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Failed Stoke project to be torn down, but what next?
BBC Radio Stoke's Stoke City commentator Mark Elliot on where the Potters go after an abject end to what was once a promising season.
Drug use in England spikes during heatwaves and big sports events, research finds
Project that tested traces of illicit drugs in wastewater also found higher use during Eurovision song contest
Put that saw down! Delay pruning oaks until mid-July
Homeowners and landowners are advised not to trim or prune any oak trees from April 15-July 15.
NBA Playoffs odds, picks: Best bets for Celtics-76ers, Lakers-Rockets on Sunday, April 26
Here are the SportsLine Projection Model's top picks for Sunday's NBA playoff games
'Bus Buddies' returns for a wild ride
Nearly 10 years ago, “Bus Buddies,” a two-act comedy about life aboard a city bus, premiered in Frederick. This weekend it’s back, produced by the Endangered Species (Theatre) Project and
NBA Playoffs odds, picks: Sunday's best bets for Celtics-76ers, Lakers-Rockets and more
Here are the SportsLine Projection Model's top picks for Sunday's NBA playoff games
Record spending on Mother's Day projected for this year's holiday
Some 75% of consumers say they'll buy mom flowers or greeting cards for May 10.
Business owners ask St. Pete to increase funding for roadway improvements
Dodging cars across five lanes of traffic is just one of the issues business owners say they see on a regular basis on Dr. MLK South in St. Pete.
Assassin’s Creed Hexe Game Director Benoit Richer Exits Ubisoft Just Months After Departure of Previous Creative Director
Ubisoft’s mysterious Assassin’s Creed Hexe project seems to be going through a rough patch, as game director Benoit Richer has announced his departure from Ubisoft.
NateTheHate has “zero doubt” about the new Star Fox project announcement
NateTheHate has spoken a little more about the Star Fox game which he claims is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 this June. While Nate said that Nintendo is planning to announce it this month…
Meharry students, Cumberland River Project plant trees in North Nashville
Meharry Medical School students and Root Nashville planted 50 native shade trees in North Nashville to improve health and green spaces.
Pols & Politics: Boston’s $325M White Stadium deal could be killed with booze ban
Plans to serve booze at White Stadium’s professional soccer matches in Boston have encountered pushback by critics of the city’s public-private rehab plan, but a ban on alcohol would effectively kill the $325 million project.
Tri-state people in business: New hires, promotions, recognitions
Unison Solutions of Dubuque announced hiring Ethan Fessler and Parker Nelson as project managers.
PENN Entertainment Weighs Alberta Online Launch Against 2026 Profit Goals
PENN Entertainment is preparing to launch regulated iCasino and online sports betting in Alberta, Canada in July. The company is reshaping its Interactive segment with a focus on achieving profitability from Q4 2026 onward. PENN has an active development pipeline, including new casino and hotel projects planned through 2026. PENN Entertainment (NasdaqGS:PENN) is shifting attention from recent earnings headlines to a new phase of online expansion in Alberta, where regulated iCasino and...
NBA Playoffs odds, picks: Best bets for Knicks-Hawks, Nuggets-Timberwolves, more on Saturday, April 25
Here are the SportsLine Projection Model's top picks for Saturday's NBA playoff games
Trump’s hatred for ‘windmills’ threatens Republicans in coastal Virginia who now face more political peril after the state’s redistricting vote
For now, the Virginia wind project is back on track, along with four others, because of federal court rulings.
Trump's disdain for wind projects creates a political storm for Republicans in coastal Virginia
President Donald Trump’s attempts to cancel offshore wind projects have drawn opposition not only from environmentalists but also from Republicans. One of them is Jen Kiggans, a congresswoman who represents a coastal district in Virginia where an $11.5 billion wind farm is expected to create 1,000 jobs. Her support for a project targeted by Trump shows the scrambled politics of clean energy in an election year where Republicans are at risk of losing the House. Kiggans could be even more at risk after Virginia voters approved on Tuesday a new congressional map that makes her competitive district more Democratic than before.
