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Elevance Health Profits Eclipse $1.7 Billion Despite Elevated Costs
Elevance Health reported $1.7 billion in first quarter net income as cost issues continued to drag on earnings of the nation’s second-largest health insurer.
I saved $60,000 and opened my first restaurant at 21
Jack Ng immigrated to the US at 12, worked as a fisherman, and used his savings to build a multimillion-dollar restaurant business.
Michigan rep rips fellow Democrats for 'troubling' convention behavior
Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet said behavior at the Democratic convention in Detroit is a "step in the wrong direction" that could hurt Dems in November
Where to watch Philadelphia Phillies vs Chicago Cubs: TV channel, start time, streaming for Apr. 22
Here's how to watch Wednesday's Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies game, including start times, TV channels, scores and how to stream.
Where to watch Baltimore Orioles vs Kansas City Royals: TV channel, start time, streaming for Apr. 22
Here's how to watch Wednesday's Kansas City Royals vs Baltimore Orioles game, including start times, TV channels, scores and how to stream.
Mississippi businesses going out of state to get alcohol, store owners believe
Mississippi's alcohol sales crisis may have led some businesses to illegally buy stock out of state, impacting restaurants and stores, some owners say.
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.
Sam Altman: Anthropic is using 'fear' to tout Claude Mythos
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in contrast to Anthropic's recent moves, OpenAI would err on the side of giving more people access to AI models.
Pokémon Doubles Down on Decision to Penalize Pro Player
A Pokémon pro who saw his tournament win taken away from him in controversial circumstances will not be getting an official reprieve.
Jacksonville ranks among top 5 best large cities to start a business
A new WalletHub report ranks Jacksonville as the third-best large U.S. city to start a business. Here's why.
What to expect at Topeka's 61st annual Blintze Brunch
The annual Blintze Brunch from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. April 26 at Temple Beth Sholom, 4200 SW Munson Avenue, will feature Jewish food and entertainment.
Scene Calendar: 5th Avenue Arts Festival, live music at Heartwood
The 46th annual 5th Avenue Arts Festival will take place April 25-26. Ani DiFranco will perform at Heartwood Soundstage at 7 p.m. April 26
The health misinformation crisis is bigger than anyone thought: Most people worldwide believe at least one of 6 common medical myths
A global Edelman survey yields a "stunning set of facts": seven in 10 believe at least one debunked health claim regardless of education, politics or age.
Inside Missouri’s first statewide science and engineering competition
Springfield-area students earned spots at the International Science & Engineering Fair after winning top honors at Show‑Me SCIENCE.
These are the best and worst small cities to start a business in NY
See which NY cities are the best and worst to start a business.
Record number of athletes sign to play college sports from this Athens-area high school
Here's where the Athens-area class of 2026 signed to play college sports in April.
Washington's County's most improved high school spring sports athletes
Washington County's high school varsity spring sports head coaches were asked who their most improved athlete is. Here are their selections.
Vodafone Business Launch New AI and Cybersecurity Solutions to Accelerate Small Business Digital Transformation in Partnership with Google Cloud
/PRNewswire/ -- Cloud Next '26 -- Today Vodafone Business and Google Cloud announce an expansion of their strategic partnership with two new solutions to equip...
Vodafone Business Launch New AI and Cybersecurity Solutions to Accelerate Small Business Digital Transformation in Partnership with Google Cloud
Cloud Next '26 -- Today Vodafone Business and Google Cloud announce an expansion of their strategic partnership with two new solutions to equip small-and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with advanced cybersecurity and agentic AI.
Inside the AI coding startup Elon Musk is betting $60 billion on
The 4-year-old startup just propelled SpaceX in the AI coding race.
Appleton area high school sports results for Tuesday, April 21
High school softball, baseball, soccer, golf and tennis teams were in action.
El Paso, Texas high school sports scoreboard: April 21-25
El Paso, Texas high school sports scoreboard: April 13-18
‘The GOP should’ve done more’: Virginia Republicans point fingers after gerrymandering loss
They are frustrated the party didn’t spend extensively and are putting pressure on Florida to give them back an edge.
Who are the Democrats hoping to run against Rep. Warren Davidson?
Two Butler County Democrats are competing for the chance to unseat Republican Rep. Warren Davidson this May.
Top 10 things to do this weekend, festival season kickoff edition
Find the best places to be this weekend in Cincinnati, from Asian Food Fest to Jane Austen Festival to belated Earth Day celebrations.
