SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY

Search headlines

Find the stories shaping the conversation.

Search mode
Refine results
Active filters Keyword All time

Results for " ALS " 28,924 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle

Quest for research answers takes undergraduate student to Japan

Kaylin Lamaute has been spending the summer finding answers to her fascinations in materials science and engineering through the Adopting Sustainable Partnerships for Innovative Research Ecosystem (ASPIRE) program, an international initiative primarily driven by the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

psu.edu logo
Jul 21 • 9:17 AM EDT • Science • psu.edu
CONTRIBUTOR'S VIEW - Dick Yarbrough: Who can argue politics with a mouthful of barbecue?

Columnist Dick Yarbrough spotlights Builders Movement’s "Builders BBQ," a summer campaign using cookouts and shared meals to bring politically divided Americans...

lagrangenews.com logo
Jul 21 • 9:15 AM EDT • Politics • lagrangenews.com
Appeals court rejects Biden's bid to block release of recordings

The recordings were obtained by a special counsel who investigated Biden's handling of classified documents

spectrumlocalnews.com logo
Jul 21 • 9:13 AM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (8%)
angry
50%
sad
50%
'Support A Sport' helps young adults with disabilities achieve their goals

The mission of a Support A Sport is to get more kids with disabilities on the field to achieve their goals.

6abc.com logo
Jul 21 • 9:12 AM EDT • Sports • 6abc.com
'Support A Sport' helps young adults with disabilities achieve their goals

The mission of a Support A Sport is to get more kids with disabilities on the field to achieve their goals.

abc7news.com logo
Jul 21 • 9:12 AM EDT • Sports • abc7news.com
😐 Neutral (14%)
Gatorade's First "Body of Science" Study Reveals Disparities in Women's Hydration & Nutrition Patterns

The Science of Her Sweat: Gatorade Sports Science Institute's (GSSI) new research shows women need more tailored hydration and nutrition guidance Key...

prnewswire.com logo
Jul 21 • 9:00 AM EDT • Science • prnewswire.com
Samsung Debuts AI-Powered Health Assistant, Joining Packed Market

Samsung Electronics Co. is rolling out a new AI-powered assistant that acts as a virtual health companion, joining a growing number of tech companies using chatbots to deliver personalized wellness insights to its users.Samsung Health Assistant pulls in data from the user’s Galaxy smartphone, smartwatch or smart ring, the company said Tuesday. The firm also announced a series of other features coming to its health platform, particularly around heart metrics.

bloomberg.com logo
Jul 21 • 8:30 AM EDT • Health • bloomberg.com
Steam Deck sales tanked after Valve increased the price, latest estimates suggest decline of more than 75%

A new report suggests that Steam Deck sales have dropped significantly following Valve's price increase due to industry shortages.

pcguide.com logo
Jul 21 • 8:28 AM EDT • Technology • pcguide.com
FDA’s Review Of Peptides Signals A Growing Public Health Challenge— Separating Science From Hype

A FDA advisory committee will review evidence surrounding peptides. Experts are concerned there is a paucity of evidence to back their approval for legal compounding.

forbes.com logo
Jul 21 • 8:23 AM EDT • Health • forbes.com
Treasury intercepts nearly $99M in federal payments to deceased individuals under Trump fraud order

A new Treasury fraud verification system screened 885 million transactions worth $2.77 trillion, catching over 4,900 improper payments to deceased recipients.

foxbusiness.com logo
Jul 21 • 8:20 AM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com
Health officials urge food safety as cyclosporiasis cases rise in North Carolina

Cyclosporiasis, a parasitic illness that can cause diarrhea, vomiting and other symptoms, is rising across North Carolina and the U.S., health officials say.

cleveland19.com logo
Jul 21 • 8:16 AM EDT • Health • cleveland19.com
Survey of business and tech leaders reveals persistent gap between corporate AI adoption and workforce readiness

/PRNewswire/ -- A large majority of workers use artificial intelligence (AI) tools regularly, but few consider themselves highly familiar with the technology,...

prnewswire.com logo
Jul 21 • 8:16 AM EDT • Business • prnewswire.com
Football Prediction Splits Into Four Distinct Business Models

A new 2x2 of the football prediction market shows four well-capitalized categories fighting over money on the outcome, and one mostly empty quadrant where a newly launched app currently stands alone.

forbes.com logo
Jul 21 • 8:12 AM EDT • Business • forbes.com
Lilly’s $2.8 Billion Bet on Psychedelics Buys Science That Conventional Trial Infrastructure May Not Be Able to Run

Eli Lilly acquires AtaiBeckley for $2.8B, but the FDA's final psychedelic trial guidance reveals an operational crisis Big Pharma hasn't priced in.

clinicaltrialvanguard.com logo
Jul 21 • 8:04 AM EDT • Science • clinicaltrialvanguard.com
Munson Army Health Center Open House: Discover Your Medical Home at Fort Leavenworth

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas -- Whether you're new to Fort Leavenworth or have been part of our community for years, we invite you to join us for the Munson Army Health Center Open House, Wednesday, Aug. 12. Stop by anytime from 1 to 3 p.m. to meet the healthcare professionals who support Soldiers, families, retirees and other eligible beneficiaries. Learn about the many services available to help you stay healthy, mission ready and informed.

dvidshub.net logo
Jul 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • dvidshub.net
Behind the Science: Can IL-6 Improve Cardiovascular Risk Assessment? Findings From the CCC Study

Discover the socio-demographic impacts on cardiovascular mortality in our JACC webinar. Join experts as they share insights and strategies for better heart health.

jacc.org logo
Jul 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • jacc.org
9 Vitamins and Supplements That May Support Brain Health

Certain vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats benefit brain health by supporting nerve function, protecting brain cells from damage, and improving focus.

health.com logo
Jul 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • health.com
Future Healthcare Professionals Explore Careers at Health Careers Institute

Illinois high school students learn alongside MWU student mentors on the Downers Grove Campus

midwestern.edu logo
Jul 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Health • midwestern.edu
China’s Chang’e-6 reveals why solar wind hits the Moon’s two sides differently

China’s Chang’e-6 samples have uncovered a surprising difference between the Moon’s two hemispheres. Solar wind particles penetrated deeper into the far-side soil because Earth’s magnetosphere slows the particles that reach the near side. Noble gases locked inside the lunar regolith preserved evidence of this uneven bombardment. These gases may even help scientists reconstruct the ancient history of Earth’s magnetic shield.

sciencedaily.com logo
Jul 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com
The Business Asset Most Founders Overlook Until They Try To Sell Their Companies

When they’re ready to sell, founders sometimes realize that they’ve forgotten to prioritize the business asset that matters most to many buyers.

forbes.com logo
Jul 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Business • forbes.com
Thanks to BookTok, business is booming for some North Texas independent bookstores

Some fear America is experiencing a literacy crisis, but business has been so good at Talking Animals Books in Grapevine that they opened a second location.

keranews.org logo
Jul 21 • 7:15 AM EDT • Business • keranews.org
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (17%)
ahah
50%
angry
50%
From Bernie to Mamdani, how the Occupy movement transformed American politics

