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Navy tests jet-powered JDAM for affordable long-range strikes

Navy fighter jets test-fired a new long-range variant of the widely used JDAM bomb. Unlike other versions, this one is powered by a jet engine.

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Apr 21 • 11:11 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com
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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Apr 21 • 9:31 AM EDT • Science • democracysos.substack.com
Former Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden cheered as she wins Authors Guild honor

Former Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden received the Champion of Writers Award from the Authors Guild | Newsradio 1140 WRVA

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Apr 21 • 12:24 AM EDT • Entertainment • audacy.com
Sports Take: Top 5 Baylor WBB players of all time

From foundational stars to generational icons, Baylor women’s basketball has produced no shortage of greatness over the past 25 years. These five players did more than fill up stat sheets; they helped shape the standard of excellence that defines the program.

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Apr 20 • 11:31 PM EDT • Sports • baylorlariat.com
Mark your calendars: Weekly sports schedule for April 21-25

Take a look through the weekly sports schedule for the Central Coast. Read our coverage online or in print.

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Apr 20 • 9:00 PM EDT • Sports • santamariatimes.com
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Essentia Health registered nurse logs over 900 volunteer hours

On most evenings, after a full day as a registered nurse in the ICU at the Essentia Health-Fargo, Darian Slama's second shift begins caring for her four-legged patients.

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Apr 20 • 9:35 AM EDT • Health • essentiahealth.org
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Trump tells Maria ‘deal will be signed tonight’ as tensions explode in Strait of Hormuz

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to debate the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict, clash over oil exports and gas prices, and challenge President Donald Trump’s strategy as tensions surge in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Apr 20 • 9:15 AM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com
Tired of political turmoil, Bulgarians give ex-president a convincing mandate for change

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — The center-left coalition of ex-president Rumen Radev has emerged as the clear winner of Bulgaria’s parliamentary election, the country’s central electoral commission said Monday, ending half a decade of political fragmentation.

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Apr 20 • 6:28 AM EDT • Politics • wral.com
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Progressive Bulgaria Heads for Decisive Victory in Latest Snap Election

Bulgaria continues to grapple with economic disparities, corruption concerns and geopolitical pressures as a member of the EU and NATO.

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Apr 20 • 4:22 AM EDT • Politics • politicstoday.org
Bulgaria headed for political stability as former president wins parliamentary majority

With about 130 out of 240 seats in Parliament, Rumen Radev has secured an outright majority in a country marked by deep political fragmentation in recent years. He will become the new prime minister, a position more powerful than president in Bulgaria.

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Apr 20 • 4:14 AM EDT • Politics • lemonde.fr
Bulgaria's Kremlin-friendly ex-president set for landslide election win

Pro-Russian former President Rumen Radev is set for a runaway victory in Bulgaria's election, official results showed, potentially ending years of weak coalition governments and sidelining...

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Apr 20 • 1:14 AM EDT • Politics • tvpworld.com
Sports Buzz: Bears suffer Revivalry losses in 3 sports, softball walks off Utah

Baseball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis all lost to TCU this weekend, while softball bounced back and women’s basketball landed a new transfer.

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Apr 20 • 12:41 AM EDT • Sports • baylorlariat.com
PUMA appoints Laurent Fricker to lead Sportstyle Business Unit

Sports company PUMA has appointed Laurent Fricker as the new Vice President of its Business Unit Sportstyle, starting June 1. He will report directly to Maria Valdes, Chief Brand Officer (CBO) at PUMA.

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Apr 19 • 8:00 PM EDT • Business • about.puma.com
Cribbage tournament April 26

A cribbage tournament and lunch will be held at the Mariaville Community Center and Grange Hall on Route 181 on Sunday, April 26, from 12-3 p.m.

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Apr 19 • 8:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • ellsworthamerican.com
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Leaked: iPhone 18 Pro Production Begins for Apple’s First DSLR-Style Camera Mechanism

Internal Apple leaks confirm iPhone 18 Pro production has begun, featuring a revolutionary variable aperture DSLR-style camera.

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Apr 19 • 9:00 AM EDT • Technology • geeky-gadgets.com
Dreaming in Cubes

Generating Minecraft Worlds with Vector Quantized Variational Autoencoders (VQ-VAE) and Transformers

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Apr 19 • 9:00 AM EDT • Science • towardsdatascience.com
How a little-known founder is trying to change Calif. politics — to the tune of $1 billion

You may not have heard of Maria Davidson, but tech investors like Joe Lonsdale and Garry Tan trust her with their political ambitions.

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Apr 19 • 9:00 AM EDT • Politics • sfstandard.com
Silver City businesses are bracing for National Avenue construction impact

Silver City businesses are bracing for National Avenue construction impact:

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Apr 19 • 8:01 AM EDT • Business • onmilwaukee.com
Apple's upcoming AirPods Pro 3 variant could debut a groundbreaking new feature

Earlier this year, Apple acquired a secretive startup: Q.ai, for over 2 billion dollars. It’s the companies second largest acquisition...

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Apr 18 • 1:55 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5mac.com
See you out there! | New opportunities in the most unlikely of places

Never in my mind did I think I’d be on the Central Coast covering perfect games and championship-caliber basketball teams throwing up 3-pointers like it was a pickup game.

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Apr 17 • 7:47 PM EDT • Sports • santamariatimes.com
College basketball rankings: Indiana lands higher quality of transfers, jumps in way-too-early Top 25 And 1

Hoosiers coach Darian DeVries' transfer haul looks better than last season's

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Apr 17 • 3:23 PM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com
Introducing Fighting Fascism, A New Podcast Devoted to Resisting Authoritarianism

In a moment that demands not just outrage but strategy, cohosts Aaron Regunberg, Jonathan Smucker, and Matt DaSilva, are here with concrete lessons to help listeners fight back against fascism.

