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Panthers WR trade candidate should interest Raiders, Chiefs and Dolphins
The Carolina Panthers could have a wide receiver available for trade and three teams that might have interest are the Las Vegas Raiders, Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins.
Carolina Panthers looking to trade fan-favorite wide receiver
The NFL offseason has begun its shift toward minicamps and OTAs, and the draft gave teams a chance to infuse their rosters with rookie talent after free agency. The Carolina Panthers made several moves this offseason, including selecting a wide…
From love of South Carolina to Statehouse ambitions: Josh Kimbrell’s Palmetto State story
State Sen. Josh Kimbrell has deep connections to the Palmetto State. He’s proud of it in more ways than one can count. It’s why he’s charging on to become governor to lead it.
Full Hurricanes-Flyers Round Two Schedule and How to Watch
Moments before puck drop for Game 1 of Round Two between the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL announced […]
Where to watch Philadelphia Flyers vs. Carolina Hurricanes Game 7 NHL playoffs: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Saturday, May 2
The Flyers and Hurricanes meet in a winner-take-all Game 7.
Charlotte-based Atrium Health targets WakeMed in proposed combination
Atrium's proposed deal with WakeMed would extend the reach of the state's largest hospital system and raise new competition concerns.
Op/Ed: North Carolina childcare is in crisis - and a business issue
A full-blown childcare crisis in North Carolina has the full attention of business leaders. It has to. The crisis is costing our state an estimated $5.65 billion every year.
ECU Health has performed a North Carolina first: a new type of colorectal robotic surgery
A da Vinci SP system was used for two successful surgeries at ECU Health. The technology is less invasive and used one single incision instead of multiple.
2026-27 NFL Odds: Back Fernando Mendoza to win OROY
Find out why Geoff Schwartz is backing Fernando Mendoza to win Offensive Rookie of the Year and how he's wagering on Carolina's win total.
Philadelphia vs Carolina Game One time set for Saturday
With both Thursday games resulting in series finishes, the Flyers vs Canes grab the 8 PM ABC slot
Several 2026 NC Sports Hall of Fame inductees honored ahead of enshrinement
Several members of the 2026 North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame gathered in Greensboro to celebrate their accomplishment ahead of their enshrinement on Friday.
Who is all-time greatest North Carolina high school football player?
From Keenan Allen to Julius Peppers, these 15 players defined North Carolina high school football before their college and NFL careers.
GOP lawmakers seek to defund HBCU after it canceled Republican's commencement speech
GOP lawmakers in South Carolina seek to strip funding from the state's only public HBCU after it rescinded GOP Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette's invitation to speak at commencement ceremony.
Sen. Tim Scott introduces Catherine Dority at Small Business Committee hearing on 250 years of American entrepreneurship — U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) yesterday delivered an introduction for South Carolina’s Catherine Dority at the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing. Sen. Scott’s remarks, as delivered: It is my pleasure to introduce my dear friend, Cat Dority, who is with us today as we celebrate 250 years of American entrepreneurship. There […]
Mark Sanford, former governor, drops out of District 1 race
Former governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford is dropping out of the race for the 1st Congressional District to launch a nonprofit
Mark Sanford quits House race after one month, says fighting national debt is better done outside politics
Mark Sanford abandons his run to reclaim his old South Carolina congressional seat, announcing plans to launch a nonprofit focused on reducing U.S. debt.
UNCG Introduces Minerva's Health Chariot to Bring More Healthcare Services to the Triad
A new mobile health unit, funded by UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina, is bringing healthcare to eight counties in the Triad.
NORTH CAROLINA COURAGE RECEIVE FINANCIAL BACKING FROM AVENUE SPORTS FUND | News
Premier sports-focused investment platform displays belief in the Courage's championship culture and continued growth with significant backing
NCCU Men’s Tennis Earns Berth in UTR Sports NIT Championship Field
MIAMI, Fla. – The North Carolina Central men's tennis team extends its postseason with a bid in the UTR Sports NIT Championship, taking place at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Georgia on May 5-8. It marks the second consecutive year the Eagles will compete in the postseason tournament.
