Search headlines

Kick for the Spectrum tournament blends sports with support for special needs

Dozens of people participated in the Kick for the Spectrum futsal tournament on a breezy, sunny Chicago Saturday. Most of the day was filled with friendly commotion. But when it came down to the championship game, intensity rose as players fought over whether a team’s goal should count. DePaul sophomore Ante Radocaj organized Kick for...

May 4 • 10:40 AM EDT • Sports • depauliaonline.com

Chicago's best restaurants for business 2026

Whether you're looking for a power lunch, a steakhouse splurge or a cocktail that extends the conversation, we’ve got you covered.

May 4 • 9:45 AM EDT • Business • chicagobusiness.com

Ubisoft's Mark Rubin Discusses Possibility of XDefiant Returning

XDefiant could end up as the one that got away, and the game's executive producer has opened up on whether the Ubisoft shooter could return.

May 4 • 9:25 AM EDT • Technology • insider-gaming.com

Transitions in Health Insurance Status Following Initiation of Dialysis by Modality

Researchers examined whether dialysis modality affected patients' likelihood to experience an insurance transition.

May 4 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • docwirenews.com

Debate to explore whether the U.S. scientific enterprise is too risk-averse

Panelists will consider how longstanding funding structures and institutional incentives shape the kind of research that gets pursued—and the possibilities left behind

May 4 • 7:00 AM EDT • Science • hub.jhu.edu

Yerevan and the end of Europe’s comfortable politics

The EPC will not be judged by attendance or declarations. It will be judged by whether it can translate political proximity into coordinated action

May 4 • 12:00 AM EDT • Politics • euractiv.com

C.J. Stroud Not Expected to Give Discount on Second Contract

As Houston’s franchise cornerstone nears a massive extension, league executives predict a high-stakes standoff where market leverage—not just performance—dictates whether Stroud becomes the NFL's next highest-paid player.

May 3 • 8:11 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Healthy workers are ditching company insurance to save $1,000 a month

With premiums rising 6% in 2025 for company family plans alongside the growing cost of living, some workers are questioning whether their benefits are worth the cost.

May 3 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • seattletimes.com

‘Duck Dynasty’: Willie & Korie Robertson’s Son Rowdy Makes Rare Appearance

Plus, John Luke decides whether or not to finish college.

May 2 • 11:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • laconiadailysun.com

Fargo physicist says Bluetooth headphones pose no health risk

Whether hitting the gym, walking the dog, or hopping on a bike, many people are wearing headphones. But with Bluetooth technology more popular than ever, some are asking if wireless headphones are actually safe.