Yotam Moram, who helped lead Occupy Wall Street, discusses why power must be built through movements, not simply through elected officials

theguardian.com logo
Jul 21 • 7:00 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
Penn State Health hospitals nationally recognized for commitment to excellence in cardiovascular and stroke care

Penn State Health’s hospitals have been recognized by the American Heart Association for excellence in heart disease and stroke treatment. The awards honor sustained adherence to research-based…

pennstatehealthnews.org logo
Jul 21 • 7:00 AM EDT • Health • pennstatehealthnews.org
Penn State Health nationally recognized for cardiovascular, stroke care

Penn State Health’s hospitals have been recognized by the American Heart Association for excellence in heart disease and stroke treatment. The awards honor sustained adherence to research-based guidelines that improve patient care and outcomes.

psu.edu logo
Jul 21 • 7:00 AM EDT • Health • psu.edu
Health officials believe source of deadly NYC Legionnaires' outbreak has been eliminated
cbsnews.com logo
Jul 21 • 6:43 AM EDT • Health • cbsnews.com
High-Signal Publisher
Canada ready to ‘intensify’ trade talks as Trump orders new tariffs

PM Mark Carney says Canada has made proposals to resolve dispute as tariffs are due to be imposed on wide range of goods

theguardian.com logo
Jul 21 • 6:37 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com
Advancing next-gen AI with materials science innovation

As artificial intelligence pushes semiconductors and data centers to new physical limits, advances in materials science are becoming essential to sustaining the pace of innovation.

technologyreview.com logo
Jul 21 • 6:37 AM EDT • Science • technologyreview.com
Mercedes reveals ultra-luxe SUV and U.S. studio for custom vehicles

The automaker pulled the wraps off a 2027 Mercedes-Maybach GLS and introduced American customers to its Manufaktur customization program.

freep.com logo
Jul 21 • 6:06 AM EDT • Technology • freep.com
Have US-Ukraine Relations Returned to Square One?

The growing aversion towards Russia, particularly in Washington and other NATO capitals, is set to increase exponentially.

politicstoday.org logo
Jul 21 • 5:35 AM EDT • Politics • politicstoday.org
Four deaths reported in New York City Legionnaires’ disease cluster

A fourth person has died in connection with a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease cases in New York City, city officials said.

wbaltv.com logo
Jul 21 • 5:09 AM EDT • Health • wbaltv.com
😐 Neutral (4%)
wow
73%
sad
27%
Private investment in youth sports draws state, federal scrutiny

Courtney Hamby and her husband spend close to $6,000 per year for their daughter Ellie’s cheer and tumbling classes, competition fees and uniforms. That doesn’t include their travel expenses for multiple out-of-town competitions, including hotel rooms, gas, meals, and sometimes even flights. “This should be something that everyone gets to play, and it shouldn’t be […]

stateline.org logo
Jul 21 • 5:00 AM EDT • Sports • stateline.org
Making nutritious meals for older relatives can be hard. Follow this guide.

These simple steps lead to healthier meals.

washingtonpost.com logo
Jul 21 • 5:00 AM EDT • Health • washingtonpost.com
Locals continue to enjoy Curve entertainment

Even though the stadium is in Altoona, Bedford folks just can’t resist making the trip to watch the Curve team play baseball.

bedfordgazette.com logo
Jul 21 • 5:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • bedfordgazette.com
Health officials share tips as wildfire smoke affects Central Oregon

Wildfire smoke is affecting air quality in Central Oregon and may pose health risks to the public. Public health officials from Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties are encouraging residents and vi

deschutescounty.gov logo
Jul 21 • 4:48 AM EDT • Health • deschutescounty.gov
Vermont Passes Chatbot Mental Health Law That Raises Questions About Therapists Rubber-Stamping AI Advice

Vermont passed a new law on AI and mental health. One aspect to note is whether therapists will rubber-stamp AI. An AI Insider analysis and scoop.

forbes.com logo
Jul 21 • 3:15 AM EDT • Health • forbes.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (4%)
wow
58%
ahah
42%
Cyclosporiasis: the science, risks and red flags

What’s small, round and could give you explosive diarrhea? Cyclospora parasites. The diarrheal disease they cause is wreaking havoc on thousands this summer in what is the largest known flare up in the U.S. ever. What’s causing it and what can we do about it? NPR’s Joseph Kim joins host Nate Rott to talk about the outbreak – and how to protect yourself and your loved ones.Read more of Joseph’s reporting on cyclosporiasis here. Interested in more science in the news? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. It includes perks like bonus episodes, early access, archive access, curated playlists and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.

npr.org logo
Jul 21 • 3:00 AM EDT • Science • npr.org
High-Signal Publisher
😐 Neutral (16%)
ahah
50%
love
50%
J.J. McCarthy Receives Strong Take Amid Vikings QB Competition

The Minnesota Vikings will use a QB competition between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray to determine their starter for the 2026 NFL season. Nonetheless, even with the competition ongoing, many expect Murray to emerge victorious.Murray is looking to show that he’s still a starting QB despite the Arizona Cardinals cutting ties with him this offseason. […] The post J.J. McCarthy Receives Strong Take Amid Vikings QB Competition appeared first on HEAVY.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Jul 21 • 12:42 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (16%)
love
67%
ahah
33%
Vikings Expected to Release Injury-Riddled TE

The Minnesota Vikings have an interesting situation brewing in their tight end room.The Vikings made some alterations to the contract of starting tight end T.J. Hockenson. The altered deal lowered his $21.3 million cap hit to $16.3 million. This $5 million cap savings also came with a change to the end of the existing contract. […] The post Vikings Expected to Release Injury-Riddled TE appeared first on HEAVY.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Jul 21 • 12:27 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Dimitri de Vreeze helped build DSM’s materials business. Then he had to sell it

After more than three decades at science-based firm DSM, Dimitri de Vreeze faced what he calls the hardest decision of his career: selling the materials business where he had grown up professionally. In this episode of "Executive Decisions," the DSM-Firmenich CEO reflects on why the decision made strategic sense, even as it felt deeply personal, and how it shaped his view that success is not a finish line.

cnbc.com logo
Jul 21 • 12:00 AM EDT • Business • cnbc.com
Hospital food gets a healthy makeover from celeb chef: 'Food is medicine'

After three years of rethinking hospital meals, Michelin star chef Geoffrey Zakarian is swapping boxed shakes, seed oils and sugar for fresh comfort food, smoothies and protein-rich dishes built around the idea that food can help with healing.

foxnews.com logo
Jul 20 • 11:41 PM EDT • Health • foxnews.com
Oxford nominated for USA Today’s ‘Best College Sports Town’

The home of Ole Miss is getting national recognition after being nominated as one of the country’s “Best College Sports Towns.”

actionnews5.com logo
Jul 20 • 11:03 PM EDT • Sports • actionnews5.com
🙂 Positive (53%)
love
50%
wow
50%
Motorola tablet with 9 JBL speakers confirmed to feature 12.1-inch display

The Moto Pad 70 Groove is set to launch in India. Previously, the company revealed its design and confirmed that it will feature a nine-speaker JBL audio system. Now, the latest teaser reveals details about the tablet’s display and battery.

