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Rebecca Solnit talks politics, new book, Santa Fe International Literary Festival appearance
Best-selling author and activist Rebecca Solnit joins "Conversations Different" to discuss her new book, politics and her appearance at the Santa Fe International Literary Festival.
New SCAI President Dawn Abbott outlines workforce, training and inclusion priorities
SCAI President Dawn Abbott, MD, MSCAI, aims to turn attention toward the long-term sustainability of the interventional cardiology field.
Tenor Health CEO discusses improvements since taking over area hospitals
DOJ charges suspect in White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting
The Justice Department has charged 31-year-old Cole Allen with trying to assassinate President Trump during the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Saturday. We discuss what we know about Allen and how Trump responded to Saturday’s shooting.This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, justice correspondent Ryan Lucas, and senior political editor and correspondent Domenico Montanaro.This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.
Central Florida mental health expert shares tips to help navigate testing season stress
Licensed mental health counselor and owner of Enriched Life Counseling & Consulting, Treshonda Baucom, joins WESH 2 to discuss how students, parents and educators can overcome standardized testing stressors
Centering What Matters: Aligning Action with Individual and Community Health Goals
To start, this discussion paper presents background on recent trends and the current state of individual and community engagement across US health sectors
Rochester City Council to discuss Monday future of RCTC Regional Sports Center
Officials say the primary goal of the project is an increase in outdoor recreation space and community access.
Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Tom Ricketts Join 'Sportico Sports Business'
Indianapolis Colts owner and CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon and Chicago Cubs owner and chairman Tom Ricketts discuss the importance of fans to their teams.
FTC crackdown pushes auto dealers to treat compliance as a core business function
Industry experts discuss the FTC crackdown, dealer transparency and how compliance, culture and pricing strategy impact M&A and valuation.
Zeeland Twp. to discuss solar filing with MI Public Service Commission
There are several notable meetings coming April 27-May 1 near Holland.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 27, 2026, puzzle No. 581
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Brooklyn College Hosts Urgent Discussion on Black Maternal Health Crisis
The event, attended by students, faculty, staff, and community members, was held in conjunction with the 2026 Perinatal Mental Health Summit at the Greg Jackson Center for Brownsville.
On ‘equitable care’: LGBTQIA+ SoCal Health Conference targets access, education
Healthcare providers emphasized the importance of supporting LGBTQ+ patients amid federal rollbacks on the community’s access to care at an April 19 UCLA conference. The 11th annual LGBTQIA+ SoCal Health Conference brought together UCLA physicians, medical students and community members to discuss gender-affirming care, mental health and policy issues in the LGBTQ+ community.
Building Hope launching mental health focused programs throughout May
Editor’s note — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is...
DIALOGUE: Aspire Palooza 2026 to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month in Albany
On this week’s Dialogue, ASPIRE’s Marlon Jones and Brittany Craft said the event celebrates Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month and focuses on mental health for the entire family. Albany State University head women’s basketball coach Todd Triplett and assistant coaches Yasmine Fairchild and Tyjanae Brown also discussed an upcoming basketball team camp.
Paul Mauro warns of social media's impact on political violence
Fox News contributor Paul Mauro, a retired NYPD inspector, discusses the alarming rise in political violence.
Penn health experts discuss Pa. court ruling recognizing ‘fundamental right’ to abortion
In the case — titled Allegheny Reproductive Health Center v. Pennsylvania Department of Human Services — the court recognized “a fundamental right to reproductive autonomy” under the Pennsylvania Constitution.
North Texas auto dealer Don Herring discusses the impact of tariffs on his business and customers
Herring said that in the year before tariffs, used car sales were just under half of his business at his dealership in Irving; Now, they are nearly 75 percent.
Bend residents weigh in on push for universal health care in Oregon
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Health care reform took center stage at Trinity Episcopal Church this week, where Central Oregon residents gathered for a town hall focused on the future of universal coverage in the state. The discussion, hosted by Health Care for All Oregon, comes as lawmakers and advocates explore ways to make care more
Inside California Politics
(INSIDE CALIFORNIA POLITICS) — This week on Inside California Politics, political analysts Ed Emerson and Tim Rosales joined host Nikki Laurenzo to discuss the recent gubernatorial debate. Both ana…
"We want players to spend their time actually enjoying the content they're passionate about" – Honkai: Star Rail Developers Discuss the Future, Potential Switch 2 Port, Himeko’s Coffee, and More
Ahead of its third anniversary, we spoke to the Honkai: Star Rail development team to discuss plans for the future, a potential Trails collaboration, Steam Deck and Switch 2 support, Himeko's coffee, and much more.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 26, 2026, puzzle No. 580
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Financial concerns are now taking their toll on Americans' physical health
Yahoo Finance's Senior Columnist, Kerry Hannon, joins Market Domination Overtime to discuss how money worries are hurting Americans' health.
