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Great Balloon Rush-Hour Race reroutes, lands on school's sports field
Some students at Kentucky Country Day got a balloon surprise today!
Eastern Kentucky judge-executive resigns after 12 years, citing declining health
“I just don’t feel like I can fulfill what needs to be fulfilled here,” he told the Herald-Leader.
'A completely new reality': Bolder measures are needed to prevent extreme water shortages in cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas that depend on the Colorado River
Cities fed by the Colorado River have taken huge steps to reduce their water consumption over the past few decades, yet water shortages are projected to grow more intense. What can be done?
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups: 3 relievers to target going into this weekend, plus more streaming options
New movies to watch this weekend: See 'Michael' in theaters, rent 'Tow,' stream 'Apex' on Netflix
Is the Michael Jackson biopic any good? Jaafar Jackson deserves praise — but reviews are brutal.
George Pickens is planning to sign $27.3 million franchise tag with Cowboys
Pickens has yet to sign the one-year, fully guaranteed contract but intends to put the issue to rest as the Cowboys go into the NFL draft.
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
Prep talk: Former San Fernando Valley tennis players lead Mission College to state title
Women's players from Kennedy, Sylmar, Granada Hills and Birmingham high schools help Mission College win state championship
Ranking every NFL Draft first-round pick: Raiders get top billing; Cardinals' luxurious move drops them down
Value and personal evaluations are taken into account with each first-round pick.
NJIT expands into Northeast Science & Technology Center
The Northeast Science and Technology (NEST) Center is now officially the research home to four professors and 26 students from NJIT.
St Mirren v Livingston: Pick of the stats
St Mirren have lost just one of their past 16 Scottish Premiership meetings with Livingston (W7 D8), going down 1-0 away from home in February 2024. Livingston won their first-ever Premiership visit to St Mirren 2-0 in August 2018, but have since failed to win 10 such trips in the competition (D4 L6), losing their past four in a row and failing to score in their latest three. Depending on Kilmarnock's result at Aberdeen, Livingston could be relegated this weekend should they fail to beat St Mirren.
Help Support Science With The City Nature Challenge This Weekend
One of the favorite challenges of the year for outdoor lovers happens this weekend: the City Nature Challenge. This worldwide initiative aims to observe and identify as many wild organisms as possible—plants, animals, fungi, and more ...
2026-27 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds: Love or Mendoza Favored Early?
Will the first QB or first RB taken win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award? See the early odds.
How school coaches are prioritizing mental health for student athletes
To get the best out of students, "we have to learn to love them holistically," says one Virginia wrestling coach who has taken mental health awareness training.
Kenyon Sadiq's fantasy football outlook after New York Jets take TE in 2026 NFL Draft
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.
Jets take edge rusher David Bailey over Ohio State's Arvell Reese with No. 2 pick, then take Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq, Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr. in 1st round
Trump\'s planned appearance bringing renewed scrutiny to annual correspondents\' dinner
For the first time as president, Donald Trump is planning to attend the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington this weekend. Some critics can't believe that the reporters
Learfield CEO outlines college sports business, acquisition by TPG
Learfield CEO Cole Gahagan comes on Asking for a Trend to talk more about the multimedia company's role in promoting college sports — especially in the new age of name, image, likeness (NIL) deals for college athletes — and its recent acquisition by TPG (TPG). breaks down its business
HOMETOWN ENTERTAINMENT: Theatre, festivals and concerts this weekend
Attic Productions presents fairytale twist in Never After Happily through May 3
iOS 26.4.2: Apple Fixes iPhone Flaw Used By FBI To Read Deleted Messages
Apple has released a new iPhone update — that has taken many by surprise — to address a vulnerability that was recently exploited by the FBI.
Earliest octopuses were Kraken-like sea monsters, fossils show
Whale-sized, monstrous octopuses prowled the seas during the Age of Dinosaurs, snatching prey with their huge tentacles and crunching them with powerful jaws, fossils from B.C. and Japan suggest.
Trump’s Disapproval Rating Hits Highest Point of His Second Term
The president’s weakening poll numbers come as the war in Iran has driven up gas prices, and more Americans are expressing concerns about the economy.
Local small business broken into and vandalized in Enfield
Local small business owners are out thousands of dollars and years of memories after thieves broke in and stole merchandise and damaged property in Enfield. David LaBerge and his wife recently closed their store, Second Floor Games, at the Enfield Square Mall and are in the process of doing inventory and moving products to their new location, Twilight Cards &…
No. 8 on the list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians: Ken Hagan
He's the unofficial, and sometimes official, Rays whisperer.
