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Republicans are torn on following Trump's lead in governor's race
Republicans have a rare, if slim shot at winning the governor’s mansion in deep blue California — but risk blowing it if they’re divided.
Local youth science fair winners to compete in Canada-wide fair next month
Hundreds of Grade 5-12 students gathered at the Olympic Oval on Saturday for the final day of the Calgary Youth Science Fair, which named 17 finalists, who will compete in the national fair next month...
RESULTS: 5K Race Winners at 2026 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon weekend is underway! The first day of races began Saturday evening with Covenant Health Kids Run the 5K race. The 5K race began Saturday…
ENTERTAINMENT: WAC hosts Australian Chamber Orchestra
The Australian Chamber Orchestra is premiering “Horizon,” a new work it commissioned from Pulitzer- and Grammy-winning composer John Luther Adams, on its current tour. It includes an 8 p.m. concert Saturday at Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center
Randolph Elementary holds annual Science Fair
Here are the Science Fair's fifth grade winners. Pictured, from left to right, are Emma Wernimont, Hunter Bussian, Riley Irrthum, Emmett Endres, Jude Quinnell and Finley Garner. Submitted photo
“AI polls” are fake polls
A few weeks after Donald Trump’s second presidential win, I took the train up from London (where I was living at the time) to Oxford to attend a conference on polls and forecasts of the 2024 election. Most of the attendees were pollsters or academics, but I also watched presentations from Aaru and Electric Twin, two companies that do what is interchangeably called synthetic sampling, silicon sampling, or synthetic audiences. Stripped of startup jargon, that means they use large language models (LLMs) to simulate responses to public opinion polls by having AI agents take on the role of survey respondents. I had already heard of Aaru thanks to some articles with eye-catching headlines like “No people, no problem: AI chatbots predict elections better than humans” in the months leading up to Election Day. The founders were making some big, some might even say far-fetched claims, such as: “within two years, we will simulate the entire globe — from the way crops are grown in Ukraine to how that impacts production of oil in Iraq, trade through the strait of Malacca, and elections for the mayor of Baltimore.” When Semafor asked Aaru’s cofounders — Cameron Fink and Ned Koh — about my boss, they said “we respect all those who came before us.” Nate (as he so often does) shared his thoughts on Twitter: Fink and Koh were relatively good-natured about this back-and-forth when we spoke at Oxford. They even offered to mail me one of the t-shirts featuring Nate’s quote they apparently had made. I never took them up on the offer, which I now somewhat regret. These synthetic sampling companies fell off my radar for a while, but they do still exist. In fact, Aaru recently received a $1 billion valuation. Is what they’re doing anywhere close to the most important frontier in AI development? Not by a longshot, especially when Anthropic just developed a model so adept at exploiting software vulnerabilities that it’s only being released to 40 companies. Still, silicon sampling is increasingly finding its way into public polling. Axios reported in March that “a majority of people trust their own doctors and nurses” based on findings from Aaru — without mentioning that the “people” in that sentence were actually LLMs. Around the same time, the Public Sentiment Institute “boosted” their online sample of 373 real survey respondents with 114 AI agents.1 (Spoiler alert: even the co-founder of Electric Twin doesn’t think that’s a particularly defensible approach.) Polling companies like Qualtrics and Ipsos are also developing synthetic data panels. So, what should we make of these … “polls”? Let’s get one thing out of the way: whatever they are, they’re not polls in the way that term is usually defined. Subscribe You can’t replace polls with AI On one hand, using LLMs to essentially make up fake survey respondents sort of sounds like the dumbest idea ever, one that will at best imperfectly replicate real polls while introducing all sorts of biases. On the other hand, with LLMs improving at a remarkable, perhaps even alarming rate, maybe that means I’m a dinosaur at the ripe old age of 24 because I still want to rely on polls that talk to actual people. I’m not going to argue that synthetic samples are completely useless. In fact, as I’ll return to later, there is evidence that some techniques can replicate topline survey results quickly and cheaply. But the marketing from certain companies can be slightly optimistic. “No traditional poll will exist by the time the next general election occurs,” said Fink in 2024. We’re just 206 days away from the midterms, and based on the fact that I still have to collect a bunch of polls every day, I’d say he should have run that prediction by a sample of AI agents before the interview.2 To see why synthetic samples can’t replace polls, here’s a quick primer on how they work. The simplest version of these models involves taking a LLM (like ChatGPT or Claude), giving it a demographic profile (e.g., a white, college-educated woman who lives in Utah and makes $70k a year), and then asking it to respond to a survey question. You repeat that process a few thousand times using different demographic profiles and end up with a sample of synthetic survey responses. The actual models used by private companies are more sophisticated than this, usually because they incorporate more hypothesized demographic characteristics for each agent and provide them with extra information. Aaru, for example, feeds agents a diet of news and information they’d be likely to