They retired early to travel the world — then came decision fatigue
Retirement travel exposed Kelly Benthall and her husband to decision fatigue. Structured trips now bring them more satisfaction and less stress.
Belleville restaurant inspections find improper cleaning, food storage
Health inspections in Belleville restaurants found improper cleaning, food storage issues, and more from February to April.
Virginians approve Democratic map targeting 4 Republican congressional seats
Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a new Democratic-drawn congressional map that could flip four Republican U.S. House seats in November's midterm elections, U.S. media projected.
The birthplace of OpenAI is on the market for $1.5 million
Greg Brockman's former residence in the Mission, where OpenAI's founders worked before they had an office, is now for sale at around $1.5 million.
SpaceX strikes $60 billion deal for right to buy coding startup Cursor
SpaceX announced a partnership with coding startup Cursor that will give Elon Musk's a major foothold in the AI coding race.
Mara Brock Akil And Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove Share How Storytelling Shapes Black Maternal Health
On Saturday, April 18, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda brought together elected officials, TV and film writers, creators, and community leaders for a powerful conversation unpacking how media narratives can impact policy.
Stockton sports roundup features best teams, athletes hitting stride
The best are hitting their stride. Top teams and athletes delivered big performances in San Joaquin County spring sports from April 6-11.
Memphis area spring sports top performers for Week 8 of the 2026 season
Here are Memphis area high school baseball, softball, boys soccer and lacrosse top performers from Week 8 of the 2026 season.
World's biggest airlines cancel flights due to rising fuel prices
Jet fuel prices have spiked and supplies have dwindled as the US and Israeli war on Iran drags on, forcing some airlines to cancel flights.
How a babywearing business hit seven figures with community marketing
One babywearing brand grew by focusing on plus-size baby carriers and real-life marketing. Now, it's moving to a 19,000-square-foot warehouse.
Oklahoma lawmakers, tribes and OKC Thunder agree on sports betting bill
Oklahoma lawmakers, tribes, and the Thunder reached an agreement to legalize sports betting. Here's what it says and what's next.
Top Futurist Sees Major Disruption Ahead For Healthcare
Healthcare is being rapidly reshaped by AI, data, and tech giants. Futurist Thomas Koulopoulos explains why traditional providers must adapt—or be disrupted.
Virginia election: Live updates and results on major redistricting vote
A high-stakes battle over congressional maps takes place in Virginia. Follow live updates.
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.
Columbus National Women's Soccer League team to debut in 2028
Columbus is getting a National Women's Soccer League team, set to debut in 2028 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field.
Adobe Enterprise CMO explains how AI helps scale personalization
AI enhances marketing efforts, says Adobe Enterprise's Rachel Thornton, citing Ulta's approach to personalizing customer journeys with AI insights.
Meta's new AI tool tracks staff activity, sparks concern
Meta deploys keystroke-tracking software on US employees' computers, sparking privacy concerns and internal backlash.
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.
OpenAI’s updated image generator can now pull information from the web
ChatGPT Images 2.0 can create more “sophisticated” images, according to OpenAI.
Wisconsin political leaders mourn Daniel Bice's death
A veteran Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter, Bice broke national scoops and dug into local stories with same tenacity.
Responding to Today's Gaps for Tomorrow's Health Emergencies: 2026 Ready or Not Report
Join Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) for a Congressional Briefing and National Webinar on the latest information on public health emergency readiness and findings from TFAH’s upcoming report, Ready or Not 2026: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism – releasing May 7th. The past year alone saw the U.S. facing the most […]
These cities are the best to start a business. Where Atlanta ranks
A new WalletHub report found Atlanta was the 12th best city in the U.S. for starting a business. The top five cities are all located in Florida.
RFK Jr.’s followers will help the GOP in midterms, Kennedy adviser tells POLITICO’s Health Summit
Calley Means said the health secretary and Trump are working in “lockstep.”
Four key takeaways from Apple’s change of leadership
Analysts say net boss John Ternus should diversify tech giant away from iPhones and raise its game in AI
Florida Democrat mired in scandal resigns from Congress under bipartisan scrutiny
Many House Democrats refrained from supporting Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who is accused of more than two dozen ethics violations.
Business Insider wins 2026 Webby for mid-form documentary
Business Insider has won a Webby Award in the Documentary: Mid-Form category at the 2026 Webby Awards for The Man Who Feeds Gaza's Children.
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.
Acton's domestic dispute twisted into Ramaswamy campaign fodder
Opinion: Dr. Amy Acton's clash with her husband reflects strain of relentless work.
