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Priority research questions in global peatland science
Communications Earth & Environment - Global research prioritization for peatland science engaged 467 participants from 54 countries, identifying 50 priority research questions across carbon...
Ravens' biggest offseason question won't please Lamar Jackson
This is far from ideal.
Elon Musk boosts New Yorker Sam Altman profile on X as trial kicks off
Elon Musk boosted Ronan Farrow's profile questioning Sam Altman's trustworthiness as the two tech titans face each other in court.
Paige Bueckers says it's all business with Azzi Fudd after Wings pick No. 1
The statement from Bueckers came 11 days after the Wings wouldn't let Fudd answer a question about their relationship.
Broncos failed to address biggest pre-draft need amid Evan Engram question
This question is still unanswered for the Broncos.
Family estrangement explored in collection featuring Northwest writers
Tacoma editor and writer Jenny Bartoy poses the question "Who are we without our families?" in the introduction of “No Contact: Writers on Estrangement."
Neanderthals' brains weren't to blame for their demise, new study suggests
Researchers examining the brains of living people found that they differed more substantially than Neanderthals' brains differed from modern humans', calling into question the reason our evolutionary cousins mysteriously disappeared.
Samsung’s Galaxy Glasses leak is a direct shot at Meta Ray-Ban's crown
Samsung’s smart glasses are coming into focus, but big questions remain.
Studio shows aren't for sports fans anymore
Have networks left educated sports fans behind in a quest to cater to casuals and grab as many eyeballs as possible?
Jim Krukal Wants Clevelanders to Sink Their Worries on His Interactive Cuyahoga Cruise Line
Join Jim Krukal for the Sink Your Worry Cleveland sunset cruise. Enjoy drinks, quests, and fun on the Cuyahoga River.
The Science Behind the Headlines: Understanding Attribution Science
When devastating weather events make headlines, a question increasingly follows: Did climate change play a role? Where did the emissions driving that risk come from? And what harms result when those risks materialize? This isn't just casual curiosity. Communities facing floods, families displace
Zap in a cap: How one neurotech startup is using a hat to treat depression
FDA approved a request from Motif Neurotech, to start an initial feasibility trial to test a brain implant to treat depression.
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.
Containing Cubs' offense next quest for Padres' Randy Vasquez
After conquering Coors Field in his last outing, Randy Vasquez now looks to tame the Chicago Cubs' potent attack.
Questionable pitching moves cost Pack9 series at Virginia Tech
NC State could ill afford to lose the series versus the Hokies
American dad raising kids in Korea; questions if US education is better
American dad Derek Laan says that in Korea, he makes less money in exchange for a more interesting life.
Gunman at White House Correspondents’ Dinner raises questions about event’s security protocol
The suspected gunman who charged past a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday has renewed questions about Secret Service protocols and whether there should be changes to the already tight cordon at the annual star-studded event.
A mom asked if her kid could move up to business class — and the Delta flight attendant handled it like a pro
The "cringe" request sparked secondhand embarrassment on Reddit, but the crew's response was spot on.
Cohen Higgins defends actions amid questions about Miami Center for Mental Health
National parks brace for summer surge as Trump administration proposes more staff cuts
The push to cut the park system even further has underscored ongoing questions about how smoothly parks can operate as warm weather and summer vacations draw tourists.
Politics: Iowa Legislature budget agreement could mark session end
After Iowa lawmakers stopped receiving their per-diem pay on Tuesday of last week, questions linger over just how long the 2026 legislative session could last.
Again, a Gunman Got Perilously Close to Trump
After two previous assassination attempts, the effort by an armed man to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is sure to raise questions about security and political violence.
Q&A: Michigan governor candidates on making themselves subject to FOIA
Michigan is one of two states that shields the governor's office from public records requests. Some candidates for the job are vowing to end that.
Broncos draft grades Reacts survey: Grading the full 2026 class
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Seahawks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. The 2026 Draft has come to a close, and the Broncos have added some key players […]
2026 NBA Playoffs: Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves Game 4 best bet
The Timberwolves host the Nuggets in Game 4 Saturday as slight underdogs despite holding a 2-1 series lead with Denver's Aaron Gordon questionable.
