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Middle school Science Olympiad teams compete at state level - Fayetteville-Manlius CSD
A group of 30 Fayetteville-Manlius School District middle school students spent the past eight months preparing for the chance to participate in the New York State Science Olympiad Tournament, and their hard work paid off. In March, both Eagle Hill and Wellwood middle schools had teams compete at the Regional Science Olympiad Division B competition
Marbling trend relentless, business on the move
Marbling improvements drive beef quality higher, reshaping market dynamics and consumer demand for premium cuts.
New Leon Mode Released for Resident Evil Requiem, Rather Than The Mercenaries Offering That Fans Were Expecting
Capcom has launched a new roguelike minigame for Resident Evil Requiem featuring fresh challenges for Leon S. Kennedy, rather than the series' usual Mercenaries mode that many fans were expecting.
Resident Evil Requiem Update Adds New Minigame Mode 'Leon Must Die Forever'
Try it out today on Switch 2
Resident Evil Requiem update live, adds Leon Must Die Forever mini-game
The much-discussed mini-game for Resident Evil Requiem has just been made available as part of a new update for the game, which is revealed to be Leon Must Die Forever. Nintendo Switch 2 players can access it now. The mode can be unlocked after finishing the main story. According to Capcom, it includes “the nonstop combat action that players know...
Resident Evil Requiem ‘Leon Must Die Forever’ update now available
Capcom has released a free update for Resident Evil Requiem, which adds the new minigame mode “Leon Must Die Forever.”
From concerts to tournaments, Asheville expands entertainment footprint - Asheville's 828 News NOW
City leaders say a new venue could bring Broadway productions and larger touring shows while Harrah’s Cherokee Center continues expanding its reach
Crews fight overnight fire at Asheville business
The Asheville Fire Department worked to put out a fire at an Asheville business early Thursday morning.
As federal scientists faced turmoil, the Devils Hole pupfish reached a crisis point
The Devils hole pupfish lives in just one spot in Death Valley. Wildlife officials have managed this iconic fish for decades, and last spring, just as the Trump administration was laying off all kinds of scientists, the wild population of this fish plummeted to only 20 individuals. Officials then took an irrevocable step.
Placer4MentalHealth Wellness Fair Returns May 21 with Workshops, Entertainment, Resources and More
Placer County, in partnership with the local Campaign for Community Wellness, will host this year’s Placer4MentalHealth Wellness Fair from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, May 21 at the Maidu Community Center, 1550 Maidu Drive, Roseville.
'Daredevil: Born Again' season 2 finale's surprise reveal confirms Marvel casting
The 'Daredevil: Born Again' season 2 finale comes with a surprise character reveal with big implications for season 3.
Before the Evil Empire: The Bronx Bombers
The origin of the Bronx Bomber nickname is shrouded in mystery.
‘World’s Most Evil Killers’ Library Lands at Radial Entertainment
Radial Entertainment secures all 10 seasons of true crime series 'World’s Most Evil Killers,' with Seasons 9 and 10 launching on FilmRise in May.
Austin music leaders rethink the idea of 'selling out' as business support becomes a necessity
Once considered evil, panelists agreed corporate support might be one of the best ways to protect the artists and venues that make Austin unique.
Capcom Responds to Resident Evil Requiem DLSS 5 Backlash: "We Got the Design Right"
When NVIDIA first revealed DLSS 5 and its neural rendering, a lot of the online backlash that was leveled at the feature centered around Capcom's Resident Evil character, Grace, and how DLSS 5 changed her facial features. Now, in a recent interview with Eurogamer, Koshi Nakanishi and Masato Kumzawa,...
'Devil Wears Prada 2' Producer Finerman: Current movie business is the most difficult I've ever seen
'Devil Wears Prada 2' Producer Wendy Finerman joins 'Fast Money' to talk the kick off to the summer movie season, the state of the entertainment business, and much more.
