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Ben Roberts-Smith planned to leave Australia and researched buying wellness business in Spain, court documents show

Partner of soldier accused of war crimes says the couple discussed possibility of moving overseas to ‘create some normalcy in our lives’

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Apr 23 • 3:55 AM EDT • Business • theguardian.com
German Business Activity Unexpectedly Shrinks as Services Plunge

(Bloomberg)--German private-sector activity unexpectedly contracted as the Iran war triggered the biggest plunge in the services sector in more than three years.

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Apr 23 • 3:30 AM EDT • Business • bloomberg.com
BBC Sport weekly quiz: Where will Chelsea play their WSL games next season?

How much attention have you paid to what's happened in the world of sport over the past seven days?

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Apr 23 • 2:34 AM EDT • Sports • bbc.com
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UK government borrowing narrowly undershoots forecasts; oil rising over $100 amid strait of Hormuz deadlock

Rolling coverage of the latest economic and financial news

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Apr 23 • 2:19 AM EDT • Business • theguardian.com
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Mapped: the elections that could deliver ‘unprecedented’ losses for Labour

All signs point to a record low performance for Labour in May in what will be a moment of high jeopardy for Keir Starmer

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Apr 23 • 2:00 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
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Scientists make breakthrough in solving mystery of volcanic lightning

Research shows fine carbon coating on silica in updraught causes electrical charge – and spectacular display

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Apr 23 • 1:00 AM EDT • Science • theguardian.com
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Artemis II’s science of resistance

Collective endeavour, humility, respect for reality… the values that took us to the moon are everything the Trump administration isn’t

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Apr 22 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • prospectmagazine.co.uk
Wisconsin basketball gets commitment from Mount Horeb's Josh Manchester

Wisconsin men’s basketball has added some homegrown talent to its backcourt, as Mount Horeb's Josh Manchester has committed to the Badgers.

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Apr 22 • 7:43 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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4 takeaways from Health Secretary RFK Jr.'s gauntlet of congressional hearings

In his testimony to various committees in the Senate and the House over multiple days, Kennedy was tasked with defending President Donald Trump’s proposed 2027 budget, which would boost defense spending while cutting more than 12% of funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.

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Apr 22 • 7:20 PM EDT • Health • pbs.org
4 takeaways from Health Secretary RFK Jr.'s gauntlet of congressional hearings

In his testimony to various committees in the Senate and the House over multiple days, Kennedy was tasked with defending President Donald Trump’s proposed 2027 budget, which would boost defense spending while cutting more than 12% of funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.

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Apr 22 • 7:20 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
How a pivot to hair accessories led to business success

Jenny Lennick's colourful hair clips are sold across the US and around the world.

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Apr 22 • 7:04 PM EDT • Business • bbc.com
WATCH: Leavitt says Trump has not set 'firm deadline' for Iranian proposal to extend ceasefire

“Ultimately, the timeline would be dictated by the commander in chief and the president of the United States,” Leavitt said.

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Apr 22 • 4:55 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
Kalshi suspends 3 U.S. congressional candidates for ‘political insider trading’

WASHINGTON >> Prediction markets platform Kalshi said today it has suspended three U.S. congressional candidates for “political insider trading,” building on its efforts to block politicians and athletes from betting on contests in which they are involved.

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Apr 22 • 4:30 PM EDT • Politics • staradvertiser.com
Arkansas G Darius Acuff Jr. declares for 2026 NBA Draft
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Apr 22 • 4:25 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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College basketball transfer portal 2026-27 winners and losers: Duke, Florida lead free agency victors

The good, the bad and the ugly from the first wave of college basketball's free agency period

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Apr 22 • 3:43 PM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com
Brewers finally get great injury news on Quinn Priester

Milwaukee could benefit from this soon.

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Apr 22 • 2:25 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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Scientists discovered a mysterious ‘golden orb’ two miles beneath the surface of the ocean. Now they’ve worked out what it is

Sorry, but it’s not an extraterrestrial egg...

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Apr 22 • 1:46 PM EDT • Science • independent.co.uk
Apple Releases iOS 26.4.2 and iPadOS 26.4.2 With Bug Fixes

Apple today released minor iOS 26.4.2 and iPadOS 26.4.2 software updates for the iPhone and iPad, respectively. The updates are available two weeks after Apple released iOS 26.4.1 and iPadOS 26.4.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings → General → Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, the software updates contain unspecified bug fixes and security updates.