‘Kraken-like’ giant octopuses 100m years ago crunched bones of prey
Study of fossilised beaks shows patterns of wear and suggests some ancient species were up to 19 metres long
Scientists just discovered a 60-foot long, kraken-like octopus
The discovery, using novel techniques to analyze fossilized jaws, details how colossal octopuses hunted the Late Cretaceous depths, competing with apex predators.
Kentucky AD Barnhart to forego $1M retirement gig amid criticism
Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart will forego a $1 million retirement gig that had been widely criticized, he announced Thursday.
Peter Molyneux's Latest Game Is A Broken Sandwich-Making Sim
Masters of Albion is out in Early Access, and it sure is a new game from the makers of Godus and Legacy
7 hearings in 7 days: The takeaways from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s week of congressional testimony
Weekend Entertainment | Jo Dee Messina Is Back
Country music veteran Jo Dee Messina hasn’t released a full-length studio album in a dozen years, but that’s about to change.
‘Seinfeld’ star Steve Hytner bringing stand-up show to Emmaus
The actor best known for playing overbearing comedian Kenny Bania on “Seinfeld” is scheduled to appear July 16 at the Emmaus Theatre.
Lehigh Valley Health Network out of network with UnitedHealthcare starting Sunday
This weekend, Lehigh Valley Health Network, now part of Jefferson Health, will be out of network with UnitedHealthcare for commercial plans effective Sunday.
Every active Denver team plays this weekend
Six local franchises play games, including critical playoff matchups.
2026 NFL mock draft 9.2: Will Cowboys target WR with their 1st-round picks after George Pickens negotiations stall?
CBS Sports Network to Broadcast Navy vs. Loyola Game Friday Night Under the Lights
After spending the last two weekends on the road, Navy (7-6, 3-4 Patriot League) returns home to play host to Loyola (8-5, 5-2 Patriot League) on Friday evening in its regular-season finale. Faceoff is slated for 7:06 pm at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and the game is presented by First Command. Navy is led by Joe Amplo, who has put together a 50-39 record in his 7 seasons at the helm of the Mids' program, while Loyola's Charley Toomey has posted a 195-117 record in 21 seasons as the Greyhounds' head coach. The contest marks the 22nd meeting in a series that dates back to 1939. Friday's contest will be televised by CBS Sports Network with Chris Lewis and Evan Washburn calling the action. Additionally, the game will be carried live on 1430 WNAV with Joe Miller on the call. Radio coverage begins at 6:45 pm with the Navy Lacrosse Pregame Show. Live stats will also be available on NavySports.com(.)
Entwisle named to American Academy of Arts and Sciences - College of Arts and Sciences
Carolina sociologist Barbara Entwisle has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Entwisle is the Kenan Distinguished Professor of Sociology and fellow of the Carolina Population Center.
Stephen A.: Knicks need to handle their business on the road - Stream the Video
Stephen A. Smith and Kenny Smith evaluate the Knicks ahead of Game 3 of their playoff series vs. the Hawks on Watch ESPN, first streamed on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
AI just discovered new physics in the fourth state of matter
Physicists have taken a major step toward using AI not just to analyze data, but to uncover entirely new laws of nature. By combining a specially designed neural network with precise 3D tracking of particles in a dusty plasma—a strange “fourth state of matter” found from space to wildfires—the team revealed hidden patterns in how particles interact. Their model captured complex, one-way (non-reciprocal) forces with over 99% accuracy and even overturned long-held assumptions about how these forces behave.
Donegal 'not getting carried away' before Down opener
A first provincial three in a row may be on offer for Donegal this year, but midfielder Hugh McFadden is not looking past the challenge of Down in Letterkenny this Sunday [15:00 BST].
Global business travel optimism drops sharply in Q1, GBTA survey shows
Pessimism among business travel professionals has nearly tripled since the start of the year amid concerns over geopolitical conflict. Weakened sentiment could impact U.S. hotels.
Brevard on a budget: Free, fun things to do this weekend, April 24-29
On a budget? Free, fun things to do in Brevard this weekend include outdoor festivals, concerts and classic motorcycles.
Kennedy’s new silence on vaccines is political — and it won’t last
Kennedy’s public messaging on vaccines has shifted ahead of the midterms. It won’t last.
Smoke Shrouds Northern Thailand
Seasonal fires have darkened skies over Southeast Asia.