May 2 • 8:53 PM EDT • Health • valleynewslive.com

‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field

‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field ‘The reality, for better or worse’: Columbia comp sci students and faculty grapple with AI’s disruption of the field A field that once seemed like a direct path to stable, lucrative work is becoming less certain under AI, students and faculty told Spectator. By Ria Vasishtha and Arjun Menon May 3, 2026 Shanying Liu / Deputy Illustrations Editor Asia Genawi, SEAS ’29, first encountered artificial intelligence during her sophomore year at her high school in Indiana. Back in 2023, policies on AI varied widely—even within the same district—and some schools had no guidance at all. As Genawi began to see the effects of AI trickle into her classroom, she turned to guidance from her home state’s Department of Education, which she said she found “outdated and inaccessible.” Genawi spent the rest of her high school career dedicated to the issue, including writing a 15-page memo exploring varying AI policies across Indiana schools, which she sent to every Indiana state senator and representative whose contact information she was able to find. She later helped draft a bill that would have required public high schools to establish and share their own AI policies with students in an accessible format. But with so many other bills already awaiting referral, hers never made it to committee. When Genawi arrived at Columbia to study computer science, she found that the gaps she had spent years trying to address in Indiana had followed her there. Many students and professors were also grappling with what AI meant for the field. Across Columbia’s undergraduate schools, computer science has become the most popular major—accounting for around 11 percent of degrees awarded in Columbia College, 32 percent in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and 12 percent in the School of General Studies in 2024. While the number of computer science majors in SEAS grew from 166 to 173 during the 2024-25 academic year, the total number across the three schools fell around 4.5 percent from 393 to 375, driven by declines at Columbia College and General Studies. At Barnard, it has grown to become the second most popular major as of 2025, up from third the year prior. The number of degrees awarded have grown fivefold since 2016. Faculty members and students in the department told Spectator that the surge in the major’s popularity has been driven in large part by its apparent promise of a secure, well-paid career path. However, they noted that the recent rise of generative AI has compromised the sense of stability that once defined the field, even as interest in technical skills among students persists. According to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2024, out of 74 majors tracked, computer science had the fifth highest unemployment rate among majors at 7 percent, while computer engineering had the second highest at 7.8 percent. “Anecdotally, people are moving away from CS as a major,” Daniel Bauer, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, said. “They’re still taking some of our classes, right, because they think they need that, but they’re instead majoring in other things.” Bauer described a field that had shifted from what he called a “nerdy outlier discipline” to one that “everyone needs,” a sign that technical skills have become a baseline expectation across industries with the emergence of AI. “A lot of people thought, ‘Oh, it’s a guaranteed path to a stable income. You get a six-figure job right out of your undergrad,’” Bauer said. Now, companies may see AI as a way to reduce demand for entry-level programmers, especially in what he calls “code monkey jobs,” roles where a large number of employees are “just writing out code nine-to-five.” Chris Murphy, a senior lecturer in the computer science department, described the current moment as the convergence of two forces: the downturn of the job market and generative AI coming onto the scene. “Things kind of started to really pick up in 2014, 16,” he said, recalling the years after the weaker 2010 market. Murphy added that this was also a period where “students were getting more experience outside of class than they were inside of class” through internships, jobs, and side projects. Murphy suggested that the earlier momentum helped make computer science feel like both an academic program and a reliable pathway into work. That feeling is harder to sustain now as the industry reconfigures, which is a shift that students are seeing firsthand. Rebecca Yu, SEAS ’27, said that during a recent internship in Big Tech, she saw that “every single tech company was racing to integrate” large language models. She added that her manager said her intern class was the first to complete their assigned projects, which she attributed to the increased efficiency that comes with AI. Frank Liu, SEAS ’29, said that with AI lowering the barrier to coding, companies now expect everyone to write code. “A lot of companies outright say if you’re not using coding in your job, you might get fired for not being productive enough,” Liu said. Yu similarly expressed that students increasingly have to accept AI being a part of industry workflow, adding that many also “make use of it to maximize their productivity.” Richard Li, CC ’28, described a “franticness” among his peers as the pace of change accelerates. He explained how “some new tool” is released regularly, noting that tools rise and fall in prominence within weeks. He has come to believe that he doesn’t need to “match that speed all the time” and keep up with every development. Li has learned that AI tools allow him to “take a breath” and “get back into the loop much easier than before” when he needs to. While some companies specifically target Columbia when hiring, sending representatives to campus career fairs and recruiting large numbers from Columbia, a computer science degree cannot be treated as a static credential, Yu described. “You can’t just get your degree and stop learning after that. You have to always be learning,” Yu said. “That is something you basically have to expect for your job.” AI has not only affected students’ decisions to major in computer science, but also reshaped how the subject is taught. Across departments, faculty members no longer treat work done outside the classroom as a reliable measure of understanding, shifting instead toward in-person exams, quizzes, and attendance checks. While homework once made up as much as 60 to 70 percent of a student’s grade in computer science classes, Murphy said that breakdown has since flipped, with exams and quizzes now accounting for the majority. “The assumption—especially among pessimists—is that they’re using it to do their homework,” Murphy said. “They take the homework assignment. They put it into generative AI. Out comes the solution. Submit solution. The end.” Murphy said that faculty members ranged in their responses from fully prohibiting AI use to actively teaching students how to effectively work with AI. He said he shifted his approach this year after his teaching assistants called his belief that students weren’t using the technology “naïve,” and now permits students to use AI on assignments. His surveys of students in his introductory classes have told a more complicated story than the one so-called pessimists offer: Around 60 to 70 percent of students who reported using AI said they used it to have concepts explained to them, to clarify assignment instructions, to generate test cases, or to create practice questions. “Those are all ways that you might have had a tutor in the past to do that, and now you have this AI essentially as your tutor,” he said. Bauer has taken a different approach, teaching students how to use AI productively without sacrificing the core principles of the discipline. “People who are trained to actually use AI tools productively, while being in charge of designing the overall project, will be very much in demand in the next couple of years,” he said. Over the past year, a working group of computer science faculty has been redesigning the introductory and intermediate programming sequence to integrate generative AI as both a subject and a tool, representatives from SEAS wrote in a statement to Spectator. The effort is “coordinated” across the department, “not course-by-course,” with a systematic assessment of how AI integration is affecting student outcomes underway to shape the next round of changes. The goal, the department explained, is for students to be able to “read, verify, and reason about code, whether they or a model wrote it.” Tony Dear, senior lecturer in the computer science department, is piloting individualized AI feedback in a discrete mathematics course, while a machine learning course is also testing a Socratic AI dialogue system designed to “guide inquiry rather than supply answers,” the statement reads. Beyond individual courses, SEAS funded seven cross-departmental faculty projects in generative AI this past academic year, spanning biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and computer science, according to the statement. This phenomenon extends beyond the computer science department. SEAS’ new AI minor, which it announced in November 2025, reflects the University’s attempt to adapt. The minor is specifically designed for noncomputer science majors and aims to provide “essential AI knowledge” while emphasizing practical and responsible use across disciplines, according to the SEAS website. At the center of the minor is AI in Context, a course taught by a team of faculty from the departments of computer science, applied mathematics, philosophy, music, literature, and the Writing Center, the representatives told Spectator. Bauer described it as targeted at students who want to bring AI into fields like economics or biology, rather than as a path into software engineering itself. At the graduate level, SEAS announced a new Master of Science in artificial intelligence in February, with the inaugural cohort starting in the fall. While recognizing how AI has helped them navigate coursework, students also described its rise as isolating, even among members of the Application Development Initiative, one of Columbia’s largest computer science clubs. “As people start to ask AI for questions that they would normally ask students and members, it starts to isolate people” Li said. Alexa Kafka, BC ’27, echoed Li’s sentiment, pointing out that computer science has always been a collaborative discipline with code reviews and pull requests, even as AI makes independent work easier. Despite this, Kafka noted that she hasn’t been to office hours “in at least a year.” Bauer added that faculty are exploring long-term solutions to the assessment problem. “One of the things that we’re trying to do at the department or school level is to maybe move towards computerized testing facilities,” Bauer said, referring to ideas in the department to revitalize computer labs as an alternative to pen-and-paper exams. “We have to accept that this is the reality, for better or worse.” But more exams, students say, does not mean better learning, nor does it reflect how computer science is actually done. “Code is so variable and can be approached in so many directions, there’s never just going to be one correct answer. There can be multiple optimal solutions,” Kafka said. Students also expressed concern that the shift toward exam-heavy grading pulls focus away from the applied, project-based work that better reflects both discipline and industry expectations. ADI has tried to respond more quickly than the curriculum can. Through a vibe coding workshop this past semester, club members said they wanted to help students understand not just that AI exists, but how to use it deliberately. “Vibe coding” refers to the practice of prompting AI to write code for a task or project, and has become widespread enough that ADI felt the gap in formal instruction was worth addressing, according to Sophia Huang, BC ’29. The workshop introduced students to the concept of context engineering, which Shaina Sahu, SEAS ’27, described as not just writing a prompt, but optimizing “the rest of the relevant information that you would feed into the model.” Without that, students said that AI-generated code can fail at scale or introduce difficult-to-detect bugs. Genawi said the shift toward AI has changed what it means to be good at computer science. “I think the shift has kind of gone towards what can you create and what can you do, instead of, what do you know,” she said. Indeed, during ADI DevFest, its annual hackathon, Li said more teams are trying to complete their projects than in years past. While sign-ups have historically outpaced submissions, Li said this is beginning to change because teams “have a tool that completes the vision for them.” While many students see AI as an equalizer that lowers the barrier to entry for coding and technical work, Murphy said it also creates new equity concerns inside the classroom around who can afford stronger tools and who already knows how to use them. “The equity issues I worry about are students who have access to paid versions of things versus free versions of things,” he said. Although popular AI models like ChatGPT and Claude have free versions available, both have paid models that can reach over $100 per month, which output different qualities of code. Murphy also pointed to differences in prior exposure to AI literacy itself. “Students who go to high schools or K-12 education, where they’re taught AI literacy, prompt engineering, context engineering, they understand how to do this, as opposed to students who go to schools who don’t teach that,” he said. “Then they come in, and then they’re somehow expected to know how to use these tools.” For Genawi, those disparities begin long before students arrive on campus. “It’s very interesting to consider how lucky you were geographically,” she said. “To be born where you were is influencing your ability to get access to these spaces.” Students like Yu, though broadly apprehensive about the future of computer science, are not without hope. “I’m optimistic, because I think if you’re truly passionate about CS, there will definitely be a place in the field to do something you want to do,” she said. Senior Staff Writer Ria Vasishtha can be contacted at ria.vasishtha@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Staff Writer Arjun Menon can be contacted at arjun.menon@columbiaspectator.com. Follow Spectator on X @ColumbiaSpec. Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter and like Spectator on Facebook. Produced with Spectate by Emily Ta