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Apr 22 • 1:23 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com
No one can look Starmer in the eye … and the Mandy saga is not going away

The PM’s failure was being a spectator as Morgan McSweeney set about finding jobs for his mates

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Apr 22 • 12:21 PM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
AI-powered robot beats elite table tennis players

In feat hailed as milestone in robotics, Sony AI’s Ace wins three out of five matches played under official rules

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Apr 22 • 11:00 AM EDT • Science • theguardian.com
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.

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Apr 22 • 9:57 AM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news
Tottenham advertise sport psychologist roles

Tottenham are looking to appoint a lead psychologist for their men's first team after head coach Roberto de Zerbi said they need to "change the mentality".

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Apr 22 • 9:55 AM EDT • Sports • bbc.com
Xbox Game Pass price cut but day-one Call of Duty access ended

New Call of Duty games will be added to the subscription service "about a year" after release, Microsoft said.

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Apr 22 • 8:03 AM EDT • Technology • bbc.com
UK bans a generation of children from smoking: How it works

The legal age to buy tobacco products will rise by one year, every year, from 2027.

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Apr 22 • 7:57 AM EDT • Health • aljazeera.com
UK bill bans anyone born after 2008 from ever buying tobacco

People who are now 17 or younger will never be able to buy tobacco, according to the law backed by the UK Parliament.

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Apr 22 • 6:48 AM EDT • Health • aljazeera.com
The Prince Philip Movement: The Yaohnanen Tribe Of Tanna Island Believed The Duke Of Edinburgh Was A God

According to followers of the movement, Prince Philip was a powerful mountain spirit who would one day return home.

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Apr 22 • 5:33 AM EDT • Science • iflscience.com
Your bad habits are destroying your charging cables

Charging cables are the most overlooked technology in your life, until they break and you're stuck with a dying phone. Here's how to take better care of them.

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Apr 22 • 5:07 AM EDT • Technology • bbc.com
Scottish Parliament election: Campaigning continues across the country

Voters will go the polls on 7 May to elect 129 members of the Scottish Parliament.

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Apr 22 • 4:15 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
Ilia Topuria goes off on 'dumb as f***' Arman Tsarukyan

Top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan has made as many headlines for his antics outside of the cage as in it. The 29-year-old has stuck a fan on his walkout to the octagon, head butted an opponent during face-offs, engaged in a post-fight brawl at RAF 6, got thrown off an airplane and ...

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Apr 22 • 2:33 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
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UK inflation climbs to 3.3%, driven by largest increase in fuel prices in over three years

Oil prices fall on ceasefire extension but stay near $100 a barrel as strait of Hormuz remains closed

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Apr 22 • 2:17 AM EDT • Business • theguardian.com
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World Cup 2026: Pick your favourite kits from the tournament

BBC Sport has highlighted some of the most interesting kits which will be seen at this summer's World Cup. Pick your favourites.

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Apr 22 • 2:06 AM EDT • Sports • bbc.com
Mythos found 271 Firefox flaws – but none a human couldn’t spot

: Mozilla CTO says AI means developers finally have a chance to get on top of security

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Apr 22 • 12:32 AM EDT • Technology • theregister.com
Samir Patel on science journalism and curiosity

On April 19, Humanities in Medicine, the Duke Program in Literature, the DeWitt Wallace Center, Duke English and Duke’s Program in Education hosted “Storytelling Through Science Journalism,” a speaker event featuring Samir Patel (Pratt ‘97), the editor and chief of Quanta Magazine.

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Apr 21 • 11:00 PM EDT • Science • dukechronicle.com
Virginia approves redistricting, giving Democrats edge in midterms

The new maps in Virginia could make it easier for Democrats to take control of the US House of Representatives in November.

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Apr 21 • 9:08 PM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
Expert quits US HIV role, rebukes Trump global health approach

The ​chief science officer for the U.S. flagship HIV/AIDS program left his role this week and criticized the Trump administration's cuts ‌to foreign assistance and what he said was its use of aid as leverage for U.S. commercial interests.

