Fox News Latest Headlines
Rubio warns America must 'stay ahead of the curve' as China works to surpass the US with stolen tech
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Wednesday that the United States must "stay ahead of the curve" on innovation to counter China’s widespread intellectual property theft, arguing that Beijing has leveraged stolen American technology to fuel its progress.
"A lot of the advancements you've seen in the commercial sector and the industrial sector, the technological sector in China, is a product of intellectual property theft and/or reverse engineering, which is the same thing, of our own technology," Rubio said.
"That has to be addressed."
In an exclusive interview on "Hannity," Rubio described intellectual property theft as an "enormous issue" that the Trump administration plans to confront in Thursday's high-stakes talks with China.
AMERICA HAS TO RESPOND WITH A UNITED FRONT TO CHINA’S MASSIVE ECONOMIC WARFARE
"We're not trying to constrain China, but their rise cannot come at our expense. Their rise cannot come at our fall," Rubio said.
He insisted that his warning only scratches the surface and stressed that enforcement alone won’t be enough, arguing that America’s long-term advantage depends on outpacing China in innovation.
WHITE HOUSE: US WILL LEAD IN AI, BUT CHINA IS CATCHING UP
"One thing is, if you're stealing or taking the stuff that was cutting edge five years ago, but the things that are going to be cutting edge years from now, we've got to continue to invest and push our companies to continue to stay ahead of that pace of theft and continue to lead the world in innovation."
Rubio's remarks came ahead of meetings in China where President Donald Trump, several key members of his administration and multiple U.S. business leaders were slated to participate in a summit to discuss trade, artificial intelligence and more.
The secretary of state offered his thoughts ahead of the summit.
"They [China] believe they will be the world’s most powerful country, they'll surpass the United States, and they have a plan to do it. And they're executing on that plan," he said.
"We, on the other hand, don't view it that way."
Rep Jayapal defends outreach after Cuba trip drew conspiracy allegations, death threats
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said she has received death threats for "doing my job" and meeting with foreign ambassadors about Cuba’s fuel shortages and U.S. sanctions.
Following her trip to Cuba as part of a congressional delegation in April, conservatives are now labeling the progressive lawmaker a "traitor" who is "conspiring against the U.S." because she met with political leaders to discuss the "crisis" on the island.
"I've gotten death threats as a result of this," Jayapal told Fox News Digital on Wednesday. "People are calling for me to be shot, and it's just a fabrication. It is what's wrong with so much of the work that we do."
Following her controversial visit to Cuba with Rep. Jonathan Jackson, D-Ill., Jayapal spoke at a Seattle briefing, where her comments went viral on X.
She admitted to meeting with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, senior government officials, political dissidents, civil society groups and foreign diplomats to discuss the island’s "crisis beyond imagination."
Jayapal justified the meetings as part of her job as a member of Congress.
"It's ridiculous," she said. "First of all, I had a meeting with the ambassadors of a couple of countries to hear how U.S. policy toward Cuba was affecting those countries. We meet with ambassadors all the time. That is part of our job, to assess what's going on on the ground."
She said U.S. sanctions have not been effective. Instead, she called for direct negotiations with Cuba.
"I've been very clear that the way to engage with Cuba is through a true diplomatic negotiation and that none of the embargo, that's been the longest-standing embargo for over 60 years, or the fuel blockade is helping us to achieve any of that," she said.
Jayapal said she is working to address the impacts of U.S. fuel restrictions, which she has slammed as "cruel collective punishment" to the citizens of the island.
"I’m working on legislation to address negative impacts of U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba," she said. "I’m a member of Congress. I have every right to go travel and to meet with other ambassadors."
DEM REPRESENTATIVE ADMITS TO WORKING WITH MEXICO TO SNEAK OIL INTO CUBA, DESPITE BLOCKADE
Her actions have raised questions about the Logan Act, a rarely used federal law that bars unauthorized individuals from negotiating with foreign governments in disputes involving the U.S.
