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Latvia pilots citizen engagement in research grant evaluations
Latvia has introduced an element of citizen engagement to the evaluation of nationally funded research grants. The aim is to both create more connections between science and society, and to improve the quality of its evaluations. The move comes as research funders across Europe are experimenting with ways to improve evaluation processes in the face of a sharpened focus on science’s impact on society. Evaluators of grant applications submitted to Latvia’s Fundamental and Applied Research Programme (FLPP), the country’s main research funder, will this year have the option of consulting citizen feedback on challenges the public thinks science should focus on to inform their decisions. “In recent years, both public discussions and policy-level debates in Latvia have highlighted the importance of demonstrating how publicly funded research contributes to society, the economy and the resolution of real-world challenges,” said a source at the Latvian Council of Science (LCS), which manages the FLPP. “At the same time, research institutions themselves expressed interest in improving the project evaluation framework while continuing to ensure that funding is awarded to the highest-quality projects,” the source added. The citizen input comes from a survey that was conducted between 25 February and 16 March 2025, to which 1,737 people responded. It gathered information on what the public views as problem areas for Latvia, and the role of science and technology in providing solutions to these problems. A summary of these responses has been included as an annex to the FLPP 2026 call for proposals that evaluators can refer to, purely in an advisory manner, when judging proposals. Results from the survey show that the main problem areas identified by the public were in healthcare and public health, followed by the development of new treatment methods and medicines, and then digital technology, data security and cyber security. At the bottom of the list was research aimed at acquiring new knowledge about the universe, matter and the laws of nature. Further analysis looked at the public view of the possible role of science in solving these problems. The survey charted 4,167 individual responses based on open-ended questions that were derived from the participants’ answers. The analysis again found that medical and health sciences topped the scoring, with 788 responses referring to the field. Humanities and the arts were bottom of the list, with 625. Digging further into the details, the survey suggests citizens are aware of and concerned about a number of research areas. This includes technologies and innovation to improve the environment or reduce pollution, the development of modern military technologies and cybersecurity tools, and the development and application of artificial intelligence, among others. “We hope this initiative will help strengthen public trust in science and create a more meaningful dialogue between researchers and society,” the LCS source said, adding that it offers benefits to researchers, evaluators and to the general public. More space for citizen engagement in evaluationsThere is a gradual but increasing use of citizen engagement in research evaluation processes around Europe, especially in healthcare, but it remains relatively rare, said Henry Sauermann, a professor at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin and an expert in citizen science.“Given that we are at a point where citizen involvement is extremely limited, there is presumably space for more, but it's not that we should do it just because we want to do it,” he told Science|Business. He said some research lends itself better to having citizen input, and this usually tends to be on the applied end of the science spectrum where the public can offer useful feedback based on their experiences. He added that advising scientists on certain topics to study is also a useful approach, in the way that Latvia is doing. “The public does fund a lot of science, there's a lot of tax money going into this. We of course do want to preserve academic freedom, but it's also not unreasonable to incorporate more feedback or input from citizens where possible,” he said. Related articlesCitizen science: where, when, and how to let the public contribute to researchHow can Europe cope with a flood of AI-assisted research grant proposals?Data Corner: Horizon Europe’s AI, digital and data call success rate is 5.2%There are several ways of involving citizens in science funding. The most minimal way is having a few representatives on a panel, such as members of a patient group or union. The most direct way is crowdsourcing funding for specific projects. There is an increasing number of online platforms that allow the public to chip in to support scientific proposals.Sauermann studied this in a recent paper and found that it can have its uses, but it still is not clear if there are benefits to it. There are various assumptions linked to citizen engagement, for example that it increases public trust in science, or that it provides a representative view of what the public thinks about science. These are not necessarily true, Sauermann found. People who participate in engagement activities tend to already be very trusting of science, and, on the whole, it is generally the well-off and well educated who contribute, giving a narrow view of public opinion. On whether citizen input can help manage the increasing number of proposals that are being submitted due to assistance from AI, Sauermann is more sceptical. “The obvious answer to the flood of AI-written proposals is AI-driven evaluation,” he said, adding that it doesn’t mean citizen engagement shouldn’t be a part of evaluations in a well thought-out manner. Southern Denmark’s successful approachOne successful example of citizen engagement in science evaluations was implemented in southern Denmark. Between 2019 and 2025, citizens in the region were invited to vote to fund one of five pre-selected projects in the field of healthcare. The project, called A Healthier Southern Denmark, was a collaboration between regional authorities, the University of Southern Denmark, and two media partners. Over the seven years, there were 75,000 votes and significant public engagement online and on social media. “It was a bit of a wild project, we’d never done something like that before and we were a bit nervous about what would be said in the media about it. But actually, people were very positive,” said Anne Kathrine Overgaard, one of the main organisers of the project from the University of Southern Denmark. The university and its researchers have learned a lot from the experience, particularly about engaging with society and shaping their research to match real-world needs. This is important with Europe’s increasing focus on competitiveness and bringing innovations to market faster, Overgaard said. She hopes to see more citizen engagement in evaluation processes and in science more broadly. “For many years, citizen engagement has been a bit of an add-on to proposals, just to check a box. But I think things are changing,” she said. It’s less about citizens just gathering data and more “about the dialogue between the public and the scientists,” she said. The initiative ended last year as the team wanted to regroup to find fresh momentum. The development of AI and AI-written proposals has made Overgaard reflect on how the project could be reworked to help evaluators. She hopes to bring it back in the future. “It could be a good idea to try this initiative again in a slightly re-worked format,” she said.
'Freedom is not finished': Legislative Black Caucus celebrates Juneteenth
As caucus leaders celebrate the Juneteenth holiday, they say the fight for freedom and equality is ongoing.
The science behind restoring the White House South Lawn after UFC Freedom 250
After UFC Freedom 250, this company plans to provide funding, resources and technical expertise to restore the White House South Lawn.
WNBA power rankings: Who’s struggling most with the league’s new whistle
The league has placed an emphasis on freedom of movement to address growing physicality and some teams have adapted better than others.
Joe Rogan makes bold declaration about UFC Freedom 250
UFC commentator Joe Rogan had some lofty praise for the company's Freedom 250 card on Sunday night.
President announces July Fourth festivities to include 'Trump rally'
In a separate post, the president touted the Freedom 250 Great American State Fair, a 16-day expo slated to kick off June 24 and run through July 10
UFC fighter Josh Hokit shouts, 'Michelle Obama is a man,' at White House Freedom 250 event
Josh Hokit made a distasteful comment about Michelle Obama during the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House.
Justin Gaethje addresses retirement decision after Ilia Topuria upset
Justin Gaethje scored a massive upset against Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250, becoming the undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion.
More fouls, more frustration: What’s really going on with WNBA officiating?
There’s been an uptick in fouls in the WNBA due to an emphasis on freedom of movement, the result of an officiating task force.
Gaethje's 'Miracle' moment highlights UFC Freedom 250
Let’s just call a spade a spade, whoever wrote the script for UFC’s Freedom 250 card at the White House on Sunday had the Midas Touch.
