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OU Health performs rare dual pulmonary valve procedure
Physicians at OU Health have successfully performed a rare and technically complex heart procedure that placed two artificial pulmonary valves at the same time.
Mamdani names new Economic Development Corporation president and chair
Anthony Shorris will be the EDC president.
France had 5,700 more deaths than usual during its June heatwave, health officials say
France experienced at least 5,700 more deaths than usual during a historic heatwave last month, according to the public health agency
Summer Ag Fairs Draw New Audiences With Entertainment
Fairs use entertainment to get people interested and in turn to introduce them to agriculture where they are, even if that means concerts on the bed of a pickup truck.
2027 NFL Draft Rankings: Quarterback
Arch Manning and Dante Moore headline what should be a talented and promising quarterback class in the 2027 NFL Draft.
UT Martin offers public health concentration at regional centers
UT Martin's six regional centers now offer a concentration in public health as part of the health and human performance degree.
Three Atlanta Falcons Rookies Who Could Make an Immediate Impact
The Atlanta Falcons are coming off of an underwhelming 2025 season, finishing with an 8-9 record and falling just short of the playoffs. The Falcons and their new coaching staff looked to address holes and lack of depth at many positions including receiver, cornerback, and linebacker. Atlanta had six selections in this year's draft and although did not have a first round pick due to a trade with the Rams during the 2025 draft, selected three players that I believe could have an immediate impact.
A newly found world blurs the boundary between planet and moon
The object orbits a brown dwarf that orbits a star, and astronomers aren’t sure if it’s a planet, a moon — or something else entirely.
Hasbro Is Making The Legend of Zelda Figures, and We've Got an Exclusive First Look at Link, Princess Zelda, and Ganondorf
Hasbro is revealing its first wave of The Legend of Zelda: Heroes of Hyrule figures at Comic-Con, and we've got an exclusive first look at all three.
Apple Plans Overhaul of MacBooks, iMac in Push to Meet AI Demand
Apple Inc. is readying an overhaul of its Mac line, seeking to capitalize on demand for powerful laptops and desktops fueled by the artificial intelligence boom.
As Massachusetts codifies science of reading, experts expect results to take a few years
The state’s law takes effect in 2027-28, but one former state education chief doesn’t expect meaningful performance data until three years later.
Professor Chet Udell builds instruments that measure the environment and bring science to life
OSU artist-in-residence Chet Udell will blend marine science, custom instruments, and soundscapes in a free live performance at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport this Thursday.
Erlanger signs letter of intent to become part of South Carolina health system
Erlanger Health has taken is pursing a major partnership that leaders say is designed to strengthen the Chattanooga-based hospital system.The health system anno
California ranks as nation’s 15th best business climate. Who’s No. 1?
Even with all the grumbling about its economic environment, the state’s economy keeps outperforming the critics.
Is Accel Entertainment (ACEL) Stock Outpacing Its Consumer Discretionary Peers This Year?
Here is how Accel Entertainment (ACEL) and Colruyt SA Unsponsored ADR (CUYTY) have performed compared to their sector so far this year.
IAM Union Thanks Deirdre Hamilton for Distinguished Service, Warns Against Political Interference in Labor Boards
WASHINGTON, July 22, 2026 — The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers), which represents more than 100,000 workers across the airline and railroad industries, is thanking former National Mediation Board (NMB) Member Deirdre Hamilton for her service following her dismissal by the Trump Administration, a move made possible by a recent Supreme Court
City of Brownsville, Midtown Entertainment District come to agreement following attempted shutdown
The city of Brownsville and Midtown Entertainment District bar owners reached an agreement allowing businesses to operate while appealing code violation claims.
DOE Unveils First Genesis Mission Awards for AI-Driven Science
Nearly 300 projects selected from historic RFA response spanning all 50 states to accelerate breakthroughs in energy, discovery science, and national security. WASHINGTON, July 22, 2026 — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the first projects selected under the Genesis Mission Request for Applications (RFA). The national portfolio of research teams will help develop […]
McCains Support Goldfarb Center, Invest in Music Business Students
Western Illinois University alumna and former Music faculty member Claudia McCain was able to experience a breathtaking moment when the highly anticipated Western Illinois University College of Fine Arts and Communications (COFAC) Recital Hall opened in the early 2000s. Now, she and her husband, Jim, will soon experience something similar when the Goldfarb Center for the Performing Arts opens this fall.
Messy primaries plague both major political parties, causing chaos and confusion in the midterms
As midterm campaigning heats up, both major political parties face unexpected challenges
Science Corp. launches Prima vison-restoring BCI implant in Europe
Science Corporation announced the European commercial launch of its Prima brain-computer interface (BCI) implant for vision restoration.
Biotech experts want FDA drug reviews based on science, not politics
Biotech experts and industry executives are calling plans by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — hit by job cuts last year — to hire thousands of employees and update clinical-trial standards encouraging, but want assurance that politics will not interfere in the agency's drug-review process.
