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The Science of Spooky Sounds
The Science of Spooky Sounds: A conversation with a “pseudoscience” researcher about how infrasound could be linked to ghosts
SBA to honor 2026 Kansas rural small business persons of the year in Hays
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Big companies position themselves for payday from $50B federal rural health fund
A $50 billion federal fund is supposed to modernize rural healthcare. But community clinics and advocates fear that the contractors administering the money for states will bite off a big chunk before it reaches patients.
Steam Controller release date revealed as another review leaks online
The leak comes from a Japanese gaming website, which briefly published a review of the Steam Controller before taking it down.
Trump dismisses some, if not all, of National Science Board, multiple reports say
The Trump administration is being criticized over reports that the White House has dismissed multiple, and possibly all, members of the National Science Board.
Entire NSF science advisory board fired by Trump administration
Members of the National Science Board, which the US Congress founded in 1950, were given no explanation for their termination
Gala Shooting Suspect Was Targeting Trump Administration Officials, Writings Reveal
A man being held in connection with the attack wrote a note indicating potential targets and grievances, authorities say.
Trump administration to target corruption in Mexico
U.S. Ambassador Johnson signals a Trump administration anti-corruption campaign targeting Mexican officials allegedly linked to organized crime.
Trump’s purge of National Science Board condemned as a ‘real bozo the clown move’
The reported mass-firing comes after the Trump administration has proposed drastic cuts to the National Science Foundation’s budget
Tech CEO in South Charleston wins state small business recognition
Madhur Bedre won 2026 WV Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration
Trump has terminated several members of the independent National Science Board
The Trump administration sent letters to several members of the National Science Board, informing them that their positions were "terminated, effective immediately."
Cutting Science Out: Trump Administration Fires National Science Board Members
This is an attempt to silence independent scientists, shut down evidence-based decision making, and keep the public in the dark.
OnePlus officially announces two new chargers with up to 120W fast charging
The OnePlus Ace 6 Ultra is about to launch soon in China, and at the same event, the company will release new accessories, including two chargers. Among them, one will feature 120W fast charging support, while the other will max out at 100W.
California Politics 360 Full Episode | CA's fight against fraud applauded by Trump administration
On California Politics 360, Ashley Zavala sits down with Patrick Penn, the USDA deputy under secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services.
Brookline Educators Union dives back into town politics with first School Committee endorsements in years
The union, which represents nearly 1,300 teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators in Brookline schools, endorsed Suzanne Federspiel and Faiza Khan.
Mike Minogue wins Mass. GOP endorsement for governor in a landslide
Former Baker Administration official Mike Kennealy fell just short of making the primary ballot.
Blanche says it appears suspect was targeting Trump admin. members
National parks brace for summer surge as Trump administration proposes more staff cuts
The push to cut the park system even further has underscored ongoing questions about how smoothly parks can operate as warm weather and summer vacations draw tourists.
‘We are less-than’: Americans fear more cuts to healthcare programs after RFK Jr. hearings
The Trump administration is poised to eviscerate Medicaid access for millions. RFK Jr. offered little to soften the incoming blow.
Algeria eliminates trachoma as a public health problem
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports validating Algeria as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. This makes Algeria the 29th country globally to achieve this significant milestone. "Algeria’s elimination of trachoma is a historic triumph that connects the past, present, and future of public health, and is rooted in a century-long commitment," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "This milestone proves that with sustained political will and on-the-ground leadership from committed health professionals, we can eliminate neglected tropical diseases and build a healthier, more resilient future for all." For decades, Algeria implemented the WHO-recommended SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma. These activities included provision of surgery to treat the late blinding stage of the disease (“trachomatous trichiasis”, TT), conducting mass administration of antibiotic treatment, carrying out public awareness campaigns to promote facial cleanliness and personal hygiene as well as improvement in access to water supply and sanitation. Trachoma is the first neglected tropical disease to be eliminated in Algeria. Trachoma is a disease of the eye caused by infection with the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. It is a public health problem in 30 countries and is responsible for the blindness or visual impairment of about 1.9 million people. Blindness from trachoma is difficult to reverse. Based on November 2025 data, 97 million people live in trachoma endemic areas and are at risk of trachoma blindness. Infection spreads through personal contact (via hands, clothes, bedding or hard surfaces) and by flies that have been in contact with discharge from the eyes or nose of an infected person. With repeated episodes of infection over many years, the eyelashes may be drawn in so that they rub on the surface of the eye. This causes pain and may permanently damage the cornea. In 2024, 87,349 people received surgical treatment for advanced stage of the disease, and 44.4 million people were treated with antibiotics. Global antibiotic coverage in 2024 was 39%. Outbreak News Today is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
Foldable iPhone Ultra confidential docs leak: 9.2mm design, Android-style selfie cameras, color options
Leaked schematics from a case manufacturer detail the possible dimensions of the upcoming iPhone Fold. The leak suggests a folded thickness of 9.23mm - notably thinner than previous 11mm rumors. The drawings outline a 167.59mm x 120.59mm footprint, a significant 13mm camera plateau, and Touch ID on the side.