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Apr 17 • 12:30 PM EDT • Politics • thenation.com
What is the femosphere?

A growing number of influencers are encouraging women to ditch the egalitarian narrative of liberal feminism and take a more cynical approach to the opposite sex

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Apr 17 • 7:47 AM EDT • Politics • theweek.com
House Votes to Extend Expiring Law on Warrantless Surveillance for 10 Days

The Senate would need to also approve the stopgap measure that passed the House early Friday. Libertarian-leaning House Republicans had balked at a long-term extension.

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Apr 17 • 3:14 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
Arts and Entertainment Agenda, April 18 to April 26

Lo Semple moderates Maria Semple talk in Denver, April 17 The Aspen Times columnist Lo Semple will interview novelist Maria Semple about her new book “Go Gentle” from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 17,...

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Apr 16 • 1:56 PM EDT • Entertainment • aspentimes.com
Orbán’s defeat threatens to halt Hungarian support of populist right

Individuals such as Matt Goodwin and Lord Frost benefited from largesse of self-styled ‘illiberal democracy’

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Apr 16 • 1:52 PM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
Xbox First Look: Metro 2039 – Everything We Learned Today from This World Premiere Broadcast

Here’s everything we just learned about Metro 2039, the fourth entry and darkest chapter yet in 4A Games’ Metro saga.

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Apr 16 • 1:16 PM EDT • Technology • news.xbox.com
A first look at Metro 2039 shows how its Ukrainian developer turned the darkness up to 11

Metro 2039 is scheduled to arrive this winter for Xbox, PlayStation 5 and PC.

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Apr 16 • 1:15 PM EDT • Technology • engadget.com
Colorado high school girls flag football quarterback commits to Nebraska

As the popularity of high school girls flag football continues, so does the groundbreaking moments in the sport and earlier this week, the first ever player to commit the a Division I, Power 4 program occurred. Mountain Vista (CO) Class of 2027 quarterback Ariana Akey via Instagram announced her commitment to Nebraska for women’s flag […]

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Apr 16 • 11:51 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Review: Pragmata On Switch 2: An Ambitious Port Held Back By Variable Performance

Not so pragmatic decision-making.

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Apr 16 • 10:16 AM EDT • Technology • digitalfoundry.net
Ionic Studios Signs Electric Entertainment's ELECTRIC NOW/ ELECTRIC NOW EN ESPANOL FAST/ AVOD APP, Featuring Leverage, The Librarians, and The Ark to Its CTV Portfolio

Ionic Studios, the CTV studio for the open ecosystem, today announced a strategic partnership with Electric Entertainment, the Los Angeles-based production and distribution company, founded by Dean Devlin. Under the agreement, Electric's content will join Ionic serving as brand-level representative across CTV and FAST—merchandising the studio's streaming platforms, ENOW and ENOW EN ESPANOL to advertisers, packaging it into audience-defined offerings, and delivering the buying standards that medi

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Apr 16 • 9:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • finance.yahoo.com
Chargé Arnold Speech - Implementation Plan of Five-Year Health MOU - U.S. Embassy in Madagascar

Chargée d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold's Speech Discussion on the implementation plan for the five-year health Memorandum of Understanding (…) Colleagues, and honored guests, Good morning, and welcome to the United States Embassy. It is a pleasure to host you today for the second day of this important workshop to discuss the implementation of our bilateral health Memorandum of Understanding on U.S. Government health activities in Madagascar, made possible through the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy. Today’s focus— discussing a shared vision and developing a preliminary draft for the health MOU Implementation Plan and the terms of reference for the two committees that will steer its implementation—is a decisive step in moving from commitments on paper to concrete action over the next five years. On December 22, 2025, the Governments of Madagascar and the United States signed a five-year bilateral health MOU, with a financial intention of approximately 554 billion Ariary from the United States and This jointly decided MOU intends to strengthen Madagascar’s health system, support lifesaving services, and improve disease prevention and response that matter to both our countries’ health security. For the United States, this means detecting and containing infectious disease outbreaks including malaria, polio, and emerging health threats before they can reach American shores through international travel and trade, protecting American families while reducing the need for costly domestic emergency responses Yesterday, technical experts from the Ministry of Public Health and the U.S. Government worked in thematic groups to draft a preliminary Implementation Plan. Today, your task is to review the shared vision and preliminary draft MOU implementation plan, and the proposed terms of reference for the Joint Steering Committee and the Operational Committee that will guide its implementation. These committees are not just administrative structures. They are the mechanisms that will ensure clear roles and responsibilities, regular dialogue between our two governments, consistent monitoring of progress, and real accountability for the results that will directly benefit the lives of Malagasy citizens. They will also track performance against the benchmarks we have jointly established, which will guide the continuation of U.S. support over the five-year period . Continued U.S. support will be contingent on meeting these performance benchmarks. This ensures accountability to both American and Malagasy taxpayers and guarantees that our partnership delivers measurable results. America First Foreign Assistance means that U.S. support must be strategic, results-driven, and accountable to our taxpayers. It also means we aim to support greater self-reliance and reduced long-term dependence on foreign assistance, with systems that are increasingly financed and led by Madagascar itself. This approach benefits both our nations: Madagascar gains sustainable health capacity, while the United States advances our health security interests and creates opportunities for American health innovations and companies to support Madagascar’s development. In that spirit, I want to recognize the presence of the Ministry’s leadership and the technical directors and program heads responsible for surveillance, basic health services, family health, immunization, countering malaria, laboratories, medicines, and health information systems. Your leadership and technical expertise are essential if this bilateral health MOU is to translate into real and lasting improvements for people in need across the country. Let me emphasize how important collaboration is to the United States in this effort. We can bring American resources, technical expertise, and tools. But this bilateral health MOU can only succeed if it reflects Madagascar’s priorities and if Malagasy institutions lead and maintain its implementation. We see this not as a U.S. project, but as a joint framework under Malagasy leadership, with U.S. support. That is why we are genuinely pleased to host this event here at the Embassy. Opening our doors to you today symbolizes our commitment to work side by side and to remain transparent about how we use U.S. resources in support of Madagascar’s health system. In closing, thank you for your time and your partnership. We are very happy to welcome you here and proud to accompany Madagascar in this next step of implementation planning for our bilateral health MOU. I wish you a productive and focused session. The work you do today will shape how our two governments cooperate on health in the years ahead; it will influence the quality and reliability of health services that Malagasy communities receive; and, most importantly, it will help protect both our nations from infectious disease threats while building Madagascar’s capacity for long-term health system sustainability. Thank you.

