Latest news with #LeBrun
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
A massive raft of fire ants found on Austin's Lake Travis
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Residents of Texas's capital are reporting fire ants floating on floodwaters, forming living rafts out of their own bodies. On Wednesday morning, one Austinite shared video of one such raft drifting on Lake Travis. Texas woman starts AI awareness series after seeing fake photos of Texas floods shared online When their underground nests flood, fire ants link their legs and jaws together to create buoyant, self-assembled mounds. These floating colonies can contain thousands of ants — and they can still bite or sting if disturbed. Fire ants are widespread in Texas, and researchers at Texas A&M University are studying how they respond to flooding. The insects bite one another and interlock their limbs, forming tightly packed rafts that don't sink. Their waxy skin helps repel water and keep the group afloat, as seen in the video from David Todd, a viewer of Nexstar's KXAN: 'It's called a self-organizing or self-assembling process. And it's something only social insects do,' Ed LeBrun, a research scientist at the University of Texas' Brackenridge Field Lab in central Austin, said. 'There are a lot of other structures that ants make in a similar way. For example, army ants will make bridges across rivers,' LeBrun added. Creating a 'raft,' however, is more rare in the ant world: Fire ants are the only kind that do this, according to LeBrun. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
The Hill
4 days ago
- Science
- The Hill
A massive raft of fire ants found on Austin's Lake Travis
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Residents of Texas's capital are reporting fire ants floating on floodwaters, forming living rafts out of their own bodies. On Wednesday morning, one Austinite shared video of one such raft drifting on Lake Travis. Texas woman starts AI awareness series after seeing fake photos of Texas floods shared online When their underground nests flood, fire ants link their legs and jaws together to create buoyant, self-assembled mounds. These floating colonies can contain thousands of ants — and they can still bite or sting if disturbed. Fire ants are widespread in Texas, and researchers at Texas A&M University are studying how they respond to flooding. The insects bite one another and interlock their limbs, forming tightly packed rafts that don't sink. Their waxy skin helps repel water and keep the group afloat, as seen in the video from David Todd, a viewer of Nexstar's KXAN: 'It's called a self-organizing or self-assembling process. And it's something only social insects do,' Ed LeBrun, a research scientist at the University of Texas' Brackenridge Field Lab in central Austin, said. 'There are a lot of other structures that ants make in a similar way. For example, army ants will make bridges across rivers,' LeBrun added. Creating a 'raft,' however, is more rare in the ant world: Fire ants are the only kind that do this, according to LeBrun.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
A massive raft of fire ants found on Lake Travis
AUSTIN (KXAN) — It might sound unbelievable, but viewers are sending in videos of fire ants floating on floodwaters, forming living rafts out of their own bodies. On Wednesday morning, a man shared video of one such raft drifting on Lake Travis. When their underground nests flood, fire ants link their legs and jaws together to create buoyant, self-assembled mounds. These floating colonies can contain thousands of ants — and they can still bite or sting if disturbed. These fire ant colonies can contain thousands of worker ants, and can still bite or sting those who interfere with the floating colony. Fire ants are widespread in Texas, and researchers at Texas A&M University are studying how they respond to flooding. The insects bite one another and interlock their limbs, forming tightly packed rafts that don't sink. Their waxy skin helps repel water and keep the group afloat. 'It's called a self-organizing or self-assembling process. And it's something only social insects do,' LeBrun said. A research scientist at the University of Texas' Brackenridge Field Lab in central Austin, LeBrun has researched ants for three decades. 'There are a lot of other structures that ants make in a similar way. For example, army ants will make bridges across rivers,' LeBrun said, but still, this raft is rare. Fire ants he believes are the only ants that do this. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Times
26-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Erik Karlsson trade destinations: 8 teams that could make sense for the Penguins defenseman
At his career's peak, Erik Karlsson wasn't just one of the best offensive defensemen in the league. He was legitimately one of the best play-drivers in the modern era. And that made up for the flaws in his game in his own zone. That version of Karlsson won the Norris Trophy with the San Jose Sharks in 2023 — his third Norris — despite having little support around him. He also seemed like a strong fit with the Pittsburgh Penguins the ensuing offseason. But the reality has been a lot more bleak. Advertisement Karlsson is still a threat from the back end at 35, with a projected offensive rating of plus-10.2. That's one of the best marks in the NHL for defenders. But he isn't a fit with the rebuilding Penguins anymore, and he isn't worth his $11.5 million salary or $10 million cap hit (the Sharks retained $1.5 million per year when they traded him). That could lead to an offseason trade. Chris Johnston has him 14th on The Athletic's trade board. Pierre LeBrun broke down the situation in his latest rumblings column on Wednesday. There are a couple of