Trump's disdain for wind projects creates a political storm for Republicans in coastal Virginia
President Donald Trump's attempts to cancel offshore wind projects have drawn opposition not only from environmentalists but also from Republicans. One of them is Jen Kiggans, a congresswoman who represents a coastal district in Virginia where an $11.5 billion wind farm is expected to create 1,00...
Trump's disdain for wind projects creates a political storm for Republicans in coastal Virginia
President Donald Trump's attempts to cancel offshore wind projects have drawn opposition not only from environmentalists but also from Republicans. One of them is Jen Kiggans, a congresswoman who...
Trump’s rejection of wind projects scrambles GOP politics before midterms
President Donald Trump's attempts to cancel offshore wind projects have drawn opposition not only from environmentalists but also from Republicans.
Trump's disdain for wind projects creates a political storm for Republicans in coastal Virginia
President Donald Trump's attempts to cancel offshore wind projects have drawn opposition not only from environmentalists but also from Republicans.
3 NE Ohio businesses announce expansions: Restaurant, brewery, coffee shop
Three businesses in Northeast Ohio recently announced unique expansion projects. Here’s a look.
Port: Is North Dakota still open for business?
Even generally popular projects can be waylaid by opposition from gadflies who sow discord into the fertile soil of our national mood of distrust.
Crypto’s Most Serious AI Use Case May Be Science
AI is moving deeper into labs and research workflows, while DeSci projects build funding, provenance, coordination and prediction layers around scientific work.
'Sega Universe' Initiative Announced, Celebrating Multiple Classics With Anniversary Projects
Reviving IP such as OutRun, NiGHTS, Sakura Wars and more
2026 NFL Round 4 mock draft: Jermod McCoy finally comes off the board, Cowboys continue defensive investment
Projecting Round 4 as teams seek value wins on the final day of the NFL Draft.
Work begins on UTampa’s new science center
The 153,000-square-foot project should be completed by spring 2029.
Fair Game Project aims to expand access to youth sports across OPS
New sports federation connects students to year-round opportunities while city invests in facilities and affordability
Indian Health Service Announces New Round of Water Infrastructure Funding
The Indian Health Service (IHS) announced on Tuesday it will allocate $700 million in fiscal year 2026 funding to support drinking water and sanitation projects across Indian Country, marking a major step in addressing long-standing infrastructure gaps in Tribal communities. The funding comes through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provides a total of […]
San Francisco businesses dreading impact of 19th Avenue closures for repaving project
Maine data center ban vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills
Maine Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a data center ban because it didn't contain an exemption for a specific project.
Court rules Buffalo comptroller must issue bonds for proposed capital project
Mayor Ryan says the new decision will allow Buffalo to move forward with critical infrastructure projects.
Vacant North Philadelphia skate rink to become health center expanding care access to uninsured
A new project in North Philadelphia is transforming an old skating rink into a new comprehensive health center set to open in 2027.
988 hotline linked to thousands of fewer youth suicide deaths since launch, study finds
Nearly 4,400 fewer U.S. teens and young adults died by suicide than projected in the first two-and-a-half years of the 988 mental health crisis hotline, a sign the program is working even as it faces long-term funding challenges.
'MobLand' EP Jez Butterworth Signs TV, Movie Deal With Universal
The 'MobLand' and 'The Agency' EP will create new projects for NBCUniversal under the five-year pact.
Jez Butterworth Inks Overall TV and Film Deal With Universal Entertainment
The 'MobLand' and 'The Agency' EP will create new projects for NBCUniversal under the five-year pact.
Madison Hetletved joins Essentia Health-Mid Dakota Bismarck Kirkwood Clinic to practice family medicine
The Essentia Health-Mid Dakota Bismarck Kirkwood Clinic is proud to welcome Madison Hetletved, an advanced practice registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner in family medicine.
Ryan Backer joins Essentia Health-South University Clinic to practice behavioral health
The Essentia Health-South University Clinic is excited to welcome Ryan Backer, an advanced practice registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner in behavioral health.
The Science of the Times: A Project Hail Mary Commentary
Nothing beats sitting at the cinema watching a movie for the first time and thinking to yourself, “Wow, this is why I love movies.” Project Hail Mary did that for me.
