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Gemini for macOS rolling out voice control and Gboard Rambler-level transcription
After previewing at I/O 2026 in May, Gemini for macOS is now rolling out advanced voice control capabilities.
Google Will Let Mac Users Talk To Gemini Simply By Pressing The 'Fn' Key
Users only have to long-press the ‘fn’ key on the bottom left corner of their keyboard to talk to Gemini on Mac.
Get in the game: Delta, DraftKings bring sports fandom to new heights
Delta and DraftKings are bringing a new kind of sports experience onboard: SkyPicks, a free-to-play sports knowledge contest built for fans who want to do more than just watch. SkyMiles Members (ages 21 and up) can make sports prediction picks and play to win Delta gift cards – no betting, deposit functionality, buy-in, miles or financial risk involved. It’s one more way Delta is becoming the home for sports fandom in the sky.
Sapphire Intros Radeon RX 9050 8GB Pulse Graphics Card
Sapphire today introduced its Radeon RX 9050 Pulse 8 GB graphics card. Based on a compacted variant of its RX 9060 XT Pulse board design, the card forms AMD's new entry-level in the RX 9000 series generation of GPUs powered by RDNA 4 graphics architecture. AMD carved the RX 9050 out of the 4 nm...
Why ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ director turned down film twice
As the first trailer for ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ drops, director Gina Prince-Bythewood shares why it took three offers to get her on board.
The Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce is on the hunt for its next CEO
The Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce is preparing to search for a new CEO following the resignation of April Wehrs, who led the organization for 15 years. The chamber’s board plans to hire a… Already an INSIDER? Sign in. Already an INSIDER? Sign in
Exclusive | Immigrant-led business group votes to sue NYC over Mamdani's taxpayer-funded grocery stores, alleging unfair competition
The board of an immigrant led business group is preparing to sue New York City over its plan to open five subsidized grocery stores that will undercut existing food stores in the neighborhood, The...
Downtown Bend business district transitioning to new board and director
The Downtown Bend Business District is in transition. Its executive director and three board members are stepping down, as property owners vote for seven new board members this week. The […]
Despite all the upgrades, Galaxy S27 Ultra will likely miss out in two key areas
Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S27 series in February next year with a host of improvements across the board. The Galaxy S27 Ultra and the Galaxy S27 Pro will get the most attention, but it looks like they will still miss out on faster RAM and storage.
Here’s how the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative got politicians from both parties on board
In a time of political polarization, it’s easy to forget that the vast majority of Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs — 80% or more, depending on the poll — value environmental conservation. One success story is the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
‘Money Out of Politics’ proposal in Michigan moves closer to November ballot
The Michigan Board of State Canvassers voted 3-1 Friday to certify the ballot drive.
Fight over anti-corporate spending initiative brings in big money
The filings came three days after the Board of State Canvassers certified the measure, which means it will appear on the November ballot unless the Legislature adopts the bill first.
Antibiotic recalled after cardboard particles found in solution
Patients given the drug in question could face an increased risk of blood vessel blockages or inflammation.
Nanoleaf’s colorful pegboard and shelf kit is half off
They sync with movies, games, and music too.
Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling and Alex Rose: Allegheny County has a public health crisis. Paid parental leave can change that.
Since the Allegheny County Board of Health first introduced the paid parental leave proposal on May 13, there’s been an outpouring of public engagement on the topic. People from across the county have packed public hearings, sharing some of the most intensely personal stories you could imagine about their experiences
Eddie Smith transfers Grady-White Boats to nonprofit ownership
Grady-White Boats owner Eddie Smith, 83, has transferred ownership of the company’s voting stock to a trust that will ensure the company remains independent and will operate in concert with his values, he told the New York Times.
Bringing Students to the Scientific Frontier
From boats to hikes, lecture halls to dorms, the Frontiers of Science Institute brings high schoolers on a hands-on learning experience like no other.
UW-Eau Claire’s newest academic building named ‘Riverside Science Center’
It comes after approval by the UW System Board of Regents.
Commentary: Will Illinois meet the moment to rein in data centers and save us from skyrocketing power bills?
It’s time for policymakers to make Big Tech pay for the costs they cause, writes the executive director of the Citizens Utility Board.
Bulgarella to serve on governing board of nation’s leading academic medicine association
Bulgarella to serve on governing board of nation’s leading academic medicine association
A Colorado history lesson for Victor Marx
Victor Marx, who narrowly won the Republican nomination for governor by one half 1% after boasting of a massive 44-point lead, is just as misguided on Colorado political history. During the primary, Marx made a clumsy attempt to denigrate his opponent, state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, as a “great candidate for the 1990s” whom he would […]
India's HDFC Bank finds employees' conduct in deposit pricing matter was business overreach, not misconduct
India's HDFC Bank said on Monday its board concluded employees involved in the deposit pricing of an Indian state agency had engaged in business overreach, rather than acting for personal gains or with any improper motive.
