Is there such a thing as a fair election?

This week on Byline, Penn State mathematics professor Andrea Boito joins me to unpack the hidden math behind democracy — from ranked-choice voting and the Electoral College to apportionment, strategic voting, and why mathematicians say a perfectly “fair” voting system may actually be impossible.

We dive into the formulas and theories that shape how leaders are elected, why the same votes can produce different winners under different systems, and what Americans should understand before the next major election cycle.

It’s a fascinating conversation about politics, power, and the numbers quietly deciding who wins.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

You open your phone.

Within seconds, you’re scrolling—posts, videos, headlines, all arranged in a way that feels almost intuitive.

But why that post? Why that video? Why that story—right now?

In this episode, Ben Dennis speaks with Katie Harbath, former Facebook public policy director and CEO of Anchor Change, about how those decisions are made—and how quickly they’re changing.

Because what shows up in your feed isn’t random.

It’s shaped by signals—what you watch, what you skip, what you engage with, and what you don’t.

But that’s only part of the story.

As artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in these systems, the process of deciding what you see is starting to shift—moving beyond simple recommendation into something more dynamic, and less visible.

So what does that mean for what you’re seeing today?

And what might it mean for what you see next?

This conversation explores how platforms interpret behavior, why certain content rises, and how AI could reshape not just your feed—but how information itself is delivered.

🎧 Listen to the full episode.

The missiles have flown. The ceasefire looks fragile. What happens if this conflict doesn’t stay overseas?

How long could this fighting last?
What happens to gas prices if it drags on?
And what does it mean for Americans here at home?

In this episode of Byline with Ben Dennis, I sit down with retired U.S. Army Major General John Ferrari to go beyond the headlines and break down what’s actually happening—and what comes next.

We get into what happens after strikes are launched… how prepared the U.S. really is for a prolonged conflict… and whether America is built for sustained warfare.

Ferrari also explains a critical imbalance: the U.S. has to succeed on multiple fronts—military, strategic, and public perception—while an adversary may only need one to claim success.

This isn’t about fear. It’s about understanding what comes next.

Because while the conflict is happening thousands of miles away… the real question is what it means if it doesn’t stay there.