'The hype is over': Fighters react to Justin Gaethje's shocking UFC Freedom 250 upset of Ilia Topuria on the White House lawn
Cambodia Politics
Supporters of Rong Chhun, a prominent Cambodian opposition politician, shout slogans outside the Supreme Court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Monday, June 15, 2026. A banner, front, reads "Granting freedom to
Zac Brown's UFC performance was about 'patriotism, not politics'
Before he took the stage to sing the national anthem outside the White House to kick off UFC Freedom 250, Zac Brown stood firm despite blowback.
UFC Freedom 250 Live Results
The octagon is on the South Lawn of The White House for tonight's UFC Freedom 250 event. The fight is headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between champion Ilia Topuria and interim titleholder Justin Gaethje. In the co-main event, former two-division titleholder ...
Peterboro festival to mark Juneteenth celebration
The Peterboro Freedom Folk Festival on June 20 will feature live music, exhibits and food vendors at the Gerrit Smith Estate.
Coast FIRE offers a flexible path to financial independence
FIRE is known as a path to financial freedom but also has a reputation for extremes. Some who have tried say they've found a more relaxed method.
UFC Freedom 250 Final Face-Offs
During Saturday's UFC Freedom 250 Ceremonial Weigh-In at the Lincoln Memorial, the fighters competing on Sunday's historic event at The White House faced off with their opponents a final time. The event takes place on the South Lawn of the White House and is headlined by a lightweight title ...
Freedom's Not Free Wears Down Favorite Sumter In Daytona Thriller
Freedom’s Not Free rallied furiously under Juan Hernandez in the final furlong and nailed favorite Sumter in the final jump to win a thrilling edition of the $100,000 Daytona Stakes (G3) going about 6½ furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita. Sumter (2-1), with Mike Smith aboard, ...
In Retrospect: Poland, Russia, Europe
In April I spent a few days with Zryw, a Polish non-profit organization that recruits young people to enter politics and public life. Their aim is to build a new generation of civic leaders in Poland. I’ve followed their evolution from the beginning; my son is one of the founders. (“Zryw” means “impulse” or “burst of speed” in Polish). Julie Chmielewska, one of Zryw’s leaders, interviewed me at the event. Here is the conversation, lightly edited for grammar and context: Julia Chmielewska: Assuming that culture shapes institutions, could we conclude that some cultures are more prone to authoritarianism? Anne Applebaum: I don’t think so. Every culture, every nation, and every country has the potential for change. When we look at history, we can see that nations do change. Poland has changed, for example, from the 1980s to today. There’s a completely different mentality here than the one I encountered when I first visited, in 1988. The current generation sees the world through a different frame. So no, I don’t believe that certain nations are doomed to authoritarianism, or to anything. Of course, there are political and cultural traditions, but they can always be challenged. JC: So do you think there’s something intrinsic in human nature that pushes people to democracy, freedom? AA: I think there is something in human nature, a deep instinct, that pushes people towards freedom, yes. People who live in authoritarian countries – and I’ve heard this from them over and over again – sooner or later find themselves angered by a feeling of helplessness. They can see the unfairness of crooked courts, irrational political decisions. They naturally dislike the fact that somebody has all the power while they have none. In those circumstances, people who have no political background at all sometimes are politicized just by that frustration. I’m thinking of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, for example, who was a Belarusian housewife, until the circumstances of her husband’s arrest forced her to become a politician. I met a woman who is a Uyghur from China, and who had come to live in Turkey. After several of her family members were arrested, she too was propelled into a political role. These kinds of experiences make people interested in democracy or political reform, even if they thought they didn’t care. I also think that the opposite is true: some people instinctively prefer homogeneity, order, hierarchy. They don’t like the confrontation of opinions or the noise of debate, and they lean towards a single leader or a unified regime. I think that most of modern history is shaped by the clash between those two different sides of human nature. JC: Which force do you find more powerful today? AA: I think they both have a lot of power and there’s no way of predicting who wins. Even in countries that seem very shut off or stuck in an authoritarian system can change. We’ve seen that happen. And vice versa, I think democracies can also begin to fail and slide into authoritarianism. So it’s very important not to be complacent in either direction. JC: I want to go into your history and your experiences. You’ve lived in Russia during a time of incredible change in the late 80s, and then you came back to do research in post-Soviet Russia. AA: I was a student in Russia just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. I then traveled and worked there extensively in the 1990s, and I met people who really were full of hope. They hoped that Russia could become a democracy, or at least a place that guaranteed freedom of speech, freedom of the press. These weren’t ideas that came from Washington. Although now the narrative in the Kremlin is different, I met many people who were working towards exactly that kind of transformation. A friend of mine ran a series of seminars – once a year, and then later several times a year, in cities all over Russia – designed to get people to discuss politics in new ways. She invited young politicians and journalists, as well as foreigners. I went to many of them, in Moscow as well as Volgograd and Novosibirsk. Over two decades, hundreds of people came to these seminars, and all of them wanted Russia to be different. I remain convinced that many Russians still want Russia to be different. It’s just that the old system, in the form of Putin, a representative of that system, returned. The KGB reimposed their power. And this wasn’t because of something to do with culture, this was to do with money and politics, and who was in charge. JC: You’ve partially answered my question... I wanted to ask whether that excitement of the 1990s was an exception from the Russian historical norm which has been rather authoritarian? AA: Of course, if you look at the history of Russia since the 18th century, there have always been liberal groups, reformers and revolutionaries. There were the Decembrists, in the early 19th century, and the rural populists later on, who tried to organize the peasantry. A significant group of liberal Russians appeared at the turn of the 20th century, people like the father of the writer Vladimir Nabokov, who was a Russian politician before the revolution. These groups were small in number, but sometimes had a broader significance. The Russian dissident movement in the 1950s and 1960s actually invented the modern human rights movement. It was their idea to hold the leaders of the Soviet Union accountable for the language they used, to remind them of the treaties they had signed and the promised they had made. They created the Helsinki group, for example, that held Soviet leadership to the language of the Helsinki Treaty, which formally ended the Second World War and which contained guarantees of human rights, at least on paper. That idea spread to Eastern Europe, and similar tactics were used here in Poland. (Benjamin Nathans recently wrote a great book about the Soviet dissidents, To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause) JC: But seemingly, even if they do ever get power, they could never hold on to it. AA: We don’t know, because they have never really had power. But in any case, we also don’t know what will happen in the future. There is no reason to assume that Russia will forever be condemned to totalitarianism. Even during the first fifteen years of Putin’s regime there was some form of democratic politics. Only when the full-scale war began did he bring everything to an end: he shut down all remaining independent organizations and killed his most important opponent, Alexi Navalny. But does that mean he is popular, that he enjoys legitimacy? Even now, we don’t really know what Russians think about him, or about the war. There is no way of doing real polling in Russia because nobody will answer an independent pollster over the phone. JC: Do you think that the flock of young people, especially young men, who fled Russia after the start of the war represent a continuation of liberal movements that refuse to partake in the authoritarian state, or do you think they are moving for the sake of self-preservation – “I don’t want to go to the army, so I leave”? AA: I’m sure it’s both. I actually know many people who left Russia for political reasons either in the very last