Biotech experts want FDA drug reviews based on science, not politics
Biotech experts and industry executives are calling plans by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — hit by job cuts last year — to hire thousands of employees and update clinical-trial standards encouraging, but want assurance that politics will not interfere in the agency's drug-review process.
Biotech experts want FDA drug reviews based on science, not politics
July 22 (Reuters) - Biotech experts and industry executives are calling plans by the U. Food and Drug Administration — hit by job cuts last year — to hire thousands of employees and update clinical-trial standards encouraging, but want assurance that politics will not interfere in the agency's drug-review process.
Murray State Athletics Selects Development Partner Campbell Coyle for capitalization plan of Racer Entertainment Village
Murray State Athletics, through an extensive request for proposal (RFP) process, has selected Campbell Coyle to manage the feasibility study and implementati...
Analysis | How a Democratic candidate’s volatility could shape a key Senate race
Troy Jackson has a tough road ahead.
Anthropic to donate $20 million to US political group that supports AI regulation
AI giant Anthropic will donate $20 million to a lobbying organization that supports AI regulation, according to a company statement released on Wednesday, its latest move to influence U.S. policy on the technology.
2,000 volunteers join a painstaking effort to restore massive skeleton of prehistoric predator
More than 2,000 volunteers are helping Polish scientists restore a Mastodonsaurus skeleton
Kylie Minogue Teams Up With Snow Patrol For ‘These Alarms’ Concert Video: Watch
Kylie joined forces with Snow Patrol on stage at Crystal Palace Park, for the debut performance of “These Alarms."
Is AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) Fairly Valued After Its Q2 2026 Results?
AMC Entertainment Holdings (AMC) just posted its second quarter 2026 results, giving investors fresh detail on how the cinema operator is performing on both revenue and profitability after a busy movie slate. See our latest analysis for AMC Entertainment Holdings. At a share price of US$2.20, AMC Entertainment Holdings has swung sharply in recent sessions, with a 7 day share price return of 12.24% after Q2 headlines, yet a 1 month share price return down 22.26% and a 1 year total shareholder...
House passes bill to fund the government until after midterm elections
Senate appropriators are working on a different version of a stopgap bill with the aim of attracting some Democratic support.
“America’s Got Talent ”onstage mishap nearly derails country band’s performance
Judge Mel B was visibly surprised.
Louisiana Rep. Cleo Fields won't seek reelection after Democrat's seat was redrawn
Democratic U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields says he won’t not seek reelection to his redrawn Louisiana congressional district
Identifying the Seahawks' best position group for 2026
The Seahawks’ defensive line was ranked by Seahawks on SI as being the team’s best position group for the 2026 season.
U.S. measles cases hit 35-year record with months left in 2026
Data from Johns Hopkins University’s U.S. measles tracker shows that the nation reported 2,295 cases as of Tuesday. That count surpasses last year’s total of 2,289 cases.
President Donald Trump to travel to Michigan ahead of swing state's primary election
President Donald Trump is expected to rally in Oakland County on Monday as early voting begins in Michigan’s Aug. 4 primary
RFK Jr. says cyclosporiasis outbreak is ‘under control’ as Mexico casts doubt on link to Taylor Farms facility
Mexico said its own investigation hasn’t found evidence linking the outbreak to the Taylor Farms facility in central Mexico.
RFK Jr. says cyclosporiasis outbreak is 'under control' amid at least 1,600 cases in 5 states
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told ABC News on Tuesday that the multi-state cyclosporiasis outbreak in the U.S. is "under control."
1 dead after stabbing in parking lot of Fairfield business
One person died after being stabbed during an altercation in the parking lot of a Fairfield business, according to police.
Katie Porter ‘done for now’ with politics, will become book influencer
The former Democratic congresswoman plans to offer "book recommendations, book ideas and author content.”
SGMC Health’s Hospitalist Group Honored with Relentless Pursuit of Perfection Award
SGMC Health announces that its hospitalist group, Apogee Physicians, has been honored by its national leadership with the Relentless Pursuit of Perfection Award.
There’s a right way to regulate drugs. Kratom is no exception.
Kratom, social media use in teens, New York's data center moratorium and more, in readers' eyes.
NVIDIA’s first GeForce driver for Windows on Arm confirms RTX Spark N1X with 6,144 or 5,120 CUDA cores
GeForce 616.00 is NVIDIA’s first native Arm64 graphics driver for Windows 11. The developer package currently supports Microsoft’s Surface RTX Spark Dev Box.