Fertitta Entertainment’s buyout of Caesars progresses
Fertitta’s $17.6B all-cash Caesars deal advances after a Nevada Gaming Board hearing.
Follow the Money: UK trustees keep giving big to Beshear
FRANKFORT – Ruth Day contributed another $15,000 to the Kentucky Democratic Party on June 16, ten days before Gov. Andy Beshear appointed her to the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees.
How to pitch the business case for sustainability and actually get companies on board
What entrepreneurs should understand is that sustainability applied early can give a company a big competitive advantage.
Phoenix Suns’ Starting Lineup Continues To Be Underrated
Despite landing Miles Bridges and boasting Devin Booker’s elite playmaking, critics rank Phoenix’s revamped starting five in the league's bottom third, fueling intense debate over their true potential.
4 Takeaways From Corey Heim's Masterful Brickyard 400 Win
It's Heim Time once again as Corey Heim earned his second victory of the season — this time winning the famed Brickyard 400.
Science & Medicine: Spinal cord injury and walking again
Selina Morgan holds a doctorate in physical therapy, a board certification in neurological physical therapy, and is an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at UT Health San Antonio. She believes that there are thousands of people out there in wheelchairs who don’t have to be.
Austin businesses claim ‘confusing’ waterway ban submerges summer profits
The Commodore churns its paddles into Lake Austin without moving. Parked by the Tom Miller dam, the steamboat couldn’t depart for any voyage Saturday. READ MORE: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-businesses-claim-confusing-waterway-ban-submerges-summer-profits/
Austin businesses claim ‘confusing’ waterway ban submerges summer profits
The Commodore churns its paddles into Lake Austin without moving. Parked by the Tom Miller dam, the steamboat couldn’t depart for any voyage Saturday.
Galaxy Watch 9 vs. Apple Watch Series 11: Fitness Flagships Compared
Samsung's newest general purpose smartwatch boasts better battery life and a faster processor, but how does it compare to Apple's mainline watch?
‘Absentee’ board stirs recall question
Under NRS 116.31036, associations can recall or remove board members with or without cause.
Lenovo launches new Legion magnetic keyboard with 8,000mAh battery, 8K polling rate, and all-aluminum design
Lenovo has launched the Legion R7 RT75 magnetic keyboard in China. Featuring all the latest features like rapid trigger and SOCD, the new 75% keeb packs a massive 8,000 mAh battery, an 8K polling rate, and a built-in display in an all-aluminum frame.
10 Desk Gadgets That Just Work
From smart speakers and mechanical keyboards to webcams and battery backups, these practical, effective desk gadgets make every workday more productive.
Roster Rankings: Do Dallas Cowboys Boast NFL's Best 'Triplets'?
Traverse City teacher sets sail on Great Lakes research boat
A science teacher at The Pathfinder School was one of two Michigan teachers selected for a week-long trip aboard the Environmental Protection Agency's largest research vessel traveling across Lake Superior.
Governance committee proposal advances after lengthy debate at North Shore Health
The North Shore Health Hospital board debated forming a governance committee during its July 23 meeting. After a half-hour of debate, the board voted to form a pilot committee to evaluate the appropriate nature of a governance committee made up of two board members and appropriate members of the public. The motion comes after a...
Inside a 25-Day Ocean Science Mission
At sea, their days will begin in darkness.Before dawn, Rutgers oceanographers Joe Gradone and Corday Selden expect to be on deck aboard the research vessel Falkor (too), preparing instruments, reviewing data and directing the first collection of water samples of the day. Gradone and Selden will serve as co-chief scientists on a 25-day expedition in the Atlantic Ocean supported by Schmidt Ocean Institute.
Election board allows money-out-of-politics initiative to move forward
The Michigan Board of State Canvassers has determined the "Michiganders for Money Out of Politics" campaign to ban some companies from making political donations has gathered just enough signatures from registered voters to move ahead.
‘Money out of politics’ proposal cleared for Michigan ballot
A group seeking to ban political spending by regulated utilities and large state contractors submitted enough signatures to put its proposal on Michigan’s general election ballot, a bipartisan board determined Friday.
State canvassers finds Michigan’s ‘Money out of Politics’ effort has sufficient valid signatures
Valid signatures for the Michiganders for Money Out Of Politics ballot petition were determined to be sufficient on Friday after a close call by the Board of State Canvassers. However, the board must still determine if the wording of the proposed petition meets legal standards.