hurdles to clear. The first is Karlsson's no-movement clause, which gives him control over where (and if) he goes. LeBrun wrote that Karlsson would be willing to waive that to go to a contender. But that contender has to be able to absorb his cap hit. Pittsburgh has three retention spots open to bring down his cap hit a bit more, but the Penguins can't bring in another team to also retain space. A player's contract can only be retained by two teams. Another hurdle is Karlsson's $5 million signing bonus, due on July 1. LeBrun reported that Pittsburgh will want a sweetener if it pays that signing bonus and another to retain salary. If a team is going to take this leap — either at a $10 million cap hit and paying the $5 million bonus, or paying the asset cost to get the cap hit down and save the cash — it also has to be prepared to deal with all the risk and reward that Karlsson's game has to offer. He has to be utilized in a very specific way to get the best out of him, and not every team has the ability to put him in the optimum position. Karlsson can still retrieve pucks and break play out of the defensive zone with control. He can get pucks to forwards and support plays. And he can outright take control and quarterback the action in the offensive zone. The Penguins were a better team in terms of expected and actual goal creation with him deployed five-on-five minutes, even if there wasn't as much separation between him and his teammates as usual. Advertisement But according to AllThreeZones' tracking, there were more errors in Karlsson's usually elite breakout ability. There were more failed retrievals and exits, which were glaring in front of the Penguins' shaky goaltending. That, paired with his usual defensive lapses in his own zone, made for a disappointing couple of years. Still, there's a reason teams bet on aging stars. They've seen the peak. And if Karlsson's play at the 4 Nations Face-Off was an indication, with more support, he may still have a lot left in the tank. So, which teams could, or should, be kicking the tires on the defender this summer? Here are eight that could make sense: The Hurricanes may be the best potential fit for Karlsson if this is the end of the Brent Burns era, which would open a slot on the right side of the top pair. The Canes have a knack for maximizing defensemen within their system and hiding their defensive shortcomings. That was true with Dougie Hamilton and Tony DeAngelo, who both played stretches on Jaccob Slavin's right. If they can do the same with Karlsson, they'll be adding a premier puck-mover and true quarterback for the top power play. On paper, the Hurricanes may be the best stylistic fit for Karlsson. Carolina could use the dynamic skill Karlsson can still offer, and it's in a unique position with a lot of cap space for a contender. The Canes likely wouldn't need as much retention on Karlsson's contract and might be willing to pay an asset cost to avoid the $5 million signing bonus. If any team is known for bold swings to contend for the Cup, it's the Panthers. Florida's cap space depends on how many pending unrestricted free agents extend this summer. If Aaron Ekblad walks, Florida could replace him with Karlsson for the next two years. The two are very different stylistically, but they wouldn't have to be deployed the same way. Seth Jones could absorb Ekblad's minutes alongside Gus Forsling on the top pair, with Karlsson shifting to Niko Mikkola's right. Or Karlsson could join Forsling to make a balanced pairing. And Karlsson would be a natural fit on the top power play. Advertisement Unlike the Canes, it would probably make sense for the Panthers to pay the signing bonus themselves but add a sweetener for cap retention. If Florida could get the cap hit somewhere in the $6 million range, or at least below Ekblad's $7.5 million from last season, it would help balance the books. Taking a step back from the contender's circle, here's another playoff team to consider. Karlsson may not want to go to a team that isn't seen as a Cup contender, but his connection with Ottawa is obvious. He played his first nine seasons and won his first two Norrises with the Senators. The Sens could be in the market for help on the right and an offensive boost. Karlsson would provide both. The question is whether he would take over PP1 from Jake Sanderson. At the very least, he could help address Ottawa's biggest weakness: five-on-five scoring. The Senators finished 28th in the NHL with 2.13 goals per 60 minutes last season and dead last in the playoffs (1.45 per 60). Karlsson could help if his play-driving can rebound. Ottawa's newly instilled defensive structure could help balance out his weaknesses in his own zone, too. The Canucks could be a wild card in the Karlsson race, considering how hard to predict (and reason) some of their moves have been recently. If management is really concerned about Quinn Hughes leaving as a free agent next summer, it may want another offensive defender at the ready. Even with Hughes in the fold, it wouldn't necessarily hurt to add another puck-mover in the bottom four. This team desperately needs help on the right side behind Filip Hronek, and Karlsson could still be that. Vancouver has a lot of work to do this offseason, and not a ton of cap space — especially after adding Evander Kane's $5.13 million cap hit Wednesday. But maybe the Canucks could solve that by moving out weak links on defense or figuring out its goaltending. Speaking of teams with weaknesses on the right, there's the Red Wings. Behind Moritz Seider, their current depth includes Justin Holl and Jeff Petry. Like Ottawa and even Vancouver, Detroit's not a true contender yet. But with an aggressive offseason, there's a path back to the postseason. One of the keys is bolstering the offense. Advertisement As