May 2 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • columbiaspectator.com

HER Sports Day gives Charlottesville girls opportunity to explore athletics

Whether on the field or on the court, the sixth annual HER Sports Day gave girls the opportunity to practice, play, and explore athletics.

May 2 • 6:25 PM EDT • Sports • 29news.com

HER Sports Day gives Charlottesville girls opportunity to explore athletics

Whether on the field or on the court, the sixth annual HER Sports Day gave girls the opportunity to practice, play, and explore athletics.

May 2 • 6:24 PM EDT • Sports • fox8live.com

HER Sports Day gives Charlottesville girls opportunity to explore athletics

Whether on the field or on the court, the sixth annual HER Sports Day gave girls the opportunity to practice, play, and explore athletics.

May 2 • 6:24 PM EDT • Sports • kptv.com

Is It Time To Reconsider PENN Entertainment (PENN) After Long Term Share Price Weakness?

If you are wondering whether PENN Entertainment's current share price still reflects good value, the recent performance and valuation checks give you a useful starting point. The stock last closed at US$17.27, with returns of 0.2% over 7 days, 15.1% over 30 days, 16.3% year to date, 8.1% over 1 year, and longer term declines of 34.7% over 3 years and 80.1% over 5 years that many investors will be weighing up. Recent coverage has focused on PENN Entertainment's position in the wider U.S...

May 2 • 2:35 PM EDT • Entertainment • simplywall.st

Is Flutter Entertainment (NYSE:FLUT) A Potential Opportunity After Prolonged Share Price Weakness?

Wondering whether Flutter Entertainment at around US$106 per share still lines up with its underlying worth, or if the recent price leaves a margin of safety on the table. The stock has been choppy, with a 4.9% decline over the last week, a 3.3% gain over the past month, and year to date returns of a 51.4% decline, alongside a 1-year return of a 57.3% decline and 3-year and 5-year returns of 45.9% and 48.2% declines respectively. Recent coverage has focused on Flutter Entertainment's...

May 2 • 12:33 PM EDT • Entertainment • simplywall.st

Hocevar explains whether his iconic burnout is a new tradition

Carson Hocevar explains whether his iconic, hang-out-of-the-car burnout is now a tradition after winning Friday's Truck Series race at Texas.

May 2 • 12:21 AM EDT • Technology • nascar.com

Leaker indicates that Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3060 returns this June, retaining its 12GB VRAM offering

Reports from Chinese industry forums and leakers claim Nvidia will restart production of the GeForce RTX 3060 12GB in June 2026, with add-in board partners targeting a July launch to offset delays and uncertainty around an entry-level RTX 50-series release amid ongoing GPU and memory shortages. The move would rely on newly fabbed Samsung 8nm Ampere chips rather than clearing old stock, but pricing and supply remain key uncertainties that will determine whether the card can credibly serve budget buyers.

May 1 • 11:53 PM EDT • Technology • notebookcheck.net

Getting the basics done: Mamdani, Garcia tout ‘pothole politics’ strategy in improving NYC and Port Authority alike

Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia cast 2026 as a test of whether government can deliver on basic services and complex

May 1 • 4:45 PM EDT • Politics • amny.com

Spirit is running out of money and time. Trump sounded tepid about a deal to save it

President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House Friday that the administration will likely make an announcement on its decision whether or not to bail out Spirit Airlines “today or tomorrow.”

May 1 • 4:43 PM EDT • Business • cnn.com

Growing veteran careers and businesses with DAV employment services

Whether preparing for their first civilian role or launching a business, DAV supports every stage of a veterans’ career, turning uncertainty into opportunity and connections into lasting success.

