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Artificial scientists
AI has already proved itself a valuable scientific tool. Could it take on a more central role in the research process?
Santa Cruz County business filings: Week of April 7
Businesses operating in Santa Cruz County must register with the county clerk. Lookout Santa Cruz reviews the public filings from local businesses to report on new businesses starting in the area.
Yankees vs. Red Sox series preview: What to know as AL East rivalry opens in 2026, plus a prediction
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‘Diablo 4’ Lord Of Hatred Review: Third Time’s The Talisman Charm
Diablo 4's new Lord of Hatred expansion throws us back into another fight with Mephisto. Is it worth coming back to the game for it?
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred Review
An extremely satisfying conclusion to Diablo's latest demonic saga.
Clemson 2026 NFL Draft Player Preview: Adam Randall
Position: RB Height: 6’3” Weight: 232 40 yd Dash: 4.5 Shuttle Time: Unavailable Vertical Jump: 37” Broad Jump: 10’4” Bench Press: 26 reps College Performance: One of Clemson’s more intriguing players in the draft, Adam Randall started life at Clemson as a WR before converting to RB late in his career. His time as a […]
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition review: Tons of cache for tons of dollars
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Introducing the Databricks Excel Add-in for Business Users
Now in public preview, the Databricks Excel Add-in brings governed lakehouse data into Excel, helping business users move from data to decisions faster.
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
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Review Roundup
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Area grade schoolers see money burn (among other experiments) at annual Badin Science Carnival
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Inside Gaming: Strip casino operator unveils more summer deals
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The Death of Public Health
During the recent measles outbreak, the largest in more than 30 years, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to clearly recommend the measles vaccine, saying instead that it was a “personal decision,” and that parents should “do their own research.” Similarly, during her recent confirmation hearing for United States Surgeon General, Casey Means was questioned by Senator William Cassidy (R, La). “You’re the nation’s doctor,” said Cassidy. “Would you encourage [a mother] to have her child vaccinated!” “I’m not an individual’s doctor,” Means said. “And every individual needs to talk to their doctor before putting a medication in their body.” In June 2025, Marty Makary, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said that COVID vaccines for pregnant women should be a “personal choice”, even though every other country in the world recommended the COVID vaccine during pregnancy due to a higher risk for severe disease. It doesn’t end there. On January 5, 2026, RFK Jr. reduced the number of routinely recommended vaccines from 18 to 10. For vaccines that protected against influenza, COVID, and rotavirus, parents were urged to speak with their doctors—to make an individual choice. (On March 16, 2026, in a ruling by a federal court in Boston, RFK Jr.’s revised schedule was invalidated.) What’s happening? Why are public health officials moving away from making recommendations for the public? The origin of this change might be rooted in the first two years of the COVID pandemic. In 2020, during the first year on the pandemic, we didn’t have anything to stop a virus that was killing hundreds of people a day and could be spread asymptomatically. We didn’t have antivirals until October, monoclonal antibodies until November, and vaccines until December. All we could do was restrict travel, close businesses, shutter schools, and mask, isolate, quarantine, test, and social distance. During the second year of the pandemic, when we had vaccines to prevent COVID, people couldn’t go anywhere without their vaccine cards. They couldn’t go to their favorite bar or restaurant or sporting event or place of worship without proof of vaccination. Some people were fired from their jobs for refusing to get vaccinated. For many, this was seen as massive government overreach and energized what has been called the “medical freedom movement.” Indeed, a headline in the New York Times declared, “How Health Freedom Became a Winning Rally Cry.” As expressed in the comments of RFK Jr., Casey Means, and Marty Makary, the medical freedom movement focuses on the individual not the community—the opposite of public health. In an article titled “Ethics and Social Value Judgments in Public Health,” ethicists from Yale University distinguished public health from medical freedom. “Public health policies,” they wrote, “are population oriented. Because individual health affects the health of others, public health measures regulate individual behavior to achieve population health goals. All raise questions about how individual autonomy and freedom should be balanced against public health interests…which respects individuals’ sovereignty over their bodies and actions as long as their actions do not harm others.” The medical freedom movement fails to recognize that it often limits the freedom of others. For example, a parent who is afraid to send a child to school where many of the students are unvaccinated. Or immune compromised children who depend on those around them to for protection. The question then becomes “Freedom for whom?” Is it your right, in the name of medical freedom, to catch and transmit a potentially fatal infection—and in so doing, take away the freedom of others? In Four Essays on Liberty, Isaiah Berlin sums it up best. “Liberty for the wolves,” he wrote, “is death to the lambs.” Thanks for reading Beyond the Noise! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Subscribe
Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred Review - Embrace The Hate
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Dreamwell Theatre’s small cast to bring music and glitz to The James
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Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers Game 2 preview
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'Schmigadoon!' on Broadway Review: Camp, Charm and Corn Puddin'
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'Schmigadoon!' review: The Broadway adaptation is a 150-minute smile faithful to the series
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Mark your calendars: Weekly sports schedule for April 21-25
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Agomo introduced as 15th men's basketball head coach at Westminster College
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Amanda Anisimova turns heads at the 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards
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NMSU Extension to host soil health workshop May 6
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Disallowance of COVID-19 Leave Credits: A Review of Substantiation and Trade or Business Requirements — Current Federal Tax Developments
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MATCH PREVIEW, pres. by Toyota: Red Bulls Host Atlantic Cup Rivals D.C. United on Wednesday Night at Sports Illustrated Stadium
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Chamber names Small Business of the Year Award recipients - Wausau Pilot & Review
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Comedian Paula Poundstone will get political and personal at the Englert
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'BEEF' Season 2 Is *So* Different Than Season 1—and I'm Fully Obsessed with It
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Arts & Entertainment Year in Review 2025-26
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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.