'A completely new reality': Bolder measures are needed to prevent extreme water shortages in cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas that depend on the Colorado River
Cities fed by the Colorado River have taken huge steps to reduce their water consumption over the past few decades, yet water shortages are projected to grow more intense. What can be done?
UK to end project tracking potential Israeli violations: Report
UK newspaper reports that Foreign Office unit logging possible war crimes has shut amid funding cuts.
Mitchell Ryan Zagrodnik Joins Anchor Loans As Business Development Manager
Anchor Loans has appointed Mitchell Ryan Zagrodnik as a business development manager, according to a recent announcement shared on LinkedIn.In the role, Zagrodnik will focus on developing and expanding relationships with real estate investors, brokers, builders, and developers, helping connect them with financing solutions to execute investment projects.
Portland looks to charge residents, businesses a monthly street fee
Portland city councilors are taking a drive down transportation funding memory lane with plans to advance a new fee to pay for street maintenance and safety projects.
Blowing Rock student turns grief into state science fair award
BLOWING ROCK — A Blowing Rock student wanted to find a way to include her dogs in her sixth-grade science project. What followed was months of research, the loss of
Unfounded Health Concerns Are Powering a Solar Backlash
Across the U.S., critics are pressuring public officials to stop or stall new solar projects, often citing unfounded health concerns.
"No Old, Stay Gold" - It Looks Like Sega Is About To Revive More Of Its Classic Franchises
'Sega Universe' project teases new developments
2026 NFL Day 2 mock draft: When do Carson Beck, Garrett Nussmeier come off the board?
Projecting Day 2 picks as teams attack needs and top prospects slide into Rounds 2-3.
Democrat Josh Shapiro tests political muscle in swing-state Pennsylvania's midterms
Josh Shapiro may be heavily favored to win reelection as Pennsylvania governor, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot on the line for him this year.
Vendors needed for Plaza del Sol project in St. Paul after Metro Surge impact
Madrid Presents the Transformation Project of the Former Olympic Aquatic Center Site into a Multifunctional Complex for Sports, Entertainment, and Education
Barsento, the joint venture formed by Live Nation, Oak View Group (OVG), and Atlético de Madrid, has today presented the transformation project of the former Olympic Aquatic Center site alongside the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida. The initiative will breathe new life into the unfinished Aquatic Center building, transforming…
Catherine Schumacher joins Essentia Health-32nd Avenue Clinic to practice obstetrics and gynecology
Catherine Schumacher, an advanced practice registered nurse and certified nurse midwife in obstetrics and gynecology, is excited to join the Essentia Health-32nd Avenue Clinic.
Essentia Health-Deer River Clinic welcomes Megan Alto to practice family medicine
Megan Alto, a certified physician assistant practicing family medicine, is thrilled to join the Essentia Health-Deer River Clinic.
Missouri Senate rejects increase to school funding
Revenue from the Missouri Lottery and casino taxes are not meeting projections
NFL Draft profile and projection for tight end Will Kacmarek
Full NFL Draft profile for tight end Will Kacmarek of the Ohio State University Buckeyes
Anderson youth center project that won $25M grant cancelled
A planned youth behavioral health center in Anderson has been abandoned after community concerns, a key partner announced.
Entertainment briefs | ‘Dance Visions’ at Cal Poly Humboldt
“The Year to Save the Earth,” a multimedia experience mixing powerful songs and projected images, will be featured May 1 at 7 p.m. at the Humboldt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 24 Fellowship Way off Jacoby Creek Road in Bayside. “The Y…
Long Beach harbor projects aim to boost tourism, business
Several projects in and around Long Beach Harbor are underway, with city officials and business owners optimistic about what the additions could bring to the city.
Six New Projects Are Empowering Early-Career Engineering and Computer Science Faculty
Six teams from the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering have been awarded funding to accelerate interdisciplinary research collaborations that include an early-career faculty member.
Wilson's final 2026 NFL mock draft: What I'm hearing with Round 1 one day away
One last projection of the top 32 picks as teams finalize plans for the first round
Protecting Health in a Changing Climate
The ability to deliver medical care consistently and safely depends on access to power. Direct Relief has funded resilient power projects and medical oxygen infrastructure in the U.S. and 25 countr…
Buffalo Bills Mock Draft: Could WR edge out defense early?
