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The Best Deals From Best Buy's Early Labor Day Sale 2026
Best Buy's Labor Day Sale has started early and runs through midnight on September 7. You can find deals on Bose headphones, Samsung TVs, gaming monitors, laptops, tablets, streaming devices, and more.
Sanford Health finalizes merger with North Memorial Health
Sanford Health has finalized its merger with North Memorial Health, the Minnesota healthcare system that oversees Robbinsdale Hospital.
NYS Lyme disease cases jump 16%. 'Ticks are winning,' state health commissioner says.
"They're no longer just a nuisance, but ticks really are a rising threat," the state health commissioner said on Tuesday in Hampton Bays.
Matias Fernandez-Pardo to Newcastle: Signing from Lille is ‘'very fast' with 'unbelievable power' like Jeremy Doku
With Newcastle United signing Matias Fernandez-Pardo for £51m from Lille, Adam Bate speaks to the players former coach to find out what makes the Belgian forward so good: You could compare him a little bit to Jeremy Doku. He is very explosive, very fast
Google Hikes Prices of TV Streamer, Nest Doorbells and Cameras
The Google TV Streamer gets a massive 50% bump, with the brand saying its price adjustments reflect rising component costs.
A.I., water, parking: Nevada mayors talk the cost of doing business
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Three Nevada mayors took the stage facing a sold-out crowd at a Las Vegas casino ballroom. Their performance, a glance at what industry is thriving throughout the valley du…
Trump admin revives ‘Apprentice’-era energy with $1M business battle in DC
Nicki Minaj, Grant Cardone, and Joe Gebbia will judge the SBA's Patriot Pitch as five entrepreneur finalists compete for $1 million in cash.
Free health services await farmers at Husker Harvest Days
Show attendees can access vital health resources, from heart screenings to farm safety education, all in one convenient location.
How Dolly Parton helped after Reba McEntire’s band died in plane crash
Remembering how Dolly Parton helped her friend Reba McEntire after the “Fancy” singer’s bandmates died in a 1991 plane crash.
TerminalFix Uses Fake Cloudflare CAPTCHAs to Deploy Reverse-Tunnel Backdoor
Microsoft says TerminalFix uses fake Cloudflare CAPTCHAs to trigger PowerShell and deploy a reverse-tunnel backdoor for internal network access.
Today's NYT Connections Hints (and Answer) for Sunday, August 30, 2026
If you’re looking for the Connections answer for Sunday, August 30, 2026, read on—I’ll share some clues, tips, and strategies, and finally the solutions to all four categories.
Android 17 Adds OS-Wide ECH to Hide Website Visits From Network Providers
Android 17 adds OS-wide ECH, local network permissions, default certificate transparency, and carrier-controlled 2G blocking.
From New Locations to Million-Dollar Grants, Polsky Small Business Growth Program Alumni Continue to Grow - Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Alumni of the Polsky Small Business Growth Program are marking a series of major milestones, from opening additional locations to securing grants and contracts worth more than $1M.
Muchova & Mensik win US Open mixed doubles title
Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik save two match points on their way to the US Open mixed doubles title and $1m in prize money.
On the set for Emily Kinney’s return as Beth on ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ (exclusive)
We were on the set for Emily Kinney’s return as Beth on ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City,’ where the actress discussed bringing her character back from the dead.
Using FDA addiction science, researcher asks: Do salty, high-fat foods act like drugs?
Click for more on new grant from the National Institutes of Health
Runable hits $21M to bet AI agents can go from building businesses to growing them
Runable says 60%–70% of its 1 trillion-plus token usage in the last 90 days came from paying customers.
First Look: The Updated Longines Master Collection now gets Light Blue Dials
Longines' recent love for ice blue gets spread on the Master Collection, with new Light Blue dials for th 39mm and 41mm automatic models.