Sebastian Maniscalco gets Sirius on Harry Styles' 'SNL' imitation, Bieber's ball pit
Sebastian Maniscalco has much to talk about on his new SiriusXM channel, like golf fashion, forced dog walks and ball pit frolics with Justin Bieber.
Science Research Students Present at Terra NYC Semifinals
By DORIS CHEN and YUEHAN DAI Nineteen Midwood students showcased months of independent research at the Terra NYC STEM Fair on March 1 at Stuyvesant High School, with 12 groups being part of the semifinals and one group making it to the finals. Seniors Charlotte Maloney and Karen Zevelev
Despite Fast-paced Momentum, AMC Entertainment (AMC) Is Still a Bargain Stock
AMC Entertainment (AMC) made it through our 'Fast-Paced Momentum at a Bargain' screen and could be a great choice for investors looking for stocks that have gai
House settlement filing over NIL deals seeks to reframe payments to college athletes
A filing by plaintiff lawyers in the House settlement related to NIL media rights deals sparks strong reaction from the College Sports Commission.
Health care leaders sweat federal Medicaid, Obamacare changes at POLITICO Summit
“At some point or another, folks are going to lose coverage.”
Behavioral health data exchange challenges impede interoperability, says ONC
Technical barriers, workforce limitation, privacy concerns and cost may all contribute to lower rates of electronic exchange of health information by mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities, a new analysis shows.
The social sciences need tools for the 21st century
Letters: Readers respond to an editorial on difficulties with replicability of results in social science research
Registered Nurses, Customer Service Representatives and Retail Salespersons are the Top Jobs in February - Alabama Department of Labor
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 21, 2026 Registered Nurses, Customer Service Representatives and Retail Salespersons are the Top Jobs in February MONTGOMERY - Data collected and analyzed by the Alabama Department of Workforce’s Labor Market Information (LMI) Division shows that in February 2026, there were 104,060 job ads posted in Alabama, representing a monthly increase of […]
‘Diablo 4’ Lord Of Hatred Review: Third Time’s The Talisman Charm
Diablo 4's new Lord of Hatred expansion throws us back into another fight with Mephisto. Is it worth coming back to the game for it?
Dispatch Girls Athlete of the Week, presented by Wexner Medical Center: VOTE
6 athletes are up for this week's award. You have until 4 p.m. April 25 to vote.
Vermont high school sports scores, results, stats for Tuesday, April 21
Vermont high school sports scores and results as reported to the Burlington Free Press sports department.
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred Review
An extremely satisfying conclusion to Diablo's latest demonic saga.
iOS 26.5 Release Date: When To Expect Your iPhone Messaging Upgrade
Apple is working update iPhone messaging with some of the most drastic changes in years.
Delaware announces more star power for 2026 concert season
Delaware keeps stacking the concert deck for 2026 shows, announcing more big stars. Here are the new concerts that are coming and how to get tickets.
Hendersonville's Mia Nitsche leads Week 9 girls spring sports top performers
Hendersonville's Mia Nitsche scored four goals to lead the list of Week 9 WNC high school spring sports girls top performers.
Markey at POLITICO Summit: Ready for ‘battle’ with Trump on health care
The Massachusetts Democrat also called on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign.
Experts Confront Misinformation and AI Risks at National Public Health Week
From artificial intelligence (AI) to misinformation, public health leaders say the next crisis may be as much about communication as it is about disease. At Hofstra University’s School of Health Sciences’ (SHS) “Public Health Preparedness: Identifying Risks and Crisis Response Strategies” panel,
Navy tests jet-powered JDAM for affordable long-range strikes
Navy fighter jets test-fired a new long-range variant of the widely used JDAM bomb. Unlike other versions, this one is powered by a jet engine.
Fiscal Year 2026 Government Funding: A Breakdown For Small Business
Earlier this year, President Trump signed into law a package funding every government agency except DHS for the remainder of FY2026, which ends on September 30.
Daniel Bice, veteran Wisconsin political reporter and columnist, dies at 62
Daniel Bice, who worked for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for 33 years, died from complications of esophageal cancer on April 21, his birthday.
South Florida tops WalletHub list of 10 best cities to start a business
According to a new report by personal finance company WalletHub, Miami and Hialeah, Florida, are among the 10 best large cities to start a business in.
Columbus makes bid for NWSL team. Get the latest updates here
A group of potential owners that includes the Haslam Sports Group, Dr. Pete Edwards and Nationwide Insurance has been looking to bring professional women's soccer to Columbus.