The White House weighed in, blasting Jayapal’s trip as "shameful" and accused her of "suffering from [Trump Derangement Syndrome]" in a statement to Fox News Digital last week.
"The Democrats continue to show Americans who they really are, the America Last party who sip margaritas with terrorists, advocate for illegal alien criminals, and undermine the United States to aid a failed communist regime," White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said.
Cuba’s ties to adversarial countries and actors, including Iran and Hezbollah, remain a national security concern, according to the Trump administration. The island’s economic crisis has fueled a surge in migration to the U.S. in recent years.
Jayapal told Fox News Digital that most Americans would not approve of civilians' living conditions in Cuba if they knew how bad it is.
"The humanitarian crisis on the ground, with babies in the NICU being unable to get care for their incubators to work," she said. "The lack of food on the island, so many other things, is a travesty, and I actually don't think that most Americans would want that."
RUBIO SAYS CUBA NEEDS ‘NEW PEOPLE IN CHARGE’ AS BLACKOUTS, UNREST GRIP ISLAND
Jayapal has also called for lifting the U.S. embargo, removing Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list and supporting legislation to block potential U.S. military action.
She has previously criticized the Cuban government, which has faced scrutiny for political repression and limits on free speech.
Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price and Ashley J. DiMella contributed to this report.
Another one: Georgia DB Ja'Marley Riddle arrested on speeding, felony marijuana possession charges
The tradition of Georgia football players not obeying traffic laws is alive and well in 2026 thanks to safety Ja'Marley Riddle, who was arrested last week on speeding and felony possession charges.
The ongoing issues for Kirby Smart and his players have only increased since a tragic accident claimed the life of offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy following the 2022 national championship season.
Since then, there have been a plethora of speeding incidents involving Georgia football players that Smart has done his best to curtail. But his best hasn’t stopped players from breaking the law.
According to a police report first obtained by WGIG 98.7 FM, Riddle — a transfer from East Carolina — was traveling at a high rate of speed on I-95 on May 8 when one officer driving an unmarked vehicle alerted another officer down the road that the Georgia DB needed to be stopped.
Driving a Dodge Durango, Riddle was allegedly observed "weaving in and out of traffic" at a speed officers suspected to be 95 mph. After approaching the vehicle, an officer noticed the smell of marijuana inside the vehicle and described Riddle as acting "extremely nervous" during the ongoing traffic stop.
According to the report, after telling the officer that he did not posses any controlled substances, he gave them permission to search his vehicle.
"While I was re-searching the front driver's side, Officer R. Dinkins pulled a large heat-sealed bag from one of the backpacks in the back seat. Inside the backpack was a large amount of multicolored packaging, some with a leafy substance stating marijuana, and some containing vapes stating THC," the report stated.
The arrest report states that Riddle was charged with "purchase, possession, manufacture, distribution, or sale of marijuana." His bail was set at $4,258 for that charge. The other felony charge was a Schedule I or II controlled substance, with his bail listed at $12,058.
Georgia Bulldogs Add To Arrest Total With Two More Players
His misdemeanor charge of speeding had bail set at $210, which he posted in conjunction with the other felonies.
Essentially, Georgia has this type of response now saved in their drafts, given the amount of arrests of players that have occurred over the past number of years.
The school — which by now likely has this type of response saved as a template — released the following statement.
"We are aware of the charges and are actively gathering additional information. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we will not be providing further comment at this time."
Students at top party college on edge after rape, strangulation reported in campus housing
Students at the University of California in Santa Barbara, ranked as the top party school in the country, are on edge after a rape and strangulation was reported on campus over the weekend.
At 10 p.m. Saturday, police sent out a university-wide alert to notify students, faculty and staff about the incident.
The UCSB Police Department’s daily log indicates that the rape and strangulation report happened on campus housing.
The student-run newspaper, The Daily Nexus, reported the suspect and victim had just met at a party in the Isla Vista neighborhood near the school, and did not know each other prior to the reported assault.
UCSB Police have not yet released any suspect information or further detail into the incident.