Browns free agent signings who overperformed expectations, last 10 years
These players delivered more than expected and became some of the Cleveland Browns' best signings of the last 10 years
Appeals court upholds White House adviser Peter Navarro's contempt of Congress convictions
A federal appeals court has upheld White House adviser Peter Navarro’s convictions for defying a subpoena for records from the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol
Walker Scobell and ‘Percy Jackson’ EP warn season 3 is ‘darkest’ yet: ‘People are dying’ (exclusive)
‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ star Walker Scobell and executive producer Craig Silverstein talk about adapting ‘The Titan’s Curse’ for season 3 — and why it’s their ‘darkest’ one yet.
Court says conservative think tank can get Biden audiotapes
The audiotapes informed a special counsel report that called Biden an ‘elderly man with a poor memory.’
Harry Styles Cancels Show in Brazil Over 'Health Issue'
The star was scheduled to perform four nights in the city, and Live Nation Brazil said Friday's show in São Paulo will proceed as normal.
Whop releases command-line interface to let business owners and their AI agents access digital commerce
Whop releases command-line interface to let business owners and their AI agents access digital commerce - SiliconANGLE
Light made a flip phone. It's colorful and it's cheap.
Light co-founder Kaiwei Tang helped create the Motorola Razr, and he's as surprised as anyone that over twenty years later, the flip phone is relevant again.
Google launches a cheaper alternative to large AI security models like Mythos
Google says it achieved “competitive performance” compared to larger models.
Splatoon Raiders review – Nintendo’s inky shooter fades to grey
The single-player offshoot of the quirky and colourful multiplayer series is disappointingly run-of-the-mill
🏈 Y! Sports AM: Grass vs. turf
NFL players aren’t pleased that the natural grass that covered their fields during the World Cup is already being replaced with the artificial turf they know and hate.
Joint School of Public Health Earns National Accreditation
July 20, 2026, NORFOLK, Va. — The Joint School of Public Health at Old Dominion University and Norfolk State University has earned accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
90% of Organizations Report Strong AI and Cloud Foundations, but Business Performance Falls Short, Unisys Finds
/PRNewswire/ -- Unisys (NYSE: UIS) has released a new global report, "Unisys AI & Cloud Insights Report 2026: The benchmarks, the gaps, and what to do next,"...
Democratic senator proposes expanding Medicare to cover children
The approach represents a potential way forward on a priority issue for Democrats if the party regains power in the future.
Wrigley Rooftop-View Case Raises Proximity Issue Across Sports
The Chicago Cubs playing games in an “open-air stadium” doesn’t “transform the view” from a neighboring rooftop into Cubs property, Wrigley View Rooftop and owner Aidan Dunican argue in a recent court filing. And if it did, other teams, leagues and sports organizers could allegedly demand payment from neighbors who currently watch for free. Wrigley …
In 2025, US scientists poured 16,500 gallons of lye and bright pink dye into the Gulf of Maine, the first federally approved attempt to reverse the ocean's rising acidity
On an August morning in 2025, a research vessel in the Gulf of Maine released 16,500 gallons of sodium hydroxide (lye) into the ocean while a plume of bright pink dye spread across the water's surface. To onlookers, the vivid pink patch looked alarming.
Bristol Myers, NVIDIA join forces to build life science’s ‘most powerful’ AI factory
BMS enhances its AI computing power with NVIDIA's DGX SuperPOD as big pharma race to stay competitive within the shifting global landscape.
Can I eat lettuce now? What to know about the cyclosporiasis outbreak.
As investigators continue to study the outbreak and its possible sources, many people have questions about what's safe to eat. Here's the latest advice.
Modern Warfare 4 open and closed beta dates announced, including for Switch 2, alongside the return of Call of Duty: Next
Modern Warfare 4 will be the first Call of Duty in recent memory to host a beta on Nintendo Switch 2.
Arizona Republicans pick nominees Tuesday for governor and other top offices
Arizona Republicans are choosing nominees to challenge Democrats in key state offices
Experts agree at landmark event that simulation should be built into health system
On 15 June 2026, over 80 representatives from simulation societies, ministries of health, hospitals, universities, international organizations, professional associations and industry partners met at the WHO Academy in Lyon for a joint event of WHO and the Society for Simulation in Europe (SESAM). Together they tackled a pressing question: how can simulation move from isolated initiatives to systematic integration within health systems? The consensus was clear: simulation is no longer a niche educational tool. Beyond training, it strengthens health systems by improving quality of care, patient safety, workforce preparedness, team performance and organizational resilience.Participants agreed the evidence for simulation’s value no longer needs to be demonstrated, but that implementation remains fragmented and too often dependent on individual local champions. Bridging that gap, they said, means both generating further evidence and raising awareness among decision-makers.Discussions pointed to a shared path forward. To achieve scale and lasting impact, simulation must be embedded in national policies, workforce development plans, education systems and financing mechanisms. No institution can do this alone; stronger collaboration between governments, health institutions, academia, professional societies, international organizations and industry partners will be essential.“At the WHO Academy, we see simulation not simply as a training methodology but as a strategic tool for capacity-building, workforce readiness and stronger health systems,” said Dr Bart Janssens, Unit Head, Health Learning and Capacity Building. “This event is not only about discussion; it is about moving from ideas to action.”As health systems worldwide face workforce shortages, growing complexity of care and rapidly evolving competency needs, participants concluded that the question is no longer “Why simulation?” but rather how to scale it, how to sustain it, and how to ensure it becomes an integral part of stronger health systems.Looking aheadThe event marked the beginning of a collaborative effort rather than the end of a conversation. Over the coming weeks, WHO and SESAM will consolidate the discussions, recommendations and priorities that emerged, with a joint WHO–SESAM report to be published soon.