notebookcheck.net logo
Jul 20 • 10:58 PM EDT • Technology • notebookcheck.net
First measles case in more than 10 years confirmed in Delaware, health officials say
cbsnews.com logo
Jul 20 • 9:50 PM EDT • Health • cbsnews.com
High-Signal Publisher
Why Hybrid Healthcare Is a Business Imperative for Employers in Nevada

The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement.

thenevadaindependent.com logo
Jul 20 • 9:04 PM EDT • Health • thenevadaindependent.com
Why Hybrid Healthcare Is a Business Imperative for Employers in Nevada

The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement.

thenevadaindependent.com logo
Jul 20 • 9:04 PM EDT • Business • thenevadaindependent.com
Accel Entertainment expands Nevada c-store gaming footprint

Deal adds some 600 electronic gaming terminals to its Southern Nevada network.

mobilityplaza.org logo
Jul 20 • 8:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • mobilityplaza.org
Testimony to the US Senate Subcommittee on Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness on Science, Standards, and Strategic Competition

The utopian vision of globally integrated, democratic, free-market economies working together in harmony has not materialized. Meanwhile, the belief that China could not innovate—and that America would continue to lead in advanced technologies—also has proven to be false. These new realities require bold reforms in the U.S. research system.

itif.org logo
Jul 20 • 8:00 PM EDT • Science • itif.org
Experts agree at landmark event that simulation should be built into health system

On 15 June 2026, over 80 representatives from simulation societies, ministries of health, hospitals, universities, international organizations, professional associations and industry partners met at the WHO Academy in Lyon for a joint event of WHO and the Society for Simulation in Europe (SESAM). Together they tackled a pressing question: how can simulation move from isolated initiatives to systematic integration within health systems? The consensus was clear: simulation is no longer a niche educational tool. Beyond training, it strengthens health systems by improving quality of care, patient safety, workforce preparedness, team performance and organizational resilience.Participants agreed the evidence for simulation’s value no longer needs to be demonstrated, but that implementation remains fragmented and too often dependent on individual local champions. Bridging that gap, they said, means both generating further evidence and raising awareness among decision-makers.Discussions pointed to a shared path forward. To achieve scale and lasting impact, simulation must be embedded in national policies, workforce development plans, education systems and financing mechanisms. No institution can do this alone; stronger collaboration between governments, health institutions, academia, professional societies, international organizations and industry partners will be essential.“At the WHO Academy, we see simulation not simply as a training methodology but as a strategic tool for capacity-building, workforce readiness and stronger health systems,” said Dr Bart Janssens, Unit Head, Health Learning and Capacity Building. “This event is not only about discussion; it is about moving from ideas to action.”As health systems worldwide face workforce shortages, growing complexity of care and rapidly evolving competency needs, participants concluded that the question is no longer “Why simulation?” but rather how to scale it, how to sustain it, and how to ensure it becomes an integral part of stronger health systems.Looking aheadThe event marked the beginning of a collaborative effort rather than the end of a conversation. Over the coming weeks, WHO and SESAM will consolidate the discussions, recommendations and priorities that emerged, with a joint WHO–SESAM report to be published soon.

who.int logo
Jul 20 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • who.int
WHO marks 25 years of Research4Life, advancing access to scientific knowledge in more than 120 countries

The World Health Organization (WHO) today marks the 25th anniversary of Research4Life, a public-private partnership that provides researchers, educators, health professionals and policy-makers in low- and middle-income countries with affordable or free access to scientific knowledge.

who.int logo
Jul 20 • 8:00 PM EDT • Health • who.int
How Cascade Plans To Help Constructors Win New Business Worth Millions

London-based startup Cascade has raised $3.5 million of new funding for a platform that promises to connect construction firms with valuable new business opportunities

forbes.com logo
Jul 20 • 8:00 PM EDT • Business • forbes.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (13%)
wow
40%
love
38%
ahah
22%
UFC Freedom 250 Fails to Knock Out The Ratings

