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Can Talarico win over some of Cornyn’s voters in Texas?
Democrats hope so, but there are good reasons to be skeptical.
Three people exposed to rabid bat in Snohomish County
In Snohomish County, six bats have tested positive over the last decade, but this week's bat is the second to test positive for rabies in Washington this year.
Scientists Say Quantum Physics Could Actually Allow Messages To Travel Back In Time
Time as a concept seems so simple in day-to-day life, until you start talking about time travel and all the reasons that it could or could not be possible.
In Harris County judge runoff, a Democratic underscores voters’ desire for new blood
Former Houston City Council member Letitia Plummer defeated longtime local politician Annise Parker to win the Democratic nomination for Harris County judge in what political experts say might be a sign of the changing of the guard.
Springsteen, Trump and two very different music events
Several acts slated to play the Great American State Fair declared they were dropping out of the event after discovering it was part of a Trump White House initiative.
Where to watch Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Friday, May 29
The Dodgers take on the Phillies.
Where to watch Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes Game 5 NHL playoffs: Live stream, start time, TV channel for Friday, May 29
The Canadiens are trying to avoid elimination against the Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Longtime Raleigh sports bar closes after 18 years in business
The brand also had a location in Chapel Hill that closed during the early days of the pandemic.
Longtime Raleigh sports bar closes after 18 years in business
The brand also had a location in Chapel Hill that closed during the early days of the pandemic.
Artists are bailing on a Trump-backed concert for America’s 250th
The Commodores, Martina McBride, Morris Day & the Time and Bret Michaels are among the performers who have publicly distanced themselves from the concert series.
These Producers Built a Business Working With First-Time Directors. It Paid Off Big With ‘Obsession’
Tea Shop's James Harris and Mark Lane are the prime movers behind Curry Barker's hit movie, and they pride themselves on taking a chance on newcomers.
StarCraft 2 Fans Shocked After Blizzard Launches Major Balance Changes for the First Time in Years
StarCraft 2 players have lost their collective minds after Blizzard announced major changes coming in update 5.0.16.
Louisiana Approves Map Eliminating a Majority-Black District
A Supreme Court court ruling last month rejected the state’s previous congressional map as an illegal racial gerrymander and set off a redistricting race across the South.
Legislation would extend funding for rural Maine hospitals
The current test program is set to expire at the end of this year: “We have a very high reliance on public payers. And oftentimes, those payers don’t reimburse the hospitals that provide care even at the level that it costs hospitals to provide that care."
Cardinal Parolin: Youth mental health requires structural responses
At the heart of Cardinal Parolin’s address at a Vatican conference on mental health, digital technologies and education, is the belief that society ...
Several Longtime Writers Laid Off at Sports Illustrated
Longtime Sports Illustrated writers Greg Bishop and Michael Rosenberg were laid off in a round of cuts on Friday.
Stephen A. Smith says he ‘inherited’ sports debate format
Stephen A. Smith has a ready answer for anyone who thinks he’s responsible for what sports television has become. In a new profile in the Financial Times, Smith was asked how he responds to critics who argue his format has been bad for the discourse in sports. “I didn’t create it. I inherited it,” he…
Research Funding Slows Again for Universities Targeted by White House
The National Science Foundation lifted a hold on some grants for Harvard and other universities this week after inquiries from media outlets, including The New York Times.
After China Orders a Times Reporter to Leave the Country, the U.S. Reciprocates
The Trump administration ejected a Chinese journalist amid fresh concerns about Beijing’s growing pressure on foreign correspondents.
What to watch for at the Tony Awards on Broadway’s biggest night
Broadway's biggest night is approaching with the Tony Awards broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on June 7.
Trump holds Situation Room meeting to decide on Iran deal
Trump faced a politically fraught decision to enter an agreement that would invariably require significant concessions to Tehran.
Windows PC Industry Reacts to Apple's Most Affordable MacBook Ever
A few months ago, Apple released the MacBook Neo, its most affordable MacBook ever. At the time, an ASUS executive admitted that the laptop came as a "shock" to the Windows PC industry, which is now in the process of responding. Acer today introduced a Swift Air 14 laptop, with U.S. pricing starting at $699. By comparison, the MacBook Neo starts at $599 with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM, or at $499 for college students and educational staff.