WHO marks 25 years of Research4Life, advancing access to scientific knowledge in more than 120 countries
The World Health Organization (WHO) today marks the 25th anniversary of Research4Life, a public-private partnership that provides researchers, educators, health professionals and policy-makers in low- and middle-income countries with affordable or free access to scientific knowledge.
The 80/20 Institute CEO Bill Canady Releases The Rule of Three, Introducing a Leadership Framework for High-Performing Companies
Lakewood Ranch, FL, July 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 80/20 Institute today announced the release of The Rule of Three: How Visionaries, Ope...
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Beta Dates Confirmed
Activision and Infinity Ward have confirmed dates for the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 beta tests across PC, Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox devices.
Matt Damon raves about ‘Odyssey’ stunt double’s biceps: She has ‘the greatest arms I’ve ever seen’
Matt Damon revealed that his ‘Odyssey’ stunt double, who is a woman, has ‘the greatest arms I’ve ever seen.’
Democrat set to replace Platner in Maine led state Senate with a temper
Troy Jackson, the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), yelled and cursed at fellow state lawmakers, interviews reveal.
Health Brief: The grants showdown
The administration loses a key grants case, even as it presses ahead with a broader rewrite of federal funding rules.
George Santos is heading to reality TV. Other politicians have done the same.
Different politicians have entered the world of reality TV after their political careers ended.
The Pixel 11 Pro showed up on one of Google’s websites
Images of the Pixel 11 lineup have already surfaced, but those uncovered images didn’t come with loads of confidence. New...
Give Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 a Go in Its PS5 Beta Next Month
Full open beta runs 28th Aug - 1st Sep
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 announces open beta for Nintendo Switch 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is getting an open beta on Nintendo Switch 2, it’s been announced. This will be happening during the weekend of August 28. You’ll have until September 1 to participate. Here’s the rundown on what’s included in the beta: Get ready to drop into multiple Multiplayer maps and modes, choosing from a wide selection of...
The Self-Driving Company Is AI’s Next Business Model.
To understand future AI-native firms, businesses must study companies already operating themselves, just as military strategists learn from Ukraine's drone warfare.
Modern Warfare 4: Open Beta, NEXT, Fanatics Fest, & Serialized Camo
Relive Modern Warfare® 4 at Fanatics Fest, get Open Beta and Call of Duty®: NEXT intel, plus Nintendo® Switch 2 pre-order details and a first-of-its-kind Serialized Weapon Camo pre-order challenge.
Trump ally to run for two offices at same time, including Lindsey Graham’s seat
The South Carolina Election Commission clarified last week that candidates can appear on general election ballots for multiple offices.
Y! Sports Biz: The grass is always greener
The turf war between the NFL and its players rages on...
🏈 Y! Sports Biz: The grass is always greener
The turf war between the NFL and its players rages on...
AMC Entertainment (AMC) Q2 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates
The headline numbers for AMC Entertainment (AMC) give insight into how the company performed in the quarter ended June 2026, but it may be worthwhile to compare some of its key metrics to Wall Street estimates and the year-ago actuals.
Trump scores own-goal as World Cup overflows with politics
TOI correspondent from Washington: Spain won the World Cup but Donald Trump nearly stole the moment of glory.
This Week: Muni 1 Bus Improvements, Car Free Happy Hour, SF Politics 101
Here is a list of events this week. Tuesday Park Presidio and California Evening Pop-Up. This SFMTA project aims to improve the Muni 1 California bus route from 33rd Avenue to Steiner Street. Come learn about it. Tuesday, July 21, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Corner of Park Presidio and California, S.F. Tuesday East Bay Car Free Happy Hour. Whether you’re car free, car light, car free curious, or just want to hang out with fun people and have nerdy urbanist conversations, everyone is welcome. Tuesday, July 21, 5:30-7 p.m., Drake’s Dealership, 2325 Broadway, Oakland. Wednesday SF Politics 101 with Joel Engardio. SF Politics 101 is an entertaining look at how local politics work and the history that shaped San Francisco — brought to life with visuals and narrative storytelling. Wednesday, July 22, 6-7:15 p.m., SPUR Urban Center, 654 Mission Street, S.F. Friday Woman and Non-Binary Morning Ride. Join the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition for a socially distanced bike ride for women and nonbinary cyclists. Friday, July 24, 7:15-8:45 a.m., McLaren Lodge, 501 Stanyan Street, S.F. Saturday Smart City Cycling 3 — Road Practice. In this class, you’ll go on a guided group ride to practice street-riding skills on increasingly high-volume streets. This class is the third in the Smart City Cycling sequence, and Smart City Cycling 2: Maneuvering is a prerequisite. Saturday, July 25, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Arguello Extension, Arguello Blvd and Lincoln Way, S.F. Sunday Adult & Teen Learn-to-Ride Workshop. This three-hour workshop is for adults and teens who have not yet learned to ride a bike or would like a refresher on the basics of balancing, pedaling, and steering. Sunday, July 26, Alameda Waterfront Park, 2151 Ferry Point, Alameda. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.
