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‘Out Here’ gets lost in its own concept
Court Theatre has been steadily expanding its stated mission to “re-imagine classic theatre to illuminate current times.”
OAK’s Restroom Renovation Program wins Airport Business News’ 2026 Project of the Year
Award recognizes innovative redesign of one of the airport’s most-used amenities Oakland, Calif. – April 27, 2026: Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK) has been named the recipient of Airport Business News’ 2026 Project of the Year for its Terminal Restroom Renovation Program, Phase 1. The award recognizes the airport’s achievement in transforming aging restroom facilities […]
‘Charlie’s Angels’ Star Kate Jackson Makes Blunt Confession About Leaving Hollywood
Her last acting credit was in 'Criminal Minds' in 2007.
‘Charlie’s Angels’ Star Kate Jackson Makes Blunt Confession About Leaving Hollywood
Her last acting credit was in 'Criminal Minds' in 2007.
Trump Terminates Entire National Science Board
govern the National Science Foundation (NSF). The National Science Board directs and approves large funding decisions for NSF’s approximately $9 billion basic science research budget. It is meant to function independently from the federal administration to keep science funding insulated from political pressure and budget cycles.
Political Entrepreneurs or Bandits? The “Criminal” Origins of Peripheral Rebellions -
Political Entrepreneurs or Bandits? The “Criminal” Origins of Peripheral Rebellions By Janet I. Lewis and Stephen Rangazas, George Washington University How and why do armed groups that become known as “rebels” initially use violence? New datasets [...]
Amen Thompson sparks Rockets' 115-96 rout to stave off elimination
Game 5 is Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
Vote now for the Capital Region girls’ sports Team of the Week
We've nominated five high school teams that had outstanding performances last week. Cast your vote.
‘House of Cards:’ Mental health crisis in Florida’s criminal justice system
A lack of space in state-run mental health facilities and growing waitlists point to a system balancing legal standards, medical opinions, and limited resources—often under intense pressure.
Rockets survive without Kevin Durant, dominate Lakers in Game 4 after Deandre Ayton's ejection to avoid sweep
Deandre Ayton was ejected in the third quarter after he drilled Alperen Sengun's head with his forearm.
A Look At Accel Entertainment (ACEL) Valuation After Recent Share Price Momentum
Recent performance and business snapshot Accel Entertainment (ACEL) has attracted fresh attention after recent share price moves, with the stock showing positive returns over the past week, month and past 3 months, prompting investors to reassess its fundamentals. The company operates distributed gaming terminals, redemption devices with ATM functionality and other amusement equipment in non casino venues across the United States, including restaurants, bars, truck stops and convenience...
White House Ousts Entire National Science Board
The White House on Friday terminated all members of the National Science Board, which oversees the National Science Foundation, Nature and
Entire NSF science advisory board fired by Trump administration
Members of the National Science Board, which the US Congress founded in 1950, were given no explanation for their termination
Prisco's NFL Draft 2026 grades for every team, including best and worst picks for all 32 franchises
The Chiefs stand alone with an A+ in after a dominant draft haul
Victor Wembanyama returns from concussion, helps lead Spurs from 19 down past Trail Blazers for 3-1 lead
San Antonio dominated the second half with a 73-35 advantage after going into halftime with a 17-point deficit.
Injury-depleted Timberwolves seek to eliminate Nuggets in Game 5
The Denver Nuggets entered this postseason with hopes of a deep run. Instead, they are in danger of bowing out in five games.
Sabres beat Bruins 6-1 to push Boston to 3-1 hole in series
The Sabres will have a chance to eliminate Boston in Buffalo on Tuesday night.
Pirates Drop Finale; One Mistake Opens Floodgates, Brewers’ Harrison Dominates
Pittsburgh Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski was rolling through three innings but ran into trouble in the fourth after a costly […] The post Pirates Drop Finale; One Mistake Opens Floodgates, Brewers’ Harrison Dominates appeared first on Pittsburgh Baseball Now.
Hurricanes use postseason experience to advance again in NHL playoffs sweep
Carolina showed its scoring depth with a dominating performance from its second line.
