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Conrad Schools of Science students celebrate prom 2026
Conrad Schools of Science students and their guests celebrated their prom at Chase Center on the Riverfront on April 24, 2026.
The lure of living in the past: From the Politics Desk
Plus, Kristen Welker recaps her bipartisan interview with Sens. Katie Britt and John Fetterman.
College basketball rankings: North Carolina tumbles after Henri Veesaar's NBA Draft declaration
New North Carolina coach Michael Malone lost a would-be roster cornerstone when Veesaar decided to make the leap to the next level
Man Loses 200 Pounds With Lifestyle Changes and This Daily Drink
Adam Bird lost half his body weight by making sustainable lifestyle changes, including walking to the gym and prioritizing nutrition.
From The Sports Desk: Crossed signals
The NFL draft relies heavily on telephones, which can lead to some wild moments. Plus, NBA playoffs and Premier League soccer.
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. absent from Congress for weeks over a 'personal health matter'
The vulnerable Republican incumbent is facing re-election in a district rated a "toss-up" by the Cook Political Report.
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.
Mom, 37, With Rare Cancer Gives Birth After Early Menopause, Stem Cell Transplant
She pushed for the chance to freeze her eggs and it paid off 10 years later.
Breaking Point: Why the Affordable Housing Business Model Is Unraveling
With rising insurance, debt, and operating costs outpacing rents and subsidies, affordable housing is becoming harder to finance.
Prime Picks: UFC Vegas 116 ‘Sterling vs. Zalal’
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday takes a break from life on the road and settles in for some home cooking at the UFC Apex. Ready your wagers.
UNC big man Henri Veesaar declares for 2026 NBA Draft, leaving massive hole for Michael Malone
UNC big man Henri Veesaar declares for 2026 NBA Draft, what's next for UNC basketball
‘How Black Music Took Over the World’ Review: Science and Rhythm
Many of the world’s most popular music genres have their origins in black traditions. Western notation can’t always capture African musical innovations.
FDA grants quick review for 3 psychedelic drug trials
FDA commissioner Marty Makary told NBC News that the first psychedelic drug could be approved in the U.S. as soon as this summer.
The NFL Draft opened with a gamble, a surprise and a sign of things to come
The Rams picking QB Ty Simpson shocked experts and fans alike, but it wasn't the only takeaway from Thursday's first round.
A New Worry for Republicans: Latino Catholics Offended by Trump
In 2024, the president made significant inroads with Hispanics. But in a competitive Arizona congressional district, voters now express dismay at his feud with the pope.
St Mirren v Livingston: Pick of the stats
St Mirren have lost just one of their past 16 Scottish Premiership meetings with Livingston (W7 D8), going down 1-0 away from home in February 2024. Livingston won their first-ever Premiership visit to St Mirren 2-0 in August 2018, but have since failed to win 10 such trips in the competition (D4 L6), losing their past four in a row and failing to score in their latest three. Depending on Kilmarnock's result at Aberdeen, Livingston could be relegated this weekend should they fail to beat St Mirren.
High school sports reporter never knows what to expect in interviews
High school sports reporter Brad Myers shares some of his most memorable interviews and his strategy in deciding who to talk to after a game.
Review: Saros on PS5/Pro: Beautiful Visuals, Polished And Approachable
An Unreal Engine 5 game that looks nothing like it.
2026 NFL Draft: American Conference prospects to watch
Eli Heidenreich, Landon Robinson, and Travis Burke are among the most likely American draft selections in 2026.
The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics
Every week political cartoonists throughout the country and across the political spectrum apply their ink-stained skills to capture the foibles, memes, hypocrisies and other head-slapping events in the world of politics. The fruits of these labors are hundreds of cartoons that entertain and enrage readers of all political stripes. Here's an offering of the best of this week's crop, picked fresh off the Toonosphere. Edited by Matt Wuerker.
Mixed reactions to Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round draft pick
Reactions are mixed about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round draft pick.
