder Named? to List of Outstanding Women in Business
Triad Business Journal honor recognizes top leaders in business.
Scientists just captured trees glowing with electricity during storms
Scientists chasing thunderstorms in a retrofitted minivan finally captured something never seen before in nature: faint electrical glows shimmering from treetops during a storm. These “corona discharges,” long suspected but never observed outside a lab, appeared as tiny UV flashes at the tips of leaves. The discovery could reshape how we understand forests, since these bursts may help clean the air by breaking down pollutants.
Tuesday letters: Decency in politics, airport spending and banking concerns
Call for decency in public life Our country needs another Joseph Welch moment. Welch was the lawyer hired by the U.S. Army in 1954 to defend it against allegations of lax security at a top-secret...
Match Officials: Andy Madley to referee Burnley vs Manchester City
The Premier League have confirmed the list of match officials to oversee proceedings in a huge top-flight encounter at Turf Moor on Wednesday night.Manchester City will arrive in Lancashire brimming w...
UnitedHealth Tops Views, Leads Dow Amid Lower Costs
Earnings rose as the number of insured members fell.
The Death of Public Health
During the recent measles outbreak, the largest in more than 30 years, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to clearly recommend the measles vaccine, saying instead that it was a “personal decision,” and that parents should “do their own research.” Similarly, during her recent confirmation hearing for United States Surgeon General, Casey Means was questioned by Senator William Cassidy (R, La). “You’re the nation’s doctor,” said Cassidy. “Would you encourage [a mother] to have her child vaccinated!” “I’m not an individual’s doctor,” Means said. “And every individual needs to talk to their doctor before putting a medication in their body.” In June 2025, Marty Makary, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said that COVID vaccines for pregnant women should be a “personal choice”, even though every other country in the world recommended the COVID vaccine during pregnancy due to a higher risk for severe disease. It doesn’t end there. On January 5, 2026, RFK Jr. reduced the number of routinely recommended vaccines from 18 to 10. For vaccines that protected against influenza, COVID, and rotavirus, parents were urged to speak with their doctors—to make an individual choice. (On March 16, 2026, in a ruling by a federal court in Boston, RFK Jr.’s revised schedule was invalidated.) What’s happening? Why are public health officials moving away from making recommendations for the public? The origin of this change might be rooted in the first two years of the COVID pandemic. In 2020, during the first year on the pandemic, we didn’t have anything to stop a virus that was killing hundreds of people a day and could be spread asymptomatically. We didn’t have antivirals until October, monoclonal antibodies until November, and vaccines until December. All we could do was restrict travel, close businesses, shutter schools, and mask, isolate, quarantine, test, and social distance. During the second year of the pandemic, when we had vaccines to prevent COVID, people couldn’t go anywhere without their vaccine cards. They couldn’t go to their favorite bar or restaurant or sporting event or place of worship without proof of vaccination. Some people were fired from their jobs for refusing to get vaccinated. For many, this was seen as massive government overreach and energized what has been called the “medical freedom movement.” Indeed, a headline in the New York Times declared, “How Health Freedom Became a Winning Rally Cry.” As expressed in the comments of RFK Jr., Casey Means, and Marty Makary, the medical freedom movement focuses on the individual not the community—the opposite of public health. In an article titled “Ethics and Social Value Judgments in Public Health,” ethicists from Yale University distinguished public health from medical freedom. “Public health policies,” they wrote, “are population oriented. Because individual health affects the health of others, public health measures regulate individual behavior to achieve population health goals. All raise questions about how individual autonomy and freedom should be balanced against public health interests…which respects individuals’ sovereignty over their bodies and actions as long as their actions do not harm others.” The medical freedom movement fails to recognize that it often limits the freedom of others. For example, a parent who is afraid to send a child to school where many of the students are unvaccinated. Or immune compromised children who depend on those around them to for protection. The question then becomes “Freedom for whom?” Is it your right, in the name of medical freedom, to catch and transmit a potentially fatal infection—and in so doing, take away the freedom of others? In Four Essays on Liberty, Isaiah Berlin sums it up best. “Liberty for the wolves,” he wrote, “is death to the lambs.” Thanks for reading Beyond the Noise! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Subscribe
Five tips for managing small business employee recruitment and hiring
Commentary: Small businesses are feeling the squeeze, as big corporations often have deeper pockets and endless resources to attract top talent. But competing isn't about money, it's about strategy.
Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred Review - Embrace The Hate
Lord of Hatred is an exceptional cherry on top of Diablo IV, further cementing the entire package as among the best action RPGs of the generation.
Shirley in Top Four for Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Award - NC State University Athletics
Defensive tackle Isaiah Shirley continues to move up in the selection process for the 2026 Arthur Ashe Jr Sports Scholars Award.
Mississippi Top Reads for week of April 26, 2026
Mississippi Top Reads for week of April 26, 2026
Tennis duo Sabalenka and Alcaraz sweep top Laureus sports honours
Barcelona's Yamal bags Young Sportsperson of the Year accolade a year after winning the Breakthrough award in 2025.
Glowing ring of plankton surrounding New Zealand islands linked to deadly underwater plateau
A recent satellite photo captured a gleaming halo of phytoplankton encircling the remote Chatham Islands. The stunning sight is the result of a hidden underwater structure, which has also helped kill hundreds of cetaceans.
Sports Take: Top 5 Baylor WBB players of all time
From foundational stars to generational icons, Baylor women’s basketball has produced no shortage of greatness over the past 25 years. These five players did more than fill up stat sheets; they helped shape the standard of excellence that defines the program.
