Comment on Letters: Challenging the baker — The right to free speech, or the right to discriminate?

LeBron James broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record back in February of 2023, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time list: James now has 40,747 points and counting. Imagine, less than a handful a years from now, LeBron was banned from basketball for life. It’s ludicrous. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Lionel Messi has scored 841 goals for club and country, while captivating America with his exploits upon arrival in Miami last summer.

JERUSALEM — Israeli ground forces crossed into southern Lebanon early Tuesday, marking a significant escalation of an offensive against Hezbollah militants and opening a new front in a yearlong war against its Iranian-backed adversaries. The incursion follows weeks of heavy blows by Israel against Hezbollah—including an airstrike that killed its longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah—and seeks to step up the pressure on the group, which began firing rockets into northern Israel after the start of the war in Gaza.

NEW YORK — Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader and fallen idol who undermined his historic achievements and Hall of Fame dreams by gambling on the game he loved and once embodied, has died. He was 83. Stephanie Wheatley, a spokesperson for Clark County in Nevada, confirmed on behalf of the medical examiner that Rose died Monday.

Calum Ritchie looked like a teenager struggling with a few aspects of an NHL-level game for parts of Sunday night. Then he looked like a future NHL star with one viral-worthy, highlight-reel goal. Ritchie’s goal in a 6-3 exhibition loss to Utah was a bright spot in a mostly dreary evening for the Colorado Avalanche.

Faced with a choice between investing more in its new wireless business, which needs additional capital and time to catch on with consumers, or holding onto its legacy satellite and streaming television services, which generate cash but are shrinking, Englewood-based EchoStar Corp. has decided to go all in on wireless. Long-time rival DirecTV on Monday said it will pay $1 and assume $9.75 billion in EchoStar debt to acquire Dish Network and its Sling TV streaming service.

As the second half between the Broncos and New York Jets started in the rain Sunday, head coach Sean Payton provided a glimpse into his mindset. CBS sideline reporter Evan Washburn asked him on the broadcast what Denver’s offense could hang its hat on for the final 30 minutes given the steady precipitation. “Well, look, I thought we ran it pretty well,” Payton said.