years before the war, or else just after the war began. JC: And do you see a change in the young generation versus the old one that have fled? AA: It’s hard for me to say because the people who I know were mostly already politicized. I do know some younger people who left, but most of them were already either active in the opposition, or working as journalists. Many of them very self-consciously think of themselves as maintaining Russian culture abroad, just as in the 20th century the Soviet dissidents or the anti-communist White Russians once thought of themselves as people who maintained the true Russian culture, outside of Bolshevik Russia. JC: Let’s move on to Poland. One of your first experiences with Poland was reporting on Margaret Thatcher’s first state visit, in the autumn of 1988. You followed her around the farmers’ market. AA: She was making a symbolic gesture. She wanted to welcome free markets, but the only one she could really visit was the farmers’ market at Hala Mirowska. JC: And I want to talk about this area because today you can look out of any window in that district, Mirów, and see rows and rows of skyscrapers. How does it feel to see a country built from the ground in such a short time, both politically and economically? AA: You know, when you’re living in a period of dramatic change, it’s always hard to know whether the change is positive or negative. The transformation in Poland created winners and losers, as well as new classes of people, new political movements of different kinds. At the time, it sometimes just felt like turbulence. Now, we can look back at the 1990s and early 2000s in Poland and see in retrospect that the country was headed in towards prosperity and European integration. In around 2009 or 2010, I remember speaking to a woman who worked cleaning government offices, and who asked me if her daughter should study in Amsterdam or in London. This seemed to me to be a real transformation, and it happened very fast: within a few years, Poles stopped feeling like second-class Europeans, and a generation of younger Poles appeared who had no qualms about crossing borders. JC: We again live in turbulent times. Do you think we’re heading towards positive outcomes? AA: I can’t make predictions, because everything that happens tomorrow depends on what people do today. Also, history doesn’t have a trajectory. It doesn’t move in a particular direction. You only think it does afterwards. As I said, you can look afterwards at Poland in the 1990s and you could say this was a period of great progress. But not everybody at the time saw that. Sometimes people are very wrong about a given country’s trajectory. I remember people writing about Ukraine in the 1990s, about how dangerous it was that Ukraine was independent, that this was going to be an anti-semitic state, that Ukrainian nationalism was going to come back... and although you can say many bad things about Ukraine, the country made many bad choices, actually it became a pretty tolerant state which now has a Jewish president and until recently a Muslim defense minister. JC: In the 1990s Poland’s and Ukraine’s GDP were roughly similar. Ukraine was even a bit richer. So the starting point was similar for both of these countries, but they’ve turned out very, very differently. Even if we stop in 2014. Why do you think Ukraine “chose East”? Was it external influence? AA: No, I think Ukraine was in a different position. First of all, central and eastern Ukraine had been part of the Soviet Union since the 1920s, and had therefore experienced a longer period of occupation, repression, Sovietization and even Russification. Ukraine did not have, as Poland did, an alternative elite: a large cadre of economists and politicians, who already had some experience in opposition politics and in independent thinking. In Poland, the transformative finance minister, Leszek Balcerowicz, had already thought about how an economy might be decentralized before he took office. We can argue about how successful he was, but at least he was prepared to try something new. In Ukraine, people weren’t prepared. For one, there hadn’t been much space even for an illegal opposition in the previous couple of decades. Ukraine was also in many ways still emerging from colonial occupation. For the previous couple of centuries, many of the most capable Ukrainians had moved to Russia, and the first generation of leaders in independent Ukraine tended to be former Soviet apparatchiks. They didn’t immediately seek to become closer to western Europe. Instead, they looked for some kind of economic and political “third way” and an accomodation with Russia. Ukraine became stuck in this position, half-in, half-out and became pretty profoundly corrupt. JC: The Polish alternative elite had a vision of where they wanted the country to go. I think the general perception now is that this vision ends with the next election, right? Is this a natural process of gaining power? AA: Their vision, and it was shared by the time by politicians who now call themselves both left and right, was that Poland should join the EU and NATO, as fast as possible. My husband (Radek Sikorski) was in the very first government that said it wanted to join NATO. At the time this was taken very badly in Washington: the demand for NATO membership absolutely came from Poland, not from the US. But even then, in the early 1990s, many Poles already understood that the Russian sphere of influence would grow once again, that it was important to become part of the transatlantic alliance and an integrated Europe as fast as possible: NATO, the EU, the Council of Europe, all of the trading and security alliances. That consensus lasted through several different governments and over many years, even governments containing former communists. For twenty years, right, left and center disagreed about many things, but they all agreed on the direction that the country should go. In retrospect, that consensus created the basis for prosperity in Poland. JC: And regarding the Polish-Ukrainian relations. We know that antagonisms, e.g. the myth of Wołyń [a massacre of Poles that took place in what is now Western Ukraine, in 1943] are increasingly used in Polish political discourse today. In Ukraine, nationalist historians make heroes out of UPA, the Ukrainian revolutionary army, which is held responsible for this tragedy. Where do you see a start for burying the hatchet? Is the reconciliation of our nations possible? AA: So here’s a strange thing: For more than a decade after they both gained independence, Poland and Ukraine participated in a number of projects that were designed to solve exactly these kinds of Polish-Ukrainian differences. Books were published that were jointly written by Polish and Ukrainian historians, monuments were built. These projects were successful: If you’d asked me this question in 2010, I would have said that there are no real historical issues between Poland and Ukraine, that the two countries had mostly reconciled. For a number of reasons, this began to shift. In Poland, children and grandchildren of victims of the Wołyń massacre felt their tragedy hadn’t been fully recognized. In Ukraine, nationalist groups wanted the UPA partisans who had fought against the Soviet Union recognized for their heroism, despite the fact that some in this broad and not well-defined group were also linked to Wołyń. In both eastern Poland and western Ukraine, the memory of the ethnic cleansing that took place there in the late 1940s - Poles were moved West, Ukrainians East - to accomodate new borders has left feelings of displacement and bitterness. The wave of Ukrainian immigration, which started before the war, may have provoked some of this. But don’t underestimate the role played by Russia, which has always wanted to create discord between Poland and Ukraine, and pumps out propaganda to that effect in both countries. Vandalism on both sides of the border, damage done to cemeteries and monuments, is sometimes carried out by provacateurs working for Russia, just to create bad feelings. The Polish-Ukrainian conflict also hides a different reality: although there are real grievances and bad memories, the truth is that the biggest tragedies both nations experienced in the twentieth century were inflicted by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. That should unite these two countries, not divide them. JC: This week (19.04.2026 – Ed.) in Hungary we saw that using historical narratives to create grievance has no longer worked. Are you optimistic about the direction after Orban’s loss? AA: The Hungarian election was really important because it shows that people can actually resist powerful, dominant propaganda. The ruling party Fidesz controlled all of the TV, 90% of the newspapers, the constitutional court, the bureaucracy... and yet people had the nerve to vote against it and resist it. It’s also an important election because Hungary created a huge network of well-funded think tanks and foundations that were funding other far right groups and projects. So that loss is going to have a knock-on effect in other places too, maybe even in Poland. JC: What you’ve said about resisting propaganda reminds me of one of the