The Rock Chalkboard

Big 12-SEC Challenge basketball matchups set for 2022-23, per report
Once again, teams from the Big 12 and the SEC go head to head in a yearly challenge, setting up 10 matchups for one weekend to see which conference edges out the other. For the last nine seasons, the two conferences have had this battle and now, the 10th year of matchups has been set, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Of course, the Kansas-Kentucky matchup is one that always draws headlines. But it is even more intriguing this year considering how both teams ended their 2022 season.

78 Days Until Kansas Football: Big 12 Conference Scheduling Roundtable - Blue Wings Rising
This week on the countdown, we've been looking at what the scheduling might look like as the Big 12 membership changes in the next few seasons. On Sunday we talked about how the changes to the conference makeup would affect the Jayhawks. On Monday, I argued against divisions for the new conference. On Wednesday, I outlined some alternatives to the divisional model.

Bits o Chalk

Jayson Tatum Called Out for Tweet About Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins | Heavy.com
“Jabari Parker is better the Andrew Wiggins,” a 14-year-old Tatum wrote.

Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins' hilarious realization after NBA Finals win | RSN
Poole, who is eligible for a contract extension this summer, is due for a big payday after his breakout 2021-22 season. Wiggins is under contract for the 2022-23 season, but the Warriors might look to extend him, which would result in a hefty payday for the first-time All-Star after his breakout campaign.

Timberwolves news: Karl-Anthony Towns reacts to Andrew Wiggins winning title with Warriors
Wiggins’ reputation in Minnesota tanked in the last few years. The former first-overall pick always had the potential to be a great player. However, for whatever reason, Wiggins just couldn’t put it together for the first years of his career. Whether it was a lack of motivation or being miscast in a role, it was clear that the Canadian couldn’t succeed there.

Big Game Wiggins Is Making Everyone Forget About the Years of “Wasted Minutes” - The Ringer
Then he became a Warrior. It’s taken time for Wiggins to find his way with Golden State, and for the team around him to become whole again. Yet at this point, the fit is undeniable.

Eraser Dust

White Parents Rallied to Chase a Black Educator Out of Town. Then, They Followed Her to the Next One. — ProPublica
Kahaian emphasized how to grab attention during upcoming school board meetings. Identify the best speakers in the group, she told them, adding: “It’s OK to be emotional.” Be sure to capture video of them addressing the board — or even consider hiring a professional videographer.

“It’s good in case Tucker Carlson wants to put you on air,” Kahaian said. “It really helps.”

Vestavia Hills, Alabama, church shooting: 2 dead, another wounded after gunfire near Birmingham. The suspect is in custody, police say | CNN
Two people were killed and one injured Thursday when shooting erupted at a small church meeting in a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, police said – the latest gun attack to unfold as Americans tried to go about their daily lives.

Walmart pulls MyPillow products from stores
Walmart said it pulled MyPillow products from its stores as the pillow company’s founder and CEO Mike Lindell continues to falsely claim the 2020 presidential election was rigged against former President Trump.

A NASA rover just found trash on Mars | Mashable
While looking for hints of past microbial Martian life, NASA's Perseverance rover recently spotted landing debris caught in a jagged rock. It's thermal material the space agency used to protect the Perseverance spacecraft from extreme temperatures as it journeyed to Mars and plummeted through the Martian atmosphere.

Gateway towns to Yellowstone become dead ends after flood - East Idaho News
The unprecedented flood has closed the entire park and forced the evacuation of 10,000 visitors. And towns like Red Lodge that lead to Yellowstone’s northern entrances and rely on tourists passing through could suffer all summer.

When medical bills lead to debt, financial hardship piles on top of sickness : Shots - Health News : NPR
To calculate the true extent and burden of this debt, the KHN-NPR investigation draws on a nationwide poll conducted by KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) for this project. The poll was designed to capture not just bills patients couldn't afford, but other borrowing used to pay for health care as well. New analyses of credit bureau, hospital billing, and credit card data by the Urban Institute and other research partners also inform the project. And KHN and NPR reporters conducted hundreds of interviews with patients, physicians, health industry leaders, consumer advocates, and researchers.

Family Makes Indian Food A Convenience At Sohi Food Store - Flathead Beacon
A part-time medical assistant, Muskan Sohi also helps out at the store but when it comes to cooking, that’s where her mother takes over. Kaur cooks by feel and doesn’t measure things out. Her cooking methods and some of the spices she uses draw from the family’s roots in the northern Indian state of Punjab. Pots and pans simmering with a fresh batch of butter chicken or curry can be found atop a stovetop behind the register on a given day, with Kaur steadily ladling fresh servings out when the display shelf starts to thin at the hands of hungry customers. The smell of Kaur’s cooking is the second thing to greet patrons after the front door chimes upon opening. Sohi Food Store begins selling Indian food at 10 a.m. and usually begins selling out for the day between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. but sometimes food is still available as late as 8 p.m.

Developer proposes 8-story parking garage with housing | Daily Inter Lake
Kalispell City Council is showing interest in a concept to add housing to a downtown parking structure, pushing the proposed building to roughly eight stories in height.

Kit Harington Attached to Jon Snow 'Game of Thrones' Spinoff at HBO - Variety
Kit Harington is attached to reprise his role as the fan-favorite hero in the live-action show, which would take place after the events of “Game of Thrones” — potentially opening up what many thought was an iron-clad ending to the wildly popular series.

Noel Gallagher on meeting George Harrison for the first time
When the Beatles rose to fame in the mid-1990s, Noel was lucky enough to bump into Beatles guitarist George Harrison at a party. Talking to Rolling Stone, Gallagher recalled: “I was invited to a bonfire party, and it happened to be on the property that backed up into George’s house. So I’m sitting on a log and this guy with a beard and a denim jacket comes up to me and says, ‘Hey, you want a Heineken?’ I was like, ‘F*cking hell!’ We talked about Carl Perkins, and I told him he was my favourite guitar player”.