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High school sports 23 weekend top performers basked in the sun
Finally blessed with good weather, these 23 high school athletes showed their best stuff over the weekend. Check out the top performers.
Amid upfronts sports overload, pitches around data, AI come into focus
Legacy firms NBCU and Disney, tech titans Netflix and Amazon and publishers shaped by M&A showed off evolving offerings during last week’s shows.
No. 6 Texas sweeps Missouri, 12-7
After the Tigers showed signs of backing a comeback from down 8-2, the Horns put the game away.
Scientists uncover surprising health benefits of watermelon
Studies suggest watermelon could be a hidden powerhouse for better health. Researchers found that people who eat watermelon tend to have higher-quality diets packed with more vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants — while consuming less added sugar and saturated fat. Another study showed watermelon juice may help protect blood vessel function and support heart health.
Scientists uncover surprising health benefits of watermelon
Studies suggest watermelon could be a hidden powerhouse for better health. Researchers found that people who eat watermelon tend to have higher-quality diets packed with more vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants — while consuming less added sugar and saturated fat. Another study showed watermelon juice may help protect blood vessel function and support heart health.
The 13 highest-paying jobs in the US
New data showed which US jobs pay well on average. Many healthcare jobs, such as those of various surgeons, are high-paying.
Silicon Valley's latest binge-watch is a humanoid warehouse worker
Figure AI's livestream of a humanoid robot sorting packages drew millions of views, and showed the promise and limits of warehouse automation.
Powerful New Cybersecurity Tools Give Microsoft Stock (NASDAQ:MSFT) a Boost
They call it MDASH, a system that tech giant Microsoft ($MSFT) recently showed off that delivers powerful cybersecurity support. This could be a powerful new tool i...
US business inventories post biggest gain in nearly four years in March
business inventories increased by the most in nearly four years in March, boosted by stocks at wholesalers, government data showed on Thursday.9%, the largest gain since June 2022, after climbing 0.
Scientists say a daily multivitamin may help slow aging
A daily multivitamin may help slow biological aging, according to researchers studying older adults in a large clinical trial. After two years, participants taking multivitamins showed slower aging in several DNA-based “epigenetic clocks,” with the effect equal to about four months less biological aging. People who started out biologically older than their actual age appeared to benefit the most. The findings hint that a simple supplement could play a role in healthier aging.
Cam Ward to Appear in Netflix's Quarterback Season 3
Cam Ward of the Tennessee Titans is in the middle of the offseason preparing for the 2026 NFL season. After being selected No. 1 overall by Tennessee in the 2025 NFL Draft, Ward played admirably for the Titans during his rookie season. The 6-foot-2 quarterback showed his toughness last season, appearing in all 17 games despite tying Geno Smith of the New York Jets as the NFL’s most-sacked quarterback (55).
AI uses 12-lead ECGs to predict long-term stroke risk
Stroke is still a leading cause of death all over the world. A new AI model showed early potential to anticipate such adverse outcomes up to a decade in advance, ensuring high-risk patients receive the care they need.
A pro-Ala Stanford super PAC has pulled its ads from TV in the final stretch of the Philly congressional race
Sources said that 314’s move to pull its TV advertising came after the organization commissioned a poll that showed Stanford’s voter support declined precipitously in recent weeks.
Fact check: Trump falsely claims the inflation rate was just 1.7% prior to the Iran war
After newly released Consumer Price Index figures showed that the year-over-year inflation rate was 3.8% in April, the highest in nearly three years, President Donald Trump tried to reassure Americans about rising prices – in part by falsely claiming the inflation rate was just 1.7% prior to the war with Iran.
First-of-its-kind drainage device helps limit heart failure rehospitalizations
This new catheter-based device for lymphatic drainage showed early potential to be a new treatment option for acute decompensated heart failure.
Small business owners 'increasingly pessimistic,' squeezed by higher costs, labor concerns
Small business optimism was flat last month, with an index that measures its level stuck below its long-term average for the second month in a row, the NFIB showed.