Marshall Health Network enrolling patients in lung cancer clinical trial evaluating personalized immunotherapy approach
lungllulungHUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Edwards Cancer Institute at Marshall Health Network (MHN) is enrolling eligible patients in a clinical trial evaluating whether a personalized immunotherapy approach can enhance the effectiveness of treatment following lung cancer surgery. The study is investigating the use of an individualized therapy designed with a tumor’s unique biology from a surgical sample to help the immune system better […]
Panthers select Georgia OT Monroe Freeling with the 19th pick in the NFL draft
The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Freeling played three seasons for the Bulldogs and started 18 games over the past two seasons.
How to watch UFC Vegas 116 ‘Sterling vs. Zalal’
The Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday tends to matters at home, as it returns to the UFC Apex with a featherweight main event pitting Aljamain Sterling against Youssef Zalal.
Stunning 132 million-year-old dinosaur tracks are rewriting history
A long-standing mystery in southern Africa’s fossil record is beginning to unravel. After massive lava flows 182 million years ago seemed to erase evidence of dinosaurs in the region, scientists have now uncovered surprising new clues along the Western Cape coast. Dozens of dinosaur tracks, about 132 million years old, have been discovered in a tiny stretch of rock near Knysna—making them the youngest ever found in southern Africa.
Trying to find common ground? Look to sports and the athletes who inspire
Olympic gold medalists Brandi Chastain and Elana Meyers Taylor joined NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for a conversation with NBC Sports' Mike Tirico about sports as a unifying force.
Trump is facing an increasingly patient Iran
The war may have benefitted Iran’s regime politically, at least for the moment, despite the assassinations of senior figures and heavy U.S.-Israeli bombing, sources tell NBC News
How Trump's poll numbers now compare compare to 2018: From the Politics Desk
Plus, why the Virginia redistricting vote ended up being so close.
SPONSORED The future of farming depends on science
Now more than ever, the world is asking U.S. farmers to produce more while using fewer resources.
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.
From The Sports Desk: Draft day
Read our NBC News NFL mock draft, plus our peek inside the war room.
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.
Health officials nix publication of study on Covid vaccine effectiveness
The report's release had previously been delayed after the CDC's acting director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, expressed concerns about its methodology.
Madonna and Geena Davis' “A League of Their Own” reunion at Coachella is a home run
"Mae — so happy to see you again! Love, Dottie," Davis wrote with a photo of the former costars after both made cameos in Sabrina Carpenter's headlining set.
Vanderbilt Health implants novel device to treat aortic regurgitation in high-risk patients
With the addition of the J-Valve device, Vanderbilt Health now offers minimally invasive procedures to implant devices treating every valve disease. The trial is still enrolling new patients, so other high-risk patients with aortic regurgitation could qualify.
UW Student from Gillette Finds Hands-On Learning, Community in Environ
Alexandria Shinkle credits her hometown of Gillette with giving her a head start on her college education. The dual enrollment program with Gillette College allowed her to take college courses during
Watch live: Trump participates in event on health care affordability
Watch live coverage as President Trump participates in an event on health care affordability at the White House.
Entertainment this week: KT Tunstall, Earth Day Celebration and more
Friday, April 24 Writers in the Woods: Poet Laureate, Lee Herrick 6-9 p.m. | Incline Village. UNR at Lake Tahoe About this event Two-term California State Poet Laureate, Lee Herrick, will give a reading and...
Scotland business pushes for alcohol proposition
In the small community of Scotland, the owner of Snookies Craft Kitchen is pushing for voters to vote yes to Proposition A: “To legalize the legal sale of all alcoholic beverages including mixed beverages.”
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.
4 Late-Night Habits A Cardiologist Avoids to Improve Heart Health
DESC: In TODAY.com's Expert Tip of the Day, a cardiologist reveals why these habits can impact sleep quality and what that means for heart health.
Italy underwhelmed by Trump envoy's suggestion it should replace Iran at World Cup
President Donald Trump’s U.S. special envoy Paolo Zampolli told the Financial Times that he made the suggestion to the U.S. president and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Rectal cancer rates rising rapidly among people in their 30s and 40s: 'A medical crisis'
By 2035, rectal cancer death rates could exceed deaths from colon cancer, new research suggests.
