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Where Germany's economy still excels
German industry is being lapped in key sectors like solar panels, semiconductors and even cars — but the country's midsize businesses suggest the economy isn't losing its edge.
On Nick Foles and No. 9
People outside Philadelphia and this fan base miss the point with Foles.
Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez Makes Announcement Before Cardinals Game
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez had some news to share.
Country star Louie TheSinger, actors and more join 'Horses for Mental Health' campaign
Texas-born Country Star Louie TheSinger is saddling up to spotlight how horses can play a role in mental health support.
Ex-One Direction singer cancels all U.S. tour dates following health crisis
The former 'One Direction" boy band member announced that he has removed all of his upcoming U.S. tour dates to focus on his health.
The politics of Trump's ballroom
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — President Trump was about a half-hour into his second speech of the day, musing about the danger he faced last week at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “Saturday night, it was good for one thing. People are loving my ballroom now,” Trump told a crowd last night. “That’s the only thing. They love my ballroom.” Ever since he was hustled off stage at the Washington Hilton last week, after an attempted shooter breached the dinner’s security perimeter and sent guests diving to the floor, the president has argued that the incident is proof for why his White House ballroom is needed. Only his planned $400 million, 90,000-square-foot project, Trump has reasoned, can keep a president truly safe at major events. It’s true that a bunch of GOP lawmakers have jumped on board with new legislation and words of support for Trump’s project. House Speaker Mike Johnson, Sen. Rand Paul and other prominent Republicans went on TV to talk about the need for a ballroom. But as we reported at The Washington Post this week, “people” aren’t really changing their minds on Trump’s ballroom. A new Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that most Americans still oppose the ballroom project: 56 percent against it versus 28 percent in favor. The numbers are the same as a poll from last year, the Post’s polling whiz Scott Clement found. Other new polls have found similar margins, too. “I’m just not a giant fan, especially of extravagance,” one independent voter told me. “I mean, in the era we’re in right now, given how much people are struggling, it just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to spend $400 million on a ballroom.” How we got here The Washington Post has followed Trump’s ballroom project very closely. (My colleague Jonathan Edwards may have written the most total words of any reporter about the project; I may be second.) The project exploded as a national issue after Trump tore down the White House’s East Wing after initially promising not to touch it.1 Historic preservationists sued, and about a month ago, a federal judge ordered a halt to ballroom construction.2 The only way the ballroom could proceed, U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled, was if Congress explicitly authorized Trump’s plans. (An appeals court has stayed Leon’s order for now.) The judge’s ruling raised an obvious question: would Congress authorize the project? Keep in mind, “authorization” doesn’t mean that Congress needs to necessarily fund the planned $400 million project; they could just sign off on the private donations that Trump has solicited to pay for the ballroom.3 But GOP lawmakers really didn’t want to talk about the ballroom, we reported at The Post just a few weeks ago. One major reason was the ballroom’s bad polling — not a small detail with many of their own midterm elections looming. The White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident, and Trump’s advocacy, may have changed the political conversation around the ballroom. As this week’s polling shows, it doesn’t seem to have affected the fundamental questions surrounding the project. To put it another way, voters still say that cost-of-living concerns are top-of-mind heading into the midterms. Some Republican and independent voters have told me that they see the ballroom as a vanity project that will help Trump but do nothing for their own lives. It might not help Republicans that Trump has dismissed some of the cost-of-living concerns. He’s described “affordability” as a buzzword manufactured by Democrats whose policies helped cause inflation. “They’ve got one good line of bullshit,” Trump said in his first speech yesterday, delivered at a Florida retirement community known as The Villages. Thanks for reading Dan Diamond's newsletter! Subscribe for free to stay up-to-date on my work. Subscribe Speaking of Trump’s speeches… I’m down in Florida because it’s my “duty week” as a White House reporter — basically, I follow the president wherever he goes. (And then hand the baton off to one of my Washington Post colleagues next week.) As part of my duty week, I’ve spent a few days covering the White House’s reaction to Saturday’s attempted shooting, including officials’ review of the security protocols to protect the