consume, while Electric Twin incorporates their customers’ proprietary data about the audience they’re trying to replicate. The way Ben Warner, the co-founder of Electric Twin, explained it to me was “we have a large amount of data on […] for instance, 5,000 people. Can we make an accurate prediction of how they would respond to another question?” Still, it should be obvious why synthetic samples can’t replace polls. Polling is fundamentally a data collection process. We might use surveys to make predictions by feeding them into election forecasts, but the main purpose of a poll isn’t prediction, it’s gathering new data about what people think and how they feel. Silicon sampling, on the other hand, produces no new data. It’s simply a model: you input LLM training data, demographic prompts, and a bunch of other information, and it spits out a prediction for what a poll would say. We love models here, but models aren’t polls. That difference is an important philosophical sticking point for most pollsters I talk to. “I think politics should stay away from [synthetic sampling], because we’re trying to […] represent the voice of the people,” said Natalie Jackson, a vice president at GQR Insights. Democratic pollster John Hagner told me: “I think I’m just incredibly skeptical of this idea. I don’t think it’s research. At that point, you’re asking the machine to tell you what you already believe.” Hagner has seen some presentations of early synthetic sampling experiments, but so far, “if it’s being used in a campaign, people are keeping it incredibly quiet.”3 But Eli, I hear you saying, aren’t polls themselves increasingly governed by modeling decisions? Indeed they are: pollsters’ choices on which sampling method to use, how to define their likely voter models, and how to weight their samples can and do lead to dramatic differences in the results they publish. Aaru even referenced these limitations in the methodology statement included with that maternal mortality “poll” — although I’m using the term “methodology statement” loosely here, because it doesn’t really explain how the model works at all. We can ignore the (frankly preposterous) implication that synthetic sampling isn’t subject to a separate set of biases. The important point is that there’s still a meaningful difference between using weighting and other statistical techniques on actual polling data and using a model to predict what a poll would say. The latter is far closer to election forecasts or techniques like MRP — potentially useful models, but not a replacement for polls.4 To be fair, other synthetic sampling companies are perfectly happy with the distinction between polls and models. Warner compared polling and synthetic sampling to different tools in a toolbox. “The mistake I think we make is we think that these new tools should either work in exactly the same way or somehow replace these old tools,” he said. “Rather than thinking of it as, okay, so we’ve always had the hammer, we’ve always had the screwdriver, now we’ve got a saw. But don’t use a saw to try [to] do the job of a hammer.” A quick comment from Nate Eli didn’t ask me for a comment — rather rude of him, don’t you think? But since I’m editing this story, I figured I’d add a few quick thoughts rather than putting words in his mouth. Beyond the frequently misleading marketing, what bothers me about the AI “poll” hype is that as AI tools make statistical inference cheaper and/or better (note that these are not synonyms) that actually increases the comparative value of collecting original data. You might be able to train a model to make a reasonable estimate of what some hard-to-reach poll respondent would say — say, a young Black man who voted for Trump. (Such a person checks a number of boxes for a voter who is usually hard to reach in surveys.) Indeed, this is closely related to what models like the Silver Bulletin forecast already do. They essentially smooth out the kinks in noisy survey data by making inferences based on past voting patterns or national polls or surveys of other states. But you don’t actually know what these voters think unless you’re reaching them directly. If there’s a shift in opinion among this subgroup, you’re not going to detect it. So if I were running a campaign, I’d invest more in going the extra mile to find a representative sample of those voters. And then I’d hire some smart quants — or Claude? — to figure out the implications for campaign strategy based on proprietary data that my competitors didn’t have access to. -Nate Silver Are these models any good? If synthetic surveys are just a new type of model, the next obvious question is whether the models are at least accurate. The answer very much depends on who you ask. On one end of the spectrum, you have the maximalist argument that synthetic sampling is more accurate than actual polls. “It’s an incredibly challenging problem to go to someone and say ‘hey, we’re going to be more accurate at predicting human behavior than you, even when you talk to your customers directly’,” Koh recently told CNBC. In his view, synthetic sampling isn’t a saw to polling’s hammer, it’s “magic.” There’s certainly evidence that synthetic samples can replicate certain survey toplines. But if Aaru does have any examples of their approach outperforming the polls, they’re keeping those to themselves.5 Aaru’s 2024 election model, for example, had Kamala Harris leading in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin on November 4th. And although they’ve since taken down their forecast page, they gave Harris a 50.5 percent chance of winning the race on November 2nd.6 After the election, Fink told Semafor he was happy enough with those results because they were “within margin of error,” a term that is completely meaningless when applied to a “sample” of AI agents. And of course, Aaru says