Search headlines

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

Apr 21 • 9:31 AM EDT • Science • democracysos.substack.com

In new memoir, Bottoms says hardships shaped her political identity

The Democratic contender for governor writes about private trauma and public slights, arguing those hardships forged the leader now asking Georgians for a promotion.

Apr 21 • 9:06 AM EDT • Politics • ajc.com

These digital games are teaching players about the world's most fragile ecosystems

As Earth Day highlights the importance of protecting the planet, a pair of digital learning games from Arizona State University’s Ask A Biologist is helping people move from awareness to action in their everyday lives.

Apr 21 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • news.asu.edu

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

Apr 21 • 7:03 AM EDT • Health • substack.com

Inside Louisville’s Relentless Push to Keep Pace Amid College Sports’ Spending Spree

Facing an uncertain future, the Cardinals are pouring millions into football and basketball while pushing for sweeping changes to a broken economic model.

Apr 21 • 7:00 AM EDT • Sports • si.com

AI technology lets blind fans 'feel' live sports action

For the millions of blind and visually impaired sports fans worldwide, there's a transformative new way to experience live sports.

Apr 21 • 6:01 AM EDT • Sports • palmbeachpost.com

4 questions with Carrie Ask

“Sports is where I learn to really play my position, master my skills, be a great teammate, and continually adapt to the game. That has implications for life, for business, and how we show up for each…

Apr 21 • 4:58 AM EDT • Sports • amersports.com

The U.S. health care system is built around looking backward

A reconstruction layer has fallen on medicine. It asks: Was the original decision justified?

Apr 21 • 4:30 AM EDT • Health • statnews.com

Washington County's 2026 high school spring sports 'Unsung Heroes'

I asked Washington County's spring sports varsity head coaches one question: Who is your team's unsung hero? Here are the coaches' selections.

Apr 21 • 4:01 AM EDT • Sports • heraldmailmedia.com

California says Amazon coerced companies into illegally raising prices

Attorney General Rob Bonta said Amazon asked vendors like Levi's to pressure Walmart into raising prices.

Apr 21 • 2:11 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Democrat Jacqueline Coleman announces 2027 run for Kentucky governor: 'people over politics'

By McKenna Horsley Kentucky Lantern reporter Standing in front of the Hall of Governors at the Kentucky Historical Society, Democratic Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman announced her 2027 run for governor Monday morning. The 43-year-old, who is a former teacher, assistant principal and basketball coach, is making public education a cornerstone of her campaign. Coleman...

Apr 21 • 12:45 AM EDT • Politics • nkytribune.com

Sports Take: Top 5 Baylor WBB players of all time

From foundational stars to generational icons, Baylor women’s basketball has produced no shortage of greatness over the past 25 years. These five players did more than fill up stat sheets; they helped shape the standard of excellence that defines the program.

Apr 20 • 11:31 PM EDT • Sports • baylorlariat.com

Mental health by the numbers in Nebraska

A deeper look tonight as First Alert 6 continues to dig deeper into the state of mental health care in Nebraska and possible solutions, ever since last week’s two instances involving law enforcement.

Apr 20 • 11:20 PM EDT • Health • wowt.com

Politics, Activism Focus Of ‘End Of The World’ Event In Wheeling

WHEELING – Community organizers are asking the public to come get to know each other, make friends, and meet this year’s political candidates at an “End Of The World” party happening this week in Wheeling. The community improvement group “Where Do We Go From Here?” is organizing the event, set for 7-9 p.m. Thursday at […]

Apr 20 • 8:00 PM EDT • Politics • theintelligencer.net

Agomo introduced as 15th men's basketball head coach at Westminster College

Agomo joins Blue Jays after four seasons with Depauw.

Apr 20 • 7:56 PM EDT • Sports • komu.com

College basketball rankings: Why UConn is moving up in preseason way-too-early Top 25 And 1

Braylon Mullins is heading back to the Huskies and Duke's Nikolas Khamenia has committed to UConn coach Dan Hurley

Apr 20 • 4:08 PM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com

Recently-sued Highgrove Holdings president defends himself, business

The lawsuit, filed by the Milwaukee City Attorney on March 26, is asking a judge to declare Highgrove properties a public nuisance.

Apr 20 • 4:00 PM EDT • Business • spectrumnews1.com

UP-based basketball flooring provider expands service within WNBA

Connor Sports’ established presence in women’s professional basketball includes work with the Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings.