Executive Turntable: Sphere & Fender Name New Chief Communications Officers
This week's Executive Turntable column includes Chris Palmer's elevation at Triple Tiger Records, Timo Hoffman joining Frontiers Label Group and more music industry promotions and hires.
💣The Athletic: Real Madrid working to sign Rodri
Real Madrid are moving firmly ahead with their squad planning and are working on the assumption that Rodri Hernández will become their new signing during this transfer window. Although the boards of ...
Owen Foster stepping down as chair of state’s most powerful healthcare regulator
His tenure has been defined by a harder line on reining in hospital budgets and insurance premium increases. He plans to stay on as a board member.
Tepper's $1.3B stadium project could help pave way for Super Bowl in Charlotte
Tepper's investment coincides with the team announcing extension of a stadium naming rights deal with Bank of America.
Peptide boom has states scrambling to protect consumers, Post investigation finds
The Post surveyed states’ pharmacy, medical and nursing boards to reveal the gaping regulatory holes for medspas and peptides.
Partisan school board candidates must check their politics at the school door
Indiana school board candidates may affiliate with a political party in November. The winners, however, must check their politics at the school door.
Kaiser mental health workers take AI fight to San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Outdoor dining and entertainment proposed for The Links at Valley Fields
The Links at Valley Fields golf course could soon get an upgraded restaurant with outdoor dining and music, modified lighting, and improved netting to prevent golf balls from rolling off the course if the Planning Board approves a final site plan for the changes along with with an acoustic study that measures decibels for the music.
Labor board certifies union election at SSM Health St. Mary's in Madison
The National Labor Relations Board has certified the union election for hundreds of nurses at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison.
Landlords sue Rent Guidelines Board over rent freeze
The landlords in the lawsuit want a judge to void the freeze.
Seahawks At Camp: Offense Craving Offensive 'Balance' Under New Coach
The Seahawks boast a good receiver room led by Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but Seattle can't be a one-trick pony.
Corporation aims to boost MSU sports revenue. Should it operate in secret?
MSU’s secrecy around Spartan Media Ventures, a new for-profit corporation formed to raise money for sports programs, has some concerned — including members of the university’s own Board of Trustees.
Nun detained by ICE while walking to Mass says many are in her situation
Sister Leticia Ugboaja was released several hours after being detained by ICE on June 28 while walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen.
State board to look at MI Money Out of Politics signatures
A bipartisan state elections board meets Friday to decide if the campaign to ban political committees linked to utilities and public contractors has gathered enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
Eagles Get More Bulletin-Board Material Ahead of 2026 Season
The Philadelphia Eagles are the two-time reigning NFC East champs, and are just 18 months removed from the Super Bowl. The Eagles were 11-6 in 2025, a three-game drop off from the 2024 season where they won 14 games and defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX. Plus, Philadelphia fell 23-19 to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round.
Maxwell: Dear Lord, protect us from politicians who politick in your name
Maxwell: God on her side? An Orange County school board candidate who has waged campaigns to ban books and end pride celebrations says that, if she wins, it will show that ‘God always gets the victory’
Encompass Health increases and declares dividend on common stock
/PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) today announced that its board of directors approved an increase of $0.02 in the Company's quarterly...
Venice Lesbian Drama 'Big Little Things' Boards Moebius for Sales
Moebius Entertainment boards worldwide sales for Michelle Zhou's Venice Horizons title 'Big Little Things.'
Michelle Zhou’s Venice Horizons Title ‘Big Little Things’ Boarded By Moebius Entertainment For Sales
The Hong Kong-US collaboration follows a woman who returns to her hometown of Harbin after years living in the US.
All Wet Sports closing after 24 years in Jacksonville
After more than two decades of introducing Jacksonville residents to the joys of paddling, windsurfing and wakeboarding, All Wet Sports is closing its doors.
CDC reveals massive behind-the-scenes public health operation that kept FIFA World Cup fans safe
The CDC operated behind the scenes during the FIFA World Cup, deploying disease surveillance, wastewater monitoring, and real-time data dashboards.
World Cup betting in U.S. equivalent of '10 Super Bowls'
Sportsbooks and technology providers across the United States sports betting industry report that this year's World Cup produced record handle for a soccer tournament across the board and even rivaled other major prolonged sporting events.
Weekend Departure Preps Continue as Crew Works Science, Spacesuits
Three Expedition 74 crew members are nearing the end of their stay aboard the International Space Station handing over mission responsibilities and packing up cargo for return to Earth. Science hardware, lab maintenance, and spacesuits kept the rest of the crew busy aboard the orbital outpost.
