The Rock Chalkboard

Surveying the Big 12’s newest men’s basketball squads - KU Sports
It’s easy to forget with the near-daily developments in the conference-realignment news cycle, but Kansas hasn’t actually had a new league opponent for 11 years, since TCU and West Virginia first joined the Big 12 back in 2012.

Kansas football completes edge-rusher duo with holiday commitment - KU Sports
“Kansas has always been the school that showed me love,” he told Jon Kirby of JayhawkSlant.com. “Jayhawk fans are crazy. Ever since we had a connection, we just clicked, and they’ve been on me ever since then. It’s been a real genuine situation. And I see what Coach Leipold is doing with the program, and I just want to be a part of that.”

Eraser Dust

Suspicious powder found at White House was cocaine, AP sources say - syracuse.com
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House was briefly evacuated Sunday evening while President Joe Biden was at Camp David after the Secret Service discovered suspicious powder in a common area of the West Wing, and a preliminary test showed the substance was cocaine, two law enforcement officials said Tuesday.

Meta takes aim at Elon Musk's Twitter, to announce rival app Threads | Fox Business
A listing for the app, called Threads, appeared on Apple’s App Store, indicating it would debut as early as Thursday, July 6. It is billed as "Instagram's text-based conversation app," with the listing teasing a Twitter-like microblogging experience.

IRS Quietly Changed the Rules on Your Children’s Inheritance
Property, such as your home, held in an irrevocable trust 'that is not included in the taxable estate at death' will no longer receive a step-up in basis. Here’s why the wording of that is key.

Allison Mack, ‘Smallville’ Actress Who Recruited Women for Nxivm, Is Released From Prison - The New York Times
Allison Mack, the “Smallville” actress who recruited women to the cultlike group Nxivm and assisted prosecutors in convicting its leader of sex trafficking and other crimes, was released from a federal prison this week after serving two years of a three-year sentence on racketeering and racketeering conspiracy charges.

Flathead Lake now 16 inches below full pool | KECI
The water level in Flathead Lake continues to drop, according to the latest reports from the U.S. Geological Survey.

We told you how the falling lake level is impacting local marinas, where workers concerned over damage to boats.

U.S. Supreme Court Decision Likely Affects Montana Elections Lawsuit - Flathead Beacon
The court’s 30-page opinion Tuesday brought resolution to the high-profile case Moore v. Harper, which originated with a legal dispute over new congressional districts adopted by North Carolina’s Republican-controlled legislature in 2021. After a state court declared those maps in violation of the North Carolina Constitution, lawmakers countered that when it comes to federal elections, the U.S. Constitution vested legislatures with a policy-making authority unfettered by oversight from the state judiciaries. The argument is known as the “independent state legislatures” theory, and it’s what prompted University of Montana law professor Craig Cowie to characterize Moore v. Harper as a cutting to “the existential heart of the way we structure our society.”

Family rescued after getting stranded on Bozeman's M Trail | KECI
Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue responded after a caller said the family ran out of water and was stuck on a rocky portion of the mountain.

Volunteers hiked in, found the family and brought them down to the trailhead without incident.

12 of the Best Foods 'The Simpsons' Ever Gave Us
So let’s take a look at the ones that, to the audience at least, looked the most delicious. These 12 food moments on The Simpsons had us making Homer-esque drool sounds the entire time.

Tipping has gotten out of control: Three reasons behind tip-flation : NPR
Out of hand maybe, but people are making some serious money. Square, the company behind a lot of the electronic payment screens, gets a cut of each transaction, including the tip.

So creating software that encourages tipping (and encourages big tips) means more money for companies like Square.

Fans Are Consistent With Their Opinion On The Worst Hot Ones Guest Ever
“The f***boys,” Khaled retorted, digging into that first wing. It wasn’t too long, though, until he was crying foul. Evans was immediately taken aback, challenging him: “This is the first one,” he said. “This is the weakest wing, bro.”

2024 Ford Maverick To Drop 2.5L Hybrid As Standard Engine
The 2024 Ford Maverick lineup will depart significantly from 2023 by making the hybrid optional on XL, XLT, and Lariat. Since launch, the hybrid engine was standard on every trim, although for 2022 the 2.0L EcoBoost became a no-cost option. The hybrid will still be limited to front-wheel drive while the EcoBoost will come standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive being optional. This is the biggest change to the lineup since the pickup’s debut, but the move isn’t completely out of left field considering Ford explicitly stated that 2023 Maverick order holders could get their trucks faster if they switched to the gas powered model.