Honey prices to surge as honeybee populations decline
Honeybees play a critical role in agriculture. Beekeepers describe the decline as catastrophic, and some experts warn the crisis could affect both honey and produce prices well beyond the summer.
California hive theft up 87% since 2013
Colonies could decline by 60 to 70% this year due to a dangerous combination of mites, pesticides, habitat loss and hive theft.
In California, hive theft is up 87% since 2013, with 10,000 hives stolen — worth more than $3.5 million.
Thefts are most common during almond season, when farmers pay between $185 and $300 per hive.
Honeybees pollinate 35% of world's crops
Prices for popular summer produce — such as almonds, apples, strawberries and avocados — are expected to increase.
Honeybees pollinate roughly 35% of the world's food crops, so fewer bees mean lower yields and higher prices for fresh produce, jams, jellies and baked goods.
Honeybees contribute about $17 billion annually to U.S. agriculture production, including more than $4 billion from almonds alone, according to Project Apis.
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Newsweek
a day ago
- Newsweek
Devil's Den Killing Suspect Andrew James McGann Had 'Red Flags': Student's Mother
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A mother whose child was taught by the teacher accused of the killing at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas said there were "red flags" in his behavior long before the alleged crime. The Context Former teacher Andrew James McGann, 28, allegedly killed a married couple, Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, while they were hiking with their two daughters in the state park in Washington County, Arkansas. Police said at a press conference that the couple had been stabbed to death in what appeared to be "a completely random event." What To Know Speaking to NewsNation on Friday, Lindsay Polyak described troubling behavior involving McGann that she observed and heard about from her 10-year-old son. "There were red flags," Polyak said. "My son would say [McGann] liked to play tag at recess; he plays Truth or Dare with the girls. And then I start hearing these things like he's giving out candy. He gives candy out in class, but, really, it's for the girls." McGann, who was not her son's primary teacher, was regularly present in the classroom on Fridays and participated in school events. File photo: Mugshot of Andrew James McGann. File photo: Mugshot of Andrew James McGann. Arkansas State Police/AP "I saw him at school events, and he looked charismatic," she added. "He looked like the kids enjoyed being around him, that they flocked to him." Polyak said she and other parents had raised concerns. There were "inappropriate things happening in the classroom," she added, saying that McGann was placed on leave during an investigation and later resigned. That was two years ago. Now, the former teacher is facing two capital murder charges. Arkansas State Police said McGann allegedly stabbed Clinton Brink first. His wife, Cristen Brink, was killed after rushing her two young daughters to safety and returning to help her husband. "I was just absolutely shaken that Cristen and Clinton Brink were brutally murdered, allegedly, by the hands of the man that my son was around every day at his elementary school," Polyak said. "It was chilling to realize that he was around someone who could do this." McGann, a resident of Springdale, Arkansas, had recently relocated from Oklahoma and was hired as a teacher for the upcoming school year but had "not yet started his employment," according to local law enforcement. Springdale Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Jared Cleveland confirmed that McGann "has not at any time come into contact with Springdale students or the families we serve." He added: "At this time, we cannot offer any additional information due to the ongoing investigation." Before his move, McGann worked at Broken Arrow Public Schools in Oklahoma during the 2023/24 school year and taught fifth grade at Sand Springs Public Schools during 2024/25. A spokesperson for Broken Arrow said McGann left "of his own accord" and that "he was subjected to and passed the legally required background checks prior to being hired." Victims Clinton and Cristen Brink had recently moved to Prairie Grove, Arkansas, from South Dakota. Clinton was preparing to begin work as a milk delivery driver, and Cristen was a licensed nurse, according to The Associated Press. Investigators have not disclosed a motive or details of how the killings occurred but noted the suspect may have been injured during the attack. McGann is being held at the Washington County Jail. What People Are Saying Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement: "No news can heal the enormous harm done to the Brink family in last weekend's crime, but this announcement is a comfort and reassurance for our State. I am so proud of the Arkansas State Police, Park Rangers, local law enforcement, and others who have worked nonstop since last weekend to capture this suspect. "I ask that Arkansans lift up prayers of thanks for the brave men and women of law enforcement—and offer prayers of condolence to the victims of this horrific crime. Let there be no mistake—we do not tolerate violent crime in Arkansas. If you target innocent people, law enforcement will hunt you down and bring you to justice." Arkansas State Police Colonel Mike Hagar said: "I'm extremely grateful for the long hours and dedication that our Agents put forward in bringing justice to this family. The collaboration between State Police, other state and local law enforcement agencies, and our federal partners has been second to none. Because of their hard work and investigative skill, we were able to take a monster off the streets, and bring relief to those two precious girls, and the rest of our citizens." Major Stacie Rhoads with Arkansas State Police said: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family affected by this unimaginable act of violence." What Happens Next McGann's arraignment is scheduled to take place on August 25. Law enforcement said the investigation remains ongoing, with additional details to be released as they become available. Anyone who may have information regarding the case or suspect has been encouraged to contact the Arkansas State Police.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Kyiv hit with Russian attack: What it felt like on the ground