president. Trump was restrained in the wake of the incident, addressing the nation from the White House briefing room about the need for peaceful dialogue and trying to lower the temperature. But he’s clearly been itching to get back out of the White House, and I was curious to hear how his Florida speeches would go. And — to my ears — it was an unburdened Trump. Not the one we saw Saturday night in the White House briefing room, but the one we witnessed on the campaign trail in 2024. Loose, dropping profanities, mocking everyone, including members of his team. “We have a man here who knows more about Medicaid, Medicare, medical crap than any human being. Where’s Dr. Oz? Where the hell are you, stand up,” Trump said, referring to Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “It’s the most boring trip I’ve ever made. He’s telling me about Medicare, Medicaid. All I want to do is take care of you, I don’t care. I said, ‘You work out the details.’” I wrote up the speech, as Trump headed to West Palm Beach to deliver more remarks a few hours later. The White House didn’t like my story. Their rapid-response team called it the work of a “total loser”4 and “a miserable TDS-ridden moron.” You can be the judge of whether it’s a fair story or the product of someone afflicted with “TDS.” (The White House’s shorthand for “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”) I’ve pasted the story below with a gift link, meaning that you don’t need to be a Washington Post subscriber to read it. It might prompt you for an email address, though. Meanwhile, I’ll be down in Florida for the rest of the weekend, covering the president. It’s TBD whether those stories will be deemed TDS-afflicted, too. 1 Jonathan details the past six months of ballroom fallout, reactions and the implications for executive authority here. I also had a great time talking about Trump’s ballroom and other projects with Australia’s ABC News Daily on a podcast this week. 2 The judge allowed underground construction and national security-related work to continue. But that hasn’t been enough for Trump, who says the ballroom itself is essential for his protection. 3 The ballroom donors include companies like Palantir, Google and Amazon. For transparency, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, where I work. No one has ever interfered with our team’s coverage of the ballroom or our mentions of Amazon or Bezos, and if that changed, I’d speak out. 4 To be fair, I’ve spent the morning working on stories and writing this Substack post rather than enjoying the beautiful Florida weather. So they may be onto something about who’s winning and who’s losing.
The Outer Worlds will soon be removed from stores — but there's a catch
The Outer Worlds will be delisted on certain platforms, but the Spacer's Choice Edition will continue to receive updates.
Atrium Health + WakeMed propose $2B merger, many jobs in major NC healthcare move
If approved, the deal would create 3,300 new healthcare jobs and expand services to 1 million North Carolinians.
Florida Yacht Charter Business Fights $1.5 Million Tax Bill
A Florida yachting venture that participated in high-stakes offshore fishing tournaments before unforeseen setbacks forced a pivot to luxury charters told the US Tax Court the IRS wrongly defined its business as a hobby and assessed more than $1.5 million in tax liabilities.
The Entertainment Report: Britney Spears, Ariana Grande, and Chicago Critics Film Festival
Cindy Pearlman Gaber, senior writer for the New York Times and entertainment columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, joins Bob Sirott to talk about movies coming out this weekend, Britney Spear…
States Rush To Figure Out How To Enforce Trump's Medicaid Work Requirements
By Rachel Spears and KFF Health News HealthDay ReportersFRIDAY, May 1, 2026 (HealthDay News) — State officials remain unsure how to enforce a requirement for many adult Medicaid enrollees to show they’re working — even as one state launches its program this week. They’re taking a variety of ...
UT’s G10 garage could be demolished this summer if Neyland Entertainment District gets final approva
Students and longtime tailgaters express concerns about parking disruptions as $280 million project awaits Board of Trustees vote
Scientists use AI to test whether life can run on only 19 amino acids
An engineered E. coli strain survived after one amino acid was designed out of many of its ribosomal proteins—an early test of whether life’s chemistry can be simplified
WATCH LIVE: Senate considers FISA extension, latest Iran war powers resolution
NFL analyst suggests nightmare scenario for 49ers in free agency
The San Francisco 49ers haven't re-signed their biggest remaining free agent, and one NFL analyst thinks he could be headed to a 49ers rival.
Daniel Perez, Hinge Health CEO: A Fortt Knox Update
Hinge Health CEO Dan Perez told Jon Fortt the company is launching a Migraine Care Program today, built around its FDA-cleared Enso wearable, now indicated for migraine via trigeminal-nerve neuromodulation. In trials, 56% of users dropped from moderate/severe pain to mild or no pain. The pitch: 1 in 6 adults, $78B in employer cost, only ~700 US specialists. 125 enterprise customers signed; ~2M American adults get day-one access. Earnings Tuesday.