Apr 20 • 12:06 PM EDT • Sports • uppermichiganssource.com

Bulls reportedly target 6 candidates for president of basketball operations opening

Apr 20 • 11:35 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Duke basketball under Jon Scheyer: Insiders reveal transfer portal news, 2026 recruits, roster, best targets

TheDevilsDen, the 247Sports affiliate of the Duke Blue Devils, shares its latest college basketball transfer portal news

Apr 20 • 11:29 AM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com

Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic for $250 Million Over Article Claiming Excessive Drinking

Mr. Patel sued the publication for defamation, asking for $250 million in damages. A spokeswoman for The Atlantic called the suit “meritless.”

Apr 20 • 11:20 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com

Former New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu was asked if he’ll run for president. See his answer.

“People say, ‘What, are you going to run for president?” Landrieu told the network. “Maybe.”

Apr 20 • 11:08 AM EDT • Politics • nola.com

Health in a Handbasket: Every Kid Healthy Week

We're kicking off Every Kid Healthy Week, dedicated to helping kids build healthy habits that last a lifetime.

Apr 20 • 9:32 AM EDT • Health • 13wham.com

Carlton player Elijah Hollands admitted to hospital after ‘mental health episode’

Statement released in wake of concerning performance and club asks for ‘privacy of family to be respected’

Apr 20 • 9:01 AM EDT • Health • theguardian.com

Elon students inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Society

“What’s so brave about being sick?” It’s a question Prosanta Chakrabarty often asked himself in the early days of his ongoing fight against cancer. It wasn’t until initial treatment...

Apr 20 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • elon.edu

🏆 Y! Sports AM: Every NCAA winter champion

From basketball to gymnastics to rifle, here are all the winter champs.

Apr 20 • 7:54 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

'I Didn't Listen to Him': Ex PlayStation Boss Shu Yoshida on Why Jim Ryan 'Fired' Him

"He asked to do some ridiculous things"

Apr 20 • 5:00 AM EDT • Technology • pushsquare.com

Nebraska Sandhill ranching wrecked by Morrill Fire

The Nebraska Sandhills are made for cattle grazing, and that is, in large part, what keeps the area thriving and supports the small communities throughout western Nebraska. In Arthur County, most operations are cow-calf producers with a few operators who run yearlings on grass during the summer. On a good year, the grass is dense […]

Apr 20 • 2:15 AM EDT • Politics • coloradopolitics.com

Sports Buzz: Bears suffer Revivalry losses in 3 sports, softball walks off Utah

Baseball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis all lost to TCU this weekend, while softball bounced back and women’s basketball landed a new transfer.

Apr 20 • 12:41 AM EDT • Sports • baylorlariat.com

SportsMonday: Behind the scenes

Growing up right here in Ann Arbor, my entire life revolved around sports. I’ve missed a total of five home Michigan football games since I was 7 years old. I played soccer, basketball, volleyball and baseball when I was younger before switching to water polo and swimming in high school. Every summer for my birthday, […]

Apr 19 • 11:45 PM EDT • Sports • michigandaily.com

Seton Hall basketball adds Del Jones, high-scoring transfer guard

3 things to know about Del Jones, who starred for Radford this past season.

Apr 19 • 7:34 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Families connect with resources at Stormont Vail Health Welcome Baby Jubilee event

The event supports families, giving those who are welcoming a new baby a chance to ask questions, find resources, and meet the Stormont Vail Birthplace team.

Apr 19 • 4:33 PM EDT • Health • wibw.com

Nebraska baseball dominates at the plate to sweep No. 12 USC

Nebraska baseball (31-9, 15-3) secured the series sweep against No. 12 USC (30-11, 13-8) with a 16-6 win on Sunday. Sliding plays at the plate, a grand slam and a plethora of hits kept the record-breaking number of fans at Haymarket Park entertained.

Apr 19 • 1:11 PM EDT • Sports • dailynebraskan.com

Windows 11 to get a major reliability update in May with faster clipboard, stable taskbar, storage and more

Microsoft is preparing a major Windows 11 reliability update for May 2026 with improvements across File Explorer, explorer.exe, taskbar, Settings, clipboard history, input systems, and Windows Hello. Early Insider builds show faster performance, fewer crashes, and a more stable experience.