UNR opens three museums for Spring into Science, with fossils, robots and solar viewing
KRXI2 NBC Reno covers news, sports, weather and traffic for the Reno, Nevada area including Sparks, Carson City, Virginia City, Silver City, Stagecoach, Silver Springs, Sun Valley, Cold Springs, Spanish Springs and Fenley, Nevada and Truckee and Tahoe City, California.
Top 5: Fighters on the rise at UFC Vegas 116
Youssef Zalal steps into the spotlight on the strength of a career-best eight-fight winning streak that now spans more than 1,200 days.
Kalshi suspends three politicians from platform
The prediction market company Kalshi has suspended three politicians for allegedly betting on their own political campaigns. They are banned from the platform for five years. NBC News’ Brian Cheung has more on the story.
Graham Platner lays out what kind of senator he would be: From the Politics Desk
Plus, the on-again, off-again negotiations with Iran.
A Day in the Life of Anne Mahlum, SolidCore Founder and New Mom
Anne Mahlum prioritizes quality time with her son, sleep, a healthy diet and lots of exercise as she works on her upcoming book.
Kalshi fines, suspends politicians for trading on own elections
The fines ranged from $539 to more than $6,200, and the suspensions are set to last five years.
From The Sports Desk: Drama at the draft
Where is the second-best quarterback in the draft slated to go?
Using AI To Personalize Healthcare–Without Losing Patient Trust
In this week’s edition of InnovationRx, we look at the opportunities and challenges of using AI to personalize healthcare and speed up clinical trials, the future of genetic medicine, another big Lilly acquisition, and more.
Georgia Rep. David Scott dies at 80
Scott, the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, was first elected to Congress in 2002 and was running for re-election.
2026 L&S Academic Staff Teaching Excellence Awards
The Dean of the College of Letters & Science honors outstanding instructional academic staff for their excellence in teaching and mentoring undergraduate…
Integrating human rights and environmental sustainability in sports
As part of Earth Day, we’re looking at how mega-sporting events can impact the environment and community in which they’re planned and held.
Kansas City Royals announce new stadium plans with help from Hallmark Cards
The Royals have been playing at the 40,000-seat Kauffman Stadium, formerly known as Royals Stadium, since the 1973 season.
Earth Day is a reminder. The planet doesn't wait for politics to...
Earth Day is a reminder. The planet doesn't wait for politics to catch up. In New Mexico, we're not waiting either. Last week, SunZia Wind came online right here in New Mexico — the largest...
Gamers sue Nintendo over tariff refunds, saying consumers should get the money back
Two gamers have filed a class action lawsuit against Nintendo, alleging that the company will be unjustly enriching itself with any refund it secures from the U.S. government over widespread tariffs last year that, among other things, hiked the prices of Nintendo hardware and accessories. “Unless restrained by this Court, Nintendo stands to recover the same tariff payments twice—once from consumers through higher prices and again from the federal government through tariff refunds, including interest paid by the government on those funds,” the suit states. Nintendo sued the U.S. government to secure a tariff refund in March, after the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs a month prior, saying they were illegally implemented by President Donald Trump.. The gamers who have sued, California-based Gregory Hoffert and Washington-based Prashant Sharan, both say they purchased Nintendo goods that had increased in price due to tariffs, according to the complaint. They filed their suit in the Western District court of Nintendo of America’s home state of Washington and are seeking class action status to represent all people in the U.S. who purchased price-hiked Nintendo goods between February 1, 2025 and February 24, 2026. They allege that Nintendo’s recovery of any tariff refunds would constitute unjust enrichment and violate Washington state consumer protection law. Similar class action lawsuits pressing companies to pass on tariff refunds have been previously filed against FedEx, UPS and eyeglass importer EssilorLuxottica. The tariffs were announced in early April, and by mid-month, Nintendo had announced $5 price increases for controllers for the then-forthcoming Switch 2. In August, it raised the price of the original Switch. In their suit, the gamers cite comments from Nintendo executives connecting the tariffs to price increases. In May 2025, a month after the tariffs were imposed, Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa told investors “Our basic policy is that for any country or region, if tariffs are imposed, we recognize them as a part of the cost and incorporate them into the price.” Nintendo’s March lawsuit, along with tariff-recovery suits from hundreds of other companies was immediately put on hold pending the implementation of a refund system. The U.S. government announced the beginning of the refund process earlier this week. Companies could receive as much as $160 billion, per CNBC. In March 2026, after Nintendo filed its lawsuit to recover the cost of the tariffs, I asked the company if they planned to pass their refund on to customers who’d paid increased prices. The company’s response acknowledged the existence of the lawsuit but avoided answering that question: “We can confirm that we filed a request. We have nothing else to share on this topic.” Even a promise to consumers may not have spared Nintendo this week’s lawsuit. FedEx previously promised to pass its tariff refunds on to consumers. They’ve been sued over them anyway.
