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Everton's Right-Back Conundrum Ahead of Arsenal
Everton are preparing to face Arsenal in the Premier League, and David Moyes could have a decision to make at right-back.
Yankees news: The second base conundrum
The unsettled second base situation; ex-Yankee Bauers is NLCS MVP; the future of Stanton.
Seattle Mariners Face Interesting Contract Conundrum with Bryce Miller
Miller will be with the Mariners in 2026, but it's curious as to what number he'll play under.
Analysis | With Kamala Harris, Democrats face a conundrum
There is considerable admiration for the former vice president, but also some reservations if she runs again.
Democrats Eyeing the House Face a Conundrum: Rent or Buy?
With less money than G.O.P., Democrats are torn over where to spend in the final weeks. The party is making its biggest move in years against one of G.O.P.’s biggest blue-district survivors.
Everton's Midfield Conundrum as Christian Norgaard Returns to Training
Why Christian Nørgaard could bring much-needed balance to Everton’s midfield.
Borussia Dortmund join Roma in race for Kvernadze
After exploring a myriad of prospects last summer without ever landing a spot, the solution to the right-footed left-back conundrum could be right near home. Located 90 kilometers from Rome, 23-year-o...
Dave Roberts Reveals Honest Mookie Betts & Shohei Ohtani Conundrum
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been without superstar slugger Shohei Ohtani for the last week+ as he’s been dealing with a biceps issue that led to his IL placement. Manager Dave Roberts indicated on Tuesday, before the Dodgers’ series opener with the San Diego Padres, that Ohtani will be activated from the IL on Wednesday. […] The post Dave Roberts Reveals Honest Mookie Betts & Shohei Ohtani Conundrum appeared first on HEAVY.
The Gophers have a Darius Taylor conundrum
Minnesota's star running back appears to be banged up again, just two games into the 2026 season.
Private property rights challenge rural Colorado communities
If there were ever a topic I believe deeply in, it’s private property rights. If there were ever a topic that leaves me in a moral conundrum more often than not, it’s private property rights. The northern portion of Weld County is where towns like Grover and Hereford are hunkered down against the wind. It’s […]
The Literacy Crisis Reaches Dog-Bear Science
“New analysis of more than 300 bear encounters suggests our canine companions often increase odds of conflict and rarely serve as early warning systems many recreationists assume,” reads a subhead in Mountain Journal. The thing is, that study reaches no such conclusion. But you have to read beyond the abstract to understand that. Mountain Journal is not alone. Let’s look at a brief list of takeaways published elsewhere just to establish that none of them seem to know how to read science. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Here’s CBC: “A new peer-reviewed study, The Canine Conundrum: Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country?, dug into conflicts similar to what the video depicts, by analyzing 326 reported human-bear conflicts from 1901 to 2023 involving dogs.” “The study found 54 per cent of conflicts were started by dogs. In the encounters researchers included in the study, five people and 56 dogs were killed, and 170 people were injured.” “Lana Ciarniello, an independent researcher who co-authored the study, said researchers found when a person goes hiking with at least one other person, the odds of a negative bear encounter decrease by 50 per cent.” “However, when a dog is involved, the chances of a negative bear encounter increase because ‘a dog really adds a chaotic factor into the mix of recreation,’ said Ciarniello.” Again, the study finds no data supporting that conclusion. “Hiking with your pet dog may make you feel safer in bear country—but a hiker’s recent encounter and a new study prove that the numbers don’t add up,” writes Backpacker, which is now part of Outside. The numbers don’t add up to support this take. There’s plenty more examples, but all are equally dumb, so I’ll stop there. How did so many people get this so wrong? Three reasons: 1) the study is published behind a paywall, with only the abstract freely available. 2) the methodology sets out to create work relevant to a hyper-specific audience, not the public. And 3) the dataset studied is almost absurdly limited and doesn’t bear (get it?!) comparison to wider information. Let’s work through all three. The Problem is Money I understand the irony, since I’m writing about this on a subscription-model newsletter, but information wants to be free. The study is published by The Wildlife Society and costs $16 to access. Reprinting it is specifically prohibited by the terms of use, so I can only share snippets and my conclusions with you here. Having worked as a journalist for 24 years, I can report with some authority that journalists are both lazy and cheap. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that much of the material you’re seeing written about this study is drawn from the freely-available abstract (above) only, and not a deep dive into its methodology or data. And that’s a problem, because abstracts are where researchers are able to break from their numbers and editorialize their opinions about conclusions. So what’s getting reported isn’t based on numbers, it’s based on an opinion designed for a specific audience, not the general public. Hell yeah ladies, kick that bear’s ass. The Methodology is Designed to Support a Predetermined Conclusion One of the biggest issues with the science that everyone likes to cite about bear spray’s efficacy is that no one understands that study was designed for a specific audience, looking for a specific answer. And since that audience is not the public, and our safety was not the question being asked, its conclusion is rendered irrelevant to our needs. Yes, I’m talking about Efficacy of Bear Deterrent Spray in Alaska, which was created by Tom Smith and Stephen Herrero, two of the same scientists who put together this dog-bear conflict analysis. In the spray study, the purpose was to present relevant agencies with the information they needed to issue their field workers with bear spray. As such, incidents where people were unable to access the spray or similarly failed to get it deployed in time were excluded from the results, and only incidents they deemed successful were included. Could a ranger roll down their vehicle’s window and scare a bear away from a dumpster by spraying it? Turns out the answer was yes, and that was good enough for the purposes of that study. The sample size of actual bear attacks—the thing you and I would want bear spray to provide a solution to, was too small to draw conclusions from, and didn’t indicate success in that role. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? has similar limitations. “Insights provided here are intended to help wildlife managers create effective guidelines regarding the presence of domestic dogs in bear habitat,” is explained clearly by the study’s text. To conduct the study, Smith and Herrero went looking for publicly available reports of dog-bear conflicts: “All incidents included in our analysis involved at least one bear, one dog, and one person who was at immediate risk of injury (e.g., not in a protective structure such as a cabin or vehicle), injured, or killed,” explains the report’s methodology. Why is that a problem? “We recognize that data used in this study are biased in that people generally only report adverse interactions with bears, not benign ones. Consequently, we assume that for the most part, people and their dogs pass through bear country without incident.” As was the problem with the bear spray study, people are drawing conclusions here from a study that was never intended to be relevant to the general public. The Smith-Herrero database famously excludes Alaska’s Defense of Life and Property records, which are elsewhere considered the largest and most authoritative source on human-bear conflict. The Dataset is Absurdly Limited A 2009 study conducted by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife estimates that each year there are at least 43,000 documented complaints of human-bear conflict across North America. Is a Dog a Help or Hindrance in Bear Country? Examined those reports for years ranging from 1901 to 2023, and only managed to find 326 such incidents that met the criteria explained above. Let’s do some quick math, poorly. 43,000 incidents x 122 years = 5,246,000 total incidents of documented human-bear conflict. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their criteria for dog+human+bear+risk or occurrence of injury. That means there’s a 0.006 percent chance that the study’s conclusion—that dogs make bear encounters more dangerous—even gets a chance of occurring. And remember, that’s only in documented conflicts. There’s no way to know how many people across North America run into a bear in any given year without any conflict, but it’s probably safe to assume that the total number is well in excess of 43,000. And, dig deeper into the study and you can find further restrictions that skew its conclusions even more. “While the people involved in these incidents did not report the level of training their dogs had received, it is our assumption that most were untrained companion dogs as opposed to well-trained bear dogs, such as Karelians and livestock guardian breeds that have proven to be significant aids in bear country,” the study’s methodology explains. And that’s a problem, because an ongoing study here in Montana is finding that the simple presence of a Kangal like our youngest dog Teddy can reduce visits to private property from grizzly bears by 87.8 percent. In addition to being a badass, Teddy is also a companion animal. And in my admittedly limited sample size of the three dogs currently present in our living room, she’s no more effective than her mutt brothers. Plenty of people own a dog capable of deterring bears, even if they didn’t set out to own a bear dog. The real purpose of this study appears to be a recommendation that leashes are mandated and recreationists pursue training in their deterrent of choice. But that doesn’t make for sensational headlines. Are There Any Real Takeaways Here? Let’s throw some numbers around, just to try and get our hands around what the larger picture might look like for bears and dogs here. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that 42.6 percent of American households own a dog. The Canadian Animal Health Institute says roughly 35 percent of households in Canuckistan own a dog. In an attempt to create the worst possible result for dogs, let’s run with that 35 percent number. And given that outdoorsy and rural people are more likely to both own a dog, and have bear encounters, let’s just make a giant assumption and apply that number to those 43,000 conflicts documented annually. If 35 percent of 43,000 human-bear encounters involve a dog, then we can assume that at least 15,050 dog-bear conflicts are occurring annually in North America. 15,050 x 122 = 1,836,100. Smith and Herrero were only able to find 326 incidents that met their human, dog, chance or occurrence of injury criteria across 122 years. And only 170 documented human injuries. So, with all the obvious caveats about these numbers in no way describing reality beyond narrow study parameters, what they actually found is that your risk of injury if your dog tangles with a bear is only 0.009 percent. I’ll take those odds next time I’m hiking my dogs in bear country. Top photo: “Superintendent Horace Albright, eating pancakes with bears, at Lake Lodge, Yellowstone National Park.” NPS. A journalist with more than two decades of experience working around the world, Wes Siler is here to cut through the outrage and disinformation to bring you the factual, insightful, actionable reporting you need to understand what’s going on. Upgrading to a paid subscription supports this reporting, and buys personal access to Wes, who will help you save money on gear, plan outdoor adventures, and prepare for real life, and who promises he’s less salty in real life than he sometimes comes across as on the Internet. Wes Siler’s Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
The national focus on politicians' health is making its way into the Oklahoma GOP race for governor
Mike Mazzei’s performance in recent debates have created a conundrum for him and our state’s pool of undecided Republican voters who are still trying to suss out their best nominee for governor.