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Apr 16 • 8:34 AM EDT • Health • mg.usembassy.gov
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United States and Madagascar Discuss Five-Year Health MOU Implementation Plan  - U.S. Embassy in Madagascar

United States and Madagascar Discuss Five-Year Health MOU Implementation Plan The United States and Madagascar’s Ministry of Public Health are in the process of developing a plan for implementing the U.S.-Madagascar five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on health cooperation, signed under the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy. The two-day workshop, at the U.S. Embassy in Antananarivo, brought together technical experts and senior leadership from the Malagasy and U.S. governments to discuss a shared vision through a preliminary draft MOU Implementation Plan and to establish the joint governance structures that will guide U.S. foreign assistance in health over the next five years. The jointly decided bilateral health MOU, signed on December 22, 2025, builds on decades of U.S. global health assistance to Madagascar. The health MOU involves the U.S.’s plans, working with Congress, to provide approximately $134 million (over 554 billion Ariary) and a Malagasy commitment of $41 million (over 169 billion Ariary). It aims to strengthen Madagascar’s health system, improve disease prevention and response, and support services that address health security concerns for both countries, including malaria, maternal and child health, polio, and global health security issues that could reach U.S. shores if not contained at their source. During the recent workshop, technical staff from the Ministry of Public Health and the U.S. Government health team worked in thematic groups to draft detailed implementation plans for the five-year MOU period. On the second day, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold and Ministry of Public Health and Economic and Finance Ministry leadership joined the technical teams to discuss plans and proposed terms of reference for two committees: a Joint Steering Committee and an Operational Committee. These structures will ensure clear roles and responsibilities, regular dialogue between the two governments, consistent monitoring of progress, and accountability for results. The framework includes performance benchmarks that will guide continued U.S. support and track Madagascar’s progress toward self-reliance. “We see this not as a U.S. project, but as a joint framework under Malagasy leadership, with U.S. support,” said U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold during the workshop’s opening session. The approach reflects U.S. foreign assistance principles that emphasize strategic, results-driven support that advances American interests while helping recipient countries build sustainable health systems. The framework is designed to build systems that Madagascar will increasingly finance and lead itself, reducing long-term dependence on foreign assistance.

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Apr 16 • 7:39 AM EDT • Health • mg.usembassy.gov
Memory Wars: Facts, Disinformation, and the Politics of Remembrance

The 14th European Remembrance Symposium in Bratislava, Slovakia, on 27–29 May 2026, will explore how collective memory is shaped and weaponized in today’s geopolitical climate. Bringing together an illustrious line-up of experts, the event examines disinformation, identity, and the role of historical narratives in modern political conflict.

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Apr 16 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • hungarianconservative.com
Fighter pilot Rumen Radev looks to break Bulgaria’s political deadlock

Radev is vowing to combat the country’s oligarchs and mafia, but his Kremlin-aligned positions on Ukraine have sparked concern.

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Apr 15 • 10:00 PM EDT • Politics • politico.eu
House Democrats attempt anti-corruption message to gain traction against Trump

Days after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was ousted by an opposition campaign with an anti-corruption message, Democrats want to try the same playbook against President Donald Trump before the midterm elections.

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Apr 15 • 7:22 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
🙂 Positive (35%)
President Trump joins Maria Bartiromo to discuss key issues

President Donald Trump joins FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo in a sit down interview to discuss key issues facing the United States

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Apr 15 • 2:44 PM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com
A PvP Guide to Sustainability Week 2026

New event means new grinding opportunities for PvP! We got an all-new Pokemon to hunt down and a couple oldies-but-goodies to grind for as well. How do they look? Let’s see! A GOOD CURSE? ☠️ It doesn’t feel that long ago, but it’s been a year and half since GALARIAN CORSOLA arrived in Pokémon GO, and while the meta has changed […]

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Apr 15 • 8:08 AM EDT • Technology • pokemongohub.net
Trump unloads on Powell, says he could fire Fed chair over ‘incompetence’

President Donald Trump joins FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo to discuss the AI race with China, Iran tensions, NATO clashes, and his push to overhaul the Fed while touting a strong U.S. economy and global strength.

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Apr 15 • 7:52 AM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com
Trump predicts oil prices will drop ‘tremendously’ despite recent surge

President Donald Trump sits down with FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo to discuss escalating Middle East tensions, his warning to Iran on nuclear weapons and why he believes gas prices will drop ahead of the midterms.

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Apr 15 • 7:15 AM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com
Iran latest: Trump predicts Iran war 'very close to over' in FOX Business interview

President Donald Trump suggested the end of the Iran war may be in sight, telling FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo, "I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over."

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Apr 15 • 6:23 AM EDT • Business • livenowfox.com
Federal Reserve battle heats up as Warsh hearing stalls ahead of Powell deadline

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., joins 'Mornings with Maria' to discuss delays in Kevin Warsh’s Federal Reserve confirmation hearing, Jerome Powell’s future, and the fight to pass the CLARITY Act.