their models have improved since 2024, so supposedly now they’d be more accurate than the polls? Still, their stronger argument is on cost: “We are significantly faster and cheaper than traditional polling, and still more accurate,” said Fink. The first two claims are undeniably true, but the third brings us to the opposite end of the spectrum. Both Jackson and Hagner are skeptical that these models are reliable for anything beyond replicating common survey toplines. “I just […] don’t think the machines are what we want when we’re looking for nuanced views. My example on this is people in Arizona and Nevada in 2024 who voted for Trump and voted for expanding abortion in their states on ballot initiatives,” said Jackson. Hagner identified another issue. Maybe the synthetic respondents, like sycophantic LLMs, are inhuman in one important way: they’re too nice. “The reports that have come through at the meetings that I’ve been at are that the early experiments on this, they cannot get respondents to be as racist or sexist or, frankly, as negative as human respondents,” he said. Academic research mostly agrees on this point. While there are some papers that show promising results when using LLMs to replicate polling data, most show that LLMs suffer from various quirks like producing too few “don’t know” responses and can seriously overpredict the favorability of politicians like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. They also seem to struggle with too little variation between demographic subgroups, so the difference in predicted opinion between Democrats and Republicans, for example, is too small. When I asked Warner about these studies, his response to these papers was that just because academics can’t get synthetic sampling to work doesn’t mean that the technique doesn’t work in general. “Actually, the argument is, okay, yours does not [work]. That does not mean […] for this complex set of machinery, which uses a lot of investment, a lot of time, a lot of money, you can’t get it to work.” Cards on the table, I’m somewhat sympathetic to this argument because academics aren’t exactly great at making election forecasts. Usually, the people with skin in the game are the most accurate. Warner’s argument is that the approach Electric Twin takes — which includes, for example, making multiple predictions for each synthetic respondent using different models and prompts and subsequently averaging those to get a final prediction in a sort of ensemble forecast — produces better results than the simpler academic models. Warner shared a comparison between his method and the method from a recent academic paper with me, and Electric Twin was indeed able to get more accurate replication. But even still, he acknowledged that synthetic sampling “is not a crystal ball.” “If you asked me, do I think using other data sources will be more accurate than asking somebody who they will vote for, I would probably say no. But if you asked me ‘would your system be useful for our turnout modeling today?’ I would say yes.” For better or worse, it looks like the method is already getting more popular in the market research world. Most of the clients Aaru touts these days are businesses like EY and McDonald’s. And AI will probably begin to pop up in other parts of the political polling process. Pollsters are already using it to code open-ended survey responses, and some firms, like YouGov, are testing using LLMs to ask survey respondents questions. More worryingly, one danger to actual polls is that AI agents can be used to infiltrate online surveys. Most online polls use various checks to prevent that from happening, but there’s conflicting evidence on how effective those filters are and how prevalent AI agents currently are in online panels. If those agents ever become impossible to detect, it might spell the end of online polling, but the solution isn’t to replace all of your respondents with ChatGPT. Silver Bulletin is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a subscriber. Subscribe 1 That particular poll obviously doesn’t meet Silver Bulletin standards for aggregation. But we exclude all Public Sentiment Institute polls from our averages because we classify them as an amateur polling firm. 2 You could argue that Fink meant the next presidential election, but (a) I’m also confident we’ll still have real polls in 2028 and (b) in that case he should have asked an LLM to define “general election.” 3 Quick caveat: that’s reporting from a Democratic pollster. It’s possible that Republicans are more willing to use AI in political campaigns. 4 Indeed, Silver Bulletin does not include “polls” produced by MRP in our forecasts or averages, and we think it’s extremely misleading when their practitioners describe them in a way that suggests original data had been collected among a large number of states or Congressional districts. 5 A recent report from Aaru and EY did show two examples of a synthetic estimate being closer than a survey to a real-world benchmark — but I’d take those findings with a grain of salt because the report reads more like an ad and didn’t involve any sort of prediction being made ahead of time. 6 For comparison, our odds for Harris on the same day were 48.2 percent.
The Final Frontier Is Becoming Big Business. Here Are 3 Space Stocks to Buy Now.
The space economy is projected to grow to $1.8 trillion over the next decade, and these three stocks could be big winners.
Burnley XI vs Brighton – Predicted lineup and team news
Burnley host in-form Brighton today, aiming to narrow a ten-point gap to Premier League safety.The Clarets have moved closer to relegation after winning only once in 22 league games. Manager Scott Par...
FSU softball falls to Stanford on walk-off grand slam
The Stanford Cardinal beat the FSU with a walk-off grand slam to snap their 25-game winning streak.