Commerce Awards $1M to Fuel Business, Manufacturing Expansion
The grants include $150,000 awards to four businesses and $130,000 awards to three industry cluster organizations
Fullspan Health’s AI agent sees strong early traction with 1.1M views since June launch
Fullspan Health’s conversational artificial intelligence agent is gaining traction among users. | The conversational AI tool—dubbed Healthline AI—is sourced directly from the publisher’s medically reviewed properties.
'GTA 6' Leak Reveals New Feature Rockstar Was Probably Saving For Netflix
The world of Grand Theft Auto 6 will be impacted by its evolved day and night cycle
What Is This 'Android Pulse' App Appearing on Everybody's Phones?
Android users started seeing a new Android Pulse app on their phones over the weekend. As it turns out, it's supposed to be there.
TCL Chinese makes theater history after $4.1M in 'Odyssey' ticket sales
TCL became the highest-grossing on any movie
Chiefs Balancing Flexibility but 'Open for Business' With Roster Cuts Looming
With the 53-man roster deadline on the horizon, KC's leaving the door open for an addition.
Sustainable ag, boosted health
Study finds mental, physical health and community benefits of program that works in ag with refugees, immigrants.
Nancy Kassebaum swung open the door for Kansas women in politics
Nancy Kassebaum helped pave the way for other Kansas women to ascend to higher office in Kansas. Kassebaum died Aug. 21, 2026, at the age of 94.
Autonomy and Innovation
Incentives favor offense when it comes to agentic cybersecurity; it’s the same dynamic that will limit incumbents and fuel startups in the long run.
This week in politics: What tipped the scales in close East Bay race?
KTVU political analyst Nolan Higdon joined us on "Mornings on 2" to break down Aisha Wahab’s special election victory in the East Bay and the rising bipartisan debate over license plate surveillance cameras.
China’s internet army is quietly embedding AI into everyday lives
From RedNote to Meituan, digital platforms are bypassing third-party providers to build in-house AI models.
Note on Tony Khan Ribbing Fans at AEW Events
Company president Tony Khan appears to be ribbing fans about bringing AEW events to their cities, and it's an ongoing bit at this point.
Siemens Healthineers receives up to $31M to develop autonomous robot for remote stroke treatments
The funding, provided over five years, will go toward developing a robot capable of performing advanced endovascular procedures without direct human input.
Apple Reportedly Lays Off 60 Vision Products Group Employees
Apple "has just laid off an entire team dedicated to VR development," reports AppleInsider, citing its own source. Apple is said to have laid off at least 60 employees from its Apple Vision Group. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the Vision Pro team was disbanded and its members redistributed across other projects, following the October 2025 refresh of the Vision Pro and the headset's weak reception.
Cloudflare Workers Spectre Attack Leaks JWT From Co-Located Worker at 12 Bits/Second
Researchers leak a JWT from a co-located Cloudflare Worker via Spectre at up to 12 bits per second; Cloudflare says the attack is mitigated.
10 Shows Like 'Lucky' You Should Watch Next
Like Anya Taylor-Joy in Apple TV's hit Lucky, these sisters are doing it for themselves (doing crimes and dodging the cops, that is).
"We chose the worst time in history" – Harvey Smith on starting his own studio after Arkane
Black Pony Immersive has been built to create the games that Smith and his Dishonored and Deus Ex colleagues do best
Providence Health Plan to close completely after Medicare Advantage deal falls through
The regional health plan was in talks with an unnamed national insurer to keep its MA plans afloat. But the agreement sputtered “despite significant effort on all sides,” a Providence spokesperson said.
10 Shows Like 'The 100' You Should Watch Next
The 100 remains our most thoroughly explored TV dystopia. In its absence, explore these other hellscapes near and distant, particularly when they involve throwing teenagers at apocalyptic problems.
How The Studbudz Turned WNBA All-Star Into A $1M Brand Business
WNBA stars Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, the StudBudz, turned WNBA All-Star into $1M+ in brand deals, building a thriving athlete-led business.
Today's NYT Strands Hints (and Answer) for Tuesday, August 18, 2026
If you’re looking for hints and answers for Tuesday, August 18, 2026 with the theme “Fool me once …,” read on.
