NASA has awarded Dynamic Aviation Group Inc. of Bridgewater, Virginia, the Commercial Aviation Services contract to support the agency’s Airborne Science Program. The program provides aircraft and technology to further science and advance the use of Earth observing satellite data, making NASA data about our home planet and innovations accessible to all. This is an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity firm-fixed-price contract with a maximum potential value of $13.5 million. The period of performance began Friday, Jan. 31, and continues through Jan. 30, 2030. Under this contract, the company will provide ground and flight crews and services using modified commercial aircraft, including a Beechcraft King Air B200 and Beechcraft King Air A90. Work will include mechanical and electrical engineering services for instrument integration and de-integration, flight planning and real-time tracking, project execution, as well as technical feasibility assessments and cost estimation. Aircraft modifications may include instrumented nosecones, viewing ports, inlets, computing systems, and satellite communications capabilities. This work is essential for NASA to conduct airborne science missions, develop and validate earth system models, and support satellite payload calibration. NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will administer the agency-wide contract on behalf of the Airborne Science Program in the Earth Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. To learn more about NASA and agency programs, visit:
Home Page
-end- Rachel HooverAmes Research Center, Silicon Valley, Calif.650-604-4789rachel.hoover@nasa.gov
To advance plans of securing a public/private partnership and land and operate NASA’s VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover) mission on the Moon in collaboration with industry the agency announced Monday it is seeking U.S. proposals. As part of the agency’s Artemis campaign, instruments on VIPER will demonstrate U.S. industry’s ability to search for ice on the lunar surface and collect science data. The Announcement for Partnership Proposal contains proposal instructions and evaluation criteria for a new Lunar Volatiles Science Partnership. Responses are due Thursday, Feb. 20. After evaluating submissions, any selections by the agency will require respondents to submit a second, more detailed, proposal. NASA is expected to make a decision on the VIPER mission this summer. “Moving forward with a VIPER partnership offers NASA a unique opportunity to engage with the private sector,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Such a partnership provides the opportunity for NASA to collect VIPER science that could tell us more about water on the Moon, while advancing commercial lunar landing capabilities and resource prospecting possibilities.” This new announcement comes after NASA issued a Request for Information on Aug. 9, 2024, to seek interest from American companies and institutions in conducting a mission using the agency’s VIPER Moon rover after the program was canceled in July 2024. Any partnership would work under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. This type of partnership allows both NASA and an industry partner to contribute services, technology, and hardware to the collaboration. As part of an agreement, NASA would contribute the existing VIPER rover as-is. Potential partners would need to arrange for the integration and successful landing of the rover on the Moon, conduct a science/exploration campaign, and disseminate VIPER-generated science data. The partner may not disassemble the rover and use its instruments or parts separately from the VIPER mission. NASA’s selection approach will favor proposals that enable data from the mission’s science instruments to be shared openly with anyone who wishes to use it. “Being selected for the VIPER partnership would benefit any company interested in advancing their lunar landing and surface operations capabilities,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in the Science Mission Directorate. “This solicitation seeks proposals that clearly describe what is needed to successfully land and operate the rover, and invites industry to propose their own complementary science goals and approaches. NASA is looking forward to partnering with U.S. industry to meet the challenges of performing volatiles science in the lunar environment.” The Moon is a cornerstone for solar system science and exoplanet studies. In addition to helping inform where ice exists on the Moon for potential future astronauts, understanding our nearest neighbor helps us understand how it has evolved and what processes shaped its surface. To learn more about NASA’s lunar science, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/moon -end- Karen FoxHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100karen.fox@nasa.gov
Headline: FEMA Extends Application Deadline for North Carolinians Affected by Tropical Storm Helene
FEMA Extends Application Deadline for North Carolinians Affected by Tropical Storm Helene
HICKORY, N.C. – At the request of the state of North Carolina, Tropical Storm Helene survivors now have until March 8, 2025, to apply for assistance with FEMA.With the extended deadline, FEMA still strongly urges survivors to apply as soon as possible. After the deadline of March 8, you may still submit documents, update your contact information and stay in contact with FEMA regarding your application, but you must apply before the deadline.FEMA assistance may include funds for temporary housing such as rental assistance or reimbursement for hotel costs; funds to support the repair or replacement of a primary home, including privately-owned access routes, such as driveways, roads, or bridges; and funds for disaster-caused expenses, such as repair or replacement of personal property and vehicles, funds for moving and storage, medical, dental, child care and other miscellaneous items.Homeowners and renters in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lee, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Nash, Polk, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians with uninsured losses from Tropical Storm Helene may apply for FEMA assistance.There are several ways to apply: Visit a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) to find the center location nearest you go to fema.gov/drc. Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov.Download the FEMA App for mobile devices.Call the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 between 7 a.m. and midnight. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service, such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. joseph.arbid Mon, 02/03/2025 – 20:49
Researchers found that plant seeds exposed to space germinated at the same rate as those kept on the ground. This finding shows that plant seeds can remain viable during long-term space travel and plants could be used for food and other uses on future missions. Materials International Space Station Experiment-14 exposed a variety of materials to space, including 11 types of plant seeds. The work also evaluated the performance of a new sample containment canister as a method of exposing biological samples to space while protecting their vigor. Examining mechanisms of immune issues in space
Using genetic analyses, researchers identified molecular mechanisms that cause changes in mitochondrial and immune system function seen during spaceflight. The findings provide insight into how the human body adapts in space and could guide countermeasures for protecting immune function on future missions. International Space Station Medical Monitoring collects a variety of health data from crew members before, after, and at regular intervals during spaceflight. Evaluations fall into broad categories of medical, occupational, physical fitness, nutrition, and psychological or behavioral and include blood tests. Mitochondria are cell organelles that produce energy. Reducing vision changes in space
Microgravity can cause changes in eye structure and function. Researchers found that artificial gravity may reduce these changes and could serve as a countermeasure to protect the vision of crew members on future missions. Previous studies provide evidence that artificial gravity may protect against or mitigate negative effects of microgravity. An investigation from JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in collaboration with NASA’s Human Research and Space Biology Programs, Mouse Habitat Unit-8 looked at the long-term effects of spaceflight on gene expression patterns in mammals. More research is needed to identify the effects of other spaceflight stressors and determine what level and duration of gravitational force is needed to prevent or reduce damage to the retina or optic nerve.
NASA’s iconic “worm” insignia stands out in this photo taken on Jan. 24, 2025, as engineers and technicians prepared to lift the left center center booster segment for the agency’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The boosters will help support the remaining rocket components and the Orion spacecraft during final assembly of the Artemis II Moon rocket and provide more than 75 percent of the total SLS thrust during liftoff from Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Get more Artemis II news. Image credit: NASA/Frank Michaux
Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
February 03, 2025
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today led all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in letters to President Trump’s nominee to be the Attorney General of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Pam Bondi; nominee to be the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel; nominee to be Deputy Attorney General, Todd Blanche; as well as the Acting Attorney General, James McHenry; and Acting FBI Director, Brian Driscoll, about the removal or reassignment across DOJ and FBI of career law enforcement officials. Last week, the Trump Administration reportedly purged dozens of DOJ and FBI officials involved in prosecuting Donald Trump and the January 6 rioters and is now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to the attack on the Capitol.
In addition to Durbin, the letters were signed by U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Coons (D-DE), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Adam Schiff (D-CA).
The Senators wrote, “We have grave concerns about the removal or reassignment across the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of senior career civil servants who have served honorably under multiple administrations, regardless of the President’s party. The removals and reassignments from their positions of a significant number of experienced, nonpartisan Department officials with invaluable national security expertise without any comparable replacements one day into the second Trump Administration presents an alarming threat to national security. As many as 20 senior Department officials were reassigned or removed, including the veteran career deputy assistant attorneys general in the Department’s National Security Division.”
The Senators continued, “Our alarm has only grown in the past two weeks as this purge of experienced career prosecutors and agents has expanded to include the removal or forced retirement of all six Executive Assistant Directors (EADs), including the EADs who oversee the National Security Branch, Intelligence Branch, and the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch; as well as the Assistant Directors and the Special Agents in Charge of at least four major field offices. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered these actions in a January 31, 2025 memo, stating, ‘I do not believe the current leadership of the Justice Department can trust these FBI employees to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.’ Similarly, more than a dozen senior Department prosecutors were fired after receiving memos from Acting Attorney General McHenry stating: ‘Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe that the leadership of the Department can trust you to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.’ Retaliating against these career public servants who were simply doing the work assigned to them is outrageous and unacceptable.”
Over the weekend, thousands of FBI personnel across the country were asked to complete a questionnaire by today, Monday, February 3, at 3pm. The survey asks for their job title, whether they worked on a case related to the January 6th attack on the Capitol, “if they were involved in the arrest of a Jan. 6 suspect, if they testified at a trial, if they interviewed witnesses, if they conducted surveillance on suspects and more.” It has also been reported that the Acting FBI Director is being advised by an advisory committee comprised of partisan political operators, including an Elon Musk affiliate. This is a stark departure from the longstanding tradition that the FBI Director is the only political appointee in the Bureau.
“As America faces a heightened threat landscape, these shocking removals and reassignments deprive DOJ and the FBI of experienced, senior leadership and decades of experience fighting violent crime, espionage, and terrorism. As the FBI Agents Association stated in response to reports about the removal of FBI officials: ‘Dismissing potentially hundreds of Agents would severely weaken the Bureau’s ability to protect the country from national security and criminal threats and will ultimately risk setting up the Bureau and its new leadership for failure,’” the Senators wrote. “Moreover, the firing of dozens of federal prosecutors and hundreds of agents will cripple FBI field offices and U.S. Attorney’s offices across the country. We can only assume these decisions are intended to prevent the Department from investigating national security and public corruption, while also serving as political retribution against the President’s perceived enemies and stoking fear among the dedicated and talented workforce in our nation’s premier law enforcement agency.”
In the letter, the Senators state that the Senate Judiciary Committee has a constitutional obligation to perform oversight over the Department and its components, and to provide advice and consent on the nominations of officers to lead it. To that end, they request various information to be returned to the Committee in response to the removal of FBI and DOJ officials. They also request answers from these individuals about their involvement.
The full letter to AG nominee Pam Bondi can be foundhere.
The full letter to FBI Director nominee Kash Patel can be foundhere.
The full letter to Deputy AG nominee Todd Blanche can be found here.
The full letter to Acting AG McHenry and Acting FBI Director Driscoll can be foundhere.
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis.
“The Government has given up on the housing crisis, using the review into Kāinga Ora to push their privatisation agenda,” says the Green Party spokesperson for Housing Tamatha Paul.
“Public housing is as essential as public healthcare and public education. Housing is a human right that this Government is denying our communities from accessing.
“The housing crisis in Aotearoa is getting worse and worse. Instead of making excuses to allow poverty and homelessness to skyrocket, the Government needs to back Kāinga Ora to build at scale and at pace.
“This Government is deliberately stripping Kāinga Ora to the bare bones, playing straight into the hands of wealthy landlords looking to exploit housing insecurity for private profit. We cannot rely on the private market to solve our problems, we have seen it entrench poverty and homelessness across generations.
“The last Government sold just 276 state houses over six years, but increased public housing supply by over 7,000 homes. With this new direction, Bishop will sell 900 per year. That’s not just opening the door to privatisation, it’s welcoming it in with open arms.
“In the past, our country’s leaders made a conscious decision to house everybody and grow public housing stock at scale. We can make that decision again and we must resist the sale of public housing at all costs because it will have consequences for generations to come.
“Public housing is a crucial part of ensuring we don’t have gentrified, segregated communities, and that our neighbourhoods reflect the make-up of our wider society, culturally and economically.
“Housing is a public good that provides the basis for a stable home for whanau, so that no one is left behind. The Government should be building thousands of new homes,” says Tamatha Paul.
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses.
“Chris Bishop is full of it. It is completely heartless and out of touch of him to be comfortable with people sleeping in cars and tents, while he stands up and boasts about saving money,” Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said.
“It’s simple, build more public houses so that people have somewhere to live. Housing is the bare minimum that a person needs to live, and to help turn their life around.
“Chris Bishop has already instructed Kāinga Ora to build fewer houses each year in his letter of expectation, leading to a net loss of houses in Auckland next year, and cut $1.5 billion from building and maintenance costs in last year’s budget.
“If the best that he can come up with is the number of overall homes won’t go backwards, then it shows their priority is cutting spending, not housing people.
“He says a lot of words about how the private sector will step in, yet figures out today from Statistics New Zealand shows overall building consents for new homes are down nearly 10% for 2024.
“Chris Bishop completely missed out the words that matter – a commitment to building more public houses,” Kieran McAnulty said.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand has placed Southland District into a restricted fire season from 8am, Tuesday 4 February until further notice.
A restricted fire season means anyone who wants to light an outdoor fire will need a permit authorised by Fire and Emergency, which they can apply for atcheckitsalright.nz.
Southland District Manager Julian Tohiariki says a combination of above-average temperatures, moderately strong winds and reduced rainfall has contributed to increased fire risk in the area.
“These conditions make it too easy for fires to get started and get out of control,” he says.
“The wildfire on Tiwai Peninsula last week showed just how quickly fire can spread through dry vegetation, and the devastating impact it can have on our environment and wildlife.
“We have a lot of very dry and flammable vegetation out there in the district at the moment, so we need to restrict how and when outdoor fires are lit.
“If you’re thinking about starting any kind of open-air fire, you must go tocheckitsalright.nzfirst to find out if you can do that in your location, and what restrictions apply.
“It’s important we take all the steps we can to reduce the fire risk to our safety, property and environment this summer.”
Porirua City Council is reviewing the way it manages freedom camping. Under the proposed bylaw, freedom camping on reserves would still be managed under the Reserves Act, but freedom camping on other Council land would be managed under the Freedom Camping Act 2011.
The proposed bylaw would give Council officers the ability to issue on-the-spot fines. We hope this will reduce the number of people not complying with our freedom camping rules. There are six proposed sites where freedom camping in a self-contained motor vehicle is permitted, with restrictions.Submissions close 10 February.
Keeping of Animals Bylaw 2025
Updated rules are being proposed if you keep cats, poultry, bees or other animals in Porirua, and we want to hear what the community thinks. The Keeping of Animals Bylaw is a general bylaw that has rules around all domestic animals, apart from dogs, which are covered by the Dog Control Bylaw.
It’s proposed to strengthen the bylaw by putting in stronger provisions to prevent noise and mess nuisance by animals and clearer enforcement rules. This includes new rules for cats (requiring owners to desex, microchip and register their cat), new rules for beekeepers and proposed changes for keeping stock in the city centre and suburban areas.Submissions close 10 February.
Local Alcohol Policy
Feedback is sought to help shape the sale and supply of alcohol in Porirua. We are proposing to introduce priority areas in suburbs where alcohol-related harm is more common, which could then have conditions applied to manage alcohol sale and supply.
The hours that alcohol can be sold in both off-licence premises (that sell alcohol to drink elsewhere) and on-licence premises (where alcohol is sold to drink at that venue) is also being consulted on, with options proposed for feedback.Submissions close 7 March.
It’s an election year, and we’re asking people in Porirua to show how much they care about their city. This year you’ll decide who represents you around the Council table. There will also be a poll on whether the city should keep its Māori ward.
There are three phases to an election year – enrol, stand, and vote.
Council’s Manager Democratic Services, Jack Marshall, says while the election is just over eight months away, now is a great time to find out more. You can check you’re enrolled and, if you’re interested, start thinking about standing for Council. You can find out online anytime whether you’re enrolled for the general or Māori roll.
“We’ll be out and about at events across our city (including Waitangi Day), helping people to show how ‘Porirua Proud’ they are. Come have a chat about enrolling, standing, or how voting works,” Jack says.
“Our mayor and councillors make key decisions on how the city is run and these decisions impact our lives every day.
“Council is responsible for delivering essential services and infrastructure like roading, rubbish, recycling, the landfill, three waters, animal control, planning and building consents, as well as things like parks, reserves, sports fields and events that help make Porirua the great place it is.
“If you’ve ever thought about being mayor or a councillor, now’s the time to start thinking about standing. Come help ensure the Council reflects our diverse and vibrant city.”
Local elections are by postal vote, with voting closing on 11 October. Porirua has a mayor, and 10 councillors, which includes one councillor for the Parirua Māori Ward.
A key decision to be made this election by voters is whether the city should keep its Māori ward.
“There are big decisions to be made for our city’s future. Make sure your voice is heard – either by voting or by standing,” Jack says.
Check you’re enrolled atvote.nzor call the Electoral Commission on 0800 36 76 56.
You can expect another awesome Waitangi Day event in Porirua.
Waitangi Day at Te Rauparaha Park on Thursday 6 February, runs from midday to 5pm and will feature live music performances from homegrown talent PERE and Kings.
Also hitting the stage will be Swiss, The Voice Australia’s Roland Williams, Ella Monnery and Hoseah Partsch, and Leisure Tomlins.
Don’t miss cultural performances by Mana Whenua me te Kāhui Kuratea, and visiting Canadian Indigenous group the Kumugwe Cultural Society.
The fun continues inside Te Rauparaha Arena and Pātaka Art + Museum, with lots of free activities for tamariki and art and history to discover.
Visitors will also have the chance to check out the many stalls set up on Te Rauparaha Park, as well as choosing from a range of tasty kai options from food trucks located along Norrie St.
The popular free waka tours are also returning for the day, giving people the chance to paddle around Te-Awarua-o-Porirua Harbour, thanks to Toa Waka Ama.
“Last year we welcomed more than 30,000 people into our city centre for Waitangi Day, with many coming from outside of Porirua,” says Porirua Mayor Anita Baker.
“The range of musicians, performers, activities, stalls and kai on offer means there will be something for everyone.”
Last year the event was named Best Arts, Culture or Heritage Event at the NZEA Event Awards.
This year’s event has a zero waste kaupapa, so remember to pack your keep cups for inu (drinks) and kai (food), and is smoke and vape free.
There are plenty of ways to get to Te Rauparaha Park for Waitangi Day – walk, scoot or bike to the city centre if coming from nearby.
As it’s a public holiday Council parking is free in the city, although there will be fewer available parks due to event road closures. Visitors are encouraged to catch the train to Porirua city and make the five-minute walk around the waterfront to the action. Some mobility parking spaces will be available at Te Rauparaha Arena.
Home consents up in Otago in 2024, down in all other regions–4 February 2025 –There were 33,600 new homes consented in Aotearoa New Zealand in the year ended December 2024, down 9.8 percent compared with the year ended December 2023, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.
“Otago was the only region with an increase in the number of new homes consented in 2024,” economic indicators spokesperson Michael Heslop said.
The five regions with the highest number of new homes consented in the year ended December 2024 were:
Auckland with 13,939 (down 10 percent compared with the year ended December 2023)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2025 – Brian Bryant, International President of the 600,000-member IAM Union, and David Chartrand, IAM Canadian General Vice President, issued the following statement following a pause of proposed U.S.-Canadian tariffs.
“As the largest aerospace and defense labor union in the United States and Canada, the IAM Union is relieved that destructive tariffs between our two allied countries are being paused. A new path forward—one that doesn’t put U.S. and Canadian workers in a needless cycle of worrying about job loss due to tariff threats between allies—is possible. This moment offers the perfect opportunity for workers and unions from both countries to be a part of the solution moving forward.
“For decades, we have seen millions of good-paying, high-skilled U.S. and Canadian jobs outsourced to countries with little to no labor rights. Thanks to bad trade deals, tens of thousands of good IAM Union aerospace and defense jobs have become low-wage jobs in Mexico, while China has used forced technology offsets to create its own aerospace industry. This race-to-the-bottom model is being replicated by other bad actors across the globe – and it’s hurting all workers, as well as our shared national security.
“We have a chance right now to pull all stakeholders – government, business and labor – together to forge a real, comprehensive strategy to protect and grow critical manufacturing here in the United States and Canada. Workers on the both sides of the border deserve to drive policy conversations about their livelihoods, not be pawns in a larger political discussion.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
HOUSTON, Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. (the “Company”) (NYSE: KYN) today provided a summary unaudited statement of assets and liabilities and announced its net asset value and asset coverage ratios under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) as of January 31, 2025.
As of January 31, 2025, the Company’s net assets were $2.4 billion, and its net asset value per share was $14.46. As of January 31, 2025, the Company’s asset coverage ratio under the 1940 Act with respect to senior securities representing indebtedness was 623% and the Company’s asset coverage ratio under the 1940 Act with respect to total leverage (debt and preferred stock) was 476%.
STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES JANUARY 31, 2025 // (UNAUDITED)
(in millions)
Investments
$
3,450.6
Cash and cash equivalents
1.8
Accrued income
9.9
Current tax asset, net
6.4
Other assets
0.4
Total assets
3,469.1
Credit facility
87.0
Notes
409.7
Unamortized notes issuance costs
(2.7
)
Preferred stock
153.6
Unamortized preferred stock issuance costs
(1.3
)
Total leverage
646.3
Payable for securities purchased
18.8
Other liabilities
16.3
Deferred tax liability, net
342.8
Total liabilities
377.9
Net assets
$
2,444.9
The Company had 169,126,038 common shares outstanding as of January 31, 2025.
Long-term investments were comprised of Midstream Energy Companies (94%), Utility Companies (4%) and Other (2%).
The Company’s ten largest holdings by issuer at January 31, 2025 were:
Amount (in millions)*
% Long Term Investments
1.
Energy Transfer LP (Midstream Energy Company)
$390.7
11.3
%
2.
Enterprise Products Partners L.P. (Midstream Energy Company)
338.2
9.8
%
3.
The Williams Companies, Inc. (Midstream Energy Company)
327.6
9.5
%
4.
MPLX LP (Midstream Energy Company)
320.4
9.3
%
5.
Cheniere Energy, Inc. (Midstream Energy Company)
256.3
7.4
%
6.
Targa Resources Corp. (Midstream Energy Company)
208.8
6.1
%
7.
Kinder Morgan, Inc. (Midstream Energy Company)
207.3
6.0
%
8.
ONEOK, Inc. (Midstream Energy Company)
183.1
5.3
%
9.
TC Energy Corporation (Midstream Energy Company)
155.6
4.5
%
10.
Western Midstream Partners, LP (Midstream Energy Company)
151.2
4.4
%
*
Includes ownership of common and preferred units.
Portfolio holdings are subject to change without notice. The mention of specific securities is not a recommendation or solicitation for any person to buy, sell or hold any particular security. You can obtain a complete listing of holdings by viewing the Company’s most recent quarterly or annual report.
Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. (NYSE: KYN) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, whose common stock is traded on the NYSE. The Company’s investment objective is to provide a high after-tax total return with an emphasis on making cash distributions to stockholders. KYN intends to achieve this objective by investing at least 80% of its total assets in securities of Energy Infrastructure Companies. See Glossary of Key Terms in the Company’s most recent quarterly report for a description of these investment categories and the meaning of capitalized terms.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer or sale is not permitted. Nothing contained in this press release is intended to recommend any investment policy or investment strategy or consider any investor’s specific objectives or circumstances. Before investing, please consult with your investment, tax, or legal adviser regarding your individual circumstances.
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This communication contains statements reflecting assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions, or beliefs about future events. These and other statements not relating strictly to historical or current facts constitute forward-looking statements as defined under the U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements involve a variety of risks and uncertainties. These risks include but are not limited to changes in economic and political conditions; regulatory and legal changes; energy industry risk; leverage risk; valuation risk; interest rate risk; tax risk; and other risks discussed in detail in the Company’s filings with the SEC, available at www.kaynefunds.com or www.sec.gov. Actual events could differ materially from these statements or our present expectations or projections. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Kayne Anderson undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein. There is no assurance that the Company’s investment objectives will be attained.
I sign this Treaty with my hand, but with the mana of my ancestors.
So said Hōne Heke, the first rangatira (chief) to sign the Treaty of Waitangi. To emphasise the gravity of this sentiment, he then mentioned two of his predecessors by name: Kaharau and Kauteawha.
It would be difficult to imagine a statement that could invest more mana in the Treaty than this. And Heke was not alone in his view of the agreement.
Many other rangatira similarly regarded the Treaty as a kawenata (covenant) of utmost importance, including some going as far as putting a representation of their tā moko (facial tattoo) on the document.
How each rangatira interpreted the Treaty’s provisions remains open to speculation. But what they committed themselves to abiding by was the text of the agreement (either the English version, or in the case of most signatories, the translation in te reo Māori).
That text was comprised of a preamble, followed by three operative articles. Some rangatira read it, some had it read to them. But as far as all the parties were concerned, that was the entirety of the Treaty.
In the 1990s, however, suggestions began to surface about a mysterious “fourth article” guaranteeing religious protections. It was not part of the text, but supposedly a verbal promise that amounted to a provision of the agreement.
The idea has gained sufficient traction for supporters to petition parliament late last year to recognise the fourth article, just as debate about the Treaty Principles Bill was heating up. But it is a claim that needs to be treated with caution and scrutiny.
Religious protections
Prior to the first signing of the Treaty – at Waitangi – the Anglican missionary Henry Williams had observed that some Catholic rangatira were reluctant to commit to the agreement.
The Catholic Bishop, Jean-Baptiste Pompallier, had queried British motives and insisted Catholic rangatira should receive specific protection from the Crown. Williams then read out a hastily-prepared statement to clarify the issue:
The Governor wishes you to understand that all the Maories (sic) who shall join the Church of England, who shall join the Wesleyans, who shall join the Pikopo or Church of Rome, and those who retain their Maori practices, shall have the protection of the British Government.
Williams noted that this statement “was received in silence. No observation was made upon it; the Maories, and others, being at perfect loss to understand what it could mean.”
And there the matter ought to have ended: a peripheral detail in a momentous day. But this minor episode was disinterred from its historical obscurity in 1995 at a meeting of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference.
The clerics announced that a “fourth article was added to the Maori text of the Treaty signed at Waitangi, at the request of Bishop Jean Baptiste […] This article guaranteed religious freedom for all in the new nation, including Maori.”
Some Anglicans soon endorsed this position. The “fourth article” thus entered the bloodstream of Treaty discourse and began to circulate freely.
Missing evidence
There are several objections to the claim of a fourth article of the Treaty.
Firstly, if it was regarded as a part of the Treaty at the signing on February 6 1840, then we would expect to see both contemporaneous confirmation of this, and subsequent evidence that is consistent with it.
Yet, these categories of evidence are largely absent. Indeed, mention of a “fourth article” before the 1990s does not exist.
The sentiment of the fourth article is also absent from the instructions for the Treaty issued by Lord Normanby, British Secretary of State for the Colonies, in 1839.
Indeed, far from the Crown wishing to guarantee freedom of cultural or religious beliefs, Normanby made it explicit that only those Māori customs the British regarded as acceptable would be protected:
[The] savage practices of human sacrifice and cannibalism must be promptly and decisively interdicted; such atrocities, under whatever plea of religion they may take place, are not to be tolerated in any part of the dominions of the British Crown.
Therefore, as far as one party to the Treaty was concerned, the idea of the fourth article was never in contention. What was explicitly promised to all people was the protection of the British government, and not the protection of all customs held by Māori.
Treaties are written
As every other contemporaneous source confirms, no rangatira sought this fourth article, and around 90% of rangatira who signed the Treaty (in places other than Waitangi) did not have this so-called fourth article read to them (and so could not have consented to it).
Nor was it included in the text of copies of the agreement that were subsequently circulated around the country, and neither Hobson nor Pompallier suggested it was an “article” as such.
International law requires that treaties be in a written form. This certainly has been the convention as far as European treaties are concerned, extending back several centuries.
It makes any suggestion Hobson admitted an oral article extremely problematic. Likewise, New Zealand’s domestic law also specifies the Treaty contains only three articles.
Furthermore, if spoken commitments have the status of an article, then what about other verbal commitments made at some of the Treaty signings? Singling out one statement as a presumed article is inconsistent. Either the principle of all verbal commitments in such a setting constitute articles of the Treaty, or none does.
Previous attempts to insert the fourth article into the country’s constitutional framework have gone nowhere. And in the absence of more persuasive historical evidence, it’s likely to stay that way.
Paul Moon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
Welch nominated the project for federal funding through Congressionally Directed Spending Process
MIDDLEBURY, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today joined Vermont Governor Phil Scott, community members, and partners to celebrate the groundbreaking of Stonecrop Meadows in Middlebury. The new housing project will provide rental and owner-occupied housing at all income levels. Senator Welch nominated Stonecrop Meadows for Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 CDS process, which is currently in-progress.
“Ambitious initiatives like the Stonecrop Meadows project are essential to tackle our housing challenges in Vermont and across the country. I’m excited to celebrate the groundbreaking of this community-driven project, which I nominated to receive Congressionally Directed Spending. I’ll continue to fight for passage of this upcoming budget to ensure these funds make it to this critical project,” said Senator Welch.
The Stonecrop Meadows project is being built on 35 acres of Middlebury College-owned land off Seminary Street Extension. Phase 1, called the “Core Village” will be 80 units. At full buildout, this project will create 254 new homes.
Sen. Welch was joined by Vermont Governor Phil Scott; Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak; Alex Farrell, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD); Maura Collins, Executive Director of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA); Gus Seelig, Executive Director of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB); Representatives from Middlebury College; community members; and Representatives from the Offices of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Becca Balint (VT-At-Large).
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement on the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard to serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI):
“After extensive consideration of her nomination, I will support Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence. As one of the principal authors of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 that established this coordinating position, I understand the critical role the DNI plays in the Intelligence Community. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, however, has become far larger than it was designed to be, and Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size. In response to my questions during our discussion in my office and at the open hearing, as well as through her explanation at the closed hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, Ms. Gabbard addressed my concerns regarding her views on Edward Snowden. I look forward to working with Ms. Gabbard to strengthen our national security.”
Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins issued the following statement on the White House’s decision to pause proposed tariffs on all Canadian imports:
“I am pleased that the Trump Administration is pausing the tariffs on Canada to evaluate the economic impact on both our nations. In my many conversations with Administration officials over the weekend, I sought to make them aware of the potential costs of these tariffs. From home heating oil, gasoline, and petroleum products, to Maine’s paper mills, forest products businesses, and agricultural producers, the proposed tariffs on Canada would be detrimental to Maine families and our local economies. As the Administration assesses next steps, I’ll work to ensure Mainers have a seat at the table.”
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan about the situation in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Trudeau and His Majesty King Abdullah II welcomed the recent ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, the continued release of hostages, and the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
The leaders spoke of the ongoing instability in the West Bank and, in discussing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the Prime Minister thanked the King for his continued leadership in improving Palestinians’ access to aid. He also highlighted Canada’s recent commitment to providing $50 million in funding for humanitarian assistance to address the acute needs of Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank.
The two leaders discussed the situation in Syria, following the end of the Assad regime in December. The Prime Minister welcomed Jordan’s role in providing assistance to Syria. He also emphasized Canada’s commitment to supporting the immediate delivery of humanitarian assistance in Syria and the development of a stable and inclusive government for the people of Syria. The leaders expressed their shared support for an inclusive Syrian-led political governance structure for the country.
Prime Minister Trudeau and His Majesty King Abdullah II reaffirmed the strong partnership between Canada and Jordan and agreed to remain in close contact as the situation continues to evolve.
Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, about the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Trudeau congratulated President Aoun on his recent election, noting it is a moment of hope and opportunity for Lebanon and its people. The two leaders discussed the importance of respecting the ceasefire along Lebanon’s southern border and of supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces.
The leaders underscored that the people of Lebanon deserve to live in peace and security. Prime Minister Trudeau reiterated that Canada will always stand with the Lebanese people.
The Prime Minister and the President highlighted the close co-operation and the strong people-to-people ties between Canada and Lebanon. They agreed that their shared values and priorities will carry forward this relationship in the years to come.
Five weeks of highway reconstruction gets underway near Thomsons Creek Bridge, west of Omakau, in Central Otago in a week’s time.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) crews will be starting on Monday 10 February, running through to Friday 14 March. The bridge is close to the intersection with Ophir Bridge Road. (See map below for the site being repaired and relaid).
Close to 600 metres of highway needs to be replaced, from the eastern end of the Thomsons Creek Bridge to about 40metres south of the Wilton St/SH85 intersection.
This work to fully reconstruct the road surface to give good traction and improve safety for road users is weather dependent. Dates could vary if it is wet or cold, says Peter Standring, Maintenance Contract Manager for NZTA in Central Otago.
Drivers will face delays up to ten minutes as one lane of the road will be tackled at a time and traffic managed with Stop/Go, with speeds down to 30km/hour. Crews will be on site from 7 am each day through to 6 pm, weekdays only.
Outside of these hours, the road will be unattended with speeds reduced to 30km/hour and open both directions.
NZTA thanks all road users for taking care around our crews while this work is underway and building in the extra ten minutes daytimes to keep everyone’s journey stress-free over the five weeks or so.
The area east of the bridge is about to get a new lease of life:
The location of the road rehabilitation starting 10 February. Note the bridge deck is not included in the reconstruction.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) advises road users to plan ahead for upcoming chipsealing work on State Highway 16 Kaukapakapa.
Work will be carried out between 7am and 7pm over 5 days, beginning Monday 10 February, with stop/go traffic management and a reduced temporary speed limit in place. Temporary speed limits and traffic management will remain in place the following day to guide traffic over the new seal and help to embed it successfully.
It’s important to slow down through newly sealed sections of road because small chips can be flicked up from the road surface and damage vehicles – especially windscreens. That’s why we often keep temporary speed limits in place even after it looks like the work has been completed. As well as safety, the temporary speed limit also helps ensure the quality of the reseal. Travelling at the posted temporary speed limit allows for the chips to be embedded into the road surface and for them to remain in place as the seal cures.
Travel delays during these works are expected to be 5-10 minutes.
Chipsealing helps ensure a smooth, skid-resistant surface, free of potholes and slippery sections to reduce the risk of crashes and help keep everyone traveling on our roads safe.
Details of specific work sites for the week ahead can be found on the Northland State Highway Maintenance Programme website.
Work is weather dependent and there may be changes to the planned works in the case of unsuitable weather. Please visit the NZTA Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz) for up-to-date information, including any changes due to weather.
This work is part of Northland’s significant summer maintenance programme, which will see approximately 203 lane kilometres of state highway renewed across the region by the end of May.
NZTA thanks everyone for their understanding and support while we carry out this essential maintenance.
National Education Association President Becky Pringle released the following statement reacting to Donald Trump’s expected Executive Order pushing to end the Department of Education – his latest extreme action that hurts our students and public schools:
“Most of us believe every student deserves opportunity, resources, and support to reach their full potential no matter where they live, the color of their skin, or how much their family earns.
“Congress created the Department of Education, and only Congress has the power to end it. And the vast majority of Congress –including 60 House Republicans– rejected gutting public education last session, knowing it would only hurt students and is deeply unpopular with parents and educators.
“Students across the country benefit from programs run by the Department of Education, especially lower-income students in rural, suburban, and urban communities, students who qualify for federal grants or loans to receive career training or attend 2- and 4-year colleges, and students with disabilities.
“If it became a reality, Trump’s power grab would steal resources for our most vulnerable students, explode class sizes, cut job training programs, make higher education more expensive and out of reach for middle class families, take away special education services for students with disabilities, and gut student civil rights protections. Americans did not vote for, and do not support, ending the federal government’s commitment to ensuring equal educational opportunities for every child.
“This comes just days after an Executive Order designed to drain resources from our public schools through vouchers. The intent is clear: starve our public schools of the resources our students need and funnel these resources to discriminatory and unaccountable private schools or tax cuts for billionaires who funded his campaign.
“90% of American students and 95% of students with disabilities learn in our public schools. Eliminating the Department of Education is equivalent to giving up on our future. Strong public schools are essential to strong communities. Our students need more opportunities, more resources, and greater protections, not less.
“Educators won’t be silent as anti-public education politicians try to steal opportunities from our students, our families, and our communities across America. Together with parents and allies, we will continue to organize, advocate, and mobilize so that all students have well-resourced schools that allow every student to grow into their full brilliance.”
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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org
A 19-year-old man from the southern suburbs has been charged after allegedly riding train tops and accessing the roofs of buildings in the Adelaide CBD.
Public Transport Safety Section are currently investigating a small number of similar incidents where a group of young people filmed themselves trespassing on buildings in Adelaide and riding dangerously on the outside of trains before posting it online.
About 12pm Monday 3 February, following an investigation, police attended a Port Noarlunga address and arrested a 19-year-old man who is alleged to have been involved in these incidents.
The man was charged with being unlawfully on premises and offences under the Passenger Transport Regulations. The male was also issued with a three-month Transit Barring Order barring him from using all forms of public transport or entering onto any public transport infrastructure.
The male has been granted police bail to appear at Adelaide Magistrates Court on 19 March.
The investigation is ongoing to identify further people involved. Police would like to remind the public of the obvious dangers of travelling on the outside of trains and accessing restricted areas on buildings. This type of behaviour is reckless and irresponsible and could end in death or serious injury, or the death of or injury of innocent parties.
Anyone caught partaking in this kind of behaviour can expect police action. Members of the public who witness any suspicious behaviour should call the police assistance line at the time on 131 444 or 000 in an emergency.
Anyone with information that may assist is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au or on 1800 333 000 – You can remain anonymous.
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni woman was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for her involvement in a 2019 kidnapping that resulted in the victim’s death.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between July 1 and July 16, 2019, Kendra Panteah, 37, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, participated in confining John Doe in the trunk of his own vehicle. She then brought the vehicle and victim to her co-defendant, Gilbert John Jr., and proceeded to drive around the Navajo Nation for over 24 hours with the victim locked in the trunk. They then stopped near Bass Lake, NM. When John Doe attempted to escape, John Jr. repeatedly stabbed him with a machete, resulting in the victim’s death.
After the killing, Panteah and John Jr. abandoned the vehicle with the body inside for several days. John Jr. later towed the vehicle to a remote location, doused it with gasoline, and set it on fire to destroy evidence. The victim was only identified through hip replacement devices found in the burned vehicle.
Gilbert John Jr. pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison in June of 2024.
Upon her release from prison, Panteah will be subject to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Alexander F. Flores prosecuted the case.
Memphis, TN – Kaderion Stokes, 19, was recently sentenced to federal prison for theft of firearms and possession of a machinegun. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, on September 9, 2023, approximately 166 firearms were stolen from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) business in Atoka, Tennessee. An Atoka Police officer was patrolling the area when he observed a GMC Sierra pick-up truck in the parking lot of the business. As the officer approached the truck, the truck fled at a high rate of speed. Officers discovered that the truck was stolen and had rammed the front of the business crashing into the interior of the store. Several items were taken from the store, including firearms. Stokes was later developed as a suspect. In October 2023, Stokes was arrested by local law enforcement in Memphis on unrelated charges while in possession of two of the stolen firearms from the FFL business.
After a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Stokes, a federal arrest warrant was issued and the United States Marshals Service arrested Stokes at an apartment in Memphis. Stokes was found in possession of a firearm with a machinegun conversion device or a “switch.” Subsequently, the grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Stokes for possessing the “switch” as well as charges associated with the theft of firearms.
On October 31, 2024, Stokes pled guilty in federal court and on January 29, 2025, Senior United States District Court Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Stokes to 87 months of federal imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Atoka Police Department. The United States Marshals Service and the Memphis Police Department assisted.
Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Marques Young and Eileen Kuo, along with Special Assistant United States Attorney Raven Icaza, who prosecuted this case on behalf of the government, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated it.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebookor on Xat @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
ALBUQUERQUE – A Navajo, New Mexico man was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison today for systematically sexually exploiting a minor through text messages and social media communications.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between February 1, 2021, and April 1, 2021, Dustin Rockmen, 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, sent text and Facebook communications to a minor under the age of 18 to persuade her to engage in illegal sexual acts. Rockmen engaged in repeated sexual acts with the victim, threatened her in order to get her to continue engaging in sexual acts with Rockmen, distributed an image of the victim engaged in a sexual act with Rockmen, and sent pornographic material to the victim.
Upon his release from prison, Rockmen will be subject to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Picture writing the numbers 1 to 5 in a horizontal line, from smallest to largest. Where did you put 1? If you placed 1 on the left and 5 on the right, you share this preference with most humans.
Humans are not alone in this preference. Some other primates, and even some birds, also order small-to-large quantities from left to right. Although, some animals do prefer to order quantities from right to left.
This is known as the mental number line, and it shows how brains typically organise information. But why do our brains do this?
To investigate how and why brains order numbers, it’s sometimes useful to step back in time. How did a common ancestor of humans and insects order information? To find out, we can compare the results of humans and bees: we last shared a common ancestor more than 600 million years ago.
Two recent studies on bees have revealed a lot about how tiny brains order numbers.
One study, conducted by a team in Europe, showed that bees prefer to order lower numbers on the left and higher numbers on the right, just like many humans. Our new study, led by Jung-Chun (Zaza) Kuo and her supervisory team, has explored how numbers and space interact in the bee brain.
‘Number’ and ‘space’
As humans, we link the concepts of “space” and “number”. This means there is a logic to how we order numbers (typically from left to right in ascending order: 1, 2, 3, 4 … and so on).
There may also be educational influences, especially due to language and writing direction. Some languages, like English, write from left to right. Others, such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Hebrew or Arabic, can be written in other directions. Writing direction can influence how we prefer to order numbers.
The competency bees show around numbers makes them an ideal animal to look at how number and space interact in a miniature brain.
Do bees have a mental number line? Scarlett Howard
How did we test bees in our study?
We gave freely flying bees sugar water for visiting an image of three circles printed on a card: this was our “reference number”. The card was hung in the centre of a large circular screen, with a drop of sugar water on a platform underneath it.
As the bees repeatedly visited the reference number, they learned an association between the number three, the centre of the circular screen, and a reward. In between visits, bees took the sugar water back to their hive to be made into honey.
After bees had learned to associate number (three) and space (middle) with a reward, we tested them on numbers higher and lower than three, to see if they had linked space and number.
We showed bees images of a higher number (four circles) and a lower number (two circles). Two identical images of four shapes were shown simultaneously on the left and right sides of the screen. If bees preferred the larger number on the right, they would fly to the quantity of four presented on the right more than when four was presented on the left.
We did the same for the smaller number of two shapes. If bees preferred four circles on the right and two circles on the left, that would reveal they have a left-to-right mental number line, like humans.
We also tested if bees had a preference to order numbers upwards or downwards, and found no preference for linking space and number vertically. However, bees did prefer options that were towards the bottom of the circular screen.
The image on the left (a) shows a diagram of the screen apparatus. In the right panel (b) we see a bee flying towards an image of three yellow dots on a grey background. Jung-Chun (Zaza) Kuo
So, how does the bee mental number line work?
The study by the European team found bees have a consistent left-to-right mental number line. This means they prefer to order lower numbers on the left and higher numbers on the right.
Our study has confirmed bees prefer to order higher numbers on the right. But we also found bees preferred to visit the right side of the screen. The preference of bees to order numbers from left-to-right and to visit the right side of the circular screen interacted in an intriguing way.
The bees in our study showed a preference for higher numbers on the right, but not for lower numbers on the left. This could be because the right-side bias we observed cancelled out the preference for smaller numbers on the left.
Taken together, the findings of both studies confirm that bees do possess a left-to-right mental number line and also that they have a bias towards the right side of their visual space.
Our team suggests such biases – for example, how most humans are right-handed – may be an important part of how brains make sense of ordering information in the world.
The birds and the bees (and the apes)
By looking at the behaviours of animals, we can sometimes learn more about ourselves.
These two recent studies on bees show there is a complex interaction between ordering numbers and how spatial relationships are processed by an insect brain.
We now know that the preference to order numbers from left to right exists in several very different animal groups: insects, birds and apes. Perhaps evolution has landed on this preference as an advantageous way to process complex information.
Scarlett Howard has received funding from the Australian Research Council and Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
Adrian Dyer receives funding from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Australian Research Council.
Oslo, Norway – 3 February 2025 – A delay in tariffs on Mexico imports does little to ease the pain for US shippers still facing a 10% hike on tariffs from China in addition to massive increases in ocean container freight rates due to conflict in the Red Sea.
Latest data from Xeneta – the ocean and air freight intelligence platform – shows average spot rates from China stand at USD 4 816 per FEU (40ft container) to the US West Coast and USD 6 264 per FEU in to the US East Coast.
This is an increase of 196% and 157% respectively since the escalation of conflict in the Red Sea in December 2023 and is in addition to tariffs on all China imports coming into effect on 4 February.
Peter Sand, Xeneta Chief Analyst, said: “US Shippers are being hit by wave after wave of disruption and spiralling costs to import goods.
“They have already faced massive increases in ocean container freight costs due to conflict in the Red Sea and now they are hit with a 10% hike in tariffs on imports from China.
“You struggle to see how a business can absorb these costs without increasing prices for the end consumer. Given more than 40% of total containerized imports into the US come direct from China, that is a lot of businesses and a lot of consumers who will be affected.
“A delay in tariffs on Mexico is welcome news but it does nothing to ease concerns over the re-igniting of the US-China trade war, which represents risk at a different order of magnitude.”
Sand added that shippers have very few options available to deal with the tariff threat.
He said: “When Trump announced tariffs on China back in 2018, there was a period of time in which shippers could rush as many imports as possible and build up stock inventories before they came into effect.
“This time Trump has imposed tariffs almost immediately so if shippers haven’t taken action by now, it’s already too late. Shippers may well look at shifting supply chains out of China into nations such as India or South East Asia, but this takes time, financial investment and deep understanding of market data and intelligence.
“The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas raised the prospect of a better year for shippers in 2025 if a large scale return of container ships to the Red Sea sees freight rates fall. Trump’s latest move has dented those hopes because any gains a shipper makes through lower freight rates will be more than offset by a 10% increase in tariffs.
“If China retaliates and we enter another escalating trade war, an already very bad situation will get even worse for US importers.”
About Xeneta
Xeneta is the leading ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform transforming the shipping and logistics industry. Xeneta’s powerful reporting and analytics platform provides liner-shipping stakeholders the data they need to understand current and historical market behavior—reporting live on market average and low/high movements for both short and long-term contracts. Xeneta’s data is comprised of +500 million contracted container and air freight rates and covers over 160,000 global ocean trade routes and over 58,000 airport-airport connections. Xeneta is a privately held company with headquarters in Oslo, Norway and regional offices in New Jersey, US and Hamburg. To learn more, please visit www.xeneta.com
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