Trump has terminated several members of the independent National Science Board
The Trump administration sent letters to several members of the National Science Board, informing them that their positions were "terminated, effective immediately."
From Half Price Books to Buc-ee's, IRL shopping is still alive in D-FW
In-real-life shopping still dominates the North Texas business landscape, and this week's Business Sunday cover story shows that the demise of brick-and-mortar shopping is greatly exaggerated.
Akron-Canton Airport now has therapy dogs
The Akron-Canton Airport now has therapy dogs roaming the terminal — making it the 100th U.S. airport with such a program.
Nuggets-Timberwolves takeaways: Ayo Dosunmu joins NBA playoff lore while Denver stares down elimination
Penguins fight off elimination with Game 4 win against Flyers
PHILADELPHIA — The Penguins had almost 72 hours to sit on their 3-0 series deficit to the Philadelphia Flyers. They emerged from that long break...
Algeria eliminates trachoma as a public health problem
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports validating Algeria as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. This makes Algeria the 29th country globally to achieve this significant milestone. "Algeria’s elimination of trachoma is a historic triumph that connects the past, present, and future of public health, and is rooted in a century-long commitment," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "This milestone proves that with sustained political will and on-the-ground leadership from committed health professionals, we can eliminate neglected tropical diseases and build a healthier, more resilient future for all." For decades, Algeria implemented the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma. These activities included provision of surgery to treat the late blinding stage of the disease (“trachomatous trichiasis”, TT), conducting mass administration of antibiotic treatment, carrying out public awareness campaigns to promote facial cleanliness and personal hygiene as well as improvement in access to water supply and sanitation. Trachoma is the first neglected tropical disease to be eliminated in Algeria. Trachoma is a disease of the eye caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It is a public health problem in 30 countries and is responsible for the blindness or visual impairment of about 1.9 million people. Blindness from trachoma is difficult to reverse. Based on November 2025 data, 97 million people live in trachoma endemic areas and are at risk of trachoma blindness. Infection spreads through personal contact (via hands, clothes, bedding or hard surfaces) and by flies that have been in contact with discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected person. With repeated episodes of infection over many years, the eyelashes may be drawn in so that they rub on the surface of the eye. This causes pain and may permanently damage the cornea. In 2024, 87,349 people received surgical treatment for advanced stage of the disease, and 44.4 million people were treated with antibiotics. Global antibiotic coverage in 2024 was 39%. Outbreak News Today is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
Helena Bonham Carter leaves ‘The White Lotus’ days into filming
HBO on Friday confirmed the Oscar-nominated actress will no longer appear in the upcoming fourth season of the hit show created by Mike White.
National Science Board members told by Trump administration they were terminated: Report
The Trump administration on Friday told several scientists on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) board that they were terminated from their roles, The Washington Post reported. The White…
Aggressive “hulk” lizards are wiping out millions of years of evolution
For ages, wall lizards coexisted in three distinct color types, each with its own strategy for survival. Now, a powerful green variant is taking over. These dominant “Hulk” lizards are outcompeting the others, causing yellow and orange morphs to vanish. It’s a dramatic reminder that evolution can flip the script much faster than expected.
Financial concerns are now taking their toll on Americans' physical health
Yahoo Finance's Senior Columnist, Kerry Hannon, joins Market Domination Overtime to discuss how money worries are hurting Americans' health.
The applicability of Hungary’s election to our politics
American conservatives, largely synonymous these days with MAGA save for a few lonely voices of courage and dissent, have plenty to lament. Their domination of the political landscape is waning. Various special elections hither and yon have presented bright, flashing caution signs. A very difficult, perhaps devastating, off-year election beckons. Major fractures have surfaced within […]
Best of the Bay Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: Shelton Manor
We're in the final stretch! Ready to recognize your favorite local businesses? Submit your nominations for Best of the Bay Community’s Choice Awards today.
Best of Bay Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: Cahall's Deli
We're in the final stretch! Ready to recognize your favorite local businesses? Submit your nominations for Best of Bay Community’s Choice Awards today.