Nearly 1M Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles recalled over camera glitch
Stellantis is recalling nearly one million Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram vehicles worldwide over radio software that may disable rearview cameras.
Pennsylvania Highlights Housing Investments to Improve Health
Pennsylvania officials have committed $1 million in state funding to connect vulnerable Medicaid recipients with housing and health services. | State funding will bring housing support for Medicaid recipients with chronic health conditions.
Oh look, it’s the new 223mph, €1m+ Brabus Bodo Cabriolet
Liked the Brabus Bodo Coupe? Here’s the limited edition droptop
Serie A livestream: How to watch Serie A for free
Live stream select Serie A fixtures without spending anything.
Amazon is selling a 2-in-1 laptop and tablet for just $75
"Excellent tablet for everyday use."
Microsoft Is Combining Its Two 'Copilot' Apps (and Ditching These Three Features)
Microsoft is consolidating its two Copilot experiences, so all users will now rely on the same app.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits Atwater, announces $102M investment in health centers
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Atwater Thursday, highlighting new federal investments aimed at expanding access to prima
Abbott to pump up blood supply with $1M college sports prize amid US crisis
Abbott is again tapping into the competitive spirit of Big Ten universities to drive blood donations,
Science labs can flourish when they focus on the ‘why’
Open-ended experiments that engage students with a “need to know” factor rather than a “cookie-cutter” approach are key, say veteran science teachers.
Northwestern earns CACREP accreditation for clinical mental health counseling
Northwestern College’s master’s program in clinical mental health counseling has received accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the premier nationally recognized accrediting organization for counseling education programs.
Zoom Annotation Flaws Could Let a Meeting Participant Hijack Another Attendee's Client
Zoom Annotation Flaws Could Let a Meeting Participant Hijack Another Attendee's Client | Read more hacking news on The Hacker News cybersecurity news website and learn how to protect against cyberattacks and software vulnerabilities.
MEAS Researchers Lead $1M NSF Project Using AI to Forecast Coastal Dead Zones | Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
The team aims to produce faster forecasting tools that could support fisheries management and decision-making in Gulf Coast communities.
Photo leak backs up massive iPhone 18 Pro Max battery rumor
A photograph seems to back up claims of the increased battery capacity fo the iPhone 18 Pro Max, weighing in at a massive 5,391mAh.
New CSS Attacks Can Break Webmail Defenses to Steal Passwords and Tokens
Outlook CSS techniques can spoof Microsoft sign-in and capture passwords, while Gmail image-set() can trigger external requests from malicious email c
PENN Entertainment (PENN) Stock Profit Rebound Faces Lingering Digital Doubts
PENN Entertainment stock barely moved on the results, edging up about 0.3% to US$20.18, even though the earnings story was anything but sleepy. Q2 flipped back into the black with basic earnings per share of US$0.25 and net income of US$33.1m. Retail casinos produced record quarterly revenue and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and rent that management highlighted on the call. The market reaction looks muted for now. The real question for investors is how...
The burnout crisis among cardiac CT specialists is getting worse
Six in 10 cardiovascular imagers report feelings of burnout, and many of them are thinking about leaving the field altogether.
AHF Launches Health and Housing Newsletter
There is growing recognition that housing is more than a roof over someone’s head—it’s a critical driver of health and well-being. | The newsletter comes as the two sectors are working together for better resident, business, and community outcomes.
Bournemouth sign Spanish right-back Juanlu
Bournemouth announce the signing of right-back Juanlu Sanchez from Spanish club Sevilla in a deal worth up to £11.1m.
