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Friend, not foe: The health threat from spiders is low in W. Pa., experts say
This is the latest installment of Pittsburgh Pests, an occasional series examining the insects and other creatures that pose health risks in our region. Spiders...
Grimy New York basketball is back as Josh Hart, Jose Alvarado and a suffocating defense even series vs. Hawks
Penguins fight off elimination with Game 4 win against Flyers
PHILADELPHIA — The Penguins had almost 72 hours to sit on their 3-0 series deficit to the Philadelphia Flyers. They emerged from that long break...
Rampant Gilgeous-Alexander fuels Thunder, Magic and Knicks win
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 42 points Saturday to propel the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 121-109 victory over Phoenix and a commanding 3-0 lead in their NBA playoff series.They'll try to polish off a sweep in the best-of-seven series on Monday in Phoenix, where the Suns will be painfully aware that no NBA team has rallied from 0-3 down to win a playoff series.
Red Sox fire manager Alex Cora, 5 other coaches after 10-17 start
The Red Sox have seen enough from 2026 to move on from a World Series-winning manager.
Astros vs. Yankees Game Thread, Game 28 4/25/26
The Houston Astros (10-17) will play the second of a three-game series with their heated interdivision rival New York Yankkes (17-9), tonight at Daikin Park. RHP Mike Burrows(1-3 ,6.75 ERA) will make his sixth regular season appearance for the Astros tonight opposite the Yankees and starter RHP Ryan Weathers (1-2, 3.18 ERA). TONIGHT’S STARTER: RHP Mike Burrows is […]
Lakers take a 3-0 series lead over the Rockets
The Lakers rallied from a six-point deficit with under 30 seconds remaining
TST Best Bets: April 25, 2026
Heading into the season, the New York Knicks were one of the biggest favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference, while the conversation surrounding the Atlanta Hawks was whether it was time to blow it up. Five months and a Trae Young trade later, and these two teams are now embroiled in the most must-see series of the first round. On Saturday, the Knicks will look to avoid falling into what would be a catastrophic 3-1 hole, while CJ McCollum and the Hawks aim to repeat their late-game heroi
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns: Where to watch the NBA playoffs game today, time, channel and more
How to watch Game 3 of the OKC Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns series during the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
2026 NBA Playoffs: Denver Nuggets at Minnesota Timberwolves Game 4 best bet
The Timberwolves host the Nuggets in Game 4 Saturday as slight underdogs despite holding a 2-1 series lead with Denver's Aaron Gordon questionable.
Raptors 'expect the unexpected' from Cavaliers in Game 4
The Toronto Raptors understand they must be ready for anything Sunday afternoon when they attempt to even their Eastern Conference first-round series with the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers.
Where to watch Orlando Magic vs. Detroit Pistons Game 3 NBA playoffs: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Saturday, April 25
Cade Cunningham and the Pistons face the Magic in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.
FuRyu announces roguelike action game CRYMELIGHT for PS5, Switch 2, and PC
FuRyu has announced roguelike action game CRYMELIGHT, the next entry in its “dark bishoujou action” CRY series. It will launch for PlayStation 5, Switch 2, and PC via Steam on November …
Tennessee Passed a Slate of Immigration Bills. Here’s What They Do.
The Republican supermajority in the Tennessee General Assembly approved a series of immigrations bills, crafted in coordination with the White House.
Why Trump's winning streak at the Supreme Court came to an abrupt end
The Trump administration won a series of high-profile victories last year, but the president has made fewer emergency appeals and is facing losses on his signature policies.
Cubs Leg Out Comeback Against Dodgers
The fiery Chicago Cubs mount comeback against the Los Angeles Dodgers to take series opener. Emmet Sheehan struck out 10.
Blue Jays demote Jeff Hoffman from closer role after early struggles, World Series infamy
Jim France stepping down as NASCAR CEO, paving way for first non-France family member to lead the sport
Steve O'Donnell is taking over operations of America's leading auto racing series.
Cubs stay hot for Dodgers duel, Braves return to World Series contender form and Yankees ready for new uniforms
The Insight Series: AI & Digital Health
“The Insight Series: AI & Digital Health” features industry experts answering key questions to help inform policymakers and the public about how AI is shaping the future of care delivery. Our latest edition features Carlos Nunez, Chief Medical Officer at Resmed.