National Science Board members told by Trump administration they were terminated: Report
The Trump administration on Friday told several scientists on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) board that they were terminated from their roles, The Washington Post reported. The White…
Valve Steam Machine release date and price announcement reportedly coming soon
An insider believes that Valve will soon make a final decision on the Steam Machine price. That could mean an abrupt end to the release date uncertainty caused by the memory shortage. The Steam Controller MSRP also leaked, indicating that news on the other new hardware is near.
Trump administration fires National Science Board members
The scientists serving on the National Science Board received letters from the Presidential Personnel Office Friday telling them they are fired.
Steak ‘n Shake’s new chief MAHA officer: We’re going ‘back to the glory days of fast food’
Steak ‘n Steak is revamping its ingredients and cooking methods in a move it says aligns with the Trump administration’s health agenda, an effort the chain’s new chief Make America Healthy Again (M…
Steam Controller review leaks, but price of Steam Machine accessory may disappoint
After reports that Valve had received shipments of the accessory, a Steam Controller review has appeared. Deleted ahead of a likely release date update, a YouTuber praised its responsive dual trackpads. Even so, the price may make it more difficult to discount the Steam Machine.
Marion County's top two health department officials abruptly leave
The top two administrators in Marion County’s Health and Human Services department left the county at the same time.
Tariff refunds put businesses on the spot
The Trump administration moved quickly to build a tariff refund system. The president warns companies not to use it.
Why Trump's winning streak at the Supreme Court came to an abrupt end
The Trump administration won a series of high-profile victories last year, but the president has made fewer emergency appeals and is facing losses on his signature policies.
Hackers Can Abuse Entra Agent ID Administrator Role to Hijack Service Principals
A flaw in Microsoft Entra let the Agent ID Administrator role hijack service principals and escalate tenant privileges.
iPhone 18 Pro Max design unit hands-on video shows 25% smaller Dynamic Island; variable aperture likely
Hands-on video of the iPhone 18 Pro Max dummy units reveal a 25% smaller Dynamic Island and a thicker camera array with larger lenses, hinting at the rumored variable aperture for the main 48MP camera. The iPhone 18 Pro Max appears boring next to iPhone Ultra/Fold, but this might be the biggest front upgrade for Apple's Pro iPhone since iPhone 14 Pro.
The ‘Lasting Damage’ of Pirro’s Investigation of the Federal Reserve and Powell
The Trump administration’s attacks on the Federal Reserve have rattled confidence in the central bank’s ability to operate independently before a leadership transition.
SBA announces National Small Business Week 2026 award winners
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) earlier this month announced its 2026 New Hampshire Small Business Award winners.
Florida manufacturing firms have benefited the most from SBA loans
Here's how the Small Business Administration has played a role in local manufacturing.
Business Roundtable to lead corporate engagement at G20
The Trump administration is shifting how business voices are included in G20 discussions, elevating the Business Roundtable to lead corporate engagement.
Video: Scientists Solve ‘Golden Orb’ Mystery
After more than two years of investigation, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have identified an unknown creature dubbed the “golden orb.” The orb perplexed researchers and enthusiasts of the deep sea around the world after it was found in 2023 near Alaska.