May 1 • 11:27 AM EDT • Business • dav.org

Kansas state employees could lose Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance in cost-saving move

State decision-makers are mulling whether to drop Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas from the state employee health insurance plan.

May 1 • 9:00 AM EDT • Health • kansasreflector.com

George shows 'promise'

The Blue Room podcast contributor Warren Doyle believes whether Tyrique George could remain with Everton depends on the money his parent club want. The 20-year-old winger is on loan with the Toffees from Chelsea until the end of the season. There is something about a quick and direct player.

May 1 • 5:41 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

These are the movies you’ll be able to catch at this year’s Film on the Rocks

Whether you’re into horror, dramas, comedies or action, Film on the Rocks will certainly deliver with its lineup for the 2026 season.

Apr 30 • 4:12 PM EDT • Entertainment • denver7.com

Scientists use AI to test whether life can run on only 19 amino acids

An engineered E. coli strain survived after one amino acid was designed out of many of its ribosomal proteins—an early test of whether life’s chemistry can be simplified

Apr 30 • 2:00 PM EDT • Science • scientificamerican.com

Light Phone Is Making Its Dumb Phone More Useful With Third-Party ‘Tools’

A new developer program for LightOS allows anyone to create tools for the Light Phone, whether that’s a local public transit app for your city or a way to read ebooks.

Apr 30 • 11:00 AM EDT • Technology • wired.com

After Supreme Court Decision, Louisiana Weighs Redrawing House Maps

It was not immediately clear whether Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican, would postpone the May 16 primary election for House races after the court ruled the state’s congressional districts unconstitutional.

Apr 30 • 10:44 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com

Darlington: Deshaun Watson deal is 'worst contract and transaction' in sports history

The "Get Up" crew discusses whether starting Deshaun Watson would be a mistake for the Browns.

Apr 30 • 10:01 AM EDT • Sports • espn.com

Draymond Green credits Bronny James for getting playoff minutes

Whether Bronny James truly deserves an NBA roster spot or not, he has contributed a little during the Lakers' playoff series versus the Rockets.

Apr 30 • 8:03 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

This AI knew the answers but didn’t understand the questions

For decades, psychologists have debated whether the human mind can be explained by one unified theory or must be broken into separate parts like memory and attention. A recent AI model called Centaur seemed to offer a breakthrough, claiming it could mimic human thinking across 160 different cognitive tasks. But new research is challenging that bold claim, suggesting the model isn’t truly “thinking” at all—it’s just memorizing patterns.

Apr 29 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

Sony clarifies recent PlayStation DRM update

PlayStation fans and gaming preservations have been alarmed since late last week that a new 30-day timer attached attached to newly-purchased digital games for PlayStation 4 and 5 might render those games unplayable if the system they’re on is offline for longer than a month. But a rep from Sony told Game File today that new system will require only a single online check before it functions as a perpetual license for the digitally purchased game. That is consistent with a newer theory that emerged by gamers testing the 30-day timer over the last two days. “Players can continue to access and play their purchased games as usual,” a rep for PlayStation told me over email. “A one-time online check is required after purchase to confirm the game’s license, after which no further check-ins are needed.” The rep’s explanation squares with the current understanding among players about what’s happening. A multi-day mystery A post last Friday by YouTuber Lance MacDonald spread awareness over the 30-day timer. Quickly, players began stress-testing the system, removing a battery within their PlayStations and checking what would happen if their systems were offline past the timer window. They noticed that setting a PS4 or PS5 to be the “primary” console—a common Sony-authorized method to retain rights to a digital game—wasn’t overriding the 30-day limit. On Tuesday came the breakthrough: A gamer called Andshrew on the Resetera forums posted the results of some tasting. They found that digital games purchased on PS4/PS5 after some time in mid-April would get a 30-day timer that could then be removed and replaced with a perpetual license that would allow the game to be played offline. The transition to the perpetual license occurred some number of days after the digital game was purchased and the system was connected to the internet. They believed that a PlayStation’s online check-in would trigger the license change no sooner than 15 days after the user had purchased the game. This synced with the theory that Sony’s new system is related to the 14-day window that PlayStation users have to request a refund for digitally purchased games. The new timer/check-in system could be a way to defeat some exploit in that refund system, some users theorized. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe In a follow-up, I asked the Sony rep if the 15-day timeline is accurate or if the perpetual license can be activated sooner after purchase. If they share more, I’ll update this post. Sony has not said why they’ve introduced the timer and whether it is designed to stop people from exploiting the refund system. But their explanation suggests that this new DRM method should not result in long-term loss of access to digitally purchased games, just because a PlayStation is offline for a month or Sony’s servers are down. Xbox flashback For many some gamers, the initial reporting of the 30-day timer conjured memories of Microsoft’s disastrous May 2013 announcement of the Xbox One, which was going to require an internet-connected check-in once a day, lest your games become unplayable.1 After widespread backlash, Microsoft abandoned that plan, ahead of the Xbox One’s launch. 1 Fun fact: That 24-hour check-in detail was my scoop from an interview I had that day with then-Xbox exec Phil Harrison. I was EiC of Kotaku at the time and rushing from one Xbox One preview appointment on Microsoft’s campus to another. I phoned the news in to reporter Jason Schreier, who wrote it up for the site.

Apr 29 • 7:24 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news

Apple Has Likely Abandoned 'iPad Ultra' Plans

Apple has reportedly abandoned plans for a foldable "iPad Ultra" following years of disappointing sales performance for the iPad Pro. The claim predominantly comes from the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," who posted the remark in response to a question about whether the iPad would join a rumored "Ultra" series of Apple devices.

Apr 29 • 1:30 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com

What’s next for Louisiana’s Congressional maps after the Supreme Court’s Callais ruling?

With early voting set to begin Saturday, it was not immediately clear whether or how the ruling would affect the current election cycle.