Sanofi suspends chronic lung disease phase 2 study, tied to ‘strategic business reasons’
Sanofi halted a phase 2 trial testing a monoclonal antibody, SAR445399, in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis, Fierce Biotech has learned. The trial, which began only back in April, was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to measure the reduction in mucus plug score following treatment with SAR445399 compared with placebo in adults aged 18 to 80 years with NCFB, a chronic lung disease. The trial was officially reported as halted on July 29, the day before Sanofi’s second-quarter earnings call. The decision to pause the trial was made “as part of a company-wide portfolio review for strategic business reasons,” and not due to safety concerns, a Sanofi spokesperson told Fierce. The move to pause the NCFB trial comes during a trying time for Sanofi following a year filled with a series of trial fails. In February, the French pharma ousted CEO Paul Hudson and appointed Merck KGaA leader Belén Garijo, M.D., Ph.D., to steer the ship. Since then, Garijo has been doing a deep dive on correcting the company’s strewn R&D and clinical strategies. On July 24, Sanofi scrapped amlitelimab for atopic dermatitis, despite its lore as being a potential $5 billion blockbuster. During its second-quarter report, the company abandoned two more assets, balinatunfib and itepekimab, following failed trial results in psoriasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respectively. SAR445399, only first revealed by Sanofi in 2023, is an anti-interleukin-1 receptor 3 monoclonal antibody developed to block the interleukin 1, 33, and 36 cytokine pathways. These pathways can be important in chronic immune-related dermatologic diseases, such as atopic dermatitis and hidradenitis suppurativa, as well as respiratory conditions, such as NCFB. Related Sanofi’s new CEO ‘looking deeply’ at late-stage pipeline as clinical clearout continues NCFB affects roughly half a million people in the U.S., with a global incidence of greater than one million cases. In August 2025, Insmed received FDA approval for Brinsupri, a DPP1 inhibitor targeting neutrophil activation, for treatment of NCFB in adults and kids ages 12 and older. The British biotech Infex Therapeutics showed promising NCFB phase 2a data using their monoclonal antibody, INFEX702, which acts by disabling Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacteria known to be a major pathogen of NCFB. Sanofi is currently running a separate phase 2 study testing SAR445399 as a potential treatment for the inflammatory skin condition hidradenitis suppurativa.
Former progressive Squad member Cori Bush attempts political comeback against Missouri US Rep. Bell
Former U.S. Rep. Cori Bush is attempting a political comeback in a Missouri Democratic primary.
The Thrill Returns! MLV Is Back In Vegas
Major League Volleyball is back in Las Vegas, as the Vegas Thrill has officially announced it will return to the court in 2027.
Corporate law firms funnel nearly $1M to Democratic incumbents
Last year’s bitter legislative fight over Senate Bill 21 – to shield companies from certain lawsuits – has spilled into the summer’s primary season.
When the pads go on at Steelers training camp, who will shine?
Monday is the first practice in pads in this year’s training camp.
Steelers camp observations: The Aaron Rodgers-Pat Freiermuth connection is starting to heat up
Freiermuth, who is hoping for a resurgent season under new coach Mike McCarthy, caught a touchdown pass in the two-minute drill late in practice.
Frederick Health Hospital Auxiliary completes $1M pledge for Critical Care Campaign
The Frederick Health Hospital Auxiliary recently donated $260,000 to support the hospital's ReEnvisioning Critical Care Campaign.
Introducing: TAG Heuer, Team Ikuzawa, And Bamford Return With A Second Collaboration
In keeping with the punchy colors of the iconic Japanese team, but with the newer "Glassbox" format, this is anything but a reserved chronograph.
Why Nike is trying to reignite its sportswear business with a hoodie
Studio Fleece, the retailer’s latest line, aims to recreate a series of wardrobe staples for women, Nike’s Jill Gonzalez told Retail Dive.
Grand Rapids lands $1M to revive struggling business corridors
Grand Rapids will receive $1 million from the state to create low-interest loans that help small businesses renovate storefronts, fill vacancies and grow.
Folk music pioneer Linda Perhacs declared missing as loved ones seek public’s help
Linda Perhacs, the pioneering psych-folk musician whose dormant career underwent a renaissance in the mid-2010s, is missing. Perhacs’ friends and collaborators are seeking the public’s help in locating her.