Small business owners 'increasingly pessimistic,' squeezed by higher costs, labor concerns
Small business optimism was flat last month, with an index that measures its level stuck below its long-term average for the second month in a row, the NFIB showed.
ICE ‘materially violated’ order on warrantless arrests, Colorado judge says
A federal judge ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday to immediately train its Colorado employees about how to lawfully perform warrantless arrests, after the evidence showed officers had little understanding of the requirements. U.S. District Court Senior Judge R. Brooke Jackson wrote that ICE had “materially violated” his prior order that directed immigration […]
Scientists reversed biological age in older adults with a 4-week diet change
A four-week diet change was enough to make some older adults appear biologically younger in a new University of Sydney study. Participants who reduced fat intake or shifted toward more plant-based protein showed improvements in key health biomarkers tied to aging. The strongest results came from a lower-fat, higher-carb diet, while people eating closer to their usual diets saw almost no change.
Being a Mother Didn't Hold Me Back From Building a Business. It Showed Me Exactly What Needed to Be Built
When one investor framed motherhood as a liability, it revealed a far larger truth—and an overlooked market.
Too many of us were traumatised by sport at school – but it’s never too late to change
A recent study showed millions are put off by early experiences of physical education. But sport can bring camaraderie and joy
Australia business confidence shaken as costs climb, survey shows
SYDNEY, May 12 (Reuters) - Australian business confidence remained mired in gloom in April, a survey showed on Tuesday, as spiking energy costs from the Middle East war squeezed profit margins and
Australia business confidence shaken as costs climb, survey shows
Australian business confidence remained mired in gloom in April, a survey showed on Tuesday, as spiking energy costs from the Middle East war squeezed profit margins and pressured investment plans.
Scientists Put A Dead Salmon In An fMRI Scanner And Showed It Emotive Photographs. Here's What Happened
Must have been a red herring.
Boothbay Harbor businesses ready for tourism season
A report released late last month by the Maine Office of Tourism showed visits statewide were down 4.4% in 2025, although direct tourism spending exceeded $9 billion, a record high.
Learner spotlight: Vivian’s path to rights based mental health advocacy
For Vivian Anyango Aola, mental health is deeply personal. Growing up she witnessed people around her struggling with emotional distress without access to support, understanding or solutions. Those early experiences laid the foundations for her work today as a mental health advocate at St. Daniel Comboni mission in Nairobi, Kenya.“Mental health is about feelings – something we all experience every day,” Vivian explains. “Ensuring people are supported in those feelings is what drives my work.” Creating safe spaces and challenging stigmaIn her role, Vivian works closely with people living with mental health conditions and psychosocial, intellectual and cognitive disabilities. Through dialogue, listening and shared learning, she helps create safe spaces where people feel seen, heard and respected. However, stigma and discrimination remain significant barriers.“Witnessing stigma only strengthens my resolve to fight for inclusion, acceptance and equal treatment for all,” she says. Vivian enrolled in the WHO ‘QualityRights in Mental Health’ online, self-paced course available on the WHO Academy learning platform to strengthen her knowledge and advocacy skills. The six-module course provides the foundation for challenging stigma and discrimination and for promoting person-centred, rights-based approaches in mental health.“The course gave me a new perspective,” she says. “It showed me how to support people in ways that respect autonomy and promote recovery, rather than focusing only on treatment.”The importance of language and cultureSince its launch, more than 141 000 people have enrolled in the course globally, and it is now available in 17 languages on the learning platform – the highest number of languages of any WHO course. For Vivian, accessibility is key to transforming mental health systems. “Language is a bridge between professionals and communities,” she explains. “When mental health resources are available in local languages, they reduce misunderstanding, build trust and encourage people to seek help. It also empowers health workers to deliver care in ways that are culturally sensitive and relevant.”In a global evaluation of the course, which analysed data from over 3000 learners, attitudes toward people with mental health conditions improved by 22.78% overall after completing the course, with even greater shifts in low- and middle-income countries (29.18%) compared to high-income countries (20.58%)[1].“The course equips participants with the essential knowledge and skills to transform mental health into a more rights-based, inclusive and recovery-oriented system,” explains Vivian. “It reinforces that change is possible. When people understand rights, dignity and recovery, the entire system can begin to shift.”Mental Health, Brain Health and Substance Use[1] Breaking stigma, discrimination and promoting rights: global evaluation of the World Health Organization QualityRights e-training on mental health, recovery and community inclusion
Sports-mad Portland savors its second chance to root for women’s basketball
It’s been nearly a quarter of a century since the city had a WNBA team, and fans showed their support by turning out in record numbers.