Apr 29 • 1:15 PM EDT • Politics • nola.com

Apple might ditch MagSafe on future iPhones, per bizarre rumor

MagSafe is a fan-favorite iPhone feature, but a bizarre rumor this week says Apple is apparently debating whether to remove...

Apr 29 • 11:59 AM EDT • Technology • 9to5mac.com

Apple Reportedly Questioning Whether iPhone Should Drop MagSafe

A leaker claims Apple is currently embroiled in an internal debate over whether MagSafe should remain a standard iPhone feature. The Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital" says that when MagSafe was first introduced, the mood inside Apple was reportedly aggressive about its expansion. MagSafe for the iPhone was introduced with the iPhone 12 lineup in 2020, bringing a ring of magnets to the back of the device for snap-on charging and accessory attachment.

Apr 29 • 11:26 AM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com

Celebrating Financial Literacy Month: Cleveland’s Chase Community Manager Shares Tips for Strengthening Financial Health

We all have financial needs and goals, whether it’s dreaming of buying a new home, starting a business, or simply feeling more secure about your finances. No matter where you are on your financial journey, it’s never too early – or too late – to get started.

Apr 29 • 8:27 AM EDT • Health • signalcleveland.org

An Age of Political Violence?

We look into whether the U.S. is in a new era of violent extremism.

Apr 29 • 7:09 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com

America’s Broken Politics Are Dragging It Down a Fiscal Black Hole

Few any longer dispute that America’s public debt is growing unsustainably and that, sooner or later, the task of reining it in will be unavoidable. Oddly, this presumption of inevitability has bred a kind of complacency. In the end, whether we like it or not, the problem will have to be solved. Therefore, it will be solved. So what’s the hurry?

Apr 29 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • bloomberg.com

Trump wants to turn Fed into another 'political animal': Sen. Warren

The Senate Banking Committee will vote on Wednesday, April 29, over whether to confirm Kevin Warsh's nomination as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. This comes on the same day as Jerome Powell's last FOMC meeting as the head of the US central bank. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Ma.) — the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee — speaks with Yahoo Finance Senior Fed Reporter Jennifer Schonberger about her questioning of Warsh, the likelihood that Powell will stay on the Fed's Board of Governors, and her perspective on President Trump's economic agenda.

Apr 28 • 6:50 PM EDT • Politics • finance.yahoo.com

Former Microsoft engineer shares the question he asked before quitting

Kun Chen, an ex-Microsoft and Meta engineer, said that he asked himself a question to determine whether he was still growing in his role.

Apr 28 • 6:09 PM EDT • Technology • businessinsider.com

Washington renews legal push for health inspections at Tacoma ICE detention center

A renewed legal push is underway to allow health inspections at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, after months of court battles over whether state

Apr 28 • 8:27 AM EDT • Health • komonews.com

Politics & Power: Rising tariffs, gas prices squeeze small business margins across the South

Florida State University business analyst Wayne Hochwarter joins News4JAX anchor Bruce Hamilton on this week's episode of Politics & Power to discuss whether tariffs should be adjusted to shield small importers; what short‑term relief (tax credits, grants, fuel support) would help Main Street; and how state budgets should adapt to tourism and construction slowdowns.

Apr 28 • 8:23 AM EDT • Business • news4jax.com

Politics & Power: Rising tariffs, gas prices squeeze small business margins across the South

Florida State University business analyst Wayne Hochwarter joins News4JAX anchor Bruce Hamilton on this week's episode of Politics & Power to discuss whether tariffs should be adjusted to shield small importers; what short‑term relief (tax credits, grants, fuel support) would help Main Street; and how state budgets should adapt to tourism and construction slowdowns.

Apr 28 • 8:23 AM EDT • Politics • news4jax.com

GOP wants Knox County commissioner prosecuted for voting in their primary

Republicans are asking the DA to look into whether Courtney Durrett's ballot choice was an \

Apr 28 • 5:09 AM EDT • Politics • knoxnews.com

Steve Kerr speaking out politically, whether Warriors like it or not

Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr continues to speak his mind on political issues, amid reports his public candor doesn’t always sit well with others in the organization.

Apr 27 • 8:47 PM EDT • Politics • sfchronicle.com

Is It Time To Revisit Caesars Entertainment (CZR) After Recent Share Price Rebound?

Wondering whether Caesars Entertainment at around US$28.03 is a bargain or a value trap? This article walks you through what the current price could imply. The stock has posted returns of 1.4% over the last 7 days, 8.4% over the last 30 days and 19.0% year to date, while the 1 year return sits at a slight 0.1% decline and the 3 and 5 year returns are declines of 39.7% and 71.1% respectively. Recent news coverage has focused on Caesars Entertainment as one of the larger names in US gaming and...

Apr 27 • 8:14 PM EDT • Entertainment • finance.yahoo.com

Investigators Seeking Attacker’s Motive Comb Through an Archive of Posts

Federal authorities are looking into whether Cole Tomas Allen posted on Bluesky as “coldforce,” who wrote and promoted liberal views that did not stand out on the left-leaning platform.

Apr 27 • 7:11 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com

Philomath voters will decide on city's psilocybin-related business ban

Voters in Philomath will decide in May whether to prohibit psilocybin-related businesses and manufacturing within city limits.

Apr 27 • 7:07 PM EDT • Business • klcc.org

Measure C: Oakland business tax relief, explained

At the June 2 primary, voters will decide whether to give one-year tax breaks to small and new businesses in the city.

Apr 27 • 2:44 PM EDT • Business • oaklandside.org

Virginia Supreme Court considers GOP challenge to voter-approved redistricting plan favoring Democrats

Virginia's Supreme Court is considering whether a voter-approved redistricting amendment complied with the state's constitutional requirements.