Pistons look to carry momentum into Game 3 vs. Magic
The Detroit Pistons almost were unrecognizable for the first six quarters of their first-round series against the Orlando Magic, but that all changed in the span of about eight minutes.
Asha Sharma Says Xbox Is Investing To Make Series X|S Consoles A 'First-Class Experience Again'
That's how important they are to the new leadership
‘Widow’s Bay’ review: Apple TV horror comedy feels a little underbaked
While the new Apple TV series, premiering April 29, feels disjointed, there's still pleasure to be had, writes Moira Macdonald.
Where to watch New York Yankees vs. Houston Astros: Live stream, TV channel, odds for Friday, April 24
The Yankees open their series against the Astros.
Universal Entertainment Secures Five-Year Deal With Jez Butterworth
Ford v. Ferrari scribe and The Agency and MobLand series EP, Jez Butterworth, has inked an overall five-year deal with Universal Entertainment across TV, streaming and film.
Hawks look to build comfortable series lead over Knicks
The New York Knicks held a comfortable lead for most of their Game 1 win last weekend.
Tennessee Entertainment Commission Announces Outdoor Concert Dates for Levitt AMP Music Series
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee is partnering with the Levitt Family Foundation to bring free concerts to six communities statewide. Today, the 2026 dates and locations of the outdoor concerts through the Levitt AMP Music Series, announced last year, are live. The communities selected during Tennessee’s first round of the program include Dyersburg, Lawrenceburg, Loudon, Maryville, […]
Nick Turturro turns pizza delivery into must-watch entertainment
NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) — Nick Turturro mixes celebrities and slices in a new NYC-based series.
Here's the next Apple Watch face coming in watchOS 26.5
There’s a new Apple Watch face that will be included in the upcoming watchOS 26.5 software update. Apple’s annual Pride...
Microsoft Gaming reverts to Xbox branding
"Microsoft Gaming describes our structure, but it does not describe our ambition," says CEO Asha Sharma and CCO Matt Booty
Downtown Jackson concert series starts Saturday. Who's playing? Where to go
The Mississippi Mass Choir kicks off a new concert series in Downtown Jackson on April 25. It is the first of 30 free concerts.
NASCAR Cup Series entry list for Talladega in April 2026
Check out the NASCAR Cup Series entry list for the 2026 Jack Link's 500 at Talladega Superspeedway including the most notable drivers!
Watch: Acknowledging Health Care’s Great Divide
As part of her "How Would You Fix It?" series, podcast host Julie Rovner chats with health policy expert David Blumenthal about how politics can gum up health policy progress.
Turtle Beach Command Series keyboard and mouse with touchscreens announced
Turtle Beach has expanded its portfolio of gaming keyboards and mice with two new models of the former and three new of the latter. The Command series KB7 TKL and KB5 feature touchscreens, and so does the MC7 mouse.
Sometimes Science Needs A Brilliant Bastard
In the 1970s, after 12 decades of on-again-off-again enthusiasm, a couple of near-death experiences, and ongoing dismissal as a series of just-so stories, the Darwinian idea seemed finally to be coming to a triumphant vindication: a Grand Unified Theory of biology. Thinking like a Darwinian either could explain everything, or soon would, from why butterfly […]
Solo Leveling: ARISE OVERDRIVE for PS5, Xbox Series launches in Q3 2026
The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series versions of action RPG Solo Leveling: ARISE OVERDRIVE will launch in Q3 2026, publisher Netmarble and developer Netmarble Neo announced.
Clouds of water ice thread stellar nurseries in the Milky Way
NASA’s SPHEREx mapped water ice across vast regions of the galaxy, confirming that an essential molecule for life on Earth abounds in space.
Leaked One UI 8.5 changelog details new features on Galaxy S25, AirDrop and more
The One UI 8.5 changelog for the Galaxy S25 series appeared online, signaling what could be a rollout in the...
Republicans often ignore Trump’s socialistic moves. Spirit Airlines could test that
For more than a year, Republicans in Washington have largely stood by as President Donald Trump staged a series of remarkable government interventions into private business.