Packers Viewed as Ideal Landing Spot for $71M Star
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea has requested a trade if he cannot get a deal done with his team. This has led many fans and media to suggest that the Green Bay Packers trade for Vea. JP Acosta of CBS Sports listed the Packers as one of the few teams that make the […] The post Packers Viewed as Ideal Landing Spot for $71M Star appeared first on HEAVY.
CBS Sports projects Dolphins QB Malik Willis' stats for 2026
The Miami Dolphins have a new quarterback under center for 2026. How will he do with his new team? CBS Sports projects some interesting numbers.
Kustom Entertainment Amends Divestiture Terms With Cycurion Into Upgraded $6.1M Deal Featuring Immediate Cash Injection And 12% Yielding Preferred Equity
Cycurion Inc NASDAQ:CYCU:
Kustom Entertainment Amends Divestiture Terms with Cycurion into Upgraded $6.1M Deal Featuring Immediate Cash Injection and 12% Yielding Preferred Equity
Captures $250,000 in immediate non-refundable capital, eliminates warrants in favor of preferred equity, and sharpens execution on its $100B live...
Kustom Entertainment Amends Divestiture Terms with Cycurion into Upgraded $6.1M Deal Featuring Immediate Cash Injection and 12% Yielding Preferred Equity
Captures $250,000 in immediate non-refundable capital, eliminates warrants in favor of preferred equity, and sharpens execution on its $100B live entertainment and ticketing expansion. OVERLAND PARK, KS, July 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kustom Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: KUST) (“Kustom” or the “Company”), an emerging force in live music festival production and proprietary ticketing operations, today announced a major upgrade to its divestiture strategy. On July 23, 2026, the Company executed t
2026 Best of Johnson County Arts & Entertainment winners
Best Live Music Venue: Aztec Shawnee Theater Currently operating as a live music venue, the Aztec Shawnee Theater is a historic movie palace that first open ...
Roster Rankings: Do Dallas Cowboys Boast NFL's Best 'Triplets'?
Andy Burnham and the rise of ‘aura farming’ in politics
Is “aura farming” the new political superpower? There are some days in TV news when you find yourself standing in the middle of a farm, surrounded by baby goats, trying to explain internet slang. Subscribe This was one of those days. There I was, in wellies, trying to unpack aura farming - a Gen Z term for carefully cultivating your image online so that you look effortlessly cool, authentic and charismatic. The trick, apparently, is that it can’t look like you’re trying too hard. Which, I’ll admit, felt slightly ironic as we filmed an entire report on a farm purely because the word farming is in the title. ‘Shaped by algorithms’ Whether you like it or not, politics increasingly feels like it’s being shaped by algorithms as much as manifestos. Take Andy Burnham. Since arriving at Number 10, he’s been impossible to miss online. One minute he’s out for a casual jog with Mo Farah. Next he’s announcing policy alongside TikTok high priestess Bus Aunty. His social media paints a very deliberate picture: less polished Westminster operator, more bloke from the North who just happens to be running the country. It’s not accidental. Burnham’s “King of the North”, New Order-loving persona has become part of a carefully constructed political brand. Authenticity is now something politicians work incredibly hard to make look effortless. But Burnham isn’t inventing this playbook. Like so many of us doomscrolling on an evening, he’s been influenced online. The digital strategy of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, pictured above right, has become a case study in viral political communication, and some of the people behind that campaign have recently been advising the Labour Party in Britain. Their message is simple: if you want to reach younger voters, you need to show up where they already spend their time. Embracing content creators And increasingly, that doesn’t mean traditional news interviews (awkward). It means speaking to content creators like Max from The Career Ladder, whose channels reach around 20 million followers worldwide. His interview with Burnham, pictured below, was posted almost immediately after he became Prime Minister. What struck me wasn’t just the audience size, but something Max told me afterwards: many people in the comments said they’d discovered Britain had a new Prime Minister through his interview. Think about that for a moment. Not through rolling news. Not through newspapers. Through a creator they were already following while scrolling. Share