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Her quippy liberal sweater brand went left. Was it the right choice?
Rachelle Hruska launched Lingua Franca, her quippy cashmere sweater brand, two months before Donald Trump won in 2016. She didn't mean to get political.
Chess on wheels: The psychology of the Tour de France
The Tour de France, which finishes this weekend, is regarded as one of the world's toughest cycle races. Winning it is a psychological as well as a physical test.
Revealed: history of Spain’s fearless 1970s trans-rights political collective
Pioneering activists risked arrest and imprisonment amid lingering persecution after Franco dictatorship
SF: Entertainment Zone Launches In West Soma Neighborhood
A new entertainment zone has launched in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood to help bring foot traffic and boost nightlife in the neighborhood, Supervisor Matt Dorsey announced this...
Texans Legend DeAndre Hopkins Joins Patriots in New Career Move
The Houston Texans, despite being one of the younger NFL franchises, have had some incredibly talented players grace their team.Andre Johnson and J.J. Watt are both Hall of Famers in their own right (future in Watt’s case), and longtime wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins could potentially be on the same trajectory.Hopkins, with 13 years of NFL […] The post Texans Legend DeAndre Hopkins Joins Patriots in New Career Move appeared first on HEAVY.
Clint Reilly, San Francisco political, media and real estate giant, dies at 79
A sold-out crowd celebrates the 2026 Fast 50 honorees
FTB Services, the franchisee of Fuzzy's Tacos and Dave's Hot Chicken, topped the 2025 Fast 50 list with 466% revenue growth over three years.
Which Player Can Salvage Giants' Season?
The San Francisco Giants have had a terrible 2026 season, but it does not have to be all bad.
Justin Jefferson Speaks On The Vikings QB Competition
All eyes are on the competition, but what does the franchise star think?
What adding Riq Woolen means for an already elite Vic Fangio defense
By adding Riq Woolen into the mix, the Eagles have a uniquely talented and versatile cornerback trio — potentially the best in franchise history.
The Best Stadiums in Sports Are at the Tour de France—and Completely Free
As the race heads to the Alpe d’Huez for two stages, before a final-day fight on the streets of Montmartre, hundreds of thousands of fans are flocking to the most celebrated roads in cycling.
New Orleans church works to break stigma around maternal mental health
The Franklin Avenue Baptist Church’s annual mental health forum is this weekend. This year, it features a special focus on maternal health.
She Bought a Business. It Almost Killed Her.
Franchisees with Kitchen and Bath Tune-Up say they are going broke due to hidden fees and charges. When they try to exit, even bigger fees pop up.
Is the Amaury Family, Owners of the Tour de France, Hurting Cycling?
The Amaurys of Paris own the race, but won’t share any of the $170 million in media revenue. Sponsors and riders say their resistance is dooming the sport.
‘Arenas Are Becoming True Lifestyle Destinations’: Q’s With Marie Balsaqc, CEO Paris Entertainment Company
Paris Entertainment Company operates three landmark buildings in the Franch capital – Le Bataclan, adidas arena, and Accor Arena – comprising a total of more
49ers’ Nick Bosa Appears to Celebrate Ryan Clark’s ESPN Firing
San Francisco 49ers star pass rusher Nick Bosa hadn’t posted on X in four years — until Thursday evening.Bosa returned to the platform with a subtle reaction to ESPN’s decision to part ways with former NFL defensive back and longtime analyst Ryan Clark earlier this week during a round of layoffs.Nick Bosa’s ReactionBosa reposted The […] The post 49ers’ Nick Bosa Appears to Celebrate Ryan Clark’s ESPN Firing appeared first on HEAVY.
‘The Clock Is Ticking’: Why the Political Center Is Running Out of Time
An intensive research project in France finds the far right on the march, with voters viewing the political center as vapid and discredited.
Bucs' Biggest Training Camp Storyline Revealed
Beyond contract disputes, Tampa Bay's season hinges on Baker Mayfield’s health. After a brutal, injury-plagued year, can the quarterback find his ceiling and secure his future with the franchise?
Bucs' Biggest Training Camp Storyline Revealed
Beyond contract disputes, Tampa Bay's season hinges on Baker Mayfield’s health. After a brutal, injury-plagued year, can the quarterback find his ceiling and secure his future with the franchise?