State agency plagued with leadership turnover hired deputy commissioner accused of taking $99K from Colorado nonprofit
The former regional executive director of CASA of Adams and Broomfield counties was hired by the state Behavioral Health Administration in November
Trump Administration Approves Firing Squad Executions for Death Penalty
The Justice Department also reauthorized the use of a death penalty drug, and will seek to shorten the length of some legal appeals.
As Trump Officials Pushed Health Savings Accounts, RFK Jr. Aide Ran Wellness Company Poised to Benefit
Calley Means remained president of a company that relied on health savings accounts last year as the Trump administration developed policies to expand them.
U.S. Health Insurers Step Up Prior Authorization Reforms
UnitedHealthcare and Aetna detailed progress toward industry commitments aimed at reducing administrative burdens and speeding patients’ access to care.
Shapiro Administration Highlights Governor’s Proposed Investments to Improve Health Care and Social Services for Pennsylvanians Leaving Incarceration during Second Chance Month
Shapiro Administration Highlights Governor’s Proposed Investments to Improve Health Care and Social Services for Pennsylvanians Leaving Incarceration during Second Chance Month
Microsoft now lets admins uninstall Copilot on enterprise devices
Microsoft says IT administrators can now uninstall the AI-powered Copilot digital assistant from enterprise devices using a new policy setting, which has become broadly available after the April 2026 Patch Tuesday.
Indy Health District market administers the medicine of homegrown food
A push to help Indianapolis residents live longer is back for another season of fresh produce and tangible solutions.
The Trump administration has gutted US aid for family planning. Here’s how it’s impacting women overseas
A crisis in family planning medicine is playing out in Africa in the wake of sweeping US aid cuts, with medical providers highlighting deaths, layoffs and unintended pregnancies.
U.S. Forging a Healthier Oceania Through Trump Administration's America First Global Health Strategy Through Bilateral Health Memorandum of Understanding with Papua New Guinea - U.S. Embassy & Consulates in China
United States Forging a Healthier Oceania Through Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy Through Bilateral Health Memorandum of Understanding with Papua New Guinea Press Statement Thomas “Tommy” Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson April 23, 2026 Yesterday the United States and Papua New Guinea signed a five-year bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) through the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy. The landmark health MOU focuses on effectively addressing emerging infectious diseases and ongoing outbreaks, building and maintaining surge-response capacities, and enabling Papua New Guinea’s government to independently manage new health threats before they spread internationally. Working with Congress, the United States intends to provide $15 million through December 2030 through the jointly decided health MOU, building on decades of progress in reducing HIV infections and transmissions in Papua New Guinea. The government of Papua New Guinea intends to allocate up to $3 million to disease control programs and strengthen health systems at the national and provincial levels. Up to $5 million under the health MOU will directly support global health security funding, advancing our shared commitment to health security in the region. Through the signing of this $18 million MOU, we are bolstering infectious disease prevention and response by leveraging cost-effective, nationally-driven approaches, with the goal of increasing Papua New Guinea’s health system self-sufficiency. America First Global Health Strategy Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) signed so far represent more than $20.6 billion in new health funding, including more than $12.8 billion in U.S. assistance alongside $7.8 billion in co-investment from recipient countries, building on decades of progress fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases around the world. As of April 22, the State Department has signed 32 bilateral global health MOUs with Angola, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Guinea, Honduras, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Panama, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, and Uganda.
Yakima small business owners raise concerns with recent legislation
Regional Director of the Small Business Administration (SBA) Kelly Chambers met with the Yakima Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday to discuss the current landscap
Civil-Military Relations under the Trump Administration (Part I) -- Politicians and Military Leaders | List of Articles | International Information Network Analysis
IINA provides ongoing analysis of international affairs both by region—such as North America, China, and Europe—and by such topics as human security, nontraditional security threats, and cyber security. The articles on this site, written by experts at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and guest contributors, are carefully selected for their objectivity, accuracy, timeliness, and relevance for Japan.
Sigal Chattah addresses criticism, politics after one year leading Las Vegas federal prosecutors
April marks one year that Sigal Chattah has headed the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Nevada. Her appointment by the Trump administration as First Assistant U.S. Attorney has been…
Marion County Health & Human Services leaders abruptly depart under unclear circumstances
Ryan Matthews, Marion County’s Health & Human Services administrator, and Deputy Director Katrina Griffith are no longer working for the county as of Wednesday, April 22, according to an email to staff obtained by Salem Reporter. It did not clarify the circumstances of their departure. To comment on this story, use the form at the end of the report.