State reports first case of measles this year, warns public exposure could have occurred in Kenner
The Louisiana Department of Health said the patient is thought to have contracted the disease abroad, but visited two Kenner stores last week.
Combative, Defensive and Occasionally Contrite, Kennedy Walks a Fine Line
In four days of congressional testimony, the health secretary sought to please the White House and his MAHA base at the same time.
WHO reports measurable health impact in 2025 amid transition to new strategy
The World Health Organization (WHO) today released its Results Report, highlighting measurable improvements in people’s health worldwide in 2025, despite funding cuts affecting both the organization and the broader global health sector.
‘It’s not just stardust.’ Musicians warn AI could erase artists’ livelihoods
Musicians brought their message straight to Capitol Hill, warning lawmakers that AI threatens artists’ voices, likenesses and livelihoods.
4 takeaways from Health Secretary RFK Jr.'s gauntlet of congressional hearings
In his testimony to various committees in the Senate and the House over multiple days, Kennedy was tasked with defending President Donald Trump’s proposed 2027 budget, which would boost defense spending while cutting more than 12% of funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.
4 takeaways from Health Secretary RFK Jr.'s gauntlet of congressional hearings
In his testimony to various committees in the Senate and the House over multiple days, Kennedy was tasked with defending President Donald Trump’s proposed 2027 budget, which would boost defense spending while cutting more than 12% of funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.
Disney employees have an AI dashboard to track who's 'tokenmaxxing'
Disney staffers have an "AI Adoption Dashboard." One Claude user invoked the chatbot 460,000 times in nine days.
2026 NFL mock draft 9.2: Do Cowboys target WR with their 1st-round picks after George Pickens negotiations stall?
Onondaga County at odds with local nonprofit over aquarium donation ask
The non-profit says Onondaga County officials had asked them to donate $1 million to the county's new aquarium currently under construction.
Adversaries may have taken missing US scientists, lawmaker says
Nearly a dozen scientists have disappeared or died in circumstances that some observers have deemed suspicious.
Asian Food Fest 2026: Food vendors, entertainment lineup, road closures and more
Asian Food Fest is returning to downtown Cincinnati this weekend to celebrate its 15th year with more than 50 food vendors and more than 100 entertainment performances.
Health Secy. Robert F. Kennedy Testifies on 2027 Budget Request
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on President Trump's 2027 budget request for the department.
RFK, Jr. set to overhaul key committee that issues disease screening recommendations
Lawmakers grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on cuts and changes to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which focuses on preventive health screening
Why Israel has fallen out of favor with Americans
Wars in Gaza and Iran have weakened the longtime alliance
Redial Entertainment Takes Worldwide Rights To ‘The Isolate Thief’
Redial Entertainment Takes Worldwide Rights To ‘The Isolate Thief’ With Sean Bean, Mackenzie Foy & Odeya Rush
2026 NFL mock draft: Giants bypass wide receiver in Round 1, but two still taken in top 10
Mystery is what defines the 2026 NFL Draft with little certainty at the top.
Good Times
For more information about upcoming events in Citrus County this weekend and beyond, go to the events calendar at www.chronicleonline.com, events, event calendar. Also, read the daily Local section of
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.
29-year-old spent $1,000 to launch a wedding camcorder business—it brought in $1.7 million in sales in less than a year
Anne Marie Carroll started Wedding Weekender with one camcorder in May 2025. Within 10 days of launching she had 50 orders and over $36,000 in sales.
Advancing Earth Observation at NASA since Release of Earthrise Photo
From cameras pressed against spacecraft windows to the most powerful radar ever flown, imaging technology has taken giant leaps since 1968, but the drive to understand our home in the cosmos has remained.
Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.69 is Coming on April 23: New Cars & Power Pack Updates
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3RNULrJcVk Normal service has somewhat been resumed with the confirmation of the latest content update for Gran Turismo 7 game update which arrives on Thursday April 23. We already knew about the update courtesy of the regular teaser post over the weekend, but
iSchool Doctoral Students and Faculty Team Explore AI Use in Healthcare at KCHC
How does artificial intelligence (AI) impact how people take care of their health? On April 2-4, Florida State University (FSU) School of Information (iSchool) Ph.D. candidate Yuanying Pang addressed this question, representing her research team at the Kentucky Conference on Health Communication (KCHC) in Lexington, Kentucky. Their poster presentation, “Understanding How People Use Generative AI…
WATCH LIVE: RFK Jr. testifies on Trump's HHS budget request before Senate committees
WATCH LIVE: RFK Jr. testifies on Trump's HHS budget request before Senate committees
Business News: Timothée Chalamet Joins Urban Jürgensen As Minority Partner And Creative Advisor
This marks the first time the Golden Globe-winning American-French actor and producer has taken on a partnership with a company.