'They Stopped Making Those Requests' — Alice: Madness Returns Director American McGee Got Creative After EA Asked to 'Make Things More Sexy'
Alice: Madness Returns creator and director American McGee says he “pasted dildos” on the head of a giant snail after publisher EA requested developer Spicy Horse Games “make things more sexy.”
It's not all Kegels. Here are four things to know before going to pelvic floor therapy.
How can pelvic floor physical therapy help address a variety of pelvic floor issues and improve quality of life? A Louisiana expert answers frequently asked questions.
The biggest questions for Berkshire at Greg Abel's first annual meeting
Close followers want to get to know Greg Abel, and hear his plans for Berkshire Hathaway's stocks, cash, and businesses.
Yankees news: Jazz Chisholm Jr. makes the adjustment
The Spencer Jones question; The divergent paths of the Yankees and Red Sox; Chisholm makes an adjustment; Cole takes another step.
Judge appears skeptical of Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against IRS and Treasury
A federal judge on Friday questioned the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Department over the leak of his tax returns, ordering a hearing to determine whether the president can sue federal agencies that he oversees.
'Friday Follies': Prince Harry tries to 'dictate' American politics
Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo discusses Prince Harry's political takes and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries' answers to kids' questions on 'The Ingraham Angle.'
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.
World’s largest movie screen in Clearwater? Council member has questions
Mike Mannino wants to know more about plans for an entertainment complex downtown announced by a company affiliated with the church of Scientology.
Fossil-Fuel Funded GOP Leaders Claim a Renowned Scientific Institution Has ‘Potential Conflicts of Interest’
Republican allies of the oil and gas industry question the objectivity of an independent report from the nation’s top science advisers on the harms of human-caused climate change.
Interview transcript: Game File x Xbox's Asha Sharma and Matt Booty
I’m trying something different today: offering all Game File readers a free write-up of a big interview, while also offering the interview transcript to paying readers. If you want to get the essence of my conversation with new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty, with context around their comments, check out the free piece. If you want more depth, this transcript is for you. I’ve lightly edited the conversation for clarity and flow, but you’ll still get plenty of Sharma and Booty’s thoughts, my questions, and a good sense of how our conversation progressed—complete with follow-ups, some conversational detours, and the best quotes that made it into the free piece.
The Insight Series: AI & Digital Health
“The Insight Series: AI & Digital Health” features industry experts answering key questions to help inform policymakers and the public about how AI is shaping the future of care delivery. Our latest edition features Carlos Nunez, Chief Medical Officer at Resmed.
Penny-pinching leaves NH businesses, customers short on change
A customer gets handed ice cream at Hayward's Ice Cream in Nashua on Thursday. The business has signs posted requesting customers use credit/mobile payment because of a national penny shortage.
Yankees Urged to Make Questionable Spencer Jones Decision
The New York Yankees are being urged to make a rather questionable decision with Spencer Jones.
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
Two Kansas alternative political parties merge in quest to build support for centrist candidates
The Free State Party and United Kansas Party are joining forces to form an alternative party drawing support from the center-right and center-left.
Is Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE:TME) Pricing Reflect Recent Slide And DCF Upside Potential
If you are wondering whether Tencent Music Entertainment Group's current share price reflects its underlying value, or if the market is mispricing it, this breakdown will help you frame that question with numbers rather than guesswork. The stock last closed at US$9.25, with returns of an 8.9% decline over 7 days, a 6.2% decline over 30 days, a 48.2% decline year to date, a 28.6% decline over 1 year, a 32.8% gain over 3 years, and a 45.6% decline over 5 years, which gives you a wide range of...
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Remake Dev Promises Lots Of Blood
Assassin's Creed fans have been picking over the reveal footage with lots of questions
Elmet Group: Some Questions On This Rare And Critical Materials Business
Elmet Group debuted strongly, leveraging its role in securing US critical component supply chains and reducing reliance on foreign imports. See why ELMT stock is a Hold.
Cedars-Sinai Event Explores Ethics of Longevity Science
Cedars-Sinai experts and prominent scholars of religion, Jewish law and ethics are coming together on May 3 for a free public discussion focusing on the ethical, moral and theological questions that can result from medical breakthroughs.
Marijuana's reclassification raises new questions for the cannabis industry
Medical marijuana is moving from Schedule I status, reserved for the most dangerous drugs like heroin and LSD, to Schedule III, like testosterone and steroids, which are less strictly regulated.