I Tried 2 Budget Smart Telescopes: How They Make the Stars Your New Hobby
Getting an affordable smart telescope, like the Dwarf Mini or Seestar S30, is easier and more rewarding than I thought.
Modern Warfare 4 gameplay debut reignites community debate about how fast Call of Duty movement should be
Though many would argue it wasn't the best format, Infinity Ward finally showed off Modern Warfare 4 gameplay, and it's clear not everyone is on board.
Bored Kids? Try These Easy At-Home Science Experiments
Science expert Kate Biberdorf, better known as Kate the Chemist, joins TODAY to share fun experiments to keep your kids entertained during the dog days of summer.
Health insurers hedge on Trump-backed pledge to improve denials process
Patients, their advocates, and clinicians say little has improved.
Shaky political "science": breakdown of the peer review process
[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 December 2025, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting (RCV). 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 four articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report; the second one analyzed 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; a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research; and a fourth article that analyzed seven studies sponsored by New America’s political reform program that deployed flawed methodology based on “simulated” elections instead of real-world elections, which when combined with some basic misunderstandings of RCV, produced odd and misleading results]. In this fifth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we examine two flawed studies on the impact of RCV on voter turnout authored by San Francisco State University professor Jason McDaniel. McDaniel’s research in these two papers stands out for its puzzling methodology, inadequate and cherry-picked data, and faulty analyses that not only misunderstands ranked choice voting but reflects a basic misunderstanding of politics in general. The first of the McDaniel studies actually passed through a peer review process and then was subsequently published by the Journal of Urban Affairs, despite its obvious errors. It is perplexing that a jury of peer political scientists did not catch the errors and send it back to McDaniel for a rewrite or outright rejection. This calls into question the credibility of the peer review process itself. The peer review process is supposed to represent the intellectual pinnacle of the profession – a way for academics to certify the quality of each other’s work, and to act as a check against sloppy research. In the case of the McDaniel study, the peer review process failed. Yet his flawed study has been cited dozens of times by other political scientists in their own flawed works — an unvirtuous circle of academic research. Here is the first Jason McDaniel study that we analyzed: “Writing the Rules to Rank the Candidates: Examining the Impact of Instant-Runoff Voting on Racial Group Turnout in San Francisco Mayoral Elections,” by Jason McDaniel, 2016, Journal of Urban Affairs. This study covered San Francisco’s use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in mayoral elections, purporting to show that RCV reduces voter turnout overall, increases voter errors, and has a negative impact on “marginal populations,” i.e. racial minorities, mainly as the result of the alleged complexity of RCV asking voters to rank candidates and having to be familiar with multiple candidates and related dynamics. McDaniel reached these conclusions by examining five San Francisco mayoral elections taking place in odd years (i.e. where there are no federal or state races on the ballot) from 1995 to 2011, comparing three earlier non-RCV races (in 1995, 1999 and 2003) with the later two RCV races (in 2007 and 2011). Only two RCV races were studied, and as McDaniel acknowledged, only the contest in 2011 was “competitive” (that contest in 2007 was the first mayoral election using RCV, and incumbent mayor Gavin Newsom won easily in the first round of counting, earning 74% of first choices and far ahead of the second place candidate who had just 6.3% of first choices). Yet even the allegedly competitive contest in 2011was won by an incumbent with a landslide margin of nearly 20 points. No other elections were studied by McDaniel, even though San Francisco elects 17 other offices besides mayor with RCV, including the 11 seats on the Board of Supervisors (the name for the city council) in even years, and six other citywide offices in odd years. Previous academic research has found that competitive elections can stimulate greater voter involvement and higher turnout. For unexplained reasons, this study ignored at least 34 other RCV races between the years 2004 to 2011, many of which were very competitive and had high voter turnout. Instead, McDaniel’s analysis based its conclusions on data from only a single, marginally-competitive mayor’s race using RCV. These 2007 and 2011 mayoral elections were the only two RCV elections that McDaniel used as the sole basis for his small data set to determine the impact of RCV on voter turnout. Despite having no meaningful data to inform his study, McDaniel nonetheless concluded that RCV lowered turnout when compared to the previous three mayoral non-RCV elections using two-round runoffs. Then, using the same inadequate database of San Francisco elections, McDaniel also found that “Instant-runoff voting is associated with a significant decline in Black voter turnout and White voter turnout…On average, Black voter turnout decreases by 18 points and White voter turnout decreases by 16 points …” But how could he credibly arrive at that conclusion when his study was based on voter turnout in two RCV contests that were not even remotely competitive? Beyond that, McDaniel tacitly admits that