Trump likes to back winners in foreign elections. The upcoming vote in Hungary will test his clout
Donald Trump has made a public flex of his political influence abroad on a scale that few, if any, U.S. presidents have, trying to marshal power he’s used domestically to sway races around the world
Trump likes to back winners in foreign elections. The upcoming vote in Hungary will test his clout
Donald Trump has made a public flex of his political influence abroad on a scale that few, if any, U.S. presidents have, trying to marshal power he’s used domestically to sway races around the world.
Trump Likes to Back Winners in Foreign Elections. the Upcoming Vote in Hungary Will Test His Clout
WASHINGTON (AP) — In Hungary, President Donald Trump and his top officials used social media and an election-eve trip to Budapest to promote the country’s far-right prime minister in his reelection campaign. In Argentina, the U.S. administration worked to prop up the country’s financial markets to ...
Framework CEO warns AI boom may lead to a scenario where "personal computing as we know it is dead”
Framework CEO Nirav Patel warns that the AI boom and a “winner-takes-all” scramble for chips and storage could drive up component costs and push consumers toward cloud-leased, closed devices, effectively ending personal computing as traditionally understood. While acknowledging progress in repairability across the industry, he positions Framework’s upcoming Next Gen Event as part of a renewed pledge to defend user ownership through upgradable, repairable hardware and local control over data and computation.
The cast of 'Juno': See the stars of the 2007 Oscar winner, then and now
‘Juno’ put teen pregnancy in the spotlight and made a splash at the Academy Awards in 2007. Find out what the cast is doing now.
Research Days slam winner highlights role of cortisol in health
Nebraska psychology student Max Lottes won the 2026 Student Research Days Slam with a dynamic presentation reframing cortisol as a vital stress hormone, highlighting the annual event’s decade-long role in showcasing graduate and undergraduate research.
Al Gore to Keynote 2026 Hollywood Reporter Sustainability Event
Marking the 20th anniversary of his Oscar-winning documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth,' the former vice president will headline the April 23 ceremony honoring TV dramas for their sustainability achievements.
'Let's not underestimate the achievement' - Dallas on Leeds' season
Former Leeds United cult hero and promotion winner Stuart Dallas says the Whites have "more than enough" to avoid relegation this season and he is "confident" they will do so. Daniel Farke's side beat West Ham last weekend to reach the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1987 and are four points outside the Premier League relegation zone with seven games to play. "Let's not underestimate the achievement of the club getting to a semi-final of the FA Cup and still being in a strong position to stay up," he told BBC Radio Leeds as he opened a new padel court in the city.
Orange Lutheran, Norco reach championship game at Boras Classic
No. 2 Orange Lutheran will face No. 3 Norco in the Boras Classic championship with the winner becoming the new No. 1 team in Southern California.
A junior hit 2 home runs and went the distance in the Hahnville-Mount Carmel softball game
The Hahnville-Mount Carmel softball winner was led by a junior's two-way impact
List of college basketball national players of the year, All-Americans: CBS Sports' archive of award-winners
Our comprehensive archive of college hoops All-Americans, Players, Freshmen and Coaches of the Year dating back to the mid-2000s
Five Years Running: The Sports Facilities Companies Named a USA TODAY Top Workplaces National Award Winner
/PRNewswire/ -- The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC) has been named a 2026 USA TODAY Top Workplaces National Award winner, earning a place on the prestigious...
Masters 2026: Rory McIlroy winning a green jacket has only made him more dangerous at Augusta National
McIlroy started slow on the first nine, but confidence allowed him to 'keep swinging' his way to the top of the Round 1 leaderboard
Can AI dream of electric sheep? The team behind the award-winning 1000XResist on their next game
We talked with Remy Siu, the Creative Director behind the award-winning 1000XResist, about their upcoming AI-centric game.
School of Business receives AACSB Global Impact Award for use of AI in teaching and learning
The School of Business has been recognized as a winner of AACSB’s inaugural Global Impact Awards for creative and effective use of generative AI in teaching and learning. The Global Impact Awards honor individuals and institutions whose initiatives exemplify innovation, leadership, and measurable impact in business education and [...]
Navy Sports Information Office Named one of the 11 Best SID Offices in the Country for the Ninth Time and for the Seventh Time in the Last Eight Years
DALLAS (FWAA) – One first-time winner and 10 previous ones comprise the 17th Super 11 Awards, presented annually by the Football Writers Association of America to the best performing College Sports Communicators departments in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The awards announced today are for the 2025 season.
Elissa Slotkin is testing whether winning in Trump country is a winning message for Democrats
Sen. Elissa Slotkin knows how to win in Trump country. She’s trying to show her fellow Democrats the way.