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Apr 14 • 9:01 AM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com
Oprah Winfrey names Maria Semple’s 'Go Gentle' as her latest book club pick

Oprah Winfrey has chosen Maria Semple's comic novel “Go Gentle” for her book club | KMBZ

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Apr 14 • 8:15 AM EDT • Entertainment • audacy.com
Oprah Winfrey names Maria Semple’s 'Go Gentle' as her latest book club pick

Oprah Winfrey has chosen Maria Semple's comic novel “Go Gentle” for her book club | Talk Radio 1210 WPHT

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Apr 14 • 8:15 AM EDT • Entertainment • audacy.com
😐 Neutral (0%)
Advancing Metabolic Health Through Coordinated Care

The Metabolic Health Institute is a first-of-its-kind model unifying endocrinology, obesity medicine and bariatric surgery under non-surgical leadership.

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Apr 14 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • adventhealth.com
After three years of conflict, Sudan faces a deeper health crisis

14 April 2026, Geneva, Cairo, Port Sudan – Three years of war in Sudan have created the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis, with devastating consequences for people’s health.While the situation is...

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Apr 14 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • emro.who.int
After three years of conflict, Sudan faces a deeper health crisis

Three years of war in Sudan have created the world’s largest humanitarian and displacement crisis, with devastating consequences for people’s health.

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Apr 14 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • who.int
Hungarian business owner rejoices over Magyar's historic win
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Apr 14 • 5:06 AM EDT • Business • yahoo.com
Orbán’s Election Defeat Resonates in Washington, Tel Aviv

Vance praised Orbán’s 16-year tenure as “transformational,” portraying him as a key ally who challenged European Union policies.

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Apr 14 • 4:19 AM EDT • Politics • politicstoday.org
Grasp Hires Chevalier as New Chief Executive

Grasp Technologies has appointed Maria Chevalier as CEO, succeeding Chris Wilson. Chevalier, a former corporate travel buyer, has extensive experience in travel management and previously served on Grasp's board. Her goals include focusing on innovation and client-centric strategies.

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Apr 14 • 12:00 AM EDT • Business • businesstravelnews.com
Swalwell has a ‘reckless disregard for the truth,’ political strategist says

Legal and political strategist Katie Zacharia discusses the allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., following the suspension of his gubernatorial campaign and resignation from Congress on ‘Fox News @ Night.’

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Apr 13 • 11:35 PM EDT • Politics • foxnews.com
Mark your calendars: Weekly sports schedule for April 14-19

Take a look through the weekly sports schedule for the Central Coast. Read our coverage online or in print.

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Apr 13 • 9:00 PM EDT • Sports • santamariatimes.com
😐 Neutral (0%)
Trump and MAGA Embraced Orban. Now, They’re Worried by His Loss in Hungary’s Election.

Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, and his right-wing playbook were embraced by parts of the American right. Now some are worried by his defeat.

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Apr 13 • 8:56 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com
4 shows to see in the Coachella Valley this weekend

Mariachazo will perform on Friday at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

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Apr 13 • 5:33 PM EDT • Entertainment • desertsun.com
Sperm quality is at its peak in the summer, study finds

Seasonal shifts in behavior — not temperature — may subtly influence sperm motility. Whether this variation in sperm quality influences fertility remains to be seen.

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Apr 13 • 10:30 AM EDT • Science • livescience.com
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iPhone 18 Pro Deep Red Color Likely as Android Rivals Prep Same Shade

Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro is very likely to come in a new deep red color, claims a Chinese leaker, because the color is already being prototyped by Android phone makers. In February, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is testing a deep red finish for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Rumors of purple and brown finishes have also circulated, but Gurman believes those are just variants of the same red idea.

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Apr 13 • 6:22 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
Election loss for Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán has ripple effects for Trump, US conservatives

The big election over the weekend was in a small European country nearly half a world away from Washington, but the defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has significant reverberations in the United States

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Apr 13 • 12:08 AM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
Election loss for Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán has ripple effects for Trump, US conservatives

The big election over the weekend was in a small European country nearly half a world away from Washington, but the defeat of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has significant reverberations in the United States.

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Apr 13 • 12:07 AM EDT • Politics • news4jax.com
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Hungary's Election Sends a Jolting Message

The Hungarian election was a setback for MAGA. But the winner’s campaign should be a wake-up call for Trump’s opponents.

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Apr 13 • 12:01 AM EDT • Politics • politico.com
AVAC: Abrupt shutdown of US global health supply chain raises risks for HIV, TB and malaria programs

Two hundred and fifty civil society organizations signed on to a letter to the US Secretary of State calling for immediate reversal of this decision.

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Apr 12 • 7:29 PM EDT • Health • eatg.org
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End of the Orban Era: The Party Is Just Starting for Hungarians

In the end, the biggest surprise wasn’t just how resoundingly Viktor Orban was ejected from power but how swiftly the Hungarian prime minister conceded the termination of his 16-year reign.

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Apr 12 • 6:29 PM EDT • Politics • bloomberg.com
Hungary Has Ousted an Autocrat

Viktor Orbán had support from Moscow and Washington, but not from his own people.

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Apr 12 • 5:53 PM EDT • Politics • theatlantic.com
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Hungarian opposition party set to oust Orbán with half of votes counted

The final result will be known early Monday morning.

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Apr 12 • 3:20 PM EDT • Politics • tvpworld.com
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ousted after 'painful' election result, ending 16 years in power

Hungarian voters on Sunday ousted long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power, rejecting the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement that he embodied in favor of a pro-European challenger.

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Apr 12 • 2:15 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán concedes defeat after 'painful' election result, ending 16 years in power

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán conceded defeat on Sunday after what he called a ″painful″ election result, ending 16 years in power.

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Apr 12 • 2:15 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Polling stations close in pivotal Hungary election that could unseat long-time Prime Minister Orbán

Hungarians cast ballots Sunday in Europe's most consequential election this year, setting a record turnout in a vote that could unseat populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power.