Conservative Alaska lawmaker tells GOP to stop ‘political games’ after being criticized for voting bill
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has until the end of the month to decide whether to allow a sweeping voting bill to become law.
Mason Miller has top-five Cy Young odds -- here's what it would take for MLB's best closer to make a real run
Mason Miller hasn't allowed a run all season, and he's struck out more than 70% of the batters he's faced
Scientists discover skincare compound that kills drug-resistant bacteria
A popular Korean skincare ingredient may be far more powerful than anyone realized. Scientists have discovered that madecassic acid—derived from the herb Centella asiatica—can stop antibiotic-resistant bacteria in their tracks, including dangerous strains of E. coli. By targeting a bacterial protein that humans don’t have, the compound disrupts the microbes’ ability to survive, making it a promising new type of antibiotic.
Photos: Voluntary Veteran Minicamp
Head inside Intermountain Health Performance Center to view photos from the first day of the Raiders' 2026 voluntary veteran minicamp.
Fremont Street Experience to host free Cinco de Mayo entertainment
All three stages will feature nonstop performances from noon to 2 a.m.
Here are the top performances in the YAIAA for April 20-25
Follow along here to see the top daily performances across the YAIAA's spring sports. Updates will come throughout the week.
College basketball rankings: Why UConn is moving up in preseason way-too-early Top 25 And 1
Braylon Mullins is heading back to the Huskies and Duke's Nikolas Khamenia has committed to UConn coach Dan Hurley
2026 NFL mock draft 9.0: Chiefs trade into top 3 in final edition, while Giants find great Dexter Lawrence transition plan
Romania plunges back into political turmoil as Social Democrats move to topple PM
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan’s coalition partners accuse him of destroying “our social base” with austerity program.
MATCH PREVIEW, pres. by Toyota: Red Bulls Host Atlantic Cup Rivals D.C. United on Wednesday Night at Sports Illustrated Stadium
New York have posted a 3-1-1 mark in their last five MLS matches against D.C. United
Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka claim top honours at 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards
Paris Saint-Germain is named Team of the Year, Nadia Comăneci receives the Lifetime Achievement prize as winners span the Olympic Games, tennis, football, and Formula One.
Romania Coalition Nears Collapse as Top Party Spurns Premier
Romania’s government has been thrown into turmoil after the top ruling party withdrew its support for Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, whose own bloc is now rallying to salvage his control of the four-way coalition.
New Microsoft Pro and Surface Laptop release delay rumoured
A reliable source has elaborated on Microsoft's launch plans for its Surface Laptop 8 and Surface Pro 12 releases. Unfortunately, neither are now expected to arrive as soon as previously suggested. New Surface Laptop and Surface Pro models are still tipped to debut with Intel and Qualcomm processor options, though.
Kansas baseball gains position in USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Kansas baseball hasn’t just remained in the top 25 of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, it’s gained position. Here’s where the Jayhawks are ranked.
Starmer’s Political Fate Rests With Top UK Bureaucrat He Fired
Keir Starmer did what he could on Monday to weather a parliamentary showdown on his handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal. On Tuesday, it may rest with a bureaucrat little known outside Westminster to decide his fate.
Okaloosa Students Win Big at the State Science Fair
Okaloosa students win top awards at Florida’s State Science Fair, with two first-place winners and multiple honors across STEM categories.
Former LSU QB has some health concerns leading into the draft
LSU QB injuries may have cost him a top spot in the draft.
Smartphone pickpockets can easily block access lost device location tools — here's the hack to stop them
Keep this tip in your back pocket instead of your phone.
Florida dominates WalletHub list of best large cities to start a business
Six of the Top 10 best large cities in the United States to start a business are in Florida, according to personal finance company WalletHub.
Motorola confirms Razr (2026) launch date, new colors in ‘something new’ teaser
Motorola has teased its next-gen Razr phones enough already, but that won’t stop them from releasing a new teaser that...
High school sports: Top games of the week for April 20-26
See the top high school sports games of the week for April 20-26, including baseball, softball, boys volleyball and more.
NFL Draft landing spots for the top 10 QBs, plus what every team should do in the draft and A.J. Brown rumors
The Pick Six newsletter goes all-in on 2026 NFL Draft buzz, mock drafts and trade rumors
College baseball rankings for Week 11: Updated USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, D1Baseball top 25
UCLA remains the top team in college baseball in the updated USA TODAY Coaches Poll. Here's a full look at this week's poll and more.
Pirate adventure Windrose tops 1 million copies sold in 6 days
The resource for people who make and sell games.
A giant 'shadow' has been creeping across Mars for 50 years — and scientists aren't sure why
A dark patch in Mars' Utopia Planitia region has grown significantly since it was first photographed in 1976. Scientists have a loose understanding of what it is, but they can't properly explain its gradual growth.
Missouri sports betting is now live: Get the best sports betting apps to scoop over $3,000 in launch promos
Missouri sports betting is now live, and the top Missouri sportsbooks are offering Missouri sports betting promos
Science Lab: Walker’s 7-Round Cowboys Mock Draft for 2026
The one-and-only annual Cowboys' mock draft from 'No C' has officially arrived — fireworks included.
How Bruce the Parrot Landed Atop the Pecking Order
The kea gained fame for learning to use a pebble to groom himself. Scientists were astounded by his next innovation.
2CV Progress Update: Holy Crap, It's All Together (Ish)
I love it when a plan comes together. Or a car. Or, for that matter, even a sandwich. I guess I like when anything comes together. But, I’m particularly fond of when my Citroën 2CV comes together, and it looks like that finally is happening. As you may recall, this is the 2CV that our […]