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 ...
How creepy crawlies can unlock science curiosity for young learners
Insects and bugs can provide an inroad to lessons on nature while helping students — and sometimes teachers — overcome fears in the process.
How creepy crawlies can unlock science curiosity for young learners
Insects and bugs can provide an inroad to lessons on nature while helping students — and sometimes teachers — overcome fears in the process.
Monroe County hosting another town hall Wednesday on SNAP work-rule changes
Wednesday's town hall is happening at the Edgerton R-Center on Backus Street from 5 - 6:30 p.m.
Why Business Leaders Need to Champion Democracy | MIT Sloan Management Review
Many leaders are unsure about what they can do to oppose the global rise of authoritarianism. Here are four options.
Senate hopeful Graham Platner calls to investigate Trump and impeach two Supreme Court justices
The underdog Maine candidate, who has risen in polls, told NBC News he wants to carry on the legacy of Bernie Sanders and push Democrats to be more aggressive.
Microsoft Patches Critical ASP.NET Core CVE-2026-40372 Privilege Escalation Bug
CVE-2026-40372 scores 9.1 due to cryptographic flaw in ASP.NET Core 10.0.0–10.0.6, risking SYSTEM access.
Trump blasted Obama’s Iran deal. Now he faces similar tradeoffs.
As U.S. envoys pursue peace talks, the president confronts persistent sticking points: sanctions relief, enrichment limits and the risk of empowering Tehran.
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.
Why Aljamain Sterling beats Youssef Zalal at UFC Vegas 116
The longtime Serra-Longo Fight Team rep will guard his ground as a Top 5 featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship when he meets Youssef Zalal in the main event on Saturday at the UFC Apex.
Top 5: Ryan Spann submissions
The Fortis MMA rep will take on Marcus Almeida in a UFC Vegas 116 heavyweight showcase on Saturday at the UFC Apex.
Stockton sports roundup features best teams, athletes hitting stride
The best are hitting their stride. Top teams and athletes delivered big performances in San Joaquin County spring sports from April 6-11.
Are cancer-screening blood tests close to prime time?
Earlier this year, the largest trial to date on cancer blood tests failed to reach its primary objective. Oncologists haven't lost hope.
What does it take to protect brain health? 10 habits to start now
Most U.S. adults think brain health is at least as important as physical health, according to a new survey from the Alzheimer’s Association.
The key areas to watch in Virginia tonight as voters weigh Democrats' redistricting plan: From the Politics Desk
Plus, Georgia's Republican primary for Senate is heating up.
New York sues Coinbase and Gemini, seeking to halt unlicensed prediction market businesses
New York is suing Coinbase and Gemini over unregulated and unlicensed prediction market platforms that the state contends are illegal gambling operations.
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.
Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns amid Ethics probe
The Ethics Committee was considering recommending that the House expel Cherfilus-McCormick, of Florida, over allegations that she stole federal funds.
How Vampire Crawlers Keeps the Soul of Vampire Survivors Alive in a Whole New Genre
Vampire Crawlers is out today! Read about how it deftly translates the bullet heaven of Vampire Survivors into a roguelite deckbuilding dungeon crawler.
Virginia Ballot Measures Special Election 2026 Live Results
See live results from the 2026 Virginia Ballot Measures Special Election. Follow live outcomes as votes are added up on Election Day.