'It Was a Positive': Resident Evil Requiem Dev Is Pleased by Heated Reaction to DLSS 5 Grace
Fall from Grace
Resident Evil Plans To Keep Favorites Like Leon Around
Leon could still be kicking zombie ass in his 70s
Resident Evil Requiem Producer Glad Fans Didn't Like Grace's AI Redesign
Capcom producer Masato Kumazawa believes that fans' 'strong opinions' on Grace's DLSS 5 makeover were an overall positive for the team
Leon Could Be '70' and Still Be a Great Character, Resident Evil Director Says
Capcom wants players to know that old age won't keep Leon Kennedy out of games set after Resident Evil Requiem because he'll probably "still be a great character" even "when he's 70."
Did you catch New Orleans area native Jon Batiste’s cameo in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’?
Groundbreaking — Jon Batiste is taking it from Jazz Fest to the big screen for the long-awaited “Devil Wears Prada” sequel.
"It meant we got the design right": Resident Evil Requiem's producer on the DLSS5 Grace Ashcroft debacle
"The fact a lot of players commented they really liked the original design of Grace and didn't want to see it changed was a positive."
Resident Evil Requiem producer says DLSS 5 anger ‘shows we got Grace’s original design right’
Negative reaction to ‘glamourous’ AI makeover ‘a positive’…
Resident Evil Requiem Producer Dodges NVIDIA DLSS 5 Question, But Fan Reaction to Her Design Speaks Louder Than Words
Capcom producer reacts to Resident Evil Requiem DLSS 5 backlash and the future of icons like Leon Kennedy
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ weekly releases prove successful
You could say that Daredevil and I go way back. When I started reading comic books in middle school, “Daredevil” is where I started. I watched the original “Daredevil” series
Empowering Veterans: The 2026 Fayetteville Veterans Business Expo aims to close the opportunity gap
This is the first year of the Veteran Business Expo, and it grew out of Fayetteville PWC’s Economic Impact Program, which focuses on expanding access and opportunity in public-sector contracting while strengthening the local economy. It builds off the success of previous events held by PWC, like the 2024 Industry Day (pictured above). Photo provided by PWC. The Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC) will host the inaugural 2026 Veterans Business Expo on May 14 at the PWC Main Operations Complex at 955 Old Wilmington Road, seeking to connect former U.S. Military members with vital business opportunities in their community. The event, which will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., is part of a partnership between PWC and the Veterans Business Outreach Center at Fayetteville State University (VBOC) and Fayetteville-Cumberland Regional Entrepreneur and Business HUB (FSU HUB).Aaron Harris, PWC’s manager of economic inclusion programs, said the event is designed to connect Veteran-owned businesses with partners and decision-makers who can help move opportunities forward.“This event brings together Veteran entrepreneurs alongside government agencies, public entities, contractors and resource partners in one place, creating a purposeful space to build relationships, exploring procurement and contracting possibilities and strengthening our region’s Veteran-owned business community,” Harris said. The Veterans Business Expo was devised to feature, highlight and facilitate direct connections and commerce. “We want to get our Veterans a platform for their businesses,” said Camille Little, the supplier diversity analyst at PWC. “Here at PWC, we have 20 departments, and we procure… I can’t tell you all the goods and services. This is our first expo. We’re looking for general contractors, electricians, landscapers, janitorial, construction suppliers, architecture, farms and engineering firms.” Little said, much like businesses in every industry, Veterans are often in need of assistance getting their foot in the door.“When Veterans are starting up, they have to know what resources are [available],” Little noted. “They have this ample amount of resources, but they need to know how to get started.” Identifying those resources and connecting Veteran business owners with opportunities and business development programs are made possible by the partnership between PWC and VBOC, Little said. The partnership has allowed the expo to flourish, she added.“There are opportunities, there are consultant workshops and different things that we partner with them for all the time,” Little said. “It’s about easing that transition because starting a business is hard. Having the dedication to continue after that first year is even harder right now.” That is why, Little said, the partnership with resources from Fayetteville State University brings decision makers to the table. “If you are a Veteran business owner, you may not know how to do business with PWC or the City of Fayetteville or FSU, or partners,” Little said. “‘Where do I get started?’ ‘How do I get contracts?’ Bringing people to an understanding and then having an opportunity like this, where you’re talking to that person who’s making the decision… that is our goal.”Those meetings between Veteran-owned businesses and other decision-makers will present a chance to showcase products and services directly to organizations seeking qualified vendors and capable partners, Harris said. Agencies and contractors, he added, can meet and engage businesses ready to support upcoming needs. Little said PWC and all of its departments, as well as the City of Fayetteville, and FSU will be on hand. Additionally, there will be procurement officers from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. “Resource partners who support small business development will also be on hand, helping make introductions and reinforcing pathways that support growth for Veteran entrepreneurs,” Harris said.For Veteran entrepreneurs, Little said she recommends two things: an answer to “why?” and a business plan.“I would ask them, what problem are they solving with their business?” she noted. “Then I would also tell them to start making a business plan. I run into a lot of firms, and it’s like, ‘What is your plan?’ So just knowing where you want to go with your business is important.”Little said it is important to differentiate between a business that helps transition servicemembers away from the U.S. Military versus a business that Veterans consider the next chapter of their lives.“How much dedication are you going to give to this business to make it successful?” Little noted. “So I would always start with what’s your business plan.”For Harris, the event will be able to cover the needs of all types of Veteran-owned businesses.“Another important lesson is the need to meet businesses where they are,” he said. “Veteran-owned businesses are at different stages of development, so offering multiple entry points, networking, education and referrals has proven essential.”Registration information can be found at: www.eventbrite. com/e/2026-veterans-business-expo-connecting-heroes-to-opportunity-tickets-1984308563329?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
“The Devil Wears Prada 2 ”sashays to sensational $233 million at global box office, breaking record for star Meryl Streep
The highly anticipated high-fashion sequel has already left the original in the dust with a stupendous opening, and 'Michael' still has legs in week 2.
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ struts to first place with $77 million debut
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” opened in 4,150 locations in North America. Women made up about 76% of the ticket buyers, according to PostTrak exit polls.
One team’s power surge gives the John Curtis-Pineville winner a state championship
SULPHUR — The first time Jadin Basco came to bat with first base open, John Curtis intentionally walked her, and Ava Moore followed with a two-RBI double to right-center field.
PHOTOS: Scenes from Lawrenceville's DTL CON-Quest
This weekend downtown Lawrenceville hosted the newly rebranded DTL CON-Quest — a free two-day celebration of comics, cosplay and creativity.
'Devil Wears Prada 2' director explains returning star's surprise death scene
'The Devil Wears Prada 2' director David Frankel explains why one returning actor 'had to die' in a shocking death scene twist — and later showed up to watch his peers film his character's funeral.
LIVE in the DTL concert series kicks off May 29
As the days grow longer and summer settles in, the City of Lawrenceville is preparing to turn up the volume once again with the return of its LIVE in the
ENTERTAINMENT: Artosphere Festival celebrates art, nature of the region; other Walton Arts Center events set for May
Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center’s Artosphere: Arkansas’ Arts + Nature Festival continues through May 19, featuring a mix of free and low-cost events, performances and workshops throughout Northwest Arkansas celebrating art, music and nature while spotlighting artists and performers from around the region.
'The Devil Wears Prada 2': All the celebrity cameos
Stars from fashion, sports, the internet, and music all appear in the "Devil Wears Prada: sequel.
The things we’re building
This week’s Installer has The Steam Controller, and The Devil Wears Prada 2.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 to Lenny Henry: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead
Meryl Streep stars in the long-awaited sequel to the fashion-industry hit, and the comic, actor and bona fide national treasure returns to the stage
Cirque du Luxe brings circus entertainment to Spartanburg
News, weather, sports for Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, and Pickens, SC and Asheville, Hendersonville, NC. CBS affiliate, Channel 7
New movies to watch this weekend: See 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' in theaters, rent 'Hoppers,' stream 'Wuthering Heights' on HBO Max
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi's steamy take on Brontë is streaming now — or you can watch "Hoppers" with the kids.