Oura Ring shrinks to wedding-band size as smart ring health race heats up
Oura Health Oy, the popular smart ring maker seeking to go public this year, unveiled a significantly thinner and lighter new model along with new wellness features.
Five of the most shocking upsets in sports history, from Michigan-App State to Virginia-UMBC
Sinner's stunning French Open loss inspired a look back at five all-time upsets, including Djokovic falling to Denis Istomin at the 2017 Australian Open.
Home Entertainment Guide May 2026: The Bride!, Wuthering Heights, Sentimental Value, More
The latest on Blu-ray and streaming includes controversial dramas from Maggie Gyllenhaal and Emerald Fennel, along with Criterion releases of Body Heat, Lenny, and Peter Hujar's Day.
Longview mill implosion comes amid turnaround effort by foreign owners
Days after the fatal incident at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant, it's unclear what the accident means for the facility or its Japanese owner.
The $900 Billion Giant: How Anthropic Got So Big, So Fast
The artificial intelligence giant was just valued at $900 billion, surpassing OpenAI. Here are the numbers behind its rise — and headwinds it faces.
Bungie Reportedly Considered Relaunching Destiny as 'Destiny Infinity' Before Deciding to Pull the Plug on Destiny 2
Bungie's issues with its storied sci-fi shooter, Destiny 2, began around the time of the last summer's Edge of Fate expansion, which reportedly underperformed. The decision to pull the plug was allegedly made "earlier this year" after it decided not to relaunch the franchise as "Destiny Infinity."
Protein traffic jams may explain aging, memory loss, and Alzheimer’s
Scientists at Stanford may have uncovered a hidden reason our brains decline with age. Studying the ultra-short-lived turquoise killifish, researchers discovered that the cellular machinery responsible for building proteins begins to jam and malfunction over time. Tiny structures called ribosomes start colliding and stalling while reading genetic instructions, triggering a chain reaction that leads to faulty proteins and harmful clumps linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Maternal health knowledge strong, but gaps remain
An Annenberg Public Policy Center survey finds that, while most Americans know that the health of a pregnant person affects the health of the baby, uncertainty about specific maternal health recommendations remains.
Prep talk: Last of four softball-playing Justman sisters wants to go out a City champion
Zoe Justman will try to help Granada Hills High win the City Section Open Division softball title on Friday against Carson.
Contributor: In politics after Trump, nothing is disqualifying
Has Trumpism become America’s permanent political operating system?
Opinion | It’s time for a new business plan for Minneapolis
The City Council seems more focused on niche interests and short-term fixes right now than in addressing the significant long-term economic issues the city faces, Matt Hemsley writes.
Azmoun: Iran's absent talisman unafraid of controversy
Sardar Azmoun is Iran's third top scorer in history with a successful club career behind him but is set to miss out on the 2026 World Cup in an exclusion shadowed by political controversy."At a historical turning point, Sardar Azmoun stood on the wrong side," said the pro-government Fars news agency, accusing the player, a racehorse breeder in his spare time, of "betting on the losing horse" in a "gamble that meant missing the World Cup".
Roads close for final TT qualifying sessions
A daytime closure is in place around the Mountain Course for the closing qualifying sessions.
Rafael Nadal Netflix series “Rafa” offers introspection that sports documentaries can lack
The window into the 22-time Grand Slam champion's final season is more unsparing than many sports documentaries.
The Politics of the Downwardly Mobile Professional Class
The debate over whether Graham Platner is “working class” comes at a time when more and more people are at risk of falling into it.
How NextEra Energy Wielded Political Power in Florida
NextEra, which is seeking to buy Dominion Energy, has often butted heads with consumer groups, residents and journalists in its home state.
Times/Siena Poll: 43% of Voters Dissatisfied With Both Parties
Persistent frustration over the economy and foreign policy have left many Americans feeling politically homeless, and young voters are particularly frustrated.