Apr 19 • 1:09 PM EDT • Technology • windowslatest.com

PG Joel Foxwell to transfer to ASU

Portland transfer point guard Joel Foxwell committed to ASU men's basketball following a First Team All-WCC freshman campaign.

Apr 19 • 12:41 PM EDT • Sports • arizonasports.com

Duke basketball lands four-star transfer, first during this cycle

The Blue Devils make their first move in the portal.

Apr 19 • 11:47 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Appleton area high school sports results for Saturday, April 18

High school softball, soccer, baseball and golf teams were in action.

Apr 19 • 10:33 AM EDT • Sports • postcrescent.com

Microsoft Is Quietly Opening the Windows 11 Taskbar To Third-Party AI Agents That Can Act On Your Desktop

Microsoft launches AI Agents for Windows 11 taskbar supporting third-party options, enhancing productivity with Microsoft 365 Researcher and more.

Apr 19 • 9:17 AM EDT • Technology • wccftech.com

Scientists develop dirt-powered fuel cell that could replace batteries

Scientists have developed a fuel cell that uses microbes in soil to produce electricity. The device can power underground sensors for tasks like monitoring moisture or detecting touch, without needing batteries or solar panels. It works in both dry and wet conditions and even lasts longer than similar technologies. This could pave the way for sustainable, low-maintenance sensors in farming and environmental monitoring.

Apr 19 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • sciencedaily.com

How a must-win Michigan Senate race turned messy for Democrats

Sitting in a coffee shop in his hometown of Ann Arbor, Abdul El-Sayed is ready to dispel the notion that he’s unelectable. “I think there is this notion that electability is about being the least offensive,” he told CNN. “If that were true, why would Donald Trump have won the presidency twice?” Whether he’s right could have enormous ramifications for control of the Senate. Michigan’s open Senate seat is now emerging as a GOP hedge against a potential takeover for Democrats, who need to net four seats to flip the chamber. Losing Michigan would make the Democrats’ task almost impossible, a major reason why a leading Republican outside group just announced plans to pour $45 million into the state this summer and fall to boost former Rep. Mike Rogers, the likely GOP nominee. El-Sayed faces US Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow in a battle already riven by divides over Israel, immigration enforcement and health care.

Apr 19 • 7:00 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

Asking the Wrong Questions About Hasan Piker

The problem isn’t whether to engage with influencers, but how to.

Apr 19 • 7:00 AM EDT • Politics • theatlantic.com

Bankrupt 'Housewives' star Pinky Cole reveals how she makes her money

"Real Housewives of Atlanta" star Aisha "Pinky" Cole was also asked about her income from the reality TV show during a Friday creditors meeting.

Apr 19 • 5:45 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

JD Vance could yet save his political skin. But it will mean turning on Trump

The vice-president has endured his most humiliating – and damaging – week as his boss’s fall guy. How much more can Maga’s great hope take? asks Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall

Apr 19 • 3:00 AM EDT • Politics • theguardian.com

San Jose Sharks phenom Macklin Celebrini open to contract extension

San Jose Sharks young star Macklin Celebrini was asked whether he'd want to be with the Sharks long term.

Apr 18 • 8:38 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Charlotte basket artist's work on display at Gaston museum

‘Woven with Purpose’ highlights Shakeeka Watts Brooks

Apr 18 • 8:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • thecharlottepost.com

Missing teen with health problems last seen in Fair Play, deputies say

Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or leave a news tip with Crimestoppers.

Apr 18 • 2:15 PM EDT • Health • foxcarolina.com

Justin Stalter Commits To Waynesburg Basketball

By: Jared Barton North Allegheny multi-sport athlete Justin Stalter has made his commitment to the next level. Stalter posted on social media Friday that he will be playing basketball for Waynesburg University. Stalter was a multi-year starter and contributor to both the basketball team and the boys’ soccer program. He was a soccer captain this past… More »

Apr 18 • 12:58 PM EDT • Sports • athletics.northallegheny.org

Former Arkansas basketball guard D.J. Wagner commits to Maryland

Wagner, who announced he was entering the portal on April 6, averaged 7.4 points and 2.4 assists per game in his junior season.

Apr 18 • 12:05 PM EDT • Sports • wholehogsports.com

Nebraska men’s tennis wins huge conference matchup against Penn State

No. 61 Nebraska men’s tennis needed to defeat Penn State to keep its postseason hopes alive. The Huskers succeeded in that goal, beating the Nittany Lions convincingly, 4-2 at the Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center on Friday, April 17.