(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) If UFC fans wanted one image to say, “Hey, Paramount+ is crushing it with their UFC rights deal,” I could provide that image. Here it is: (Reminder: this is my creation of the Nielsen Top 30, since Nielsen doesn’t combine the lists or include sports. I take all three lists and combine them. Some streaming TV shows probably have higher ratings than many of the films on this list.) Look at that! UFC Freedom 250 is number one! It topped the Nielsen “Top 30” list for shows and films that made the top ten the week of 15-June. So if you’re a UFC fan or supporter of Paramount+, that’s the good news for you this week. This program topped the ratings charts for one week. Everything else is bad news, or at least a huge caveat to that story, which I’ll explain today in the first part of this week’s Streaming Ratings Report—for the weeks of 8-June and 15-June—which is a double issue since I’ve been writing on a bunch of topics recently. UFC Freedom 250 is one of the biggest streaming events of the year, and super relevant to Paramount+’s strategy, so it merited its own article. Let’s dive in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of June 8th to June 21st 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Check Out My Interview on UFC 250 at MMA Draw After you read this article, if you want even more thoughts on UFC and Paramount-Skydance/Paramount+, I did a written interview with MMA Draw. They asked me to answer some questions about UFC Freedom 250, and I was happy to chat with them. Find it here: [ The MMA Draw Newsletter Did Paramount really overpay for the UFC? What the data tells us so far If you know the history of American television, you also know that combat sports is often a leading indicator of the future… Read more a day ago · 10 likes · 1 comment · Nate Wilcox and Zach Arnold ](https://www.themmadraw.com/p/did-paramount-really-overpay-for?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web) I never thought I’d need a combat sports newsletter in my life, but the good folks at MMA Draw publish an excellent one on UFC, MMA, pro wrestling, boxing and more, analyzing both the sports themselves and the politics, economics and antitrust issues that impact them. Check the article and their newsletter out! Paramount+ Has Its Best Sporting Event of All Time…But Was It Worth It? Before we look at the UFC Freedom 250 data in particular, let’s talk about what we can’t say. Namely, let’s start with the lack of comparisons. First off, I’d love to put a chart out comparing this fight to past UFC fights on Paramount+…but we don’t have the data. This is the first time we’ve gotten Nielsen data about a Paramount+ UFC fight. As far as I can tell, Paramount provided data for the first fight, but it was a proprietary datecdote (saying it had “an average minute audience” of 5 million “views”) and then, for two fights, we got the linear viewership numbers when they aired on CBS, but no streaming data. Everything else was crickets. We also can’t compare this fight to other fights/combat sports on streaming, in particular the MMA and boxing, because Netflix also didn’t use Nielsen to track those events, opting for TVision and VideoAmp, respectively. (This isn’t Paramount’s fault, but does still suck.) We also can’t compare to UFC’s fights that used to be on ESPN+, since we don’t have any data for that, plus Disney+ didn’t have marquee fights. The comparisons would not be apples-to-apples. Can we compare to past Pay-Per-View fights? Absolutely not. The comparisons would absolutely NOT be apples-to-apples. That didn’t stop Paramount+, though, who bragged that their UFC events have reached drastically more people than past PPV fights. Duh. Sorry, but I gotta make this point again. A basic tenet of economics is that the cheaper something becomes, the more people consume or buy it. That’s Econ 101. (Sometimes pundits call things “Econ 101” that are actually like Econ 210 or even PhD-level economics, but no, this is really like first or second class basic economics.) Yet I still see one analytics firm consistently say that more people watch films on streaming than PVOD proves streaming which means that the streaming window is more valuable than the PVOD window. No, it’s not! Same thing here. Pay-Per-View events back in the day could be really, really, really expensive! So whole groups of people pitched in to buy them. That increased the perceived value of, say, the Mike Tyson fight. Or a UFC numbered event. So yes, the fact that Paramount+ makes numbered UFC fights essentially “free” if you’re already a Paramount+ member means consumption will go up. Obviously. Same for Netflix and their boxing matches. They’re talking about fights that used to cost consumers, in some cases, $50 in 1996…which is over $100 in today’s dollars. Over 1.6 million people paid that to watch the Tyson-Holyfield fight! Again, streaming is essentially “free”. Or $10 to $20, depending on what streamer we’re talking about and what tier you’re on. No wonder more people are “watching”. (Plus, Nielsen’s out-of-home viewing also helps these numbers.) UFC Freedom 250 Did Well…But I Have A Lot of Worries So what can we compare the fights to? Well, the good news is Nielsen put out that the fight averaged 7.0 million viewers for UFC Freedom 250, which is a solid number for a fight. We also know the length, at roughly 4 and a half hours. (I saw different run times, but this seems to be the consensus considering it started at 8 pm, had a delay and then finished after midnight on the East Coast. If you assume a shorter run time, then yes, the total hours viewed would go down.) That means I have the two numbers needed to add this to my Nielsen database. And then…I can compare this viewership to the NFL: And, uh, not great. But also within striking distance, mainly because the runtime for this event was so long. I’d also add that this event had viewership equal to a regular season NFL game on streaming, but if anything, it was more comparable to an NFL playoff or Super Bowl-esque event. And you can compare viewership to the top football games on broadcast, cable and streaming, and it’s not impressive at all: We can also compare it to other sports that week, including the NBA Finals and start of the World Cup: Again, not great. The NBA generated roughly four times as many average viewers each game for its NBA Finals. The World Cup has similarly big numbers. Also, that’s just a tiny fraction of the 25 most watched sporting events each week. The NBA, NHL and FIFA World Cup had many, many more games racking up hours. We could also compare this to other streaming programs to get an idea of “is this a good investment?” and here is how it ranks compared to other top Paramount+ programs: The worry here? Well, unlike scripted programming, which has rewatchability, older fights/sporting events have very little library value. Very, very few people are rewatching these fights, especially years from now. Paramount has also released datecdotes bragging about their subscriber numbers. Earlier this year, they claimed that the first UFC fight on Paramount+ brought in 1 million subscribers. Then, in their quarterly earnings report, they only ended up with 700K subs. Not great! They claimed they dropped lower-value international subscribers, but that’s why I tend to discount subscriber additions when they’re leaked to the press.1 I expect we may see a bump again for UFC Freedom 250, but I’d caution using subscriber growth so soon after these events to judge the success, since new subs with high churn (see Peacock) aren’t great either. Also, analysts often want to attribute all subscriber growth to their favorite/pet show, and that just doesn’t make sense. The biggest caveat for UFC Freedom 250 and Paramount’s very first UFC marquee event is that these could be high watermarks for the sport. UFC Freedom 250 had an incredible amount of earned media coverage compared to most UFC fights. I mean, it had wall-to-wall national news coverage in the lead up to the event. (The first fight also had a lot of promotion from Paramount since it was first.) Other fights could reach this bar—say the Conor McGregor return to the Octagon—but they’ll be fewer and far between. Was This Deal Worth It? All to ask: is this Paramount deal worth it? In this case, I think the UFC Freedom 250 numbers are more distracting than helpful. This fight did well and compares well to other top sporting events. But we know that the first marquee event was at least a third smaller, if Paramount’s own data is to be believed. And it’s likely the other fights are much, much, much smaller. And then you get to the paycheck that Paramount-Skydance paid. FIFA’s World Cup cost about the same for Fox, but clearly generated multiples more total viewership. (Though it’s only every four years.) The NBA is much more expensive, but until the playoffs, they likely didn’t pay for itself. Even still, Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video likely overpaid. So, in that context, the NBA may be an overpay that makes the UFC look not so bad. But two overpays don’t make an underpay, to paraphrase the old cliché about wrongs and rights. And looking at UFC Freedom 250 as the likely ceiling of MMA on Paramount+, Paramount-Skydance likely paid too much. Share 1 I would love regular reports on subscriber additions by programs, but as is, it’s mostly leaked or rumored in haphazard ways.

entertainment.substack.com logo
Jul 20 • 6:48 PM EDT • Entertainment • entertainment.substack.com
New York Yankees Announce Anthony Volpe Decision Before Pirates Series

On Monday night, the New York Yankees will open up a series with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Bronx.They are coming off a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday night (also at home).Anthony Volpe finished with one walk and one strikeout.New York Yankees Announce Anthony Volpe DecisionFor Monday’s game, the Yankees have […] The post New York Yankees Announce Anthony Volpe Decision Before Pirates Series appeared first on HEAVY.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Jul 20 • 6:46 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Federal health officials have investigated 5 different clusters of cyclosporiasis cases, FDA says

Federal health officials have been investigating five different clusters of cyclosporiasis cases since the start of parasite season in May, the FDA said on Monday.

abc7ny.com logo
Jul 20 • 6:46 PM EDT • Health • abc7ny.com
Federal health officials have investigated 5 different clusters of cyclosporiasis cases, FDA says

Federal health officials have been investigating five different clusters of cyclosporiasis cases since the start of parasite season in May, the FDA said on Monday.

6abc.com logo
Jul 20 • 6:46 PM EDT • Health • 6abc.com
😐 Neutral (14%)
wow
100%
Royals vs Giants July 20 Live Discussion

The AL Central basement-dwelling Royals have a chance to get some wins against a similarly-bad team.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Jul 20 • 6:40 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Oregon Coast CC is fixing its aquarium science building, but first it had to find homes for 150 creatures

Oregon Coast Community College’s Aquarium Science building is undergoing a $2.3 million renovation, so some 150 animals had to be moved to the Hatfield Marine Science Center and Oregon Coast Aquarium.

klcc.org logo
Jul 20 • 6:28 PM EDT • Science • klcc.org
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (22%)
wow
65%
love
35%
Darline Graham’s Political Views Largely Unknown As She Launches Senate Campaign

Lindsey Graham became his sister’s legal guardian after their parents died when she was 13.

forbes.com logo
Jul 20 • 6:20 PM EDT • Politics • forbes.com
Tick bites, lyme disease on the rise, says health officials
cbsnews.com logo
Jul 20 • 6:14 PM EDT • Health • cbsnews.com
Deep dive High-Signal Publisher
😐 Neutral (16%)
wow
60%
angry
40%
Garmin CIRQA leaks in four colors with outdated sensor

Shortly before the launch of the Garmin CIRQA, leaked images reveal not only the design but also all four colors and even the sensor module. Garmin appears to be using a slightly older sensor to keep costs down.

notebookcheck.net logo
Jul 20 • 6:00 PM EDT • Technology • notebookcheck.net
Kentucky Wildcats starting QB reveals what led him to Lexington

