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It's Your Business | Special delivery: St. Joseph woman's business creates care packages for UI students
Nikki Setterdahl, creator of Orange and Blue Hugs From Home, has put together care packages for occasions such as the start of classes, sorority bid day, finals, the Final Four,
Helena Bonham Carter leaves ‘The White Lotus’ days into filming
HBO on Friday confirmed the Oscar-nominated actress will no longer appear in the upcoming fourth season of the hit show created by Mike White.
Stankoven scores again, Hurricanes complete 4-game sweep of Senators
Logan Stankoven scored his fourth goal in four games, and Frederik Andersen made 25 saves for Carolina.
Ryan delighted with title win after 'turbulent' season
Larne striker Andy Ryan says he is pleased that they got over the line and won a third Irish Premiership title in four years after a "turbulent" season.
Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 NFL Draft grades: WR/KR Kaden Wetjen
The Pittsburgh Steelers have added the nation’s top return specialist to their draft class, selecting Iowa’s Kaden Wetjen in the fourth round with the 121st overall pick. Here is what our staff had to say about the pick. Mike Nicastro: With a renewed emphasis on kick returns, Wetjen is expected to be the primary man […]
Multiple siblings of Michael Jackson's 'second family' accuse him of sexual abuse and grooming in new lawsuit
Four siblings who previously defended Michael Jackson against child molestation allegations have filed a lawsuit against the singer's estate, accusing him of sexually assaulting each of them repeatedly.
Poll: Three out of four Florida voters say they would vote for homestead property tax relief
Republicans and Democrats are on board, while NPA voters simply don't know enough about the plan.
2026 NFL Draft grades, tracker: Live Round 4 analysis for every selection made in order
Josh Edwards grades the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Trump’s hatred for ‘windmills’ threatens Republicans in coastal Virginia who now face more political peril after the state’s redistricting vote
For now, the Virginia wind project is back on track, along with four others, because of federal court rulings.
Warner helps Kings keep PSL play-off hopes alive
Karachi Kings boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Pakistan Super League play-offs with a commanding nine-wicket win against Quetta Gladiators in Lahore. Chasing a target of 196, David Warner and Reeza Hendricks produced a 141-run second-wicket partnership to help the Kings finish the league stage with five wins in 10 matches. The Kings sit fourth with 10 points - two ahead of Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen, who both have a game in hand.
Royals attempt to build steam vs. Angels
The Kansas City Royals entered Saturday as one of four teams that have yet to reach 10 wins this season.
Joint Budget advances school separation measure - Talk Business & Politics
The Joint Budget Committee Thursday (April 23) advanced an amendment to an appropriations bill that the sponsor said is needed for four isolated schools to detach from their existing districts....
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.
Is NIL coming to Indiana high school sports? IHSAA will consider proposal
Indiana is one of four states that does not allow high school athletes to monetize NIL. That could change of proposal passes.
Hibernian v Hearts: Pick of the stats
Hibernian have won both of their past two home league games against Hearts; they had won just one of their previous nine home Edinburgh derbies in the Scottish Premiership before this (D4 L4). After their 1-0 win in February, Hearts are looking to win back-to-back Scottish Premiership meetings with rivals Hibs for the first time since April 2014; this is the 28th top-flight game between the two sides since then. Hibs remain unbeaten in nine home league games (W6 D3), keeping a clean sheet in their last three; they haven't recorded four successive home shutouts in the top flight since December 2009 under John Hughes.
4 Democratic candidates discuss race for 3rd Congressional District
In the latest episode of Battleground Politics, NBC10's Lauren Mayk spoke with the four Democratic candidates for the 3rd Congressional District.
Best NFL Draft prospects available entering Day 3: Jermod McCoy, Garrett Nussmeier still awaiting calls
A look at the best prospects still available entering the NFL Draft's fourth round on Saturday.
Spring sports scores and highlights: April 24, 2026
Highlights feature the baseball game between Spotswood at Turner Ashby
Warren County teen accused of stealing $25,000 in merchandise from golf business
A 17-year-old in Warren County remains in juvenile detention after being accused of breaking into a Lebanon driving range four times and stealing tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise.