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Apr 12 • 2:15 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Early results in Hungary's election show opposition party leading and Prime Minister Orbán's trailing

Hungarians cast ballots Sunday in Europe's most consequential election this year, setting a record turnout in a vote that could unseat populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power.

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Apr 12 • 2:15 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Polls close in high-stakes Hungarian election as Magyar seeks to oust Orbán

Polls closed with a record-high turnout in Hungary’s crucial general election, with a freshly released survey suggesting Péter Magyar’s insurgent opposition is set to beat...

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Apr 12 • 1:13 PM EDT • Politics • tvpworld.com
Close of polls nears in Hungary's most crucial election in decades

As record numbers of Hungarians head to the polls, the EU is preparing for two scenarios: continued obstruction under Orbán or a victory for Magyar that could reset relations, though Brussels remains cautious about both.

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Apr 12 • 10:58 AM EDT • Politics • euronews.com
Why Ozempic doesn’t work for everyone: Scientists just found a hidden reason

A new study reveals that popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may not work as effectively for about 10% of people due to specific genetic variants. These individuals appear to have a puzzling condition called “GLP-1 resistance,” where their bodies produce higher levels of the hormone targeted by these drugs—but don’t respond to it properly.

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Apr 12 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
New York Jets Flight Connections 04/12/26

Happy Sunday, Jets fans! Here are your links for the last day of this April weekend. Nick Faria – Jets have another potential trade partner in the first round Nick Faria – One line from scout highlights Jets’ real draft ‘plan’ Stefan Stelling – Slipping WR prospect could fall into Jets’ laps at No. 16 […]

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Apr 12 • 7:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Maria Elvira Salazar raises nearly $1M in three months as she gears up for re-election

The South Florida Republican is running for a fourth term in a battleground district.

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Apr 12 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • floridapolitics.com
Hungarians head to polls in crucial election

Pollsters predict a record turnout as EU future is likely at stake.

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Apr 12 • 2:28 AM EDT • Politics • tvpworld.com
Chamber of Commerce Presents Achievement Awards

Event also marked 110th of the chamber’s presence in Oswego [caption id=attachment_10469 align=alignright width=450] Abby Waever and Keara Patterson (in the middle) receive the Community Leadership & Legacy Award, presented to The Alberts Group.[/caption] The Greater Oswego-Fulton Chamber of Commerce (GOFCC) on March 4 hosted its 2026 Annual Meeting, presented by Constellation, at the Lake Ontario Event and Conference Center in Oswego. The event’s theme, Rooted in Community. The meeting celebrated the GOFCC’s 110th anniversary in the Oswego community and 10th anniversary of integration with CenterState CEO. The chamber also unveiled a new logo. “I am proud to say the GOFCC has been a force for business success, growth and opportunity, supporting organizations of every size, connecting neighbors and entrepreneurs and ensuring that every voice in Oswego County is heard,” said GOFCC Executive Director Sara Broadwell. The event featured keynote remarks from Novelis’s Kevin Schutt, vice president, manufacturing and production support at Novelis North America. [caption id=attachment_10454 align=alignright width=450] Maria Hudson of Constellation, holding the award, receives the Nancy L. Premo Woman of Distinction Award.[/caption] The GOFCC recognized the following organizations and individuals with achievement awards: • Oswego County Impact & Excellence Award, presented to Oswego County Office of Mobility Management. This award Honors a small business or nonprofit organization that demonstrates outstanding achievement through innovation, growth and measurable positive impact on Oswego County’s economy or quality of life. • Community Leadership & Legacy Award, presented to The Alberts Group. This award recognizes an individual, business or organization whose long-term leadership, investment or philanthropy has significantly advanced the vitality, resilience and future of Oswego County’s communities. • Nancy L. Premo Woman of Distinction Award, presented to Maria Hudson of Constellation. This award honors a woman in business who has made a meaningful impact on her community, inspired others through her leadership, and exemplified the values of service, integrity and empowerment. This award is presented in tribute to the late Nancy Premo, CenterState CEO’s former vice president of Human Resources.

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Apr 11 • 4:39 PM EDT • Business • oswegocountybusiness.com
“AI polls” are fake polls