The Devil Wears Prada 2? Goundbreaking. What The Sequel Got Right
Twenty years after the original, The Devil Wears Prada 2 delivers on all the nostalgia, fashion moments, iconic lines, and media drama we wanted.
The inside scoop on “The Devil Wears Prada 2”
The Yodel newsletter: Get caught up on this morning's news
DitD & Open Post - 5/1/26: New Contracts Edition
New Jersey Devils & Related Hockey Links for 5/1/26
Amazon's Prime Video dives into college sports in partnership with Duke men's basketball
Streaming provider Prime Video is diving into college sports by partnering with one of college basketball’s biggest brands: Duke. Amazon and Duke announced Thursday they had reached a multiyear agreement to broadcast three of the Blue Devils’ neutral-site nonconference matchups per season. This m...
See photos as Fayetteville breaks ground on McArthur Road sports complex
The city of Fayetteville holds groundbreaking ceremony for the new sports complex off McArthur Road.
Duke entering deal with streaming giant for college basketball games
Duke and Amazon have reached a deal that will see the Blue Devils play three games on their streaming service.
Duke to play UConn, Michigan, Gonzaga next season on Amazon in groundbreaking TV deal
The Blue Devils are entering into a first-of-its-kind broadcast deal for three huge games that will bring millions in NIL opportunities
What critics are saying about “The Devil Wears Prada 2”
Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep reunite for the nostalgia-fueled comedy.
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ review: Sequel all style, no substance
“The Devil Wears Prada 2” gives us a lot to look at, but it’s flat Champagne: maybe worth drinking in a pinch, but unsatisfying, writes Moira Macdonald.
Denuvo is finally dead: every PC game protected by the DRM can now be cracked or bypassed
A decade-long fight comes to an end.
Resident Evil Requiem's New Mode Requires a Completed Save File to Access
The new mode coming to Resident Evil Requiem next month will require you have completed the game in order to play it.
"It'll be something that makes you go Whoo-hoo!!" - Resident Evil Requiem director says "sharpen your tomahawks" as new minigame details emerge
Resident Evil Requiem's upcoming minigame is in the "final stages" of development, and will be based on the main game's combat.
Resident Evil Requiem's New Mini Game Update Seemingly Imminent
You must beat the story to play it
Resident Evil Requiem producer says players should try to beat the game next week to prepare for DLC
It was previously announced that a mini-game was set to be added in May…
Opinion | Political Violence Isn’t Just Evil. It’s Counterproductive.
Each act of political violence further frays our threadbare social fabric, laying the foundation for authoritarianism.
Record-breaking Sun Devil 100 class recognized during honoree luncheon
An abundance of maroon-and-gold pride filled the second-floor ballroom of the Omni Tempe Hotel on Friday, April 24, as a record-breaking cohort of alumni business leaders gathered to celebrate their Sun Devil roots.Each year, the Sun Devil 100 recognizes the fastest-growing Arizona State University alumni-owned or -led businesses across the globe, spanning all industries and sizes.
Arvest fund hits milestone, bank launches fundraiser - Talk Business & Politics
The Arvest Opportunity Fund, a non-bank subsidiary of Fayetteville-chartered Arvest Bank, recently provided its 1,000th business loan. The bank also recently kicked off its annual Million Meals campaign, a two-month...
Plaid? For ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’? Groundbreaking
With costumes designed by Molly Rogers, "The Devil Wears Prada 2" hits theaters, very fashionably, on May 1.
Perspectives Math and Science Academy hosts unique job fair for community
Inside of Perspectives Math and Science Academy in Bronzeville, a different kind of job fair was held.