FRAT HOUSE TURNS INTO CRIME SCENE AFTER MEMBER ALLEGEDLY SEXUALLY ASSAULTS WOMAN, POLICE SAY
UC Santa Barbara has been ranked as the top party school in the U.S. for the last two years, according to Niche Best Colleges.
Over the last few years, the school has also seen an increase in crimes like sexual assault, weapons arrests and burglaries, among others on campus.
Recent data show the school saw more than 100 reported rape cases from the years 2022 to 2024.
Each year, campus police release their Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, which provides safety incident data from the prior year. In this instance, the most recent report covers data only through 2024, since the report came out this past October.
Fox News Digital has reached out to UCSB for comment.
Former CIA agent John Kiriakou reveals how sex plays a major role in espionage and spying
Intelligence agencies around the globe aren't afraid to use sex to get vital information.
The shadowy world of espionage is one of the most fascinating topics when it comes to black ops, geopolitics and things that happen the world is not supposed to know about.
It can be a very dark and nasty world to operate in. Trust runs low, and you never know who could be working what angle.
One of the biggest plays some intelligence sources use?
Sex.
SEAL TEAM 6 MEMBER REVEALS EPIC DETAILS OF OSAMA BIN LADEN RAID
Former CIA officer John Kiriakou has become one of the most famous former intelligence agents in the country. He's blown up in the media over the past year, and he's never afraid to discuss taboo intelligence topics.
That includes how spies around the world throughout history have used sex to get what they want.
"The CIA since its inception has been involved in sexual operations, sexual espionage. Certainly, sex was a well-documented component of MK Ultra, which lasted from about 1952 to 1975. People are going to jump on my head for saying it ended in 1975. It ended in 1975. Certainly, there are other operations that could be considered successors to MK Ultra, but MK Ultra ended in '75. You talked about Operation Midnight Climax. That's one of the more famous ones. It's one of those operations that we talk about today in 2026, and you just have to shake your head and ask semi-rhetorically, what in the world were they thinking? But yeah, I mean, sex was used routinely well into the late 70s, the early 80s," Kiriakou explained during a recent interview with Jay Dyer.
He further explained that the Russians and Israelis are famous for using "honeypots" in espionage activities. Honeypots are intelligence agents who use sex as a tool to gain information on their targets. The former CIA officer revealed the United States used to do the same, but ended the practice around the time President Ronald Reagan took office because it wasn't viewed as efficient.
FOREIGN BLACK OPS MEMBER REVEALS THE SECRET AMERICAN UNIT HE LOVED WORKING WITH IN COMBAT
Kiriakou further explained, "If you really want somebody to be a source for you and to commit espionage for you over the course of, you know, years, that relationship has to be built on a foundation of trust, not one of coercion. And so, you know, if you go up to somebody and say, 'Listen, we set you up with a prostitute the other night and you didn't know, but we had the room wired for video and audio and we have these pictures of you and videos and we're going to release them to your wife or we're going to release them to your government unless you work for us.' That's not how you build trust. That's not how you build a long-term relationship."
You can listen to Kiriakou's full explanation in the video below starting around 3:30, and make sure to let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Kiriakou is far from the only intelligence operative who has discussed sex as an espionage tool. Former Russian honeypot spy Aliia Roza spoke at length with Shawn Ryan about the same topic.
"As a former honeytrap agent, I can tell you that men are the most vulnerable during intercourse, and if you are a quite experienced agent, you can ask certain questions during or after the intercourse...So, when a man is in bliss and when he's, sort of, like in unconscious like condition and when doesn't really understand everything clearly and if an agent asks questions, the answer should be yes or no…Mostly likely he will tell you," Roza explained during an appearance on "The Shawn Ryan Show."
It's worth noting that individuals who work in sensitive areas or could be targets of such operations often receive extensive training on how to identify and stop any such attempts.
The general rule of thumb is simple.
Would this person talk to you in your hometown bar?
If the answer is no, then you're probably be worked.