That’s a profound shift in how political information reaches people, one that’s been gathering momentum for some time. It also explains why politicians are embracing content creators and spending millions on digital marketing. Of course, this isn’t unique to one party. ‘Personality before policy’ In many ways, the right were quicker off the mark in building their aura online. Donald Trump built much of his political identity on social media. Nigel Farage remains one of Britain’s strongest political performers on TikTok. Politicians across the spectrum now understand that personality often reaches people before policy does. During a six-week UK general election campaign alone, overall digital ad spending routinely tops £11m. Share Channel 4 News Former Number 10 social media adviser Andrew Wong put it well when he told me that “vibes” can help someone get noticed, but they only work if they’re rooted in a genuine personality. Force it, and audiences spot it instantly. The bigger question is whether internet charisma can backfire on you - especially when you’re Prime Minister. Because behind Burnham’s carefully curated videos is a veteran politician with decades of Westminster experience. The spontaneity is produced. While the authenticity may be genuine, it’s managed. That’s not necessarily a criticism. It’s simply the reality of modern political communication. Aura farming alone is not enough to harvest change. But in the age of algorithms, winning attention may be the first battle. Subscribe Share Channel 4 News Leave a comment
Titans add secondary depth, sign former Chiefs CB Nazeeh Johnson
The Tennessee Titans signed former Chiefs defensive back Nazeeh Johnson to add veteran depth to their secondary.
US business activity, confidence surge to 8-month high: S&P Global
While U.S. exports fell this month, July 4 celebrations and the World Cup competition spurred domestic demand, S&P Global said.
DAS Companies sells West Donegal Twp. warehouse for $15.1M
Truck stop supply distributor DAS Companies Inc. has sold a warehouse in the West Donegal Township industrial park where it unloaded a larger building in February 2025 during a company
The Latest Policy Issue: Sports Prediction Markets
House Agriculture Committee examines regulatory gaps in sports prediction markets. Learn how federal oversight is evolving for this booming industry.
Falcons Reacts Survey: What is Tua Tagovailoa’s outlook?
How will the former top-five pick maximize his fresh start in Atlanta?
1.3K views · 16 reactions | Sony Pictures Entertainment said that it...
Sony Pictures Entertainment said that it would reopen the Cinerama Dome, a Hollywood landmark, in 2028 after a renovation. Read more: https://nyti.ms/4x35CMZ
Health department to hold free flood-recovery vaccine clinic Friday at Wesleyan
The Upshur-Buckhannon Health Department will offer free Tdap and hepatitis A vaccines beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, July 24, at West Virginia Wesleyan College for anyone who was in floodwater or is helping with cleanup.
Olathe's $320M accessible entertainment district is taking shape
Developers say the Halo Care Collective is on track to open Jan. 1, while the larger accessible entertainment district is set for 2028.
Apple Plans Overhaul of MacBooks, iMac in Push to Meet AI Demand
Apple Inc. is readying an overhaul of its Mac line, seeking to capitalize on demand for powerful laptops and desktops fueled by the artificial intelligence boom.
The Bear’s Den, July 22, 2026
The Chicago Bears and the Dog Days? Sure, lets make a list about it!
Conan O’Brien shocks fans with new hairdo: ‘Greaser Conan’
Conan O’Brien is sporting a new ’do these days, and fans are confused: ‘Are we just ignoring his hair?’
This year's Best of Johnson County Arts & Entertainment winners
Congrats to the winners of this year's Best of Johnson County Arts & Entertainment categories! Best Live Music Venue: Aztec Shawnee Theater Current ...
Bill Gates heads to Africa's cleanest country to learn about its health success story and discuss its $50 million plan
One of the world’s richest men, Bill Gates, is heading to Rwanda to get a glimpse of the progress the Eastern African country has made regarding its health sector
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.
Modern Warfare 4: Open Beta, NEXT, Fanatics Fest, & Serialized Camo
Relive Modern Warfare® 4 at Fanatics Fest, get Open Beta and Call of Duty®: NEXT intel, plus Nintendo® Switch 2 pre-order details and a first-of-its-kind Serialized Weapon Camo pre-order challenge.
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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