"Yeah 'Beard', what chatter?" - Patrick Beverley trolls James Harden's critics after his bounce back performance in Game 3
James Harden finally showed up when the Cavs needed him the most.
Cruise ship hit by hantavirus outbreak arrives in Tenerife
The cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak arrived early on Sunday near the Port of Granadilla in Tenerife, Reuters footage showed, where it will anchor for the evacuation of the passengers and some of the crew.
Scientists successfully transfer longevity gene and extend lifespan
Scientists at the University of Rochester pulled off a remarkable experiment: they transferred a longevity-related gene from the famously long-lived naked mole rat into mice, and the mice ended up healthier and lived longer. The special gene boosts production of a substance called high molecular weight hyaluronic acid, which appears to protect against cancer, reduce inflammation, and support healthier aging. The modified mice showed stronger resistance to tumors, healthier guts, and lower levels of age-related inflammation.
Scientists reversed liver aging with young gut bacteria in stunning study
Rebooting the gut microbiome with bacteria from youth may help stop aging-related liver damage and even prevent liver cancer, according to new research in mice. Older mice that received their own preserved youthful microbiome showed less inflammation, reduced DNA damage, and no signs of liver cancer. Researchers also found that the treatment suppressed a cancer-linked gene called MDM2, making older mice biologically resemble younger ones.
How Democrats’ redistricting luck ran out: From the Politics Desk
Plus, this week showed why Trump’s grip on the GOP can be a double-edged sword for the party.
Knicks win back-and-forth battle with Joel Embiid-less 76ers, take 2-0 series lead
There was no blowout in Game 2. But the Knicks showed they can win a tight battle down the stretch.
North Hollywood Senior High School Wins 5th Place at National Science Bowl
Washington, D.C. (May 4, 2026) – North Hollywood Senior High School tied for 5th place at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science National Science Bowl® academic competition in Washington, D.C., delivering a standout performance on the national stage on Monday, May 4, 2026. The team proudly represented Los Angeles and showed their teamwork […]
James Loehr, Who Showed Athletes the Power of the Mind, Dies at 83
He began practicing sports psychology before it was a profession, teaching athletes the importance of mental resilience and how to cultivate it.
Trump just reasserted his domination of the GOP. But that might not be good news for the party in 2026
Tuesday showed that even a politically diminished President Donald Trump still has the juice to end a Republican’s career. But while that’s great news for Trump’s political capital, it is decidedly less great news for a GOP whose midterm hopes the president is sinking.
Scientists connect “time crystal” to real device in quantum breakthrough
A strange kind of matter that “ticks” forever without energy input has just taken a major leap toward real-world use. Known as a time crystal, this quantum system repeats its motion endlessly—like a clock that never winds down—and scientists have now managed to connect it to an external device for the first time. By linking the time crystal to a tiny mechanical oscillator, researchers showed they can actually control its behavior, opening the door to powerful new technologies.
German firms abroad grow more pessimistic as Iran war disrupts supply chains
German firms operating abroad have become more pessimistic about their prospects, with nearly one in three expecting economic conditions to worsen as the Iran war exposes vulnerabilities in global supply chains, a survey showed on Tuesday.
Christian Parker already getting his hands dirty as Cowboys coordinator
When Christian Parker took the field at rookie minicamp, he showed you exactly why players are drawn to him.
Canadian forward/real estate agent flashes business card in goal celebration
Tomasz Skublak scored in the Canadian Premier League, then showed his business card to advertise his other job as a real estate agent.