'Big Business Opportunity': Cannabis CEO Celebrates DOJ Easing Regulations On Medical Marijuana
The Trump administration reclassified medical marijuana as a less dangerous drug on Thursday.
Bath business receives award from Small Business Administration
Custom Composite Technologies receives recognition from the Small Business Administration ahead of Small Business Week.
Exclusive | Iran War Complicates Contingency Plans to Defend Taiwan, Some U.S. Officials Say
The U.S. has burned through so many munitions in Iran that some administration officials assess that America couldn’t fully execute contingency plans to defend Taiwan from a Chinese invasion if it occurred in the near term, U.S. officials said.
Turtle Beach Command Series keyboard and mouse with touchscreens announced
Turtle Beach has expanded its portfolio of gaming keyboards and mice with two new models of the former and three new of the latter. The Command series KB7 TKL and KB5 feature touchscreens, and so does the MC7 mouse.
The Business Case Against Judging Schools Like Businesses
McLeod: Most businesses wouldn’t survive a week under the administrative constraints schools face every day.
Pot firms rally after US reclassifies marijuana as less dangerous drug
Shares of cannabis firms surged on Thursday after the U.S. government moved to reclassify the Food and Drug Administration-approved and state-licensed marijuana as a less-dangerous drug.
SBA Offers Relief to Oklahoma Small Businesses
U.S. Small Business Administration announces low interest disaster loans
A grant kept this Indy venue alive. Now the federal government wants it back.
Black Circle received a piece of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant during the pandemic. Now, the Small Business Administration wants it back.
Next-gen OnePlus 16 leak reveals key display upgrades
The next-generation OnePlus 16 has surfaced in a new leak. The upcoming flagship may see major display upgrades, including a refresh rate of up to 240Hz.
Artemis II’s science of resistance
Collective endeavour, humility, respect for reality… the values that took us to the moon are everything the Trump administration isn’t
Navy Secretary John Phelan Is Leaving the Pentagon and the Trump Administration
John Phelan is leaving the Pentagon and the Trump administration after months of infighting with senior Pentagon leaders.
Maine health, science experts speak on U.S. EPA cuts impacting communities
During Earth Day, science and public health officials gathered in Gardiner to bring attention to the Trump administrations deregulations on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Is SBA moving the small business contracting goal posts?
The Small Business Administration wants to put a bigger focus on contracting with veterans-owned firms and efforts to root out fraud.
Trump administration settles lawsuit with ex-Trump adviser Carter Page
The Justice Department has reached a settlement in a lawsuit brought by former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, who sued the DOJ and FBI for over flawed government surveillance he faced due to his Russian contacts in 2016, according to a filing with the Supreme Court Wednesday.
The Nautilus Reading List of Science Biographies
The Nautilus Reading List of Science Biographies: These beautifully composed books usher you into the life and times of influential scientists
White House tells court it’s preserving presidential records even though DOJ said law is unconstitutional
White House staff are still following the “preservation” mandates of the Presidential Records Act, the Justice Department told a federal court as it pushes back on a new lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s disavowal of a Watergate-era documents law.
Parents warn RCSD budget could weaken student mental health services
Parents told RCSD leaders budget cuts could harm vulnerable students, even as officials said some positions have been restored.
Ibogaine is drawing new interest from the Trump administration. Here’s what to know about the psychedelic
Psychedelic drugs, once pushed to the fringes of medicine, are gaining serious attention within the Trump administration as potential treatment options for people with certain mental health conditions. And they could soon be closer to receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration.
College of Health and Human Development names spring 2026 student marshals
Hannah Bucher, a health policy and administration major, and Nicholas Eppley, a nutritional sciences major, will serve as the college marshals for the Penn State College of Health and Human Development’s spring 2026 commencement ceremony.
SDOL school board appoints new Interim Business Administrator
Board members of the School District of Lancaster unanimously voted to appoint Charles Linderman as the district's Interim Business Administrator.