Apr 27 • 2:14 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Supreme Court takes up appeal from Trump administration over living conditions for migrant farmworkers

The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether the US Department of Labor is empowered to enforce working conditions for foreign farm laborers, delving into an immigration program that the Trump administration is attempting to expand.

Apr 27 • 9:46 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

Scientists may have found the brain’s switch for chronic pain

Deep within the brain, scientists have uncovered a hidden “switch” that may decide whether pain fades away—or lingers for months or even years. Researchers found that a small, little-known region called the caudal granular insular cortex (CGIC) acts like a command center, telling the body to keep pain signals alive long after an injury has healed. In animal studies, shutting down this pathway not only prevented chronic pain from forming but could even erase it once it had taken hold.

Apr 27 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

Scientists Just Discovered Where the Earth Actually Came From

Scientists have seemingly settled long-standing arguments about whether the components of Earth originated from the inner or outer Solar System.

Apr 27 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • popularmechanics.com

Columbus Issue 5 wants to send clinicians, not cops, to some 911 calls

Columbus Issue 5 aims to change how Columbus handles mental health crises. Voters will decide whether to send clinicians, not police.

Apr 27 • 6:05 AM EDT • Health • dispatch.com

Virginia Supreme Court considers whether to block voter-approved US House map favoring Democrats

The Virginia Supreme Court is considering whether to block new U.S. House districts narrowly approved by voters | KMBZ

Apr 27 • 12:03 AM EDT • Politics • audacy.com

Virginia Supreme Court considers whether to block voter-approved US House map favoring Democrats

The Virginia Supreme Court is considering whether to block new U.S. House districts narrowly approved by voters.

Apr 27 • 12:03 AM EDT • Politics • ksat.com

Gunman at White House Correspondents’ Dinner raises questions about event’s security protocol

The suspected gunman who charged past a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday has renewed questions about Secret Service protocols and whether there should be changes to the already tight cordon at the annual star-studded event.

Apr 26 • 5:25 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

Style lessons I learn from my 70-year-old grandmother

My grandma's fashion tips have influenced the way I dress — from how I style accessories to how I decide whether to invest in a new garment.

Apr 26 • 10:34 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Let's predict: Will Xbox return to "exclusive" games? Will Halo etc. continue to hit PlayStation?

The big conversation right now revolves around whether or not Xbox will return to "exclusive" games. It's a big decision, much bigger than perhaps most people realize.

Apr 26 • 10:07 AM EDT • Technology • windowscentral.com

Sexual misconduct scandals in Washington spark scramble for reforms, expedited investigations

Scandals and resignations have reignited a debate about whether Washington’s rules and institutions for self-oversight can keep pace with the unfolding misconduct.

Apr 26 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • latimes.com

‘But I’m lasting like 40 seconds or something’: Nikhil Kamath shares health hacks he swears by to stay in shape

From sleep to cold showers, expert decodes whether these popular wellness habits actually work.

Apr 25 • 8:30 PM EDT • Health • indianexpress.com

CB Jermod McCoy, who slid to Las Vegas in Round 4, says Raiders will have say on whether he needs more knee surgery

Apr 25 • 7:10 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

TST Best Bets: April 25, 2026

Heading into the season, the New York Knicks were one of the biggest favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference, while the conversation surrounding the Atlanta Hawks was whether it was time to blow it up. Five months and a Trae Young trade later, and these two teams are now embroiled in the most must-see series of the first round. On Saturday, the Knicks will look to avoid falling into what would be a catastrophic 3-1 hole, while CJ McCollum and the Hawks aim to repeat their late-game heroi

Apr 25 • 2:12 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Teen of the Week: DeAngelo builds relationships through sports and family

PARKERSBURG – For Leonardo “Leo” DeAngelo, it is about building relationships whether it is through playing sports or working at his family’s restaurant as he prepares for a future in sales. However, it is the connection to his family that remains the strongest. The 18-year-old senior at Parkersburg Catholic High School has been on Catholic’s […]

Apr 24 • 8:00 PM EDT • Sports • newsandsentinel.com

High school sports 12 top performers from Thursday did it all

Whether it was on the field, the track or the mound, Thursday's high school sports top performers did what their teams needed to come away with a win.

Apr 24 • 12:37 PM EDT • Sports • metrowestdailynews.com

Is Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE:TME) Pricing Reflect Recent Slide And DCF Upside Potential

If you are wondering whether Tencent Music Entertainment Group's current share price reflects its underlying value, or if the market is mispricing it, this breakdown will help you frame that question with numbers rather than guesswork. The stock last closed at US$9.25, with returns of an 8.9% decline over 7 days, a 6.2% decline over 30 days, a 48.2% decline year to date, a 28.6% decline over 1 year, a 32.8% gain over 3 years, and a 45.6% decline over 5 years, which gives you a wide range of...

Apr 24 • 9:13 AM EDT • Entertainment • simplywall.st

Lawmakers press New Jersey health officials on hospital closure oversight

Weeks after a hospital closed in violation of state procedure, lawmakers pressed health officials on whether they have proper oversight.

Apr 24 • 6:23 AM EDT • Health • newjerseymonitor.com

Marshall Health Network enrolling patients in lung cancer clinical trial evaluating personalized immunotherapy approach

lungllulungHUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Edwards Cancer Institute at Marshall Health Network (MHN) is enrolling eligible patients in a clinical trial evaluating whether a personalized immunotherapy approach can enhance the effectiveness of treatment following lung cancer surgery. The study is investigating the use of an individualized therapy designed with a tumor’s unique biology from a surgical sample to help the immune system better […]

Apr 23 • 11:14 PM EDT • Health • news.marshallhealth.org

Trump's threats against Iran are a boon for prediction markets, including some backed by his son

Traders flocked to Polymarket this month to bet on whether Trump really was going bomb Iran back to the Stone Age or just call a ceasefire.