red hot as the power play was last season, it didn't make up for what lacked at five-on-five. Detroit's expected goal generation ranked 25th in the league, and its scoring sunk to 30th. Adding a puck-mover of Karlsson's caliber could help the Red Wings regain control and push back up ice, where their forwards can get to work. The Lightning are a long shot, but they're included on this list for two reasons: 1) They're known to make bold plays to contend, and 2) They were in the Karlsson race when San Jose traded him. Also, the idea of Karlsson and Victor Hedman cooking on the blue line for one last go at the Stanley Cup is enticing. The key is finding a way to clear out cap space, which won't be easy considering how much help this roster needs around its core. If management decides to move on from Erik Cernak, perhaps in exchange for a top-nine forward, maybe there's a path to making enough room to absorb half of Karlsson's cap hit. He could play a more sheltered role on the third pair, or if JJ Moser shifts back to his natural side, he could play with Hedman when the team needs more scoring. The Lightning don't have the most assets to work with, but if management decides to move out picks further down the line, they should be pretty valuable to the Penguins with a long-term trajectory in mind. Vegas has done so much work to its blue line over the past few years that it could be out of the Karlsson race this time around. The cap hit isn't a fit at this point, but the Golden Knights always seem to find a way. If Alex Pietrangelo's $8.8 million salary ends up on long-term injured reserve, they will likely take an aggressive approach to fill the void. That money is more likely to be used to address winger depth, which has been crushed over the years to build up Vegas' center and defensive depth. Any cap relief could be used in a lucrative offer to Mitch Marner in free agency, for example. But if that doesn't work out and there aren't other high-end options attainable up front, they could instead look to boost their offense from the back end. Advertisement You can never count them out when a big-name player hits the market. Whether the Bruins belong here depends on management's true plans. If they see the 2025 deadline's sell-off as the start of a longer-term rebuild, Karlsson doesn't make sense. If it was a reset to facilitate a quick retool, Boston could be looking to have an aggressive summer, similar to the Washington Capitals' approach last summer. And if it's the latter, Karlsson's name could be on the radar. In Charlie McAvoy, Boston has a No. 1 defenseman. But he isn't the perfect power play quarterback, and there aren't a ton of other options to choose from. Karlsson could take that role and a slot on the second pair with Hampus Lindholm or Nikita Zadorov. The latter may be a super risky pair defensively but also could thread the needle enough offensively to make it all click. — Data via Evolving-Hockey, HockeyViz, HockeyStatCards, All Three Zones and Natural Stat Trick. This story relies on shot-based metrics; here is a primer on these numbers (Top photo of Erik Karlsson and Jesperi Kotkaniemi: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pierre LeBrun Names Veteran Penguins Forward Atop Trade Candidate List
Pierre LeBrun Names Veteran Penguins Forward Atop Trade Candidate List originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Pittsburgh Penguins are on the verge of a pivotal offseason, and NHL insider Pierre LeBrun made it clear on TSN's "OverDrive" that the front office is fully open to change. Advertisement LeBrun clarified, however, that the Penguins are open to trading all pieces in their roster except for the "legacy" players within the organization, meaning Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and most probably Kris Letang. 'They're listening [to trade offers] on everyone that aren't legacy guys,' LeBrun said. 'You know, they're not gonna move Malkin or Crosby.' LeBrun said the decision to shift toward selling didn't arrive until the middle of last season, but the club has since embraced a more open stance regarding its roster. And with former Penguins forward Jake Guentzel already out the door following his trade to the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2024 trade deadline, LeBrun reported that veteran Bryan Rust appears next in line to leave Pittsburgh. Advertisement 'Rust is the guy, the one that teams are calling on the most,' LeBrun said. 'Plenty of teams are eyeing him.' Rust, 33, remains one of Pittsburgh's top contributors. He posted a career-high 65 points in just 71 games this past season, including another career high with 31 goals. Rust still has three years remaining on the six-year, $30.75 million contract he signed in 2022. Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Bryan Rust (17) celebrates a goal with Sidney Crosby (center) during a game played at Madison Square Wild-Imagn Images While Rust's full no-move clause has covered the first three seasons, that protection will no longer apply from July 1 on, giving GM Kyle Dubas complete control over a potential trade. During his introductory press conference, new Penguins head coach Dan Muse said he plans on "leaning" on the veterans of the team. Advertisement 'I've reached out to close to 95% of all players under contract,' Muse said. 'We're still finishing that part up. In regards to the veteran players, you're always working with the leaders. Guys that have been in this organization for such a long time. You're going to be leaning on them.' Related: Penguins Coach Reveals Plans for Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh's Aging Core Related: Elliotte Friedman Gets Painfully Honest About Possible Player-Coach Role for Sidney Crosby This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