Fox 32 promotes Cassie Carlson to lead sports anchor, replacing Lou Canellis
Carlson becomes the second woman to hold that title in Chicago TV history. She’ll oversee the sports department and continue leading its Bears coverage and hosting “Chicago Sports Tonight.”
Sony Confirms PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for May 2026
Sony has announced the PlayStation Plus Monthly games lineup for May 2026, which will be headlined by EA Sports FC 26.
Sullivan Theater's comedy, 'Run For Your Wife': Look for lies and slapstick to bookend the laughs
Laughter will be bookended by slapstick and lies in Sullivan Theater's 'Run For Your Wife.'
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.
UA president to recommend new School of Data Science focused on artificial intelligence
A School of Data Science still needs approval from the UA system Board of Trustees.
‘Open for business, but there are extensive guardrails’: Birmingham weighs data center rules
The city council voted to push their vote on the regulations to the first week of June.
Save Up To 50% On Nintendo Switch Digital Games At Amazon
More than a dozen digital Switch games are on sale at Amazon, including Metroid Dread and Bayonetta 3.
DJI’s new Mic Mini 2 adds colorful covers to help them blend in
The company’s smallest wireless mic also adds voice presets so you can prioritize clarity or emphasize lower tones.
COSI Science Festival to bring STEAM events to your backyard
The COSI Science Festival offers four days of STEAM activities across Ohio, culminating in a free outdoor celebration.
Phoenix business owner calls for change after fiery crash at ‘Melrose Curve’
Another violent crash at the Melrose Curve has a Phoenix business owner demanding action.
Editorial | Sports ticket pricing is absurd
The upcoming FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics have shown that it may be more worth it to simply plop down on your couch to watch the games.
‘Crimson Desert’ Has Better Player Retention Than ‘Elden Ring’ So Far
Just because a game is huge, that doesn’t mean that players will stick around necessarily. But they are for Crimson Desert
DeSantis, Florida GOP plowing ahead with new congressional maps despite risks
Remaking Florida’s congressional map is dicey for Republicans, who face strict redistricting rules and risk making safe GOP seats competitive.
Kodiak High School awarded grant to improve student health
Kodiak, Alaska, Mon. April 27, 2026 — Physical activity is vital to American students’ physical health and emotional well-being, helping them learn, concentrate and manage stress throughout the school day, yet most youth are not getting enough movement....
Opinion | Getting handle on how insurance spurs high health care costs
Readers react to Dr. Ashish K. Jha's argument that high deductibles and flawed incentives are pushing prices higher.
‘Shakespeare Live’ creates beauty for eyes to behold
In the halls of the Valparaiso University Center for the Arts (VUCA), you may have heard peals of laughter echoing through the halls. No, that’s not fairies, but instead, the
Jordan the Science Wizard - Why don't we fly in hydrogen balloons anymore?
Red Sox exec Craig Breslow says he wants ‘stabilizing’ voice after Alex Cora firing, but players aren’t happy
Oklou enhances excellent debut album with bold Milwaukee concert
The French experimental pop artist had one of the best albums of 2025 with "Choke Enough." Her Pabst Theater concert made the music more meaningful.
Voters contend with ‘grotesque’ leaflets and ‘dodgy’ data in English elections
Exclusive: Investigation into campaigning materials for local polls in May challenges tactical voting claims
German manufacturer to close Illinois plant and move production overseas
The manufacturer is closing its Illinois plant, and the work is moving out of the country.
Universal Health Services (UHS) Q1 Earnings: What To Expect
Hospital management company Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) will be reporting earnings this Monday after the bell. Here’s what to look for.
The AI Tools Small Businesses Are Using - Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
By Karen Kerrigan – Artificial intelligence is no longer experimental for small businesses. According to SBE Council’s 2026 Small Business Tech Use Survey, 82% of small business employers have invested in AI tools and they are rapidly being embedded across daily functions and workflows. In fact, AI has become essential to competitiveness and growth as […]
What travel sports really cost families — and how to budget for it
“Families are suddenly looking at costs that rival a second mortgage payment.”