interviews you did about talking to Russians in the post-Soviet era who claimed that people knew that the system was lying. Why do people choose to believe in these regimes anyway? AA: Because it’s useful. Stephen Kotkin, an American historian, once described how people would learn how to “speak Bolshevik”: It was just a language that you needed to use in order to get by in society. If you didn’t talk the way the regime wanted you to talk, then you might have problems, or lose your job, or your kids would not get into university. It was a way of getting along. Communist Poland was similar, at least in the early years. When I was writing a book about the Sovietization of Eastern Europe after World War II, I met a lot of people who wanted to talk a lot about the war, when many of them had done really heroic things. But almost nobody wanted to talk about the decade afterwards, between 1945 and 1956. This was when you had the short period of terror, violence and Polish Stalinism. To stay safe, people felt the need to just go along with what others were saying, or stay out of politics, or use communist jargon without necessarily believing it. I don’t judge them for it, and I wouldn’t describe all of those people as collaborators. It’s easy to feel moral certainty in retrospect, because we know that communism ended. But if you were living in 1949, it might not have been clear to you that communism was going to end. In very repressive societies, maybe about 10% of people who are really evil – collaborators, torturers. Maybe 10% of people are really brave and who find ways to resist. And then around 80% of people have kids, they have parents, they have to have jobs and they’ve had to get through it somehow. Strange though it may sound, I’ve found that the work I did on that book is now very useful in explaining some of what’s going on in the United States today. There are plenty of members of the Republican Party in Congress who know perfectly well that Donald Trump says many things that aren’t true. But they avoid criticizing him because it’s inconvenient, because they would get in trouble, because someone would attack them on the internet. So actually you don’t even need mass terror to get people to conform. JC: Is Gen Z reinventing agency? AA: We’ll see. In any generation you can find groups of people who want agency. If you live in a society that’s unfair, for example where a tiny number of people have captured most of the wealth, then at a certain point people rebel. This is always easier for younger people, who have you have less to lose. The question now is how the internet will affect the relationships between citizens and the state, and how it will change organizations. The “Twitter revolutions” people spoke about as early as 2008-9, mass protests organized online, have often proved to be very superficial. Although you can easily join something just by clicking, the work of creating a real movement requires physical participation. Successful mass movements of the past, for example the Civil Rights movement in the United States, were built by people who had spent many years together. They had participated in non-violent workshops together. They practiced and prepared. Just using the you can get everybody to show up at a certain moment, but then when the protest is broken up, nothing happens. It’s also true that the repressive regimes have more recently learned how to use the internet to undermine leaders and movements. Most of all, they now understand how to make people cynical. The form of propaganda that most modern authoritarians use - and I think the Russians really pioneered this - deploys sneering cynicism. Instead of praising the rulers, the regime propagandists mock the opposition movement leadership for being supposedly corrupt or sexually degenerate, with the goal of undermining any kind of idealism. JC: MAGA grew on the internet? AA: MAGA is a real grassroots movement. They had symbols, red hats, they showed up at rallies. But you’re right that the cynicism, the sarcasm and the distrust that the movement embodies came originally from the internet, and this is different. Fifty years ago, most European political parties had a social base in real organizations, in trade unions for Social Democrats, in church groups for Christian Democrats. As people stopped going to church and as the trade unions became smaller, the social base of these parties disappeared. Now people who wouldn’t have known one another in the past meet on the internet and create new movements, many of which don’t last. JC: Is history ending? Going in stale circles? AA: History never ends. In truth, human beings want contradictory things at the same time: order and freedom, stability and change. These things are never resolved, and when a society swings too far in one direction, people always push it the other way. But each time that happens, the result is different. Certainly it is true that we are now in a period when old philosophers and ideas from the 1930s are undergoing a revival. Carl Schmitt, who was a philosopher who was very influential on the Nazis, is back as an influence on both the far left and the far right, once again inspiring people to think that all politics has to be existential, that all politics is about defining and defeating enemies. In the US, some are also bringing back dominionism, the idea that we need a Christian and not a secular state. It’s also true that we are living through a more fundamental shift. The old left-right divide, which was mostly about the size of the state, is much less important now. Instead, we are arguing about more fundamental things: what are our rights, what protects our freedom. Or how much power do we want to give small elites, versus how much power to give ordinary people. In America a small group of very wealthy people now control information, because they control the social media platforms and AI, which means they determine what people will read and learn. Finding a way to preserve preserve zones of autonomy and independent thinking, this is going to be the main task for the next generation. JC: What is the one book that a person interested in Central Europe should read? AA: You could read my book “Iron Curtain: the Crushing of Eastern Europe” which tells the story of how the Soviet Union imposed its culture on the region. Or read Tim Snyder’s history of the region, “The Reconstruction of Nations: Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Belarus 1569-1999.” And everyone should read “The Captive Mind” by Czesław Miłosz, which describes exactly the phenomenon we were talking about: why do people collaborate? I joined Scott Galloway and the brilliant Fiona Hill in a discussion about the wars in Ukraine and Iran, the future of global power, and what these conflicts reveal about America's role in the world. Scott told us that this was the 400th edition of his podcast, which is quite a number: My friend Francesco Chiamulera runs a brilliant series of literary events, Una Colline di Libri, A Hill of Books, in the Prosecco Hills, a region of vineyards and elegant hill towns in the Veneto, north of Venice. We did an event in Vittorio Veneto and also drove and biked around the countryside. Buy Autocracy Inc Buy Iron Curtain Open Letters, from Anne Applebaum is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
How Iran's 'Stolen Revolution' failed to live up to its promise
Many supporters of Iran's revolution believed some form of democracy should govern the country. But over the decades, the Islamic Republic's radical religious rulers have launched brutal crackdowns on social justice and political freedom. Compass Points moderator Nick Schifrin discusses how the 1979 revolution failed to live up to its promise with Yeganeh Torbati and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin.
Judge rules Trump can stage UFC fights on the White House's South Lawn this weekend
A federal judge ruled on Friday that the White House is allowed to stage a UFC show this weekend in an elaborate ring already built on the South Lawn to celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary — on President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday.
Judge rules Trump can stage UFC fights on White House's South Lawn this weekend
The nonprofit Public Integrity Project had sued to challenge Trump's UFC Freedom 250 event
Judge rules Trump can stage UFC fights on White House's South Lawn this weekend
The nonprofit Public Integrity Project had sued to challenge Trump's UFC Freedom 250 event
Entertainment, new attractions announced ahead of patriotic Mississippi State Fair
Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson announced Flo Rida as the headliner of the 2026 Mississippi State Fair, which runs Oct. 8-18, as well as several new and special, patriotic attractions fairgoers can expect as part of this year’s theme, “Let Freedom Ring!” at the State Fair. Gipson was joined by Paige Robertson, executive…
Cuba opens more sectors to private business
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Friday announced greater freedoms for small businesses across the country, as the communist government takes steps to liberalize the island's economy in the face o...