The Kentucky Wildcats were able to nab Kenny Minchey as their starting quarterback heading partially because of Will Stein's coaching group.

sports.yahoo.com logo
Jul 20 • 5:56 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
iPhone 18 Pro Release Date: Apple’s 15-Year Event Timeline Signals Exact Date

As rumors build, analysis of every fall iPhone release indicates one date above other possibilities.

forbes.com logo
Jul 20 • 5:55 PM EDT • Technology • forbes.com
White House rushes to further secure Trump’s new Air Force One — but he plans to keep flying it domestically

The White House is working to quickly upgrade the Qatari-donated jet that has newly started serving as Air Force One, a development that comes after administration officials internally discussed the need for President Donald Trump to avoid flying it in high-threat areas, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

cnn.com logo
Jul 20 • 5:41 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com
Deep dive
😐 Neutral (10%)
wow
54%
ahah
46%
Cardinal Health to buy AdaptHealth diabetes unit, Strive Medical for $360 million

Cardinal Health said on Monday it has agreed to buy AdaptHealth's diabetes health business and ​medical supply provider Strive Medical in separate deals ‌for about $360 million in total, expanding its home care business.

reuters.com logo
Jul 20 • 5:23 PM EDT • Health • reuters.com
Snapseed Camera adds geotags & saving originals on Android

Another update for the Snapseed Camera on Android this month introduces location metadata and support for saving the original image.

9to5google.com logo
Jul 20 • 5:16 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5google.com
LSU cancels home-and-home series with ASU

According to multiple reports, the cancellation was mutually agreed to. LSU will also not have to pay a cancellation fee to ASU.

arizonasports.com logo
Jul 20 • 5:03 PM EDT • Sports • arizonasports.com
Trump Attacks National Academies Over Climate Chapter in Judges’ Manual

The president joined Republican officials who slammed the National Academies of Sciences for a chapter about climate science in an educational guide for judges.

nytimes.com logo
Jul 20 • 4:55 PM EDT • Science • nytimes.com
Samsung is betting big that you’ll want the wide Galaxy Z Fold 8, report details

A new report reveals Samsung’s plans for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series and the Galaxy Z Flip 8, with...

9to5google.com logo
Jul 20 • 4:55 PM EDT • Technology • 9to5google.com
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer bans private equity purchases of hospitals, signs bills to improve health care access, affordabilit

Senate Majority Leader Bryan Townsend says his legislation phases in price caps on hospitals and strengthens primary care access.

whyy.org logo
Jul 20 • 4:47 PM EDT • Health • whyy.org
Alabama health officials report 28 cases of Cyclospora amid national outbreak

The Alabama Department of Public Health has reported 28 confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis in the state as of July 20, as part of an ongoing national outbreak.

wbrc.com logo
Jul 20 • 4:29 PM EDT • Health • wbrc.com
FDA is still focused on lettuce supplier as source of parasite, despite faulty test result

Federal health officials said Monday they remain focused on lettuce from Taylor Farms as the source of a multistate outbreak of a diarrhea-causing parasite, despite inaccurate test results that the government briefly publicized over the weekend.

pbs.org logo
Jul 20 • 4:18 PM EDT • Health • pbs.org
🙂 Positive (35%)
The bacteria behind gum disease may also harm your heart valves, early research suggests

A bacterium linked to gum disease may contribute to heart valve disease by setting off inflammation that can lead to calcium buildup.

livescience.com logo
Jul 20 • 4:15 PM EDT • Health • livescience.com
Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Taylor’s Maid-Rite

Read the release on Sen. Ernst's website HERE. Throughout this Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties. RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Taylor's Maid-Rite of Marshall County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa's 99 counties. "Taylor's Maid-Rite has truly maid their mark as a cornerstone of Marshalltown's business community," said Chair Ernst. "For nearly a century, this shop has served generations of Iowans with a signature burger made fresh every day. This 'Maid in Iowa' success story has proven that consistency, quality, and genuine customer care are the recipe for lasting success." Founded in the heart of Marshalltown, Taylor's Maid-Rite has remained a family-owned business for nearly a century and is now entering its fourth generation of Taylor family ownership. Best known for its signature Maid-Rite sandwich, the restaurant also serves classic American diner favorites, including malts, pies, fries, and sodas. Throughout its history, Taylor's Maid-Rite has remained committed to fresh ingredients, personalized service, and strong community involvement. Stay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award. ###

sbc.senate.gov logo
Jul 20 • 4:10 PM EDT • Business • sbc.senate.gov
Federal health officials have investigated 5 different clusters of cyclosporiasis cases, FDA says

Federal health officials have been investigating five different clusters of cyclosporiasis cases since the start of parasite season in May, the FDA said on Monday.

abcnews.com logo
Jul 20 • 4:09 PM EDT • Health • abcnews.com
Heartflow launches new AI-powered staging tool for coronary plaque assessments

In addition to launching Heartflow Plaque Staging, the company also shared new data at SCCT2026 highlighting the importance of using total plaque volume assessments to diagnose and manage heart patients.

cardiovascularbusiness.com logo
Jul 20 • 3:20 PM EDT • Business • cardiovascularbusiness.com
Texas football’s new indoor practice facility near completion

Texas football has a lot to look forward to. Not only does the program have one to two additional years of Arch Manning working under center, head coach Steve Sarkisian is also locked in for the long-haul thanks to a contract that likely keeps him at Texas until at least 2031. And for the next […]

sports.yahoo.com logo
Jul 20 • 2:59 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com
Officials sought phone records of NYT journalists and their relatives

The reporters wrote about Trump's Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet

spectrumlocalnews.com logo
Jul 20 • 2:47 PM EDT • Politics • spectrumlocalnews.com
VHC Health’s plans for S. Carlin Springs facility face questions from local residents

Future neighbors of a planned behavioral-health and rehabilitation compound on S. Carlin Springs Road are pressing for more details about management and oversight. Representatives of VHC Health and Lifepoint Behavioral Health met with local residents during a July 16 meeting convened by the Glencarlyn Civic Association to discuss the proposed 146-bed facility. Under the plan moving

arlnow.com logo
Jul 20 • 2:45 PM EDT • Health • arlnow.com
FDA says it’s still investigating Taylor Farms in cyclosporiasis outbreak

A false-positive test result doesn’t change the “overwhelming epidemiological data” linking Taylor Farms to the outbreak, the FDA said.

nbcnews.com logo
Jul 20 • 1:55 PM EDT • Health • nbcnews.com
High-Signal Publisher
Why The Widening Gender Pay Gap Is Becoming A Business Risk

The gender pay gap widened two years in a row for the first time ever. Here's why it's a business risk and what HR leaders should do about it now.

forbes.com logo
Jul 20 • 1:32 PM EDT • Business • forbes.com
😐 Neutral (10%)
ahah
58%
wow
42%
Wheeling Athletics Set to Host 2nd Annual Fall Sports Media Day July 27th

Wheeling, W. Va. - With the 2026-2027 season right around the corner, the Wheeling University Athletic Department is making its final preparations for fall camp. On Monday, July 27, each of the department's fall sport head coaches will take the podium for the second annual Fall Sports Media Day. Each coach will give a season preview as fans get ready to cheer on the Cardinals in 2026-2027.

wucardinals.com logo
Jul 20 • 1:24 PM EDT • Sports • wucardinals.com
Amendment 63: New Opportunity: A.14 Atmosphere

The Atmosphere research program is soliciting proposals for data analysis and modeling of NASA supported airborne campaign data. NASA’s Earth Science Division

science.nasa.gov logo
Jul 20 • 12:58 PM EDT • Science • science.nasa.gov
The Self-Driving Company Is AI’s Next Business Model.