Saturday Sports: The NFL Draft; the Chicago Cubs
NPR's Scott Simon and sports reporter Michele Steele discuss the NFL Draft.
Can Class Politics Win Again?
Krystal Ball, Vivek Chibber, and Matt Karp discuss how class politics stalled after the Bernie Sanders campaigns — and why a new political opening is finally emerging.
4 Democratic candidates discuss race for 3rd Congressional District
In the latest episode of Battleground Politics, NBC10's Lauren Mayk spoke with the four Democratic candidates for the 3rd Congressional District.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 25, 2026, puzzle No. 579
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
'Friday Follies': Prince Harry tries to 'dictate' American politics
Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo discusses Prince Harry's political takes and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries' answers to kids' questions on 'The Ingraham Angle.'
Small Oregon businesses are skeptical of Trump's tariff reimbursements
Small businesses in McMinnville Friday met with U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas to discuss the impact that tariffs have had on their business.
Business Roundtable to lead corporate engagement at G20
The Trump administration is shifting how business voices are included in G20 discussions, elevating the Business Roundtable to lead corporate engagement.
Final Fantasy 14 coming to Nintendo Switch 2
Square Enix is bringing Final Fantasy 14 to Nintendo Switch 2, Square Enix just announced. The game will be available this August. A short early access period of about a month is planned. The cost during this time will be entirely free. The Switch 2 version will require a separate subscription from other versions, following discussions with Nintendo. However, a...
Alabama’s politics should begin at the kitchen table
Amid state political discussions down in Montgomery, Alabama, it is easy to get lost in slogans, headlines and partisan battles. But the issues that most shape people’s lives rarely take up much time or make the loudest noise. These are the concerns discussed around kitchen tables across our state — rent, groceries, child care, electricity, […]
Foldable 'iPhone Ultra' Could Be Missing These 5 Key Features Despite $2,000 Price Tag
Apple's first foldable iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone Ultra," could be missing at least five key features present on the iPhone 18 Pro models despite its $2,000 price point. Recent images of dummy models shared by Sonny Dickson and Vadim Yuryev seem to reveal two previously undiscussed missing features of the iPhone Ultra: MagSafe and the Action Button.
The politics of education in America
Author and founder of Harlem Village Academies, Dr. Deborah Kenny, joins Morning Joe to discuss the politics of education in America.
Cedars-Sinai Event Explores Ethics of Longevity Science
Cedars-Sinai experts and prominent scholars of religion, Jewish law and ethics are coming together on May 3 for a free public discussion focusing on the ethical, moral and theological questions that can result from medical breakthroughs.
I went to the largest aging conference: AI and age tech sparked debate
At the largest US conference on aging, AI, technology, the looming caregiving crisis, and Social Security dominated discussions about growing older.
Gossip: Liverpool add Leao and Diomande to attacking targets
Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Real Madrid are keeping tabs on 26-year-old AC Milan and Portugal winger Rafael Leao, who is valued at about £60m. Mail) Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande's agents have already held discussions with Liverpool and Paris St-Germain, but RB Leipzig are keen on keeping the 19-year-old at the club for at least one more season. (Bild - in German)
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 24, 2026, puzzle No. 578
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Yakima small business owners raise concerns with recent legislation
Regional Director of the Small Business Administration (SBA) Kelly Chambers met with the Yakima Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday to discuss the current landscap
White House reporter on why Trump would rather discuss construction projects
“Us versus them”: How political propaganda polarises beliefs without providing any news
Political polarisation is often attributed to misinformation, echo chambers, or biased news. But new experimental evidence suggests that merely making a social conflict salient – without providing any information at all – is enough to sharply increase disagreement on both factual and normative questions. This column discusses how politicians and media can ‘artificially’ amplify societal tensions by strategically choosing which conflicts to highlight, and why this mechanism is harder to counter than standard misinformation.
