The Rock Chalkboard

Roster diversity, improved team chemistry have Kansas women's basketball program excited for upcoming season | KUsports.com
Kansas City, Mo. — With seven international players on the roster, including three newcomers, Kansas women’s basketball coach Brandon Schneider believes that the average number of different languages spoken per player is close to three.

Bits o Chalk

James Harden, after opting not to sign extension with Brooklyn Nets before deadline, says 'I don't plan on leaving'
MILWAUKEE -- James Harden did not sign an extension prior to the midnight deadline on Oct. 18, but he made it clear the Brooklyn Nets have "nothing to worry about."

Philadelphia 76ers suspend Ben Simmons for their season opener after spat in practice
CAMDEN, N.J. -- In the wake of the Philadelphia 76ers suspending Ben Simmons for their season-opening game in New Orleans on Wednesday night, superstar center Joel Embiid said he has yet to speak to Simmons, and declared -- several times -- that it isn't his job to "babysit" anyone.

'It's just hard to imagine a bigger hit' -- Dave Roberts, Los Angeles Dodgers in awe of Cody Bellinger
That was just one way Roberts described a three-run home run by Cody Bellinger that did more than tie the score in the bottom of the eighth inning. It just might have rescued the bid of the defending champions to win it all again.

LeBron James, Anthony Davis reassure Russell Westbrook after his struggles as Los Angeles Lakers drop NBA opener
LOS ANGELES -- LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook failed their first real test together, a 121-114 loss to the Golden State Warriors on opening night, but they found some common ground.

Eraser Dust

De Blasio Announces Vaccine Mandate for All City Workers - The New York Times
The new mandate will apply to more than 160,000 employees, including police officers, firefighters and sanitation workers, whose vaccination rates have lagged.

How a Single Senator Derailed Biden’s Climate Plan - The New York Times
The White House has pushed the program hard, but passage was always going to come down to a single senator: Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

Carbon capture: The world is banking on giant carbon-sucking fans to clean our mess. But can they save the planet? - CNN
Right in the middle of all that natural beauty sits a towering metal structure resembling four giant Lego bricks, with two rows of six whirring fans running across each one. It's a contraption that looks truly futuristic, like something straight out of a sci-fi film.

Kalispell Sees First Contested Mayoral Race in More Than a Decade - Flathead Beacon
For the first time since Mark Johnson became Kalispell’s mayor voters will have the opportunity to pick between two candidates after Councilor Sid Daoud announced he was running in municipal election this year.

Former girlfriend testifies in Kalispell man's murder trial | Daily Inter Lake
Prosecutors allege Medina used a cement brick to kill Kellenberger in his home on Lenwood Lane on the afternoon of Monday, July 15, 2019. Medina has been in the Flathead County Detention Center on $500,000 bail since his arrest later that day.

Dr. Dre Served with Divorce Docs at Cemetery as Grandmother Laid to Rest
Dr. Dre's divorce has been extremely contentious, and something happened Monday that punctuates the bitterness ... a process server for his ex-wife attempted to serve him with legal docs at the cemetery where he buried his grandmother.