Politics, Pressure, Polymarket: Inside UFC’s $60M White House Spectacle
After many twists and turns, UFC is grappling its Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn of the White House into reality.
Elden Ring, Bloodborne Developer FromSoftware Rejects Investors Demand For Safer Sequels, As They Will Continue To Deliver Valuable Games
Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki is pushing back against investor demands for "safe" sequels to protect the studio's creative freedom.
‘Winning at all costs:’ Trump wraps himself in UFC’s bareknuckle image
UFC Freedom 250 marks the culmination of a decades-long relationship between a president and a sport which harnessed bravado to reach the White House.
Faith, political leaders celebrate religious freedom after Indiana LG's Islam comments
Prominent Republican leaders joined Democrats, religious leaders and devout Hoosiers at the Indiana Statehouse on Thursday to condemn faith-based discrimination — a response to anti-Islam comments Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith made last month, including calling the religion a "demonic death cult."
Freedom Festival WV | live entertainment, food & family fun
VIENNA, WV (WVNS) – Friends of Vienna is presenting the 2026 Freedom Festival this summer. According to the Friends of Vienna website, the 2026 Freedom Festival will take place on Thursday, June 25, F...
Freedom Festival WV | live entertainment, food & family fun
VIENNA, WV (WVNS) – Friends of Vienna is presenting the 2026 Freedom Festival this summer. According to the Friends of Vienna website, the 2026 Freedom Festival will take place on Thursday, J…
Trump's push for $350 billion 'arsenal of freedom' hits GOP skepticism
Trump calls on Republicans to pass a third reconciliation bill with $350 billion in defense spending and voter ID legislation, but GOP skepticism grows.
Unfinished Revolution: Social Movements, Freedom Struggles, and the American Democratic Development -
APSA’s Engaging America’s 250th Webinar Series Unfinished Revolution: Social Movements, Freedom Struggles, and the American Democratic Development Tuesday, July 7, 2026 12:30 – 2:00 PM (ET) Register Here Join APSA for a discussion connecting American democratic [...]
Hiltzik: The Diabetes Association crosses a line
The tally from Trumpian attacks on science now includes billions of dollars in damage to farmers and ranchers and assaults on scientists' freedom of speech.
Michael Bisping breaks down Ciryl Gane vs Alex Pereira
History could be made in the UFC Freedom 250 co-main event on Sunday. Former two-division titleholder Alex Pereira has the opportunity to become the first fighter in the promotion's history to win championships in three different weight classes. Pereira takes on former interim champion ands title ...
Ciryl Gane used to treat MMA like a sport -- now he knows better
In his fifth career UFC title fight, Ciryl Gane understands the game he's playing at UFC Freedom 250.
Salah Sarsour’s lawyers say his health is deteriorating, religious freedoms denied
Attorneys are pushing for the release of Salah Sarsour from ICE detention, citing health and religious freedom concerns.
Crazy Taxi World Tour will offer more freedom, bite-sized missions and fishing with a car
In Crazy Taxi World Tour, The Offspring is back, and fish is on the menu.
Weeklong Juneteenth celebration in Harrisburg honors Black history and freedom
JuneteenthHBG coincides with the 250th birthday of America and the 10th anniversary of the Young Professionals of Color.
UFC Freedom 250 Countdown: Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje
UFC Freedom 250 marks another historic moment for the UFC when the Octagon touches down at the White House, where lightweight king Ilia Topuria faces interim champ Justin Gaethje. Plus, Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane battle for interim heavyweight gold. UFC Freedom 250 Countdown previews the upcoming ...
Hegseth warns of 'invasion' and 'dangerous ideologies' in D-Day anniversary speech
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a D-Day anniversary speech on Saturday to appear to link immigration by sea to the wartime liberation of Europe, warning that the freedom won by Allied troops could prove temporary if leaders failed to defend it.
Welcome Back, 47: HITMAN Classic Trilogy Remastered Revealed - Coming 2027
Saber Interactive has partnered with IOI for HITMAN Classic Trilogy Remastered, boasting enhanced visuals, improved performance, and new features, all while preserving the systems, tone, and freedom of the iconic original trilogy.
Christopher Kim: Florida families and small businesses deserve the right to repair
Florida consumers deserve freedom to repair products they own.
Trump cancels Great American State Fair concerts after artists drop out. Here's what they said about it and what will happen instead.
Bret Michaels and Martina McBride were among those who withdrew from the Freedom 250-planned event on the National Mall.
Mourinho takes Turkey to top Europe rights court over sanctions
Jose Mourinho has filed suit at Europe's top rights court on grounds his right to freedom of expression was violated while managing Turkish football club Fenerbahce. Court documents seen by AFP on Thursday show the Portuguese coach filed suit over the "disciplinary sanctions" imposed on him by the Turkish Football Federation for "unsportsmanlike conduct".
Marietta’s Colt Chambers to help shape entertainment for America’s 250th celebration
Colt Chambers, owner and producer for The Alley Stage in Marietta, was named assistant director of programming and talent for Freedom 250, according to a Tuesday Facebook post from Chambers.
