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Fake Polling by Median Strategies Raises Concerns About Election Survey Credibility

Fake Polling by Median Strategies Raises Concerns About Election Survey Credibility

Median Strategies, a previously unknown organization, admitted to fabricating at least three election polls across three U.S. states, including a Los Angeles mayoral race poll that was promoted by Mayor Karen Bass's campaign. The organization stated its purpose was a 'short-term social experiment examining how purported polling information could enter and spread through the political information ecosystem without independent verification.' The fake polls claimed to evaluate support in the Democratic primary for governor in Wisconsin, the gubernatorial race in Nevada, and the mayoral race in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles poll, which falsely showed Mayor Bass leading, was shared on social media by her campaign and covered by a news outlet before its fabrication was revealed. Median Strategies has since shuttered its website, and the Bass campaign has deleted its social media post, defending itself by noting the poll's initial media coverage.
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Congressman Derrick Van Orden's Claims of Election Manipulation in Milwaukee Debunked by Real-Time Data

Congressman Derrick Van Orden's Claims of Election Manipulation in Milwaukee Debunked by Real-Time Data

Congressman Derrick Van Orden, a Republican representing western Wisconsin, has publicly claimed that a late absentee ballot drop in Milwaukee swung the Democratic primary for governor. He specifically stated that State Representative Francesca Hong was leading the race before a 2:30 a.m. ballot drop, after which she lost to Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. Van Orden alleged that 33,000 votes 'couldn’t be found' and that Crowley won by 3,000 votes. However, real-time election data from last Tuesday, as reported by CBS 58, contradicts these assertions. The data shows that Crowley was already ahead by over 2,100 votes before Milwaukee's absentee results were posted at 1:20 a.m. Once approximately 28,000 absentee votes were added, Crowley's lead increased to over 3,300 votes. Milwaukee election officials attributed the delay in reporting to a staffer pressing the wrong button on five vote-counting machines, exporting audit logs instead of election results.
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Polling Company Collapses After Fabricating LA Mayoral Race Data and Wisconsin Primary Results

Polling Company Collapses After Fabricating LA Mayoral Race Data and Wisconsin Primary Results

Median Strategies, a polling company, has ceased operations after admitting to publishing fabricated poll data, including a 'bogus' poll showing Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass with a nearly 12-point lead over Nithya Raman in the city's mayoral race. Mayor Bass had initially celebrated this poll on social media, a post which has since been deleted. The company also released an inaccurate poll for the Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial primary, which indicated Francesca Hong had a 23-point lead in a race she ultimately lost. Median Strategies claimed its actions were a 'social experiment' designed to expose flaws within the polling industry. The company's website is no longer functional, and details regarding its operations, such as its base of operations or number of employees, remain scarce. This incident highlights significant issues concerning the reliability and verification of political polling data.
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Mysterious Company Median Strategies Fabricates Election Polls, Raising Concerns About Unvetted Surveys

Mysterious Company Median Strategies Fabricates Election Polls, Raising Concerns About Unvetted Surveys

Median Strategies, a previously unknown organization, admitted to fabricating election poll results across three U.S. states. The company claimed these polls were part of a 'short-term social experiment' to examine how unverified polling information spreads within the political information ecosystem. The fake polls included a Los Angeles mayoral race survey, which incumbent Democrat Karen Bass's campaign shared on social media, and surveys for the Democratic primary for governor in Wisconsin and the gubernatorial race in Nevada. Median Strategies has since shuttered its website and withdrawn all previously published polling releases, stating they should not be treated as genuine data. The company offered no explanation for who was behind the 'experiment' or its purpose, and did not respond to inquiries from the Associated Press.
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How the Wisconsin governor’s race became a data center hate-off

How the Wisconsin governor’s race became a data center hate-off

Both candidates are trying to surf the anti-tech wave — without fully betraying the AI boom's beneficiaries.
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Incumbent, challenger with the same name and ex-congresswoman face off in Alaska's US Senate primary