Apr 18 • 12:05 PM EDT • Sports • dailynebraskan.com

Trump accelerates research on psychedelic treatments and asks, ‘Can I have some?’

President Donald Trump on Saturday signed an executive order aimed at encouraging expanded research into ibogaine and other psychedelic drugs, part of a broader push to explore emerging mental health treatments.

Apr 18 • 12:02 PM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

14 Cool Gadgets On Amazon That Can Solve Everyday Problems

Sometimes it's the little things in life that cause the most stress, but the right gadgets from Amazon can take those annoying tasks off your to-do list.

Apr 18 • 12:02 PM EDT • Technology • bgr.com

Steelers veteran confident in Will Howard as starting quarterback

Pittsburgh Steelers veteran defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is confident in Will Howard if he's asked to become the starting quarterback.

Apr 18 • 10:32 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Ogden Raptors add new broadcast voice with familiar pedigree

The Ogden Raptors are adding a new voice to the broadcast booth for the 2026 season. The team announced the hire of Arden Louchheim as an additional announcer for play by play and color commentary. Louchheim is finishing up both her sports media degree and her women’s golf career at the University of Nebraska but […]

Apr 18 • 10:30 AM EDT • Sports • standard.net

Stop asking AI for life advice

Recent studies confirm that you're better off finding a human therapist.

Apr 18 • 8:03 AM EDT • Science • popsci.com

BREAKING: Nebraska men’s basketball lands 6-foot-11 big man

The Huskers landed 6-foot-11 Boston College transfer forward Boden Kapke on Wednesday afternoon, per On3.

Apr 18 • 5:26 AM EDT • Sports • dailynebraskan.com

Trump envoy faces 'sweeping' investigation over business ties, diplomatic role

Democratic U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin launched what he described as a "sweeping" investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, over a potential conflict of interest, according to an April 17 press release. The inquiry focuses on Kushner's dual role as a diplomatic intermediary and head of a private equity firm, raising questions about whether his financial ties could influence U.S. foreign policy decisions. Kushner has played a central role in Trum

Apr 18 • 4:53 AM EDT • Business • kyivindependent.com

Nebraska baseball caps improbable comeback over USC with walk-off in 10th

Nebraska baseball’s Friday night matchup with No. 12 USC was a night that had all the makings of a pitcher’s duel. In a star-studded matchup between Mason Edwards and Cooper Katskee, the series opener shaped up to be a game dominated by two high-profile arms.

Apr 17 • 11:31 PM EDT • Sports • dailynebraskan.com

Appleton area high school sports results for Friday, April 17

High school softball, baseball, soccer and golf teams were in action.

Apr 17 • 10:23 PM EDT • Sports • postcrescent.com

Sentinel Sports: MEHS boys basketball team's historic state tournament

March was a big month for Mt. Edgecumbe sports. The high school's boys basketball team won their first state championship, ending a 75-year history without a title.

Apr 17 • 8:12 PM EDT • Sports • kcaw.org

See you out there! | New opportunities in the most unlikely of places

Never in my mind did I think I’d be on the Central Coast covering perfect games and championship-caliber basketball teams throwing up 3-pointers like it was a pickup game.

Apr 17 • 7:47 PM EDT • Sports • santamariatimes.com

Microsoft confirms AI agents are still coming to the Windows 11 taskbar as it prepares for public rollout

Microsoft has clarified that it's not giving up on an agentic Windows 11 experience and is still bringing agents to your taskbar.

Apr 17 • 7:44 PM EDT • Technology • windowslatest.com

Jaylin Stewart to transfer from UConn men’s basketball

Stewart will spend his final season of eligibility elsewhere.

Apr 17 • 7:25 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

CU Denver Men’s Basketball Team Plays in National Championship for Club Sports

The CU Denver men’s club basketball team travels to Madison, Wis., to compete in the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA)

Apr 17 • 5:03 PM EDT • Sports • news.ucdenver.edu

College basketball rankings: Indiana lands higher quality of transfers, jumps in way-too-early Top 25 And 1

Hoosiers coach Darian DeVries' transfer haul looks better than last season's

Apr 17 • 3:23 PM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com

The Jacksonville Waves, the city’s newest pro sports team, is set to tip off May 15th

We are less than a month away from tip off for the new women’s basketball league. The Jacksonville Waves play the team’s first game at VyStar Veteran’s memorial Arena on Friday May 15th.