the key determining factor driving Black voter turnout was not RCV vs non-RCV elections, but the presence of a viable Black candidate. McDaniel wrote, “Black voter turnout was about 17 percentage points higher for the two elections that featured an African American candidate compared to the three elections that did not” — but one of those three elections did not use RCV. The same dynamic was present for White voter turnout, in which higher turnout was not correlated with RCV vs non-RCV elections, but the presence of a viable White candidate. Beyond that, McDaniel’s voter turnout results, whether correlated with the race of the candidates or RCV vs non-RCV elections, showed no clear patterns. In his Figure 1, he shows low Asian voter turnout in the non-RCV elections in 1999 and 2003 when there was no viable Asian candidate running, but in the 2007 mayoral election using RCV, there is still no viable Asian candidate, yet Asian turnout increases dramatically. For Latinos, voter turnout is virtually the same in 1999 (no viable Latino candidate, non-RCV elections), 2003 (leading Latino candidate, non-RCV elections), 2007 (no viable Latino candidate, RCV elections) and 2011 (leading Latino candidate, RCV elections). Meanwhile White voter turnout increased dramatically from a low in the 2007 mayoral election, in which the leading candidate was a white incumbent, to the 2011 election in which there were no leading white candidates that finished any higher than sixth place with 5.6% of the vote. Clearly other factors were determining voter turnout than either the race of the candidates or RCV vs non-RCV elections. Despite these inconsistent findings, McDaniel boldly marches forth to render conclusions about the impact of RCV on different groups of racial voters, even though his conclusions are not remotely supported by his data. This looks like the worst kind of “data cherry picking” to cover up a puzzling conclusion based on a poor data set involving only two RCV elections, neither of which were remotely competitive. McDaniel’s cherry picking didn’t stop there. In calculating voter turnout for the three non-RCV mayoral elections in 1995, 1999 and 2003, he failed to mention that in each of these years there was a two-round runoff election, with a first round election in November in which no candidate garnered a winning majority of the vote, followed by the decisive runoff in December. So there were two non-RCV elections in each election year. But McDaniel only decided to include one of the two elections in his data set, apparently the December runoff in each year (which had higher turnout in two out of the three mayor’s races, and lower turnout in the third). So he ignored the November 1995 election, the November 1999 election when turnout was only 45 percent, and the November 2003 election when turnout was only 45.7 percent. This is flawed methodology based on blatant cherry picking, since McDaniel simply omitted three elections worth of data that did not fit within his frame. His study should never have made it through a peer review process, and it is an embarrassment to political science that not only was it approved for publication, but it has been uncritically cited by dozens of other political scientists. Share A “study” without wider context or credible data Lacking a data set that included even a single competitive RCV mayoral race, McDaniel declared that RCV lowered voter turnout in 2011, when turnout was 42.5 percent. But he also ignored -- or did not realize -- that voter turnout in mayoral elections during 2011 had sharply declined in all big cities, including far more steeply in nearby Los Angeles and other cities. In fact, San Francisco’s election in 2011 had the second highest turnout of any mayoral election in the nation’s 22 largest cities from 2008-2011. Was 2011 just a particularly low turnout year all across the country, perhaps because the country was still reeling from the aftermath of the housing market collapse in 2008-2010? McDaniel ignored this factor and did not search for alternative explanations beyond his flawed thesis. Furthermore, while McDaniel suggested that RCV leads to more “overvotes” – which is an invalidated ballot in which a voter, in either a non-RCV or RCV race, makes a mistake and selects two candidates for a single choice – he failed to address that in the June 2012 US Senate primary contest, which used the typical “one-choice” plurality method and did not use RCV, there was more than five times as many overvotes in San Francisco and Oakland than in the RCV mayoral elections in those cities. Additionally, turnout had been significantly higher and more representative in RCV elections for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors races -- that McDaniel didn’t even bother to study -- as compared to previous “delayed two-round runoffs” for those offices, often higher by as much as 40% in the RCV races. Perhaps the most surprising irony was that an earlier study co-authored by McDaniel (Overvoting and the Equality of Voice under Instant-Runoff Voting in San Francisco by Francis Neely and Jason McDaniel, 2015, California Journal of Politics and Policy) found that overvotes are often more common in lower-income precincts, but that the pattern of overvoting is similar in both RCV and non-RCV contests. Wrote Neely and McDaniel: “[Overvote] errors appear to be a function of complexity in general and not IRV per se…. the pattern of overvoting is similar in both IRV and non-IRV contests…Even among votes cast in a top-of-the-ticket race like U.S. Senate, overvoting occurs in an uneven fashion” (IRV, or ‘instant runoff voting,’ is another name for ranked choice voting in single-winner contests). So McDaniel not only contradicted his own conclusion in his earlier study with Neely, but the earlier study had been an important corrective for one of