"I Am Not Making Up This Story" - You Won't Believe What Yuji Naka Wanted To Call Billy Hatcher And The Giant Egg
"I know another name for the boy wearing a rooster suit"
Morning Sports: May 29, 2026
Sheridan Troopers Legion Baseball: The Sheridan Troopers Legion Baseball team is back in action at home today. Due to rain in the forecast, Sunday’s home double-header vs. Powell was moved up. Game times are at 5 and 7pm. You can watch a LIVE video stream of the games on Sheridan Media TV, which is on […]
Minister insists Labour will not apply national living wage to all over-18s before election
Torsten Bell says Labour manifesto ‘did not set out the timeline’ for changes to living wage after scale of youth unemployment crisis revealed in Milburn report
'Cousin Amir opened doors, now it's my time'
Abdul Khan tells BBC Sport about learning from his cousin Amir, a former world champion, and his ambitions to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Downtime: Business coach Nhat Pham pulls off 55-minute plank on 55th birthday
Pham spent nearly an hour of his 55th birthday face-down on his elbows and toes, in a pushup-like position called a plank pose, for a physical challenge that doubled to promote Mental Health Awareness Month.
High school softball: Southern Section playoff scores and schedule
CIF Southern Section high school softball playoff scores and schedule.
Callaway’s Yard & Garden announces retirement, closing after 72 years in business
A longtime family-owned garden center in Madison County is preparing to close its doors after more than seven decades in business.
I’m an IVF Doctor. Business Is Booming Because Ob-Gyns Aren’t Doing Their Jobs.
Just last Monday, a woman sat across from me in my office and asked a question I have come to dread. Why had no one told her? She is 33, a therapist, married three years, and she has been to her gynecologist every year since high school. She was also on the brink of perimenopause. She had assumed that when she was ready, her body would be too. No one in two decades of annual visits had ever explained that the most consequential decisions about her capacity to bear children were being made by her ovaries on a calendar she could not see, while her doctor took her blood pressure and refilled her birth control. She is the patient I see several times a month. She is the most preventable tragedy in American medicine. I am board certified in both obstetrics and gynecology, and reproductive endocrinology. There’s a fertility crisis happening right now in America—and a furious debate about who is to blame. The alleged culprits include housing, smartphones, and capitalism. One group is getting off lightly: ob-gyns. Read [ How Perimenopause Became America’s New Health Scare ](https://www.thefp.com/p/how-perimenopause-became-americas) In July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the U.S. fertility rate had fallen to fewer than 1.6 children per woman—the lowest figure in our history—despite a 2025 survey of American Gen-Z women that found that nearly three-quarters intended to become mothers. American women are not opting out of building a family. They are running out of time.
Former Gov. Gregoire warns Washington faces 'critical point’ on taxes, jobs, business
The report also warned of rising labor costs, longer permitting timelines, growing regulation and declining affordability.
Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani receives highest praise from former MVP
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani is the best player in baseball now. But is he the greatest baseball player of all time?
Political newcomer Ethan Agarwal challenging longtime Congressman Ro Khanna
2-time Super Bowl winner 'nervous' over Steelers' QB plan
It appears not everyone is fine with the Steelers' plan.
Italian Police Uncover Dead Mob Boss’s $230 Million Business Empire
When Matteo Messina Denaro died in 2023, many of his secrets died with him. That began to change with a tip about a wealthy Sicilian woman’s significant assets in a tiny European principality.
Services and partnerships highlighted at Business After Hours
ESCANABA — Wednesday evening’s Business After Hours, cohosted by three local organizations, provided over 100 attendees with social time, networking opportunities, education about programs, multiple raffle drawings, food and drink. Business After Hours (BAH) is a recurring event organized through the Delta County Chamber of Commerce, always held from 5 to 7 p.m. Each month, […]
Police responded to suicide attempt at Claude Lemieux's family furniture store
Lemieux, a four-time Stanley Cup champion, died Thursday around 3 a.m. ET in Lake Park. Multiple outlets have reported that he died by suicide.
Trump’s Iran Approach Sows Confusion
President Trump’s pendulum swings on Iran have often seemed driven by mood and moment rather than any discernible strategy.
UK business sentiment edges up in May, Lloyds says
British business sentiment edged up in May and is now close to its level before the Iran war, according to a monthly survey by Lloyds on Friday which contrasted with most other measures of business and consumer sentiment.
The Walmart Exclusive Icon Blue PlayStation 5 DualSense Controller Is on Sale for the First Time During the Sony Days of Play Sale Event
I'm blue.
Cyber Threats Top CEO Business Fears
For the first time since late 2024, leaders of large-cap companies are more worried about cyberattacks than geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties.