Apr 23 • 12:10 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org

Data center politics dog Virginia Democrats

State lawmakers may fail to pass a budget deal because of a Democratic split on whether to rescind tax breaks for data centers.

Apr 23 • 6:36 AM EDT • Politics • eenews.net

US Health Officials Nix Publication of a Study on COVID Vaccine Effectiveness

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials stopped the publication of a study on whether the COVID-19 vaccine was keeping adults from becoming sick enough to have to go to the hospital. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman on Wednesday confirmed the decision to halt publication,

Apr 22 • 4:59 PM EDT • Health • usnews.com

Music-based rhythm improves gait in Parkinson’s patients

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Whether it’s the simple tick of a metronome or the thumping bassline in a disco classic, not all beats are created equal. A University of…

Apr 22 • 1:22 PM EDT • Health • ufhealth.org

CBL Scholars Program Opens Pathways to Business Law Careers  - UC Law San Francisco (Formerly UC Hastings)

First-year law students and 2026 CBL Scholars Deniz Masjedi, Alvaro Flores, and Tavia Pappaly gain mentorship connections with leading industry professionals as they prepare for careers in business law. Created by the UC Center for Business Law San Francisco (CBL), the CBL Scholars Program aims to develop the next generation of business law leaders, supported by contributions from individuals and corporate sponsors. The highly competitive program provides funding along with academic and professional mentorship to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Scholars gain exposure to the Bay Area’s technology and venture capital ecosystems and access to UC Law SF’s broad network of senior legal professionals. Now in its sixth year, the CBL Scholars Program provides a scholarship and academic and professional mentorship to students entering the business law community from disadvantaged educational, economic, social, or physical backgrounds. The program is generously sponsored by the law firms Gunderson Dettmer and Goodwin Procter. Meet this year’s CBL Scholars: Deniz Masjedi, Alvaro Flores, and Tavia Pappaly. All three have secured summer associate positions at prestigious law firms. Deniz Masjedi: A Passion for Helping Founders Grow Companies Deniz Masjedi, who was born in Iran and moved to Southern California as a teenager, traces her interest in law to her family’s immigration journey and her desire to advocate for herself and her family. She earned a bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied political science and sociology. At UC Law SF, she serves as a 1L representative for the Iranian Law Students Association and is active in the Business Law Society and Technology & Law Society. Next fall, she will serve as director of mentorship for the Technology & Law Society and director of professional development for the Business Law Society. She will join Sidley Austin this year as a 1L/2L summer associate. Q: What draws you to business law? A: Prior to law school, I worked in Cooley LLP’s Private Companies practice group as a corporate paralegal for three years, supporting over 100 venture-backed startups and venture capital funds. I found purpose in helping founders transform their vision into successful companies. It was incredibly rewarding being part of their journeys—from company formation and initial financing to major transactions such as M&A deals. What excites me most about this field is the potential for a small, innovative company to become the next Google or Zoom, shaping how people communicate and access information. I hope to continue supporting entrepreneurs and investors as a corporate attorney. Q: What does it mean to you to have been awarded this scholarship? A: As the first person in my family to attend law school in the United States, receiving this scholarship is a tremendous honor. My parents and I left everything behind so that I could enjoy the freedom to practice my religion without persecution and pursue a career in law as a woman. This award is an acknowledgment of my dedication to business law and motivates me to continue pursuing excellence in this field. It also recognizes years of hard work—learning a new language, navigating the college and law school application process, and ultimately building a career in the legal profession. Q: How will this scholarship help support your future goals? A: This scholarship will provide access to mentorship from leaders in the field, enabling me to develop the skills necessary to offer practical advice and effective representation to future clients. It also eases the financial burden of law school, letting me focus on my coursework and deepen my commitment to corporate law. As an immigrant, breaking into the legal profession has not always been easy, and the time that mentors have invested in me has been instrumental to my progress. This scholarship will allow me to continue building those relationships while positioning me to one day mentor others pursuing similar paths. Alvaro Flores: Inspired by Entrepreneurs The son of Mexican immigrants raised in San Antonio, Texas, Alvaro Flores says he has long been interested in how policy, markets, and culture shape society. He studied international relations and global economy at the University of Southern California, with minors in business finance and legal studies. His experiences span local political organizing, venture capital and startup work, and teaching entrepreneurship. At UC Law SF, he is involved in the Business Law Society, Technology & Law Society, and the Latinx Law Student Association. He will join Perkins Coie as a 1L/2L summer associate with the firm’s Emerging Companies & Venture Capital practice. Q: What draws you to business law? A: I’m drawn to stories of entrepreneurs whose simple ideas become companies that shape the economy and society. Spending time in venture capital and working directly with founders has shown me that many important decisions in the scaling process are ultimately legal ones, particularly how companies are structured and how capital is raised. Business law sits at the intersection of innovation and equity. It offers a way to stay close to the pace of technological change while also helping expand who gets to participate in it. There is something special about being part of that process here in the Bay Area, where the American Dream feels like it is reimagined in real time. Q: What does it mean to you to have been awarded this scholarship? A: I am truly grateful for the support and belief this scholarship represents. I see it not just as recognition, but also as alignment. The CBL Scholars Program’s focus on developing individuals who engage deeply with the business and technology ecosystem reflects the path I have been intentionally building. More than anything, it feels like an investment in that journey. I have been thoughtful about each next step–whether teaching, working in venture capital, or building multidisciplinary experiences–and this scholarship reinforces that those efforts come together in a meaningful way. Q: How will this scholarship help support your future goals? A: It allows me to focus more on developing as a business lawyer, without the distraction of financial constraints. Beyond that, the mentorship and access to the Bay Area network are just as valuable. I’m especially interested in working with early-stage companies and investors, so the opportunity to learn directly from people operating at a high level in that space is huge. Tavia Pappaly: Working in the Wine Industry Sparked Interest in Business and Law Tavia Pappaly spent five years in the wine industry before deciding to pursue law school with a goal of becoming a corporate transactions attorney. Pappaly says she wants to use her legal skills to help business grow and thrive. A first-generation law student from Fairfield, California, she is a member of the Legal Education Opportunity Program (LEOP) and will serve as vice president of social planning for the UC Law SF Sports Law Society in her 2L year. She plans to work as a summer associate at Gibson Dunn in San Francisco after her 2L year. Q: What draws you to business law? A: Business law brings together many of my interests and personal experiences. As the daughter of immigrants who grew up around a family-owned small business, I saw firsthand both the opportunities and challenges of building something from the ground up. That perspective, combined with my experience in the wine industry, solidified my interest in helping businesses of all sizes tackle evolving legal challenges. I’m excited to grow within the corporate law space and develop the skills and experience to support businesses at every stage. I’m deeply motivated to give back to immigrant communities and small business owners, whose experiences often intersect. By building a strong foundation in corporate law, I hope to support those working to create generational stability and to contribute in a meaningful way to the communities that have shaped me. Q: What does it mean to you to have been awarded this scholarship? A: Receiving this scholarship is incredibly meaningful to me. I take great pride in my background as a first-generation student and a woman of color, so being recognized for my potential in a field that has historically underrepresented those communities is both affirming and empowering. This program will help connect me to the resources and committed mentors that will help me succeed. Beyond that, it is no secret that law school is a significant financial commitment. This scholarship helps ease both the financial burden and the stress that comes with it, allowing me to focus more on my education and long-term goals. I am incredibly grateful! Q: How will this scholarship help support your future goals? A: This scholarship has already connected me with an incredible network of faculty, business law professionals, and like-minded students. The community fostered by the Center for Business Law is deeply supportive, and I’m excited to grow alongside my cohort. I truly believe this network will play an important role in helping me thrive in law school and position me for success in business law. As I have seen firsthand how impactful both financial scholarship and mentorship are, I hope to give back in this same way later in my career.

