Fox News Latest Headlines
Backlash over Good Good Golf ad goes too far as stores pull merchandise, PGA Tour event potentially canceled
Just a few days ago, Good Good Golf was viewed as one of the largest brand names among young people starting their interest in golf.
Unsurprisingly, major golf brands were quick to partner with the YouTube channel and its personalities. They have a partnership with Callaway Golf to develop putters, golf clubs and golf balls. Their branded apparel is carried by major retailers, including WorldWide Golf Shops outlets such as Roger Dunn in Southern California. It is also sold online through retailers such as Target and at most Dick’s Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy locations.
Or was.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Good Good became the center of controversy in golf over the past week thanks to an ad they made to promote a branded version of Callaway's new driver. The ad was meant to be a parody of the hit movie "Obsession," but was very poorly conceived and executed. In the ad, Garrett Clark, one of the founders of Good Good, shoves a woman, Alexis Miestowski, to the ground and says "do not touch my new driver."
Without question, it was a bad ad, made in poor taste, that should not have been released. And the backlash started almost immediately. Fans blasted it for depicting a man shoving a woman to the ground. It was pulled down. The group issued a statement saying it wasn't "aligned with our values."
"We posted a video to our channels that ultimately depicted actions that are not aligned with our values as a brand," the statement said. "We have since taken that content down. And sincerely apologize. Good Good has always stood for making the game of golf more inclusive to all, and we will continue to ensure that is our mission moving forward."
Callaway golf initially let Good Good take the blame, saying they were "disappointed" in the video. Then, at 1 a.m. Eastern, issued another statement confirming that the club manufacturer had approved the ad's release, an unsurprising though important admission.
CALLAWAY ADMITS IT APPROVED CONTROVERSIAL GOOD GOOD WOMAN-SHOVING AD IN LATE-NIGHT STATEMENT
As a result of the controversy, the debut of "Big Break X Good Good," a new show set to air on Golf Channel, was delayed after title sponsor Golf Galaxy reportedly requested that its name be removed from the broadcast. That was just the start.
Front Office Sports reported on Wednesday that Dick's Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy and the PGA Tour Superstore had pulled the company's merchandise from their product shelves. There are rumors that the Good Good sponsored PGA Tour event, the Good Good Championship at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa’s Fazio Canyons Course in Austin, Texas, could be canceled.
In fact, new PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp said as much this week. Addressing the ad and response, Rolapp said he was disappointed in how it played out.
"I think initially no," Rolapp said referring to how the company handled the backlash. "I think what we saw was concerning, is clearly not aligned with PGA TOUR values. We take it very seriously. I think their initial response was disappointing. It was a bit defensive and late. But I think the responses are getting better. I think we've seen some things this morning, we've had some conversations with them, so we'll continue to monitor and work with them going forward. But no, we were disappointed with what we saw."
When asked about the future event, Rolapp described it as a "fluid situation."
"I think I mentioned before, it's a bit of a fluid situation," Rolapp said. "We were disappointed at first. It sounds like in the last 24 hours they've made some progress. We'll continue to monitor the situation and see how it develops."
And that is where this has all gone way, way too far.
Again, it is not up for debate that the ad was awful and should never have been conceived, filmed, edited, or approved. The fact that so many steps had to happen, and that so many had to approve it at each step of the way, and nobody pointed out how bad it looked is bewildering and indefensible. Obviously, men should not be shoving women to the ground. Even in a parody of a movie, it was bad.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
That said, pulling their merchandise off the shelves? Canceling shows? Pulling down title sponsorships? As if they were endorsing domestic violence or aggression towards women? Or saying women shouldn't play golf, when they literally have a YouTube channel called "Good Good Girls"?
Clark posted a lengthy video to X on Wednesday addressing the concept behind it, apologizing for his role in it, and explaining the pitch they received from the marketing team. He took accountability for how bad the ad looks, repeatedly says that it was a bad idea from the start, and confirms, of course, that he didn't actually hit a woman.