Will Tommy Thompson return with a run for governor?
Political reporters Molly Beck and Jessie Opoien answer frequently asked questions on Wisconsin's political scene.
'Self-aware' robots can learn complex tasks by watching humans. Is that a good thing?
Scientists say they've made a key breakthrough that would allow robots to figure out complex tasks on their own — but experts say it raises questions about how much risk comes with letting robots be in charge of their own learning.
Private matter or not, the Mike Vrabel saga now raises football questions for the Patriots
Asking AI health questions? Use with caution, researchers say
Two newly published studies offer a flashing yellow light for anyone who searches for health answers on AI chatbots.
“Us versus them”: How political propaganda polarises beliefs without providing any news
Political polarisation is often attributed to misinformation, echo chambers, or biased news. But new experimental evidence suggests that merely making a social conflict salient – without providing any information at all – is enough to sharply increase disagreement on both factual and normative questions. This column discusses how politicians and media can ‘artificially’ amplify societal tensions by strategically choosing which conflicts to highlight, and why this mechanism is harder to counter than standard misinformation.
Citizen science helps ID elusive seabird, paves way for more citizen-backed discoveries
Vast online archives of photos, videos and sound recordings collected by the public are reshaping how scientists study the natural world, allowing researchers to answer questions that were once out of ...
House Republicans Ask ActBlue C.E.O., Regina Wallace-Jones, to Testify
The request is a significant escalation of G.O.P. pressure on the liberal fund-raising organization over its vetting of donations.
2026 Geochemistry Fellow David Catling reflects on a career spent trying to answer science’s biggest questions
2026 Geochemistry Fellow David Catling reflects on a career spent trying to answer science’s biggest questions
Climate Chronicles: The science behind sun dogs and sun halos
This week’s Climate Chronicles question comes from Amber.
HRC Launches ‘100 Days of Healthcare’ Campaign to Demand Congress…
As Federal Lawmakers Work on New Appropriations Bills, HRC Will Mobilize LGBTQ+ Community and Allies to Push for Transgender Health Care Access, PrEP…
Companies Expand AI Health Offerings, Even as Accuracy Questions Remain — The Monitor
Five technology companies have launched dedicated consumer-facing AI health tools so far in 2026, reflecting though questions about AI’s reliability remain. And a decades-old WHO classification has been misrepresented online to suggest that hormonal birth control pills were recently found to cause cancer.
Chinese Scientists Have Been Dying Mysterious Deaths Too
As the US questions the untimely deaths or the disappearances of top scientists, China is grappling with the same mystery at home.
House Science Committee pans NASA budget request
Members of the House Science Committee rejected a proposed fiscal year 2027 budget for NASA because of sweeping cuts.
How low can Ohio go? The gubernatorial race might show us
Ohio governor candidates on the right seem determined to answer one question: How low can you go and still get elected?
Magic-Pistons takeaways: Cade Cunningham shines, but questions remain about consistency and supporting cast
For the second game in a row, Cunningham was the main driving force, with little contributions elsewhere, in the first half.
Siouxland business leaders ask for support for 185th
Business leaders from Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota travel to Washington to request federal funding for the 185th Refueling Wing of the Air National Guard.
Senate eyes AI expansion for congressional business - Live Updates
The Senate’s top cybersecurity official is requesting a $2.8 million funding boost to support AI expansion.
Why are other kids starving?
Witnessing poverty as a child sparked Luiza Lima Vieira’s quest to vanquish hunger — but first, she had to learn to listen to her own body.
Health Secy. Robert F. Kennedy Testifies on 2027 Budget Request
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on President Trump's 2027 budget request for the department.
OnePlus Watch 4 officially brings Wear OS 6 in a titanium body, mysterious launch plans [Gallery]
OnePlus hasn’t formally announced its next smartwatch – the brand as a whole is in question right now – but...
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn plays like a Mass Effect-like sci-fi adventure in fine form, but its developer's use of AI raises some difficult questions
The signs are all good. Except there's that nagging question. How much does it matter that the studio is using gen-AI tools during the game's development?
Color-Changing Bees: Citizen Science Photographs Help Researchers Explore Bee Coloration In Response To Humidity
"Whether the colour change happens to benefit the bee in any way is still an open question that we’d love to explore," lead author Madeleine Ostwald told IFLScience.