Pokémon Doubles Down on Decision to Penalize Pro Player
A Pokémon pro who saw his tournament win taken away from him in controversial circumstances will not be getting an official reprieve.
CDC won’t publish report showing covid shots cut likelihood of hospital visits
The report, which had cleared the agency’s scientific-review process, had been delayed. It now won’t be published at all, people familiar with the decision told The Post.
RFK Jr. set to face Cassidy in back-to-back Senate hearings
Cassidy cast the key vote to confirm Kennedy last year after securing a series of promises from Kennedy. The health secretary has not kept those promises.
RFK Jr. is on a congressional hearing blitz, after a long absence from Capitol Hill
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. caps off seven budget hearings in as many days, the first time he has testified before Congress since September.
Crab Fest returns with packed entertainment lineup
The Astoria Warrenton Crab and Wine Festival is back for a lively weekend of fresh seafood and nonstop entertainment taking place from April 24-26 at the Clatsop County Fair and […]
Top 10 things to do this weekend, festival season kickoff edition
Find the best places to be this weekend in Cincinnati, from Asian Food Fest to Jane Austen Festival to belated Earth Day celebrations.
Senate hearings with RFK Jr. put Cassidy’s competing loyalties to Trump and science on display
Sen. Bill Cassidy faces a tough situation as he prepares to question Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in two Senate hearings | WWL
Senate hearings with RFK Jr. put Cassidy’s competing loyalties to Trump and science on display
Sen. Bill Cassidy faces a tough situation as he prepares to question Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in two Senate hearings | 97.3 The Sky
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Defends Spending Cuts to Health Agencies
Kennedy appeared before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee about the President’s 2027 budget.
On Capitol Hill, RFK Jr. defends vaccine policies, ongoing shakeups
US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had another long day on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, with lawmakers questioning him on his vaccine views, agency shakeups and a proposed budget that would slash HHS spending on medical research and public health.
Kentucky governor blasts UK athletics' 'decision-making'
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has publicly questioned the "decision-making" at the University of Kentucky, including the seven-figure gig retiring athletic director Mitch Barnhart was recently given.
Vampire Crawlers: 12 Things I Wish I Knew Before Playing
How to manage your chicken, what stats to upgrade first, and some other general tips to help you survive the dungeons in this rogue-like card game
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
RFK Jr.’s followers will help the GOP in midterms, Kennedy adviser tells POLITICO’s Health Summit
Calley Means said the health secretary and Trump are working in “lockstep.”
Steak n Shake goes full MAHA
It's the latest sign of how Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s movement is influencing major food brands.
Adversaries may have taken missing US scientists, lawmaker says
Nearly a dozen researchers or people with links to aerospace or defense programs have disappeared or died in circumstances that some observers have deemed suspicious.
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...
Two-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Maggie Rose named as 2026 Reunion entertainment
Nashville-based performer will take the stage for an exclusive concert during Reunion Weekend
On the Hill: Health Care Reauthorizations, Congressional Hearings
House leaders plan votes this week on reauthorizing rural health and telehealth programs, as well as a proposed directive on lung cancer research. Legislation to be taken up under suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds majority for passage, includes H.R. 2493, which would reauthorize rural health care grants through fiscal 2030, and has been unanimously approved by the House […]
Markey at POLITICO Summit: Ready for ‘battle’ with Trump on health care
The Massachusetts Democrat also called on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to resign.
Colts announce jersey numbers for 11 offseason additions
The Indianapolis Colts announced the jersey numbers of the 11 new players added to the roster this offseason.
'Nations need to prepare now': Key Atlantic ocean current is much closer to collapse than scientists thought
An alarming study claims the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation is weakening more than than believed previously. But experts say its findings are far from the final word.
Mississippi Better Business Bureau warns of travel scam surge ahead of Memorial Day weekend
Officials said crooks are using fake travel sites and social media listings to steal money from people looking for travel deals.
Shohei Ohtani's roster spot an unfair advantage, claims Craig Counsell ahead of weekend Dodgers-Cubs series
As a two-way player, Ohtani is listed as a position player, which allows the Dodgers to roster 13 other pitchers
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
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