Middle schoolers bring big science to Louisiana's state science and engineering fair at LSU
See the full list of winners.
Middle schoolers bring big science to Louisiana's state science and engineering fair at LSU
See the full list of winners.
Europe is winning the AI and drone science race. It's losing the deployment war
Europe's scientists are ahead. Europe's armies are not. The continent produces world-class research on AI, drones, robotics, quantum and cybersecurity, but watches the US race past it to deployment.Vi...
Europe is winning the AI and drone science race. It's losing the deployment war
Europe's scientists are ahead. Europe's armies are not. The continent produces world-class research on AI, drones, robotics, quantum and cybersecurity, but watches the US race past it to deployment.Vi...
Riz Ahmed powers stripped down modern-day ‘Hamlet’
Who wouldn’t want to see “to be or not to be” as delivered by an Oscar-winning actor behind the wheel of a speeding car?
Bartholomew’s heroics save Cyclones in rivalry game
IOWA CITY — While the rain appeared heavy at times on the Big Ten Network stream it was a case of “when it rains, it pours” as Iowa State (23-15, 4-8 Big 12) and Iowa (21-17, 5-10 Big Ten) combined for five home runs, punctuated by Reagan Bartholomew’s game-winning two-run homer to deep center field […]
Hector Mujica: Why I'm taking the fight to Florida's 28th Congressional District
Senate bid ends as campaign shifts focus to winnable House race
Business Insider wins Digiday Video and TV award for Best Multi-Platform Video Campaign
Business Insider has been named the winner of Digiday's Best Multi-Platform Video Campaign for our work with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card.
‘Marshals’: ‘The Road’ Winner Adam Sanders to Guest Star
He'll perform his new single in the episode.
Oscar-winner Steve McQueen on the flowers that outlived empire
Atmos reports on Steve McQueen's latest project, a photographic book titled "Bounty," exploring the flowers of Grenada and their historical significance.
Oscar-winner Steve McQueen on the flowers that outlived empire
Atmos reports on Steve McQueen's latest project, a photographic book titled "Bounty," exploring the flowers of Grenada and their historical significance.
County supervisors fielding complaints about controversial Winneshiek County Fair entertainment
The Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors is receiving complaints from the public regarding a musical group scheduled to perform at this year’s Winneshiek County Fair. The fair announced late last month the southern country-rock band Confederate Railroad would be part of this year’s musical lineup, along with Kayley Green and headliner Travis Denning. Online responses
Want to win big in sports? Follow Normal West grad Glenn Kinley, TV’s good-luck charm
A 2017 Normal West High School graduate, Kinley has been around a lot of winning in his young career as a television sports director. While at KSNT in Topeka, Kansas, he covered a Kansas men’s basketball national championship and two Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl wins. Now this: Illinois’ run to the men’s basketball Final Four as sports director at WCIA in Champaign.
UNE faculty, business executive board mentor high schoolers in regional workforce development challenge
Students from multiple high schools in southern Maine gathered on April 2 to compete at the University of New England in the Junior Achievement of Maine’s (JA Maine) Titan Challenge, and several teams were mentored by faculty in UNE's College of Business — including the winning team in the southern Maine region.
Rosenberg: Viola, Liza, and two more audiobooks with showbiz roots
New works from two EGOTs – that’s Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winners Viola Davis and Liza Minnelli – along with a fine novel set in the country-music world and
The St. Martin's-Newman winner broke through after a senior's triple sparked a 5-run inning
Runs weren't hard to come by in the St. Martin's vs. Newman baseball game.
Kevin Durant scores 24 in his return to Phoenix, leads the Rockets past the Suns 119-105
Kevin Durant scored 24 points in his return to Phoenix and the Houston Rockets rallied from an early 21-point deficit and pulled away late to beat the Phoenix Suns 119-105 on Tuesday night. The Rockets are on a seven-game winning streak and moved into a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference playoff race. Durant made 5 of 9 3-pointers.
A’s Bullpen Blows Yet Another Game
A’s Lose Another Winnable Game
2026 Masters odds, picks: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy predictions by model that nailed 4 straight winners
Picks for 2026 Masters golfers and the Masters favorite to win ahead of the year's first major at Augusta National
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Ray Stevens recovering after breaking neck
i a e n celebrity country-music music grammy-awards entertainment u-s-news general-news | Talk Radio 1210 WPHT
Dropping the Series Opener: Mets 4, Dbacks 3
The Arizona Diamondbacks dropped the series opener to the New York Mets on Tuesday, falling 4-3 in extra innings after squandering a late lead. Leading 3-2 into the eighth, the D-backs watched the game slip away as the bullpen allowed tying and winning runs against Jonathan Loaisiga and Paul Sewald. This felt like a painfully […]
Sporting CP 0-1 Arsenal: Kai Havertz nets late winner
Arsenal claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Sporting CP in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Tuesday.The hosts carved out the first opening...