Here’s a preview of Pixel 11 Pro Fold’s wallpapers, hinting at colors [Gallery]
Google’s Pixel 11 series is in the pipeline and, in the latest Android 17 beta release, we spotted a quick...
Southern University wins ECAC EA Sports College Football National Championship
Coby Robinson, a sophomore computer science major known as “K1ngC0by,” secured the title in a best-of-five championship series against Bellarmine University.
DJI’s new Lito Series beginner drones start at less than $400
The Lito X1 might be worth the upgrade for amateur pilots with its obstacle-avoiding LIDAR sensor.
Microsoft Investigating Why Some Xbox 360 Games Don't Work On Series X
With apologies to the retro fans
CBS Sports Network to Broadcast Navy vs. Loyola Game Friday Night Under the Lights
After spending the last two weekends on the road, Navy (7-6, 3-4 Patriot League) returns home to play host to Loyola (8-5, 5-2 Patriot League) on Friday evening in its regular-season finale. Faceoff is slated for 7:06 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and the game is presented by First Command. Navy is led by Joe Amplo, who has put together a 50-39 record in his 7 seasons at the helm of the Mids' program, while Loyola's Charley Toomey has posted a 195-117 record in 21 seasons as the Greyhounds' head coach. The contest marks the 22nd meeting in a series that dates back to 1939. Friday's contest will be televised by CBS Sports Network with Chris Lewis and Evan Washburn calling the action. Additionally, the game will be carried live on 1430 WNAV with Joe Miller on the call. Radio coverage begins at 6:45 pm with the Navy Lacrosse Pregame Show. Live stats will also be available on NavySports.com(.)
"It ended up being pretty much co-development" - how 80s anime, a legendary Gundam director and It Takes Two talent combined for the Switch 2's next hit Orbitals
An extensive hands-on preview, studio visit and series of interviews on the hugely anticipated co-op Switch 2 exclusive, Orbitals.
Celtics Star Under Fire After Horrendous Start To 76ers Series
Derrick White's shooting slump has only gotten worse.
Latest iPhone 18 Pro Max Dummies Suggest Thicker Camera Plateau, More Protruding Lenses
Apple is expected to bring several camera enhancements to the iPhone 18 Pro models this year, but there have been no fixed rumors suggesting these upgrades will require measurable, visible changes to the device's rear camera plateau. And yet a new series of dummies suggests exactly that. iPhone 17 Pro dummy (left) vs.
DJI launches new Lito budget drones, US misses out
DJI has launched two new budget camera drones today, the Lito X1 and Lito 1, and they look like the kind of products US buyers would normally rush to grab.
Stephen A.: Knicks need to handle their business on the road - Stream the Video
Stephen A. Smith and Kenny Smith evaluate the Knicks ahead of Game 3 of their playoff series vs. the Hawks on Watch ESPN, first streamed on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
'Michael,' 'Mother Mary,' 'I Swear' top list of new films in Houston
WorldFest 59. Latin Wave film series at MFAH, 'Apex' and 'Over Your Dead Body' are also landing on our screens
Tottenham hold talks with leading contender Sebastian Kehl over co-sporting director role
Spurs are searching for a replacement for Fabio Paratici, who left the club in February to take up a position at Serie A side Fiorentina.
Tennessee softball vs Alabama is matchup of two best SEC pitching staffs
Tennessee softball will face an Alabama pitching staff with just as much depth as its own in a top 10 series at home from April 25-27.
Galaxy S25 One UI 8.5 changelog leaks days before Stable rollout
Leaked changelog reveals One UI 8.5 stable update for the Galaxy S25 series will bring a noticeable visual refresh, leaning into cleaner layouts, blur effects, and more fluid elements that adapt naturally to how you use the phone daily. Galaxy AI takes center stage with smarter, more practical tools. From screening calls with Bixby to […]
Galaxy S25 stable One UI 8.5 update changelog is here
The changelog of the software update for the Galaxy S25 series bringing the stable version of One UI 8.5 (Android 16 QPR2) has been leaked.