What do you think of Kiriakou's comments? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Stranded driver narrowly avoids being hit on track in scary incident in qualifying for 24-hour race in Germany
The Nürburgring 24 Hours is this weekend, and it's getting a lot of attention because this year, Formula 1 star Max Verstappen is in the field.
However, during qualifying on Thursday, there was a terrifyingly close call in which a driver who had to hop out of a car that was on fire was nearly hit by another driver.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
During the session, German driver Alexander Hardt had to bail out of his car after it caught on fire. He stood in a gravel trap, trying to wave to other drivers that his Porsche 911 was sitting on the notoriously treacherous circuit.
However, driver Janina Schall did not see this in time and clobbered the stricken 911 with a Porsche of her own.
Worse yet, she came shockingly close to also hitting Hardt.
That's a brutal situation.
Obviously, it's not safe to get out of your car with cars on track, but that's assuming it's not on fire. In this case, it was, so Hardt needed to get out of that thing in a hurry, and fortunately, he was able to.
The other problem is that, unlike a lot of circuits we're used to as North American racing fans that are short enough to have spotters, the Nürburgring is just under 16 miles long. There may have been no way for Schall to know that Hardt's car was sitting where it was, or that he was standing near it.
Still, you can be sure that this incident will be looked at so that it doesn't happen again. And, as I mentioned, the Nürburgring is notorious. The "Green Hell" was the site of F1 legend Niki Lauda's near-fatal crash in 1976.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Just last month, 66-year-old Juha Miettinen was killed in a crash during a qualifying race for the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Still, the track is one of the most highly regarded in motorsports, and that's why it draws the likes of Max Verstappen.
The race will take place this weekend, and largely thanks to four-time F1 champ Verstappen's involvement, it has sold out for the first time, according to ESPN.
Verstappen will drive a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, which he will share with teammates Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer.
Jennifer Lopez's dress holds on for dear life at her Netflix event, Trump powers through some wine & Kay Adams
Over the hump and safely into the back half of the week. Whew. We made it. Now, we're just gutting it out for 24(ish) more hours, and we're off to the (weekend) races.
And hey! We've even got a full day of NFL schedule leaks to bide the time! My favorite tradition every season is happening right now. Right this very second, actually.
It's when the NFL teases its grand 2026 schedule reveal at 7 p.m. tonight on ESPN, only for the entire thing to be leaked throughout the day by beat writers. So, naturally, by the time we actually get to the telecast, it's moot because we already know the whole thing.
The best. Happens every year, like clockwork. I used to love this date on the calendar, but my Dolphins are going to most likely be horrific this season, so I'm not expecting much. I do love a good 1 p.m. kickoff, though, and they will undoubtedly be getting plenty of those, so not all is lost.
Anyway, welcome to a Thursday Nightcaps — the one where Jennifer Lopez lets it rip during a Netflix event promoting her new rom-com coming out in a couple of weeks. Can't wait!
What else? I've got Eric Church delivering just an all-time college address, Charles Barkley yelling at America for being anti-gay, and Bryson DeChambeau had himself a MORNING at Aronimink. What's happened to this guy? Goodness.
OK, grab you a glass of wine with the president, and settle in for a Thursday 'Cap!
It's always wild to me when I remember that Trump doesn't drink. It's one of those random factoids you easily forget, but then you're always equally stunned when you remember.
I couldn't imagine doing his job and not drinking. Goodness, does that sound horrible. Dealing with #THEMOB every single day, and not going home at night and pouring a nightcap (hey!) sounds almost impossible to me.
You can tell he's never indulged, either, just by watching that clip. Look at his face after he takes the sip. Pure disgust. He nearly spits it back out.
It took every single ounce of power for him to keep it down. Watch it again, slowly. I've been there. I've felt that. Your body wants nothing to do with what you just gave it, but you have to keep it down. It's a battle, and it's not one you always win.
But Trump won this one, and it took guts. The China trip is off to a good start! No idea what he's doing there, but I'm putting this one in the win column.