BlackHawk to play Niswonger show on May 8
GREENEVILLE — The Niswonger Performing Arts Center (NPAC) is excited to announce that the CMA-nominated country music group BlackHawk will perform on Friday, May 8, at 7:30 p.m. Doors open
Is Six Flags (FUN) Turning Ride Upgrades Into a Test of Its Per-Guest Value Strategy?
Six Flags New England recently held an exclusive press preview for Quantum Accelerator, New England’s first dual-launch straddle coaster, alongside broader upgrades to Crackaxle Canyon and park-wide dining and retail offerings. The combination of a headline coaster and enhanced food, beverage, and pass benefits highlights Six Flags’ focus on deepening guest engagement and extracting more value per visit. We’ll now look at how Quantum Accelerator’s debut and related guest-experience...
A permit should mean something. CERTAIN Act guards projects from political meddling.
The CERTAIN Act is a bipartisan bill that aims to protect lawfully issued permits from political interference, increase accountability during review, and ensure projects can move forward on time, w…
Louie Rabaut's Kentucky Derby 152 preview after three preps
It’s that time of year again: a chance to share my observations from what were three very different preps for Kentucky Derby 152.
Business Ins and Outs: Edwardo's closes; Great American Bagel Company, House of Garlic, MizFitz Pizza and Tossed & Found opening
Business Ins and Outs: Edwardo's closes; Great American Bagel Company, House of Garlic, MizFitz Pizza and Tossed & Found opening
Business Notes for April 19, 2026
The Gazette’s Business Notes is a compendium of the week’s promotions, new hires, certifications, added business lines and business events, among other items, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and the
Upper Valley spring sports preview: Softball
Oxbow It’s hard to have a conversation about Upper Valley softball without talking about the perennial juggernaut that is Oxbow High. The Olympians enter 2026 coming off yet another undefeated season at 18-0 and another VPA Division III state championship after defeating BFA-Fairfax 13-0. Oxbow has won the state title five years in a row. […]
I Saw 4 Off-Broadway Musicals This Month—But Only 2 Were Must-See
This month, I took in a whopping four NYC Off-Broadway shows—spoiler alert: two were more than worth the price of admission, while the other two were, well, simply solid. Here, my theater reviews of 'Bigfoot the Musical', 'Masquerade', 'Spelling Bee' and more.