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Apr 21 • 6:35 PM EDT • Health • reuters.com
Expert Quits US HIV Role, Rebukes Trump Global Health Approach

By Simon Lewis WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - The chief science officer for the U.S. flagship ⁠HIV/AIDS ⁠program left his role this week and ⁠criticized the Trump administration's cuts to foreign assistance and what he said was its use of aid as leverage for U.S. commercial interests. Republican ...

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Apr 21 • 6:35 PM EDT • Health • usnews.com
Brighton 3-0 Chelsea: What Rosenior and Chalobah said

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior, speaking to Match of the Day: "Nowhere near the levels, not even tactical, tackles, duels, intensity, spirit, energy, passion are all lacking and that is the reason we lost." Across each team's last nine games in the Premier League, only Tottenham (2) have won fewer points than Chelsea (5 – W1 D2 L6).

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Apr 21 • 5:50 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Dept. of Health and Human Services declares public health emergency for Hawaii after March storms

The declaration aims to address the health impacts caused by severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides that occurred in March 2026.

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Apr 21 • 4:56 PM EDT • Health • hawaiinewsnow.com
LISTEN: Supreme Court seems skeptical of limiting FCC's power to fine companies

Telecommunications giants Verizon and AT&T appealed to the Supreme Court after the Federal Communications Commission found they sold customers’ location data without proper safeguards and slapped the companies with hefty penalties totaling over $100 million.

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Apr 21 • 4:40 PM EDT • Politics • pbs.org
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Luka Dončić still out indefinitely, but Austin Reaves reportedly nearing return to Lakers with on-court work
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Apr 21 • 4:25 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Kentucky governor blasts UK athletics' 'decision-making'

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has publicly questioned the "decision-making" at the University of Kentucky, including the seven-figure gig retiring athletic director Mitch Barnhart was recently given.

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Apr 21 • 3:57 PM EDT • Sports • espn.com
Wisconsin political leaders mourn Daniel Bice's death

A veteran Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter, Bice broke national scoops and dug into local stories with same tenacity.

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Apr 21 • 2:58 PM EDT • Politics • jsonline.com
Four key takeaways from Apple’s change of leadership

Analysts say net boss John Ternus should diversify tech giant away from iPhones and raise its game in AI

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Apr 21 • 2:24 PM EDT • Business • theguardian.com
2026 NFL Draft: Fantasy football analysis, rankings, positional previews, more
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Apr 21 • 2:20 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
GOP strategists required to sign NDAs at meeting on midterm plans

The unusual secrecy surrounding the Waldorf Astoria meeting has frustrated some looking for funding clues as Trump’s popularity has dropped to near historic lows.

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Apr 21 • 1:29 PM EDT • Politics • washingtonpost.com
Warsh vows to keep monetary policy independent of politics

STORY: :: Fed chief nominee Warsh vows to keep monetary policy independent of politics:: Washington, D.C. / April 21, 2026:: Kevin Warsh, Federal Reserve chief nominee“Monetary policy independence is essential. Monetary policymakers must act in the nation's interest. Their decision is the product of rigor, deliberation and unclouded decision-making. And as Senator Warren said, I do not believe that independence of monetary policy is threatened when elected officials state their views on rates. Fed independence is up to the Fed." // :: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Ranking Democrat on Senate Banking Committee“So, independence takes courage. Let's check out your independence and your courage. We'll start easy. Mr. Warsh, did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election?”WARSH: “Um, we try to keep politics, if I’m confirmed, out of the Federal Reserve.”WARREN: “I’m just asking you a factual question. I need to know. I need to measure your independence and your courage.”WARSH: “Senator, I believe that this body certified that election many years ago.”WARREN: “That’s not the question I’m asking. I’m asking did Donald Trump lose in 2020?”WARSH: “And I’m suggesting to you in 2020…”WARREN: “I’m suggesting you can’t answer that.”WARSH: “… the Fed had a huge inflation problem, and you certified the election…[crosstalk]… let’s keep the politics out of monetary policy.” //WARREN: "Just one little place where you disagree with Donald Trump.”WARSH: “Well, I do have a disagreement actually, Senator, with the president. I think even this morning, he said that he thought I was out of central casting. I think central casting, I'd look older, grayer, maybe show up here with a cigar of sorts.”WARREN: “Quite adorable. But, you know, we need a Fed chair who is independent. That's the only way we preserve the independence of the Federal Reserve. If you can't answer these questions, you don't have the courage and you don't have the independence.”In a confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee that quickly hinted at major changes to come at a Warsh-led Fed, the 56-year-old lawyer and financier blamed the central bank for an inflation surge in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to hurt U.S. households.Warsh's hearing quickly turned contentious. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren pressed Warsh on his independence and "courage", saying President Donald Trump had made clear Warsh would be his "sock puppet".