Robert Sherman is a White House correspondent for NewsNation. He is reporting from Ukraine. Subscribe to his newsletter: Frontlines with Robert Sherman here. (NewsNation) — It almost looks normal. Maybe it's the bustling McDonald's our team got coffee at this morning. Maybe it's the young couple sharing an ice cream cone in Independence Square. Or the police officers stationed on the highway with their radar guns preparing to write tickets to speeders, as if that were the biggest concern in the world. It look little time for reality to sink in for our NewsNation crew. WATCH: Sleepless night in Kyiv Overnight, Ukraine's capital of Kyiv came under fire from a Russian attack. Sirens blared and intercoms urged people to take shelter as people hastily headed for lower ground. For some, that meant taking shelter in the subway station beneath the city for safety. That first missile impact, which rocked the capital, sent a pulsing wave through the whole city, rattling my hotel. It was several miles away, but the laws of physics (and for that matter the might of modern warfare) made it seem anything but. We stayed put in the center of Kyiv, which locals say is about as safe as it gets here. The sunrise couldn't come sooner. But when it did, new clarity came with the beating rays of this Eastern European Thursday morning. Our team made our way to one of the impact sites in Kyiv hours after the attacks subsided, and what we saw was a residential building blown to pieces. Half of the structure was collapsing in on itself as first responders worked hastily to pick through the rubble. Even before we spoke with the local officials leading the operation, we knew what was happening. The giveaway was the countless faces, concealed by cupped hands over mouths, staring incredulously at the site. The anxiety in their eyes, in too much shock to produce tears, could not unglue from the building. Hundreds were waiting for news. Did their loved ones survive? Could there be a harmless reason they were considered 'missing'? VIDEO: Back in Ukraine Moment by moment, as first responders called the surnames of family members, the painful truth became evident. They were gone. Buried beneath the rubble and lost in a single moment in time. The death toll from this one incident alone is still fluid as of this writing Thursday evening, but it's confirmed to be at least 16 including two children, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The president also says more than 150 are injured including 16 children and six police officers. It was impossible to know the nature of the drone and missile attack from our vantage point in the early morning hours. Even standing there at the scene, I couldn't possibly get the full scope of what transpired. But when I started to see the videos coming in of the Kyiv skyline and multiple plumes of fire erupting, everything started to come into focus. It was a large-scale attack that even locals called 'crazy.' Just days after President Trump announced he was upping the pressure on Russia to make strides toward peace, imposing a new deadline of 10 or 12 days from Monday which would be sometime in the territory of Aug. 7-9, Russia made it's next didn't sleep last night. And in our conversations with the people on the streets today, they don't anticipate that will be changing anytime soon. Our NewsNation coverage from Ukraine will continue through next week. I'll be filing some exclusive reports in the coming day that I hope will shed some insight on what this war looks like nearly three and a half years in. If you have a question or observation, please write to me at rsherman@ or through any of my social media channels such as Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of NewsNation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
2 days ago
- The Hill
Kyiv hit with Russian attack: What it felt like on the ground
Robert Sherman is a White House correspondent for NewsNation. He is reporting from Ukraine. Subscribe to his newsletter: Frontlines with Robert Sherman here. (NewsNation) — It almost looks normal. Maybe it's the bustling McDonald's our team got coffee at this morning. Maybe it's the young couple sharing an ice cream cone in Independence Square. Or the police officers stationed on the highway with their radar guns preparing to write tickets to speeders, as if that were the biggest concern in the world. It look little time for reality to sink in for our NewsNation crew. WATCH: Sleepless night in Kyiv Overnight, Ukraine's capital of Kyiv came under fire from a Russian attack. Sirens blared and intercoms urged people to take shelter as people hastily headed for lower ground. For some, that meant taking shelter in the subway station beneath the city for safety. That first missile impact, which rocked the capital, sent a pulsing wave through the whole city, rattling my hotel. It was several miles away, but the laws of physics (and for that matter the might of modern warfare) made it seem anything but. We stayed put in the center of Kyiv, which locals say is about as safe as it gets here. The sunrise couldn't come sooner. But when it did, new clarity came with the beating rays of this Eastern European Thursday morning. Our team made our way to one of the impact sites in Kyiv hours after the attacks subsided, and what we saw was a residential building blown to pieces. Half of the structure was collapsing in on itself as first responders worked hastily to pick through the rubble. Even before we spoke with the local officials leading the operation, we knew what was happening. The giveaway was the countless faces, concealed by cupped hands over mouths, staring incredulously at the site. The anxiety in their eyes, in too much shock to produce tears, could not unglue from the building. Hundreds were waiting for news. Did their loved ones survive? Could there be a harmless reason they were considered 'missing'? VIDEO: Back in Ukraine Moment by moment, as first responders called the surnames of family members, the painful truth became evident. They were gone. Buried beneath the rubble and lost in a single moment in time. The death toll from this one incident alone is still fluid as of this writing Thursday evening, but it's confirmed to be at least 16 including two children, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The president also says more than 150 are injured including 16 children and six police officers. It was impossible to know the nature of the drone and missile attack from our vantage point in the early morning hours. Even standing there at the scene, I couldn't possibly get the full scope of what transpired. But when I started to see the videos coming in of the Kyiv skyline and multiple plumes of fire erupting, everything started to come into focus. It was a large-scale attack that even locals called 'crazy.' Just days after President Trump announced he was upping the pressure on Russia to make strides toward peace, imposing a new deadline of 10 or 12 days from Monday which would be sometime in the territory of Aug. 7-9, Russia made it's next move. VIDEO: What's New, What's the Same? Kyiv didn't sleep last night. And in our conversations with the people on the streets today, they don't anticipate that will be changing anytime soon. Our NewsNation coverage from Ukraine will continue through next week. I'll be filing some exclusive reports in the coming day that I hope will shed some insight on what this war looks like nearly three and a half years in. If you have a question or observation, please write to me at rsherman@ or through any of my social media channels such as Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok.