Report: 49ers to work out former MVP quarterback
The 49ers are looking to bring in more quarterback competition for training camp.
Kaiser mental health workers bring contract fight over AI to San Francisco City Hall hearing
Kaiser mental health workers take AI fight to San Francisco Board of Supervisors
Beatdown roundtable: favorite almost-signing in Ravens history
Baltimore Beatdown’s staff offers their favorite almost-signing in Ravens franchise history.
“A rich history”: New entertainment zone launches in SF
(KRON) — Yet another entertainment zone is coming to San Francisco. The West SoMa Entertainment Zone will support local businesses, boost nightlife, and bring more foot traffic to the South o…
‘A rich history’: New entertainment zone launches in SF
(KRON) — Yet another entertainment zone is coming to San Francisco. The West SoMa Entertainment Zone will support local businesses, boost nightlife, and bring more foot traffic to the South of Market ...
Miami Dolphins Reportedly Interested In Former Carolina Panthers Quarterback
On Thursday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reported the news that the Miami Dolphins (and San Francisco 49ers) will be working out Jack Plummer.The 26-year-old is coming off an outstanding season in the UFL where he won the MVP.Wilson wrote (via X): “UFL @UFLonFOX MVP quarterback Jack Plummer will work out for the San […] The post Miami Dolphins Reportedly Interested In Former Carolina Panthers Quarterback appeared first on HEAVY.
High school students explore healthcare careers during Saint Francis summer academy
A group of Tulsa area high school students were given a hands-on, inside look at the medical field through Saint Francis Health System’s Medical Academy.
Clint Reilly, Political Consultant Known for Feuding, Dies at 79
As savvy as he could be volatile, he advised Nancy Pelosi and Dianne Feinstein, ran for mayor of San Francisco and bought The San Francisco Examiner.
Giants’ Ray Has Become Team’s Most Valuable Trade Chip
A dominant summer surge has transformed San Francisco Giants starter Robbie Ray into the ultimate deadline prize.
Eagles Get More Bulletin-Board Material Ahead of 2026 Season
The Philadelphia Eagles are the two-time reigning NFC East champs, and are just 18 months removed from the Super Bowl. The Eagles were 11-6 in 2025, a three-game drop off from the 2024 season where they won 14 games and defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in Super Bowl LIX. Plus, Philadelphia fell 23-19 to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round.
49ers players anchor Fox Sports' 'half-decade' team
Trent Williams and Fred Warner have been dominant at their respective positions over the past six seasons for the 49ers.
Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea: Crystal Palace defender is quick, excels when one-on-one and is a leader now too
France international Maxence Lacroix is a target for Chelsea after two successful seasons with Crystal Palace. But why do they want to sign him? Adam Bate looks at the defender’s record in the Premier League and examines what makes him such a special player…
BP to sell 250-site Austrian c-store business
About 115 of the c-stores are company owned and franchise operated, with others either run by dealers or unstaffed company-owned sites.
In private call, Michigan Republican running for Senate sees himself in ‘good shape’ against one particular Democrat
As Michigan Democrats debate who is their best candidate for Senate, the presumptive Republican nominee, Mike Rogers, has a frank private assessment of the field.
Colts, Raiders Get Strong Deebo Samuel Take Amid 49ers Speculation
The future of former San Francisco 49ers wideout Deebo Samuel is a major talking point with the 2026 NFL season nearing. Samuel is probably waiting for the right situation to play on a team looking to contend for a playoff spot. Last season with the Washington Commanders, played 713 total snaps, leading to a 69.4 overall PFF […] The post Colts, Raiders Get Strong Deebo Samuel Take Amid 49ers Speculation appeared first on HEAVY.
‘Unacceptable’: San Francisco Officials Question Kaiser’s Approach to AI in Mental Health
In a hearing, therapists decried Kaiser’s proposed contract terms during labor negotiations, which they argued would undermine mental health services. The largest health insurer for city employees said it remains focused on providing timely, high-quality mental health services.
Beatdown roundtable: favorite almost-trade in Ravens history
Baltimore Beatdown’s staff offers their favorite trade in Ravens franchise history.