Marotta: ‘Inter showed courage choosing Chivu’
Inter President Beppe Marotta admits he didn’t expect Cristian Chivu to win the Scudetto in his first season, and potentially the Coppa Italia too. ‘We didn’t go in blind, but showed courage.’...
'Devil Wears Prada 2' director explains returning star's surprise death scene
'The Devil Wears Prada 2' director David Frankel explains why one returning actor 'had to die' in a shocking death scene twist — and later showed up to watch his peers film his character's funeral.
The creepy feeling in old buildings might have a surprising cause
A hidden force may be quietly shaping how you feel—and you’d never even know it. Infrasound, an ultra-low-frequency vibration below the range of human hearing, is everywhere from traffic to old buildings. In a small experiment, people exposed to it became more irritable, less engaged, and even showed higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol—despite having no idea it was present. The findings suggest our bodies can “sense” these vibrations without conscious awareness, potentially explaining eerie sensations in places like basements or supposedly haunted buildings.
Kunimitsu trailer for Tekken 8, character releases for early access on May 28th
At the Tekken World Tour 2025 Finals back in January, Bandai Namco unveiled their Season 3 trailer which showed us that the game's third season will consist of Kunimitsu, Bob, Roger Jr. and a brand new character.As promised ...
Sports Illustrated Revel at the Races party draws athletes, influencers
NFL athletes, dramatic actresses and rising influencers all showed up to the black carpet May 1 at Sports Illustrated's Revel at the Races party.
Boosting one protein helps the brain fight Alzheimer’s
Scientists have discovered a way to help the brain clean itself of harmful Alzheimer’s plaques by activating its own support cells. By increasing a protein called Sox9, researchers were able to boost the activity of astrocytes, star shaped cells that help maintain brain health. In mice that already showed memory problems, this approach reduced plaque buildup and preserved cognitive function over time.
Everyone loves Ella Langley. Everything else about country music is up for debate.
Ella Langley's breakout Stagecoach set showed her rare cross-generational appeal even as fans across the festival disagreed on what country music is becoming.
After a Down Year at Entertainment Venues, JAC Expects Improvement
The city's three entertainment venues showed an operational deficit of $484,728 in 2025, according to Eric Ryan, president of JAC Management.
Mitchell Robinson and Dyson Daniels ejected as Knicks break record for largest NBA playoff halftime lead in Game 6 beatdown of Hawks
Dyson Daniels showed more fight than the rest of the Hawks. Which isn't saying much.
Mills Exit Is a Blow to Schumer as Democrats Question His Strategy
Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat and minority leader, considered the Maine governor his top recruit for winning the majority. Critics said her collapse showed he is out of touch with the party’s voters.
Tina Brown: King Charles' speech showed U.S.-U.K. ties are "much bigger than current politics"
Fed's favored inflation gauge remained elevated in March
The latest PCE inflation data was released by the Commerce Department which showed that inflation rose and remained elevated in March due in part to the Iran war's impact.
UBS Sees Recovery Signs in US Wealth Business as Inflows Return
UBS Group AG’s wealth-management business in the Americas showed tentative signs of revival after a period of client fund outflows and departures by key staff.
Racial health gaps persist in Pa., N.J. and Del. as Medicaid cuts loom, report finds
The Commonwealth Fund’s 2026 State Health Disparities Report showed health care gaps were the greatest among Hispanic residents.
Senate Republicans reject attempt to end Trump's blockade of Cuba
The vote on the war powers resolution showed how Republicans continue to stand behind Trump as he acts unilaterally to exert American force in a range of global conflicts, including Venezuela, Iran and Cuba.
Health Canada approves first generic version of Novo Nordisk's Ozempic
Health Canada has approved the first generic version of Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk's blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic made by Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories , its website showed on Tuesday.
Having a religious affiliation doesn’t prevent betting on sports
Having a religious affiliation doesn’t stop people from betting on sports in the United States, according to a new study.Results showed that people who infrequently attend religious services are more likely to gamble on sports than people who attend services at least weekly or who never worship publicly. Catholics – and especially Catholic m...