Temporarily delaying the release of a show for a week in response to this ad? Sure. Acting as though Good Good needs to be permanently shunned by the golf world for it? That's absurd. Young boys and girls are not going to stop watching Good Good Golf because of a bad advertisement. YouTube Golf continues to grow, and while many golf purists hate it, there's immense value to it. New audiences become interested in the sport, then many start watching PGA Tour events or other golf competitions and become potential lifelong fans.
Yes, they made a mistake, but moving past the "cancel culture" obsession was supposed to end this type of hysterical corporate overreaction. For Rolapp, it's not surprising, coming from the woke factory that is the modern NFL, but for the other retailers, it's ridiculous.
What's the punishment for Callaway? Is Golf Galaxy and the PGA Tour Superstore going to pull their products from the shelves for approving the ad's release? Of course not, because Callaway generates far too much money for those companies through club and golf ball sales. That's how you know this is performative; there's no consequence for the biggest name involved here.
Does Good Good deserve criticism for the ad? Yes, absolutely. It's objectively terrible, by their own admission. Should Good Good be permanently shunned from golf now? No, of course not.
Armed man arrested at Trump golf course allegedly had first lady's schedule, notes on Secret Service: reports
An armed man arrested Aug. 2 at President Donald Trump's California golf course allegedly had first lady Melania Trump's schedule and detailed information about U.S. Secret Service (USSS) personnel, according to reports.
Jeanine John Taele, 38, had more than 200 pages of writings that included schedules for the first lady and members of the president's USSS detail, The Associated Press reported, citing information revealed during a Los Angeles County court hearing Wednesday.
The New York Post reported that prosecutors said Taele had seven notebooks containing 208 pages of drawings and sketches of Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes, lists of USSS schedules, details about individual security personnel and copies of Melania Trump's schedule.
MAN ARRESTED AT TRUMP GOLF COURSE AHEAD OF PRESIDENT’S VISIT ALLEGEDLY HAD WEAPONS CACHE
The writings also included detailed lists about surviving "off the grid," according to the AP.
Los Angeles County Judge John Lonergan Jr. called the allegations "alarming" during Wednesday's hearing.
"This case itself is alarming in this day and age with the violence that is creeping into our everyday lives, especially with our partisanship in the political environment" ahead of the midterms, Lonergan said, according to the AP.
The judge suspended criminal proceedings after a pretrial evaluation indicated Taele was not mentally fit to stand trial and sent the case to a mental health court, the AP reported.
TRUMP'S DECADE OF ASSASSINATION THREATS RUNS FROM BUTLER SHOOTING TO LATEST GOLF CLUB BREACH
Taele was arrested earlier this month after plainclothes federal agents spotted him walking the grounds of the golf club, taking photographs and videos and appearing to monitor security-planning activities ahead of Trump's visit, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Deputies who detained Taele allegedly found a 16-round magazine loaded with hollow-point ammunition in his pants pocket, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Authorities searched his vehicle and recovered a loaded pistol with a round in the chamber and another magazine containing hollow-point ammunition.
RECORDS REVEAL THE MASSIVE ARSENAL OHIO MAN ALLEGEDLY BUILT TO ATTACK WHITE HOUSE UFC EVENT
Taele claimed he worked for the State Department and was at the golf course for a security detail.
Investigators later searched Taele's Downey home and recovered an illegally modified AR-platform rifle, a .45-caliber pistol, body armor, high-capacity magazines, bulk ammunition, radio signal devices and multiple notebooks containing what authorities described at the time as "concerning statements."
The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, USSS and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department have been investigating the case.
SECRET SERVICE MISSED 'MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES' TO PREVENT TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: WATCHDOG
Taele, a Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, will remain jailed until a Sept. 9 hearing at Hollywood Mental Health Court, according to the AP.
Taele's public defender, A.J. Bayne, cautioned against drawing conclusions about his client's motives.
"He's a veteran, he served our country, and I don't know enough right now, but he has a family that loves him, that has huge support for him," Bayne told the AP, adding that "people assume too much" about Taele's motives.
The USSS previously told Fox News Digital that it does not comment on specific protective intelligence matters, but "thoroughly investigates any information or activity that may reasonably be perceived as a protective intelligence concern or indicate a potential threat or directed interest toward any individual under Secret Service protection."