the most frequently made mistakes made by anti-RCV political scientists – a continual failure to provide crucial context by pairing a comparative analysis of real world RCV elections with an analysis of real world plurality or other electoral methods. Unfortunately McDaniel’s earlier study does not get cited much by other researchers, and McDaniel did not even cite it in his own flawed study analyzed above. Incredibly, McDaniel cherrypicked McDaniel, even as his flawed study has been cited dozens of times. Despite being a textbook example of poor political “science,” featuring both inadequate as well as cherrypicked data, the shelf life of McDaniel’s study has been extended endlessly by other political scientists and media outlets who have cited it uncritically. Equally troubling, the Journal of Urban Affairs put this paper through its peer review process and published it despite its numerous flaws. McDaniel gets it wrong, Part II Not content with producing one shoddy, confused paper, McDaniel produced another one a few years later, here is the link: Electoral Rules and Voter Turnout in Mayoral Elections: An Analysis of Ranked-Choice Voting by Jason McDaniel. San Francisco State Univ. (McDaniel, 2019). In this paper, McDaniel extended his previous flawed research focused on San Francisco, about voter turnout and voter impact, to multiple RCV cities through the 2018 elections. In his data set he included San Francisco, Minneapolis, St Paul, Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro and Santa Fe. He then compared their turnout in mayoral elections to non-RCV cities, and to mayoral elections in those cities held before first RCV usage, and concluded “a significant decrease in voter turnout of approximately 3–5 percentage points in RCV cities after the implementation of RCV.” But he replicated many of the same mistakes as his first study presented above. While in this study McDaniel attempted to distinguish between various factors, such as odd year vs. even year elections, competitive races vs. noncompetitive, contests with open seats and other factors, the analysis is superficial and inadequate. He attempts to incorporate so many often-conflicting variables that his conclusions are once again unsupported by the actual data, and ultimately unconvincing (this second study never underwent a peer review process). For example, McDaniel declared that for RCV cities “in elections that are more competitive than average (margin of victory less than 20%), there is no significant RCV effect on voter turnout.” Yet McDaniel is a professor in a city, San Francisco, in which the 2018 special election using RCV to fill a mayoral vacancy was exceedingly close, decided by a margin of only one percentage point, and resulted in the second highest turnout in San Francisco history for a mayoral election. Illustrating the complexity involved in assessing the critical factors in turnout, that special election was held on the same election day as federal and state offices, which tends to boost turnout. Yet more voters participated in that RCV mayoral election than voted on the same day in the non-RCV primary for governor in which former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom was running. Even more puzzling, in this study McDaniel inaccurately cited his own previous study from 2015 with Neely. McDaniel wrote, “Neely and McDaniel (2015) examine individual ballot image files within a natural experiment, and find higher rates of ballot errors in RCV elections compared to non-RCV elections” (emphasis added). However, we quoted from that 2015 study several paragraphs above, and in actual fact Neely and McDaniel actually concluded the opposite -- that the pattern of overvoting – which is the most common form of ballot error – is similar in both RCV and non-RCV contests. McDaniel also ignored the fact that in Bay Area RCV elections held in even years – at the same time as federal and state elections, when turnout is highest -- the “undervote” (that is, the dropoff in ballots cast for governor or mayor) has declined, which contradicts his thesis that the act of ranking ballots in RCV elections is too complex and presents a barrier for certain demographics of voters. To his credit, McDaniel actually acknowledged another contradiction in his own paper, which found a negative RCV turnout effect in some odd-year elections but not others, admitting that “may present a challenge to the theory that increased complexity [from RCV] will have a marginal negative effect on voter turnout.” But he tried to wallpaper over that contradiction by blaming it on an unlikely source -- bad election administration. McDaniels wrote, “This would suggest that the negative impact of RCV on voter participation may be alleviated by high quality election administration,” without presenting any data or even anecdotes to support such an unfounded theory. While competent election administration of any election, whether RCV or non-RCV, is crucially important, there is no credible research that supports the far-fetched notion that the quality of election administration has much of an impact on voter turnout in US elections, whether using RCV or otherwise. Upgrade to a $5 subscription The unvirtuous circle of academic research It is puzzling how McDaniel’s first study could have survived the peer review process for the Journal of Urban Affairs. The mistakes in McDaniel’s first study above should have been obvious to anyone with a basic understanding of ranked choice voting as well as elections in general, and elections in San Francisco specifically. It undermines faith in the credibility of the peer review process to think that a jury of peer political scientists did not catch the egregious errors and reject McDaniel’s sloppy research and paper. And it remains a black mark on political science that this thoroughly