Trump floats federal government helping Spirit Airlines
"I'd love somebody to buy Spirit," Trump said. "Maybe the federal government should help that one out."
Napping may be warning sign of health issues in older adults, study finds
For older adults, naps may be a warning sign of underlying conditions or declining health, according to a new study.
FBI investigating possible links between deaths and disappearances of at least 10 scientists
The law enforcement agency’s announcement came after President Donald Trump highlighted the recent deaths of several scientists and government workers who may have had access to sensitive information
Successful people who once worked in fast-food restaurants
Many leaders and celebrities started out working in fast food, from Tim Cook to Brad Pitt.
‘Is it life? We can’t tell’: Nasa’s Curiosity rover finds organic molecules on Mars
Scientists think they are looking at chemical building blocks of life preserved for 3.5bn years
Mistakes to avoid at state and national parks, from park ranger
After working as a park ranger at state and national parks for six years, I saw guests make common mistakes like straying from marked trails.
As ‘Marathon’ Goes On Sale, Is A Free-To-Play Switch In The Cards?
Marathon needs to stop losing players, so is going free-to-play a way to do that? It's complicated, given the situation.
Avera receives $35M gift for New Golisano Children’s Hospital
Avera Health receives $35 million gift from philanthropist B. Thomas Golisano, thus renaming its new Sioux Falls women's health and children’s hospital tower the Avera Golisano Children’s Hospital.
College athlete gave up athletic scholarship; was it the right choice
Growing up, running was my life, and I worked hard to earn a college scholarship. But when I started school, my passion for the sport disappeared.
How Poughkeepsie ranks in best and worst small cities to start a business
A new study ranks New York's small cities for starting a business, including Poughkeepsie. See which ones are best and worst.
Places in the US everyone should see, according to frequent traveler
As someone who's visited all 50 US states and every major national park, I think everyone should visit places like Northern New Mexico at least once.
The Hasselblad In Your Pocket: Oppo’s Find X9 Ultra Challenges The Galaxy S26 Ultra
The latest phone from Oppo includes dual 200MP Hasselblad cameras and a 10x optical telephoto lens. But it doesn’t come cheap.
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
In California, Israel is emerging as a defining Democratic test
As the war in Iran stretches on, it is inflaming an intraparty rift with ramifications for the midterms and the run-up to 2028.
Girls Ambitious about Learning Science registration deadline April 22
Participants will get their hands dirty digging soil samples and more as they attend GALS, a mini-series of science programs for girls in grades 5-8.
Samsung To Release New Free Upgrade To Millions Of Galaxy Phones
Samsung is bringing a major free Galaxy S26 upgrade to millions of Galaxy phones via the One UI 8.5 release.
Alzheimer’s drugs offer little benefit, major review finds – and the reasons go deeper than the science
Alzheimer’s research shows what happens when funding pressures and vested interests corrupt the pursuit of scientific truth.
Learn how Pitt connects local small businesses and drives regional economic impact on May 29
Doing Business with Pitt is a no-cost informational session on securing University contracts.
Dreamwell Theatre’s small cast to bring music and glitz to The James
Dreamwell Theatre presents Matthew Lopez’s “The Legend of Georgia McBride,” featuring a transformative journey of an Elvis impersonator turned drag performer facing life’s challenges with heart and humor this weekend at The James Theatre in Iowa City.
Where's Gridlife? Where's Adam Carolla? Road America president explains
A notable absence on Road America's 2026 schedule is the Gridlife Apex Music & Motorsports Festival it had hosted the two previous summers.
Who is the NBA GOAT? The greatest U.S. basketball players of all time, from MJ to 'Pistol Pete'
Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the best of U.S. men's basketball make up USA TODAY's '250 for 250' list of greats.
AI technology lets blind fans 'feel' live sports action
For the millions of blind and visually impaired sports fans worldwide, there's a transformative new way to experience live sports.
Databank secures $2 billion of debt for Dallas data center
Data center development has focused on massive projects for AI training in obscure locations. AI inference is pushing construction closer to cities.
NFL’s custom scouting systems tell the story of the sport’s changing technology
Advanced internal scouting systems can sort massive amounts of information on NFL prospects, organizing evaluations, grades and other data.
5 leadership lessons from Apple CEO Tim Cook
While many CEOs have struggled to follow iconic founders, Tim Cook is wrapping up a 15-year term at the helm of Apple.