Havertz nets stoppage-time winner for Arsenal at Sporting
Kai Havertz scores a stoppage-time winner as Arsenal beat Sporting 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon.
Dallas State Senator Nathan Johnson talks about his run for Texas Attorney General
Texas Senator Nathan Johnson, D – Dallas, is running against former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski in the May 26th primary runoff election after neither candidate received fifty percent of the vote. The winner will take on whoever wins the Republican nominee in November; either Texas State Senator Mayes Middleton, R – Galveston, or Congressman Chip Roy, R – Austin.
Penguins announce 2025-26 team award winners
Defenseman Erik Karlsson wins a major award, while the fourth line wins two of them for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Breeding Digest: Gun Runner Meaning Business
GI Santa Anita Oaks winner Meaning (Gun Runner) was part of a big weekend for her sire and is one of the favorites for Kentucky Oaks
Morning Sports: April 7, 2026
Breck Reed Of Sheridan HS To Play Football At Montana State University: A Sheridan Bronc football player will go from winning a state championship, to a team that recently won a national championship. Breck Reed has signed a written offer of athletic aid to play football at Montana State University. He missed part of his […]
2026 Masters odds, picks: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy predictions by model that nailed 4 straight winners
Picks for 2026 Masters golfers and the Masters favorite to win ahead of the year's first major at Augusta National
Georgia congressional election pits Fuller against Harris
The winner would need to run again in separate primaries and a general election later this year to keep the seat
MAGA Is Winning Its War Against U.S. Science
Source: NBER With all the other terrible news right now, you may not have noticed that Donald Trump is in the process of killing American science. OK, that’s an exaggeration — but not that much of an exaggeration. The Trump administration’s latest budget proposal calls for a gigantic increase in military spending combined with severe cuts to social programs. But as the chart above shows, it also calls for debilitating reductions in research funding. Furthermore, Trump appointees have already been strangling science by sharply reducing the rate at which research grants are approved. Here, for example, is the number of new grants approved by the National Science Foundation: Source: Nature Large numbers of existing grants have also been frozen or terminated, especially in the study of infectious diseases. Add to this a sharp drop in visas issued to foreign students, who often play a direct role in research and who help support academic departments that do research: Put all of this together, and much U.S. scientific research is set to come to a screeching halt — not a few years from now, but over the course of the next year or two. This new assault on U.S. science is taking place at a time when the role of American science in the world has already been greatly eroded. The chart below, based on research recently reported by the National Bureau of Economic Research, measures national strength in science by the share of publications in highly ranked journals. In the 1990s the United States had more such publications than the rest of the world combined. Since then we’ve dropped into third place — well behind China and slightly below the European Union. And this was before the Trump administration’s attack on science had time to take its full effect. Source Some erosion in U.S. scientific preeminence was inevitable given China’s growing sophistication and wealth. But we’ve also fallen behind Europe, even though everyone says that Europe is lagging economically and technologically. Claims about Europe’s underperformance are, in fact, dubious if one looks hard at the data. But it’s still striking to see America lagging. What’s going on? There are presumably multiple factors behind America’s scientific lag. But even before Trump II the growing hostility of the U.S. right to science surely had some negative effect. And since the rise of MAGA G.O.P. attitudes toward science in general have become overwhelmingly hostile. This is true even for the Republican rank and file: And while I haven’t been able to find good survey data, it’s obvious that the anti-science turn has been even more pronounced — and began earlier — among the Republican political elite. Chris Mooney published The Republican War on Science in 2005, and even then was describing a longstanding trend. Why have Republicans turned so anti-science? Part of the answer is that they believe that scientists don’t support them. And they’re right! A study of who scientists give money to shows that only a small percentage gave money to Republicans even 20 years ago, and that almost none of them donate to Republicans now: Social scientists have always been strongly pro-Democratic, while there used to be a significant number of physical, “hard” scientists supporting the GOP. But these days physicists are almost as uniformly Democratic, or at least non-Republican, as sociologists. Why are there almost no Republican scientists? It’s not a mystery. GOP political orthodoxy includes positions that are at odds with the scientific consensus on multiple issues, ranging from the validity of the theory of evolution, to the reality of climate change, to the efficacy and safety of vaccines. In each case the scientific consensus is solidly grounded in evidence. But even before the rise of MAGA the U.S. right was increasingly hostile to evidence-based policymaking — especially, of course, where the evidence is unfavorable to fossil fuel interests or quack medicine, both financial mainstays of right-wing politics. So scientists don’t support Republicans, and the feeling is mutual. Today’s Republican Party doesn’t like science or scientists. It doesn’t like having its preconceived views challenged by appeals to evidence. It knows that very few scientists are on its side electorally. In general, it sees scientific research as a threat to its grasp on political power. Add in MAGA’s combination of rabid anti-intellectualism and allergy to any hint of criticism, and one has the makings of a drastic anti-science turn in policy. “Ignorance is strength” might was well be an official MAGA motto. And as I said, we aren’t talking about something that will happen over the course of multiple years: The U.S. scientific enterprise is threatened with severe damage, even collapse, over just the next year. There are many reasons to find this prospect horrifying: Think of all the beneficial advances, affecting almost every part of life, that won’t happen because U.S. science — still crucial to the world — has been eviscerated. But think, also, of America’s international standing. Can a nation that has forfeited its role as a leader, or even a contender, in global science, still be a Great Power? No. MUSICAL CODA
How Barack Obama reacted to Michigan winning 2026 NCAA Championship
Barack Obama was quick to celebrate Michigan’s NCAA Championship win, recognising a historic moment as the Wolverines finally ended a decades-long wait for the title. The victory was not just about one night.