To understand future AI-native firms, businesses must study companies already operating themselves, just as military strategists learn from Ukraine's drone warfare.

forbes.com logo
Jul 20 • 12:53 PM EDT • Business • forbes.com
DOH-Charlotte Expands Clinical Services to Include School and Sport Physicals and EKGs - Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County

The Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County is expanding its clinical services to include school and sport physicals and electrocardiograms (EKGs).

charlotte.floridahealth.gov logo
Jul 20 • 12:28 PM EDT • Health • charlotte.floridahealth.gov
Southern Nevada health officials report first local cyclosporiasis case linked to outbreak

Las Vegas health officials report cyclosporiasis case in Clark County tied to travel; no evidence of local exposure as CDC investigates outbreak.

fox5vegas.com logo
Jul 20 • 12:25 PM EDT • Health • fox5vegas.com
This Is Where A Year Of Health Care Costs Less Than A Month In The US

This American moved to Spain and now saves thousands in health care, enjoys a lower cost of living, made new friends, bought property, and lives a fulfilling life abroad

forbes.com logo
Jul 20 • 12:03 PM EDT • Health • forbes.com
AMC Entertainment (AMC) Q2 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

The headline numbers for AMC Entertainment (AMC) give insight into how the company performed in the quarter ended June 2026, but it may be worthwhile to compare some of its key metrics to Wall Street estimates and the year-ago actuals.

finance.yahoo.com logo
Jul 20 • 11:30 AM EDT • Entertainment • finance.yahoo.com
Wooly Mammoth startup Colossal seeking at least $20B valuation

Its research could be foundational in pharmaceuticals, climate change reversal, and longevity.

axios.com logo
Jul 20 • 11:29 AM EDT • Technology • axios.com
High-Signal Publisher
This Week: Muni 1 Bus Improvements, Car Free Happy Hour, SF Politics 101

Here is a list of events this week. Tuesday Park Presidio and California Evening Pop-Up. This SFMTA project aims to improve the Muni 1 California bus route from 33rd Avenue to Steiner Street. Come learn about it. Tuesday, July 21, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Corner of Park Presidio and California, S.F. Tuesday East Bay Car Free Happy Hour. Whether you’re car free, car light, car free curious, or just want to hang out with fun people and have nerdy urbanist conversations, everyone is welcome. Tuesday, July 21, 5:30-7 p.m., Drake’s Dealership, 2325 Broadway, Oakland. Wednesday SF Politics 101 with Joel Engardio. ​SF Politics 101 is an entertaining look at how local politics work and the history that shaped San Francisco — brought to life with visuals and narrative storytelling. Wednesday, July 22, 6-7:15 p.m., SPUR Urban Center, 654 Mission Street, S.F. Friday Woman and Non-Binary Morning Ride. Join the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition for a socially distanced bike ride for women and nonbinary cyclists. Friday, July 24, 7:15-8:45 a.m., McLaren Lodge, 501 Stanyan Street, S.F. Saturday Smart City Cycling 3 — Road Practice. In this class, you’ll go on a guided group ride to practice street-riding skills on increasingly high-volume streets. This class is the third in the Smart City Cycling sequence, and Smart City Cycling 2: Maneuvering is a prerequisite. Saturday, July 25, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Arguello Extension, Arguello Blvd and Lincoln Way, S.F. Sunday Adult & Teen Learn-to-Ride Workshop. This three-hour workshop is for adults and teens who have not yet learned to ride a bike or would like a refresher on the basics of balancing, pedaling, and steering. Sunday, July 26, Alameda Waterfront Park, 2151 Ferry Point, Alameda. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.

sf.streetsblog.org logo
Jul 20 • 11:09 AM EDT • Politics • sf.streetsblog.org
Where science meets the shoreline, Iowa Lakeside Laboratory builds for the future

Construction is underway on a new Innovation and Discovery Lab at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory that will expand hands-on learning for students of all ages. The new space will also support research to better understand and protect the water quality of the Iowa Great Lakes.

iowapublicradio.org logo
Jul 20 • 10:48 AM EDT • Science • iowapublicradio.org
NOC Brings Marine Science and Ocean Innovation to UK Parliament

The NOC hosted a Westminster drop-in event bringing together MPs, ministers, and government officials to explore how marine science and ocean innovation can advance the UK's renewable energy goals, coastal resilience, and national security.

ecomagazine.com logo
Jul 20 • 10:45 AM EDT • Science • ecomagazine.com
Michigan cyclosporiasis outbreak tops 6,100 cases, health officials say
cbsnews.com logo
Jul 20 • 10:39 AM EDT • Health • cbsnews.com
High-Signal Publisher
The next step of site-neutral, and a fiery PBM hearing

Medicare proposes to reduce payments to hospitals for certain drugs and imaging services.

statnews.com logo
Jul 20 • 10:38 AM EDT • Health • statnews.com
Best Buy’s Black Friday in July Sale Has Kicked Off and Features Tons of LEGO Deals – Here Are Some of Our Favorite Sets on Sale Right Now

Best Buy's Black Friday in July Sale has officially kicked off and features a ton of great LEGO deals. We've gathered up some of our favorites so you can save big on a new set this summer.

ign.com logo
Jul 20 • 10:35 AM EDT • Technology • ign.com
California seeks feedback on psychiatric hospital staffing regulations

The California Department of Public Health will hold a stakeholder meeting July 23 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to gather feedback on emergency regulations establishing nurse-to-patient staffing standards for acute psychiatric hospitals. Here are three things to know: Read more about the questions for stakeholders here.

beckersbehavioralhealth.com logo
Jul 20 • 10:00 AM EDT • Health • beckersbehavioralhealth.com
Why do some people who trust in science also believe in scientific conspiracy theories?