William Saliba injury: Arsenal confirm France international will miss 'extended period' after returning from World Cup with back problem
Arsenal central defender William Saliba is set for a spell on the sidelines after returning from the World Cup with a back injury; Saliba is not expected to undergo surgery and instead will require a period of rehabilitation according to the Gunners
Outside Lands organizer gets green light for more S.F. concerts
San Francisco is doubling down on live music in Golden Gate Park, extending permits that will bring more concerts — and more crowds — to the city’s west side.
France records more than 5,700 excess deaths during historic early summer heat wave
More than 5,700 excess deaths were recorded during France's unprecedented June heat wave, making it the country's deadliest since 2003, health officials said.
History suggests San Francisco homeowners will win big from the AI gold rush
San Francisco's last three booms handed large gains to property owners. The windfall from coming IPOs could cause an even bigger transfer of wealth
New ESPN ranking underscores 49ers' 2 biggest roster problems
The 49ers' aging roster and poor draft history means they don't have a lot of young talent.
Blazers make sweeping cuts to broadcast team under Tom Dundon
The Portland Trail Blazers’ long-awaited sale finally went through via a $4.25 billion deal to private equity investor and Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon. However, since becoming the steward of the franchise, Dundon’s willingness to spend big appears to have dissipated. After taking control of the franchise just before the start of the NBA playoffs,…
France had 5,700 more deaths than usual during its June heatwave, health officials say
France experienced at least 5,700 more deaths than usual during a historic heatwave last month, according to the public health agency
Will 49ers' WR pick successfully counter the Seahawks defense?
Ironically, a wide receiver was the key addition to San Francisco's run game in hopes of beating Seattle.
A Third-Generation Veteran Found His Next Mission: Helping Seniors Stay Independent. 'It's All About Giving Back'
Before running a $5 million senior care franchise, Rick Cseak toured 29 countries as a singer in the Air Force's entertainment group.
Help Business Report recognize the Capital Region's most charitable companies
Baton Rouge Business Report is building a new ranking of the Capital Region’s most charitable companies—and we want your organization to be part of it. For our December philanthropy edition, we’re surveying businesses across the region to measure the scale and reach of their corporate giving. Companies will be ranked by their total cash and […]
Esteemed Alumnus Brian Ruane Named Chair of the Zarb School of Business Dean's Advisory Board | News
Hofstra University's Frank G. Zarb School of Business has appointed Brian Ruane, MBA, ’97, senior executive vice president and head of Global Clearing,
Biz Talk Today TV's Franchise Value Spotlights the Business Behind Sports with Investment Strategist Shana Orczyk Sissel
CrossCheck Media announced today that Franchise Value, its newest original series on Biz Talk Today TV, officially premiered this month and returns today with another in-depth examination of one of the fastest-growing sectors in the global economy—the business of sports.
Max Muncy ties Ron Cey in Dodger home run history
Max Muncy was the hero for the second time over the Dodgers’ last five games, smashing a two-run home run against Zack Wheeler to make the difference in a 2-1 win on Tuesday. Muncy continues to climb the franchise home run list, as his blast on Tuesday was the 228th home run hit as a […]
Orioles-Red Sox rained out
Tuesday's game between the Orioles and Red Sox was postponed because of rain, delaying Boston's pursuit of a franchise record-tying 15th straight victory.
Democratic socialists won in liberal cities. Can they do it in a swing state?
Wisconsin’s Francesca Hong hopes the burst of support for democratic socialists in liberal parts of the U.S. will boost her bid for governor in the battleground state.
The Five Biggest "What Ifs" of the Josh Allen Era
From pivotal trades to career-defining leaps, examine the sliding-door moments that transformed a struggling franchise into a powerhouse and nearly altered the course of Buffalo football history.
'Star Trek: The Next Generation' cast: See what became of the Enterprise crew nearly 40 years later
'Star Trek: The Next Generation' ushered in a golden age for the beloved franchise. See Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, and more nearly 40 years after the premiere.
Carolina Hurricanes To Launch Own Sports Network For Game Broadcasts
The NHL franchise is taking control of its local broadcasts, ditching traditional regional networks to deliver innovative programming and flexible viewing options directly to Canes fans.
How Giants have fared with ABS challenges after first 100 games of 2026 season
Here is how the San Francisco Giants have fared using the new ABS Challenge System through their first 100 games of the 2026 MLB season.