OK, let's get this class started by checking in with Jennifer Lopez as she promotes her new Netflix movie that none of you will watch, "Office Romance."
Looks like J-Lo still has it at 56, not that there was ever really a doubt. Obviously, her co-star you're looking at there is Brett Goldstein, who played Roy Kent in "Ted Lasso." For some really in-the-weeds fans out there, he also played an important role on "Shrinking," which is the best show on TV at the moment.
Anyway, these two have a new Netflix rom-com coming out with a totally original plot:
Jackie, President and CEO of Air Cruz, runs a tight ship in her business, including a rigid anti-fraternization policy for all her employees. When a new sexy lawyer begins working for her, that policy becomes very tested.
Can't wait!
OK, let's cut the cord and head on over to Chapel Hill, where Eric Church delivered the best commencement speech I've ever seen last weekend.
I don't usually get sappy and serious around here — this might be the first time — but this is worth a few minutes later on when the kids are finally in bed and you're scrolling during King of Queens reruns:
Whoaaaaaaaa Nellie! What a speech. It's not often I stop and watch something for 18 minutes anymore. Does anyone? But I watched the whole damn thing this morning. And then I watched it again.
You don't get college speeches like this much anymore. This is probably considered a throwback by today's standards, especially on a college campus.
Those places can be cesspools. I don't need to explain why, because you all already know. It's probably why these 10(ish) minutes from Eric Church are so refreshing.
Church talked about faith, which, again, is a slippery slope in 2026 — especially on a college campus. The libs must've been FUMING watching this.
Faith? Family? Morals? I'm sure they'll all hit on these topics at the next DNC this summer!
OK, let's rapid-fire this Thursday class into a big Thursday night. First up? Let's tee it up!
What a start to the tourney! Bryson is all over the map. We've got guys missing tee times. Guys hooking drives into the next county. Jason Day doing Jason Day things. What a sport.
It's almost as good as baseball! After last night, though, I think MLB still comes out on top ... barely:
Goodness gracious. Just incredible. I've never seen that happen to a first baseman. Hell, I've never seen it happen to a fielder, period. Only the Mets.
Baseball season is starting to heat up, boys and girls. Dog days of summer are just around the corner. Strap in. We're in for a big one.
Until, of course, the NFL returns. Remember a few minutes ago when I told you about all the leaks today? Well ...
We've already got all of Week 1, all of Thanksgiving week, and all of Christmas. And the "release show" isn't for another six hours at the time of this writing.
Again, a tradition unlike any other.
PS: Why does the NFL feel like we need to see a Super Bowl rematch again? That was one of the worst Super Bowls in recent memory! Why do we need it AGAIN to start the new season? I don't get it.
OK, that's it for today. Good Thursday class, everyone. Here's Kay Adams gearing up for the schedule release to take us into a big night.
OutKick Nightcaps is a daily column set to run Monday through Friday at 4 p.m. (roughly, we’re not robots).
Did Eric Church nail it? Email me at Zach.Dean@OutKick.com.
FS1's Nick Wright weighs in on GOAT debate: 'Kobe was never the best player in the world'
As Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James' NBA future hangs in the balance, the "greatest of all time" debate has continued to rage on across all parts of the internet and beyond.
Some are questioning whether LeBron really is the GOAT, while others (such as myself and a few Basketball Hall of Famers) seem to think the crown has already been transferred to San Antonio Spurs freakshow Victor Wembanyama.
One man who is often at the center of these debates is none other than FS1's Nick Wright.
Wright has been a champion of LeBron's accomplishments for quite some time, declaring James the GOAT over Michael Jordan nearly a decade earlier, after the former's improbable Finals win over the Golden State Warriors.
While the argument has usually been a two-horse race between LeBron and MJ, some fans have opined that former Lakers legend Kobe Bryant deserves a seat at the table, a premise that Wright roundly rejected in a clip from his show, "What's Wright? with Nick Wright."
"From '99-2002, Shaquille O'Neal was the best player in the world. From 2003-2007, Tim Duncan... he was the best player," Wright claims.
