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Honeybees live for half as long as they did 50 years ago, a new study has found. Scientists at the University of Maryland kept bees in a controlled laboratory environment from the pupae up to the end of their life, and found they lived just 17.7 days on average. For comparison, honeybees had an average lifespan of 34.4 days in the 1970s. 'Standardised protocols for rearing honey bees in the lab weren't really formalised until the 2000s, so you would think that lifespans would be longer or unchanged, because we're getting better at this,' said PhD student and lead author...

During these hectic weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, many of us think a lot not only about family, but about food. As we gather around tables to talk, so many of our holiday rituals centers around eating: cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving, applesauce for Chanukah latkes, honey-glazed ham for Christmas and — especially in the South — black-eyed peas and greens for good luck on New Year’s Day. Kwanzaa literally translates to “first fruits.” Yet many of these holiday favorites are endangered, because the bees they depend upon are dying by the millions. You may have heard about this...

<p>A 30-year-old San Francisco schoolteacher faces lewd conduct charges after being caught naked in a car after school with a 14-year-old Luther Burbank Middle School student, authorities said Friday.</p> <p>At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, patrol officers driving in an area of McLaren Park known for drugs and prostitution spotted a car with steamed windows, suggesting either drug or sexual activity, according to Capt. Frank O'Malley of the Police Department's Juvenile Division.</p>