Elections to top science bodies test Croatia’s gender equality in research
Croatia’s track-record on gender equality in science has been both questioned and lauded in recent months, following both bad and good news on the topic. On the one hand, a senior awards committee was announced without a single woman researcher included. On the other, the national science academy welcomed its first cohort of fellows with more women than men.Members of the committee, which gives national awards recognising scientific achievement, are proposed by the ministry of science and endorsed by the parliament. The current line-up does include a woman, but she is culture minister Nina Obuljen Koržinek rather than a researcher. Even then, she didn’t make it into the photograph released to announce the appointments on April 16. “The image speaks a thousand words,” says Tanja Rudež, a science journalist for Jutarnji List newspaper. “I am surprised that none of these men, all well-known scientists, saw a problem with the fact that there was not a single successful female scientist on the committee,” she told Science|Business.Ivan Đikić, a prominent Croatian biochemist based at Goethe University Medical School, commented on LinkedIn that the news illustrated a “sad truth” about the state of science in Croatia.“It [. . .] reveals a system where women, despite contributing a substantial share of high-quality, internationally competitive science, are systematically excluded from the very processes that determine recognition and influence,” he wrote. Some 60% of researchers in Croatia are women, according to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, and they perform well in international competitions. For example, of the 12 European Research Council (ERC) grants awarded to Croatian researchers, seven went to women.“So how is it possible that decision-making bodies are still dominated by men over 60, while not a single female ERC laureate is involved in the selection process?” asked Đikić. “This is not a marginal oversight; it is a structural failure.” The ministry of science did not reply to a request for comment. The awards committee is not unusual. For example, a scientific advisory body announced by the ministry of demographics in April comprises 35 men and five women. The board of the Croatian Science Foundation, newly appointed by the parliament, is a little better, with five men and two women, but still unequal. “This is especially significant because such bodies do not merely distribute prestige. They shape research priorities, funding allocation and long-term scientific development,” Marija Lugarić, chair of the parliament’s committee on gender equality, told Science|Business. “Representation here matters not only symbolically, but materially.”Referring to the awards committee and the board of the science foundation, Lugarić says that while both bodies were appointed by parliament, neither met the minimum 40% gender balance threshold that Croatian law and EU guidelines expressly recommend for public bodies.Đikić wants to see EU institutions put pressure on the government to ensure basic standards of fairness, transparency and democratic governance in science policy are met. “Meaningful change will not come without pressure,” he wrote. “It must intensify both within Croatia and at the level of European institutions. Anything less undermines the credibility of Europe’s commitment to excellence and inclusion in science.”Rudež also underlined the importance of talking and writing about this topic, “because public opinion in Croatia does influence changes in the status and visibility of women in science.”The European Commission has not yet responded to a request for comment.Good news from the academyA more positive story came from the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts on 21 May, with the announcement of seven new women fellows and five men. This is the first time in the academy’s 165-year history that women have outnumbered men in a new intake.One of the new fellows, two-time ERC grantee Iva Tolić, credits the academy leadership with trying to be more modern and inclusive, representing the whole community better. “The academy is really aware that so far, before this election, there were very few women,” she told Science|Business. “So, they are actively trying to make this more equal.”Related articlesExplained: How the MSCA is close to achieving gender balanceCall for EU to leverage academic freedom in global talent raceRudež is more cautious, noting that despite the academy’s “breakthrough this year [. . .] it is still a predominantly male institution, with only 18% women.”This reflects a wider imbalance in Croatia’s research landscape. “The key levers of power in science are still in the hands of men,” she went on. “For example, all 14 rectors of private and public universities are men.”Similarly, Lugarić says a structural glass ceiling still exists in Croatian science, which is “most visible precisely where power is exercised.”She cites data from the Commission’s She Figures 2024 report, which shows that Croatia ranks second in the EU for gender equality in research and innovation overall, with an equality index of 79.6 out of 100. It is in the top five for women’s career advancement, participation in research; representation across all research sectors and for scientific publications.In stark contrast, it ranks second to last when it comes to women in decision-making positions in science. “This is not a coincidence,” Lugarić says. “It is a structural pattern.”Informal barriersThe persistent under-representation of women in the highest structures of Croatia’s academies, boards, award committees and leadership positions is not down to formal barriers, Lugarić says, but arises from more subtle obstacles such as “informal networks, persistent expectations regarding traditional gender roles and the unequal distribution of care responsibilities.”Tolić would like to see more support for young women in terms of affordable housing and child support, and higher salaries. Currently, she says, salaries in science stay low for the first 10-15 years, while housing and spaces in kindergarten are limited and expensive. “You have to work a lot, you get very little money, so it’s not great to have a family in this situation,” she says.But despite the challenges, Tolić is optimistic, saying that gender equality in research in Croatia is “definitely improving and going in the right direction.” The situation is particularly promising in biology, she adds, where most full professors, heads of department and deans of faculties are women. Lugarić, too, see the glass ceiling “very slowly, cracking,” and cites the academy election as an example that structural change is possible. Yet the situation in the national awards committee is a “stark reminder that without a conscious, systemic commitment to gender balance, progress will remain slow and uneven.”
Polis protects system rigged against workers
By Jeremy Ross Shame on Gov. Jared Polis. He used his veto pen again to indulge the billionaire corporate elite by denying the freedom of workers to join together and form a union without being threatened, fired or blocked by a second election. For two years in a row, the Worker Protection Act passed out […]
Westfield’s Freedom 250 Truck canceled due to political concerns
The Freedom 250 Mobile History Truck event, which was scheduled to take place in Westfield, has been canceled due to concerns about political alignment.
FIRST ON FOX: Trump admin transforms DC hotspot once rocked by George Floyd protests in symbolic reversal
Trump's Department of the Interior transforms D.C.'s Freedom Plaza with a patriotic installation featuring Caesar Rodney and Revolutionary War soldiers.
After several artists drop out of Freedom 250 concerts, Vanilla Ice says he'd "play for anybody" including Putin and Iran
New light-powered chip could accelerate AI and quantum computing
Scientists have created a tiny chip that can generate, steer, and read light-based information all in one device, marking a major leap toward ultra-fast, energy-efficient computing. The breakthrough uses atomically thin materials and nanoscale structures to control a unique quantum property of light called the “valley” degree of freedom, allowing information to be encoded in new ways.
Trump suggests canceling Great American State Fair music performances after most artists drop out
Bret Michaels and Martina McBride were among those who withdrew from the Freedom 250-planned event on the National Mall.
Juneteenth celebrations in Pensacola about family, food and freedom
Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom and liberty, much as Independence Day is. In Pensacola, there are a few ways to celebrate the holiday.
Alexander Volkanovski gives Ilia Topura vs. Justin Gaethje prediction
A lightweight championship unification bout between champion Ilia Topuria and interim titleholder Justin Gaethje headlines the UFC Freedom 250 fight card on June 14 at the White House. It will be Topuria's first title defense. Topuria is a heavy betting favorite two weeks out from the event, but ...
Jerome Powell uses JFK award speech to warn against political pressure on Fed, courts and schools
"The United States has long been the leader of the world’s freedom-seeking people — the indispensable nation," he said.
Donald Trump gives tour of UFC White House event arena
With UFC Freedom 250 right around the corner, President Donald Trump is giving us a sneak peak at the arena being constructed for the event. Despite the UFC having done a ton of events over the years, this event will…
Trump to headline 'Great American State Fair' after artists drop out
President Donald Trump is now slated to headline a Freedom 250 event celebrating America's 250th anniversary after several musical acts dropped out over concerns about the event's political ties.
Trump floats replacing 250th anniversary concert with massive MAGA rally after artists pull out
President Trump floats hosting a massive MAGA rally for the nation's 250th anniversary after several artists pulled out of planned Freedom 250 concert events.
Freedom 250 CEO says sports will unite America for its 250th birthday
As America prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, Freedom 250 CEO Keith Krach believes sports will play a central role in bringing the country together.
Vanilla Ice defends Great American State Fair gig, tells critics music 'has no political rules'
Vanilla Ice is ready to perform at the Great American State Fair's Freedom 250 concerts, vowing to bring back the '90s as other acts pull out.
Vanilla Ice defends Great American State Fair gig, tells critics music 'has no political rules'
Vanilla Ice is ready to perform at the Great American State Fair's Freedom 250 concerts, vowing to bring back the '90s as other acts pull out.
Musical artists bail from Freedom 250 fair over ‘political involvement’
Many of the acts that were announced as performers earlier this week have since pulled out.
Martina McBride and Bret Michaels become latest music acts to drop out of the Great American State Fair
Most of the artists who were announced earlier this week by Freedom 250 as the "first wave" of performers at the fair on the National Mall have since withdrawn.
Over half of Great American State Fair performers drop out over politics, threats
Bret Michaels and Martina McBride are the latest artists to pull out of the Great American State Fair concert series organized by Freedom 250 on the National Mall this summer.
