The Rock Chalkboard

Lance Leipold provides update on the overall health of KU football heading into Week 8
A few players have been banged up for weeks now. Early in the season, Lance Leipold said during Hawk Talk that Lonnie Phelps and Kenny Logan were both not at 100%. During KU’s three-game home stand, Ky Thomas missed the first two games due to injury. Then, the Jayhawks lost then-all-purpose-yard leader Daniel Hishaw Jr. against Iowa State. The following week KU lost starting quarterback Jalon Daniels to a right shoulder injury, which kept him out of last Saturday’s game. And against Oklahoma, Cobee Bryant had to be carted off the field with an apparent lower left leg injury.

WATCH: Lance Leipold provides team updates ahead of Week 8
Kansas football (5-2, 2-2 Big 12) will look to bounce back from consecutive losses on Saturday as it travels south to take on Baylor (3-3, 1-2 Big 12) on Saturday. The last time out, KU lost to Oklahoma 52-42 on the road, giving the Jayhawks back-to-back losses for the first time this season. Baylor, on the other hand, enters the game after it fell to West Virginia on the road this past Thursday. The Bears have also lost two straight, as they dropped their previous game against Oklahoma State. In the matchup, KU will be looking to snap a 12-game losing streak to Baylor. The last time the Jayhawks defeated the Bears was in 2007, when KU won 58-10.

Big 12 football power rankings: TCU moves to No. 1 after big win over Oklahoma State
And then there were two, and after this week, just one. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this past weekend's action came in TCU's overtime win over Oklahoma State, with our previous No. 2 team topping the No. 1 team in our power rankings.

College basketball rankings: Kentucky, Texas, Gonzaga headline KenPom Top 25 ahead of 2022-23 season
It is clear college basketball season is nearly upon us when the popular statistician Ken Pomeroy unveils his rating for every single team in the country. Pomeroy's website (KenPom) is utilized by coaching staffs throughout the country. The rating of each team will change throughout the 2022-23 season as Pomeroy gets more data. But this gives us a good starting base to see who projects to be an efficient offensive and defensive team. Kentucky, Texas, and Gonzaga occupy the top three spots in KenPom's preseason top 25.

Eraser Dust

IRS Sets Higher 2023 Tax Brackets, Standard Deductions And Other Inflation Adjustments
Consider the standard deduction, now claimed (instead of itemized deductions) by more than 85% of taxpayers. For a married couple filing a joint tax return, that deduction will jump to $27,700 in 2023, from $25,900 in 2022; for singles and couples filing separately it will rise to $13,850, from $12,950; for a head of household it will rise to $20,800 from $19,400. (A head of household is a single adult with dependents, such as children.) The additional standard deduction for someone who is 65 or older will rise to $1,500 per person from $1,400 in 2022; if that senior is unmarried, the additional deduction will be $1,850 in 2023, up from $1,750.

What to Know as Trump Is Deposed in E. Jean Carroll Suit Accusing Him of Rape - The New York Times
The former president on Wednesday will be asked questions under oath in a defamation case brought by the writer E. Jean Carroll, who says he raped her in a dressing room.

Parents of Raleigh mass shooting suspect and victim issue statement - ABC11 Raleigh-Durham
"Words cannot begin to describe our anguish and sorrow," the statement from Alan and Elise Thompson began. Our son Austin inflicted immeasurable pain on the Raleigh community, and we are overcome with grief for the innocent lives lost. We pray for the families and loved ones of Nicole Conners, Susan Karnatz, Mary Marshall, and Raleigh Police Officer Gabriel Torres. We mourn for their loss and for the loss of our son, James.

Some People Really Are Mosquito Magnets, and They're Stuck That Way - Scientific American
In a new paper published on October 18 in the journal Cell, researchers suggest that certain body odors are the deciding factor. Every person has a unique scent profile made up of different chemical compounds, and the researchers found that mosquitoes were most drawn to people whose skin produces high levels of carboxylic acids. Additionally, the researchers found that peoples’ attractiveness to mosquitoes remained steady over time, regardless of changes in diet or grooming habits.

Dad is publicly shamed by SeaWorld mime for allegedly letting wife do the ‘heavy lifting’ in viral footage
“That mime totally caught me off guard,” Nick, 28, told Today. “At that moment, I was in a total daze. I was really hungry, and my feet were hurting me.” Nick added that he wasn’t embarrassed and found the whole incident “pretty funny.”

Authorities locate man sought in connection with shooting | Daily Inter Lake
Officials announced mid-morning Oct. 18 that the man was in police custody after being located in the East North section of Kalispell about 9:20 a.m. Authorities did not identify the man, but said he was receiving medical care.

The SpongeBob Musical comes to Whitefish with over 100 students | Whitefish Pilot
One of the most popular animated shows of all time — SpongeBob Squarepants — gets the full Broadway musical treatment Oct. 22 and 23 at the Whitefish Performing Arts Center. Alpine Theatre Project presents The SpongeBob Musical, featuring 110 students in grades first through eighth from across the Flathead Valley.

The Golden Gate Griller at Knead Café - Flathead Beacon
The sandwich is a hefty arrangement built around a base of sliced, smoked turkey. The turkey is topped with mushrooms sauteed in garlic, and then sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, melted Swiss cheese, basil pesto and locally sourced sprouts. Framing all of these flavor-packed components are two slices of house-made sun-dried tomato bread that has parmesan cheese panini-pressed into its exterior.

George Floyd's family to file $250 million lawsuit against Ye, a.k.a. Kanye West : NPR
The family of George Floyd announced Tuesday that they will file a $250 million lawsuit against Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, following comments he made about Floyd's death on the podcast Drink Champs.

Comedian James Corden apologises after Balthazar restaurant ban - BBC News
Keith McNally, who owns popular New York eatery Balthazar, said Corden had been an "abusive customer" after some errors with his orders.

Next pandemic may come from melting glaciers, new data shows | Infectious diseases | The Guardian
Genetic analysis of soil and lake sediments from Lake Hazen, the largest high Arctic freshwater lake in the world, suggests the risk of viral spillover – where a virus infects a new host for the first time – may be higher close to melting glaciers.

Raiders reportedly 'strongly considering' bringing Marshawn Lynch out of retirement - CBSSports.com
The Oakland Raiders are in need of a running back after seeing former starter Latavius Murray sign with the Minnesota Vikings. Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington are talented players, but neither really fits the role of lead back, so the Raiders are hitting the market.