Clemson Rural Health receives $7.7M Maternal Care Access Grant to Improve Care of Mothers and Babies in South Carolina
Clemson Rural Health (CRH) received $7.7 million from the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) to implement the Maternal Care Access Project
Gov. Josh Stein signs $319M Medicaid funding bill in North Carolina
Gov. Josh Stein signed a $319M bill Thursday, April 30, 2026, ending a months-long North Carolina Medicaid impasse to provide funding care for 3 million residents while adding policy changes.
Governor signs bill to continue funding Medicaid in N.C.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signed the Medicaid funding bill into law. The health insurance program faced running out of money within weeks.
Men’s Tennis Earns No. 4 Seed in UTR Sports NIT Championship; Faces No. 5 NC Central on May 6
ROME, Ga. (April 30, 2026) – After winning the UTR Sports NIT Championship last spring, the Chattanooga Mocs men's tennis team will make its second-straight appearance and begin its title defense as the No. 4 seed while opening play against No. 5 North Carolina Central in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, May 6.
$6.4M boosts rural health training, expands MAHEC fellowships and launches WCU clinic
The University of North Carolina System is awarding more than $6.4 million for rural healthcare training programs across the state.
CEO of ECU Health urges House Ways and Means Committee to abandon "one size fits all" healthcare solutions
The leader of eastern North Carolina’s largest health system was in Washington this week, telling federal lawmakers that rural America is being left behind by current healthcare policies.
Comey appears in court in Trump threat case that's likely to pose a challenge for Justice Department
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Former FBI Director James Comey appeared in court on Wednesday, kick-starting a criminal case against him that legal experts say presents significant hurdles for the prosecution and will likely be a challenge for the Justice Department to win. Comey was indicted in North Carolina on Tuesday on charges of making threats against President Donald Trump related to a photograph he posted on social media last year of seashells arranged in the
Roundtable: North Carolina businesses discuss recovery 18 months after Helene
News 13 sat down with other small business owners across western North Carolina to for a roundtable discussion about their recovery experiences.
Curiosity to Commencement - College of Arts and Sciences
As Carolina’s newest graduates prepare to cross the stage, three seniors show how research propelled their growth and shaped their next steps.
UNC System awards over $6.4 million to expand rural health care training programs across North Carolina
The UNC System has awarded over $6.4 million in state-funded grants to help its universities, North Carolina Area Health Education Centers, and rural hospitals expand and establish new rural health care workforce training programs.
As South Carolina sees measles outbreak in the rearview, some lessons learned
It was the worst measles outbreak in the U.S. in 35 years, but South Carolina’s seven-month ordeal is over. The state learned some things that worked — and at least
NC county social service agencies brace for deluge of work as Medicaid work requirements go into effect
About 10 percent of county social services positions dedicated to Medicaid are currently vacant, even as recertification work will double.
Public hospital, private talks: Atrium board schedules four-hour closed session
Atrium Health’s planned four hour closed‑door meeting is raising eyebrows because it’s a public hospital authority expected to operate transparently.
Rampey Center Now Open For Health, Counseling Services
The University of South Carolina Upstate has expanded its commitment to student well-being with the opening of the John M. Rampey Jr. Center for Health and Counseling Services, a centralized […]
South Carolina's measles outbreak is over after sickening nearly 1,000 people
On Sunday, the state passed the threshold of 42 days with no new outbreak-related cases. State health officials estimate the outbreak response cost $2.1 million.
Legislature to hold final votes on N.C. Medicaid funding
Medicaid gives health insurance to more than 3 million people in North Carolina. The program was set to run out of money within weeks.