'He's a throwback': Fernando Mendoza keeps business focus as NFL Draft waits
Fernando Mendoza's passion for finance has helped him become a better football player, he says, as the Heisman winner prepares for the 2026 NFL draft.
Three new local businesses to visit at The Winnifred
There are a few new reasons to visit the Shops at The Winnifred.
Michigan's season ended with an NCAA title. It started with winning the transfer portal.
Monday marked the first time in NCAA basketball history that a team with an all-transfer starting five won the championship.
Lil Nas X granted mental health diversion that could lead to dropped charges in police assault case
A judge said the charges could be dismissed if the Grammy-winning artist completes a mental health diversion program and doesn't break the law for the next two years.
Politics and the potty take center stage for ‘Urinetown’
The Tony Award-winning musical comedy opens Friday at the World Theater.
‘Jeopardy!’: Did Jamie Ding Reach $500,000 in Winnings?
Plus, find out if the super champion moved up on the leaderboard.
2026 Masters odds, picks: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy predictions by model that nailed 4 straight winners
Picks for 2026 Masters golfers and the Masters favorite to win ahead of the year's first major at Augusta National
2026 Masters odds, picks: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy predictions by model that nailed 4 straight winners
Picks for 2026 Masters golfers and the Masters favorite to win ahead of the year's first major at Augusta National
THE WEEK OF APRIL 6, 2026
- Trump budget repeats call for science cuts - NIH and NSF issue fewer grants - Jefferson Lab contract winner announced
Netflix's New #1 Show Absolutely Lives Up to the Hype—and I'm Not the Only One Who's Obsessed
Netflix’s current #1 show is a feel-good, deeply real dating series that’s quietly winning everyone over. Here’s why viewers can’t stop watching (and rooting for the cast).
Lavonte David gives blunt assessment Jalen Hurts after retirement
The Super Bowl winning quarterback has never been given his flowers and it doesn't seem they are coming anytime soon.
We've got a winner in our business-focused bracket
A champion has been crowned in our business-focused March Madness bracket: longevity. It won almost 67% of the more than 200 votes.
Alphabet vs. Amazon stock: Vote for the winner of BI's stock bracket
You've voted and now the final is here. Which mega-cap tech company be the king of them all?
Women’s sports are on a winning streak
Since 2022, investments in women’s sports teams have grown about 227% annually, on average, according to McKinsey.
Women's Final Four winners and losers include UCLA seniors and Geno Auriemma
UCLA is an obvious winner after capturing its first title. Geno Auriemma, on the other hand, is a sore loser.
Nebraska baseball improves to 11-1 in Big Ten play, sweeps Penn State
Nebraska continued to surge on Easter Sunday, winning the third game of its series against Penn State and earning its third Big Ten sweep of the season.
Colliers in NH and Maine recognize award winners for 2025
Colliers, a global leader in commercial real estate services, is pleased to announce its 2025 award winners in the Colliers New Hampshire and Maine offices.
Vivo X300 Ultra vs Sony Alpha A7 full-frame camera: Who wins?
200MP photos from what is currently probably the best camera flagship phone on the market go up against 24MP shots from a Sony Alpha A7 III setup with a Sony 24-70 lens. Which one comes out ahead in which areas can be judged by anyone based on the available original images.
Munson Healthcare announces Voices winners for Food Access
Munson Healthcare announced 2026 Voices for Community Health winners, with artists directing $1,000 donations to local food pantries.