Incumbent, challenger with the same name and ex-congresswoman face off in Alaska's US Senate primary

A U.S. Senate contest featuring a former congresswoman and a challenger with the same name as the incumbent headlines Alaska's primary
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Americans have only elected 3 Black governors. This year, 8 major party candidates are on the ballot

Americans have only elected 3 Black governors. This year, 8 major party candidates are on the ballot

Florida Republicans have settled on Byron Donalds, a congressman, as their candidate for governor, and that now makes eight Black major party nominees for governors this year
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Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidates Debate Data Center Regulation and Tax Incentives

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidates Debate Data Center Regulation and Tax Incentives

The Wisconsin gubernatorial race is increasingly focusing on the issue of data centers, with Republican candidate U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany and Democratic nominee Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley presenting differing approaches to their regulation and tax incentives. While neither candidate supports a moratorium on new data center construction, both advocate for new guardrails. Tiffany has criticized Crowley, labeling him 'Data Center David Crowley' and accusing him of being too favorable to the industry, particularly regarding tax incentives. Tiffany supports repealing a tax credit for data centers, while Crowley has not committed to doing so, instead advocating for a more rigorous review of whether taxpayers receive sufficient value from existing incentives. Crowley emphasizes stringent regulation for both existing and prospective data centers, including requiring companies to bring their own clean energy, contributing to the state's Focus on Energy fund, and using union labor for construction. A rec...
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Representative Van Orden and Wisconsin Delegation Secure $1 Billion in Federal Healthcare Funding

Representative Van Orden and Wisconsin Delegation Secure $1 Billion in Federal Healthcare Funding

Representative Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), alongside Congressmen Bryan Steil (WI-01), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Tom Tiffany (WI-07), and Tony Wied (WI-08), has announced that Wisconsin will receive an additional $1 billion in federal healthcare funding. This achievement follows their direct engagement with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Trump Administration. The funding is a result of CMS's proposed rule 91 FR 46562, which aims to ensure equitable Medicaid reimbursement rates for Wisconsin providers, aligning them with those in other states. For years, Wisconsin providers have reportedly received lower reimbursement rates compared to their counterparts nationwide. The delegation emphasized that these changes, implemented under the Working Families Tax Cuts, will protect Medicaid services for vulnerable populations including children, pregnant women, and disabled Americans. CMS Administrator Dr. Oz, during a visit to Eau Claire, commended Representative Va...
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Opinion Piece Calls for Elected UW Regents and Legislative Action for Collective Bargaining Rights

Opinion Piece Calls for Elected UW Regents and Legislative Action for Collective Bargaining Rights

An opinion piece by Jon Shelton, President of the American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin, argues for a fundamental reform of the University of Wisconsin (UW) System's Board of Regents. Shelton contends that the current appointed system leads to regents who lack understanding of higher education and are unresponsive to faculty and staff. He advocates for amending the state constitution to make regent positions elected, thereby increasing their accountability to the people of Wisconsin. Shelton also expresses disappointment with Governor Tony Evers' appointees to the board, stating they have not empowered university workers. He calls for a Democratic-led senate to hold confirmation hearings for unconfirmed regents and for a new Democratic governor to appoint regents with genuine understanding of higher education, including an elected leader from an AFT-Wisconsin union. Furthermore, Shelton states that the union will now focus on achieving a Democratic trifecta in the upcoming fall election to legislate co...
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2 Dan Sullivans face off in Alaska's US Senate primary, which also features a former congresswoman

2 Dan Sullivans face off in Alaska's US Senate primary, which also features a former congresswoman

A U.S. Senate contest featuring a former congresswoman and a challenger with the same name as the incumbent headlines Alaska's primary
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Mark Pope is utilizing social media to connect with fans

Mark Pope is utilizing social media to connect with fans

Things you love to see: This right here.