Where to watch Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs Game 6 NBA playoffs: Live stream, start time, TV channel, odds for Thursday, May 28
The Thunder will try to eliminate the Spurs in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals.
Chris Evert says Jannik Sinner 'shouldn't have been allowed' to leave court during French Open controversy
Chris Evert draws the line on star treatment in tennis, saying Sinner's French Open medical timeout violated clear rules on cramping timeouts.
Report Shows People With Medicare Feeling Pinch of Rising Health Care Costs
As affordability concerns remain top of mind for many Americans, a timely KFF report examines Medicare beneficiary finances and health care costs, lending context to these anxieties. Recent KFF polling found that as health care costs continue to grow and cost-of-living increases stress household budgets, paying for care and coverage tops the list of consumer financial concerns. In total, 64% of households […]
Today's NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints, Answers for May 29 #613
Here's today's Connections: Sports Edition answer and hints for groups. These clues will help you solve The New York Times' popular puzzle game, Connections: Sports Edition, every day.
After backlash, the Gorge to make entrance changes for Brandi Carlile shows
The Gorge is making changes heading into Carlile’s three-night Echoes Through the Canyon shows after fans fumed over lengthy wait times for a previous concert.
EPA delays reporting requirements for health-harming chemicals
Federal regulators are giving chemical manufacturers and petroleum refiners more time to provide data on a group of chemicals that have been linked to human health harms as officials consider tighter regulations.
Tennessee, Lipscomb ready for NCAA baseball tourney openers
Bisons will battle Mississippi State for fourth time this season while Vols will face East Carolina
Help name the Greensboro Science Center’s serval kittens!
GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) — It’s time to help name some cute, furry critters in Greensboro! The Greensboro Science Center is asking for the public’s help in naming two serval kittens who …
Former employee at children’s mental health center pleads guilty to child sex crimes
Faniel Gerensea, 21, will spend time in prison after pleading guilty to taking indecent liberties with a child.
Claude Lemieux, 4-time Stanley Cup champion, dies at 60
Lemieux won titles with the Canadiens, Devils and Avalanche during his 21-season NHL career.
AI Advice From Anthropic’s Head Of U.S. Small Business
Anthropic’s Lina Ochman explains how small businesses can use Claude, AI workflows, data connectors and employee-like prompting to save time.
Everlane Co-founder, Shocked by Shein Acquisition, Wants a Redo
Michael Preysman, who ran the brand for a decade, can’t believe what happened to the company he built. Can he start over?
Oura Ring 5 Unveiled With Smaller Design and Blood Pressure Tracking
Oura today unveiled the Oura Ring 5, a significantly smaller smart ring with new health-monitoring capabilities including blood pressure trend detection, nighttime breathing analysis, and tools for GLP-1 medication tracking. The Oura Ring 5 is 40% smaller than its predecessor, measuring 6.09mm wide and 2.29mm thick compared to 7.99mm and 2.88mm on the previous model.
Is Trump the President the Framers Feared?
The drafters of the Constitution hoped for energetic but accountable presidents.
Period poverty: A global menstrual health crisis
500 million women lack menstrual health basics. From Gaza to Ethiopia, CARE is turning period poverty into dignity, one community at a time.
Artists drop out of DC Freedom 250 festival over reported political ties
WBFF Fox45 provides local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Baltimore and nearby towns and communities in Maryland, including Annapolis, Crofton, Glen Burnie, Linthicum, Pasadena, Severn, Cockeysville, Dundalk, Essex, Parkville, Owings Mills, Towson, White Marsh, Woodlawn, Hampstead, Sykesville, Taneytown, Westminster, Elkton, Perryville, Pt. Deposit, Rising Sun, Aberdeen, Abingdon, Bel Air, Edgewood, Fallston, Havre De Grace, Columbia, Elkridge, Ellicott City, Fulton, and Ocean City.
Black Women Political Candidates Are Expected to Be 'Likable,' Qualified and Tireless. Men Aren’t.