He goes on to say that LeBron James became the best player the minute he dropped 48 points in his double overtime win against Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007, and stayed there until 2018, when Giannis Antetokounmpo rounded into form.
The shocker was who he left off that list of players.
"Kobe's the eighth greatest player and he was never the best player in the world."
Listen, I like Nick Wright and I think he has had a ton of good takes in the past, but I have to push back a little on this narrative I see LeBron fans go with when discussing his GOAT status.
LEBRON JAMES' LAKERS TEAMMATES WEIGH IN ON GOAT DEBATE
No, Kobe isn't the GOAT, and I don't think anyone outside of the most hardcore Lakers fans would even make that claim.
He is, essentially, a watered-down version of Michael Jordan.
I don't want that to sound like a pejorative, and he's still one of the best players of all time, but everything he was great at, MJ did before him and better.
With all that being said, this idea that Kobe Bryant was NEVER the best basketball player in the league is dumb.
Even before Shaq was sent packing from Tinseltown, there was an argument that Kobe was starting to become the dominant alpha on the team.
That became even more evident when the Lakers' front office chose Kobe over Shaq in the duo's now infamous split.
Saying that Tim Duncan was the best player in the world from 2003-2007 is insanely clouded by hindsight bias.
Duncan is a legend and probably the best forward of his era (though an argument could easily be made for Kevin Garnett), but Kobe was the guy in the NBA for nearly a decade.
No one was saying Tim Duncan was the best player in the NBA during that time frame, and although he had plenty of accomplishments to his name, including the three championships and two MVPs that Wright mentioned, he didn't even come close to Kobe's impact, star power or individual talents.
MICHAEL JORDAN'S AGENT ACCUSES LEBRON JAMES OF CHERRY-PICKING TEAMS TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS
A lot of what Duncan accomplished can be tied to team success.
While the Spurs had a great supporting cast around Duncan, Kobe was left with scraps after Shaq was dealt to Miami.
And if LeBron became the GOAT in 2007 after his 48-point performance against the Pistons (a year in which the Spurs won the title again), why wasn't Kobe considered the best player in the league after winning back-to-back scoring titles in 2005 and 2006 and winning MVP in 2008?
Kobe had 81 points in a game against Toronto, surely that qualifies him for "best in the world" consideration, right?
Is it the personal accolades of LeBron in his early years in Cleveland or the team championship success of Duncan in the mid-2000s?
Because Kobe Bryant had both during the decade.
LEBRON JAMES REVEALS TRUE FEELINGS ON RING CULTURE IN NBA, HOW IT AFFECTS ALL-TIME RANKINGS
I'm not picking on Wright either, because as I alluded to before, he's not the first person that has made this argument.
This weird erasure of Kobe Bryant's time as the best basketball player on the planet is kind of odd.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Even if you go back and watch broadcasts of Kobe during the playoffs in the mid-to-late 2000s, you'll hear announcers talk about how Kobe is "the best in the game right now."
Players from that era almost unanimously agree, too.
Is Kobe a threat to LeBron or Jordan as the greatest basketball player who ever lived? No, I don't think so.
But saying he wasn't, at one point, the best player in the NBA just feels like revisionist history.
Restaurant associations urge Congress to act as NFL Sunday Ticket streaming switch threatens bar revenues
FIRST ON FOX – Small business owners are sounding the alarm about changes to NFL Sunday Ticket that will force bars and restaurants to deal with technical and financial concerns as they pivot from satellite to streaming.
The Iowa Restaurant Association and the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, which each represent thousands of independent restaurant and bar owners, sent worried letters to high-powered GOP lawmakers in their states urging them to act on "a significant shift in the commercial distribution of NFL Sunday Ticket that threatens to impose immediate and substantial burdens on small businesses" across their states.
The panic comes after streaming service EverPass Media announced it would become the exclusive commercial option for NFL Sunday Ticket starting with the 2026 season. The Iowa letter was sent to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, while the Wisconsin edition went to Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, who chairs the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust.