Expert quits US HIV role, rebukes Trump global health approach
The chief science officer for the U.S. flagship HIV/AIDS program left his role this week and criticized the Trump administration's cuts to foreign assistance and what he said was its use of aid as leverage for U.S. commercial interests.
Expert Quits US HIV Role, Rebukes Trump Global Health Approach
By Simon Lewis WASHINGTON, April 21 (Reuters) - The chief science officer for the U.S. flagship HIV/AIDS program left his role this week and criticized the Trump administration's cuts to foreign assistance and what he said was its use of aid as leverage for U.S. commercial interests. Republican ...
SBA administrator speaks to ABC13 on economic uncertainty ahead of midterm elections: 'It's a blip'
With the war in Iran and growing costs creating uncertainty, the economy is atop voters minds heading into the 2026 midterms. While data reveals Texas is faring better economically than much of the country, growth might be slowing.
Internal documents shed light on Trump’s crusade to vet state voter rolls
The Trump administration has been working for nearly a year on an effort to weed out noncitizens from voter rolls using a faulty data system while keeping those plans hidden from courts and Democratic election officials, internal Justice Department communications obtained by CNN show.
U.S. Abruptly Rescinds Subpoenas in John Brennan Inquiry
The vacillation came after the Justice Department replaced a career prosecutor with a loyalist to President Trump in the administration’s effort to charge the former C.I.A. chief with a crime.
Mayor Lurie moves S.F. homeless street-outreach teams to health department
The Lurie administration has increasingly emphasized the health needs of people on the street
ARPA-H announces first research teams for $139 million initiative to transform behavioral health and bring new, more precise and effective treatments to Americans
The EVIDENT initiative builds on the Trump Administration’s executive order to accelerate medical treatments for serious mental illness.
Seven Key Moments: Hearing with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ways and Means Committee Republicans emphasized the importance of expanding access to health care for Americans – particularly...
FDA, VSP searching downtown Charlottesville business
Officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Virginia State Police are searching the DripBar on East Water Street.
Southern Poverty Law Center says it faces a DOJ criminal probe over paid informants
The Alabama-based civil rights organization made the announcement Tuesday, saying President Donald Trump's administration appears to be preparing legal action against it or its employees.
School District of Lancaster board expected to hire interim business manager as it addresses fiscal challenges
School District of Lancaster officials will recommend today that board members appoint Charles Linderman as interim business administrator as they grapple with significant financial challenges.
CMS to ask every state for new audits of health care providers
The Trump administration has been heavily focused on combating purported fraud in federal health care programs.
Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections
[Dear DSOS readers – this article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in early December, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting. We found that many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data, and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first three articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report, the second one analyzing a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report, and a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research]. In this fourth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we shine a spotlight on seven studies that were web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group (the ERRG is an ad hoc committee headed by New America’s Political Reform Program and joined by the American Enterprise Institute, the Unite America Institute and Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law). This research consortium has been led by Lee Drutman, senior fellow with New America’s Political Reform Program. These seven studies are simply not credible from any objective standard about how political “science” is supposed to illuminate our understanding of either ranked choice voting or politics in general. The feature that six of these seven studies have in common is that they all used surveys – artificial, simulated elections -- to attempt to say something cogent or interesting about ranked choice voting (RCV) elections. None of them used real world data from actual RCV elections – either the 1000+ elections in the US or the many thousands of elections from places like Australia, Ireland and elsewhere where RCV has been used for 100 years. While a few of these studies conclude with some mixed positives about RCV, our analysis here is content neutral. The idea that, with a political reform like RCV, you can ask respondents in a mock, artificial election to vote with that method, with only the barest of explanation about how RCV works or its likely impacts (i.e. no spoiler candidates, majority winners, voters liberated to pick their favorite candidates, coalition-building), and then ask them their thoughts/reactions about voting in that system, with fake candidates and no real campaigning, no real exposure to an actual election or actual candidates, rests on some very puzzling assumptions. The findings of these seven studies actually are contradicted by the findings from many other studies based on real-world RCV elections. These New America studies