How stadiums are turning into entertainment districts
As developmental models for sports venues shift, planners are being tasked with designing vast districts to support year-round activity. For our Future Stadium series, we look at the rise of the sports district
Canes TV? Hurricanes to launch own sports network for 2026-27 season
The Hurricanes, who won the Stanley Cup in June, were among the professional sports franchises left without a television partner when Main Street Sports Group ceased operations at the end of the 2025-26 season.
Clint Reilly, influential SF political strategist and San Francisco Examiner owner, dies at 79
For decades, Clint Reilly was one of the most influential figures operating behind the scenes of Bay Area politics, managing campaigns for Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, advising candidates and helping professionalize a political consulting industry that would grow into a year-round enterprise. He died Sunday at 79.
Biggs Institute at UT Health San Antonio to lead $2.5 million national, multi-site study on dementia with Lewy bodies
Teaming with UF, UCSF and VCU to improve detection, bring hope Contacts: UT Health San Antonio, Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu University of Florida, Jill Pease, (352) 273-5816, jpease@PHHP.UFL.EDU University of California San Francisco, Suzanne Leigh, (415) 476-2993, suzanne.leigh@ucsf.edu Virginia Commonwealth University, Leigh Farmer, (804) 828-7028, forresterlg@vcu.edu SAN ANTONIO, July 21, 2026 – The Glenn […]
American Franchise Act Would Protect Small Businesses, Boost Economy
To: Members of the House Committee on Education and Workforce From: National Taxpayers Union Date: July 21, 2026 Subject: NTU’s views on the July 21 Markup I. Introduction On behalf of National Taxpayers Union, the nation’s oldest taxpayer advocacy organization, we write to express our views on legislation slated for consideration before the House Committee on Education and Workforce on July 21, 2026. While NTU recognizes that the Committee is considering a broader package of legislative propo, Author(s): Alexander Ciccone
She Was Told 'Who's Going to Give You Business?' Now She's a Top Home Inspector in Brooklyn
When her husband died unexpectedly, Jacqueline Gathers stepped up and took over his Pillar to Post franchise.
Red Sox need 1 more win to match franchise record
The Boston Red Sox have won 14 straight games. With one more victory, they would match the franchise record set by the 1946 club led by Ted Williams.
San Francisco 49ers Players React To Christian McCaffrey’s Post
Christian McCaffrey is one of the best players in the NFL.The former Stanford star is coming off another incredible season for the San Francisco 49ers.He finished with 1,202 rushing yards, 924 receiving yards and 17 total touchdowns.49ers Players React To Christian McCaffrey’s PostMcCaffrey has nearly three million followers on Instagram.Earlier this week, he made a […] The post San Francisco 49ers Players React To Christian McCaffrey’s Post appeared first on HEAVY.
49ers News: It’s “best shape of their lives” season
Your daily San Francisco 49ers news for Tuesday, July 21st, 2026
Fan Favorite Takes on TUF Winner at UFC Paris
Nathaniel Wood is back in action on September 5 in Paris, France. The Englishman puts his four-fight winning streak on the line against The Ultimate Fighter season 32 winner Mairon Santos. Both fighters will meet in the featherweight division.Multiple sources have confirmed the booking to Heavy.com. While both Wood and Santos remain unranked in the […] The post Fan Favorite Takes on TUF Winner at UFC Paris appeared first on HEAVY.
Clint Reilly, longtime San Francisco power broker, dies at 79
Clint Reilly advised some of California’s biggest political names, ran for San Francisco mayor and fought to preserve newspaper competition before purchasing the Examiner himself.
Sausalito City Manager, Former SF Port Director, Arrested During ‘Mental Health Crisis’
Elaine Forbes was the director of the Port of San Francisco for nearly a decade before starting the new role in Marin County three weeks ago.
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.
By Scrapping Studios and Doubling Down on Decades-Old Franchises, Xbox Is Dismantling Its Future To Rebuild a Past It Can Never Recapture
Xbox's big reset has scrapped studios building original ideas in favour of doubling down on legacy IP - but how will it find its next big franchise if it only focuses on the old?
Maid Brigade Leadership Summit Highlights AI Innovation, Business Growth and Franchise Excellence
Maid Brigade franchise owners from across North America gathered July 16-18 at The Source Hotel in Denver for the 2026 Maid Brigade Leadership Summit, where they explored innovative business strategies, shared best practices and celebrated franchise excellence.
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
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