BROADCASTERS URGE CONGRESS TO REEXAMINE SPORTS BROADCASTING ACT AS GAMES SHIFT TO STREAMING PAYWALLS
"NFL Sunday Ticket, the out-of-market package that allows fans to watch games unavailable on local broadcast, has long been a cornerstone of the Sunday business model for bars and restaurants. For many establishments, Sunday afternoons during football season represent their highest-traffic and highest-revenue period of the week. Customers gather specifically to watch their teams, generating critical revenue that supports jobs, employee income, and already narrow operating margins," Iowa Restaurant Association CEO Jessica Dunker and Wisconsin Restaurant Association CEO Kristine Hillmer wrote in letters obtained by Fox News Digital.
"For nearly three decades, NFL Sunday Ticket was delivered to commercial establishments via satellite, a system well-suited for multi-screen environments. That model is being replaced at the benefits of Everpass Media, a joint venture between the NFL and RedBird Capital, which holds exclusive commercial distribution rights and is requiring businesses to adopt its proprietary streaming-only platform," Dunker and Hillmer continued. "This transition is being imposed without adequate consideration of the operational realities facing small businesses."
Dunker and Hillmer believe the issues are "not simply the shift to streaming, which already contributes to fragmentation across consumer viewing platforms," but also that current streaming technology has not "demonstrated reliable performance in commercial settings" such as bars and restaurants.
"A neighborhood sports bar may operate 20 or more screens simultaneously — something satellite systems handle with consistency. Streaming introduces risks of buffering, synchronization failures across screens, and significant bandwidth demands. Many smaller establishments lack the infrastructure to support this model without costly upgrades," Dunker and Hillmer wrote.
"These technical concerns are compounded by financial strain," they continued. "Restaurants and bars that have already invested heavily in satellite equipment are now being required to incur additional expenses for new hardware and expanded broadband capacity to support Everpass."
The restaurant associations also noted that Everpass does not provide access to local broadcast networks, regional sports networks, or other out-of-market packages for leagues such as MLB, NBA and NHL, so bars and dining establishments will be forced to maintain multiple distribution systems.
"It isn’t at all clear that this is legal. The Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 was created to extend a limited antitrust exemption so that leagues could negotiate carriage with broadcasters," they wrote, urging Grassley, Fitzgerald and their colleagues to consider "transition protections," "accountability standards" and "Congressional oversight of the NFL and its affiliated distribution entities to ensure compliance with antitrust law and fair treatment of small businesses that rely on this content to sustain their operations."
"Sunday football is not merely entertainment — it is an essential economic driver for restaurants and bars ... We urge you to stand with small business owners who are being placed at a disadvantage by this abrupt and costly transition," the restaurant associations wrote.
NFL LAUNCHES LOBBYING BLITZ AT FCC TO DEFEND ITS MEDIA MODEL AS STREAMING SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES
The NFL declined comment when reached by Fox News Digital. Everpass did not immediately respond.
Everpass has billed the move as NFL Sunday Ticket "entering a modern era," touting a platform "built specifically for the realities of commercial environments, where multiple screens, busy staff, and high customer expectations demand consistency and control."
Everpass venues receive "business-grade streaming reliability for high-traffic environments," "centralized control across every screen with EverPass Core," "plug-and-play hardware designed for commercial environments," "dedicated support from setup through kickoff" and "flexible packages designed around venue needs," according to its website.
"We understand that transitioning to a streaming-based solution for NFL Sunday Ticket may require planning, from connectivity and hardware to overall venue readiness. That’s why our team is committed to helping customers make the transition with confidence and be fully prepared before kickoff. Our goal is simple: make sure your venue is ready well before the first Sunday of the season, so you can focus on what matters most: delivering a great experience for every guest who walks through the door," Everpass’ website continues.
Sen. Grassley and Rep. Fitzgerald's offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Behind summit smiles, Xi gives blunt warning to Trump of 'clashes' and 'conflicts'
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a stark warning to President Donald Trump that Taiwan could trigger "clashes and even conflicts" between the world’s two superpowers, injecting a note of potential confrontation into an otherwise upbeat summit in Beijing.