ENTERTAINMENT: Youth jazz ensemble to bring concert to WAC
The Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society’s All-Star Youth Ensemble makes its 10th-season debut with guest “star” jazz saxophonist Adam Larson, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center.
ENTERTAINMENT: Youth jazz ensemble to bring concert to WAC
The Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society’s All-Star Youth Ensemble makes its 10th-season debut with guest “star” jazz saxophonist Adam Larson, 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center.
Katie Couric praises Matt Lauer's rape accuser Brooke Nevils for releasing explosive memoir: 'She's very brave'
Former 'Today' cohost Katie Couric commended Brooke Nevils, who claims that Matt Lauer raped her, for releasing a memoir detailing his alleged sexual misconduct. Lauer has denied the accusations.
Sunday’s Brotherhood Playoff News & Links
Another solid night in the playoffs for former Blue Devils
Cape Fear Valley Health expands day care for employees
Cape Fear Valley Health expanded its Fayetteville day care, adding 12 classrooms and increasing capacity.
Downtown BrewFest set May 16 on West Depot Street
ALPS Adult Day Services Greeneville Center will host its 7th annual Downtown BrewFest on Saturday, May 16, in conjunction with the Greeneville Iris Festival.
Alice: Madness Returns Dev Put Dildos On A Snail To Shut EA Up
Also Resident Evil Requiem is still killing it
Resident Evil Requiem sales top seven million
Total sales for Resident Evil Requiem have surpassed seven million units, game director Koshi Nakanishi revealed in an Instagram story.
How Gary Neville and Gary Lineker became rival podcast moguls
BBC sports editor Dan Roan examines how Gary Lineker and Gary Neville became two of the biggest players in a rapidly changing media industry.
Betis vs Real Madrid, 2026 La Liga: Predicted lineups
Real Madrid visit Sevilla to face Betis, and they’ll do so without key players Eder Militao and Arda Güler. Camavinga will likely replace the Turkish player, while Huijsen is expected to start alongside Rüdiger in the center of the defensive line. Real Madrid predicted XI: Lunin; Trent, Huijsen, Rüdiger, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Camavinga, Valverde, Bellingham; Mbappé […]
‘Their favourite games were already built with AI’: Google exec says almost every big studio uses AI, but not all disclose it
Google Cloud’s games boss cites Capcom as one major studio that uses AI tools…
Ashley Graham Teases Cameo in ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ at Entertainment Marketing Summit
Supermodel Ashley Graham is adding actress to her resume with a cameo credit in “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” set to hit theaters on May 1.
'Devil Wears Prada 2' director explains why Adrian Grenier cameo didn't happen
'Devil Wears Prada 2' director David Frankel tells EW that he wanted an Adrian Grenier cameo as Nate, and explains why the 'Entourage' star didn't come back for the sequel.
Person dies after police shootout at North Carolina business
The shooting happened at a strip mall in Asheville.
Police: Suspect killed after officer-involved shooting at Asheville business
The Asheville Police Department said it is investigating an officer-involved shooting that took place on Tuesday night.
LIVE: Suspect killed after officer-involved shooting at Asheville business
Officials said the suspect died in the hospital on Wednesday.
Officers shoot and kill man at WNC business, police say
A man has died after officers shot and killed him at an Asheville business.
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.
Organizers stress post-Helene support at WomanUP networking event
Over 300 women packed together in a conference room at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College to connect with other women in business.
Behind the scenes of 'The Devil Wears Prada 2': Anne Hathaway's push for body diversity, Sydney Sweeney's cut scene and more
The film's couture-clad cast and crew have been dishing on all things Runway magazine and reuniting nearly two decades later.
Connection Takes Root at Annual Northwest Arkansas Health Summit
National and state leaders in health care and community outreach recently convened at the Fayetteville Town Center to engage, learn, and collaborate on solutions to improve access to care across Arkansas. The April 2 summit kicked off with a keynote discussion by Neel Shah, chief medical officer of Maven Clinic,…
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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