Notebook: Kansas Ready to Kick Off Puerto Rico Tour

The Rock Chalkboard

Day 2 of camp: Tight end group, tutored by Kotelnicki, strives for further growth - KU Sports
KU’s tight end group is one of its most familiar on a roster characterized by continuity. Back from 2022 are senior Mason Fairchild, a safety net for quarterback Jalon Daniels who came on strong last season; junior Jared Casey, a former walk-on, hybrid player and all-around fan favorite; and junior Trevor Kardell, a longtime two-sport athlete (emphasis on the athlete) now fully committed to football.

KU men’s basketball adds forward Johnny Furphy for upcoming season, per report - KU Sports
After nearly a month of reported mutual interest between the Kansas men’s basketball program and Johnny Furphy, the Australian standout has committed to KU and will play for the Jayhawks this upcoming season, according to a report from 247Sports national basketball analyst Travis Branham.

KU’s Girod says that Big 12 Conference wants to get to ‘at least’ 14 members and that league will need to be nimble in the future - KU Sports
“I think we ultimately would like to at least get to 14 so we have an even number and we can continue to schedule the way we schedule,” Girod said. “I think we are kind of looking at all options of what that means. Obviously the Pac-12 is trying to decide what it is doing right now. So, we will keep communications open, whether it is Pac-12 or otherwise.”

Listen: Rock Chalk Sports Talk talks KU men’s and women’s basketball, football camp - KU Sports
On the Aug. 2 episode of the Best of Rock Chalk Sports Talk Podcast from KLWN, Derek Johnson and Nick Springer discuss the Puerto Rico trip for Kansas men’s basketball, speak to the Journal-World’s own Sports Editor Henry Greenstein, host two rounds of RCST Football Trivia and interview KU women’s basketball assistant Patrick Schrater.

Booth Breakdown: A far-out look at the Iowa State Cyclones - KU Sports
The forecast for Kansas’ Week 9 opponent, Iowa State, became much foggier this week after Tuesday’s news that a criminal complaint was filed against redshirt junior quarterback Hunter Dekkers for alleged sports gambling involving school events.

Sadler returns to KU men’s basketball staff - KU Sports
Doc Sadler, a longtime head coach at Arkansas-Fort Smith, UTEP, Nebraska and then Southern Miss, who spent the 2012-13 season as KU’s director of basketball operations, has been hired on again as an analyst, Kansas Athletics announced Wednesday.

Eraser Dust

Not allowing shorts in the office is fascism
This is no longer a question, and yet Stein is hardly the only one asking it. The Wall Street Journal conducted a poll on shorts at work, in which they concluded that, “A healthy 58% of respondents think it can be appropriate for guys to flash some leg in the office. But boomers will have something to say about that.” Oh, so the people who helped get us stuck in this convection oven want a say in how I dress for it? WELL BLOW ME THE F—K DOWN.

Kidnapped woman escapes from cinderblock cage in Oregon; Negasi Zuberi is in custody as FBI looks for more possible victims - ABC7 San Francisco
"This woman was kidnapped, chained, sexually assaulted, and locked in a cinderblock cell," Stephanie Shark, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI's Portland field office, said in a news release. "Police say she beat the door with her hands until they were bloody in order to break free. Her quick thinking and will to survive may have saved other women from a similar nightmare.

Judge to Impose Death Sentence on Gunman in Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting - The New York Times
Survivors and relatives of the 11 worshipers who were killed in a Pittsburgh synagogue were set to confront the gunman with their stories of grief and perseverance in court on Thursday before a judge sentences him to death.

Lizzo lawsuit: Singer denies 'false' allegations from former dancers
"These last few days have been gut wrenchingly difficult and overwhelmingly disappointing," Lizzo said in an Instagram post Thursday. "My work ethic, morals and respectfulness have been questioned. My character has been criticized."

Maryland hospitality company buys Montana’s Chico Hot Springs for $33 million
“Chico has numerous of the attractive attributes we target, such as durable cash flow, significant [return on investment] opportunities, irreplaceable location, fee-simple and fully unencumbered by brand and management,” Brugger said.

'Everything has fallen off a cliff': Battleground state GOPs nosedive in Trump era - POLITICO
Michigan’s Republican party is broke. Minnesota’s was, until recently, down to $53.81 in the bank. And in Colorado, the GOP is facing eviction from its office this month because it can’t make rent.

Kalispell man earns partially suspended sentence for assaulting girlfriend | Daily Inter Lake
A Kalispell man arrested for allegedly shoving his girlfriend out of a moving vehicle last summer and continuing to assault her at home earned a partially suspended sentence with the state Department of Corrections in June.

Taylor Swift Fan Buys Concert Tickets For Wrong Date, Turned Away at Venue
There is a happy ending to this story. Bear somehow snagged a second set of tickets for Taylor's show in Inglewood this coming Saturday. He has to work so he's not going, but his wife and her friend will be there. Those 2 tickets set him back $2,600. Oh, they live in Oakland so the flight will put him back another $600.

Cannabis users could become feds under bipartisan House bill - Government Executive
Abipartisan trio of House lawmakers last week introduced legislation that would allow marijuana users past and present to qualify for security clearances and serve as federal employees.

In the Flathead Valley, the Homeless Crisis is at a Crossroads - Flathead Beacon
According to the MT Continuum of Care Coalition Point-in-Time (PIT) data collected in 2022, an estimated 319 homeless people were living in Kalispell, ranking a close second in the state behind the 325 homeless people reported living in Missoula, which has three times the population of Kalispell. Experts note that, while PIT data offers the most accurate tracking input available, quantifying homeless population figures presents numerous challenges since not every unsheltered person can be located to take the survey.