"President Xi stressed to President Trump that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said following the meeting.
The White House, however, downplayed the exchange, with a senior administration official telling Fox News Digital that "both sides reiterated their long-stated stance on the issue and everyone understands each other’s position."
Trump struck a notably warm tone in his public remarks, predicting a "fantastic future together" and praising Xi as "a great leader" as the two leaders opened talks focused heavily on trade, investment and economic cooperation.
TRUMP HEADS TO BEIJING FOR HIGH-STAKES XI TALKS AS TAIWAN TENSIONS, TRADE DISPUTES TEST US STRENGTH
"In fact, the longest relationship of our two countries that any president and president has had," Trump said. "We've had a fantastic relationship. We've gotten along."
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., blasted Trump following the meeting, accusing him of failing to respond forcefully to Xi’s warning.
"Just hours in, and Xi Jinping has already threatened to, quote, collide or even clash, unquote, with the United States if we continue our support for Taiwan. Trump apparently didn't say anything in response. He was just mute," Schumer said. "For the sake of democracy and the stability of the global economy. Trump must not sell out Taiwan. Trump must also safeguard the interests of American workers, families and businesses."
RUBIO SAYS COMMITMENT TO TAIWAN WON'T CHANGE AMID TRADE TALKS WITH CHINA
The exchange underscores how Taiwan — long the most sensitive and potentially explosive issue in U.S.-China relations — is re-emerging as a central fault line, even as both sides seek to project stability and focus publicly on trade and economic cooperation.
Analysts had warned ahead of the summit that the best-case scenario for Taiwan would be for the issue to stay off the agenda entirely, amid concerns Beijing could try to extract concessions or shape U.S. policy language behind closed doors.
Trump himself had suggested before the summit that U.S. arms sales to Taiwan could come up during discussions with Xi. He told reporters earlier this week, "I’m going to have that discussion with President Xi."
TRUMP ADMIN ANNOUNCES $11B TAIWAN ARMS SALES DEAL
That prospect alarmed some national security analysts, who warned against allowing Taiwan to become part of a broader U.S.-China negotiation over trade or other strategic issues.
"Taiwan needs to stay off the menu," retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said during a media briefing ahead of the summit. "If they’re on the menu and it’s about foreign military sales, it’s bad. If it’s on the menu and it’s about some kind of reimagining our statements, that would be worse."
Experts say even subtle shifts in wording could carry significant consequences. A change from the longstanding U.S. position that it "does not support" Taiwan independence to language stating it "opposes" it, for example, could be seized on by Beijing to bolster its claims over the self-governing island.
For decades, U.S. policy has walked a careful line — formally recognizing Beijing as the government of China under the "One China" policy, while maintaining unofficial relations with Taiwan and providing it with defensive weapons under the Taiwan Relations Act. Washington has also deliberately kept its military response ambiguous, a strategy known as "strategic ambiguity," aimed at deterring both a Chinese invasion and a unilateral declaration of independence by Taiwan.
After the summit, however, Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to minimize the Taiwan portion of the talks, saying U.S. arms sales to Taiwan "did not feature prominently" in the discussions and insisting longstanding U.S. policy remained unchanged.
Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu reiterated Beijing’s longstanding position in a statement to Fox News Digital, calling Taiwan "an inalienable part of China's territory" and warning that China would "never promise to renounce the use of force" against "Taiwan independence" separatist activities.
"The DPP authorities’ obstinate pursuit of their separatist agenda is the root cause undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Liu said.
Despite the tensions surrounding Taiwan, the public tone of the summit remained cordial, with both leaders emphasizing cooperation and economic ties.
Xi told Trump that "China and the United States both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation," adding that the two countries "should be partners, not rivals."
Trump arrived in Beijing accompanied by a delegation of top American executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, and Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, underscoring the administration’s focus on trade and investment even as geopolitical tensions simmer beneath the surface.