This is one of the more interesting Buffalo Bills drafts to project in recent years, beginning with the No. 26 overall pick.
Michigan House plan creates earmark fund for business incentive cash
Michigan House Republican have proposed a budget that pushes unused largescale business incentive funds toward pet projects for lawmakers' districts.
Essentia Health-Duluth Clinic welcomes Alexander Bianchi to practice gastroenterology
Alexander Bianchi, a certified physician assistant practicing gastroenterology, is thrilled to join the Essentia Health-Duluth Clinic.
The Gunther Werks 'Project Endgame' Turbo Speedster Is a Truly Heroic 911-Based One-Off
Gunther Werks doesn't want to name the owner, but I'm willing to bet they won't be too hard to unmask.
Google Meet adding in-person ‘Take Notes for me’ and Drive ‘projects’
Google announced a suite of new Workspace features across Drive, Sheets, Meet, and more. These updates are rolling out over the coming weeks.
Did Asha Sharma kill another ill-fated Xbox project? The "Xbox Mobile Store" seems to be dead.
Previously announced for launch in July 2024, the ill-fated Xbox Mobile Store seems to be dead, with all test URLs relating to it hitting a 404 error.
Virginians approve Democratic map targeting 4 Republican congressional seats
Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a new Democratic-drawn congressional map that could flip four Republican U.S. House seats in November's midterm elections, U.S. media projected.
Virginia votes yes on proposed congressional redistricting, AP projects
Virginia voted to approve a plan to temporarily redraw the Commonwealth's 11 congressional districts ahead of November's midterm elections, the Associated Press projects.
Virginia voters will approve a map giving Democrats a chance at four more House seats, CNN projects
Virginia voters will approve a map that gives Democrats the chance to net as many as four US House seats, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, in a major boost to the party’s effort to win House control in the midterms.
Euclid Space Warps – help us hunt for galaxy-galaxy lense
“Space Warps,” the new citizen science project on the Zooniverse platform, aims to identify gravitational lensing in Euclid data and study dark matter.
Dan Eggen, who shaped politics coverage at The Post, dies at 60
He helped guide Pulitzer Prize-winning projects, including coverage of Russian election interference in 2016 and the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
‘Renovation Aloha’ Stars Sued for Featuring Burial Remains on HGTV Show
Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama discovered human remains during a renovation project on the show.
Florida's Thomas Haugh forgoes NBA Draft, returning for senior season
Haugh was projected as a lottery pick in this year's draft.
Health Youth Corps Showcase held at Fresno City College
Dozens of students across Fresno County are taking action to help educate the public with their year-long research projects.
Clearwater $50M entertainment project takes shape
A $50M entertainment project in downtown Clearwater will feature a seven-screen multiplex, dining and attractions aimed at boosting activity along Cleveland Street.
Trueline music venue contractors file mechanic's liens alleging unpaid bills
Contractors file millions in liens against Greenville’s Trueline venue project, citing unpaid costs as developers push toward a 2027 opening.
Essentia Health receives American Cancer Society transportation, lodging grant to support cancer patients
The Essentia Health Cancer Center in Fargo is honored to receive a $35,000 grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS) to help alleviate some of the financial burden for patients undergoing cancer treatment through transportation and lodging assistance.
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
The Closer: Computer Science Grad Takes Every Project to the Finish Line
Computer science student Ashley Baird is the kind of person who thrives on completing what she starts. Baird's drive to see things through resulted in a successful machine learning project for the U.S. Department of Defense and an internship at Nissan working on the team that developed an industry-first personalized sound app.
Nintendo announces Splatoon Raiders Switch 2 release date with new trailer
The release date for Splatoon Raiders has just come through. As revealed through the Nintendo Today app, the game launches on July 23, 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2. It’s been close to a year since Splatoon Raiders was first revealed. Nintendo pulled back the curtain on the project last June, but we hadn’t heard anything since. Now it’s known that...
Citizen scientists wanted: Find a project that's right for you
NOAA offers a variety of volunteer opportunities that can be done outdoors and online.