WATCH LIVE: President Trump hosts White House event on health care affordability
President Trump hosts an event in the Oval Office to discuss health care affordability.
OpenAI's Denise Dresser: Enterprise customers will be 50% of business by year-end
Denise Dresser, OpenAI chief revenue officer, joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss the company's latest model, GPT 5.5, the enterprise part of the business and much more.
Friends of Zoo, Onondaga County sign agreement after negotiations turned tough
A $1 million donation to the aquarium served as a backdrop to discussions.
How Many Prunes Should I Eat for Constipation? A GI Doctor Explains
Prunes are an age-old remedy for constipation. Is it healthy to eat them every day? Experts discuss the potential benefits.
Youth Sports and Mental Health to be Discussed at OSU-Cascades Science Pub on May 12
Youth sports and mental health will be the topic of Oregon State University – Cascades’ Science Pub on May 12. The talk, titled “The Stolen Game,” will be given by William Massey, a kinesiologist and associate professor in OSU’s College of Health. Massey is also the director of the Psychosocial Physical Activity Laboratory, known as […]
7+ Sports Talk | Discussing the end of the inaugural flag football season
Scott Rossman and Hayden Smith discuss the end of the inaugural flag football season.
FWD.us and Georgia Chamber of Commerce Host Georgia Business Leaders to Discuss Protecting America’s Workforce
Leaders from Georgia’s business and legal communities joined FWD.us and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta to discuss immigrants’ vital role in the state’s economy and the need to preserve protections Atlanta, GA – Today, FWD.us and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce co-hosted a roundtable event bringing together Georgia business leaders and workforce experts […]
CBRE CEO on data centers: 'It's become a prominent part of our business'
Bob Sulentic, CEO of CBRE, joins 'Money Movers' to discuss the company's data center business, its recent earnings report, trends in office leasing, and more.
NFL Draft Day 1 news and pre-draft discussion
Give us your thoughts on what the Bengals should do this year in the draft.
Stephen and Ayesha Curry talk about the one habit that separates good business leaders from great ones
The Currys, co-founders of Plezi Hydration, discuss leading with purpose.
Arts and entertainment events happening April 23-26 across the Mid-Ohio Valley
Jeff DeWitt joins Daybreak to discuss what’s happening April 23-26 across the Mid-Ohio Valley!
Spirit bailout idea fuels fears about government, business
The U.S. could end up owning 90% of the struggling budget airline in a potential deal under discussion. Experts warn it would set a dangerous precedent.
Ben Roberts-Smith planned to leave Australia and researched buying wellness business in Spain, court documents show
Partner of soldier accused of war crimes says the couple discussed possibility of moving overseas to ‘create some normalcy in our lives’
Iowa Senate sends bills on speed limits, disruptive students to governor
DES MOINES — The Iowa Senate on Wednesday spent a good portion of the afternoon discussing a swath of bills, several of which have now moved to the desk of
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 23, 2026, puzzle No. 577
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Bass, Barger meets with Trump to push for L.A. fire recovery funds
The mayor and county supervisor said they had a "high-level discussion" with the president, sharing stories about what fire survivors are experiencing day to day.
The Ultimate Draft Pick: CMU Showcases the Winning Power of Sports Innovation
"Powering the Future of Sport: A Draft Week Showcase," was a sports-themed day of engaging discussions, live robotics demonstrations and industry innovations on AI’s extraordinary potential to transform the future of sports.
Sam Altman’s Orb Company Promoted a Bruno Mars Partnership That Doesn't Exist
“To be clear, we were never approached … nor were we in any discussions regarding a partnership or tour access,” a spokesperson for the artist tells WIRED.
How Businesses Can Build Trust as Institutional Confidence Erodes
Business leaders discussed the significance of authenticity, action, and building common ground at the TIME100 Summit in New York City.
Here’s how to join my IMCC8 symposium, “Ocean Science Communication: What’s New and What’s Next?”
I am pleased to announce that I’ll be leading a symposium at the upcoming 8th International Marine Conservation Congress in Scotland! We’ll be discussing new developments and emerging t…
Capcom provides a first look at Ingrid's in-game render before the debut of her gameplay trailer tonight for Street Fighter 6
Ingrid is the next character coming to Street Fighter 6 as DLC. She's set to be the final challenger of Season 3.Needless to say, fans are already discussing the rumors surrounding the Season 4 lineup. While that rumor ...