Screenwriters overwhelmingly approve a 4-year contract with Hollywood studios
Members of the screenwriters union have ratified a four-year agreement with Hollywood studios. Union leaders said Friday that 90% voted to approve the deal. This move ends a surprisingly smooth
Screenwriters overwhelmingly approve a 4-year contract with Hollywood studios
Members of the screenwriters union have ratified a four-year agreement with Hollywood studios | Talk 1370
Ashley Moody, Alex Vindman will both face Primary battles to get on November ballot
Angie Nixon will face off with Vindman for the Democratic nomination while four other Republicans joined a GOP Primary with Moody.
Penn State Smeal team a finalist at NASBITE case competition
Four Penn State Smeal College of Business students collaborated to earn a place among the four finalist teams at the NASBITE International 2026 Student Case Competition in early April in St. Louis.
BTS Joins the Celebrity Business Boom With Food and Drink Brand Arih
Fresh off a four-year hiatus, the K-pop group just launched a Walmart-exclusive line of noodles, energy drinks, and sodas.
20th Anniversary iPhone to Feature Custom 'Micro-Curved' OLED Panel
For its 20th-anniversary iPhone, Apple is tapping Samsung to produce a custom micro-curved OLED display that is brighter and thinner than existing panels, according to new supply chain information out of China. Apple is reportedly considering a radical redesign for the 20th-anniversary iPhone that could feature a completely bezel-less display that curves around all four edges of the device.
NJIT expands into Northeast Science & Technology Center
The Northeast Science and Technology (NEST) Center is now officially the research home to four professors and 26 students from NJIT.
Mental health access suffers as five CT insurers violate parity law
Connecticut residents were four times more likely to use out-of-network mental health providers than for primary care, a report found.
St Mirren v Livingston: Pick of the stats
St Mirren have lost just one of their past 16 Scottish Premiership meetings with Livingston (W7 D8), going down 1-0 away from home in February 2024. Livingston won their first-ever Premiership visit to St Mirren 2-0 in August 2018, but have since failed to win 10 such trips in the competition (D4 L6), losing their past four in a row and failing to score in their latest three. Depending on Kilmarnock's result at Aberdeen, Livingston could be relegated this weekend should they fail to beat St Mirren.
Medina school board considers new resources for science curriculum
The Medina Board of Education is considering the adoption of new resources for science students in the fourth through ninth grade. Members of the district’s curriculum committee are confident these new resources will help students to think like scientists in the classroom.
PeaceHealth installs AED save-stations at four Eugene-Springfield sports sites
Automatic external defibrillator “save-stations” are now available at four new sites in the Eugene-Springfield area, part of PeaceHealth’s effort to expand acce
Jefferson Einstein health workers say North Philly pediatric practices closures will leave ‘a hole’ in communities
Four longstanding pediatric offices will close June 30 and three others will become part of the True North Pediatrics group, based in Pennsylvania.
Taking Care of Business Program takes care of 460 trees along commercial corridors while growing green skills
In the past four years, the Taking Care of Business Program planted and maintained 460 trees on 60 blocks within 15 commercial corridors.
NFL Draft day is here: Mike Vrabel to miss final four rounds, plus final mocks and bold predictions
Here's everything you need to know about the NFL for April 23
4 WVU students named Goldwater Scholars, a University first
For the first time, West Virginia University has four recipients of the Goldwater Scholarship — Caden Ginter from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Mason Powell from Canaan Valley, Cloe Ratliff from Morgantown and Camndon Reed from Watertown, Massachusetts — who were chosen for their strong commitment to continuing careers in research.
Seattle hosts four-day health clinic offering free dental, vision, and medical care
This year, the clinic aims to help more than 3,000 people in need over the four days.
US business activity recovers in April, war with Iran is boosting prices, S&P Global survey shows
U.S. business activity picked up in April after nearly stalling in the prior month, but supplier delivery times at factories worsened as the war with Iran disrupted supply chains, pushing a measure of output prices to a near four-year high.
US Business Activity Expands While Prices Rise Most Since 2022
US business activity picked up in April, fueled by the strongest manufacturing growth in nearly four years as war-related supply disruptions prompted a scramble for supplies.
Top-ranked university expands into The Northeast Science & Technology Center
/PRNewswire/ -- The Northeast Science and Technology (NEST) Center is officially the research home to four professors and 26 students from the New Jersey...
AI just discovered new physics in the fourth state of matter
Physicists have taken a major step toward using AI not just to analyze data, but to uncover entirely new laws of nature. By combining a specially designed neural network with precise 3D tracking of particles in a dusty plasma—a strange “fourth state of matter” found from space to wildfires—the team revealed hidden patterns in how particles interact. Their model captured complex, one-way (non-reciprocal) forces with over 99% accuracy and even overturned long-held assumptions about how these forces behave.