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Apr 21 • 12:43 PM EDT • Politics • finance.yahoo.com
The social sciences need tools for the 21st century

Letters: Readers respond to an editorial on difficulties with replicability of results in social science research

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Apr 21 • 12:30 PM EDT • Science • theguardian.com
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Daniel Bice, veteran Wisconsin political reporter and columnist, dies at 62

Daniel Bice, who worked for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for 33 years, died from complications of esophageal cancer on April 21, his birthday.

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Apr 21 • 11:00 AM EDT • Politics • jsonline.com
‘Is it life? We can’t tell’: Nasa’s Curiosity rover finds organic molecules on Mars

Scientists think they are looking at chemical building blocks of life preserved for 3.5bn years

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Apr 21 • 9:56 AM EDT • Science • theguardian.com
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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Apr 21 • 9:31 AM EDT • Science • democracysos.substack.com
Fannie Masemola: South Africa's police boss charged in connection with controversial health contract

Fannie Masemola is accused of failing in his duties to provide proper oversight in his role.

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Apr 21 • 5:42 AM EDT • Health • bbc.com
Which Premier League players are out of contract this summer?

With a World Cup summer fast approaching, BBC Sport looks at which Premier League stars may be looking for new clubs.

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Apr 21 • 5:20 AM EDT • Sports • bbc.com
Scottish Parliament election 2026: Parties campaign ahead of postal vote application deadline

Politicians are campaigning for votes across the country ahead of the election on 7 May.

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Apr 21 • 5:03 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
Aspirin can reduce the risk of cancer – and we're starting to understand why

The 4,000-year-old drug, most commonly used to treat pain, prevents certain tumours from forming and spreading across the body – findings that are already changing health policies.

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Apr 21 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • bbc.com
Yankees news: Baseball’s biggest rivalry is back

Yankees and Red Sox open three-game set; Judge as a leadoff option?; Grichuk hopes to stick around

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Apr 21 • 5:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Fired former UK official says he felt political pressure to approve Mandelson as US ambassador

LONDON (AP) — The ex-civil servant behind the decision to approve Peter Mandelson’s appointment as British ambassador to Washington says he felt political pressure to rush through the appointment despite security concerns.

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Apr 21 • 4:18 AM EDT • Politics • wral.com
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PlayStation’s age-gating restrictions are coming to UK consoles

PlayStation age verification is mandatory in June

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Apr 21 • 3:11 AM EDT • Technology • theverge.com
Primark to split from food business despite warning of Iran war impact

ABF to demerge fashion chain from firm that owns Kingsmill, Twinings and Patak’s, plus a sugar company

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Apr 21 • 2:53 AM EDT • Business • theguardian.com
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Seattle Mariners Bullpen Falters in 6-4 Loss to Athletics

The Mariners failed to preserve an early lead and whiffed on several opportunities late against the A's.

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Apr 21 • 1:32 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Can peace descend in Oldham's 'toxic' politics?

Candidates are vying to bring an end to a fractured political scene in the Tameside town.

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Apr 21 • 1:12 AM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
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'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

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Apr 20 • 10:27 PM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
'It's so chaotic': Humpback whales are forming super-groups

On a misty morning in December, two photographers captured the images of 304 individual humpbacks – the highest number of large whales ever identified in a single day.

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Apr 20 • 9:00 PM EDT • Technology • bbc.com
After flooding hits Milwaukee’s south side, business owner and community group push cleanup efforts

After recent flooding, a business owner near 20th and Mitchell says trash and water keep piling up. Muskego Way Forward is now working to clean the area and connect residents with resources.