Conspicuous 1964 classic sports car goes missing in North Carolina, sheriff says
Chevelle convertibles are among “the best vintage cruisers you can buy,” experts say.
Defense Health Agency’s OPMED team engaging with special operations community during SOMA in Raleigh this week
Team members with the Defense Health Agency’s Operational Medical Systems Program Management Office are showcasing their military medical development and acquisition programs during the Special Operations Medical Association (SOMA) annual conference this week in Raleigh, North Carolina, April 28 through May 1.
Business owners concerned about proposed pause in S.C. liquor liability law
South Carolina lawmakers voted last week to pause the state’s liquor liability law that took effect last year.
Yearslong effort to bring SC’s consumer watchdog under governor nears vote. Some are nervous.
A Statehouse effort to bring the office of the consumer advocate under South Carolina’s governor has some concerned for the potential for politics to seep into regulatory decisions.
Small business owners concerned about proposed pause in South Carolina liquor liability law
Business owners think the law's temporary change will hurt business
Car crashes into Hillsborough Street business for third time, raising safety concerns
A car crashed into Carolina Kettle on Hillsborough Street overnight, the third hit-and-run at the business in less than a decade. The owner is now calling for safety changes, warning it could be only a matter of time before someone gets hurt.
South Carolina's measles outbreak is over. But more are brewing around the country
The virus infected nearly 1,000 people in the state before the state declared it over. Meanwhile, cases are spreading across many parts of the U.S., with more than 20 outbreaks currently active.
No business as usual: May Day protests coming to Columbia
Business owners and others are protesting the Trump Administration and it’s about to happen in the capital city of South Carolina.
Carolina launches World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Science Innovation in Health
This new facility will nurture grounds-up community-engaged health innovation and research in the Americas and globally.
Carolina launches World Health Organization Collaborating Center on Science Innovation in Health
This new facility will nurture grounds-up community-engaged health innovation and research in the Americas and globally.
South Carolina’s measles outbreak is over after sickening nearly 1,000 people
Although measles vaccine uptake was slow at first, public health workers, doctors’ offices and pharmacies administered nearly 82,000 doses from October to March.
NC sees health gains, but racial gap in infant deaths remains
North Carolina is seeing a sharp drop in overdose deaths and a record low in infant mortality. But health leaders say significant racial disparities still remain.
He advanced from Science Olympiad to Diamond Shoals
Senior Victor Hieu Nguyen’s love for science began in middle school and expanded through research at Carolina.
A record-breaking measles outbreak in the US has ended. It may have helped drive vaccination rates
The measles outbreak in South Carolina — the largest the United States has had in decades — has ended, state health officials announced Monday.
A record-breaking measles outbreak in the US has ended. It may have helped drive a spike in vaccination rates
The measles outbreak in South Carolina — the largest the United States has had in decades — has ended, state health officials announced Monday.
Distracting from unfinished business
North Carolina House Republicans introduced a bill Thursday that would ban books from elementary school libraries and allow the state to withhold salaries from school district leaders who violate the state law known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights.”
NC moves to rein in soaring autism therapy costs amid fraud concerns
Families say ABA has been life-changing. But a surge in Medicaid spending — and questions about who's collecting it — has drawn scrutiny.
Hurricanes use postseason experience to advance again in NHL playoffs sweep
Carolina showed its scoring depth with a dominating performance from its second line.
Panthers go big in NFL draft as they look to build on NFC South title
Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan focused on size in the NFL draft, using the team's first two picks on linemen who weigh over 300 pounds.
Expert grades for Panthers' 2026 NFL Draft class
The grades are in for the Panthers' full 2026 NFL Draft class.
Hellish conditions, damaging delays and uncertain justice fuel mental health crisis in SC jails
Hundreds of mentally ill people are languishing for months in South Carolina jails, deprived of needed treatment in a legal purgatory that feeds a cycle of incarceration, despair and avoidable deaths, a Post and Courier investigation has found.