Trust in science seems compatible with believing almost anything, so long as it is expressed in plausibly scientific terms.

theconversation.com logo
Jul 20 • 9:58 AM EDT • Science • theconversation.com
Rabid bat found near UW campus, King County Health warns

King County Public Health officials are warning people after a rabid bat was found on a busy sidewalk near the University of Washington campus.

mynorthwest.com logo
Jul 20 • 9:57 AM EDT • Health • mynorthwest.com
Syphilis infections a rising threat for Alaska newborns, health officials report

As adult cases of the sexually transmitted infection increase, 14 Alaska babies qwew born with syphilis in 2025, the most in recent years.

alaskabeacon.com logo
Jul 20 • 9:45 AM EDT • Health • alaskabeacon.com
Health insurers hedge on Trump-backed pledge to improve denials process

Patients, their advocates, and clinicians say little has improved.

minnesotareformer.com logo
Jul 20 • 9:32 AM EDT • Health • minnesotareformer.com
Shaky political "science": breakdown of the peer review process

[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 December 2025, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting (RCV). 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 four articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report; the second one analyzed 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; a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research; and a fourth article that analyzed seven studies sponsored by New America’s political reform program that deployed flawed methodology based on “simulated” elections instead of real-world elections, which when combined with some basic misunderstandings of RCV, produced odd and misleading results]. In this fifth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we examine two flawed studies on the impact of RCV on voter turnout authored by San Francisco State University professor Jason McDaniel. McDaniel’s research in these two papers stands out for its puzzling methodology, inadequate and cherry-picked data, and faulty analyses that not only misunderstands ranked choice voting but reflects a basic misunderstanding of politics in general. The first of the McDaniel studies actually passed through a peer review process and then was subsequently published by the Journal of Urban Affairs, despite its obvious errors. It is perplexing that a jury of peer political scientists did not catch the errors and send it back to McDaniel for a rewrite or outright rejection. This calls into question the credibility of the peer review process itself. The peer review process is supposed to represent the intellectual pinnacle of the profession – a way for academics to certify the quality of each other’s work, and to act as a check against sloppy research. In the case of the McDaniel study, the peer review process failed. Yet his flawed study has been cited dozens of times by other political scientists in their own flawed works — an unvirtuous circle of academic research. Here is the first Jason McDaniel study that we analyzed: “Writing the Rules to Rank the Candidates: Examining the Impact of Instant-Runoff Voting on Racial Group Turnout in San Francisco Mayoral Elections,” by Jason McDaniel, 2016, Journal of Urban Affairs. This study covered San Francisco’s use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in mayoral elections, purporting to show that RCV reduces voter turnout overall, increases voter errors, and has a negative impact on “marginal populations,” i.e. racial minorities, mainly as the result of the alleged complexity of RCV asking voters to rank candidates and having to be familiar with multiple candidates and related dynamics. McDaniel reached these conclusions by examining five San Francisco mayoral elections taking place in odd years (i.e. where there are no federal or state races on the ballot) from 1995 to 2011, comparing three earlier non-RCV races (in 1995, 1999 and 2003) with the later two RCV races (in 2007 and 2011). Only two RCV races were studied, and as McDaniel acknowledged, only the contest in 2011 was “competitive” (that contest in 2007 was the first mayoral election using RCV, and incumbent mayor Gavin Newsom won easily in the first round of counting, earning 74% of first choices and far ahead of the second place candidate who had just 6.3% of first choices). Yet even the allegedly competitive contest in 2011was won by an incumbent with a landslide margin of nearly 20 points. No other elections were studied by McDaniel, even though San Francisco elects 17 other offices besides mayor with RCV, including the 11 seats on the Board of Supervisors (the name for the city council) in even years, and six other citywide offices in odd years. Previous academic research has found that competitive elections can stimulate greater voter involvement and higher turnout. For unexplained reasons, this study ignored at least 34 other RCV races between the years 2004 to 2011, many of which were very competitive and had high voter turnout. Instead, McDaniel’s analysis based its conclusions on data from only a single, marginally-competitive mayor’s race using RCV. These 2007 and 2011 mayoral elections were the only two RCV elections that McDaniel used as the sole basis for his small data set to determine the impact of RCV on voter turnout. Despite having no meaningful data to inform his study, McDaniel nonetheless concluded that RCV lowered turnout when compared to the previous three mayoral non-RCV elections using two-round runoffs. Then, using the same inadequate database of San Francisco elections, McDaniel also found that “Instant-runoff voting is associated with a significant decline in Black voter turnout and White voter turnout…On average, Black voter turnout decreases by 18 points and White voter turnout decreases by 16 points …” But how could he credibly arrive at that conclusion when his study was based on voter turnout in two RCV contests that were not even remotely competitive? Beyond that, McDaniel tacitly admits that the key determining factor driving Black voter turnout was not RCV vs non-RCV elections, but the presence of a viable Black candidate. McDaniel wrote, “Black voter turnout was about 17 percentage points higher for the two elections that featured an African American candidate compared to the three elections that did not” — but one of those three elections did not use RCV. The same dynamic was present for White voter turnout, in which higher turnout was not correlated with RCV vs non-RCV elections, but the presence of a viable White candidate. Beyond that, McDaniel’s voter turnout results, whether correlated with the race of the candidates or RCV vs non-RCV elections, showed no clear patterns. In his Figure 1, he shows low Asian voter turnout in the non-RCV elections in 1999 and 2003 when there was no viable Asian candidate running, but in the 2007 mayoral election using RCV, there is still no viable Asian candidate, yet Asian turnout increases dramatically. For Latinos, voter turnout is virtually the same in 1999 (no viable Latino candidate, non-RCV elections), 2003 (leading Latino candidate, non-RCV elections), 2007 (no viable Latino candidate, RCV elections) and 2011 (leading Latino candidate, RCV elections). Meanwhile White voter turnout increased dramatically from a low in the 2007 mayoral election, in which the leading candidate was a white incumbent, to the 2011 election in which there were no leading white candidates that finished any higher than sixth place with 5.6% of the vote. Clearly other factors were determining voter turnout than either the race of the candidates or RCV vs non-RCV elections. Despite these inconsistent findings, McDaniel boldly marches forth to render conclusions about the impact of RCV on different groups of racial voters, even though his conclusions are not remotely supported by his data. This looks like the worst kind of “data cherry picking” to cover up a puzzling conclusion based on a poor data set involving only two RCV elections, neither of which were remotely competitive. McDaniel’s cherry picking didn’t stop there. In calculating voter turnout for the three non-RCV mayoral elections in 1995, 1999 and 2003, he failed to mention that in each of these years there was a two-round runoff election, with a first round election in November in which no candidate garnered a winning majority of the vote, followed by the decisive runoff in December. So there were two non-RCV elections in each election year. But McDaniel only decided to include one of the two elections in his data set, apparently the December runoff in each year (which had higher turnout in two out of the three mayor’s races, and lower turnout in the third). So he ignored the November 1995 election, the November 1999 election when turnout was only 45 percent, and the November 2003 election when turnout was only 45.7 percent. This is flawed methodology based on blatant cherry picking, since McDaniel simply omitted three elections worth of data that did not fit within his frame. His study should never have made it through a peer review process, and it is an embarrassment to political science that not only was it approved for publication, but it has been uncritically cited by dozens of other political scientists. Share A “study” without wider context or credible data Lacking a data set that included even a single competitive RCV mayoral race, McDaniel declared that RCV lowered voter turnout in 2011, when turnout was 42.5 percent. But he also ignored -- or did not realize -- that voter turnout in mayoral elections during 2011 had sharply declined in all big cities, including far more steeply in nearby Los Angeles and other cities. In fact, San Francisco’s election in 2011 had the second highest turnout of any mayoral