discredited study has been cited dozens of times by other researchers. Indeed, in our research paper it became apparent that many political scientists cite each other’s flawed research to pad their list of citations and to legitimize their own flawed research, creating an unvirtuous circle of political science. More broadly, McDaniel’s voter turnout studies, like other studies evaluating RCV’s impact on turnout, lacked a recognition that no credible opinion or research can claim that RCV increases voter turnout merely because so many voters are excited to vote for their favorite candidates instead of “lesser evil” candidates without worrying about spoilers. Instead, with respect to turnout, the advantage of RCV has always been that, in most places where it has been used, it has eliminated a pre-November primary or post-November runoff, which usually saw about half the turnout of the November general election. This is especially true during even years when there are state and federal elections on the ballot which substantially drive turnout more than local contests. Any study that does not adequately account for this non-November primary/runoff vs November general election dynamic, or odd year vs even year election factors, is simply not credible. Both of McDaniel’s studies largely failed on those grounds. Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to a $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS…your 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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Science can serve dark as well as light
I’m not sure how many of you are watching “Star City,” Apple TV’s spin-off of its “For All Mankind” program (2019-present), but it’s one of the better sci-fi series I’ve seen in a while, with an impressively dark political message. (Some light spoilers below.) For the uninitiated, “For All Mankind” presented a slightly tweaked history of the U.S. space program in which it was the USSR that landed on the Moon first in 1969, and shortly thereafter put a woman cosmonaut on the lunar surface. This sparks an ongoing space race that, in the original series, yields a lot of benefits for humanity. President Nixon’s insistence on a female astronaut corps to compete with the Soviets boosts the feminist movement of the 1970s and the ERA passes. New fuels generated for the space program create clean and cheap energy around Earth. There are also some darker changes — the USSR is thriving well into the 2000s, there are terrorist counter-technology movements around the globe, laborers on Mars work in nightmarish conditions and organize strikes and riots, etc. the @smotus report is a reader-supported publication. To support this work, please become a paid subscriber. Subscribe That show offers glimpses into the subtle ways this Earth is different. Teddy Kennedy never went to Chappaquidick because he was racing back to Washington to deal with the space program crisis; he gets elected President in 1972. John Lennon survives his early 1980s shooting but Pope John Paul II does not. The Apple Newton succeeded. Pretty much the whole of season 4 is a setup for an Al Gore joke. Again, mostly, the vision that “For All Mankind” presents is a positive one, with technology advancing many human interests. “Star City” goes in a very different direction. This spin-off show is about the same set of events but from the Soviet perspective. As we meet them, the team of scientists and cosmonauts responsible for the lunar landing are still basking in their hero status, but their program is embedded deep in the Soviet security state of the late 1960s. Everyone’s apartment is bugged. Whole teams of clerical staff spend their days transcribing recordings of people’s lives. People in the program, including respected cosmonauts, are regularly arrested. An incredibly menacing Colonel Lyudmilla Raskova (Anna Maxwell Martin) forces confessions and tortures and kills, expressing little more than annoyance in the process. Meanwhile, the space program’s highly respected Chief Designer (Rhys Ifans) has a vision for the program that he knows the government will not approve. He insists that they need to think past the Moon to focus on colonizing the solar system, starting with Venus. (This is a rough parallel to the Americans’ pivot to Mars in the original show.) He essentially builds a secret space program within the space program, calculating that the government will embrace the mission after it has succeeded. (As an aside, I’m not sure why the Venus obsession, as a successful mission can’t produce the biggest public relations payoff: a cosmonaut standing on the surface holding the Soviet flag. Anyone standing on Venus would be immediately crushed by the 92-bar atmosphere and then cremated in the 900°F temperatures. But in a country with no free press perhaps the visual payoff was less valued.) But the overall vision is that the technological advances have only amplified the most fearsome aspects of the Soviet system. The state is paranoid (but not incorrect) about American spies and does monstrous things to protect its secrets. People are terrified to trust each other. Classic banality-of-evil figures order people to harm those they care about; those people comply rather than get shot. Others are forced into criminal behavior to protect loved ones. We’re reminded all the time these days of what happens when a government despises science. It manifests in the defunding of schools, the elevation of fossil fuels as the rest of the world pivots to solar, outbreaks of measles and diarrhea, etc. But “Star City” offers a vision of a bad government that likes science. It’s not encouraging. It’s not yet clear if there will be a season two of this show. But I strongly recommend season one. It’s both thoughtful and gripping. Share
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