Xbox Exec Chimes In As Rumours Suggest Project Helix Chip Will Be Used For 'Other Machines'
Jason Ronald makes it clear we're getting a first-party console
Databank secures $2 billion of debt for Dallas data center
Data center development has focused on massive projects for AI training in obscure locations. AI inference is pushing construction closer to cities.
Latest Leak Reveals Xbox Helix Will Effectively Just Be a PC With No Custom APU
When Microsoft announced the next-gen Xbox Project Helix, it confirmed what had been long rumored—that Helix would be a console-PC hybrid, just like Valve's upcoming Steam Machine, able to play both PC and Xbox games. Although it has not yet been confirmed what shape this hybrid experience will take...
Pearl of the week: Why most AI projects fail in health care
Learn why workflow design and clinician engagement are critical for successful AI implementation.
Amendment 54: New Opportunity: A.12 HAMAQ Science Team
Hemispheric Airborne Measurements of Air Quality (HAMAQ) is a NASA-funded project under the EVS-4 program using two aircraft (NASA’s B777 & P-3B) to
What's next for South Hills development in Cary after failed sports venue impacts small businesses
While developers were clear that the project was not dead after the vote, questions lingered about new plans for more than a year.
What's next for South Hills development in Cary after failed sports venue impacts small businesses
While developers were clear that the project was not dead after the vote, questions lingered about new plans for more than a year.
Trump Makes a Bold Prediction on Gas Prices
President Trump contradicted his own energy secretary and projected optimism about a crisis he created.
Essentia Health registered nurse logs over 900 volunteer hours
On most evenings, after a full day as a registered nurse in the ICU at the Essentia Health-Fargo, Darian Slama's second shift begins caring for her four-legged patients.
U.S. Delivers Maternal Health Equipment Across Madagascar - U.S. Embassy in Madagascar
U.S. Delivers Maternal Health Equipment Across Madagascar U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Arnold today provided critical maternal and newborn health equipment that will reach healthcare facilities across Madagascar, demonstrating how U.S. foreign assistance builds a safer, healthier world by helping recipient countries build self-reliant health systems in line with the America First Global Health Strategy. Under President Trump’s America First foreign assistance policy and the America First Global Health Policy, U.S. support serves as a tool of strategic engagement – not global charity. Every U.S. taxpayer dollar is subject to rigorous oversight to ensure measurable results, maximum efficiency, and accountability, with zero tolerance for fraud, waste, or abuse. Through the bilateral Global Health Memorandum of Understanding with Madagascar’s Ministry of Public Health, both governments agreed on shared priorities and responsibilities, including a strong focus on maternal and newborn health and Madagascar’s increasing co-investment in its own health system. Madagascar continues to face major challenges in maternal and newborn health, including high maternal mortality rates and significant gaps in access to quality delivery care. In rural regions, many women still give birth at home or in facilities without adequate infection-prevention supplies. Through the U.S.-funded Momentum Country and Global Leadership Project, the United States is providing essential equipment to healthcare facilities nationwide: calibrated reusable drapes for infection prevention in approximately 1,000 community health centers (CSBs), single-use calibrated drapes for 35 hospitals, and management tools for health workers to improve data collection and care coordination. “U.S. foreign assistance makes America safer by preventing instability and strengthening health systems that can detect and contain infectious diseases before they cross borders,” said Chargé d’Affaires Arnold during the handover ceremony. “Our support is temporary and targeted, designed to help Madagascar build greater self-reliance and reduce long-term dependence on U.S. taxpayer resources.” This U.S. support will help standardize safe delivery practices, strengthen infection prevention, and improve data management systems. Used effectively, these materials will contribute directly to reducing maternal and newborn deaths, especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas where access to quality delivery care remains limited. From major hospitals to remote health centers, U.S.-funded equipment is already delivering results. The nationwide scope of this support ensures that women and newborns across Madagascar benefit from improved infection prevention and safer delivery practices. This targeted assistance helps save lives today while supporting Madagascar’s transition toward a self-sufficient health system, ensuring that today’s U.S. support leads to Madagascar’s future independence from foreign assistance.
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