election in the nation’s 22 largest cities from 2008-2011. Was 2011 just a particularly low turnout year all across the country, perhaps because the country was still reeling from the aftermath of the housing market collapse in 2008-2010? McDaniel ignored this factor and did not search for alternative explanations beyond his flawed thesis. Furthermore, while McDaniel suggested that RCV leads to more “overvotes” – which is an invalidated ballot in which a voter, in either a non-RCV or RCV race, makes a mistake and selects two candidates for a single choice – he failed to address that in the June 2012 US Senate primary contest, which used the typical “one-choice” plurality method and did not use RCV, there was more than five times as many overvotes in San Francisco and Oakland than in the RCV mayoral elections in those cities. Additionally, turnout had been significantly higher and more representative in RCV elections for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors races -- that McDaniel didn’t even bother to study -- as compared to previous “delayed two-round runoffs” for those offices, often higher by as much as 40% in the RCV races. Perhaps the most surprising irony was that an earlier study co-authored by McDaniel (Overvoting and the Equality of Voice under Instant-Runoff Voting in San Francisco by Francis Neely and Jason McDaniel, 2015, California Journal of Politics and Policy) found that overvotes are often more common in lower-income precincts, but that the pattern of overvoting is similar in both RCV and non-RCV contests. Wrote Neely and McDaniel: “[Overvote] errors appear to be a function of complexity in general and not IRV per se…. the pattern of overvoting is similar in both IRV and non-IRV contests…Even among votes cast in a top-of-the-ticket race like U.S. Senate, overvoting occurs in an uneven fashion” (IRV, or ‘instant runoff voting,’ is another name for ranked choice voting in single-winner contests). So McDaniel not only contradicted his own conclusion in his earlier study with Neely, but the earlier study had been an important corrective for one of the most frequently made mistakes made by anti-RCV political scientists – a continual failure to provide crucial context by pairing a comparative analysis of real world RCV elections with an analysis of real world plurality or other electoral methods. Unfortunately McDaniel’s earlier study does not get cited much by other researchers, and McDaniel did not even cite it in his own flawed study analyzed above. Incredibly, McDaniel cherrypicked McDaniel, even as his flawed study has been cited dozens of times. Despite being a textbook example of poor political “science,” featuring both inadequate as well as cherrypicked data, the shelf life of McDaniel’s study has been extended endlessly by other political scientists and media outlets who have cited it uncritically. Equally troubling, the Journal of Urban Affairs put this paper through its peer review process and published it despite its numerous flaws. McDaniel gets it wrong, Part II Not content with producing one shoddy, confused paper, McDaniel produced another one a few years later, here is the link: Electoral Rules and Voter Turnout in Mayoral Elections: An Analysis of Ranked-Choice Voting by Jason McDaniel. San Francisco State Univ. (McDaniel, 2019). In this paper, McDaniel extended his previous flawed research focused on San Francisco, about voter turnout and voter impact, to multiple RCV cities through the 2018 elections. In his data set he included San Francisco, Minneapolis, St Paul, Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro and Santa Fe. He then compared their turnout in mayoral elections to non-RCV cities, and to mayoral elections in those cities held before first RCV usage, and concluded “a significant decrease in voter turnout of approximately 3–5 percentage points in RCV cities after the implementation of RCV.” But he replicated many of the same mistakes as his first study presented above. While in this study McDaniel attempted to distinguish between various factors, such as odd year vs. even year elections, competitive races vs. noncompetitive, contests with open seats and other factors, the analysis is superficial and inadequate. He attempts to incorporate so many often-conflicting variables that his conclusions are once again unsupported by the actual data, and ultimately unconvincing (this second study never underwent a peer review process). For example, McDaniel declared that for RCV cities “in elections that are more competitive than average (margin of victory less than 20%), there is no significant RCV effect on voter turnout.” Yet McDaniel is a professor in a city, San Francisco, in which the 2018 special election using RCV to fill a mayoral vacancy was exceedingly close, decided by a margin of only one percentage point, and resulted in the second highest turnout in San Francisco history for a mayoral election. Illustrating the complexity involved in assessing the critical factors in turnout, that special election was held on the same election day as federal and state offices, which tends to boost turnout. Yet more voters participated in that RCV mayoral election than voted on the same day in the non-RCV primary for governor in which former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom was running. Even more puzzling, in this study McDaniel inaccurately cited his own previous study from 2015 with Neely. McDaniel wrote, “Neely and McDaniel (2015) examine individual ballot image files within a natural experiment, and find higher rates of ballot errors in RCV elections compared to non-RCV elections” (emphasis added). However, we quoted from that 2015 study several paragraphs above, and in actual fact Neely and McDaniel actually concluded the opposite -- that the pattern of overvoting – which is the most common form of ballot error – is similar in both RCV and non-RCV contests. McDaniel also ignored the fact that in Bay Area RCV elections held in even years – at the same time as federal and state elections, when turnout is highest -- the “undervote” (that is, the dropoff in ballots cast for governor or mayor) has declined, which contradicts his thesis that the act of ranking ballots in RCV elections is too complex and presents a barrier for certain demographics of voters. To his credit, McDaniel actually acknowledged another contradiction in his own paper, which found a negative RCV turnout effect in some odd-year elections but not others, admitting that “may present a challenge to the theory that increased complexity [from RCV] will have a marginal negative effect on voter turnout.” But he tried to wallpaper over that contradiction by blaming it on an unlikely source -- bad election administration. McDaniels wrote, “This would suggest that the negative impact of RCV on voter participation may be alleviated by high quality election administration,” without presenting any data or even anecdotes to support such an unfounded theory. While competent election administration of any election, whether RCV or non-RCV, is crucially important, there is no credible research that supports the far-fetched notion that the quality of election administration has much of an impact on voter turnout in US elections, whether using RCV or otherwise. Upgrade to a $5 subscription The unvirtuous circle of academic research It is puzzling how McDaniel’s first study could have survived the peer review process for the Journal of Urban Affairs. The mistakes in McDaniel’s first study above should have been obvious to anyone with a basic understanding of ranked choice voting as well as elections in general, and elections in San Francisco specifically. It undermines faith in the credibility of the peer review process to think that a jury of peer political scientists did not catch the egregious errors and reject McDaniel’s sloppy research and paper. And it remains a black mark on political science that this thoroughly discredited study has been cited dozens of times by other researchers. Indeed, in our research paper it became apparent that many political scientists cite each other’s flawed research to pad their list of citations and to legitimize their own flawed research, creating an unvirtuous circle of political science. More broadly, McDaniel’s voter turnout studies, like other studies evaluating RCV’s impact on turnout, lacked a recognition that no credible opinion or research can claim that RCV increases voter turnout merely because so many voters are excited to vote for their favorite candidates instead of “lesser evil” candidates without worrying about spoilers. Instead, with respect to turnout, the advantage of RCV has always been that, in most places where it has been used, it has eliminated a pre-November primary or post-November runoff, which usually saw about half the turnout of the November general election. This is especially true during even years when there are state and federal elections on the ballot which substantially drive turnout more than local contests. Any study that does not adequately account for this non-November primary/runoff vs November general election dynamic, or odd year vs even year election factors, is simply not credible. Both of McDaniel’s studies largely failed on those grounds. Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to a $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS…your digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe

democracysos.substack.com logo
Jul 20 • 9:29 AM EDT • Science • democracysos.substack.com
New Mexico health officials encourage parents to update student vaccinations

State health officials reported that about 95% of students statewide received school-required vaccines last year

koat.com logo
Jul 20 • 8:52 AM EDT • Health • koat.com