Homelessness update expected to lead discussion at Wausau Public Health and Safety meeting - Wausau Pilot & Review
By Shereen Siewert | Wausau Pilot & Review Homelessness, shelter trends and public safety pressures downtown are expected to draw close attention when
Secrets of Strixhaven (SOS) Limited Set Review: Black
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Curing U.S. Health Care, Part I
In 2008, much to their own surprise, leading Democrats unified around a program of major health care reform. Policy wonks had spent years developing the concepts behind what eventually became Obamacare; big Democratic victories in the 2006 midterms and the prospect of controlling both Congress and the presidency made it possible to imagine turning those ideas into reality. During the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama advocated similar plans, based on those ideas, for expanding insurance coverage. And it happened! The Affordable Care Act was enacted in 2010. When it was fully implemented in 2014, millions of Americans got health insurance: Impressive as the raw numbers are, they don’t tell the whole story. Before the ACA, even upper-middle-class Americans often found it impossible to get health insurance if they had pre-existing medical conditions. Many Americans were trapped in jobs they wanted to leave but couldn’t for fear of losing their employment-based coverage. Meanwhile, dire predictions from the usual suspects about runaway costs proved wrong. In fact, overall U.S. medical spending has grown much more slowly since the ACA was enacted than before. But the U.S., alone among advanced nations, still falls far short of providing universal health care. As you can see from the chart above, 8 percent of the population was still uninsured in 2024, a number that is set to rise over the next two years as a result of Republican policies. True, many of the uninsured in 2024 were undocumented immigrants, who we don’t try to cover. But there are still a lot of uninsured. Moreover, a significant number of Americans who have health insurance are in fact underinsured. As a result, they are at risk of incurring devastating healthcare costs and are sometimes forced to forgo needed care. This number is set to rise sharply in the next two years as a result of Republican policies adopted under Donald Trump. And not only is the U.S. unique among advanced countries in its under-provision of health care coverage, it also incurs by far the world’s highest healthcare costs per capita. So now may well be a good time to get behind a new push for major health reform — an effort, if you like, to finish the job begun under Obama. Today’s primer is devoted to the economics of health reform. During his failed effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Donald Trump famously complained, “Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated.” Actually, we did know — and it’s not that complicated. Health economists understand the principles very well. And because health policy varies greatly among advanced nations, we know a lot about what works and what doesn’t. This will be the first in a series about health reform. Beyond the paywall I’ll address the following: 1. Why markets can’t be trusted to deliver healthcare 2. Routes to universal healthcare 3. What works? In a follow-up post I’ll discuss the pros and cons of different approaches, and possible paths forward for the United States.
What is National Scam Survivors Day?
BBB established National Scam Survivor Day on the second Thursday in May each year to recognize the brave people who report their experiences to benefit others and help identify and stop scammers.
Antwerp dementia researcher wins major science prize in US
Rosa Rademakers, a scientist at VIB and University of Antwerp, has been awarded the prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Los Angeles for her work on...
Team News: Eight Liverpool stars set to miss Everton clash
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Live Nation Entertainment’s Quarterly Earnings Preview: What You Need to Know
Live Nation Entertainment is poised to report its FY2026 first-quarter earnings in the coming weeks, and analysts are forecasting a narrowing of losses.
Scotland's papers: Edinburgh Uni student held in US and Scots declining health
A review of the front page stories from the daily newspapers in Scotland.
Hellas Verona vs AC Milan – Match preview and team news
AC Milan go head-to-head against Hellas Verona in a Serie A match on Sunday in a Matchday 33 clash.AC Milan currently sits in third position in the league with 63 points, just five points above fifth ...
Sports Highlights
Nathan Pai: Nathan Pai, a junior on the Lake Oswego boys golf team, broke through to finish second in the Three Rivers League tournament at Stone Creek Golf Club in […]
People in Business: Origin names; Roeslein celebrates; Advantage promotes; SLU launches
Catch up on local business appointments, awards and promotions.
11 missing or dead scientists draw federal scrutiny, including 4 tied to LA County
The Trump administration is reviewing 11 cases of missing or deceased scientists, including Southern California researchers Monica Jacinto Reza, Carl Grillmair, Frank Maiwald, and Michael David Hicks.
Sunday Preview – Yarrick returns to Armageddon
See what’s coming up for pre-order next week!
Why Owen Heinecke's return is 'a great benefit,' according to OU coach Brent Venables, teammates
OU head coach Brent Venables and teammates shared their excitement to have redshirt senior linebacker Owen Heinecke returning following a Cleveland County judge’s decision to grant him an injunction for
Trump signs order fast tracking review of psychedelics for mental health disorders
President endorses psilocybin and ibogaine: "Can I have some, please?"
Apple AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs. Sony WH-1000XM6: Who Wins High-End ANC?
We tested the latest premium noise-cancelleing cans from Apple, Bose, and Sony. Here’s how they stack up on price, performance, and features. And boy, is it a close race!
Trump signs order to hasten review of psychedelics
Ibogaine and other psychedelics remain banned under the federal government's most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs. But the administration is taking steps to ease restrictions and spur research on using the drugs for medical purposes, including conditions like severe depression.
Trump signs order to speed up review of psychedelic drugs for mental health treatment
The order eases restrictions on psychedelic drugs like ibogaine to spur research on using the them for medical purposes.
