Sports

Watch it or not, you pay for sports on cable TV

As live sports programming (like the NBA playoffs featuring LeBron James, above) becomes more coveted by advertisers, ESPN and other networks are bidding in the billions to secure broadcast rights. And those costs — ESPN charges TV providers more than $5 per month per subscriber, making it by far the most expensive basic cable channel — get passed to the consumer, whether they like sports or not. Some have called it a sports tax on their cable bill.

National News

A long-ago war, a missing plane and an enduring mystery

Maj. Derrell Jeffords bounced his roaring Spooky 21 down and off the runway at Da Nang Air Base in Vietnam. It was just before 7:30 a.m., on Christmas Eve 1965. The big camouflaged belly of his twin-prop AC-47 was easily visible against a blue sky as he banked west.

The cargo plane-turned-gunship was on its way to Laos; its mission was top secret.

Chiefs

Throwing to the tight end is back in Chiefs’ offense under Andy Reid

The Chiefs have revealed plenty of two-tight end formations during their offseason program and spent plenty of time at least trying to throw the ball to both of their new tight ends, Anthony Fasano and Travis Kelce. The signs are everywhere that the tight end as a pass receiver is back in the Chiefs offense under new coach Andy Reid.

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Community Faces

Blue Star Awards Ceremony

Nominees for best in high school musical theater from schools around the area walked the red carpet Thursday evening at Starlight Theater. Taylor Louderman, Broadway actress who is scheduled to star in “Footloose” at Starlight in August, was guest award presenter.

The Kansas City Star Magazine

Bread-baking brings kneaded therapy

Baking bread is at once invigorating and soothing. You can take out aggression on dough, hurl it at the counter from a foot high and punch it with your fists if you want. You can’t hurt it. Or you can find a gentle reverie in the dough, squeeze its cool pillowy sides with your finger and rock the heels of your hands lazily back and forth in the center. The main thing is to find a rhythm and just keep going.

Editorial

A summer of reading for low-income children

Without books, low-income children get out of the habit of reading during the summer and struggle when school resumes. That’s why the effort this week to distribute 10,000 books to elementary children in Kansas City Public Schools is so critical.

Midwest Voices | Kelly Luck

FBI plan puts our privacy at risk

Technology is moving faster than before, and laws must move equally fast if they are to keep up with ever-changing reality. But this is not the way to do it. Leaving your emails, IMs, etc. deliberately available at all times for law enforcement (or others) is an overreaction, a move of desperation.