For Love of the Game: Nashville’s Booming Community Sports Leagues
A four-part look at recreational leagues and high-level clubs
Republicans pressure Ron DeSantis to redistrict in Florida after Virginia Democrats’ win
Senior Republicans in Washington are ramping up the pressure on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to lead a redrawing of his state’s US House map after Virginia Democrats triumphed in potentially flipping four seats in their favor. A special session to consider redistricting in Florida is slated to start Tuesday, but no map has been publicly released. A DeSantis spokesperson did not respond to a CNN inquiry about its status. Key Republicans involved in redistricting say they’ve been kept largely in the dark on DeSantis’ plans. There’s no coordination on the state level because of strict state rules around partisan gerrymandering, and no maps have been officially circulated within Florida’s congressional delegation either.
Sebastian Vettel: Divisive 2026 rules risk "DNA and heart" F1
The four-time world champion believes that Formula 1 must be careful not to lose its “DNA” as the 2026 regulations divide drivers and fans
Titans' NFL Draft: What will they do with pick 4?
The Tennessee Titans hold the fourth overall pick in the NFL Draft. What will they do with it? Here are best and worst case scenarios.
Focus at Four: College Station rising as a Summer sports destination
College Station is leveling up its summers. From the Savannah Bananas to international soccer, the city is landing big-time events to boost its local economy and put itself on the map beyond Aggie football.
Four women accuse Eva Lopez Chavez, a SLC Council member, of unwanted ‘sexual’ advances
Four women from Utah political circles accuse Eva Lopez Chavez, a Salt Lake City Council member and Democratic congressional candidate, of what they consider unwanted sexual advances.
Combative, Defensive and Occasionally Contrite, Kennedy Walks a Fine Line
In four days of congressional testimony, the health secretary sought to please the White House and his MAHA base at the same time.
'Big loss' for F1 if Verstappen quits, say McLaren rivals
If four-time world champion Max Verstappen were to quit Formula One, as he has hinted on numerous occasions, it would be a "big loss" for the sport, his McLaren rivals Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri said on Wednesday."I think it would be a big loss for the sport as a whole.
Four ECEE students earn major National Science Foundation research fellowships
Four students from the Department of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering at CU Boulder have been recognized with 2026 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program awards. NSF GRFP recognizes and support outstanding grad students from across the country in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields who are pursuing research-based master’s or doctoral degrees.Awardees receive a $37,000 annual stipend and cost of education allowance for the next three years as well as professional development opportunities.Learn more about their research below
Judge bars certification of Virginia redistricting results; state AG promises appeal
A congressional map approved by Virginia voters that aims to help Democrats net four US House seats in November’s midterms faces another legal hurdle just one day after its passage. Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley on Wednesday ordered that the results of Tuesday’s vote not be certified on several grounds, including that state lawmakers did not follow their own rules in passing the redistricting referendum. State Attorney General Jay Jones said his office intends to immediately appeal Hurley’s Wednesday ruling. The fate of Virginia’s referendum was already before the state Supreme Court, which stayed a previous ruling by Hurley in the run-up to the referendum and allowed Tuesday’s vote to proceed before deciding the merits of that case.
Ratings: Much-changed Atlético lose to Elche despite Nico brace
It marks Atleti’s fourth consecutive loss in LaLiga.
No. 14 on the list of Tampa Bay's Most Powerful Politicians: Laurel Lee
In her 2 terms in office, the Congresswoman has so far sponsored four bills that became law, with more bills on track to pass.
Meet Jenni Peters, one of the Capital Region 500
Jenni Peters, a former USA Track & Field athlete and a competitor in the first-ever Olympic Marathon Trials in 1984, turned her passion for running into a thriving business. She launched Varsity Sports in 2000 near the Perkins Road overpass, growing it into a beloved local chain with four locations. The stores, often set in […]
Four receive 2026 L&S Academic Advising Awards
Awards honor faculty and staff who have demonstrated exemplary performance both in terms of their positive impact on students and through distinctive…
Four receive 2026 University Staff Excellence Awards
The University Staff Excellence Awards honor staff members for their excellence in effectiveness, innovation, creativity, originality, leadership,…
Leaker shares iPhone 18 Pro’s new camera feature, plus future upgrades
Four new camera upgrades are reportedly in development at Apple, at least one of which is coming with iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max.