What I had experienced during that run wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to me. The year before, in 2013, I had run for president of the Young Democrats of America (YDA), a national political party office role, against a popular opponent. The opponent was a Black man, so race wasn’t a factor in the election; however, gender was. Before my campaign, I was vice president of YDA and had heard only good things about my service: my fundraising efforts, the partnerships I had engineered with progressive organizations, and programming coordination for the membership. However, when I decided to run for president, I instantly became ‘difficult to work with’ and ‘mean.’ Research on women candidates confirms that voters are less likely to vote for a woman if they don’t like her; by comparison, voters don’t need to like men to elect them. But when I was running as the Black woman candidate in a seven-candidate primary for public office, with two other women in the race, I noticed almost nothing about my being ‘difficult’ and more about my ability and work ethic. My experience running for public office reflected the systemic bias and double standards not just for women candidates, but Black women candidates who dare to aspire to any sort of political leadership—and that needed to change. We need more progressive Black women in public office for a myriad reasons, but we also specifically need the younger generation of Instigators in office, candidates who understand the times in which we live currently. Electing more Black women will take real investment in changing the biases and attitudes (conscious and unconscious) of mostly white donors, media, campaign staff, consultants and institutional leaders to help shift the culture and systems. But this support needs to be substantively increased so that we can rebuild an inclusive, multiracial democracy with the leaders we want and need. (Excerpted from The Instigators: How Black Women Have Been Essential to American Democracy by Atima Omara.)
O’Rourke: Talarico ‘best I’ve seen’ during time in Texas politics
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) said Wednesday that state Rep. James Talarico (D) is the “best” candidate he has seen during his time in Lone Star State politics. “He’s the best I’ve seen…
Chan School Speakers Praise Public Health’s ‘Extraordinarily Ambitious’ Achievements
The field “has never waited for perfect times,” says former CDC director Rochelle Walensky.
Planet Zoo 2 Coming This Year, Featuring Flying and Aquatic Animals
Frontier Developments has announced Planet Zoo 2, which will include the ability to add flying and aquatic animals in aviaries and aquariums for the first time.
Illinois State Wins 2025-26 Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Championship
For the sixth time in the last seven seasons and for the second-straight year, Illinois State has won the Missouri Valley Conference All-Sports Championship as announced by the Conference office Thursday. Notably, Illinois State has won 18 all-sports crowns and has finished first, second, or third in 32 of the past 35 years.
'Unaffordable reality' ahead for WA individual buyers of health insurance
Health insurance companies that serve the individual market requested an average rate increase of 22.4% for for 2027 — one of the highest changes in years.
French Open: Jannik Sinner upset by Juan Manuel Cerundolo after being granted controversial cramping timeout
French Open: Jannik Sinner granted controversial timeout for cramping: 'This is absolute baloney'
Jannik Sinner lost 15 straight points before taking a medical timeout.
Ben Roethlisberger questions Steelers' training plan for QB Drew Allar: 'Makes me nervous'
The former two-time Super Bowl champion questions the development of the Steelers' third-round pick
Polish scientists and students rally in campaign for 3% funding target
Polish scientists and students have been flooding social media with calls on the government to raise research and development spending as part of 3% for Science, 100% for Poland, a campaign born earlier this month out of frustration with chronic underfunding in the academic sector. On May 27, thousands took the slogan on to the streets.The EU has been trying to convince member states to raise their R&D expenditures to 3% of GDP for more than two decades, but the idea has never gained traction in capitals. Finance ministers were too busy plugging budget holes created in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis, then the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and now the war in Iran.Critics say that countries missed or ignored the target because it is voluntary, but also because research communities have rarely raised their voice to put pressure on national governments. The European Commission hopes to make the target legally binding in the upcoming European Research Area Act, an EU-wide regulation that should be announced by the end of the year. Academia in Poland has been faced with a funding crisis for years, often leaving its members with no other choice but to work abroad in order to access better resources, or leave the sector altogether in the hope of earning a decent living. The risk, in the long-term, is that brain drain stifles local innovation capacity and technological competitiveness.In just a few weeks, the movement rallied nationwide support, including from major academic bodies and trade unions such as the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland and the Presidium of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Its public petition collected more than 23,000 signatures. On May 27, it formed the first large protest for science in Poland, gathering thousands of people in front of the parliament building in Warsaw.Ilona Uryga-Bugajska, representative of the Marie Curie Alumni Association Poland Chapter, was there. “The protest was peaceful, with no incidents reported, and the entire event took place in a respectful and calm atmosphere,” she said. Banners she saw in the crowd carried slogans such as “A little longer and I’ll be teaching in a supermarket,” “National culture, starvation salary,” “Stop the destruction of science,” “Passion will not pay the rent,” “Without action, don’t expect a better future,” and “Pull science out of the hole.” She also observed a strong presence of young researchers, who are on the frontline of Poland’s academic crisis.