A few weeks after Donald Trump’s second presidential win, I took the train up from London (where I was living at the time) to Oxford to attend a conference on polls and forecasts of the 2024 election. Most of the attendees were pollsters or academics, but I also watched presentations from Aaru and Electric Twin, two companies that do what is interchangeably called synthetic sampling, silicon sampling, or synthetic audiences. Stripped of startup jargon, that means they use large language models (LLMs) to simulate responses to public opinion polls by having AI agents take on the role of survey respondents. I had already heard of Aaru thanks to some articles with eye-catching headlines like “No people, no problem: AI chatbots predict elections better than humans” in the months leading up to Election Day. The founders were making some big, some might even say far-fetched claims, such as: “within two years, we will simulate the entire globe — from the way crops are grown in Ukraine to how that impacts production of oil in Iraq, trade through the strait of Malacca, and elections for the mayor of Baltimore.” When Semafor asked Aaru’s cofounders — Cameron Fink and Ned Koh — about my boss, they said “we respect all those who came before us.” Nate (as he so often does) shared his thoughts on Twitter: Fink and Koh were relatively good-natured about this back-and-forth when we spoke at Oxford. They even offered to mail me one of the t-shirts featuring Nate’s quote they apparently had made. I never took them up on the offer, which I now somewhat regret. These synthetic sampling companies fell off my radar for a while, but they do still exist. In fact, Aaru recently received a $1 billion valuation. Is what they’re doing anywhere close to the most important frontier in AI development? Not by a longshot, especially when Anthropic just developed a model so adept at exploiting software vulnerabilities that it’s only being released to 40 companies. Still, silicon sampling is increasingly finding its way into public polling. Axios reported in March that “a majority of people trust their own doctors and nurses” based on findings from Aaru — without mentioning that the “people” in that sentence were actually LLMs. Around the same time, the Public Sentiment Institute “boosted” their online sample of 373 real survey respondents with 114 AI agents.1 (Spoiler alert: even the co-founder of Electric Twin doesn’t think that’s a particularly defensible approach.) Polling companies like Qualtrics and Ipsos are also developing synthetic data panels. So, what should we make of these … “polls”? Let’s get one thing out of the way: whatever they are, they’re not polls in the way that term is usually defined. Subscribe You can’t replace polls with AI On one hand, using LLMs to essentially make up fake survey respondents sort of sounds like the dumbest idea ever, one that will at best imperfectly replicate real polls while introducing all sorts of biases. On the other hand, with LLMs improving at a remarkable, perhaps even alarming rate, maybe that means I’m a dinosaur at the ripe old age of 24 because I still want to rely on polls that talk to actual people. I’m not going to argue that synthetic samples are completely useless. In fact, as I’ll return to later, there is evidence that some techniques can replicate topline survey results quickly and cheaply. But the marketing from certain companies can be slightly optimistic. “No traditional poll will exist by the time the next general election occurs,” said Fink in 2024. We’re just 206 days away from the midterms, and based on the fact that I still have to collect a bunch of polls every day, I’d say he should have run that prediction by a sample of AI agents before the interview.2 To see why synthetic samples can’t replace polls, here’s a quick primer on how they work. The simplest version of these models involves taking a LLM (like ChatGPT or Claude), giving it a demographic profile (e.g., a white, college-educated woman who lives in Utah and makes $70k a year), and then asking it to respond to a survey question. You repeat that process a few thousand times using different demographic profiles and end up with a sample of synthetic survey responses. The actual models used by private companies are more sophisticated than this, usually because they incorporate more hypothesized demographic characteristics for each agent and provide them with extra information. Aaru, for example, feeds agents a diet of news and information they’d be likely to consume, while Electric Twin incorporates their customers’ proprietary data about the audience they’re trying to replicate. The way Ben Warner, the co-founder of Electric Twin, explained it to me was “we have a large amount of data on […] for instance, 5,000 people. Can we make an accurate prediction of how they would respond to another question?” Still, it should be obvious why synthetic samples can’t replace polls. Polling is fundamentally a data collection process. We might use surveys to make predictions by feeding them into election forecasts, but the main purpose of a poll isn’t prediction, it’s gathering new data about what people think and how they feel. Silicon sampling, on the other hand, produces no new data. It’s simply a model: you input LLM training data, demographic prompts, and a bunch of other information, and it spits out a prediction for what a poll would say. We love models here, but models aren’t polls. That difference is an important philosophical sticking point for most pollsters I talk to. “I think politics should stay away from [synthetic sampling], because we’re trying to […] represent the voice of the people,” said Natalie Jackson, a vice president at GQR Insights. Democratic pollster John Hagner told me: “I think I’m just incredibly skeptical of this idea. I don’t think it’s research. At that point, you’re asking the machine to tell you what you already believe.” Hagner has seen some presentations of early synthetic sampling experiments, but so far, “if it’s being used in a campaign, people are keeping it incredibly quiet.”3 But Eli, I hear you saying, aren’t polls themselves increasingly governed by modeling decisions? Indeed they are: pollsters’ choices on which sampling method to use, how to define their likely voter models, and how to weight their samples can and do lead to dramatic differences in the results they publish. Aaru even referenced these limitations in the methodology statement included with that maternal mortality “poll” — although I’m using the term “methodology statement” loosely here, because it doesn’t really explain how the model works at all. We can ignore the (frankly preposterous) implication that synthetic sampling isn’t subject to a separate set of biases. The important point is that there’s still a meaningful difference between using weighting and other statistical techniques on actual polling data and using a model to predict what a poll would say. The latter is far closer to election forecasts or techniques like MRP — potentially useful models, but not a replacement for polls.4 To be fair, other synthetic sampling companies are perfectly happy with the distinction between polls and models. Warner compared polling and synthetic sampling to different tools in a toolbox. “The mistake I think we make is we think that these new tools should either work in exactly the same way or somehow replace these old tools,” he said. “Rather than thinking of it as, okay, so we’ve always had the hammer, we’ve always had the screwdriver, now we’ve got a saw. But don’t use a saw to try [to] do the job of a hammer.” A quick comment from Nate Eli didn’t ask me for a comment — rather rude of him, don’t you think? But since I’m editing this story, I figured I’d add a few quick thoughts rather than putting words in