What travel sports really cost families — and how to budget for it
“Families are suddenly looking at costs that rival a second mortgage payment.”
North Side hospital on lockdown after reports of shooter wounded officers
Chicago police had not confirmed a shooting at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital, 5140 N. California Ave., but hospital officials confirmed that the facility was on lockdown.
Is NIL coming to Indiana high school sports? IHSAA will consider proposal
Indiana is one of four states that does not allow high school athletes to monetize NIL. That could change of proposal passes.
Big business shows up in final days of arguments at Supreme Court
Big businesses are lining up at the Supreme Court as the justices hear the final arguments of the term, pressing the conservative majority to shield industries from multimillion-dollar jury verdicts, limit the marketing of generic drugs and neuter the government’s ability to issue fines.
Big business shows up in final days of arguments at Supreme Court
Big businesses are lining up at the Supreme Court as the justices hear the final arguments of the term, pressing the conservative majority to shield industries from multimillion-dollar jury verdicts, limit the marketing of generic drugs and neuter the government’s ability to issue fines.
Correspondents' Dinner's biggest moments involve laughs, cringing and high-stakes politics
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner has had multiple iterations since it began a few years after World War I. Washington’s premier soiree...
Crimson Desert Community Hits Out at 'Gatekeepers' Who Are Looking Down Their Noses at Easy Mode Players
The Crimson Desert community has hit out at "gatekeepers" who are looking down their noses at easy mode players.
After 2 failed votes, Mike Johnson unveils new plan to extend key U.S. spy powers
With an April 30 deadline fast approaching, Johnson unveiled his latest proposal to extend the controversial surveillance program known as FISA 702.
Wisconsin DOJ suing sports betting apps
The Wisconsin Department of Justice announced on Thursday that they are suing sports betting apps like Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com and others to try and stop their alleged facilitation of illegal sports betting.
Measles exposure alert for Ellensburg school as Kittitas County hits outbreak status
Health officials in central Washington are responding to potential measles exposures at Valley View Elementary School in Ellensburg as the county enters outbrea
Insurance loss puts child care center out of business
Lakeside Early Learning in Duluth will continue to offer child care through June 4 as staffing and ratios allow.
Kalshi fines Texas GOP candidate for 'political insider trading'
A former Texas Republican primary candidate was fined and suspended for 'political insider trading' on a prediction market.
Thursday Morning Links
Morning, all! Wyatt Langford has a grade 1 flexor strain in his right arm, which marks the fifth IL stint for a soft tissue injury in the first two years of his career. Skip Schumaker says it’s because he “has more muscles than most people.” Langford is hoping to spend no more than the minimum […]
LA28 outlines terms for its second Olympics ticket drop
Despite backlash over high prices and fees, LA28 says it sold more than 4 million tickets in its first ticket drop. The next sale will open in August.
The next global Trump ally to fall?
First the White House lost Orbán. Netanyahu may be next.
Republicans pressure Ron DeSantis to redistrict in Florida after Virginia Democrats’ win
Senior Republicans in Washington are ramping up the pressure on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to lead a redrawing of his state’s US House map after Virginia Democrats triumphed in potentially flipping four seats in their favor. A special session to consider redistricting in Florida is slated to start Tuesday, but no map has been publicly released. A DeSantis spokesperson did not respond to a CNN inquiry about its status. Key Republicans involved in redistricting say they’ve been kept largely in the dark on DeSantis’ plans. There’s no coordination on the state level because of strict state rules around partisan gerrymandering, and no maps have been officially circulated within Florida’s congressional delegation either.
Big Ten Men's Lacrosse 2026 Tournament bracket
The Ohio State men's lacrosse team will be trying to match its regular season conference title in the Big Ten Tournament. Here is the bracket.
Agent's Take: Did the Browns modify Myles Garrett's contract to facilitate trading their star defender?
Are the Browns seriously considering trading their two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year?
Leaker: Apple to Downgrade iPhone 18 in Two Ways
Following the emergence of a rumor that Apple is planning to downgrade the iPhone 18 to cut costs, further detail has emerged suggesting that display and chip specifications will see downgrades. Earlier this week, the leaker known as "Fixed Focus Digital" said that the iPhone 18 features "certain manufacturing downgrades" that bring it more into line with the low-cost iPhone 18e model. The decision is said to be "a cost-cutting measure".