The IX Sports Podcast | Freedom of movement’s impact on WNBA defense
Today on The IX Sports Podcast the co-hosts analyze how good the Dallas Wings' three-guard offense is and the state of the New York Liberty.
Who's in? Who's out? See the lineup so far for Freedom 250 State Fair
The 16-day Great American State Fair in Washington, DC, scheduled to take place in June and July, is already facing hiccups as entertainers pull out.
Bruce Springsteen calls out the White House and announces a protest festival
The Power to the People festival is set for Oct. 3 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland. It will focus on "freedom, justice, equality and rock ’n’ roll," and a portion of the proceeds will benefit VoteRiders and HeadCount.
Governor Ivey Encourages Alabama Small Businesses to Pitch Big for America 250 -
MONTGOMERY – Governor Kay Ivey on Thursday is encouraging eligible Alabama small businesses and entrepreneurs to submit a pitch for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) national “Freedom 250” Patriot Pitch Competition, a nationwide contest celebrating America’s 250th anniversary by … Continued
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.
2 artists drop out of Trump-backed ‘Freedom 250′ concerts in Washington, D.C.
The entertainment lineup was announced hours earlier.
Morris Day responds to 'rumor' he's performing at Freedom 250 event: 'It's a no for me'
Morris Day and the Time were announced as part of the lineup at next month's Great American State Fair.
Music lineup released for Freedom 250 event on National Mall
Freedom 250 announced its musical lineup for the 16-day 'Great American State Fair' event will include The Commodores, Milli Vanilli and Vanilla Ice.
Yost reflects on 25 years in Ohio politics and race for governor that 'wasn't meant to be'
Attorney General Dave Yost is in his final two weeks in office, after resigning earlier this month to work for the conservative Christian Alliance Defending Freedom.
Yost reflects on 25 years in Ohio politics and race for governor that 'wasn't meant to be'
Attorney General Dave Yost is in his final two weeks in office, after resigning earlier this month to work for the conservative Christian Alliance Defending Freedom.
More Women Are Starting Businesses Than Ever but Many Are Doing It Alone
More women are becoming entrepreneurs and face the realities of solopreneur life, from freedom to the need for support and sustainability.
Garden Grove business owner offers spare bedroom in nearby home to chemical spill evacuees
Kudos to Cheer Club, College of Business faculty, Cybersecurity team and more
Becky Cottrell, Ph.D., Department of Social Work, and Bridget Arend, Ph.D., School of Education Becky Cottrell from the Department of Social Work and Bridget Arend, Ph.D., from the School of Education co-authored an article recently published in an international journal. Read the article. Biff Baker, Ph.D., College of Business Biff Baker, Ph.D., received a Best in Track award from the Society for Advancement of Management for research examining bureaucratic inefficiencies within Section 8 subsidized housing programs. The study focuses on how administrative delays and communication breakdowns can create housing instability for families and discourage landlord participation. It also offers recommendations to improve accountability and trust in public housing systems. Brendan Fry, Ph.D., Department of Mathematics and Statistics Brendan Fry, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, co-authored the article “Modeling the Impact of Venous Collapsibility on Retinal Oxygenation,” published in the Journal of Theoretical Biology. The interdisciplinary research brought together scholars from the University of Delaware, Indiana University Indianapolis, McGill University and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. Access the article. Bridget Arend, Ph.D., School of Education Bridget Arend, Ph.D., professor in the School of Education, co-published the book “Facilitating Seven Ways of Learning: A Resource for More Purposeful, Effective, and Enjoyable College Teaching, Second Edition” with James R. Davis. The book explores practical approaches to improving college teaching and student learning experiences. Buy the book. College of Business Faculty At the 2026 Western Decision Sciences Institute international conference, Sally Baalbaki-Yassine, Ph.D., Debora Gilliard, Ph.D., and David Lynn Hoffman, Ph.D., from the College of Business received the Best Case Study Paper Award for “Oreo: A Global Success Story in Brand Evolution and Market Leadership.” Lisa McVicker, Ph.D., and Apryl Brodersen, Ph.D., also had their paper, “Electronic Performance Monitoring: Employer Panacea or Legal Quagmire?” accepted for publication in the Journal of Business Leadership. Community Engagement Exchange Program Metropolitan State University of Denver was selected to host international Fellow Aleja Henao Espitia of Bogotá, Colombia through the Community Engagement Exchange program funded by the U.S. Department of State. View Espitia's LinkedIn profile. David Varel, Ph.D., College of Letters, Arts and Sciences MSU Denver historian David Varel, Ph.D., has been awarded a 2026 ACLS Fellowship by the American Council of Learned Societies. The fellowship program supports outstanding scholarship in the humanities and social sciences, and selected just 63 scholars from more than 2,000 applicants this year. Varel’s project, “The Black Chicago School: Academic Activism in the Age of American Apartheid,” explores the work of Black scholars who challenged scientific racism, built alternative institutions and helped lay the foundation for the modern civil rights movement. The fellowship provides up to $60,000 to support full-time research and writing. Learn more about the fellowship. MSU Denver Office of Financial Aid Team Several MSU Denver employees were recognized for leadership and service during the Colorado Association of Financial Aid Administrators (CAFAA) conference held in May in Crested Butte. Don Holtzen, interim associate director of systems, chaired the conference and was recognized for his service as CAFAA conference chair and technology chair during the 2025-26 term. Holtzen also received the Postsecondary Institution Professional of the Year award, which recognizes financial-aid professionals who have made significant contributions to their institutions and to CAFAA. Tori Pacheco, associate director of Student Services, helped design décor and facilitate the conference and was recognized for her service as CAFAA secretary during the 2025-26 term. Destiny Candelaria, call center coordinator, served on the conference planning committee and presented on One Stops during the event. Michael Nguyen, executive director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, assisted as a CAFAA board member and was recognized for serving as president-elect during the 2025-26 term. Richard Balbag, program assistant I, received the Distinguished Support Staff Member of the Year award, honoring staff members who have made exceptional contributions to their financial-aid offices. Military Friendly Recognition Military Friendly has awarded MSU Denver Gold Status as a military-friendly university and ranked the University No. 7 nationally for military spouses. The recognition reflects MSU Denver’s strong support systems for veterans and military spouses, including transfer credit assistance and retention-focused resources. As of 2026, 1,050 military-connected students are enrolled at the University, advancing institutional priorities around serving veterans and supporting student retention. MSU Denver Cheer Club The MSU Denver Cheer Club earned third place in the 4-Year College Small Coed Intermediate division at the USA Spirit Nationals. Celebrate the win on Instagram. MSU Denver Cybersecurity Team An MSU Denver cybersecurity team earned first place in the Strategist category at the 2026 CYBER RECon National Competition hosted at Fort Meade, Maryland, by U.S. Cyber Command. Led by Jeffrey London, Ph.D., and undergraduate student Matthew Bopp, the team competed against universities and law schools nationwide with its 30-page legal analysis on cybersecurity and free speech titled “Freedom of Speech and MDM: Misinformation, Disinformation, and Malinformation.” The paper also earned Bopp a personal invitation to apply to the University of Maryland School of Law. MSU Denver Debate Team MSU Denver Debate won the 2026 Sierra Sustainability Summit hosted at Yosemite National Park in April. Students Kat Conte and Simon Bernhard bested teams from George Washington University, Gallaudet University, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the University of San Francisco and Tennessee Tech in the modified present-and-defend style competition. Their proposal recommended adapting Colorado’s Keep Colorado Wild Pass model to support California state parks facing budget constraints. Learn about the summit. MSU Denver Women’s Golf MSU Denver Women’s Golf was represented on the national stage this month as junior Neige Dunn competed as an individual at the NCAA West Regional. She became the first Roadrunner in 10 years to qualify for NCAA Regionals as an individual. Get the details.