VIRGINIA MAN ACQUITTED BY INSANITY IN KILLING FLEES US DURING 48-HOUR MENTAL HOSPITAL PASS
Trump addressed the arrest earlier this month.
"Well, the only thing I get a little solace from is, they say only consequential presidents. And I am definitely consequential," Trump said during an appearance on "Fox News @ Night."
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House and the Office of the First Lady for comment.
Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price and Landon Mion contributed to this reporting.
NYC business owners revolt over Mamdani’s government-run grocery stores: ‘Doomed for disaster'
New York City business leaders and bodega owners rallied Wednesday just steps away from the future site of one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's city-run grocery stores, arguing the plan will force local businesses to close.
The Multicultural Business Coalition, which is made up of 50 chambers of commerce representing multicultural businesses, filed two lawsuits in state court on Monday challenging Mamdani’s plan to open five government-owned supermarkets with subsidized grocery offerings.
On Wednesday, leaders within the coalition gathered alongside bodega owners outside the American Deli Mini Market Corp, in Harlem — which sits across the street from the confirmed Manhattan city-run store location at La Marqueta — to challenge Mamdani’s rollout of the stores, which is slated to begin in late-2027.
GROCERY BOSS WARNS MAMDANI'S CITY-RUN STORES PIT GOVERNMENT AGAINST 'ITS OWN CITIZENS'
"This is a campaign promise doomed for disaster if it is allowed to go through," Mark Jaffe, president and CEO of the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, told Fox News Digital.
One of the two lawsuits is a seven-page class-action filed on behalf of "hundreds" of store owners and alleges the opening of the city-run grocery stores would violate the businesses’ civil rights, according to court documents.
"When you use government money discriminatorily, it could be a civil rights violation," Jaffe said, adding, "Shame on the [Mamdani] administration for not working with small businesses, but trying to hurt them and being heartless in their statements."
The second suit asks the courts to permanently block the operation of "the municipal grocery stores, in absence of undertaking necessary studies and analysis," a move that has historically barred large retailers — such as Walmart — from entering the Big Apple.
'WASTEFUL DISTRACTION': EXPERTS SLAM MAMDANI'S TAXPAYER-FUNDED GROCERY STORES
Under Mamdani’s plan, the five grocery stores will offer a core basket of items priced 30% below the average retail prices sold at other businesses.
"Under the model, the City will own the land and cover overhead costs like rent and construction. A private operator, selected through a request for proposals, will manage daily operations and be contractually required to pass savings directly to customers on a core basket of everyday staples," an April news release stated.
However, the pricing and subsidization of business expenses for the city-run stores puts the operators at an unfair advantage, according to Jaffe.
EXPERTS SCORCH MAMDANI'S GROCERY PLAN AS AN 'ILLUSION' THAT WILL HAVE TAXPAYERS FOOTING THE BILL
"It’s unfair," Jaffe told Fox News Digital. "[Small business owners] who have to pay their Con Edison bill, their real estate taxes, their fines and full price for food cannot compete."
"The end-game here would be to help [small businesses owners] and not just subsidize 30% off from suppliers who are not lowering their prices for the city," he continued. "Our tax dollars are buying groceries at full price, so we can sell them at 30% off up the street — that’s not going to feed enough struggling people."
Jaffe added that he believes the solution could lie in the establishment of a task force focused on mitigating the damage to local businesses in the surrounding areas of each store.
"The only reason [small businesses] are going to be hurt is because [Mamdani] is taking tax dollars to put [them] out of business," Jaffe told Fox News Digital. "It's wrong. We want a task force. We'll show you how to feed struggling people."
GROCER-TURNED-LAWMAKER SAYS MAMDANI’S GOVERNMENT-RUN STORES 'MIGHT NOT EVEN LAST A YEAR’
As part of the rollout of the city's government-run grocery stores, Mamdani established the NYC Groceries Task Force to "convene city agencies, industry experts and local small business owners to guide implementation," the administration said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Additionally, the city launched an OPEN Task Force to "identify and eliminate unnecessary red tape and reduce fines and fees for small businesses," according to Mamdani's office.