Trump signs order to speed review of psychedelics, including the controversial drug ibogaine
President Donald Trump has directed his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine | WBEN
Trump signs order to speed review of psychedelics, including the controversial drug ibogaine
President Donald Trump has directed his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine.
Business notes: Milton-Freewater’s Drive-In theater reopens for the season
Spring is here. And with that comes outdoor movies at the M-F Drive-In.
Weekly round-up: Entertainment district updates, NPS Board of Education walkout, Heinecke lawsuit
I’m Audrey McClour, a news editor for OU Daily.
An Honest Review of Norwegian Luna's Entertainment, According to a Former Pro
From the high-tech wizardry of HIKO to the sequins of the Elton John tribute, an ex-cruise ship performer reveals which shows onboard are standing-ovation worthy.
Virginia Tech football: Previewing the 2026 spring game
Today is the day for Virginia Tech’s annual spring game, but this one feels much different.
AS Roma vs Atalanta – Match preview and team news
AS Roma face Atalanta in matchday 33 of the Serie A on Saturday night at the Stadio Olimpico.Both teams are fighting for European spots next season as AS Roma sits at sixth in the table with 57 points...
Chelsea vs Manchester United – Match preview and team news
Chelsea enter “must-win” territory on Saturday night as they host Manchester United in West London.Liam Rosenior’s side have lost three consecutive Premier League matches and desperately need to...
Rome Alcohol Control Commission to Review License Request and Entertainment Permit
The Alcohol Control Commission will convene Monday, April 20, at 5:00 p.m. at City Hall, located at 601 Broad Street, to address several items including a new license request and an entertainment…
Newcastle United vs Bournemouth – Match preview and team news
The spotlight shines on Andoni Iraola today as he leads Bournemouth to Newcastle United following his announced departure.The Cherries contest their first match since confirmation that Iraola will lea...
ESPN previews Texas A&M's 2026 Maroon & White Game
Ahead of Saturday's Maroon & White Game, ESPN provided its own preview of Texas A&M's final spring practice before fall practice in August.
Women’s World Cup Qualifiers Preview: Austria vs. Germany
Germany hope to maintain their perfect record in the 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifiers when they face Austria at BWT X Upper Austrian Arena on Saturday. Christian Wück’s side were victorious in t...
Pragmata Launch: Glowing Reviews and Chart-Topping Sales but Mediocre Player Counts
Pragmata has officially launched on Steam, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series consoles after garnering a lot of hype leading up to its launch. The highly anticipated launch aside, though, it seems as though Pragmata's actual reception is a bit of a mixed bag. While the game has topped...
Mayor Wamp reassures ‘smooth transition’ for relocation of business incubator
The announcement was met with pushback and concerns from other commissioners and the current tenant of the Business Development Center.
ABC7 Sports Overtime with Dionne Miller: April 17, 2026
On the latest ABC7 Sports Overtime, Dionne Miller discussed the rough start to the season for the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, a Bears NFL Draft preview, big changes for the Bulls and Sky, and the Blackhawks' season ending.
From The Sports Desk: NBA playoff preview
The NBC News sports team breaks down the first-round matchups.
Previewing the 2026 NC legislative session
ABC11's Sean Coffey and N&O politics reporter Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi talk about what to look for in the upcoming session of the North Carolina General Assembly.
Kathy's #Mailbag, April 17, 2026
From restaurants to railroad crossings to radio, it's another busy week at Mailbag Central.
On The Horizon: Cubs vs. Mets series preview
The Cubs welcome a team from the NL East to Wrigley Field.
From Endless Frontier to Enemy of the People: The Assault on Public Science
A review of Michael E. Mann & Peter J. Hotez, “Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces That Threaten Our World” (Public Affairs, 2025)
UM students to compete in 37th business startup challenge
A panel of 24 evaluators from across Montana meticulously reviewed over 103 submissions, selecting 14 finalists to compete in this year’s event.
Washington’s Scramble to Get Mythos, Anthropic’s Powerful New Model
Federal agencies have requested access to Claude Mythos Preview, which Anthropic says can rapidly identify — and potentially create — new cyberthreats.
'"Master Harold" … and the Boys' review: An exquisite Fugard revival
"'Master Harold' … and the Boys," Athol Fugard's classic drama set in apartheid South Africa, opens at the Geffen Playhouse in a production starring John Kani, a Tony-winning interpreter of Fugard's work.
Friday’s Everton News: Derby preview, Leicester winger Fatawu linked
Recapping all the Everton news from yesterday