CNN.com retracted a silly story that cited research as suggesting that hormones could affect how women vote. The story was based on a peer-reviewed study in a psychology journal, but there was no link to any article or data, so it is impossible to tell how well-designed the study was. A much more nuanced (and likely accurate) look at how biology affects political persuasion was published yesterday in Nature.
The CNN item began with a warning that everything that followed may not be true, which is hardly the best way to begin a news item. The author also cited “political scientists” who said the results of the study looked dubious, even though it was a psychological study, not a political one.
At any rate, after much mocking online, the story was retracted because “After further review it was determined that some elements of the story did not meet the editorial standards of CNN,” according to a statement on the site.