The sentiment surrounding the stores' impacts on local businesses was echoed by Elvis, the owner of American Deli Mini Market Corp, identified only by his first name.
"If [Mamdani opens this store] in front of [my] business, [I’m] going to go out of business," Elvis said through a translator at the press conference. "[I] pay a lot of taxes and this is not fair."
NYC GROCERS SOUND ALARM ON MAMDANI'S SUPERMARKET PLAN: 'WE'LL LOSE CUSTOMERS'
MAMDANI'S GROCERY GIVEAWAY HITS ID SNAG AS CRITICS CRY FOUL: 'MAKE IT MAKE SENSE'
Mamdani has long defended his plan for government-run grocery stores, saying Monday that he is "fully confident in both the legality and the importance of our initiative."
"The administration plans to open one city grocery store in each borough by the end of the Mayor's first term. There are more than 1,000 grocery stores and supermarkets and over 10,000 bodegas and corner stores across New York City," Mamdani's office said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "There are more than 1.4 million New Yorkers currently struggling with food insecurity. The five city grocery stores will not have a significant impact on the hundreds of grocery stores or the thousands of bodegas across the city."
However, Jaffe insists the opening of the city-run, subsidized stores will do more harm than good to the surrounding businesses and will ultimately drive the minority entrepreneurs out of the Big Apple.
"It is doomed to fail. History shows us that communist supermarkets have empty shelves," Jaffe said, adding, "We have better ways to help feed the struggling people. Please listen, Mr. Mayor. Don't keep campaign promises that will hurt people."
Trump questions state of MLB while renewing push for Roger Clemens' Hall of Fame induction
Major League Baseball is entering the final weeks of its regular season as labor talks between the league and the MLB Players Association reportedly remain stalled, creating uncertainty ahead of the playoffs.
The current agreement between the two sides is set to expire on Dec. 1. If they do not reach a new deal by then, a lockout could follow. In July, ESPN reported that the sides’ fundamental disagreement centers on the league’s pursuit of a salary cap system. The union likely prefers to preserve the current system, and neither side appeared willing to move from its position.
President Donald Trump has frequently weighed in on sports during his second term. In March, he convened the "Saving College Sports" roundtable, which brought together conference leaders, former coaches and media executives to discuss challenges posed by name, image and likeness deals, the transfer portal and the future of the NCAA.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Last month, during MLB All-Star weekend, commissioner Rob Manfred was asked whether he had any sense of whether President Donald Trump might intervene in the league’s labor negotiations.
Manfred said at the time he did not want to "speculate" about Trump's potential involvement.
"Look, I think it would be wildly, wildly inappropriate for me to speculate what the President of the United States might do or not do in a hypothetical situation," Manfred said. "We know this. He's a great sports fan, and he is really knowledgeable about the business of sports, so it doesn't surprise me."
Manfred did say, however, that Trump was "interested."
Beyond labor negotiations, Trump has also repeatedly pushed for seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens’ induction into the Hall of Fame. In a Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump cited Clemens’ career achievements and criticized Hall of Fame voters over his exclusion.
"How about Roger Clemens not being in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, all because a bunch of jealous people with far less Talent, voted that he shouldn't be there," Trump wrote. "He was also not convicted, or admitted, to taking Drugs. Roger is easily one of the few Greatest Pitchers of All Time, winning 354 Games, 7 Cy Young Awards (A Record, by 3!), and played in three World Series, winning two! He was third in most Strike-Outs."
Trump then turned his attention to Manfred, claiming the commissioner had told him he would approve Pete Rose’s reinstatement but waited until after Rose’s death to do so. "The Commissioner told me he was going to approve Pete Rose, but he waited long enough until Pete died."
Last year, Manfred announced that Rose, who died in 2024, and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson would be reinstated, which made both eligible for Hall of Fame consideration.
Trump concluded by questioning the state of the sport. "No wonder Baseball is in trouble!"
MLB COMMISSIONER UNDERSTANDS WHY TRUMP IS 'INTERESTED' IN MLB CBA NEGOTIATIONS
Almost exactly one year ago, on Aug. 24, Trump said he had played golf with Clemens and his son, Kacy. The president then backed Clemens’ Hall of Fame candidacy, writing that the former Boston Red Sox pitcher "should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame, NOW!"