“Academics are usually people who prefer discussion, analysis, dialogue and compromise. We are not a group that protests easily,” said Katarzyna Marzec, professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Jagiellonian University Medical College and AGH University of Krakow, who also took part. “But many of us feel that we have been pushed against the wall.”Aleksandra Rutkowska, translational neuroscientist and research group leader at the Medical University of Gdańsk, agreed. “Frustration in the scientific community is very high,” she said. “Science is often used politically as a symbol of innovation and modernity, but the everyday reality inside many institutions is much more difficult. There is a large gap between the public narrative and the actual condition of the sector.”Maria Wiktoria Górna, head of the structural biology group at the University of Warsaw and one of the organisers of the movement, told Science|Business that the campaign would continue without proven results. This might involve another strike in the autumn, she said. “Empty promises are not enough by now.”Campaign demandsAccording to Uryga-Bugajska, the organisers officially presented their demands and concerns to representatives of the government present at the event. These included Marek Gzik, deputy minister of science and higher education, and Karolina Zioło-Pużuk, secretary of state of that same ministry.The headline demand, for the government to increase national spending on R&D to 3% of GDP by 2030, should be within Poland’s economic capacity, Rutkowska said. “The real question is whether there is genuine long-term political commitment to treating science as a strategic priority rather than a slogan.”In 2024, R&D expenditure in Poland stood at 1.41% of GDP, which is slightly above the average for central and eastern Europe, with countries such as Czechia recording 1.82%, Hungary 1.31% and Romania 0.46%. However, it falls noticeably short of the EU average of 2.24%, which just a handful of countries exceed, including Germany, Belgium and Sweden.Campaigners are also asking for fair wages for scientific staff, including PhD stipends and junior academic salaries, which are widely considered uncompetitive. Starting doctoral scholarships amount to some €843 gross per month, when the statutory minimum wage stands at €1,135. By pushing early-career researchers out of Poland, growing precarity has caused a generational gap in the academic workforce, with just 25% of lecturers aged under 40. In this context, the movement fears that scientific careers could soon be accessible to a privileged minority only.Grzegorz Spólnik is a case in point. After 15 years working in mass spectrometry at the Polish Academy of Sciences, he decided to leave partly “to earn enough money to live a normal life,” he said. “At that time, my earnings were similar to those of people working in grocery shops, and the work-life balance is something that does not exist in science, or is very hard to achieve.”Now a senior field service engineer for Polish laboratory equipment supplier Bioanalytic, he would consider going back to research, “but never in the public sector, maybe some start-up or a big private company with ambitious R&D.”The campaigners want to see more support for basic research and have called for €236 million to be added to the budget of the National Science Centre (NCN) in 2027 so that the average grant application success rate does not fall below 25%.“At the protest, there was a banner I particularly liked: ‘NCN is not a lottery.’ Unfortunately, for many researchers, it increasingly feels exactly like one,” Marzec said. “Personally, I am one of the lucky ones. I work at two of the strongest institutions in the country, where the research standards are very high. I know that in many other institutions, the situation is much worse and obtaining funding for research at an early-career stage is becoming nearly impossible.”Rutkowska also considers herself fortunate. After studying abroad and holding a postdoctoral position, she returned to Poland, where her pay was supported through an NCN-funded project linked to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. “This also made me very aware that good research conditions in Poland often depend on external competitive funding rather than on stable support from the system itself,” she said.Long-term strategyBeyond the lack of funds for both salaries and grants, scientists believe that the issue is structural. “The biggest problem at the moment is the complete lack of a clear long-term strategy for the development of science and research from the current government,” Marzec said. “Everything ends with declarations and promises that are never truly followed by concrete actions or structural reforms.”Rutkowska agreed, citing a lack of infrastructure, continuity and long-term institutional support.