his mouth. Beyond the frequently misleading marketing, what bothers me about the AI “poll” hype is that as AI tools make statistical inference cheaper and/or better (note that these are not synonyms) that actually increases the comparative value of collecting original data. You might be able to train a model to make a reasonable estimate of what some hard-to-reach poll respondent would say — say, a young Black man who voted for Trump. (Such a person checks a number of boxes for a voter who is usually hard to reach in surveys.) Indeed, this is closely related to what models like the Silver Bulletin forecast already do. They essentially smooth out the kinks in noisy survey data by making inferences based on past voting patterns or national polls or surveys of other states. But you don’t actually know what these voters think unless you’re reaching them directly. If there’s a shift in opinion among this subgroup, you’re not going to detect it. So if I were running a campaign, I’d invest more in going the extra mile to find a representative sample of those voters. And then I’d hire some smart quants — or Claude? — to figure out the implications for campaign strategy based on proprietary data that my competitors didn’t have access to. -Nate Silver Are these models any good? If synthetic surveys are just a new type of model, the next obvious question is whether the models are at least accurate. The answer very much depends on who you ask. On one end of the spectrum, you have the maximalist argument that synthetic sampling is more accurate than actual polls. “It’s an incredibly challenging problem to go to someone and say ‘hey, we’re going to be more accurate at predicting human behavior than you, even when you talk to your customers directly’,” Koh recently told CNBC. In his view, synthetic sampling isn’t a saw to polling’s hammer, it’s “magic.” There’s certainly evidence that synthetic samples can replicate certain survey toplines. But if Aaru does have any examples of their approach outperforming the polls, they’re keeping those to themselves.5 Aaru’s 2024 election model, for example, had Kamala Harris leading in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin on November 4th. And although they’ve since taken down their forecast page, they gave Harris a 50.5 percent chance of winning the race on November 2nd.6 After the election, Fink told Semafor he was happy enough with those results because they were “within margin of error,” a term that is completely meaningless when applied to a “sample” of AI agents. And of course, Aaru says their models have improved since 2024, so supposedly now they’d be more accurate than the polls? Still, their stronger argument is on cost: “We are significantly faster and cheaper than traditional polling, and still more accurate,” said Fink. The first two claims are undeniably true, but the third brings us to the opposite end of the spectrum. Both Jackson and Hagner are skeptical that these models are reliable for anything beyond replicating common survey toplines. “I just […] don’t think the machines are what we want when we’re looking for nuanced views. My example on this is people in Arizona and Nevada in 2024 who voted for Trump and voted for expanding abortion in their states on ballot initiatives,” said Jackson. Hagner identified another issue. Maybe the synthetic respondents, like sycophantic LLMs, are inhuman in one important way: they’re too nice. “The reports that have come through at the meetings that I’ve been at are that the early experiments on this, they cannot get respondents to be as racist or sexist or, frankly, as negative as human respondents,” he said. Academic research mostly agrees on this point. While there are some papers that show promising results when using LLMs to replicate polling data, most show that LLMs suffer from various quirks like producing too few “don’t know” responses and can seriously overpredict the favorability of politicians like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. They also seem to struggle with too little variation between demographic subgroups, so the difference in predicted opinion between Democrats and Republicans, for example, is too small. When I asked Warner about these studies, his response to these papers was that just because academics can’t get synthetic sampling to work doesn’t mean that the technique doesn’t work in general. “Actually, the argument is, okay, yours does not [work]. That does not mean […] for this complex set of machinery, which uses a lot of investment, a lot of time, a lot of money, you can’t get it to work.” Cards on the table, I’m somewhat sympathetic to this argument because academics aren’t exactly great at making election forecasts. Usually, the people with skin in the game are the most accurate. Warner’s argument is that the approach Electric Twin takes — which includes, for example, making multiple predictions for each synthetic respondent using different models and prompts and subsequently averaging those to get a final prediction in a sort of ensemble forecast — produces better results than the simpler academic models. Warner shared a comparison between his method and the method from a recent academic paper with me, and Electric Twin was indeed able to get more accurate replication. But even still, he acknowledged that synthetic sampling “is not a crystal ball.” “If you asked me, do I think using other data sources will be more accurate than asking somebody who they will vote for, I would probably say no. But if you asked me ‘would your system be useful for our turnout modeling today?’ I would say yes.” For better or worse, it looks like the method is already getting more popular in the market research world. Most of the clients Aaru touts these days are businesses like EY and McDonald’s. And AI will probably begin to pop up in other parts of the political polling process. Pollsters are already using it to code open-ended survey responses, and some firms, like YouGov, are testing using LLMs to ask survey respondents questions. More worryingly, one danger to actual polls is that AI agents can be used to infiltrate online surveys. Most online polls use various checks to prevent that from happening, but there’s conflicting evidence on how effective those filters are and how prevalent AI agents currently are in online panels. If those agents ever become impossible to detect, it might spell the end of online polling, but the solution isn’t to replace all of your respondents with ChatGPT. Silver Bulletin is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber. Subscribe 1 That particular poll obviously doesn’t meet Silver Bulletin standards for aggregation. But we exclude all Public Sentiment Institute polls from our averages because we classify them as an amateur polling firm. 2 You could argue that Fink meant the next presidential election, but (a) I’m also confident we’ll still have real polls in 2028 and (b) in that case he should have asked an LLM to define “general election.” 3 Quick caveat: that’s reporting from a Democratic pollster. It’s possible that Republicans are more willing to use AI in political campaigns. 4 Indeed, Silver Bulletin does not include “polls” produced by MRP in our forecasts or averages, and we think it’s extremely misleading when their practitioners describe them in a way that suggests original data had been collected among a large number of states or Congressional districts. 5 A recent report from Aaru and EY did show two examples of a synthetic estimate being closer than a survey to a real-world benchmark — but I’d take those findings with a grain of salt because the report reads more like an ad and didn’t involve any sort of prediction being made ahead of time. 6 For comparison, our odds for Harris on the same day were 48.2 percent.