These small Georgia cities among top 50 for starting a business. Why?
WalletHub ranked over 1,300 small US cities to determine the best ones for starting a business, with four in Georgia making the top 50. How? Where?
Genius POS: Best POS for New Businesses
Genius POS is a user-friendly point of sale system that makes it easy to take transactions, along with a range of back office operational tools.
Virginia Evans and Susan Choi are among 6 finalists for the Women's Prize for Fiction
Four debut novelists are among the six finalists for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction, announced Wednesday | Newsradio 1140 WRVA
Virginia Evans and Susan Choi are among 6 finalists for the Women's Prize for Fiction
Four debut novelists are among the six finalists for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction, announced Wednesday | 830 WCCO
iPhone 18 Pro to Kick Off Apple's Four-Part Camera Upgrade Plan
Apple is evaluating four camera upgrades for future iPhone models, with the first new feature scheduled for this year's iPhone 18 Pro models, according to a reputable Chinese leaker.
UM Health-Sparrow named among the top maternity hospitals in the country
UM Health-Sparrow has been named one of the best hospitals in the United States for maternity care, earning a four-ribbon designation on Newsweek’s “America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2026.”
Why Business Leaders Need to Champion Democracy | MIT Sloan Management Review
Many leaders are unsure about what they can do to oppose the global rise of authoritarianism. Here are four options.
LSBF Singapore Achieves Fourth Consecutive Win at Singapore Business Review International Business Awards 2026
The London School of Business and Finance (LSBF) Singapore Campus has clinched its fourth consecutive win at the Singapore Business Review International Business Awards 2026 (Education category), reinforcing its position as one of Singapore's most consistently recognised private education institutions.
It’s time Colorado built back to affordability
By Samuel G. Michael The price of calling Colorado home has climbed faster than its fourteeners, and not everyone can keep up. Our beloved state is an increasingly unaffordable place to live, pricing out the very people who make it thrive. Without decisive legislative action, we risk losing the essence of what makes Colorado special. […]
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama leaves Game 2 loss to Portland early, enters concussion protocol after smacking face on court
The Trail Blazers rallied from a 14-point hole in the fourth quarter to stun the Spurs on Tuesday night after Victor Wembanyama entered concussion protocol.
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.
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
Virginia voters will approve a map giving Democrats a chance at four more House seats, CNN projects
Virginia voters will approve a map that gives Democrats the chance to net as many as four US House seats, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, in a major boost to the party’s effort to win House control in the midterms.
Adam Miller Takes Hail Mary Shot at NCAA Transfer Portal
The shooting guard has played five college basketball seasons in six years at four different schools.
Best of the best high school athletes honored at Winter Scholar Athlete Awards banquet
Fourteen athletes, representing eight different schools in the metro, were honored for excellence in the classroom and on the field of play.
FBI probes missing or dead scientists, including four from the L.A. area
President Trump told reporters last week that he had been briefed on the missing and dead scientists, which he described as “pretty serious stuff.”
Democrats win Virginia redistricting fight, threating Republican House majority
Virginia voters passed a redistricting referendum that could boost Democrats with four additional House seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
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
John Carroll University adds women's flag football as varsity sport
The move marks the third women's varsity sport that the university has added in the last four years
St. Mary's alumnus, student share value of actuarial science
The Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with a Concentration in Actuarial Science is one of four Math degrees offered at St. Mary’s University.
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.
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
Cantaloupes Recalled in Four States Due to Salmonella Risk
By HealthDay Staff HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, April 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Health officials in some states are warning shoppers to avoid certain cantaloupes amid concerns they may carry Salmonella. The recall, announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), involves fruit produced by
Munson Army Health Center Soldiers Prove Tactical Readiness, Earn German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas — Four Soldiers from Munson Army Health Center pushed their physical and mental limits to earn the prestigious German Armed Forces Proficiency Badge April 16.
Asphalt is everywhere; but is it bad for our health?
If you piled all of Phoenix’s pavement into one spot, it would be enough to cover San Francisco four times over.Roads, parking lots and other paved surfaces blanket a lot of land — an estimated 40% of Arizona’s capital city.
Ascending Cubs tap Shota Imanaga to face free-falling Phillies
Trending in opposite directions, the Chicago Cubs host the reeling Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday in the second contest of a four-game series.
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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