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Apr 20 • 6:42 PM EDT • Business • tmj4.com
The jet-fuel surge is making global flight connections disappear

Airline passengers should brace for more aggravation in the next few months as carriers around the world deepen cancellations and ground planes to cope with stratospheric increases in jet-fuel prices.

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Apr 20 • 6:19 PM EDT • Business • chicagobusiness.com
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Luke drops re-election bid amid ongoing investigation

Luke drops re-election bid amid ongoing investigation

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Apr 20 • 5:35 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
West Bengal election: Why politicians are campaigning with fish in hand

In West Bengal polls, fish moves from plate to politics, symbolising identity and cultural pride.

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Apr 20 • 5:01 PM EDT • Politics • bbc.com
12 Milwaukee Tools Under $75 Worth Adding To Your Collection

Upgrade your toolbox without overspending with Milwaukee tools that deliver power, durability, and value to DIYers and professionals alike.

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Apr 20 • 4:30 PM EDT • Technology • slashgear.com
College basketball rankings: Why UConn is moving up in preseason way-too-early Top 25 And 1

Braylon Mullins is heading back to the Huskies and Duke's Nikolas Khamenia has committed to UConn coach Dan Hurley

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Apr 20 • 4:08 PM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com
Recently-sued Highgrove Holdings president defends himself, business

The lawsuit, filed by the Milwaukee City Attorney on March 26, is asking a judge to declare Highgrove properties a public nuisance.

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Apr 20 • 4:00 PM EDT • Business • spectrumnews1.com
Sony will require age checks in the UK and Ireland to access PlayStation communication features

Sony is adopting new age verification policies for PlayStation users in the UK and Ireland.

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Apr 20 • 3:49 PM EDT • Technology • engadget.com
UK PM Starmer admits Mandelson mistake, rejects resignation calls
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Apr 20 • 3:44 PM EDT • Politics • aljazeera.com
‘SNL’ Icon Admits She Was on ‘Wrong Side’ of Political Jokes

“I was pretty dumb,” Tina Fey confessed.

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Apr 20 • 3:19 PM EDT • Politics • thedailybeast.com
Starmer’s Political Fate Rests With Top UK Bureaucrat He Fired

Keir Starmer did what he could on Monday to weather a parliamentary showdown on his handling of the Peter Mandelson scandal. On Tuesday, it may rest with a bureaucrat little known outside Westminster to decide his fate.

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Apr 20 • 2:41 PM EDT • Politics • bloomberg.com
Ruth Francis obituary

Other lives: Communications head for scientific publishers who also chaired her industry body

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Apr 20 • 1:56 PM EDT • Science • theguardian.com
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Tune In to Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Showcase on April 23

You won’t want to miss the game’s official unveiling.

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Apr 20 • 1:18 PM EDT • Technology • news.ubisoft.com
Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag remake reveal: ‘The iconic pirate adventure returns’

Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced will be revealed via a live stream this week…

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Apr 20 • 12:16 PM EDT • Technology • videogameschronicle.com
PS5 Age Verification Coming to UK and Ireland, Needed for Messages and Voice Chat

Get your phone out

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Apr 20 • 12:00 PM EDT • Technology • pushsquare.com
Duke C Patrick Ngongba II returning for junior season

Ngongba averaged 10.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2 assists last season.

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Apr 20 • 11:39 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
FERC seeks $1.1 billion from Abram-led Durham energy firms

Regulators have fined Durham-based energy-efficiency business American Efficient $722 million, saying it’s behind “one of the largest and most brazen frauds” they’ve ever seen.

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Apr 20 • 11:34 AM EDT • Business • businessnc.com
Reform’s Richard Tice posts picture with telltale signs of AI manipulation, say experts

Tice’s image on X was almost certainly generated or altered using AI, according to Peryton Intelligence

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Apr 20 • 11:31 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
Duke basketball under Jon Scheyer: Insiders reveal transfer portal news, 2026 recruits, roster, best targets

TheDevilsDen, the 247Sports affiliate of the Duke Blue Devils, shares its latest college basketball transfer portal news

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Apr 20 • 11:29 AM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com
Cocaine pollution in rivers and lakes may disrupt behaviour of salmon, study finds

Fish swam further and dispersed more widely after exposure to environmental levels of drug and main metabolite

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Apr 20 • 11:00 AM EDT • Science • theguardian.com
Trump tariff refunds begin but consumers likely to miss out

Businesses can apply online through a portal for refunds expected to total $160bn.