Grading the New York Giants’ 2026 NFL Draft Picks
Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, many questions arose about what the New York Giants would do, especially after trading former All-Pro Dexter Lawrence for the 10th overall pick. With their two top 10 selections, as well as trading into the third round, the Giants showed great aggression for their needs. But, with these premier […] The post Grading the New York Giants’ 2026 NFL Draft Picks appeared first on The Lead.
Bickley: Suns' season ends with conflicting feelings
The Suns' playoff appearance in Year 1 showed Jordan Ott may have them on the right path, but the sweep at the hands of the Thunder shows they still have a long ways to go.
WNY Invention Convention at Buffalo Science Museum
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Students had the chance to showcase their creativity at the Buffalo Museum of Science on Sunday at the Western New York Invention Convention. Around 350 students showed…
Hurricanes use postseason experience to advance again in NHL playoffs sweep
Carolina showed its scoring depth with a dominating performance from its second line.
How Business Strategy Changed From A Finite To An Infinite Game
Sinek showed how the finite game of playing to win should give way to the infinite game of creating customer value, but made a key error: insisting on a fixed future state
Buying an apartment seemed my best option. Visiting a tiny home village showed me another way to live.
A zillennial who spent 30% of his income on his mortgage felt lucky. Minitopia's tiny home village gave him a new perspective on homeownership.
Trump’s political headwinds pile up after gerrymandering, Iran setbacks
New polls showed voters prefer Democrats on the economy for the first time since 2010 and Republicans disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation.
Close, but still not good enough: Cubs 8, Phillies 7
The Phillies finally showed some signs of life, but nevertheless they still couldn’t manage to finally break their losing streak, which has now extended to nine games. They erased a 6-2 deficit and tied it at 7-7 in the ninth, but ultimately, they couldn’t find a way to win in extras while Dansby Swanson walked it off for the Cubs to win 8-7. Brandon Marsh went 4-5 with two home runs and three RBIs in a losing effort.
Euro zone business activity contracted in April as costs rocketed, PMI shows
Business activity in the euro zone suffered a surprise contraction in April with the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran sapping demand as prices soared, a closely watched survey showed on Thursday.
New issue: Mirrorlife | BBC Science Focus Magazine
Mirror life could end all life on Earth. That sounds dramatic, but senior biologists have raised the alarm about experiments happening all around the world. It sounds like something in a Doctor Who plot, but no – mirror life is a real possibility. So why do scientists want to create something that’s potentially apocalyptic? Well, it could also have huge benefits (think back to splitting the atom). The first thing to say, however, is that mirror organisms are still a little way away yet – but only decades, not centuries. So far, scientists have only made mirror molecules, one of life’s building blocks. What for? Life works because its building blocks fit together. Imagine drilling a screw into a piece of wood. The screw cuts a hole with a thread that snugly matches its own. If, for some reason, the Doctor showed up and handed you a mirror version of the screw, its thread would be in reverse. It wouldn’t twist into the hole you’d just made as the threads wouldn’t match. That said, the mirror screw would still work; you’d just have to create a mirror hole for it. Mirror molecules, including DNA, work a bit like that. They follow the same principles as the biology around us, but they’re entirely incompatible with traditional biological functions. In medical terms, this means they’re effectively invisible to your body’s systems. Our biology doesn’t have the tools to recognise these molecules and break them apart. And if someone took these mirror molecules and put them together to make a cell and then an organism… you’d have mirror life. But we don't have any way of breaking it down. If it escaped the lab, we’d just have to hope it didn’t have an appetite.
Pete Davidson debuts new tattoo, after spending $200K to have others removed
Pete Davidson has spent years — and a lot of money — removing his many tattoos. But he just showed off a new one.
This “quantum” material fooled scientists and revealed something new
A mysterious magnetic material once thought to host an exotic “quantum spin liquid” has turned out to be something entirely different—and possibly just as intriguing. Scientists studying cerium magnesium hexalluminate found it showed the hallmark signs of this elusive quantum state, like a lack of magnetic order and a spread of energy states. But after closer inspection using neutron experiments, they discovered the behavior came from a delicate tug-of-war between two opposing magnetic forces.
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
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