AI revolution hits medicine: SandboxAQ targets health, cyber breakthroughs
SandboxAQ CEO Jack Hidary joins 'Mornings with Maria' to discuss AI breakthroughs in healthcare, cybersecurity, and science, plus Dell’s $750M investment in a new AI medical campus.
Prominent Sports Investor Discusses Leadership and the Business of Team Success - University of New Haven
As part of the University of New Haven’s Sports Leadership Exchange Speaker Series, President Jens Frederiksen hosted business leader and sports executive Marc Lasry, who offered lessons on building strong teams, creating positive culture, and turning passion into long-term success.
Columbia Business School’s Community Impact Club Builds on a Legacy of Student Volunteerism in Harlem
The club’s co-presidents, Leticia De Mattei Goncalves (BUS’26) and William Szczecinski (BUS’26), discuss making a local impact while pursuing their MBAs.
The week in politics (April 22, 2026)
On Wednesday's show: We discuss the latest developments in politics in our weekly roundup. And author Ashanté Reese considers how gardens, reunions, and everyday meals can create connection.
Cougar science sidelined as pressure takes over
Editor’s Note: This is the final part of a three-part series. By the time Washington’s cougar debate reached its peak intensity, the conflict was no longer limited to public meetings or policy discussions. It had infiltrated the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife itself. What had started as pressure from outside — from parents, hunters,
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 22, 2026, puzzle No. 576
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Kayleigh McEnany: Politicians have been ‘lying to you’
‘Saturday in America’ host Kayleigh McEnany discusses the Democratic Party’s stance on the Iran conflict and President Donald Trump’s response on ‘Jesse Watters Primetime.’
Live Nation Entertainment Schedules First Quarter 2026 Earnings Release And Teleconference
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: LYV), the world's leading live entertainment company, will release its first quarter 2026 financial results after market hours on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Michael Rapino, Live Nation Entertainment's President and Chief Executive Officer, will host a teleconference that day at 2:00 p.m. PT (5:00 p.m. ET) to discuss the company's financial performance, operational outlook, and other forward-looking matters.
Connection Takes Root at Annual Northwest Arkansas Health Summit
National and state leaders in health care and community outreach recently convened at the Fayetteville Town Center to engage, learn, and collaborate on solutions to improve access to care across Arkansas. The April 2 summit kicked off with a keynote discussion by Neel Shah, chief medical officer of Maven Clinic,…
Pulitzer Prize winner shares historic nature of politics as U.S. celebrates 250th anniversary
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and New York Times bestselling author Jon Meacham discussed the nature of American politics through pivotal moments in U.S. history. Meacham said that the nation was originally founded on the notion of politics as “an aspirational arena of contention,” where different interests were disputed before reaching a consensus. He added that conflicts regarding power and other matters are inevitable.
A Realm Reborn in Magic: The Gathering®—FINAL FANTASY™
Cameron Williams discusses how Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY's designers brought the critically acclaimed MMORPG to Magic.
5 Steps for Small Business Succession Planning
In this course on the ASI Learning Network, Jeannette Rhodunda of ASI discusses important moves small-businesses owners should make to prepare firms for their next phase.
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
Rep. Blake Moore discusses health care affordability
Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, vice chair, House Republican Conference and member of the House Ways and Means Committee and its Subcommittee on Health, joined Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health and AHA chair-elect, for a fireside chat. While the conversation covered topics including health care access and regulation, the overarching theme was making health care more affordable for both patients and hospitals and health systems.
Supreme Court’s high-stakes term could reshape presidential power, immigration, voting rights
The Supreme Court’s term is packed — birthright citizenship, presidential removals, voting rules, transgender sports and more. Constitutional law expert Rod Sullivan joins News4JAX anchor Bruce Hamilton on this week’s episode of Politics & Power to discuss what’s at stake and why it matters to you.