Bucks County Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: Christian Life Academy
We're in the final stretch! Ready to recognize your favorite local businesses? Submit your nominations for Bucks County Community’s Choice Awards today.
Best of Central Florida Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: CPS Investment Advisors
Nominations for the Best of Central Florida Community's Choice Awards are rolling in! Don't miss your chance to recognize your favorite businesses.
Best of Blue Ridge Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: Lake Pointe Landing
We're in the final stretch! Ready to recognize your favorite local businesses? Submit your nominations for Best of Blue Ridge Community’s Choice Awards today.
Finest on the Emerald Coast Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: Stubbs Orthodontics
We're in the final stretch! Ready to recognize your favorite local businesses? Submit your nominations for Finest on the Emerald Coast Community’s Choice Awards today.
Wichita Falls Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: The Carlson Law Firm
We're in the final stretch! Ready to recognize your favorite local businesses? Submit your nominations for Wichita Falls Community’s Choice Awards today.
Burlington Community’s Choice Awards business spotlight: ShopRite
We're in the final stretch! Want to shout out your favorite local businesses? Submit your nominations for Sussex County Community’s Choice Awards now.
Mason Miller's next outing could make history; A look at the flame-thrower's dominance since arriving in San Diego
Heading into the 2025 trade deadline, the Padres arguably sported the league's best bullpen.
Susie Wolff’s autobiography "Driven" shortlisted in three major award categories
Susie Wolff’s autobiography "Driven" has secured three nominations at the Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Awards
Pirates ace Paul Skenes flirts with perfect game, continues dominant stretch since Opening Day disaster
Skenes took a perfect game into the seventh and is in rare air historically for a pitcher of his age
Notice of Partial Cancellation: Behavioral Health Services Act-Funded Program Services RFP
Notice is hereby given that a portion of the above-referenced Request for Proposals (RFP) is being cancelled, in accordance with County’s reservation of rights under Part 5, Section I.C of the RFP. Specifically: the scope of services under the RFP is being reduced, to eliminate Category 1.4 – Family and Client Education & Support Program as found in Attachment G (BHSA-Funded Program Descriptions and Allocations) of the RFP.
Arkansas eliminates tennis programs, leaving Razorbacks with 17 sports
The Razorbacks last cut a sport in 1993, but for entirely different reasons than the finances behind this move.
Ashley Moody, Alex Vindman will both face Primary battles to get on November ballot
Angie Nixon will face off with Vindman for the Democratic nomination while four other Republicans joined a GOP Primary with Moody.
AMD’s Flagship Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Outsells Every Intel CPU On Amazon As X3D Chips Dominate Top 10
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 is a top 10 selling CPU on Amazon at $899, outpacing Intel's offerings, but lacks significant performance improvements.
Mina the Hollower has gone gold
Mina the Hollower has now gone gold, Yacht Club Games just announced. Typically we don’t post about games going gold. If a title hasn’t been announced and wasn’t cancelled, it’s eventually going to release. However, this is a bit of a special case. For one thing, we’ve been waiting a long time for Mina the Hollower at this point. Originally,...
Jeanine Pirro drops criminal probe of Jerome Powell
US Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro said Friday she is closing the criminal probe of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Gianluca Prestianni: Benfica winger handed six-match ban for discriminatory conduct towards Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior alleged he was racially abused during the knockout play-off round match between the sides in Lisbon on February 17; Gianluca Prestianni has been handed a six-match ban for discriminatory conduct; UEFA requested FIFA extend the ban worldwide
Newer testing methods suggest significant silent spread of measles in the US, threatening elimination
Investigators estimated that an outbreak along the Arizona/Utah state line has been at least 6.5 times larger than the number of known cases.
I went to the largest aging conference: AI and age tech sparked debate
At the largest US conference on aging, AI, technology, the looming caregiving crisis, and Social Security dominated discussions about growing older.
Could an Earthly Fungus Contaminate Mars? NASA May Have Found One Hardy Enough.
Researchers identified a species that can survive radiation, extreme heat and simulated Martian soil, posing a new challenge for protocols intended to keep the red planet pristine.