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Apr 20 • 10:49 AM EDT • Business • bbc.com
RFK Jr’s podcast has glimmers of his old show – will he address health issues differently?

Secretary Kennedy Podcast so far seems designed to promote Trump administration talking points over any specific public health message

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Apr 20 • 10:21 AM EDT • Health • theguardian.com
Footballs could be designed to reduce impact of heading

Scientists believe footballs could be designed to reduce the impact of heading after new research discovered the action caused a previously unreported pressure wave energy transfer to the brain.

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Apr 20 • 9:29 AM EDT • Sports • bbc.com
Carlton player Elijah Hollands admitted to hospital after ‘mental health episode’

Statement released in wake of concerning performance and club asks for ‘privacy of family to be respected’

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Apr 20 • 9:01 AM EDT • Health • theguardian.com
In The Lab: The Science of Slow Starts

Is there a scientific reason why the Astros seem to start slowly?

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Apr 20 • 9:00 AM EDT • Science • sports.yahoo.com
Viking Sports Weekly {April 20}

This Week's Events

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Apr 20 • 7:42 AM EDT • Sports • csuvikings.com
South Uist business faces 'non-stop cancellations' amid ferry disruption

Archie MacLellan, who owns Uist Travel Accomodation, says he has had many cancellations.

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Apr 20 • 6:42 AM EDT • Business • bbc.com
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M&C Saatchi predicts hit to sports and entertainment arms from Iran conflict

The advertising giant held off from handing shareholders a dividend as it battles ‘tough’ macroeconomic conditions.

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Apr 20 • 6:29 AM EDT • Entertainment • uk.finance.yahoo.com
The State of Politics: Why UW President Candidates May Hesitate

The clumsy firing of Jay Rothman might discourage some top candidates.

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Apr 20 • 6:16 AM EDT • Politics • urbanmilwaukee.com
Elaine Luria, January 6 panel member seeking political comeback, says ‘the wind is on our back’ as Democrats try to flip House

Luria, who lost her seat to a Republican after standing up to Trump, has secured key endorsements in Virginia race

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Apr 20 • 6:00 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
UK Charts: Tomodachi Life Is Living The Dream In Its Debut Week

Mii, myself and I

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Apr 20 • 5:30 AM EDT • Technology • nintendolife.com
To protest rising taxes, Russia’s small businesses take their ‘flash mobs’ online

With the costs of the war in Ukraine growing, the Kremlin has been raising taxes on and rolling back exemptions for Russian small businesses.

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Apr 20 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • csmonitor.com
UK Arts and Sciences inducts 5 into Hall of Fame

The College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky inducted four alumni and one emeritus faculty member into its Hall of Fame on Friday, April 17.

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Apr 20 • 4:00 AM EDT • Science • uknow.uky.edu
UK-listed Plus500's customer income surges as US business grows

Plus500 on Monday posted a surge in customer income in the first quarter ​as it expanded into U.S. consumer prediction ‌markets and heightened market volatility drove demand across its global trading platforms.

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Apr 20 • 2:58 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com
UK's M&C Saatchi warns Mideast war could hit sport and entertainment business

British advertising group M&C Saatchi warned ​on Monday that the Middle ‌East conflict is likely to significantly impact its sport, entertainment and consumer-facing ​business, while forecasting 2026 operating ​profit in line with market expectations.

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Apr 20 • 2:23 AM EDT • Entertainment • reuters.com
UK's M&C Saatchi warns Mideast war could hit sport and entertainment business

British advertising group M&C Saatchi warned ​on Monday that the Middle ‌East conflict is likely to significantly impact its sport, entertainment and consumer-facing ​business, while forecasting 2026 operating ​profit in line with market expectations.

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Apr 20 • 2:23 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com
Scotland's papers: Starmer 'fights for his future' and child mental health crisis

A review of the front page stories from the daily newspapers in Scotland.

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Apr 20 • 2:07 AM EDT • Health • bbc.com
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Starwatch: Lyrid meteor shower returns to the spring skies

First recorded in 687BC, the meteoroids were once part of the tail of a comet discovered in 1861

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Apr 20 • 1:00 AM EDT • Science • theguardian.com