also failed to list the real-world RCV studies in their own citations, instead including those studies that reinforced their conclusions. The seven studies featured in this article were chosen because they form a cohesive cohort which precisely illustrates one of the main points of our research paper, namely that using surveys, i.e. artificial elections, or mathematical/theoretical models, instead of real-world data, is in fact “shaky political science.” Below are summaries of our analysis of five of the seven New America studies. You can read our complete analysis of all seven studies at our paper, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting.” Choosing to “Vote As Usual” by Andre Blais, Carolina Plescia, and Semra Sevi. New America. (Blais et al., 2021). This study, web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group, used two surveys in which respondents completed ballots for simulated elections using plurality, approval, RCV and point (Score) voting. In both cases the authors provided the respondents with only minimal explanation of each method. For example, the entire explanation for RCV was “For this vote, rank the candidates from your first to your last choice (you do not need to rank them all). This is called the ranked vote.” That’s it. The study did not provide any context or explanation to survey respondents about why she/he might want to rank multiple candidates. Participants were not even told that ballots would be tabulated using an “instant” runoff, not to mention any description of RCVs ability to eliminate the spoiler effect or liberate voters to rank their favorite candidates without fear of helping the “greater evil” candidate to win. That’s like taking an iPhone back in time to 1970 and asking someone if they like it better than their rotary phone without explaining how it works. Their first survey targeted states that held 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and used the real candidates’ names in the survey; the second survey used fictitious candidates. In other words, they surveyed respondents who had only ever participated in plurality elections, had no history or background with using RCV or any of the other methods, had no clue about its likely impacts, and did not communicate how the alternative methods would be counted, and then asked them: “How satisfied are you with using each system?” Predictably, the winner was plurality elections, the system used for president, Congress, gubernatorial and state legislative elections – in other words, the method they have been using, year after year, all their voting lives. With so little explanation of RCV and its impacts, this study is simply not credible in discovering anything useful about real-world RCV elections. It merely shows that a basic voter education campaign is needed when adopting a new election system. Additionally, the result contradicts many other post-election surveys following real RCV elections, asking opinions from voters who had just participated in a RCV election, that showed a great deal of satisfaction with RCV (see details on that in Studies 22-25 in our paper, as well as the four studies cited in the review for Study 28). Share Other studies on “satisfaction” and “understanding” make similar mistakes, in terms of basing their surveys on inadequate explanation to respondents and lack of education about context. How could any survey ever hope to measure accurately, in essence simulate a real-world election, without actual campaigning candidates, the media writing about those candidates, organizations endorsing candidates and voters being inundated with crucial information? More than anything, what these “studies” based on surveys show is that if you ask voters about something they don’t know very much about, and fail to adequately educate them, their responses will unsurprisingly reflect their confusion. Equally puzzling is that New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group, headed by political scientist Lee Drutman, found this to be a credible enough study that they not only published it but highlighted it in Drutman’s own discussion of research related to ranked choice voting. This pattern was repeated in study after study featured by New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group. For example in Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: Voter Guides Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens by Cheryl Boudreau, Jonathan Colner, and Scott MacKenzie, the researchers based their analysis on a survey which found that respondents who were asked to vote in a simulated RCV election, with minimal explanation of RCV or how it works, displayed less evidence of being informed about how to use RCV effectively, with the least informed voters ranking fewer candidates. As pointed out under the study above, in a real election voters are informed by a wide variety of methods, including public education by the election administration, by interested political groups, the media, and the candidates themselves who benefit from voters being aware of how to vote in the new system. In Support for Ranked-Choice Voting across Race and Partisanship by Joseph Anthony, David C. Kimball, Jack Santucci and Jamil Scott, the researchers used respondents from different parties and races voting in simulated plurality and RCV elections, who indicated their satisfaction with each voting method. Instead of using real world election results, the authors fell back on the easy, armchair and less reliable academic research methodology of making up mock elections. As with the other studies, little explanation was given of how RCV works or what its implications might be (electing majority winners or eliminating spoilers, for