The most effective AI strategies for corporate law departments start with business goals
As corporate law departments adopt AI, a report finds departments must align its use with the priorities that matter most to the business.
The Pitt and Medicaid - National Health Law Program
“Hopefully we’ll be back on Medicaid by then.” “How’d you lose it?” “They sent a redetermination letter to our old apartment. It didn’t get forwarded.” “And you haven’t been able to get it back since?” “I’ve been trying for months. To get re-enrolled, you need tax returns, pay stubs… I cut hair. My income fluctuates.” – The Pitt, Season 2, […]
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
69,000 drop NJ marketplace health plans after enrolling
Nearly 14% of enrollees dropped marketplace health plans since open enrollment closed on Jan. 31, and others downgraded coverage.
Try This 1 Movement To Predict How Mobile You'll Be as You Age
In TODAY.com's Expert Tip of the Day, a trainer reveals how to assess your mobility and shares tips for staying mobile and strong as you age.
Fired former official says he felt political pressure to approve Mandelson as U.S. ambassador
The testimony by former Foreign Office head Olly Robbins turns up the heat on Starmer, who is facing calls to resign over the appointment of a scandal-tainted former politician and friend of Jeffrey Epstein to one of the U.K.’s most important diplomatic posts.
More people started a business in Colorado last quarter than usual. They’re not all from here.
The 12.3% increase in new business filings is near an all-time record. The only time it was higher was when filing fees dropped to $1.
Virginia voters to decide whether to allow a new Democratic-drawn map for the midterms
A constitutional amendment is on the ballot Tuesday that would pave the way for Democrats to enact a congressional map that’s designed to net them up to four seats.
Cardinal Commerce Notes: Botetourt business expands safe room offerings, First Piedmont names CEO, plus news from Roanoke, Lynchburg, NRV
Get up to speed on recent business happenings.
'We've been sold out': Punters Politics fronts inquiry into gas export tax
Konrad Benjamin, a former school teacher who is behind the social media account Punters Politics, tells a Senate inquiry into taxing gas that the issue has fired up his near million followers
Burlington Mall Unveils Major 2026 Expansion with New Dining, Retail, and Entertainment Concepts - Boston Real Estate Times
BURLINGTON, Mass.— Burlington Mall is set to significantly expand its offerings in 2026, introducing a wave of new restaurants, retail stores, and interactive experiences aimed at transforming the property into […]
Nancy Mace introduces resolution to expel Republican Cory Mills from Congress
Mills, who is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee in connection with allegations including sexual and financial misconduct, has denied wrongdoing.
Rahm Emanuel moves to the left on Israel
Emanuel, who worked on a massive Iron Dome defense package as President Barack Obama's chief of staff, is calling for an end to U.S. taxpayer military funding for Israel.
New details about Louisiana gunman’s mental health
Shamar Elkins shot and killed eight young children, most of them his own on Sunday. His family says the 31-year-old recently sought mental health treatment through Veterans Affairs. NBC News’ Ryan Chandler reports from Shreveport.
Democrats urge OPM to scrap plans for ‘unprecedented’ access to feds’ health data
Citing “legal, ethical and security concerns,” lawmakers demanded that OPM end its efforts to collect claims-level health data on federal insurance enrollees.
3 warning signs for Republicans in our new poll: From the Politics Desk
Plus, Republicans weigh how big to go on their next party-line funding bill.
From The Sports Desk: Pistons in peril?
Detroit is the only higher seed to lose in the first batch of NBA playoff games.
Is It Healthy to Eat Yogurt Every Day? A Dietitian Explains
Full of protein and probiotics, yogurt is a healthy choice. But can you eat it every day?
Sen. Mark Warner's daughter dies of juvenile diabetes and other health issues at 36
The death of Madison Warner, 36, rendered lawmaker and wife "heartbroken beyond words."
Op-ed: Healthy rural communities strengthen all of Indiana
Rural hospitals and clinics report thin operating margins and say worker shortages and rising costs make it difficult to sustain services such as primary and maternity care.