“Running a research group in Poland often means functioning as an entire institution at once,” she said. “I am a principal investigator, a mentor, a recruiter, a project administrator and, when needed, still someone who returns to the lab bench to help with experiments,” she went on. “This creates a large hidden workload that takes time and energy away from actual science. At times, it feels as though scientists are no longer expecting extra help; we simply hope the system will stop creating additional obstacles that make research unnecessarily difficult.”Related articlesStrategic thinking: Germany funds joint research with Poland and FrancePoland to transfer €30M of regional funds to boost Horizon Europe participationPoland is funding fewer basic research grants as high inflation hitsIn short, “academics are expected to teach, publish papers, apply for grants and conduct high-quality research, while funding and salaries remain very limited,” said Uryga-Bugajska, who returned to her home country after 13 years in the UK.According to Marzec, another issue is the way that research institutions are evaluated. Previously, this took place every four years, with a clear differentiation between stronger and weaker institutions. “The current government, perhaps to avoid political backlash, effectively concluded that everyone is doing well, so in practice no meaningful evaluation took place,” she said.But in her view, “some form of serious assessment is necessary” to ensure the excellence and international competitiveness of Polish institutions, and to determine how to best use public resources and where institutional structures need reform. “Some institutions may need to rethink hiring practices in order to attract ambitious young researchers who are capable of obtaining competitive grants and building internationally visible research groups.” Rutkowska has already had to adapt. “When hiring PhD students, I often have to combine different funding sources creatively to make positions attractive enough for talented people to stay in science,” she said. “Many young researchers do not see a stable future in academia in Poland, and that is deeply worrying.”
Polish scientists and students rally in campaign for better conditions
Polish scientists and students have been flooding social media with calls on the government to raise research and development spending as part of 3% for Science, 100% for Poland, a campaign born earlier this month out of frustration with chronic underfunding in the academic sector. On May 27, thousands took the slogan on to the streets.The EU has been trying to convince member states to raise their R&D expenditures to 3% of GDP for more than two decades, but the idea has never gained traction in capitals. Finance ministers were too busy plugging budget holes created in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis, then the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and now the war in Iran.Critics say that countries missed or ignored the target because it is voluntary, but also because research communities have rarely raised their voice to put pressure on national governments. The European Commission hopes to make the target legally binding in the upcoming European Research Area Act, an EU-wide regulation that should be announced by the end of the year. Academia in Poland has been faced with a funding crisis for years, often leaving its members with no other choice but to work abroad in order to access better resources, or leave the sector altogether in the hope of earning a decent living. The risk, in the long-term, is that brain drain stifles local innovation capacity and technological competitiveness.In just a few weeks, the movement rallied nationwide support, including from major academic bodies and trade unions such as the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland and the Presidium of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Its public petition collected more than 23,000 signatures. On May 27, it formed the first large protest for science in Poland, gathering thousands of people in front of the parliament building in Warsaw.Ilona Uryga-Bugajska, representative of the Marie Curie Alumni Association Poland Chapter, was there. “The protest was peaceful, with no incidents reported, and the entire event took place in a respectful and calm atmosphere,” she said. Banners she saw in the crowd carried slogans such as “A little longer and I’ll be teaching in a supermarket,” “National culture, starvation salary,” “Stop the destruction of science,” “Passion will not pay the rent,” “Without action, don’t expect a better future,” and “Pull science out of the hole.” She also observed a strong presence of young researchers, who are on the frontline of Poland’s academic crisis.“Academics are usually people who prefer discussion, analysis, dialogue and compromise. We are not a group that protests easily,” said Katarzyna Marzec, professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Jagiellonian University Medical College and AGH University of Krakow, who also took part. “But many of us feel that we have been pushed against the wall.”Aleksandra Rutkowska, translational neuroscientist and research group leader at the Medical University of Gdańsk, agreed. “Frustration in the scientific community is very high,” she said. “Science is often used politically as a symbol of innovation and modernity, but the everyday reality inside many institutions is much more difficult. There is a large gap between the public narrative and the actual condition of the sector.”Maria Wiktoria Górna, head of the structural biology group at the University of Warsaw and one of the organisers of the movement, told Science|Business that the campaign would continue without proven results. This might involve another strike in the autumn, she said. “Empty promises are not enough by now.”Campaign demandsAccording to Uryga-Bugajska, the organisers officially presented their demands and concerns to representatives of the government present at the event. These included Marek Gzik, deputy minister