Apr 22 • 11:00 AM EDT • Business • uclawsf.edu

2 Sacramento businesses burglarized involving vehicle smashing into buildings, police say

Police are investigating whether two burglaries involving vehicles driving into businesses Wednesday morning are connected, the Sacramento Police Department said.

Apr 22 • 10:40 AM EDT • Business • kcra.com

Color-Changing Bees: Citizen Science Photographs Help Researchers Explore Bee Coloration In Response To Humidity

"Whether the colour change happens to benefit the bee in any way is still an open question that we’d love to explore," lead author Madeleine Ostwald told IFLScience.

Apr 22 • 10:13 AM EDT • Science • iflscience.com

Health questions mount after Rep. Paul Gosar’s public remarks go viral

Rep. Paul Gosar's rambling remarks have raised questions among Democrats about whether he's healthy enough to run for reelection.

Apr 21 • 9:40 PM EDT • Health • azfamily.com

Florida launches criminal probe into whether chatbot aided suspect in deadly campus shooting

Florida AG launches criminal investigation into OpenAI, alleging ChatGPT advised the suspect in the deadly Florida State University mass shooting.

Apr 21 • 6:51 PM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com

Opinion | Seizing Property Can’t Be ‘Business as Usual’

From California to Hong Kong, asset seizure—whether a wealth tax or communist crackdown—discourages growth and liberty.

Apr 21 • 4:23 PM EDT • Business • wsj.com

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat, Resigns From Congress

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick stands accused of stealing $5 million in federal funds. She said she would step down minutes before an ethics panel was to vote on whether to recommend expelling her.

Apr 21 • 2:19 PM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com

At least 10 scientists tied to sensitive US research have died or disappeared in recent years, sparking federal investigation

At least 10 people tied to sensitive US nuclear and aerospace research have died or disappeared in recent years, prompting federal investigations into whether the cases are connected.

Apr 21 • 11:27 AM EDT • Science • cnn.com

Warren grills Warsh on whether he's Trump's 'sock puppet'

Sen. Elizabeth Warren grilled Fed chair nominee Kevin Warsh during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

Apr 21 • 11:24 AM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.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

Apr 21 • 9:31 AM EDT • Science • democracysos.substack.com

When the CEO Becomes the Brand

Research suggests that Elon Musk’s political stance appears to have reshaped how different groups perceive Tesla. Overall sales trends hint at trouble. The company’s growth stalled in 2024, and deliveries fell 8.5% in 2025. But those headline numbers hide what is happening beneath the surface. When the data is broken down by political orientation and by changes in views of Musk, a more complicated pattern emerges. Among right-leaning respondents and those whose opinion of Musk has improved, Tesla’s brand appeal is significantly higher and willingness to pay exceeds that for many competing brands, including Ford, Chevrolet, and Rivian. Among left-leaning consumers and those whose view of Musk has worsened, the opposite is true: Preference and willingness to pay for Tesla drop sharply. The outcome is not a uniform decline but a polarization of demand. Some consumers appear to feel alienated, while others feel more aligned with the brand. This raises an important strategic question of whether companies can influence purchasing decisions across these divided segments by strengthening the underlying value proposition.

Apr 21 • 8:05 AM EDT • Politics • hbr.org

Virginia voters to decide on new House map with major midterm implications

Virginia is the latest front in an unprecedented coast-to-coast redistricting war, with voters on Tuesday set to determine whether to accept or reject a Democratic plan to dramatically redraw the state’s congressional maps and help shape the midterm elections.

Apr 21 • 5:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com