These small Georgia cities among top 50 for starting a business. Why?
WalletHub ranked over 1,300 small US cities to determine the best ones for starting a business, with four in Georgia making the top 50. How? Where?
Inside Grindr’s political power play
The LGBTQ+ dating app has expanded its political presence since Donald Trump’s return to office as it seeks to flex its influence muscles on a range of policy priorities.
Cannabis linked to slower cognitive development in teens
SDOL school board appoints new Interim Business Administrator
Board members of the School District of Lancaster unanimously voted to appoint Charles Linderman as the district's Interim Business Administrator.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gets a price cut but loses new Call of Duty games
No more new Call of Duty games at launch
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.
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
Plenty of blame after Knicks' playoff collapse; Wembanyama wins Defensive Player of Year; MLB Power Rankings
The Dodgers might be the best team in baseball but they don't play in MLB's best division
NFL mock draft roundup: Experts predict first round after Dexter Lawrence trade
The Dexter Lawrence trade has shaken up the 2026 NFL Draft. Here's how experts see the draft unfolding in wake of that blockbuster deal.
What's next for South Hills development in Cary after failed sports venue impacts small businesses
While developers were clear that the project was not dead after the vote, questions lingered about new plans for more than a year.
What's next for South Hills development in Cary after failed sports venue impacts small businesses
While developers were clear that the project was not dead after the vote, questions lingered about new plans for more than a year.
Opinion | This is why health insurance isn't working
High deductibles and flawed incentives are pushing prices higher while leaving patients less protected.
Game Thread: White Sox (7-14) at Athletics (11-10)
Noah Schultz toes the rubber as South Siders seek series win
Dining across the divide: ‘I think property is a right, not a business – he thinks differently because he’s a landlord’
They disagree on the private rented sector. Can they find common ground over a united Ireland?
The Spurs Are the Most Exciting Team in the N.B.A.
How the San Antonio Spurs became the most exciting team in the N.B.A.
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
KAPAAW hosts fifth annual Black Maternal Health Fair
Why isn't Pete Davidson in 'Lorne,' the new documentary about 'SNL' boss Lorne Michaels? Its director explains
'Lorne' director Morgan Neville reveals why Pete Davidson isn't in his new documentary about 'SNL' boss Lorne Michaels.
Why Grindr’s CEO Wants the Gay Dating App to Get Deeper Into AI
In a new interview, George Arison talks AI, California politics and where he disagrees with LGBTQ advocates.
Is stevia actually healthy? What to know when cutting back on sugar
Is stevia bad for you? A dietitian breaks down what to know about the sugar substitute.
Virginia Tech football: Previewing the 2026 spring game
Today is the day for Virginia Tech’s annual spring game, but this one feels much different.
Prep sports roundup: Jayden Rojas delivers 14 strikeouts in Bell's 1-0 win
He retired 18 consecutive batters before giving up a leadoff single in the seventh inning against Roosevelt.
I went to Coachella and masqueraded as an influencer for 48 hours. Unfortunately, it was amazing.
Some people say the California music festival has lots its magic. Maybe it has, but it's still a spectacle.
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist to speak at ETSU
Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist is the featured speaker for the latest installment of ETSU’s Leading Voices in Public Health lecture series.
Steelers final mock draft update: Top-30 visit edition
We put together a full seven-round Steelers mock draft using only players who were in for Top 30 visits.
Nabil Bentaleb unlikely to stay at Lille
Nabil Bentaleb (31) is unlikely to remain at Lille OSC this summer, according to a report from L’Équipe.Bentaleb’s return last season, following a cardiac arrest over the previous summer, was on...
Why some tech leaders are sounding the alarm about Colorado’s ‘deteriorating’ business climate
Colorado enjoyed a reputation of being business-friendly in recent decades. But some in the business community worry that too much regulation is hurting the state’s ability to attract new companies. And they’re asking the governor for help.
UFC White House fight week schedule, event start time revealed
The UFC has a number of events planned ahead of the White House card
Kennedy to testify before Congress for first time this year
His appearances will be the first time he has faced lawmakers since he pushed out the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the summer.