of science and higher education, and Karolina Zioło-Pużuk, secretary of state of that same ministry.The headline demand, for the government to increase national spending on R&D to 3% of GDP by 2030, should be within Poland’s economic capacity, Rutkowska said. “The real question is whether there is genuine long-term political commitment to treating science as a strategic priority rather than a slogan.”In 2024, R&D expenditure in Poland stood at 1.41% of GDP, which is slightly above the average for central and eastern Europe, with countries such as Czechia recording 1.82%, Hungary 1.31% and Romania 0.46%. However, it falls noticeably short of the EU average of 2.24%, which just a handful of countries exceed, including Germany, Belgium and Sweden.Campaigners are also asking for fair wages for scientific staff, including PhD stipends and junior academic salaries, which are widely considered uncompetitive. Starting doctoral scholarships amount to some €843 gross per month, when the statutory minimum wage stands at €1,135. By pushing early-career researchers out of Poland, growing precarity has caused a generational gap in the academic workforce, with just 25% of lecturers aged under 40. In this context, the movement fears that scientific careers could soon be accessible to a privileged minority only.Grzegorz Spólnik is a case in point. After 15 years working in mass spectrometry at the Polish Academy of Sciences, he decided to leave partly “to earn enough money to live a normal life,” he said. “At that time, my earnings were similar to those of people working in grocery shops, and the work-life balance is something that does not exist in science, or is very hard to achieve.”Now a senior field service engineer for Polish laboratory equipment supplier Bioanalytic, he would consider going back to research, “but never in the public sector, maybe some start-up or a big private company with ambitious R&D.”The campaigners want to see more support for basic research and have called for €236 million to be added to the budget of the National Science Centre (NCN) in 2027 so that the average grant application success rate does not fall below 25%.“At the protest, there was a banner I particularly liked: ‘NCN is not a lottery.’ Unfortunately, for many researchers, it increasingly feels exactly like one,” Marzec said. “Personally, I am one of the lucky ones. I work at two of the strongest institutions in the country, where the research standards are very high. I know that in many other institutions, the situation is much worse and obtaining funding for research at an early-career stage is becoming nearly impossible.”Rutkowska also considers herself fortunate. After studying abroad and holding a postdoctoral position, she returned to Poland, where her pay was supported through an NCN-funded project linked to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions. “This also made me very aware that good research conditions in Poland often depend on external competitive funding rather than on stable support from the system itself,” she said.Long-term strategyBeyond the lack of funds for both salaries and grants, scientists believe that the issue is structural. “The biggest problem at the moment is the complete lack of a clear long-term strategy for the development of science and research from the current government,” Marzec said. “Everything ends with declarations and promises that are never truly followed by concrete actions or structural reforms.”Rutkowska agreed, citing a lack of infrastructure, continuity and long-term institutional support.“Running a research group in Poland often means functioning as an entire institution at once,” she said. “I am a principal investigator, a mentor, a recruiter, a project administrator and, when needed, still someone who returns to the lab bench to help with experiments,” she went on. “This creates a large hidden workload that takes time and energy away from actual science. At times, it feels as though scientists are no longer expecting extra help; we simply hope the system will stop creating additional obstacles that make research unnecessarily difficult.”Related articlesStrategic thinking: Germany funds joint research with Poland and FrancePoland to transfer €30M of regional funds to boost Horizon Europe participationPoland is funding fewer basic research grants as high inflation hitsIn short, “academics are expected to teach, publish papers, apply for grants and conduct high-quality research, while funding and salaries remain very limited,” said Uryga-Bugajska, who returned to her home country after 13 years in the UK.According to Marzec, another issue is the way that research institutions are evaluated. Previously, this took place every four years, with a clear differentiation between stronger and weaker institutions. “The current government, perhaps to avoid political backlash, effectively concluded that everyone is doing well, so in practice no meaningful evaluation took place,” she said.But in her view, “some form of serious assessment is necessary” to ensure the excellence and international competitiveness of Polish institutions, and to determine how to best use public resources and where institutional structures need reform. “Some institutions may need to rethink hiring practices in order to attract ambitious young researchers who are capable of obtaining competitive grants and building internationally visible research groups.” Rutkowska has already had to adapt. “When hiring PhD students, I often have to combine different funding sources creatively to make positions attractive enough for talented people to stay in science,” she said. “Many young researchers do not see a stable future in academia in Poland, and that is deeply worrying.”
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