The Rock Chalkboard

Two former Jayhawks joining Oklahoma State squad for TBT
Last week, The Basketball Tournament announced via Twitter that former KU basketball guards Tyshawn Taylor and Naadir Tharpe would be joining the OSU alumni team.

KU football players share personal messages on Juneteenth
"On June 19, 1865, enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free," the piece began. "Now, 155 years later, people in cities and towns across the U.S. continue to mark the occasion with celebrations."

KU football lands commitment from 3-star safety OJ Burroughs
"I would like to thank God for blessing me with this opportunity in life," Burroughs added in a note posted to Twitter. "I would like to thank my family and friends for supporting me through every step along the way. I would like to thank all the coaches who ever guided or helped me through my journey. This decision was [tough] but I am excited to announced that I am committed to the University of Kansas!"

Bob Bowlsby: 'Not realistic' to think teams won't test positive
“This upcoming year is not going to be normal, so get that out of your mind,” Rhoades said. “The way things have happened in the past will not be the way things happen this upcoming year.”

Bits o Chalk

Jimmy Butler, other Heat players open up on racism in online town hall
"A white man and his son, who is no older than maybe 6 -- I'm walking with my brother, and we hear the kid turn around and say, 'Hey, Dad, those are those n-words that you are telling me about,'" Butler said. "The kid doesn't know any better. My initial reaction was to turn around and look at the father's face. I'm 6-[foot]-6, and my brother is 6-[foot]-1, and he's probably 6-foot, and yeah, he was intimidated by me. But the first thing that popped in my head was, 'You had to [have] taught him that.' [The kid] doesn't know that. My daughter, I have to teach her that the stove is hot. You are choosing to teach your kid hate.

MLB won't counter players' latest offer; sticking to 60 games at full prorated salaries
"MLB has informed the Association that it will not respond to our last proposal and will not play more than 60 games," MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said in a statement Friday. "Our Executive Board will convene in the near future to determine next steps. Importantly, players remain committed to getting back to work as soon as possible."

Source: 21 more Clemson football players positive for COVID-19 in latest testing
The school announced its total number of 315 tests and 28 positives in a statement Friday following a second round of tests but did not break the number down by sport. The source at the school said that at this week's latest round of tests, 21 football players tested positive, as did two members of the football staff, which is not limited to coaches.

Eraser Dust

Barr Tries to Fire Berman, S.D.N.Y. U.S. Attorney, but He Won't Go - The New York Times
The United States attorney in Manhattan, Geoffrey Berman, had been leading the inquiry into Rudolph Giuliani. The clash sets up a crisis in the Justice Department.

Liam Gallagher's 'MTV Unplugged' album is the first chart-topper in the series since Nirvana
Liam Gallagher’s ‘MTV Unplugged’ album has become the first release in the series to hit the top of the charts since Nirvana in 1994.

Small Business Administration and Treasury shift course, will disclose PPP borrowers over $150,000 - CNNPolitics
The SBA, which manages the $660 billion emergency lending program, will disclose business names, addresses, loan amount ranges and demographic data, among other things, as part of an agreement with bipartisan lawmakers on Capitol Hill, the SBA and Treasury announced in a joint statement.

IRS says more Americans now eligible for COVID-related distributions from retirement accounts - MarketWatch
As part of the response to the coronavirus crisis, which has burdened the economy and taken millions of Americans out of work, the government said in April retirement savers could take qualified distributions of up to $100,000 in retirement assets, including 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts. In normal circumstances, individuals could distribute a maximum of $50,000. Investors could also take up to $100,000 as a loan from a 401(k), up from the usual $50,000 limit.

Racial stereotypes: Changes are coming to iconic brands after decades
First, Quaker Oats said it would retire Aunt Jemima from packaging on its brand of syrup and pancake mixes, acknowledging its prior work to update the character was "not enough." Then in rapid succession Wednesday, the owners of Uncle Ben's, Mrs. Butterworth's and Cream of Wheat said their products' packaging also would be reviewed.

Andy Samberg's time travel movie gets 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating
Brooklyn Nine-Nine star and Lonely Island icon Andy Samberg has done it again. This time, his new time-travel rom-com (complete with existential twist!) has scored a rating of 100% on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Noice.

Trump in Tulsa after Juneteenth; DC Confederate statue burned: Updates
Trump had initially planned a campaign rally in Tulsa on Friday but later rescheduled to Saturday after learning about the significance of Juneteenth. The city is also where a white mob destroyed the "Black Wall Street" in 1921.

Song of the Day