‘The Neighbourhood’: Creative Team Behind ITV’s Latest Big Entertainment Bet On Host Graham Norton’s Perfectly “Mischievous & Witty” Tone: “We Feel Lucky To Have Got Him Inbetween Taylor Swift Video Shoots”
Graham Norton clearly doesn’t do things by halves and he spent a full month living around the corner from contestants on The Neighbourhood, ITV’s constructed reality series that launches Saturday nigh...
Dodgers Drop Series Against Giants Despite Shohei Ohtani Stellar Start
The Los Angeles Dodgers offense once more can't get it going as San Francisco Giants win.
Pistons tie series with monster run to wipe out Magic 98-83 in Game 2
The Detroit Pistons used an insane 30-3 run to open the third quarter, breaking the Orlando Magic in Game 2 to tie the NBA playoff series at 1-1.
“Dancing With the Stars” season 35 reveals first 2 contestants
"Summer House" star Ciara Miller and Maura Higgins of "Love Island" fame will be competing on the ABC series this fall.
A Previously Banned Apple Watch Health Feature Is Now Here to Stay
Apple has been embroiled in a six-year legal battle over one of its Apple Watch health apps. The end may finally be in sight, and here's what Apple has to say about it.
Speaker series makes science digestible for all audiences
The Center for Communicating Science created a recipe to help bridge the gap between science research and the public through its Science on Tap series.
St. Jude Rock ‘N’ Roll Nashville Reveals Entertainment Lineup
The St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville is returning April 25–26, celebrating 26 [...]
Behind the Shield Named a Finalist for Cynopsis Sports Awards
Behind the Shield, a seven-part docuseries following the 2025 U.S. Men’s U20 team, has been named a finalist for the 2026 Cynopsis Sports Awards.There are more than 30 categories in this year’s Cynopsis Sports Awards, recognizing an exceptional group of organizations, teams and individuals driving innovation, creativity and impact across the sports industry.
Where to watch Phoenix Suns vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2 NBA playoffs: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Wednesday, April 22
The Thunder and Suns meet in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Report – Monza Join Race To Sign Outgoing Inter Milan Veteran
Serie A promotion hopefuls Monza have reportedly joined the race to sign Inter Milan veteran Stefan de Vrij.According to Forzamonza.it via FCInterNews, Monza sporting director Nicolas Burdisso has set...
The Expanse: Osiris Reborn closed beta now available
The closed beta test for third-person action RPG The Expanse: Osiris Reborn is now available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam, developer Owlcat Games announced. A full launch will f…
Samsung is increasingly worried about first-ever mobile division loss in RAM crisis, report
As AI continues to eat up the market’s RAM output, smartphones are in crisis as costs continue to skyrocket. A...
2026 COMMENCEMENT SERIES | Marquette senior bridges the gap in science education
Since she was a young girl, Raya Broeren has felt drawn toward science. “I was really interested in science when I was a kid,” the biomedical sciences major says. “I tried to get involved in as many science classes and experiences as I could.” That early curiosity, combined with working as a certified nursing assistant,…
The scary part about Hawks tying series vs. Knicks? 'We still haven't played our best basketball yet'
Heading home for Game 3, Atlanta has plenty of room to improve
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.
Art and Science Converge as Senior Center’s Masters Series Sets Spring Theme
Daily Newsmagazine and City Guide to Pasadena, California featuring local news, breaking news, events, weather, sports news, schools news, shopping, restaurants and more from Pasadena Now
"Not surprising at all" - analysts see Xbox Game Pass price cut as inevitable shift that will drive subscription growth in 2026
Price drop expected to aid growth in platform users, while opinion is divided on the impact on Call of Duty revenues
RFK Jr. set to face Cassidy in back-to-back Senate hearings
Cassidy cast the key vote to confirm Kennedy last year after securing a series of promises from Kennedy. The health secretary has not kept those promises.
Rockets-Lakers takeaways: How did L.A. make Kevin Durant disappear to claim 2-0 series lead?
Do the 76ers have a chance against the Celtics if they prolong the series and get Joel Embiid back?
Spurs lose Victor Wembanyama — and control — as Portland evens series. How can they adjust if Wemby misses Game 3?