How Elon Musk Used SpaceX to Benefit Himself and His Businesses
The rocket maker has been a useful financial tool for Mr. Musk, providing the billionaire with loans and aiding his struggling companies, a Times examination found.
How Elon Musk Used SpaceX to Benefit Himself and His Businesses
The rocket maker has been a useful financial tool for Mr. Musk, providing the billionaire with loans and aiding his struggling companies, a Times examination found.
US justice department blocking Met police investigation into Mandelson, reports say
The department of justice has refused to hand over key evidence from the Jeffrey Epstein files and could delay Scotland Yard’s criminal inquiry.
Nuggets-Timberwolves takeaways: Jaden McDaniels backs up his talk, as Minnesota dominates Game 3 with defense
'Survivor' star Christian Hubicki confronts Jimmy Fallon after elimination over failed Fallon challenge
'Survivor 50' star Christian Hubicki got the chance to sit face to face with Jimmy Fallon, the man whose special appearance on the show directly led to Hubicki having to vote himself out in a shocking twist.
Loophole lets convicted criminals serve as home health aides in Kansas
Kansas law allows applicants to be considered if six years have passed since the conviction and completion date of any sentence.
Lancaster County schools’ spring musicals earn Apollo Award nominations
HERSHEY — Some Lancaster County high schools, and theater programs with Lancaster County ties, have been nominated for their spring musicals in the 18th annual Hershey Theatre Apollo Awards.
HACC eliminates several sports teams, positions as college continues to navigate budget cuts
HACC coaches and student athletes were informed Thursday that the college will eliminate its basketball, cross country, soccer and volleyball sport programs this fall. “This decision was not made lightly. It reflects both financial realities and the strategic efforts to better align our offerings with long-term student engagement and institutional sustainability,” HACC announced. According to […]
Louisiana GOP passes bill to keep elected Black New Orleanian from taking office
Louisiana Republicans April 23 rammed through legislation to keep Calvin Duncan, a wrongfully convicted Black man and attorney, from taking office as New Orleans’ Clerk of Criminal Court, a move
No. 11 on the list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians: Bob Gualtieri
In the age of politics dominated by Donald Trump’s priorities, Gualtieri has stood out as both an ally and independent thinker.
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.
Sorrell College of Business Student Research Showcase highlights student work
From beef cattle to sports to physical fitness and weddings, students revealed their findings during the Sorrell College of Business Student Research Showcase on April 21 as part of Trojan Research Week. “I discovered that you can depreciate beef cows as assets,” said Kearston Clancy, who along with Rachel Temples presented “Determination of Individual Tax...Read More
Paging Dr. Google … Dr. GPT is in the house
These are the primary platforms currently battling for dominance in the $36 billion clinical AI market
Paging Dr. Google … Dr. GPT is in the house
These are the primary platforms currently battling for dominance in the $36 billion clinical AI market
Florida metros dominate list of best large cities to start a business
Tampa led the nation due to its business environment and low taxes.
U.S. scientists solve the mystery of a golden orb discovered in the deep sea. Here's what it really is
The enigmatic orb has undergone extensive examination and DNA testing, enabling scientists to reveal its true origins
Democrats dominate midterm fundraising, but Republicans have a huge cash advantage
The latest campaign finance reports show Democratic enthusiasm in key House and Senate races, but national Republican groups have far more in the bank to potentially spend down the road.
Algeria eliminates trachoma as a public health problem
The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated Algeria as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, making it the 10th country in WHO’s African Region and the 29th country globally to achieve this significant milestone.
KOCO 5 Sports breaks down Thunder’s chances against Suns in Game 2
After a dominant performance against the Phoenix Suns during Game 1 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, the Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to bring their offensive and defensive energy back to the Paycom Center for Game 2.
Sean Plankey, Trump’s Pick to Lead Cybersecurity Agency, Withdraws His Nomination
Confirmation for the nominee, Sean Plankey, had been pending in the Senate for over a year.