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Apr 11 • 11:38 AM EDT • Technology • natesilver.net
Hungary’s Viktor Orban struggling for political survival ahead of vote

Hungarian prime minister and his Fidesz party ‌face first closely contested polls in Sunday's parliamentary election.

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Apr 11 • 8:04 AM EDT • Politics • aljazeera.com
Hungarian election could end Orbán's grip on power and alter Europe's political landscape
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Apr 10 • 6:40 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Alamo Drafthouse showing 'The Pitt' finale free for health care workers

Ten Alamo Drafthouse locations are hosting free screenings of "The Pitt" Season 2 finale on Monday, April 13. Limited tickets are available online.

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Apr 10 • 4:30 PM EDT • Health • usatoday.com
Viktor Orbán Could Actually Lose Sunday’s Hungarian Election

The Hungarian leader faces an energized opposition—and questions about whether he would accept defeat.

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Apr 10 • 12:15 PM EDT • Politics • theatlantic.com
Adaptive sports program visits Southern Arizona P.E. classes, wheelchairs in tow

When her class moved outside for P.E., special education teacher Tiffani Jaseph saw the excitement. After coaches and players from Adaptive Sports In Schools, or ASIS, unloaded dozens of wheelchairs at Copper View Elementary in the Sahuarita School District, they told students about racing the chairs and playing wheelchair basketball. Jaseph saw the difference in […]

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Apr 10 • 9:00 AM EDT • Sports • azluminaria.org
WHO Says Iran Health System Is in Crisis, Commits $800,000 Emergency Funds

The World Health Organization released $800,000 from its emergency contingency fund to support the health response in Iran. Hanan Balkhy, a regional director for the United Nations agency, welcomed the current cease-fire but warned the health crisis in Iran was ongoing. “Humanitarian and health nee

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Apr 10 • 8:17 AM EDT • Health • wsj.com
Whole Hog Politics: Vance’s Hungarian gambit

[Watch Whole Hog Politics live: Join us today at 9 a.m. EDT at TheHill.com as Chris Stirewalt and host Bill Sammon break down this week’s political news and answer questions from a live online audi…

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Apr 10 • 8:00 AM EDT • Politics • thehill.com
Divorce boom may follow use of Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs, experts warn

Research suggests GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy could double divorce risk, mirroring trends seen in bariatric surgery patients, experts say.

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Apr 9 • 4:13 PM EDT • Health • foxnews.com
Mariano urges business leaders to make a deal on income tax cut

House Speaker Ron Mariano appealed to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce on Thursday for help in preventing the tax-cut question from reaching the ballot.

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Apr 9 • 3:01 PM EDT • Business • bostonglobe.com
Masters 2026 leaderboard, tee times, how to watch: 60-year-old Jose Maria Olazabal turning back the clock
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Apr 9 • 12:24 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Iran’s Reality Shatters JD Vance’s Hungarian Fantasy

If what mattered most in the world was the political future of JD Vance, this would be a very good week. The US vice president gave a rousing speech in support of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a model leader for the global conservative right, while at the same time helping his boss toward the off-ramp from an unpopular war with Iran.

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Apr 9 • 12:00 AM EDT • Politics • bloomberg.com
UNITE HERE shakes up NC politics: A conversation with Maria Hernandez

This spring, UNITE HERE Local 23 played a key role in unseating conservative Democrats and replacing them with progressive candidates in North Carolina's primary elections. An active member of Local 23 in Charlotte spoke with Facing South about how they mobilized voters amid a climate of fear.

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Apr 8 • 4:56 PM EDT • Politics • facingsouth.org
Maria Lazar on her 2026 election loss and judicial politics

Maria Lazar on losing the 2026 race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

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Apr 8 • 3:34 PM EDT • Politics • pbswisconsin.org
☹️ Negative (-75%)
PrideFest celebrates their 30th anniversary with five stages of entertainment

PrideFest celebrates their 30th anniversary with five stages of entertainment

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Apr 8 • 12:30 PM EDT • Entertainment • onmilwaukee.com
Databricks co-founder wins prestigious ACM award, says 'AGI is here already'

Matei Zaharia has won the top honor from the Association for Computing Machinery. Now he's working on AI for research and says AGI is simply misunderstood.

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Apr 8 • 11:00 AM EDT • Technology • techcrunch.com
MAGA’s favorite strongman might be on the brink of defeat

We’re about to find out whether an authoritarian can lose at the ballot box.

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Apr 8 • 11:00 AM EDT • Politics • vox.com
Maria Semple on living in New York, new novel ‘Go Gentle’

Author and former Seattle resident Maria Semple spoke with us ahead of an event at Town Hall Seattle on April 18.

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Apr 7 • 5:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • yakimaherald.com
Wisconsin Supreme Court

Two state appeals court judges, Chris Taylor and Maria Lazar, are running to replace retiring conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley on Wisconsin’s highest court.

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Apr 7 • 4:05 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
'They are literally everywhere': The shocking story of how forever chemicals polluted the world

Live Science spoke with Mariah Blake, an investigative journalist and author of the book "They Poisoned The World," about one of the greatest corporate scandals in history.

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Apr 7 • 3:58 PM EDT • Science • livescience.com
Miller-Meeks Leads Rural Health Transformation Program Roundtable in Washington County

WASHINGTON, IA – U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) convened her third Rural Hospital Roundtable with Iowa HHS, and leaders from hospitals across Southeast Iowa to discuss the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, and the impact it will have in Iowa.

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Apr 7 • 3:14 PM EDT • Health • millermeeks.house.gov
Spencer Pratt runs as ‘angry taxpayer’ in LA mayor race: ‘I am not a politician’

Los Angeles mayoral candidate and former TV star Spencer Pratt joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to sound off on crime, homelessness and voter frustration, while outlining his bid to unseat Mayor Karen Bass.

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Apr 7 • 10:33 AM EDT • Politics • foxbusiness.com
😐 Neutral (10%)
wow
67%
ahah
33%
Nate Diaz rejected bigger UFC offer for Netflix MMA return

Nate Diaz chose to accept a lower payday than the UFC’s offer for his upcoming return to fighting, Nakisa Bidarian has confirmed. Diaz walked away from the UFC back in September 2022 after a long, tense stretch with the company and made his first move into boxing against Jake Paul.

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Apr 7 • 9:18 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
New Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 leak reveals something unexpected

According a new report about the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2, it may also be available in 4G/LTE connectivity option, alongside the 5G variant.

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Apr 7 • 8:18 AM EDT • Technology • sammobile.com
Iowa's Miller-Meeks noncommittal on spending cuts to fund Iran war

US Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks says she would "look very carefully" at proposed spending cuts to fund the U.S. war with Iran while touting tax cuts.

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Apr 7 • 7:26 AM EDT • Politics • desmoinesregister.com
🙂 Positive (31%)
angry
67%
wow
33%
Google Photos finally adds a feature users have been demanding for years

Google Photos is finally rolling out variable video playback speeds on Android, allowing users to adjust speeds from 0.25x to 2x.

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Apr 7 • 4:46 AM EDT • Technology • androidauthority.com