Commissioners Grant LGRC $50,000 for Recovery House, Mental Health Board Provides Opioid Fund Updates
Three months after Geauga County awarded its first opioid settlement fund grants, Geauga Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services Executive Director Christine Lakomiak met with Geauga County Commissioners to provide updates and discuss the program’s future. Under an agreement with the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office, $100,000 annually from the county’s opioid settlement funds is
iOS 27 adds convenient new iPhone feature you’ll use all the time
One of my favorite iOS 27 features so far is a convenient addition for quickly pasting items from the iPhone clipboard. Here’s how it works.
Governor Moore Announces Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Board of Trustees Appoints Johanna Fabian-Marks as Executive Director
Maryland Health Benefit Exchange Board of Trustees Appoints Johanna Fabian-Marks as Executive Director
Esteemed Alumnus Brian Ruane Named Chair of the Zarb School of Business Dean's Advisory Board | News
Hofstra University's Frank G. Zarb School of Business has appointed Brian Ruane, MBA, ’97, senior executive vice president and head of Global Clearing,
Sports, more staff could be on chopping block
Sports could be on the chopping block, along with additional staff members, if voters reject the Jackson County Central School District’s tax levy referendum again this fall. Members of the JCC Board of Education discussed the upcoming referendum — and what might have to happen if it doesn’t pass — at a work session last
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
Scientists attach cameras to whale sharks, capturing how the world’s biggest fish hunts like never before
For decades, marine scientists have watched whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), the world’s biggest fish, from boats and while snorkelling. They could only catch glimpses of the world’s largest fish gliding through tropical waters.
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."
The battle for Congress gets a Wall Street-style scoreboard powered by real-money bets
Kalshi's new Midterms Hub combines live prediction markets with polling, fundraising data and historical results to track House, Senate and governor races.
Harmful algae bloom leads to health advisory for T. Howard Duckett Reservoir
Recreational areas will stay open, and boating and fishing will still be allowed, but cyanobacteria can bring risks.
Union County Means Business Expo Returns September 9 at Kean University
The Union County Board of County Commissioners invites local business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals to attend the 2026 Union County Means Business Expo on Wednesday, September 9, from 5:0…
Journey star Jonathan Cain demands Bruce Springsteen 'shut up,' act like he was born in the USA
Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain urged Bruce Springsteen to "shut up" about politics on stage, calling the rocker an "annoying, bitter old man."
Moebius Entertainment boards ‘Happily Ever After’ ahead of ...
The cast includes Shuhua, the Taiwanese singer from K-pop group i-dle, in her feature debut.
Marketplace Insurance Enrollment Dashboard
Explore Kansas marketplace health insurance enrollment by county, district and region to better understand access statewide.
Sigcho-Lopez, Macías Failed to Qualify for 4th District Congressional Race: Elections Board
If the board’s decision stands, Patty García will have a much smoother path to replacing U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, her former boss, in Congress.
Teresa Jacobs to depart Orange County politics after decades of service
Jacobs, 69, was first elected to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners in 2000 and has served as county mayor and school board chair in the decades since.
Business, boaters, and wildlife hit by Erewash Canal closures
Part of the canal shut at the end of June due to low water levels, and remains closed.
Highland Square business district owners to pay for extra security, beautification projects
With a majority of property owners on board, Akron City Council passed legislation that pushes the Special Improvement District forward.
Family stresses need for mental health resources after man's accused of killing his aunt
Columbus family members said they're morning two people - a woman who died and the man accused of killing her."It's just tragedy across the board, you know?,"
4 Takeaways From Alex Palou's Win At Hot Nashville
Alex Palou outlasted a frustrated Josef Newgarden, while David Malukas recovered from injury for a strong finish. Here are takeaways from Nashville.
4 Android Phones With Physical Keyboards You Can Buy In 2026
Some Android phones that have physical keyboard include the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite, Clicks Communicator, Minimal Phone, and Ikko MindOne Pro.
The one East Coast coastal town I visit every year: Bethany Beach
Bethany Beach, Delaware, is my family's favorite beach town along the East Coast that offers a quaint atmosphere, stunning boardwalk, and great food.
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.
Wisconsin Health Executive Thomas Westrick to join Morgridge board
Thomas Westrick, a Milwaukee-based veteran executive who most recently led GE Healthcare’s Patient Care Solutions segment, has been elected to the Morgridge Institute for Research Board of Trustees.
Pittsburgh jobs for 7/20/26: Kamin Science Center, Mt. Lebanon School District, Aramark and more
Check the NEXT Job Board every Monday for the latest job openings in a variety of industries across the Pittsburgh area.
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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