DGCE SIG Seminar 23 April 23, 2026
Potential Diffuse Gas Science Cases and Instrument Goals for UV Imaging and Spectroscopy with HWO. Speaker: Kevin France
Nominations Now Open for WMC’s Business Friend of the Environment Awards
MADISON – Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) – the combined state chamber and manufacturers’ association – opened nominations for its annual
Saints give no guarantees for futures of 2 franchise greats
The New Orleans Saints are in the midst of transitioning into the future. That began last season, when the team was in a rebuilding year that culminated with Tyler Shough giving hope for the future. This year, the next step…
Logan Airport travelers might have been exposed to measles, health officials warn
Travelers at Boston Logan International Airport earlier this month might have been exposed to measles, health officials warned Wednesday. The Boston Public Health Commission and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said that a person with measles visited Terminal C at Logan Airport shortly after midnight on Tuesday, April 14. The person traveled to Boston on JetBlue Airways flight 470,…
Passenger on Boston-bound JetBlue flight had measles, health officials warn
Health officials say a person with measles visited Logan Airport Terminal C, prompting an exposure alert for travelers and a push for vaccination.
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.
Will Iraq’s Shia bloc overcome obstacles to pick the next PM?
The Shia-led Coordination Framework must nominate a prime minister by Sunday, as required by the constitution.
Clearing Every Bar: How Brooklyn Marcee Balanced Athletics, Leadership, and Business
For Brooklyn Marcee, the dream of competing as a collegiate athlete started early — and it became the foundation for a college journey defined by discipline, leadership, and determination. Marcee ... Clearing Every Bar: How Brooklyn Marcee Balanced Athletics, Leadership, and Business
The ‘groundbreaking’ case of the cyber experts who allegedly broke bad and worked with criminals
US companies in the retail, hospitality and medical sectors trusted Angelo Martino to negotiate with hackers who were trying to extort them. Instead, he made the extortion worse, federal prosecutors allege.
This “quantum” material fooled scientists and revealed something new
A mysterious magnetic material once thought to host an exotic “quantum spin liquid” has turned out to be something entirely different—and possibly just as intriguing. Scientists studying cerium magnesium hexalluminate found it showed the hallmark signs of this elusive quantum state, like a lack of magnetic order and a spread of energy states. But after closer inspection using neutron experiments, they discovered the behavior came from a delicate tug-of-war between two opposing magnetic forces.
New Orleans court clerk Calvin Duncan is symbolically sworn in as GOP races to eliminate office
New Orleans court clerk Calvin Duncan is symbolically sworn in as Republicans race to eliminate office. He is scheduled to take office May 4 but Republicans hope to eliminate his position by then
Florida launches criminal probe into whether chatbot aided suspect in deadly campus shooting
Florida AG launches criminal investigation into OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT advised the suspect in the deadly Florida State University mass shooting.
‘Martyrs’: Michigan Dems nominate Hezbollah-praising candidate after ousting Jewish regent
Amir Makled, who reportedly shared posts praising Hezbollah leaders as 'martyrs,' won Michigan Democrats' nomination for University of Michigan regent.
3 takeaways from Fed nominee Warsh on AI and FOMC independence
Former Wall Street exec Kevin Warsh testified before Congress Tuesday about his nomination as Fed chair.
‘I will never support another curfew’: Virginia Beach councilman wants to cancel Oceanfront restriction
At a community meeting Monday night, Remick said he’s not proud of the City Council’s near unanimous vote to approve the curfew and wants to eliminate the last one scheduled for Friday night.
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.
Two-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Maggie Rose named as 2026 Reunion entertainment
Nashville-based performer will take the stage for an exclusive concert during Reunion Weekend
Southern Poverty Law Center says it faces a DOJ criminal probe over paid informants
The Alabama-based civil rights organization made the announcement Tuesday, saying President Donald Trump's administration appears to be preparing legal action against it or its employees.
The Pitt and Medicaid - National Health Law Program
“Hopefully we’ll be back on Medicaid by then.” “How’d you lose it?” “They sent a redetermination letter to our old apartment. It didn’t get forwarded.” “And you haven’t been able to get it back since?” “I’ve been trying for months. To get re-enrolled, you need tax returns, pay stubs… I cut hair. My income fluctuates.” – The Pitt, Season 2, […]
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
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