Gamers sue Nintendo over tariff refunds, saying consumers should get the money back
Two gamers have filed a class action lawsuit against Nintendo, alleging that the company will be unjustly enriching itself with any refund it secures from the U.S. government over widespread tariffs last year that, among other things, hiked the prices of Nintendo hardware and accessories. “Unless restrained by this Court, Nintendo stands to recover the same tariff payments twice—once from consumers through higher prices and again from the federal government through tariff refunds, including interest paid by the government on those funds,” the suit states. Nintendo sued the U.S. government to secure a tariff refund in March, after the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs a month prior, saying they were illegally implemented by President Donald Trump.. The gamers who have sued, California-based Gregory Hoffert and Washington-based Prashant Sharan, both say they purchased Nintendo goods that had increased in price due to tariffs, according to the complaint. They filed their suit in the Western District court of Nintendo of America’s home state of Washington and are seeking class action status to represent all people in the U.S. who purchased price-hiked Nintendo goods between February 1, 2025 and February 24, 2026. They allege that Nintendo’s recovery of any tariff refunds would constitute unjust enrichment and violate Washington state consumer protection law. Similar class action lawsuits pressing companies to pass on tariff refunds have been previously filed against FedEx, UPS and eyeglass importer EssilorLuxottica. The tariffs were announced in early April, and by mid-month, Nintendo had announced $5 price increases for controllers for the then-forthcoming Switch 2. In August, it raised the price of the original Switch. In their suit, the gamers cite comments from Nintendo executives connecting the tariffs to price increases. In May 2025, a month after the tariffs were imposed, Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa told investors “Our basic policy is that for any country or region, if tariffs are imposed, we recognize them as a part of the cost and incorporate them into the price.” Nintendo’s March lawsuit, along with tariff-recovery suits from hundreds of other companies was immediately put on hold pending the implementation of a refund system. The U.S. government announced the beginning of the refund process earlier this week. Companies could receive as much as $160 billion, per CNBC. In March 2026, after Nintendo filed its lawsuit to recover the cost of the tariffs, I asked the company if they planned to pass their refund on to customers who’d paid increased prices. The company’s response acknowledged the existence of the lawsuit but avoided answering that question: “We can confirm that we filed a request. We have nothing else to share on this topic.” Even a promise to consumers may not have spared Nintendo this week’s lawsuit. FedEx previously promised to pass its tariff refunds on to consumers. They’ve been sued over them anyway.
The Medical Minute: Your daughter’s first gynecological visit: A parent’s guide
From painful periods to questions they’re afraid to ask, a first gynecology visit can help your teen feel understood. A Penn State Health expert tells how care boosts reproductive health.
Seattle grows bitter over Starbucks expansion in Nashville
As new details of the Nashville plan spread Tuesday, reaction in Seattle ran the gamut. Many questioned what is next for the company's presence in Seattle.
iSchool Doctoral Students and Faculty Team Explore AI Use in Healthcare at KCHC
How does artificial intelligence (AI) impact how people take care of their health? On April 2-4, Florida State University (FSU) School of Information (iSchool) Ph.D. candidate Yuanying Pang addressed this question, representing her research team at the Kentucky Conference on Health Communication (KCHC) in Lexington, Kentucky. Their poster presentation, “Understanding How People Use Generative AI…
WATCH LIVE: RFK Jr. testifies on Trump's HHS budget request before Senate committees
WATCH LIVE: RFK Jr. testifies on Trump's HHS budget request before Senate committees
When Summer Screen Time Poses a Mental Health Risk for Teens
Beyond headlines and courtrooms, many families are seeking an answer to a more immediate question: How do we know when social media use is affecting a teenager’s mental health?
Senate hearings with RFK Jr. put Cassidy’s competing loyalties to Trump and science on display
Sen. Bill Cassidy faces a tough situation as he prepares to question Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in two Senate hearings | WWL
Senate hearings with RFK Jr. put Cassidy’s competing loyalties to Trump and science on display
Sen. Bill Cassidy faces a tough situation as he prepares to question Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in two Senate hearings | 97.3 The Sky
The Profiri Paycheck: $265K Power, Politics, and a Capitol Fight Over Control
There’s a number hanging over the capitol right now: $265,000, and it’s not just about the money.It’s about power, who has it, who questions it, and who answers
Voters Approving Virginia Democratic Gerrymander Puts Democrats on Cusp of 218 House Seats in Ratings, but Questions Remain
Four House ratings move in Democrats' favor
Health questions mount after Rep. Paul Gosar’s public remarks go viral
Rep. Paul Gosar's rambling remarks have raised questions among Democrats about whether he's healthy enough to run for reelection.