example). Unsurprisingly, this study found that respondents were not very satisfied with RCV. However, when the authors added an explanation that RCV has a tendency to elect more women and people of color, they found that this greater explanation increased the preference for RCV. The more voters were familiar with it, and the more they understood potential positive impacts – surprise! -- the more they were open to switching away from the status quo. Of note, the results from this study are thoroughly contradicted by a number of other studies whose data was obtained from real RCV elections with real voters. Those studies show a great deal of satisfaction with RCV. More “fake election” research An interesting wrinkle on this “research by fake elections” approach, which only served to illustrate how unreliable such “research” can become, was taken in Ranked-Choice Voting, Runoff, and Democracy: Insights from Maine and Other U.S. States by Joseph Cerrone and Cynthia McClintock_,_ also web-hosted and funded by New America’s ERRG. It gets high marks for creativity, but an eye-roll for thinking this could possibly add anything meaningful to our understanding of real world RCV elections. This study tried to determine whether RCV, plurality or two-round runoff elections provided greater voter satisfaction and acceptance of election results. To determine that, the authors conducted a survey asking if voters were satisfied with a fictional newspaper report of an election, with three different versions given to respondents – plurality, runoff and RCV, with variations of Republican/Democrat winners and variations of “come-from-behind” winners,” i.e. candidates not initially in first place but who win the “runoff.” Again, a minimal explanation of RCV or how it works was given, and the survey showed that respondents had the greatest unfamiliarity with RCV than the other methods. The unsurprising result? Respondents were much more satisfied with “come-from-behind” victories in a traditional two-round runoff election than in RCV, even though RCV is also a runoff system but with a single round of counting. Interestingly, the dissatisfaction with RCV disappeared for those who were more familiar with RCV. In fact, among those respondents who were “very familiar” with RCV, they were equally satisfied with RCV, runoff and plurality. Surprise, surprise. Again, what this study revealed, more than anything, is not only the inadequacy of the explanation for RCV given by the authors of this study, but the failure of the research format itself, thinking that such an artificial mock election could somehow simulate what actually happens in the real world in a real RCV election. Those four studies reviewed above are fitting examples of inadequate and shaky political “science.” Other studies reviewed in our paper from the New America/Electoral Reform Research Group cohort which also used mock elections included: Ranked-Choice Voting is an Acquired Taste by Joseph Anthony and David C. Kimball. New America. (Anthony et al., 2021). Ranked-Choice Voting is No Refuge for Extreme Candidates by Melissa Baker. New America. (Baker, 2021). Also included in this New America cohort is Does Ranked-Choice Voting Reduce Racial Polarization? by Yuki Atsusaka and Theodore Landsman, which actually did use real-world election results data but applied an odd and unconventional methodology to the data which relied on shaky assumptions and non-real-world scenarios that were too divorced from reality. To determine levels of “racially polarized voting,” the researchers imagined “ethnic parties,” by which they mean political parties for each ethnic group, which was especially odd since the election data they were using came from nonpartisan RCV races. But then they made an even odder assumption, namely that since race and ethnic characteristics of studied voters were not available, the authors tried to infer that information based on who voters selected and the racial make-up of voters in each district. This amounted to little more than vague and ambiguous guesswork dressed up with a bunch of mathematical equations used to give it a veneer of scientific appearance. Indeed, it seemed to assume racial polarization in order to prove racial polarization. Based on this questionable methodology, the authors concluded that RCV doesn’t reduce racial polarization. But the premise of this study missed an obvious reality: since RCV incentivizes more candidates to run and can result in more diverse fields of candidates, one would expect more racially-polarized voting in voters’ top rankings, not less, because more voters would have someone on that ballot who represents their racial or ethnic identity and more freedom to vote for their real first choice. By encouraging more diverse candidates and eliminating the spoiler effect, RCV facilitates voting for a favorite candidate of your own race and then selecting a second choice with the best likelihood of winning. The real measure is what voters do with their additional rankings – do they consider other candidates and vote “for the best of the rest”? This study didn’t tell us anything useful about that. But readily available data shows this is common in real RCV elections, and candidates act on this knowledge by engaging with voters outside their racial group. So the authors of this study failed to consider or account for what actually happens in real-world elections, and their conclusions are tainted by this failure. New America has contributed a great deal over the past 2.5 decades to our understanding of many policy areas, including politics and political reform (full disclosure: Steven Hill, one of the authors of this article and of the “Shaky Political Science” research paper and series, is a former senior fellow and former director of New America’s political reform program, 2005-2010). So it was especially disappointing that New America funded and published such a large batch of dubious studies about ranked choice voting. The stated praiseworthy goal of its Electoral Reform Research Group was to inspire new academic research about ranked choice voting that would shed light and help the public better understand the impacts of RCV. Instead, the ERRG research did just the opposite. It produced dubious research that created more confusion and misinformation. In so doing, New America’s political reform program contributed to “shaky political science.” Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS, a reader-supported digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe
Cantaloupes Recalled in Four States Due to Salmonella Risk
By HealthDay Staff HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, April 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Health officials in some states are warning shoppers to avoid certain cantaloupes amid concerns they may carry Salmonella. The recall, announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), involves fruit produced by
Wasted Investments, Looming Crisis: The Impact of U.S. Global Health Funding Cuts on HIV in South Africa
Executive Summary Starting in 2025, the Trump administration abruptly slashed and disrupted funding for global health, jeopardizing hard won public health gains and irreplaceable investments in infrastructure and partnerships for disease response, health security, and research. As of late March 2026 – more than a year after the disruptions began – HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and […]
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The Death of Public Health
During the recent measles outbreak, the largest in more than 30 years, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to clearly recommend the measles vaccine, saying instead that it was a “personal decision,” and that parents should “do their own research.” Similarly, during her recent confirmation hearing for United States Surgeon General, Casey Means was questioned by Senator William Cassidy (R, La). “You’re the nation’s doctor,” said Cassidy. “Would you encourage [a mother] to have her child vaccinated!” “I’m not an individual’s doctor,” Means said. “And every individual needs to talk to their doctor before putting a medication in their body.” In June 2025, Marty Makary, Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), said that COVID vaccines for pregnant women should be a “personal choice”, even though every other country in the world recommended the COVID vaccine during pregnancy due to a higher risk for severe disease. It doesn’t end there. On January 5, 2026, RFK Jr. reduced the number of routinely recommended vaccines from 18 to 10. For vaccines that protected against influenza, COVID, and rotavirus, parents were urged to speak with their doctors—to make an individual choice. (On March 16, 2026, in a ruling by a federal court in Boston, RFK Jr.’s revised schedule was invalidated.) What’s happening? Why are public health officials moving away from making recommendations for the public? The origin of this change might be rooted in the first two years of the COVID pandemic. In 2020, during the first year on the pandemic, we didn’t have anything to stop a virus that was killing hundreds of people a day and could be spread asymptomatically. We didn’t have antivirals until October, monoclonal antibodies until November, and vaccines until December. All we could do was restrict travel, close businesses, shutter schools, and mask, isolate, quarantine, test, and social distance. During the second year of the pandemic, when we had vaccines to prevent COVID, people couldn’t go anywhere without their vaccine cards. They couldn’t go to their favorite bar or restaurant or sporting event or place of worship without proof of vaccination. Some people were fired from their jobs for refusing to get vaccinated. For many, this was seen as massive government overreach and energized what has been called the “medical freedom movement.” Indeed, a headline in the New York Times declared, “How Health Freedom Became a Winning Rally Cry.” As expressed in the comments of RFK Jr., Casey Means, and Marty Makary, the medical freedom movement focuses on the individual not the community—the opposite of public health. In an article titled “Ethics and Social Value Judgments in Public Health,” ethicists from Yale University distinguished public health from medical freedom. “Public health policies,” they wrote, “are population oriented. Because individual health affects the health of others, public health measures regulate individual behavior to achieve population health goals. All raise questions about how individual autonomy and freedom should be balanced against public health interests…which respects individuals’ sovereignty over their bodies and actions as long as their actions do not harm others.” The medical freedom movement fails to recognize that it often limits the freedom of others. For example, a parent who is afraid to send a child to school where many of the students are unvaccinated. Or immune compromised children who depend on those around them to for protection. The question then becomes “Freedom for whom?” Is it your right, in the name of medical freedom, to catch and transmit a potentially fatal infection—and in so doing, take away the freedom of others? In Four Essays on Liberty, Isaiah Berlin sums it up best. “Liberty for the wolves,” he wrote, “is death to the lambs.” Thanks for reading Beyond the Noise! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. Subscribe
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