Mechanohealth: Where life science meets physical forces for health innovation
Integrating mechanobiological principles into disease pathogenesis, therapeutic development, and tissue engineering is reshaping our understanding of biological systems and accelerating the advancement of mechanotherapy and mechanohealth. This field reveals how mechanical cues regulate cellular behavior, such as force transmission along integrin-nucleus pathways and collective cell migration, and tissue functions. In doing so, mechanobiology connects fundamental research with clinical applications, from limiting cancer metastasis and fibrosis to promoting bone regeneration and maintaining vascular homeostasis. Building on discussion from the Inaugural International Conference on Mechanobiology (ICM) 2025, integrating mechanobiological research with clinical strategies offers new opportunities to address unmet needs, including personalized anti-fibrotic interventions or precision bone regenerative therapies. At the same time, it supports the broader concept of mechanohealth -- a paradigm focused on preserving the physiological mechanical balance within tissues.
Pioneers in warfighter brain health discuss research agenda at annual brain health symposium
The Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence Center hosted the 2026 Annual Brain health Symposium March 18, featuring forthcoming updates to the Warfighter Brain Health Initiative and the latest in military medical research.
Prep talk: Another book is out from running coach Martin Dugard
Author and cross-country coach Martin Dugard continues to churn out new books. His newest book is "The Long Run," which discusses the 1970s running boom.
Science On Screen Series Brings Films And Experts
LEWISBURG — In Lewisburg, the Campus Theatre will host Science on Screen events pairing films with expert discussions. Organizers say the series is supported by a national grant promoting science education through entertainment. Officials say the next event is April 23 at 7pm featuring “2001: A Space Odyssey” with physicist Alan Lightman. Organizers say the program explores
Volcanoes Send Tiny Warning Signals Before Eruptions. These Scientists Are Decoding Them
The team behind "Jerk," a novel tool that predicted eruptions with 92% accuracy for a French volcano, discusses its work and implications.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 21, 2026, puzzle No. 575
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
Q&A: Expert discusses AI, automation drive autonomous science origin in scientific research
Rob Moore is a recognized leader in the development of autonomous science and self-driving laboratories at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). A Tennessee native who ...
Minneapolis high school wrestling phenom Reymie Keenan also proving formidable in discus
A Minneapolis wrestler took home the girls state title two years in a row, and now they're using that dominant strength to find success in their spring sport.
Dana Perino’s new novel blends romance, politics and humor
Fox News co-anchor Dana Perino discusses her new novel, ‘Purple State,’ with ‘The Five’ co-hosts.
Warriors reportedly will discuss ‘philosophy tweaks' if Steve Kerr returns
If Steve Kerr returns as Warriors coach, Golden State reportedly will discuss potential changes to the team's longtime offensive system.
Tax relief on the horizon: How federal rescheduling could reshape cannabis business taxes
Rachel Carr Shreves and Crystal Howard of Spencer Fane discuss the proposed federal rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III and considerations stemming from potential relief from the limitations on certain deductions under Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code.
Comedian Paula Poundstone will get political and personal at the Englert
Poundstone discusses her stand-up career as a nearly five-decade veteran comic ahead of her show at the Englert on Friday, April 24.
AI in health care: Experts discuss the future of AI practices and policies
Jim VandeHei, CEO of Axios; Marc Boom, M.D., AHA board chair and president and CEO of Houston Methodist; Anne Klibanski, M.D., president and CEO of Mass General Brigham; Jonathan Perlin, M.D., president and CEO of Joint Commission; and Ladd Wiley, senior vice president of global corporate affairs, public policy and advocacy for Epic, all participated in the panel discussion “AI in Health Care: Navigating Policy, Regulation, and the Road Ahead."
Health care leaders discuss opportunities to shape the future of health care delivery, access
AHA Board Immediate Past Chair Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO, Corewell Health, and Rob Allen, president and CEO, Intermountain Health, participated in a discussion moderated by Jim Skogsbergh, former chair of the AHA Board of Trustees, for a discussion about the opportunities and challenges facing health care leaders in today’s landscape.
From Raines to Reel Life: How this creative is blazing a trail in the entertainment industry
When discussing Raines High School alumni, you typically hear about the athletes who have had professional careers, but this creative is blazing her own trail by representing Jacksonville in the entertainment industry.
Therapist unpacks social media’s impact on teen mental health, friendships
Child and adolescent family therapist Darby Fox discusses new research on how teens perceive social media. Many credit Snapchat with helping friendships, but most report online harassment and bullying.