Analysis: Brighton face nervy final day
Brighton travelled to Leeds United knowing a win would secure European football for only the second time in their 124-year history. Leeds - playing with freedom after securing another year of top-flight football - made their life extremely difficult in the first half. Veltman's shot was blocked by Jaka Bijol and a swerving effort from Gross that needed Darlow to save were the only times they threatened before Van Hecke spurned the gilt-edged chance to put them in front in the 44th minute.
Justin Gaethje's Coach: 'We're going to shock the world'
A lightweight title bout between an undefeated champion and an American with the nickname "The Highlight" headlines the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House on June 14. Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria puts his belt on the line for the first time against two-time interim titleholder Justin ...
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Mineru Construct amiibo release date finally revealed
We’ve been waiting a long time for this one, but Nintendo just provided the release date for the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Mineru Construct amiibo. It’s slated for September 17, 2026. The Mineru Construct amiibo has articulated arms that can be moved around. Nintendo says that it has “a fair bit of freedom to its movement”, allowing for different...
Opinion: US constitutional freedom now twisted to mean abusing others
The United States' great story is inventing constitutional democracy out of monarchy. Now it's the story of freedom to exploit and abuse others.
UFC Freedom 250 Press Conference Face-Offs
Following Thursday's UFC Freedom 250 press conference, the headlining fighters faced off for the cameras. The event takes place on June 14 at the White House. Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria puts his title on the line for the first time in the fight card’s main event against interim ...
A couple lives in 527-square-foot tiny house; it saves them money
Jessica Rust and her husband bought a tiny home outside New Orleans for $37,500. Thirteen years later, they love the financial freedom it gives them.
What we’ve learned in Bristol about reproductive freedom
Abortion bans not only create barriers to health care, like we saw with the closure of the Bristol health clinic, but they also change how doctors and nurses approach treatment, guest columnist Cheryl Hanzik writes.
Betting on Trump's influence? How GA-14 runoff became a testing ground as prediction markets reshape 2026 elections
Prediction markets and political betting platforms are raising new questions about democracy, regulation, and voter behavior ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Lawmakers break ground on Wyoming Business Council reform effort
by Dustin Bleizeffer, WyoFile The Wyoming Business Council survived a Freedom Caucus-led effort to dismantle it earlier this year. Now, lawmakers are
Oil prices retreat and global stocks hit record highs after Trump hails ‘great progress’ on Iran deal
US president pauses ‘Project Freedom’ to work on ‘final agreement’ with Tehran; stocks also ride high on AI euphoria
UN resolution proposal would hit Iran with sanctions for halting freedom of navigation
The draft resolution, co-sponsored by the United States and Gulf nations and obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, also demands that Iran “immediately participate in and enable” United Nations efforts to establish a humanitarian corridor in the strait to enable the delivery of vital aid, fertilizer and other goods.
'Ceasefire is not over,' Hegseth says as U.S. acts to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Hegseth said "Project Freedom" is a temporary and defensive operation meant to resume the flow of traffic through the vital waterway.
Court says lies used against Wyoming legislators are politics as usual
Freedom Caucus beat a defamation case by convincing a judge its leaders believed the falsehoods they told, opines columnist Kerry Drake.
Rural lifeline or potential monopoly? MU Health Care plan would allow expansion even if competition shrinks
Proposed legislation would give MU Health Care broad freedom to expand across 25 mid-Missouri counties. Experts warn it may not be needed for rural hospital acquisitions and could harm competition.
Trump: US to Escort Ships Through Strait of Hormuz
Trump described “Project Freedom”, as a humanitarian effort aimed at ensuring safe passage for ships trapped in restricted waters.
Health freedom at the forefront of individual rights vs. government debate
Six years after the start of the Covid pandemic, health freedom and vaccine mandates are still major issues at the Arizona Legislature.
‘Freedom Trucks’ deliver AI-washed history to the Lower 48
The mobile museums are the product of conservative PragerU
Mark Sanford, former governor, drops out of District 1 race
Former governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford is dropping out of the race for the 1st Congressional District to launch a nonprofit
Research commissioner pitches EU to US scientists and investors
Research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva is just back from a two-day trip to San Francisco, where she pitched the EU as the place to be for US researchers looking to move and US venture capitalists looking to invest. A Commission spokesperson told Science|Business that Zaharieva used the trip to “promote Europe as a stable, rule-based and vibrant innovation destination.” She emphasised Europe’s excellent infrastructure and predictable funding, particularly through the European Research Council (ERC) and Europe Innovation Council.These are already proving tempting, with applications from US-based researchers to ERC and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) calls increasing substantially over the past few years. According to the Commission, the number of US-based applicants for the annual ERC Consolidator Grant call rose from 19 in 2025 to 64 in 2026, while US bids to the ERC Advanced Grant call rose from 23 in 2024 to 114 in 2025. Meanwhile, US applications to the MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships scheme rose from 352 in 2024 to 998 in 2025.Pressure on US scientists to seek alternative employment has increased since Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Jobs at federal science agencies have been slashed, funding cut in some research areas and international scientific partnerships turned upside down. He has also made unprecedented attempts to control university affairs.During her trip, Zaharieva made a point of highlighting the protection of academic freedom in Europe, “especially in areas like climate change, renewable energy, and health, where US funding has faced cuts,” the spokesperson said.She also underlined the EU’s “attractive long-term career opportunities and relocation support for top researchers from anywhere in the world,” especially through its new Choose Europe for Science initiative.“Transatlantic cooperation remains essential to tackle global challenges while safeguarding shared values such as academic freedom and openness,” Zaharieva wrote on social media ahead of her visit.Related articlesERC walks back stricter resubmission rules for 2027Don’t feel guilty about poaching scientists fleeing Trump, US science body tells EuropeHer itinerary took in Stanford University’s business school and school of medicine, where topics for discussion included entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary collaboration. She also met with venture capital firms, including Playground Global, Forgepoint Capital and Akkadian Venture Capital, as well as the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the largest public pension fund in the US.Other meetings included Jensen Huang, the chief executive of AI chip manufacturer Nvidia, and local business associations such as the Bay Area Council and EuroCham. European delegations in the area also received visits, including Advantage Austria and France’s La French Tech, and the Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco.