SAN JOSE – Forward William Eklund will return to the lineup Saturday when the San Jose Sharks play the New Jersey Devils, in search of their second straight win.

Eklund, who missed 4 games, is tied for second on the Sharks with 27 points in 36 games. San Jose went 1-3-0 in his absence and finished in eighth and final place within the Pacific Division with 30 points entering Saturday.

Eklund will play on a line with center Mikael Granlund and fellow wing Fabian Zetterlund. Granlund, the oldest of the trio at 32, leads the Sharks with 35 points in 39 games.

“Grandpa (Granlund) there can help them a little bit,” Warsofsky said on the road with Eklund, 22, and Zetterlund, 25. “He takes him under their wing. He's helping these two young players who are still trying to figure out how to play consistently in this league, and I think Granlund has done a great job of helping them individually.

“But of course the chemistry between them was good this year. I’ve said it the last few games: We need to get some lines in place here as far as chemistry goes.”

Granlund's production has slowed recently, with three assists in eight games, but Warsofsky said his play has been higher overall.

“Last game he was skating, he was busy playing hockey,” Warsofsky said of Granlund. “He had a difficult task. We want to compete against really good centers and collect points. … He's had a tough job here lately just trying to get his offense going because I think he's so on the defensive side.

“But we have to make it work.”

To create a roster spot for Eklund, the Sharks placed defenseman Jake Walman (lower body injury) on injured reserve.

Walman, who hasn't played since being injured within the Sharks' game against the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 21, skated for the third consecutive day Saturday morning, nevertheless it stays unclear when he’ll give you the option to return. Warsofsky said Walman must complete a full practice before he can play in a game.

Sharks center Nico Sturm, whose appearance against the Devils is taken into account questionable, can be axed. Luke Kunin will take Sturm's place as center on the Sharks' fourth line. Sturm blocked a shot by defenseman Darren Raddysh in the primary period of Thursday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and didn’t play on Friday.

Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov will start again for the Sharks after making 24 saves in San Jose's 2-1 win over the Lightning. Since returning to the Sharks on December 18, Askarov is 1-2-1 with a .919 save percentage in 4 games.

Askarov was recalled from the AHL's Barracuda after goalie Vitek Vanecek suffered a fractured cheek on Dec. 17 when he was hit within the face by a puck that flew into the dugout.

The Sharks haven’t won consecutive games since defeating the Seattle Kraken on November thirtieth and the Washington Capitals on December third. Since then, San Jose has a record of 2-10-1, with 4 of those losses coming by one goal in regulation time.

With Walman missing the last five games, Henry Thrun has stepped in with Cody Ceci for the Sharks' top defensive pairing.

During that point, Thrun averaged 19:53 of ice time, playing greater than 21 minutes in three of the last 4 games. Thrun played 21:16 and had 4 shots on goal and two blocked shots in Thursday's win.

“I enjoyed Henry's game against a really talented team, and he'll have another tough task tonight,” Warsofsky said of the talented Devils, led by center Jack Hughes. “But I think his game is since he got out of the lineup there (for three games in mid-December), he's put some games together. He's had some good play and at the NHL level that's what it's all about. You stack your games, and then you might have one where it's your “C” game and you still find a way to be effective.

“So I gave him a lot of credit. Again, a guy who has struggled at times, but as a young defender he's learning. He's doing better. He takes part in the coaching and then you see the results.”

Originally published: January 4, 2025 at 10:46 am PST

Millions of Americans are watching with growing concern as their home insurance premiums rise and their insurance coverage shrinks. Premiums increased by 34% between 2017 and 2023, and so they further increased in 2024 in large parts of the country.

To make matters worse, these rates increase even further once you make a claim – as much as 25% if you happen to claim a complete lack of your property.

Why does this occur?

There are several reasons for this, but one is all the time the identical: Climate change results in more stormsand insurers are responding to rising claims for damages. Losses are exacerbated by more frequent extreme weather disasters conspicuous densely populated areasrising construction costs and homeowners facing damage that was previously rare.

Parts of the US are experiencing larger and more destructive hail, higher storm surges, massive and widespread wildfires, and warmth waves that bend metal and warp asphalt. In Houston, what was once a once-in-a-century disaster, like Hurricane Harvey in 2017, is now a An event that happens every 23 years, Estimates by risk assessors to the First Street Foundation. In addition, increasingly more individuals are moving in Coastal and wilderness areas in danger from storms and wildfires.

Just a decade ago, few insurance firms had a comprehensive strategy to handle climate risk as a core business issue. Today, insurance firms don’t have any selection but to include climate change into their insurance models.

Rising claims costs, higher premiums

There is a saying that you have got to place a price on climate change to get people's attention. And that is strictly what rising insurance costs do.

Increasingly global temperatures result in more extreme weather conditions, which implies insurance firms should increase payouts. In turn, they’ve raised their rates and adjusted their coverage to remain solvent. That increases costs for homeowners and everybody else.

The importance of insurance to the economy can’t be underestimated. Without insurance to guard against the risks involved, you generally cannot get a mortgage, drive a automotive, construct an office constructing, or enter into contracts. Because insurance is so closely intertwined with the economy, government agencies scrutinize insurance firms' proposals to extend premiums or reduce coverage.

The insurance firms aren’t attempting to make a political statement with these increases. They are taking a look at the numbers, calculating the risks and calculating them accordingly. And the numbers are worrying.

The arithmetic of climate risk

Insurance firms use data from past disasters and complicated models to calculate expected future payouts. They then price their policies to cover those expected costs. They must accomplish that with three things in mind: They must keep premiums low enough to stay competitive, they have to be high enough to cover the payouts, and they have to not run afoul of insurance regulators.

But climate change is disrupting these risk models. As global temperatures rise, driven by greenhouse gases Due to using fossil fuels and other human activities, the past isn’t any longer a prologue: what happened within the last ten to twenty years provides less details about what’s going to occur in the following ten to twenty years.

The variety of Billion-dollar disasters A transparent example of that is the annual inflation rate within the United States. The average rose from 3.3 per yr within the Eighties to 18.3 per yr within the 10-year period ending in 2024, with all years adjusted for inflation.

This greater than fivefold increase in billion-dollar disasters has also been accompanied by rising insurance costs: within the Southeast on account of hurricanes and extreme rainfall, within the West on account of wildfires, and within the Midwest on account of wind, hail and flood damage.

Hurricanes are typically essentially the most devastating single event, causing over $692 billion in property damage within the United States. between 2014 and 2023But severe hail and storm events, including tornadoes, also cause high costs. Together, the disasters on the list of billion-dollar disasters caused greater than $246 billion in property damage in the course of the same period.

As insurers adjust to uncertainty, they could incur losses in a single segment, equivalent to home insurance, but recoup losses in other segments, equivalent to auto or business insurance. However, this is just not sustainable in the long run, and corporations could also be caught off guard by unexpected events. The unprecedented wildfires in California in 2017 and 2018 almost 25 years of profits destroyed for insurance firms on this state.

To offset their risk, insurance firms often turn to reinsurance firms, i.e. insurance firms that insure insurance firms. But reinsurers are also increase their prices to cover their costs. Property reinsurance alone increased by 35% in 2023Insurers pass these costs on to their policyholders.

What this implies to your constructing insurance

Not only are home insurance premiums rising, but coverage is shrinking. In some cases, insurers are reducing or eliminating coverage for things like metal siding, doors and roof repairs, increasing deductibles for risks like hail and fire damage, or refusing to cover the complete cost of replacing older roofs.

Some insurance firms are withdrawing from the market altogether, canceling existing policies or refusing to issue recent policies when risks grow to be too uncertain or regulators don’t approve their premium increases to cover costs. In recent years State Farm and Allstate withdrew from the California home market and Farmers, Progressives and AAA withdrew from the Florida market, where insurance premiums are amongst the best within the country.

State-run “insurers of last resort” that may insure individuals who cannot obtain insurance coverage from private firms, also fightTaxpayers in countries like California And Florida were forced to bail out their state insurers. And the National Flood Insurance Program has increased its premiums, which 10 states to sue to stop them.

To 7.4% of US homeowners have given up insurance altogether, in order that an estimated Real estate value of $1.6 trillion in dangereven in high-risk states like Florida.

No, insurance costs aren’t rising yet

According to NOAA data, 2023 was the hottest yr since weather records began “by far.” And in 2024 might be even hotterThis general warming trend and the rise in extreme weather events is expected to proceed until greenhouse gas concentrations within the atmosphere decrease.

Given these troubling analyses, homeowners insurance within the United States will proceed to grow to be dearer and supply less coverage. And yet: Jacques de VaucleroyCEO of reinsurance giant Swiss Re, believes that insurance premiums within the US are still too low to totally cover the risks of climate change.

Music generates passion and emotion, so it isn’t any surprise that presidential elections have been dominated by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

But as a scholar of The role of music in American politics and patriotismI actually have never seen music play such a giant role in elections because it has in recent months.

Taylor Swift’s support for Kamala Harris is Headlinesin addition to the mere rumors that Beyoncé could perform on the Democratic Party ConventionDonald Trump also has his supporters in popular culture, including Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood.

In a detailed race, music could make a giant difference. Most voters today have already decidedand the race for the presidency stays statistically a dead heatin line with surveys. In this case, I consider music offers a deceptively easy, emotional hook that may excite the party base without alienating the few undecided voters in the center.

When crowd size mattersYou can create an aura of electoral triumph through the singing, shouting and dancing of your supporters.

Full of energy, able to go

Music played a significant role on this 12 months's competing nominating conventions.

In addition to the same old national anthem and background music that filled the breaks between the speeches, pop hits were also used to underline the often boring election calls of the person states. When Trump was ahead with 125 votes from Florida and thus became the official Republican candidate, The organizers played the No. 1 hit by Kool & The Gang from 1980“Celebration.”

At the Democratic National Convention, celebrity host DJ Cassidy turned the relatively mundane technique of the roll call right into a dance party. As each state and territory was called to vote, a signature song was played to introduce, welcome and cheer the group. Alabama opened with Lynyrd Skynyrd's “Sweet Home Alabama,” Eminem's “Lose Yourself” Michigan announcedwhile California presented the music of local presenters Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

And in a Moment that ought to go viralAtlanta-based crunk rapper Lil' Jon responded to the decision to Georgia with a throaty shout of “Heyaaah…” followed by the opening lyrics of his party anthem “Turn Down for What?”

Shortly thereafter, Axios published a whole playlist with the names of the Democratic Party conventions on Spotify and its 61 songs illustrate a tactical musical advantage for the Democrats.

None of the artists represented at this convention have publicly objected to using their songs. In contrast Dozens of musicians have rejected Trump's use of their music at rallies. In 2024 alone, these include ABBA, Adele, Celine Dion, Foo Fighters, Jack White and the heirs of Isaac Hayes.

Instead of rebelling against these insults, the Trump world seems to Headlines they generateThe objections of those artists underscore the candidate's outsider status and are one other sign that he and his supporters are despised by the country's population. political and cultural elites.

The soundtracks of each candidates occupy very different ideological territories. Harris prefers youth-oriented hits with a high proportion of artists of color and girls. Her selection sends a message. With Chappel Roan's “Feminine noun“,” for instance, sends an inclusive, affirming message about gender fluidity, while also suggesting to fans who know the song that it’s time for a lady to be in charge.

Trump often performs classic hits, including James Brown’s single “It's a man's world”, which emphasize traditional masculinity. Rock anthems and patriotic anthems dominate the Make America Great Again playlist, reminiscent of “American Bad Ass” by Kid Rock and “We are the champions”, although the British band has protested against its use. Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” has grow to be an unofficial anthem of the Republicansand the participants of the rally frequently sing along.

Sonic Stars and Stripes

To put it simply, I view the musical contest between Trump and Harris as a battle for sentiment.

The supporters of each party need to hear a reassuring, trust-building musical message loud and clear. Whether it's a current hit or a classic, chart-toppers convey familiarity and recognition.

The fundamental query, nevertheless, is whether or not this noise of enthusiasm can result in victory.

Harris' campaign scored a victory after receiving Beyoncé's permission to make use of “Freedom” as Candidate's theme song. In contrast, the Trump staffer who used the identical song in a video triggered a stop and desist order. Trump's team pulled the video and using the controversial route has been discontinued.

Harris' tackle Beyoncé's political anthem connects the vp to the pop star's biography as a troublesome, independent and successful woman of color. The song's driving drumbeat tells a story of determination, of her using “freedom” to “break chains alone” and “keep running, because a winner doesn't quit.” Harris would probably love for voters to see her in that light.

But Harris' alternative of song can also be surprising in that it appeals to the unadulterated patriotism of one among the nation's defining values. American flags have long served because the obligatory backdrop of each national parties. But Republicans, especially in recent many years, have been running at full speed claim patriotic symbols as their very own, perhaps in order that voters will see them because the true patriots of the nation.

I see Harris' obvious use of patriotic songs, be it “Freedom” or the Civil War-era songs.Battle cry of freedom”, as a strategic recovery of patriotism for the Democratic Party.

Political fandom

These playlists, endorsement deals with pop stars, and battles over usage rights may show that presidential politics has evolved from a contest of ideas to a type of passionate fandom based on notions of fame, popularity, and tribal affiliation.

However, young voters appear to be discovering their political voice through music and social media. British singer Charli XCX hasKamala IS a brat“The support could have given Harris' campaign an early boost, but some influencers declared her politicization as proof of The early death of Brat Summer.

Nevertheless, music has quickly grow to be a weapon within the battle for younger voters, because the demographic harder fought than in previous cycles. In this context Swift's support for Harris after the controversy for her 283 million followers. The megastar could bring more young people into Harris' camp, especially since her country music roots mean Swifties cover the ideological spectrum.

The strength of a democracy ultimately is determined by the people exercising their power on the ballot box. If music brings more Americans to the polls, no matter who they vote for, Americans usually tend to get an consequence they’ll trust.

For that reason alone, I'm joyful to maintain singing along.

Efforts towards diversity, equality and inclusion are increasingly visible in US jobs, especially within the last five years. However, DEI has recently be attackedwith firms cut back their DEI plans.

As Professor of Organizational PsychologyI imagine that firms mustn’t surrender on these efforts but reasonably refine them. The key could also be to introduce a strong concept, namely “belonging”.

Although the terms “belonging” and “inclusion” are sometimes mistakenly used synonymously, the difference between the 2 is significant – and might have a big impact on worker satisfaction and company success.

What DEI is and why there are problems

Diversity initiatives have a long story in American workplaces, but only recently has “DEI” a keywordDEI refers to policies and initiatives implemented by organizations to make sure fair treatment and full participation of all people.

The adoption of formal DEI programs has increased significantly. In 2019 around 64% of the organizations had some type of DEI initiative. By 2023 rose to 89%and shows a transparent upward trend.

Research shows that firms with diverse teams are 70% more prone to conquer recent markets and 87% higher in decision-making. In addition, 85% of CEOs report that diverse workforces improve profitability. Despite this, there may be a trend of firms and schools significantly or completely abandoning their DEI initiatives. predominant in 2024.

What happened? External aspects contributed to the backlash, including political pressure and a modified legal environmentResearch suggests that problems with the implementation of DEI designed and practiced also bear a substantial share of the blame.

Misconceptions about DEI

Although diversity and inclusion are sometimes well-intentioned, many organizations which have approached change initiatives solely through diversity metrics have
failed. An effective DEI strategy focuses on learning and development, mentoring, and allyship that transcends race and gender. The challenge is narrow views of DEI that Simplifications and zero-sum considering.

For example, people have multiple intersecting identities with complex characteristics that usually rely on social context. However, some DEI efforts ignore this complexity and reduce employees to a single category equivalent to gender, race, age, or disability status. This ends in people, no matter whether or not they feel included in “ingroups” or “outgroups,” reduced.

Similar, Studies show that individuals’s actions and opportunities are strongly influenced by their environment. But too often, DEI efforts place responsibility for growth exclusively to individualsThis actually reinforces people's prejudices because group dynamics and social structures shape collective behavior.

If models don’t distribute accountability and responsibility effectively, collective behavior is maintained toxic environments.

To be fair, not all organizations have fallen into these traps. Those with leaders who’ve a contemporary understanding of power and bias have developed simpler strategies to assist employees succeed.

My research suggests that for DEI initiatives to achieve success, Respect and fairness have to be present. These requirements are rooted within the foundations of belonging.

Developing DEI: Integrating Belonging for Sustainable Impact

While belonging is related to inclusion, research shows that it way more than simply a synonym.

Inclusion is about being seen, accepted and valued inside a team or community. Belonging goes deeper and involves an actual sense of connection and identity inside a gaggle.

To truly belong, it isn’t enough to feel included. My research shows: that five critical indicators have to be present.

These elements make sure that individuals feel a deep, meaningful connection to the group, which can’t be fully achieved by inclusion alone. This distinction underlines that Belonging is a singular and essential experiencedistinct from inclusion and crucial to promoting a very inclusive and supportive environment.

So what are the five indicators of belonging? They are Comfort, connection, contribution, psychological safety and well-beingand so they can all be measured.

If an environment is high on each of the five indicators and The measured gap between the ingroup and the outgroup is smallit suggests an environment wherein responsibility for creating opportunities for development is shared and balanced. Let's take a look at these concepts in additional detail:

1. comfortIf a corporation enjoys a high level of comfort, People feel seen as they’re. This requires them to simply accept that others have complex, sometimes contradictory identities, and to develop an attitude of mindfulness. Perhaps contradictorily, it also requires being slightly uncomfortable to feel comfortable. Because seeing and being seen respectfully means acknowledging other people's discomfort.

2. Connection. Connectedness is the have to be known and trusted. For a corporation to attain well in connectedness, people must share values ​​and goals. Connectedness creates a shared sense of responsibility. This Shared responsibility is the premise for empathysince Trust and fairness arise from understanding and empathy for the social and emotional needs of others.

3. ContributionA high-contribution organization values ​​its members for the unique and diverse properties They bring something to the table. In connected environments, a person's contribution is valued through curiosity and openness; ideas and perspectives are shared to influence and challenge the established order, which inspires innovation and creativity. When someone is genuinely recognized for his or her contributions, each they and their team are feel fulfilled.

4. Psychological safetyWhen an individual is actually accepted in a gaggle, a mistake or perhaps a failure is seen as a possibility to learn and grow, not as a possibility to shame, blame or exclude. This is the essence of psychological safety. In cases where people's perspectives are dramatically different, psychological safety requires everyone to reflect and put themselves in the opposite's shoes in an effort to respect their differences and be liable for the behavior.

5. Well-being. In a high wellbeing organisation, the experiences of members are considered and brought under consideration. This requires that everybody takes responsibility for the care of people, groups, teams and the organisation as a complete, each with their authentic needs.

Affiliation, based on my Researchisn’t only a buzzword, it’s the muse of a thriving, progressive workplace. Leaders who understand this and take motion can increase individual wellbeing while unleashing the complete potential of their teams.

By developing environments wherein the Indicators of belonging are prioritizedLeaders can ignite passion, loyalty and excellence of their workplace.

“Uncommon Courses” is an irregular series from The Conversation US that presents unconventional teaching approaches.

Course title:

Multimodal Anthropology

How did the thought for the course come about?

“Multimodal” simply means using greater than just academic texts to present research results.

My first multimodal science project was a 3rd grade project on humpback whales, led by a Vinyl LP recording of their “songs” that National Geographic sent to its subscribers.

In addition to my written report, I included the whale footage and photos from National Geographic. Then I added a beloved piece of fabric culture by tying the project along with white shoelaces depicting baby blue whales.

Today, as an anthropologist, I exploit fiction, plays, poetry, sound and film – amongst other media – to present my findings. I even have often needed to defend my methods to other academics, but students tell me they love them and wish to do the identical.

What does the course examine?

We explore non-traditional ways of presenting research findings and discuss why a specific form may or will not be appropriate for a specific topic. For example, a student might Sound of bombs for a research presentation in regards to the war, as a substitute of showing violent images, can humiliate the victims. For a presentation on Iranian underground theatre, fictional story about secret rehearsals and relationshipsas a substitute of a scientific book, may very well be used to guard the privacy of the themes.

Students learn basic ethnographic research methods, including remark and interviews. We take research trips around campus to look at, take notes, and ask questions. When they select the subject of their final research projects, they take the info they collected in a given week and present it in quite a lot of formats, including film, poetry, and opinion pieces.

Why is that this course relevant now?

Practicing multimodal anthropology helps students discover their very own strengths and construct their confidence. Not everyone can write well, but some are gifted photographers. Educators have lost the interest of talented students by consistently demanding that research findings at all times be presented in term papers.

It also makes the fabric more accessible to a bigger and more diverse audience. Take sound, for instance – and even audio books. The sound of humpback whales or melting glaciers allows people to experience a spot that the majority people can't actually visit. Audio books or spoken word projects allow readers with visual impairments and reading difficulties to access the research.

What is a crucial lesson from the course?

There isn’t only one option to do anything. Students will succeed and make a difference on the planet by playing to their strengths and collaborating with their peers reasonably than competing. What matters isn’t their test scores or final grades, but reasonably the experiences they’ve over time with their projects and with one another.

What materials does the course contain?

I exploit my very own work to elucidate the means of multimodal anthropology – how and why I did what I did and whether it was successful. I also invite other guest lecturers, including multimedia artists Kurosh ValaNejadwhich tells the story of the American-led coup in Iran in 1953 right into a video game.

I’m currently developing my very own multimodal curriculum in the shape of a criminal offense series, with each book exploring a unique way of presenting research findings. My first book, “Death in a nutshell: An anthropological crime novel“, examines visual anthropology – the study of images in culture and the usage of images to represent culture – and dyslexia.

What does the course prepare students for?

The course prepares students to practice and find out about various research methods. Even in the event that they never write one other poem, studying poetry as an anthropologist sharpens their descriptive skills. It also results in useful discussions, resembling whether poetry, as Plato claimsis simply too beautiful, tempting, and potentially misleading to be utilized in what people like to think about as objective science.

In the 2 years since Saboteurs planted explosives on Nord Stream 1 and a couple of – gas pipelines that span the Baltic Sea and connect Russia with Germany – suspicion fell on plenty of possible culprits.

Immediately after the explosion on September 26, 2022, many Western experts Russia blamesThe theory was that Moscow blew up the pipelines as a part of its “hybrid warfare” approach – to show its willingness and skill to attack critical infrastructure – or as “False flag” operation to defame Ukraine.

Since then, journalists and experts have named plenty of culprits, including President Joe Biden and the CIA, Ukraine and Poland.

Swedish and Danish intelligence investigations resulted in February 2024 without identifying the saboteurs, and thus does little to curb conspiracy theories.

Then, in August 2024, German media reported that, as a part of the continued German investigation, the general public prosecutor’s office had issued an arrest warrant against a Ukrainian diving instructor living in Poland.

Kyiv rejected the accusation of official complicity, saying:absolute nonsense”; Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Digital Affairs, meanwhile suggested that the German findings were “inspired by Moscow” and aimed to create a rift between NATO countries.

Nevertheless, it has contributed to a change in the final perception of the incident, and the explosion is now considered a global crime against civilian infrastructure, which is majority-owned by Russia.

And that may be a clear victory for Russia. Moscow can have at all times been concerned with cementing its narrative slightly than checking out the reality.

While investigators are in search of the motives, means and opportunities for the sabotage itself, observers of post-Soviet geopolitics and the tactics of President Vladimir Putin are examining like me may also examine Russia's motives for portraying the attack as a deliberate criminal act. And here the Nord Stream case serves as a reminder of how effectively the Kremlin uses disinformation and manipulation to push its narratives, often to sow discord within the West and distract from Russia's actual crimes elsewhere.

This is true even when – as currently appears to be the case in reference to the Nord Stream explosions – the forensic evidence gathered thus far is consistent with Russia’s preferred narrative.

Nord Stream in context

The explosions on the Nord Stream pipeline occurred seven months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. By that point, the Kremlin's military offensive had stalled and Putin was directing his efforts toward a protracted war of attrition. His military had Almost 15,000 civilian casualties have already been claimedand in September 2022, there have been sustained attacks on critical Ukrainian infrastructure, including dams, railways, hospitals, schools, and the energy grid.

Built and operated by a consortium led by majority state-owned company GazpromThe Nord Stream pipelines expanded Russia’s ability to weaponize energy by controlling natural gas prices and flow rates. For this reason, Putin’s opponents, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, viewed Nord Stream 2 as dangerous geopolitical weapon during construction in 2021. The completion of Nord Stream 2 meant that Russia’s gas supplies to Europe – which is essentially depending on Russia for its natural gas needs – Ukraine is essentially bypassed and end the necessity to pay transit fees to Ukraine and Poland.

Thus, Ukraine had a transparent interest in stopping the flow of gas through the Nord Stream pipelines. The same was true for Russia's competitors on the European energy market, including Norway and the United States. And the identical was probably true for German political parties that advocate an energy transition towards sustainable and renewable sources.

Although Nord Stream 2 was accomplished, it was not yet operational on the time of the Russian invasion. blocked by German energy regulatorsAnd Nord Stream 1, which was put into operation in 2012, was closed indefinitely by Russia in August 2022.

More than a mystery

Therefore, it was not a giant consideration for Western analysts to accuse Russia of Destruction of its own, now useless pipeline to signal its willingness and skill to attack underwater infrastructure.

But over time, this view was replaced by stories that treated the sabotage as an actual crime mysterywith a concentrate on uncovering motives and means. Investigative journalists and other analysts examined public statements, leaks from alleged whistleblowers, geospatial data, financial records, and even reenactments of the attack to unravel the case.

Some, including Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh, took responsibility to the CIA and the Oval Office.

Since most US media couldn’t confirm Hersh’s story, they shunned repeating his claims, and the White House has consistently rejected it.

Stirring up conspiracy theories

Hersh’s view includes the assumption that powerful Western interests put pressure on investigators and fed stories to the media with a purpose to hide the reality.

This second-order speculation – the claim that the unique crime was made worse by a cover-up – has long been promoted by Russia as well. After Sweden and Denmark dropped their investigations, Moscow's representative on the United Nations Security Council, Vasily Nebenzia, called on the UN to take over the investigation, saying: “It is as if against the law had been committed – a murder – and a yr later the investigating authorities concluded that the victim was murdered.”

Russian disinformation

Russia is now accusing German prosecutors of preparing for complete the investigation without identifying those responsible.

The appeal of this narrative for Moscow is obvious. First, it matches Putin's argument that NATO is always plotting against Russia. And second, it offers the promise that Russia will get better the prices of the Nord Stream sabotage from the insurance firms. The insurers have thus far refused to pay, citing official findings that the sabotage “an act of war.”

Moscow, which is tirelessly trying to find evidence of NATO and US complicity, will probably not be satisfied with the one arrest warrant issued by the German investigation. Russia also desires to put the US within the dock – in spite of everything, President Joe Biden threaten with a NATO motion Nord Stream in early 2022. And Moscow responded to the German arrest warrant against a Ukrainian by doubling its accusations that the US ordered the attack.

Here, Russia could depend on the words of high-ranking US figures equivalent to Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has repeatedly Disinformation from confirmed Russian propaganda channelsand former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who praised the standard of life in Moscow during a much-criticized Putin interview.

After the Nord Stream explosions each Greene and Carlson They were quick to claim that Russia was not responsible, implying that the United States can have played a task.

Truth is just not the goal

Maintaining the Nord Stream “mystery” distracts attention from Russia’s documented crimes in Ukraine, including Attacks on civilian infrastructure and, based on the UN Human Rights Counciland shows a “disregard for fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and its human rights obligations”.

In the years because the Nord Stream pipeline explosion, Russia has relied on its extensive capacities in Disinformation and propaganda to advance its history. Russia has experience on this.

In January 2022, US government sources reported that Russia Attacks on pro-Russian civilians in eastern Ukraine and blame Kiev to justify the invasion. Similarly, analysts have cited the alleged Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow in May 2023 for example of Soviet-style “false flag” operations. It is that this track record that has led German security forces to suspect that there’s plenty of conspiracy regarding Nord Stream the evidence resulting in Ukraine was fabricated by Russian agents.

Speculation is seductive, and the Nord Stream case has attracted plenty of it over the past two years – a period during which Russia has waged a broad campaign of spreading deliberate lies and disinformation. During the identical period, Putin has repeatedly violated international law.

Russia's version of the Nord Stream affair may possibly be the dominant one when all investigations are accomplished. What is obvious, nevertheless, is that Putin's accusations against Ukraine and the US are motivated not by a pursuit of justice but by a desire to fire up trouble and distract. The truth is just not his goal, but a goal.

Bruins

SUNRISE, Fla. – Win or lose, an NHL locker room is an exercise in controlled chaos after a game.

As the Bruins packed their bags in anticipation of the trip back to Boston, the team's equipment staff hurriedly bundled sticks, stacked sweaters and stowed battle-worn gear from a season-saving win in Game 5 against the Panthers.

But because the skates were gathered and the gloves were sorted, one thing remained unchanged within the away locker room at Amerant Bank Arena.

A fresh No. 63 sweater — pristine from the damage and tear that got here with playoff hockey — got stuck in Brad Marchand's booth.

It remained in place throughout Tuesday's 2-1 win, serving as an electrifying reminder of what the Bruins lost in that second-round battle against the Panthers – and what could possibly be gained by forcing a Game 6 on Friday night.

“His jersey is still hanging right there,” Jeremy Swayman said of Marchand’s sweater hanging in his stable. “And it will never go down because he will be back at it very soon.”

Marchand, who went down in Game 3 with a success from Panthers opponent Sam Bennett, has now missed two straight games with an upper-body injury.

The 36-year-old captain didn't see his name engraved on any page of Tuesday's stat sheet. His sharp wrist strike didn't hit Sergei Bobrovsky during Boston's 13-shot opening salvo in the primary period, and his sharp edge didn't work either Help Boston tame a furious Florida forecheck in Game 5.

But though Marchand wasn't in a position to take the ice, his presence was felt throughout Tuesday's win, and not only in his sweater.

Although Marchand was ruled out for Game 5, he still headed to South Florida on Monday with the remainder of his teammates. He attended the morning skate at Amerant Bank Arena and stayed in Boston's room to offer a pregame speech before the Bruins took the ice later that evening.

“As a professional athlete, you're not able to play and watch the games – sometimes as a player you don't realize how damn nervous you are,” David Pastrnak said of Marchand, who had to observe Game 5 off the ice. “And I talked to him. I had that in [2020 postseason] Bubble, it's no fun watching your team fight.

“But he was great. He came by between each class and gave a short speech. And he was there for us. So of course we talked and wanted to bring him back into the series and continue to expand the series.”

Marchand served as an emotional facilitator in Boston's room for a very long time, even before the “C” was sewn onto his sweater. While Patrice Bergeron channeled communication and compassion during his tenure as Boston's leader, Marchand countered that along with his intensity and willingness to bring his teammates into the fight.

This approach from Marchand was on display during his takeover games at Scotiabank Arena against the Maple Leafs in Round 1while his performance (10 points in 10 playoff games) was lacking against Florida.

But though Marchand continues to be on the mend as a result of Bennett's hit, Charlie Coyle believes Marchand's sole presence on the rink was enough to offer Boston a lead in Tuesday's crucial matchup.

“His leadership, even when he’s not dressed – he’s still in here, he’s still leading,” Coyle confirmed. “And he does what he can to help the team in any way he can. This is huge. Just having a guy like that who isn't healthy enough to play, but who shows his commitment and still leads by example. … It goes way beyond his play on the ice.”

Tuesday's win not only kept Boston's season going, but in addition opened the door for Marchand to potentially rejoin his teammates for Friday's game at Causeway Street. A return for Game 6 continues to be not an entire guarantee for Marchand, as Boston's bench boss noted.

“He has to take some steps — just like any of our players who play day-to-day and are injured — before we believe he will be a full-time player,” Jim Montgomery said of Marchand's availability going forward. “So we’re going to take it day by day.”

The Bruins managed to maintain their season alive on Tuesday with a No. 63 sweater hanging of their locker room.

Whatever spark of hope ignited Boston on Tuesday will only grow stronger when its captain dons said sweater at TD Garden in only a couple of days.

“Having him around is great in every way,” Charlie McAvoy said of Marchand. “Just his presence means a lot to us and everything he has inside him and what he means to this team. Having him here on this journey – he's there during the game and constantly gives us life, gives us positivity, and that means a lot to us. … We know what he means to this group.

“And we didn’t say die. We wanted this thing to come back to Boston and give him a chance to do it right and hopefully come back.”

The NHL playoffs are almost like a second season – two months of tough, relentless games where the highest teams vie for a probability to win Lord Stanley's Cup.

The 16 hockey teams that made it to the postseason owe much of their success to the abilities of their players and the tactics of their coaching staff.

They also needs to thank their lucky stars.

In my latest book “The random factor“I explain why of the five major U.S. team sports—basketball, football, baseball, hockey, and soccer—ice hockey is the one with essentially the most luck in wins and losses.

Skill vs. probability

Using a mathematical approach called “true rating theory“Analysts were in a position to assess the contribution of luck to a team’s overall success.

This statistical technique uses the variance when it comes to skill, probability, and end result to estimate the relative importance of skill versus probability in determining outcomes.

In the NHL it’s estimated that the Contribution of luck to a team's seasonal balance is around 53%. At the opposite end of the spectrum, only 12% of an NBA team's success is because of luck.

The other three sports are grouped in the center, with a few third of their position in the general standings depending on luck.

More scoring likelihood is essential

How could these differences be understood?

An important factor is the variety of scoring probabilities a team has. The more probabilities a team has, the less luck plays a task within the end result.

In a typical NBA game, each team may rating 35 or more baskets during a game, whereas in an NHL game, a team may only rating a couple of times. Luck plays a much larger role when the possibilities of scoring are fewer. In such situations, a lucky hit is more likely to choose the end result of a game.

One can see that with coin tosses. If you flip a coin ten times, you could well find yourself with heads or tails seven or eight times, though the general probability of every flip is 50%. With so few throws, there might be significant deviations from what should theoretically occur: five heads and five tails.

However, in case you flip a coin 100 times, you'll probably find that just about half of those coin flips come out heads. The more events – on this case, coin tosses – that occur, the more likely the ultimate tally is to reflect the underlying probability.

In sports, too, the players' skills come into their very own when there are more scoring opportunities. In the NBA, a player can try greater than 20 shots in the midst of a game – perhaps half of that – so that they have more probabilities to point out off their skills and influence the end result of a game.

Distract, distract, distract

The oversized role of luck in ice hockey will also be explained by one other factor.

Although the rating in typical NHL games is sort of low, each team can easily attempt 45 or 50 shots. This would seemingly refute the reason that the variety of events or opportunities influences the role of luck within the end result of a game.

But anyone who has ever watched knowledgeable ice hockey game can understand the serendipity that takes place on the ice. Skates or sticks often deflect shots randomly when players cross the trail of a puck. Pucks can experience strange bounces as they travel across the court. Goalkeepers could simply be in the precise place at the precise time.

In short, there is critical randomness between the time the hockey stick hits the puck and the time it ultimately lands.

Plus, it's just difficult to attain a goal in ice hockey. The net is small and the goalkeepers are tall and wear bulky pads. Pucks have little or no space to splash through.

In all sports, probability and luck ensure excitement and fascination in these competitions. You can never be completely sure how the ball or puck will bounce. Even in case your team is heavily favored, the random factor all the time plays a task.

Nowhere is that this more evident than in ice hockey.

Despite all of the predictions from experts and oddsmakers, fans of NHL playoff teams could be sensible to do something else: keep their fingers crossed.

The NHL playoffs are almost like a second season – two months of tough, relentless games where the highest teams vie for a probability to win Lord Stanley's Cup.

The 16 hockey teams that made it to the postseason owe much of their success to the talents of their players and the tactics of their coaching staff.

They also needs to thank their lucky stars.

In my recent book “The random factor“I explain why of the five major U.S. team sports—basketball, football, baseball, hockey, and soccer—ice hockey is the one with probably the most luck in wins and losses.

Skill vs. probability

Using a mathematical approach called “true rating theory“Analysts were in a position to assess the contribution of luck to a team’s overall success.

This statistical technique uses the variance by way of skill, probability, and end result to estimate the relative importance of skill versus probability in determining outcomes.

In the NHL it’s estimated that the Contribution of luck to a team's seasonal balance is around 53%. At the opposite end of the spectrum, only 12% of an NBA team's success is resulting from luck.

The other three sports are grouped in the center, with a couple of third of their position in the general standings depending on luck.

More scoring chances are high necessary

How could these differences be understood?

An important factor is the variety of scoring probabilities a team has. The more probabilities a team has, the less luck plays a job within the end result.

In a typical NBA game, each team may rating 35 or more baskets during a game, whereas in an NHL game, a team may only rating a few times. Luck plays a much greater role when the probabilities of scoring are fewer. In such situations, a lucky hit is more likely to choose the end result of a game.

One can see that with coin tosses. If you flip a coin ten times, you might well find yourself with heads or tails seven or eight times, despite the fact that the general probability of every flip is 50%. With so few throws, there may be significant deviations from what should theoretically occur: five heads and five tails.

However, for those who flip a coin 100 times, you'll probably find that just about half of those coin flips come out heads. The more events – on this case, coin tosses – that occur, the more likely the ultimate tally is to reflect the underlying probability.

In sports, too, the players' skills come into their very own when there are more scoring opportunities. In the NBA, a player can try greater than 20 shots in the middle of a game – possibly half of that – so that they have more probabilities to point out off their skills and influence the end result of a game.

Distract, distract, distract

The oversized role of luck in ice hockey can be explained by one other factor.

Although the rating in typical NHL games is kind of low, each team can easily attempt 45 or 50 shots. This would seemingly refute the reason that the variety of events or opportunities influences the role of luck within the end result of a game.

But anyone who has ever watched an expert ice hockey game can understand the serendipity that takes place on the ice. Skates or sticks often deflect shots randomly when players cross the trail of a puck. Pucks can experience strange bounces as they travel across the court. Goalkeepers could simply be in the appropriate place at the appropriate time.

In short, there is important randomness between the time the hockey stick hits the puck and the time it ultimately lands.

Plus, it's just difficult to attain a goal in ice hockey. The net is small and the goalkeepers are tall and wear bulky pads. Pucks have little or no space to splash through.

In all sports, probability and luck ensure excitement and fascination in these competitions. You can never be completely sure how the ball or puck will bounce. Even in case your team is heavily favored, the random factor at all times plays a job.

Nowhere is that this more evident than in ice hockey.

Despite all of the predictions from experts and oddsmakers, fans of NHL playoff teams can be smart to do something else: keep their fingers crossed.