Skokie discusses hiking, expanding entertainment tax in early budget review
As Skokie staff and trustees meet this month to review their budget for fiscal year 2027, officials have recommended raising the local entertainment tax to fund a new ambulance and improvements to the village’s development services. The proposed tax hike, which trustees would have to approve by an ordinance separate from the budget, would raise […]
From Raines to Reel Life: How this creative is blazing a trail in the entertainment industry
When discussing Raines High School alumni, you typically hear about the athletes who have had professional careers, but this creative is blazing her own trail by representing Jacksonville in the entertainment industry.
Connections: Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 20, 2026, puzzle No. 574
Welcome to Connections: Sports Edition Coach — a spot to gather clues and discuss (and share) scores.
San Diego Politics Show: CA-48 candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar
Four-time candidate Ammar Campa-Najjar discusses his campaign for CA-48, one of the most-watched races in the country.
Advancing epidemic and pandemic preparedness through research readiness: SEAR Unity Studies Network Sites chart the way forward in 2026
On 25 March 2026, WHO Regional Office for the South‑East Asia Region (SEARO) convened the first meeting of the SEAR Chapter of the Unity Studies Network Meeting in 2026 to take stock of progress and plan next steps for strengthening epidemic and pandemic preparedness across the Region. The meeting focused on reviewing the ongoing adaptation of selected, standard Unity Study methodologies, sharing field implementation experiences from 2025, and identifying key priorities to guide collaborative work in 2026.Held virtually, the meeting brought together representatives from six Unity Studies network sites across five countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand) as well as participants from all three levels of WHO.The meeting took place against the backdrop of ongoing regional efforts in South‑East Asia to strengthen early investigations and studies for epidemic and pandemic preparedness, with a focus on pandemic influenza and other emerging respiratory pathogens with epidemic and pandemic potential. In this context, and as part of preparedness for the rapid generation of evidence, the WHO Health Emergencies Programme in SEAR (WHE/SEAR) encourages Unity Studies sites to adapt prioritized, standardized Unity Study protocols to their national contexts. This approach supports the generation of timely and reliable evidence to inform public health decision‑making during epidemics and pandemics.These efforts are supported through a combination of experience sharing, participation in the global Unity Studies network webinars, capacity‑building of the national public health workforce, and regional collaboration that promotes inter‑country, inter‑agency, and inter‑ministerial action. In parallel, sites are encouraged to explore diversified funding sources to help sustain research preparedness over the long term.Discussions highlighted the importance of WHO’s catalytic financial support through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contributions (PIP‑PC). When combined with national and institutional resources, this support enables countries and sites to maintain continuity of activities at a core level and remain prepared to respond rapidly and effectively to future epidemics and pandemics.Regional and Global Updates: Opening the session, Dr Pushpa Ranjan Wijesinghe, Programme Area Manager, Pandemic and Epidemic Management (PEM) Unit, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, highlighted the progress made in operationalizing the Unity Studies Network across the Region and acknowledged the collaborative efforts of WHO at all three levels, together with country unity studies sites. He emphasized the availability of limited but catalytic funding through the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Partnership Contribution (PIP‑PC) workplan at SEARO to sustain network activities in 2026, while encouraging sites to leverage additional funding sources to expand implementation.Representing SEARO, Dr Ashok Basnet, consultant, Pandemic Influenza Preparedness reported that, at the regional level, the Unity Studies Network currently includes six sites across five countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. He noted that in 2025, catalytic funding supported protocol adaptation, training, and pilot implementation. In addition, a regional Unity Studies symposium held during the Global Public Health Summit in Sri Lanka strengthened and advocated collaboration between the Unity Studies site, national decision‑making forum, relevant technical units of the ministry of health, WHO and other partners.The symposium also highlighted the role of early investigations and studies as a key component of a multi‑source surveillance system needed at country level to generate a broad range of evidence. It underscored the critical role of country Unity Studies sites and similar research entities in generating evidence to support public health decision‑making during epidemics and pandemics.Participants of the WHO GISRS Unity Studies Sites Network- SEAR Chapter Meeting 2026 (Photo credit- PEM/WHE/SEARO). SEARO also updated participants on ongoing efforts to develop a regional Unity Studies webpage and to promote participation in global knowledge‑sharing platforms, including webinars and the WHO Community of Practice. Priorities for 2026 include supporting the implementation of Unity protocols, strengthening collaboration and experience sharing across sites, documenting and publishing