Gran Turismo 7 April 2026 Update: Renault Twingo, Porsche 964 Turbo S, Yangwang U9
Kazunori Yamauchi has pulled the covers off the three cars coming to Gran Turismo 7 in next week's update, and two of them are not quite what we were expecting. The series creator took to social media to reveal the Renault Twingo, Porsche 964 Turbo S, and Yangwang U9 (yes, U9, not the Xtreme) as the
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,
Victor Wembanyama enters concussion protocol after scary Spurs moment
Victor Wembanyama was ruled out for the rest of Game 2 of the Spurs’ opening round series with the Trail Blazers.
Rookie VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey power 76ers past cold-shooting Celtics to tie series at 1-1
Tuesday was Philadelphia's turn to catch fire from 3 as Boston struggled at home.
Game Thread: White Sox (8-14) at Diamondbacks (13-9)
South Siders eye back-to-back series wins in Phoenix against the D-backs
Dodgers on Deck: Wednesday, April 22 at Giants
Shohei Ohtani takes the ball in the middle game of the series between the Dodgers and Giants on Wednesday night at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Ohtani has pitched exactly six innings in each of his three starts this season, with two total runs allowed, one of them earned. In three career starts against the […]
A Previously Banned Apple Watch Health Feature May Soon Make a Comeback
Apple has been embroiled in a six-year legal battle over one of its Apple Watch health apps. The end may finally be in sight.
Remlinger Farms 2026 summer concert lineup announced
This year's concert series includes The Head and the Heart, The Black Keys and more.
State prison officials are grappling with a crisis behind bars
NY1 went inside one of the state’s largest prisons — Green Haven Correctional Facility — for an exclusive look beyond its walls.
Health & Wellbeing Capacity Building Series: From Vision to Action
The Health & Wellbeing Capacity Building Series: From Vision to Action is a five-session learning experience designed to help cities strengthen their ability to advance community wellbeing through…
Motorola Razr 70 listed ahead of announcement
It brings an updated 50MP ultrawide camera alongside a larger 4,800mAh battery compared to its predecessor. Motorola’s next-gen Razr 70 series is expected...
From The Sports Desk: Now we’re even
The lower-seeded Atlanta Hawks and Minnesota Timberwolves had comeback wins yesterday, to pull even in their respective playoff series.
Politics of the Past, Politics of the Future
M. Gessen encourages the audience to embrace their freedom in a UCSB Arts & Lectures series talk.
Framework Laptop 13 Pro is the first major revision to the original Framework Laptop
Laptop includes Core Ultra Series 3 CPUs, a bigger battery, and a touchscreen.
Wearable health tech might be Tim Cook’s greatest legacy
An Apple (Watch) a day might keep the doctor away.
Wearable health tech might be Tim Cook’s greatest legacy
An Apple (Watch) a day might keep the doctor away.
Yankees vs. Red Sox series preview: What to know as AL East rivalry opens in 2026, plus a prediction
Luis Gil and Connelly Early kick off the three-game set on Tuesday in Boston
Oberlin Launches Rotberg Lecture in African Politics with April 22 Inaugural Talk | Oberlin College and Conservatory
Oberlin College and Conservatory has established the Robert I. Rotberg ’55 and Fiona J. Y. Rotberg ’90 Annual Lecture in African Politics, a new endowed series that will bring leading scholars to campus each year.The lecture series is designed to expand opportunities for students and the broader community to engage with the study of political development across the African continent—past, present, and future—while also reflecting Oberlin’s longstanding connections to influential African leaders and thinkers.
Timberwolves climb out of 19-point hole to knock off Nuggets, even first-round NBA playoff series
Shohei Ohtani's roster spot an unfair advantage, claims Craig Counsell ahead of weekend Dodgers-Cubs series
As a two-way player, Ohtani is listed as a position player, which allows the Dodgers to roster 13 other pitchers
Albion Online: The Long-Running MMORPG Comes to Xbox Series X|S Today
In Albion Online, you can fight, gather, trade, and write your own epic story. Available today on Xbox Series X|S. Check out the article for more info!
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
Girls Ambitious about Learning Science registration deadline April 22
Participants will get their hands dirty digging soil samples and more as they attend GALS, a mini-series of science programs for girls in grades 5-8.
Ascending Cubs tap Shota Imanaga to face free-falling Phillies
Trending in opposite directions, the Chicago Cubs host the reeling Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday in the second contest of a four-game series.
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