Other states made bolder moves to fix mental health care. What lessons does this hold for SC?
South Carolina is hardly alone in struggling to care for the mentally ill inmates filling its jails. But other states have made greater strides in devising potential fixes.
Behavioral health urgent care set to open in Robeson County
The facility will be open 24 hours a day to help patients who are experiencing a mental health or substance misuse crisis.
Stankoven scores again, Hurricanes complete 4-game sweep of Senators
Logan Stankoven scored his fourth goal in four games, and Frederik Andersen made 25 saves for Carolina.
Panthers Day 3 mock draft: Predictions for 2026's final rounds
How will the Panthers close out their 2026 NFL Draft? Here are our predictions for Saturday.
College basketball rankings: North Carolina tumbles after Henri Veesaar's NBA Draft declaration
New North Carolina coach Michael Malone lost a would-be roster cornerstone when Veesaar decided to make the leap to the next level
North Carolina businesses urged to use new portal for refunds after tariffs ruled illegal
North Carolina businesses impacted by the federal government's tariffs that were later ruled illegal are being urged to seek refunds through a new portal.
News | North Carolina’s Research Triangle scores another $1 billion-plus life science campus
AbbVie’s drug manufacturing complex in Durham expected to create over 730 jobs
Rowena Dzorvakpor’s dual degree combines health care, business knowledge
The immigrant from Ghana hopes to use her experiences at Carolina to impact insurance groups or pharmaceutical companies.
Rowena Dzorvakpor’s dual degree combines health care, business knowledge
The immigrant from Ghana hopes to use her experiences at Carolina to impact insurance groups or pharmaceutical companies.
Trump picks former SC Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer for Belize ambassadorship
President Donald Trump is once again nominating South Carolina’s André Bauer to be the U.S. ambassador to Belize. Now it’s up to the Senate to confirm him to the post.
Entwisle named to American Academy of Arts and Sciences - College of Arts and Sciences
Carolina sociologist Barbara Entwisle has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Entwisle is the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Sociology and fellow of the Carolina Population Center.
Tennessee softball vs Alabama is matchup of two best SEC pitching staffs
Tennessee softball will face an Alabama pitching staff with just as much depth as its own in a top 10 series at home from April 25-27.
Medicaid breakthrough comes with unexpected immigration mandates
North Carolina’s Medicaid package progresses, but immigration rules are raising concerns about families avoiding care and losing access.
Tiny town in North Carolina honors towering Andre The Giant with roadside marker
Wrestler and actor Andre The Giant is being honored with a roadside marker in a small town in North Carolina that was once his home | KMBZ
Legislature could approve more Medicaid funding, but full budget remains elusive
Legislators announced a deal Tuesday to continue funding Medicaid in North Carolina.
A seminar led to environmental research and dual degree
Julia Froese has spent her time at Carolina in labs, shadowing doctors, promoting health equity, singing and more.
N.C. A&T Real Estate Foundation, Cone Health Hold Ribbon Cutting for The Resurgent
The North Carolina A&T Real Estate Foundation, in partnership with Cone Health, celebrated the ribbon cutting of The Resurgent.
Person dies after police shootout at North Carolina business
The shooting happened at a strip mall in Asheville.
Feud between Mace and Mills flares as the Republicans trade barbs, expulsion threats
A deeply personal grudge between a pair of Republicans — Reps. Cory Mills of Florida and Nancy Mace of South Carolina — has escalated on Capitol Hill, as Mills accused his long-time foe of trying to profit off efforts to oust him.
Axios Live: North Carolina faces health care funding, staffing gaps
Health leaders at an April 16 Axios event warned that funding uncertainty and workforce shortages are colliding in the state.
Scientists are burning homes to protect them in wildfires: ‘We crash test houses’
Scientists set fire to 13 houses so far in South Carolina to learn how fire spreads.