TLC’s Chilli Reveals If She Has Any Regrets Tied to 1996 Grammys Speech About Winning Awards While Being Broke (Exclusive)
TLC's Chilli looks back on the band's 1996 Grammy speech about being broke after they won two awards at the ceremony, and shared how she feels about it today, in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE.
Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics
Pam Bondi is out. Alex Vindman is raising serious bucks. And school choice is more popular than ever.
Rick Bragg returns to Acadiana for book festival: ‘Wouldn't it be good to be Cajun for one day?'
He tried to eat his way out of a broken heart in Acadiana once. Now Pulitzer Prize winner Rick Bragg is coming back — and this time he's bringing his stories to Books Along the Teche Literary Festival in New Iberia.
Welcome to the MrBeastification of British politics: the latest trick up Nigel Farage’s sleeve
The Reform UK leader’s energy bill giveaway certainly grabs our attention – but it’s all a distraction from the real winners and losers, says Guardian deputy Opinion editor Kirsty Major
Nebraska softball notches two different wins in Rutgers doubleheader
No. 8 Nebraska softball kept up its winning ways on Saturday, beating Rutgers in a doubleheader in two very different ways.
Claire Calahan (8) runs to first base
Claire Calahan (8) runs to first base at Mizzou softball’s game against LSU on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at Mizzou Softball Stadium in Columbia. Mizzou scored 1-0, winning one out
Former Turnstile guitarist charged with attempted murder of bandmate’s father
A former guitarist of the Grammy-winning rock band Turnstile has been charged with attempted second-degree murder and assault after he allegedly struck the father of the group’s lead vocalist with
Former Turnstile guitarist charged with attempted murder of bandmate’s father
A former guitarist of the Grammy-winning rock band Turnstile has been charged with attempted second-degree murder and assault after he allegedly struck the father of the group’s lead vocalist with
These Republicans running for Oregon governor are raising the most money, readying TV ad blitz
The eventual winner can expect an uphill battle in the fall against incumbent Gov. Tina Kotek.
Cleveland High baseball team surging with nine-game winning streak
Joshua Pearlstein has been leading the way for the Cavaliers with his hitting and pitching.
‘Racist ideology lodges itself amid austerity politics’: newly elected French mayor on tackling far right
Bally Bagayoko, who was targeted by racist abuse after winning Saint-Denis mayorship, vows to tackle inequality to stem deepening divisions
Carson City Local Favorites Winners: Entertainment & Nightlife
The results are in! Check out the winners for the Entertainment & Nightlife categories in the Carson City Local Favorites Contest below: You can also find the full list of […]
West's best winning streaks collide as Spurs visit Nuggets
San Antonio's first dynasty ended when Tim Duncan retired with five NBA titles over 19 seasons. Ten years later, the Spurs are hoping to build another one behind Victor Wembanyama.
N.J. award-winning actor’s new HBO comedy special set to premiere this weekend. How to watch.
This comedian, who was raised in Rutherford, will open up about his life and opinion on today's issues in upcoming comedy special.
Islanders Gameday: Get busy winning or get busy dying
If the regular season ended this morning, the New York Islanders would qualify for the playoffs by virtue of having more points, thanks to having played one more game, than Detroit, Columbus, or Philadelphia. Tonight that will not change but it can get either better or more fragile as they host the Flyers, who desperately […]
Ten finalists announced for Wausau’s 2026 small business awards
The Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce names 10 finalists for the 2026 Small Business of the Year Awards. Winners will be announced April 16 during the Business Expo.
Ryan Gosling drops out of the Daniels' follow-up to Oscar-winner “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
The reasons pertain purely to scheduling, EW has learned.
Penguins boat raced in Tampa; playoff cushion slips
The loss ended the Penguins’ two-game winning streak.
Phil Mickelson to miss Masters due to family health matter
Phil Mickelson, a three-time Masters winner, announced he will not compete in the tournament due to a family health matter.
Arts and Entertainment Agenda, April 3 to 10
The Wood Brothers, April 3 The roots folk blues trio The Wood Brothers will perform at 7:30 p.m. April 3 at The Wheeler Opera House, 320 E. Hyman Ave. The Wood Brothers bring decades of...
Dodgers’ $102 million bust signs with surprising New York team
Trevor Bauer is back. The Long Island Ducks have signed the former National League Cy Young Award winner, whose $102 million, three-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers was interrupted when Bauer was assessed the largest penalty ever given under…
Roush Review: Chilling ‘Testaments’ Is a Grim Sequel to ‘Handmaid’s Tale’
Hulu's sequel to the Emmy-winning 'The Handmaid's Tale' depicts the beginning of a slow-brewing rebellion among the pampered but repressed daughters of Gilead's ruling class, being schooled and groomed as
Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn 'OK' after single-car accident
Winn was hospitalized but suffered no serious injuries