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Science in the U.S. has had – to put it plainly – a very rough year. From January to December, the science corner of our newsroom has been covering what feels like blows to every part of the machinery and the spirit of inquiry that make science possible. But often lost in broader analyses of the termination of billions of dollars’ worth of projects and the dismantling of entire federal agencies is the voice of the researcher personally experiencing these losses.
So when our team brainstormed how to best encapsulate the tumult and turmoil of U.S. science in 2025, I thought: Why not have the scientists tell us themselves?
I reached out to researchers from a range of fields to share how the Trump administration’s funding cuts have affected them. All describe the significant losses they and their communities have experienced. But many also voice a determination to continue doing work they believe is crucial for a healthier, safer and fairer society.
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U.S. researchers are seeking the light at the end of a rough year for science.
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Carrie McDonough, Carnegie Mellon University; Brian G. Henning, Gonzaga University; Cara Poland, Michigan State University; Nathaniel M. Tran, University of Illinois Chicago; Rachael Sirianni, UMass Chan Medical School; Stephanie J. Nawyn, Michigan State University
US science lost a great deal in 2025, including tens of billions of dollars of federal funding, entire research agencies and programs, and a generation of researchers.
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International
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Hyeran Jo, Texas A&M University; Yoon Jung Choi, Texas A&M University; Sejong Institute
A summit between the leaders of the US, India, Japan and Australia was expected in November. But it never happened.
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Christopher Tounsel, University of Washington
Since fighting broke out in April 2023, some 150,000 people have been killed in Sudan and an estimated 13.5 million displaced.
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Arts + Culture
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Jaime Schultz, Penn State; Kyle R. King, Penn State; Molly McCreedy, Penn State; Sydney Johnson-Aguirre, Penn State
Billie Jean King’s 1973 match was about social change. The upcoming Sabalenka-Kyrgios event – with its rules tweaks and its participants’ questionable politics – may leave women’s tennis worse off.
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Sam Vong, Smithsonian Institution
A trove of century-old belongings – from farm tools to pillowcases – tells the story of Filipinos who migrated to California to build a new life, a journey now honored in a Smithsonian exhibition.
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Science + Technology
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Emily Greene-Colozzi, UMass Lowell
The $4 billion school security industry can’t back up claims for its tech. The silver lining: That’s partly because there aren’t enough shootings to study.
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Ambuj Tewari, University of Michigan
There are several methods for detecting whether a piece of text was written by AI. They all have limitations – and probably always will.
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Alex Jensen, North Carolina State University
Wolves and coyotes feed on similar things – but their diets aren’t identical. A researcher studied predator diets to investigate their differences.
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Economy + Business
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Alan K. Chen, University of Denver
The gas industry is opposed to labels that warn consumers of the potential harms of gas stoves.
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Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, Babson College; Christopher Wong Michaelson, University of St. Thomas
Thinking about what makes work worth doing and what you would do with your time if you weren’t spending it at work are useful questions to pose this and every year.
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Health + Medicine
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Stacy Shaw, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Unwinding can be hard during the holidays for many reasons. Building in time to recharge through active leisure can help.
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Politics + Society
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Laura Beers, American University
A historian analyzes how White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s claims about her boss and his administration are ‘doublespeak’ straight out of the pages of George Orwell’s ‘1984.’
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Environment + Energy
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Gary W. Yohe, Wesleyan University
Real skeptics study the evidence and ask questions, rather than taking political dogma on faith. Experiencing disasters can open more eyes to the risks.
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