On Capitol Hill, RFK Jr. defends vaccine policies, ongoing shakeups
US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had another long day on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, with lawmakers questioning him on his vaccine views, agency shakeups and a proposed budget that would slash HHS spending on medical research and public health.
WATCH: Padilla Slams Energy Secretary Wright on Cuts to Science Funding in Proposed Budget, Political Cancellation of California Hydrogen Hub Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, questioned Energy Secretary Chris Wright about President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2027 proposed budget for the Department of Energy and its drastic cuts to science funding. “Your budget cuts the Office of Science’s funding by $1.1 billion. […]
United Q1 earnings top estimates as premium business partly offsets fuel price surge
United Airlines will report first quarter earnings after the bell on Tuesday, capping off a stretch that whipsawed the sector, and the airline, on oil prices, merger talk, and broader questions about the health of the consumer.
Kentucky governor blasts UK athletics' 'decision-making'
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has publicly questioned the "decision-making" at the University of Kentucky, including the seven-figure gig retiring athletic director Mitch Barnhart was recently given.
The Role of a Digital Transformation Manager in Business AI
Wondering what is a digital transformation manager? Learn more about the growing career and how digital transformation management is used in business AI.
Why AI in Business Is About Execution, Not Tools
Discover how AI is used in business, why execution matters more than AI capability and how the Master’s in AI in Business prepares future leaders for execution.
What Is It Like to Be an AI in Business Master's Student?
Learn why professionals are studying AI in business, what it’s like to be a student in BU’s AI business degree and how to determine if this program is right for you.
Poll workers told to leave Shasta training for opposing politics talk
Two Shasta County poll workers say they were dismissed from a training session after questioning elections chief Clint Curtis.
Health insurers raise questions about Medicare program that will offer GLP-1s to seniors for $50
Some health insurers are pushing back against a new program that will allow Medicare beneficiaries to pay $50 per month for GLP-1 medications for weight loss.
Warsh vows to keep monetary policy independent of politics
STORY: :: Fed chief nominee Warsh vows to keep monetary policy independent of politics:: Washington, D.C. / April 21, 2026:: Kevin Warsh, Federal Reserve chief nominee“Monetary policy independence is essential. Monetary policymakers must act in the nation's interest. Their decision is the product of rigor, deliberation and unclouded decision-making. And as Senator Warren said, I do not believe that independence of monetary policy is threatened when elected officials state their views on rates. Fed independence is up to the Fed." // :: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Ranking Democrat on Senate Banking Committee“So, independence takes courage. Let's check out your independence and your courage. We'll start easy. Mr. Warsh, did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?”WARSH: “Um, we try to keep politics, if I’m confirmed, out of the Federal Reserve.”WARREN: “I’m just asking you a factual question. I need to know. I need to measure your independence and your courage.”WARSH: “Senator, I believe that this body certified that election many years ago.”WARREN: “That’s not the question I’m asking. I’m asking did Donald Trump lose in 2020?”WARSH: “And I’m suggesting to you in 2020…”WARREN: “I’m suggesting you can’t answer that.”WARSH: “… the Fed had a huge inflation problem, and you certified the election…[crosstalk]… let’s keep the politics out of monetary policy.” //WARREN: "Just one little place where you disagree with Donald Trump.”WARSH: “Well, I do have a disagreement actually, Senator, with the president. I think even this morning, he said that he thought I was out of central casting. I think central casting, I'd look older, grayer, maybe show up here with a cigar of sorts.”WARREN: “Quite adorable. But, you know, we need a Fed chair who is independent. That's the only way we preserve the independence of the Federal Reserve. If you can't answer these questions, you don't have the courage and you don't have the independence.”In a confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee that quickly hinted at major changes to come at a Warsh-led Fed, the 56-year-old lawyer and financier blamed the central bank for an inflation surge in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to hurt U.S. households.Warsh's hearing quickly turned contentious. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren pressed Warsh on his independence and "courage", saying President Donald Trump had made clear Warsh would be his "sock puppet".
Former Surgeon General Backs CDC Nominee, But Questions Remain on Vaccines
By HealthDay Staff HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, April 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A former U.S. surgeon general is weighing in on the president’s pick to lead the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calling Dr. Erica Schwartz highly qualified while warning of some potential ...
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
When the CEO Becomes the Brand
Research suggests that Elon Musk’s political stance appears to have reshaped how different groups perceive Tesla. Overall sales trends hint at trouble. The company’s growth stalled in 2024, and deliveries fell 8.5% in 2025. But those headline numbers hide what is happening beneath the surface. When the data is broken down by political orientation and by changes in views of Musk, a more complicated pattern emerges. Among right-leaning respondents and those whose opinion of Musk has improved, Tesla’s brand appeal is significantly higher and willingness to pay exceeds that for many competing brands, including Ford, Chevrolet, and Rivian. Among left-leaning consumers and those whose view of Musk has worsened, the opposite is true: Preference and willingness to pay for Tesla drop sharply. The outcome is not a uniform decline but a polarization of demand. Some consumers appear to feel alienated, while others feel more aligned with the brand. This raises an important strategic question of whether companies can influence purchasing decisions across these divided segments by strengthening the underlying value proposition.
The Death of Public Health
During the recent measles outbreak, the largest in more than 30 years, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to clearly recommend the measles vaccine, saying instead that it was a “personal decision,” and that parents should “do their own research.” Similarly, during her recent confirmation hearing for United States Surgeon General, Casey Means was questioned by Senator William Cassidy (R, La). “You’re the nation’s doctor,” said Cassidy. “Would you encourage [a mother] to have her child vaccinated!” “I’m not an individual’s doctor,” Means said. “And every individual needs to talk to their doctor before putting a medication in their body.” In June 2025, Marty Makary, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said that COVID vaccines for pregnant women should be a “personal choice”, even though every other country in the world recommended the COVID vaccine during pregnancy due to a higher risk for severe disease. It doesn’t end there. On January 5, 2026, RFK Jr. reduced the number of routinely recommended vaccines from 18 to 10. For vaccines that protected against influenza, COVID, and rotavirus, parents were urged to speak with their doctors—to make an individual choice. (On March 16, 2026, in a ruling by a federal court in Boston, RFK Jr.’s revised schedule was invalidated.) What’s happening? Why are public health officials moving away from making recommendations for the public? The origin of this change might be rooted in the first two years of the COVID pandemic. In 2020, during the first year on the pandemic, we didn’t have anything to stop a virus that was killing hundreds of people a day and could be spread asymptomatically. We didn’t have antivirals until October, monoclonal antibodies until November, and vaccines until December. All we could do was restrict travel, close businesses, shutter schools, and mask, isolate, quarantine, test, and social distance. During the second year of the pandemic, when we had vaccines to prevent COVID, people couldn’t go anywhere without their vaccine cards. They couldn’t go to their favorite bar or restaurant or sporting event or place of worship without proof of vaccination. Some people were fired from their jobs for refusing to get vaccinated. For many, this was seen as massive government overreach and energized what has been called the “medical freedom movement.” Indeed, a headline in the New York Times declared, “How Health Freedom Became a Winning Rally Cry.” As expressed in the comments of RFK Jr., Casey Means, and Marty Makary, the medical freedom movement focuses on the individual not the community—the opposite of public health. In an article titled “Ethics and Social Value Judgments in Public Health,” ethicists from Yale University distinguished public health from medical freedom. “Public health policies,” they wrote, “are population oriented. Because individual health affects the health of others, public health measures regulate individual behavior to achieve population health goals. All raise questions about how individual autonomy and freedom should be balanced against public health interests…which respects individuals’ sovereignty over their bodies and actions as long as their actions do not harm others.” The medical freedom movement fails to recognize that it often limits the freedom of others. For example, a parent who is afraid to send a child to school where many of the students are unvaccinated. Or immune compromised children who depend on those around them to for protection. The question then becomes “Freedom for whom?” Is it your right, in the name of medical freedom, to catch and transmit a potentially fatal infection—and in so doing, take away the freedom of others? In Four Essays on Liberty, Isaiah Berlin sums it up best. “Liberty for the wolves,” he wrote, “is death to the lambs.” Thanks for reading Beyond the Noise! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Subscribe
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