The national focus on politicians' health is making its way into the Oklahoma GOP race for governor
Mike Mazzei’s performance in recent debates have created a conundrum for him and our state’s pool of undecided Republican voters who are still trying to suss out their best nominee for governor.
OpenAI’s IPO Conundrum | AI & Business for July 14
Plus, Apple’s legal sparring, and Wall Street’s problem with AI drug discovery.
R.I. Governor McKee’s charter school conundrum
McKee turned heads when he said he’d be open to imposing a moratorium on new charter schools, but after taking another look at the bill, McKee isn’t quite ready to commit to signing it if it makes it to his desk.
Extreme heat is worsening faster for Black Americans
Bill Cassidy's can't-win conundrum, what RFK Jr. gets right and wrong about antidepressants, and more health news
Trophies or entertainment? Jose Mourinho conundrum facing Newcastle as Chris Waddle explains winning versus ‘boring’ balancing act
Jose Mourinho rumours refuse to go away at Newcastle, as questions are asked of Eddie Howe’s future, and Chris Waddle has told GOAL why any club considering a move for the ‘Special One’ must mull over the “win trophies or entertain” conundrum. Mourinho boasts several major honours on his glittering CV, but the ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid boss has faced accusations of being “boring” at times.
An incredible NBA blowout, plus LIV’s cash burn
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! I hope you have your hat ready for tomorrow. Coming up: 😳 A historic Knicks rout 😰 Edmonton’s conundrum 💸 LIV’s cash burn We had a flight of 3-2 series matchups in both the NBA and NHL last night. I must start with an NBA clincher, though, due to a simple staggering fact: The Knicks advanced to the second round last night after beating the Hawks, in Atlanta, by 51 points. Not a typo! This was a 50-point game in the...
UChicago students propose solutions to city's sports stadium conundrum
The annual Harris Policy Innovation Challenge, launched in 2023, pushes students to find solutions to some of Chicago’s most pressing public policy issues.
What can science fiction tell us about sex-change and the transsexual experience? | The Clayman Institute for Gender Research
Though science fiction describes future sociocultural worlds impacted by scientific and technological breakthroughs, a conundrum persists when it comes to science fiction on transgender, transsexual, and sex-change themes. Why is it that fantasies and imaginaries of sex-change in the breakthrough years of hormonal science did not register with authors writing science fiction in this period?
Virginia’s redistricting fight ramps up as opponents wield Barack Obama’s past comments
An argument over former President Barack Obama’s past comments about gerrymandering reflects the conundrum that worries some Democratic allies ahead of an April 21 referendum. Having promoted nonpartisan redistricting in the past, Obama, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and other top Democrats now have to motivate voters to turn out for a special election to impose a gerrymander.
The New Ideas Conundrum in Health Policy
In a new column, President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman writes about the "conundrum of health policy ideas" facing Democrats searching for new proposals because of competing, and complex, priorities: rebuilding Medicaid and the ACA after trillion-dollar cuts, reconstructing federal health agencies, and tackling underlying health care costs, when candidates want simple ideas they can campaign on and voters want their costs to come down.
Republicans face a growing conundrum on the ‘SAVE America Act’
The GOP appears stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the legislation the party has dubbed the “SAVE America Act.”
The Small Business Conundrum: What Happens When The Owner Retires?
With creative capital and a deeper bench of buyers, more small businesses could transition instead of shutter.
How tanking became the biggest conundrum in sports
The Jazz are among a handful of teams in the midst of tanking seasons. Will it pay off in the long run?
Data center boom creates political conundrum for the GOP
President Donald Trump is all in on the artificial intelligence build-out. Other Republicans are being more cautious.
Data center boom creates political conundrum for the GOP
President Donald Trump is all in on the artificial intelligence build-out. Other Republicans are being more cautious.