The Rock Chalkboard

3 keys for KU football at Texas | KUsports.com
Regardless of whether it’s Jason Bean or Jalon Daniels at quarterback for Kansas, the Jayhawks need to get back to effectively running the ball if their offense is going to stay on the field and have a chance to challenge Texas.

Quick Recap: No. 3 KU basketball cruises, 88-62, vs. Tarleton State | KUsports.com
The Jayhawks shot 59% from the field, went 9-for-20 on 3-pointers and outscored the Texans, 40-34, in the paint. KU also controlled the glass, 41-25, with Braun and senior big man David McCormack grabbing 8 boards apiece.

Freshman guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. the latest Jayhawk to decide to redshirt 2021-22 basketball season | KUsports.com
Kansas coach Bill Self said after Friday’s 88-62 victory over Tarleton State at Allen Fieldhouse that freshman guard Kyle Cuffe Jr. had decided to redshirt the season.

Third-ranked Kansas basketball pushes past scrappy Tarleton State, 88-62 in home opener | KUsports.com
“Coach told us it was going to be a dogfight,” junior guard Christian Braun said after the victory. “They were going to pressure us a lot, and that was a good challenge for us because it was something we hadn’t seen before.”

Bits o Chalk

KU senior Cam Martin vows to continue to work hard while redshirting 2021-22 season | KUsports.com
“Just showing up to practice every day and making the guys better and making myself better, too,” Martin said Thursday. “(That’s) a thing we talked about; not just using this as a year off, but a year to take my game to a whole other level.”

Sources: NBA's tampering probe into Lonzo Ball, Kyle Lowry acquisitions in advanced stages
The NBA's probe into possible pre-free-agency tampering centered on the sign-and-trade acquisitions of Chicago's Lonzo Ball and Miami's Kyle Lowry appears to have reached the advanced stages, sources told ESPN on Friday.

Christian Pulisic's 'mirror' shirt claps back at Guillermo Ochoa after USMNT win over Mexico in World Cup qualifying
Christian Pulisic took a dig at Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa by revealing a shirt that read "man in the mirror" after his goal in Friday's 2-0 win in a World Cup qualifying match -- a reference to Ochoa's statements that the USMNT wants to "mirror" its soccer image after El Tri.

Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden says he's rounding into form after 39-point, 12-assist performance
"I'm getting there," Harden said of him regaining his MVP form. "It wasn't going to take long. I mean, this is the highest [level] in the sport is the NBA, the most talented players in this world. So it's not going to be easy for me to just come out there and do what I do. It takes a lot of hard work to be playing at a point to which you guys have seen me play at.

Anthony Davis rips Los Angeles Lakers after 'embarrassing' loss to Minnesota Timberwolves
"We sucked," Davis said when asked about the third. "No defense. Can't score. That's not just this third quarter, it's every third quarter we've played this season. We come out slow, lackadaisical offensively and defensively. We got to get it together. Why? I can't tell you. But we got to do a better job."

Eraser Dust

Conservative judges block Biden’s vaccine requirement for businesses | US news | The Guardian
Judges appointed by Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan declined on Friday to lift a stay on the Biden administration’s Covid-19 vaccine requirement for businesses with 100 or more workers.

Inflation is surging and people are hopping mad : NPR
Prices of everyday items have surged during the pandemic, thanks to a toxic combination of staffing shortages and supply chain woes. The rising prices are souring the national mood, and taking a political toll on President Biden.

US announces big hike in Medicare premiums - CNN
The 14.5% increase in Part B premiums will take monthly payments for those in the lowest income bracket from $148.50 a month this year to $170.10 in 2022. Medicare Part B covers physician services, outpatient hospital services, certain home health services, medical equipment, and certain other medical and health services not covered by Medicare Part A, including medications given in doctors' offices.

Alicia Silverstone Reacts to Paul Rudd's Sexiest Man Alive Reveal | PEOPLE.com
"I mean… Cher's been saying he is a kind of a Baldwin since 1995 ," Silverstone wrote.

9 additional COVID-19 deaths confirmed in Flathead County
There have now been a total of 189 COVID-19 related deaths recorded in Flathead County.

9th Circuit strikes down Montana's unequal distribution requirement | KECI
“Everybody just assumes it's obvious that if the Green Party's on the ballot, that's bad for Democrats, but actually, there's a lot of objective evidence that that's not necessarily true,” said Winger.

Kalispell man accused of pointing gun at women | Daily Inter Lake
A Kalispell man was arrested after he allegedly pointed a handgun at a woman, her daughter and grandchild while they walked on the street in Coram.

Kalispell Chamber Recognizes Local Leaders Amid Unprecedented Growth - Flathead Beacon
The rebranding campaign accompanies the Chamber’s new leadership in Clarno, as well as its newfound aspirations, she said. Clarno joined the Chamber in November 2020 and characterized the city of Kalispell as blossoming amid valley-wide growth. Numerous projects are underway to help chart that growth while rejuvenating the core of the city, such as the multi-use Parkline Trail and the proposed Charles Hotel, all of which point to the downtown hub’s future expansion.

Taylor Swift Releases “All Too Well” Short Film – The Hollywood Reporter
After announcing that her next release in the rerecording of her catalog was her 2012 album, Red, Swift treated fans with the rerecorded original 10-minute version of her revered song “All Too Well” with an accompanying short film, starring Dylan O’Brien and Sadie Sink, which premiered Friday. The film was shot on 35mm film with Rina Yang as cinematographer.