Apr 17 • 2:19 PM EDT • Sports • news4jax.com

BREAKING: Nebraska men’s basketball lands Utah Valley guard Trevan Leonhardt

Nebraska men’s basketball has landed its third player through the transfer portal, after gaining San Orme and Kadyn Betts. Utah Valley guard Trevan Leonhardt has committed to the Huskers, per On3.

Apr 17 • 2:12 PM EDT • Sports • dailynebraskan.com

BRMS beats WHS in first middle school Unified Sports basketball game

While the high schoolers may have had the age advantage, and some height advantages, the middle schoolers had the home court advantage.

Apr 17 • 1:46 PM EDT • Sports • argusleader.com

MLB Broadcaster Defends AI Usage After Internet Pile on Following Health Struggles

MLB broadcaster Angie Mentink defended her use of AI after a viral video showed her asking for questions to ask after a 'tough loss' on Thursday, April 16. Mentink has suffered a stroke two months prior.

Apr 17 • 1:45 PM EDT • Health • people.com

Caitlyn Jenner slammed over asking Donald Trump for help changing passport gender

'The View' star Ana Navarro slammed Caitlyn Jenner for asking Donald Trump for help after her passport was changed to reflect the gender she was assigned at birth: 'Cry me a f---ing river.'

Apr 17 • 12:43 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com

Video: How JD Vance Is Being Tested as Trump’s Chief Defender

Vice President JD Vance has been tasked with defending the Iran war and President Trump’s attacks on Pope Leo XIV. Our White House correspondent Zolan Kanno-Youngs describes how that’s put Vance in a particularly difficult position.

Apr 17 • 11:49 AM EDT • Politics • nytimes.com

College basketball's next gold rush? 10 stars who could cash in on proposed five-for-five eligibility

If the NCAA adopts a five-for-five model before the 2026-27 fall semester, these veteran stars could have more leverage than ever. Here are the biggest potential winners

Apr 17 • 11:24 AM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com

Texas Tech Tradition Takes Center Stage: Transfer of Reins, Passing of Guns

Texas Tech University formally welcomes the future leaders behind two of its most recognizable figures: the Masked Rider and Raider Red.

Apr 17 • 11:17 AM EDT • Science • kcbd.com

How today’s AI trainers could be tomorrow’s displaced workers

A fast-growing AI startup is betting it can transform—and potentially replace—large swaths of white-collar work by turning professionals into trainers for the very systems that could one day displace them, Bloomberg writes. Mercor, now valued at $10 billion, recruits doctors, lawyers, consultants and other experts to break down their jobs into step-by-step tasks, feeding that […]

Apr 17 • 10:59 AM EDT • Business • businessreport.com

Iran agrees to stop enriching uranium, Trump tells NewsNation

When asked directly whether Iran had agreed to halt uranium enrichment, Trump replied, “Yes.”

Apr 17 • 10:49 AM EDT • Politics • newsnationnow.com

Kaitlan Collins asks Trump why he’s fighting with the pope

Apr 17 • 9:25 AM EDT • Politics • cnn.com

USC women’s basketball officially signs five-star Sara Okeke

The Women of Troy are loading up on the recruiting trail, and have now officially signed three five-stars in the 2026 cycle

Apr 17 • 7:55 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

In asking sources around the league Wednesday ahead of …

In asking sources around the league Wednesday ahead of …

Apr 17 • 7:44 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Kentucky basketball under Mark Pope: Insiders reveal transfer portal news, 2026 recruits, roster, best targets

CatsPause, the 247Sports affiliate of the Kentucky Wildcats, shares its latest college basketball transfer portal news

Apr 17 • 7:39 AM EDT • Sports • cbssports.com

Why science communication has become a matter of life and death

Scientists have always been trained to do research. For 40 years, they’ve been asked to ensure people believe it. How’s it going?

Apr 17 • 6:00 AM EDT • Science • technical.ly

Why some tech leaders are sounding the alarm about Colorado’s ‘deteriorating’ business climate

Colorado enjoyed a reputation of being business-friendly in recent decades. But some in the business community worry that too much regulation is hurting the state’s ability to attract new companies. And they’re asking the governor for help.

Apr 17 • 3:35 AM EDT • Business • kunc.org