Albuquerque business owners plead guilty to selling counterfeit Native American jewelry
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A husband and wife from New Mexico pleaded guilty in North Carolina federal court to smuggling and selling counterfeit Native American jewelry. Kiem Thanh Huynh, 60, and …
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
NC lawmakers urged to boost Safe Sleep funding after 1,100 infant deaths in less than a decade
From 2015 to 2023, unsafe sleep environments claimed the lives of 1,135 North Carolina infants, data shows.
Hurricanes 3, Senators 2
Jordan Martinook notched the game-winner in double overtime to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Monday night at the Lenovo Center. The win gives Carolina a 2-0 lead in this playoff series and allows them to keep their home ice advantage. The Canes thought they had won the […]
House Ethics conducted 28 sexual misconduct investigations in 50 years, with 4 Florida Congressmen targeted
Current Florida candidate Madison Cawthorn also was investigated when he represented North Carolina.
Watch: Panthers arrive for 1st day of offseason program
Panthers players were greeted with a little surprise when returning to the building for the start of the offseason workout program.
McLeod Health Pharmacy Services Team Receives Best Practice Award
The McLeod Health Pharmacy Services Team recently received the “Practice Advancement Initiative – Best Practice Award” during the South Carolina Society of Health-Systems
North Carolina lawmakers hit pause on hospital tax break changes
After intense lobbying, proposals to scale back property and sales tax exemptions for nonprofit North Carolina hospitals do not advance.
City Council supports Team Clinton traveling to National Science Olympiad
Clinton City Council allocated $5,000 to support Clinton High and Middle School teams competing at the National Science Olympiad in Los Angeles this May, acknowledging their recent South Carolina state win.
Multiple employees, patrons charged after drug, alcohol investigation at 2 Greensboro businesses
The North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement Division (ALE), with assistance from the Greensboro Police Department (GPD), executed four search warrants Sunday morning.
Health officials warn of rise in Legionnaires' disease cases in North Carolina
North Carolina reported 310 cases of the serious lung infection in 2025, up from 201 cases in 2024, according to state health officials.
Myrtle Beach is home to SC's first Slime Kitchen
The first Slime Kitchen franchise in South Carolina is offering visitors and locals the opportunity to create customized slime at Broadway at the Beach.
It’s not rocket science: UNC System leaders make the case for increased funding
There's perhaps no better advocate for North Carolina’s higher education system these days than NASA Astronaut Christina Koch.
Previewing the 2026 NC legislative session
ABC11's Sean Coffey and N&O politics reporter Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi talk about what to look for in the upcoming session of the North Carolina General Assembly.
Dept. of Public Health confirms measles case in Midlands
The South Carolina Department of Public Health has confirmed a case of measles in Saluda County.Health officials say the infection is tied to international trav
ECU Health performs North Carolina’s first single port colorectal robotic surgeries using the da Vinci SP system
Dr. Warqaa Akram, colorectal surgeon with ECU Health Cancer Care, performs colorectal procedures using the da Vinci Single Port robotic platform.
Complete schedule for Carolina Hurricanes first round NHL playoff series with Ottawa
The top-seeded Carolina Hurricanes and wild card Ottawa Senators meet in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
Atrium Health doubles down on Carolina Panthers partnership with new naming rights deal
Atrium Health and the NFL Carolina Panthers have reached a long-term extension of the health-care system’s sponsorship that adds naming rights to an indoor practice facility now under construction near Bank of America Stadium.
European jet fuel concerns could be felt by North Carolina travelers, businesses
Some effects are already being felt by North Carolina businesses that rely on international supply chains.
"The beginning of a vision": Panthers and Atrium Health share the future for training facility in Uptown Charlotte
Underneath a Carolina blue sky, the Panthers and Atrium Health announced a partnership for the Atrium Health Training Facility, a state-of-the-art practice facility that wills serve the Panthers and the community.
Panthers reveal exciting details on new practice facility
The Panthers announced some exciting details regarding their new practice facility on Thursday.