findings, integrating Unity Studies activities as a component of multi-source national surveillance systems, and building workforce capacity.Dr Nickle Boddington of the Global Influenza Programme (GIP) at WHO Headquarters, which coordinates the Unity Studies Network globally, provided updates on global Unity Studies activities, noting that the network has expanded to 16 sites worldwide. New and updated protocols, including rapid clinical severity assessment tools and standardized data platforms, are being developed to support implementation. The global Community of Practice has also been launched to facilitate technical exchange, and continued support will be provided to sites for protocol adaptation, ethical approvals, and readiness for early investigation during outbreaks. Updates from Unity Studies sites in SEAR in 2025Unity Studies sites shared progress and experiences in implementing protocols across diverse country contexts. Sites initiated activities in 2025 using catalytic funding from SEARO, complemented by the mobilization of internal national resources. The Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Bangladesh, reported the adoption and piloting of investigation protocols on non‑seasonal influenza and emerging respiratory diseases during recent avian influenza outbreaks, demonstrating a multi‑source funding approach involving government, WHO and One Health partners.The Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (HIMSR), New Delhi, India, highlighted the piloting of household transmission investigation studies, the expansion of the national Unity Studies network, and the contribution of study findings to global evidence through published outputs. The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India, shared experiences from large‑scale seroprevalence studies conducted during the COVID‑19 pandemic, recent efforts to strengthen national Unity network sites through training activities, and plans to initiate multi‑centre studies on respiratory viruses.Similarly, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand, highlighted its experience in developing integrated surveillance and diagnostic protocols for multiple respiratory pathogens, enhancing readiness for targeted investigations of emerging threats. The University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, reported ongoing engagement with the Ministry of Health and exploration of additional funding sources to initiate studies. Meanwhile, the National Public Health Laboratory, Nepal, provided updates on continued coordination with national stakeholders to initiate implementation, despite delays related to the country context.Across sites, shared experiences underscored the importance of protocol adaptation, multisectoral collaboration, and sustainable funding to operationalize Unity Studies and generate evidence for public health action.Discussions and Way ForwardThe meeting reinforced key priorities for 2026, including strengthening unity studies protocol implementation, enhancing collaboration, knowledge sharing, integrating research as a component of national multi-source surveillance systems, and ensuring that generated evidence informs public health decision‑making. Participants also emphasized the importance of documentation, visibility, and leveraging multiple funding sources, and agreed on the following action points.Unity Studies Sites and WHO Country Offices:Advance adoption and implementation of at least one Unity protocol, continuing activities initiated in 2025 with catalytic funding, supplemented with other sources of funding where feasible.Document site-specific experiences, outcomes, and lessons learned; participate in regional and global knowledge-sharing platforms including WHO webinars and the Community of Practice.Work closely with ministries of health to establish unified national platforms for translating generated evidence into national public health decision-making. WHO Country Offices may facilitate technical support and complementary, synergistic funding opportunities where feasible. WHO Regional OfficeCoordinate with WHO Country Offices to support implementation of core unity studies activities by network sites through catalytic funding and provide technical guidance and virtual engagement opportunities throughout 2026.Facilitate the participation of all Unity Studies sites in the regional meeting on Unity Studies implementation in October 2026, to be held back‑to‑back with the Annual SEAR Regional PIP‑PC Meeting; develop and host a SEAR Unity Studies website; and mobilize support from academic institutions within the SEAR Unity Studies Network to support the development of regional manuscripts that showcase Unity Studies activities to scientific audiences and promote knowledge‑sharing.Explore complementary funding opportunities and partnerships to sustain and expand network activities across the Region.WHO HeadquartersProvide global technical guidance, updated protocols, and toolkits to support the implementation of Unity Studies in SEAR.Facilitate engagement of SEAR sites in global webinars, the Community of Practice, and opportunities to showcase their work.Support joint publications, inclusion of SEAR experiences in global outputs, and identification of additional funding and collaborative opportunities to strengthen Unity Studies activities.
Council Discusses Business Notification As Second Street Project Begins
While the state Department of Transportation has begun their work on Second Street, a question was brought up about how to contact business owners on the street and let them know about what the current plans are during Monday’s City Council meeting. Councilman Daniel Gonzalez, D-At Large and chair of the Public Works Committee, mentioned […]