Clemens responded on X, writing, "I appreciate the love! DT knows more than anyone the fake news that’s out there. Everyone has their agendas… I played the game to change my family’s direction generationally and to WIN!"
Clemens’ 10-year run on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot ended in 2022, when he received support from 65.2% of voters, short of the 75% threshold required for election to the Hall of Fame.
NFL warns clubs they cannot sign any player who returns to college football for 2026 season, memo says
As the college landscape continues through a whirlwind of uncertainty, the NFL reiterated to its clubs on Wednesday that any player returning to college ranks will be prohibited from signing with a team this season.
Multiple players in various sports are trying to return to college athletics despite going professional, which has led to quite the stir for the NCAA. Among them is tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who cleared waivers after being released by the Cleveland Browns this week.
Wright was expected to sign with LSU, where he would reunite with his old Ole Miss coach, Lane Kiffin.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
The league issued a memo, obtained by ESPN, that reiterated rules already in place saying any player signed to an NFL contract who is subsequently cut will be a free agent. While that player can sign with another NFL club or join the CFL, if they return to college, they will not be available for this season.
Furthermore, any player cut by an NFL team who returns to college for the 2026 season will still be considered a free agent and won’t be able to put their name into a future NFL Draft.
RAMS' SEAN MCVAY REACTS TO WILD COLLEGE FOOTBALL CONTROVERSY: 'FEEL LIKE I TOOK A FREAKIN' GUMMY'
Other than Wright, Zxavian Harris, who was cut by the New Orleans Saints, is also expected to sign with Kiffin at LSU. He and Wright were teammates during Ole Miss’ College Football Playoff run last season, where Kiffin ultimately took the LSU vacancy mid-season after the firing of Brian Kelly.
Both Wright and Harris received a temporary restraining order that allows them to return to college football, granting them an extra year of eligibility.
But hours after Wright cleared waivers, he and the rest of the college football world saw the SEC and Big Ten, which will soon be joined by the ACC and Big 12, create new guidelines for eligibility that would prevent players like Wright who have participated in professional sports from reentering college athletics.
Under the new policies set by the SEC and Big Ten, any athlete that has signed with a pro team in the NFL, declared for the NFL Draft or participated in any type of professional training camp will be ineligible for conference competition.
Attorney Ryan Downton, who represents a number of players trying to get back into the college landscape, told OutKick’s Trey Wallace on Tuesday night that they are currently "working on a legal strategy" on how to move forward against both the NCAA and the respective conferences that enacted the new guidelines.
"The SEC’s actions put the NCAA in contempt of multiple court orders," Downton told OutKick-Fox News on Tuesday night. "It is cartel-like conduct when NCAA conferences attempt to create their own spur of the moment rules in response to Courts enjoining those same rules at the NCAA level."
ATF investigates ‘major’ cybersecurity incident as ransomware group claims attack
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said Wednesday it is investigating a cybersecurity incident involving a standalone system, which senior Justice Department officials have designated a "major incident" under federal guidelines.
The disclosure comes as the Qilin ransomware group claimed ATF as a victim, according to cybersecurity outlets tracking the group's leak site. The group has not publicly provided evidence substantiating its claim, and the ATF has not attributed the incident to Qilin.
The ATF said the affected system operates separately from its enterprise network and that there is no indication the incident affected the agency's broader network, its eForms system or any other ATF system.
The agency disconnected the affected environment after discovering the incident and launched forensic and incident-response efforts. The ATF is coordinating with the Justice Department as it investigates what happened.
FBI WRAPS UP CYBERCRIME OPERATION TARGETING GLOBAL NETWORKS PREYING ON AMERICANS
The agency did not identify the affected system, say when the incident was discovered or disclose whether any data was accessed or stolen.
Cybernews reported Wednesday that Qilin claimed ATF as its latest victim but had provided no evidence or details supporting the claim.
GalaxyWarden, a breach-monitoring service, separately reported that ATF appeared on Qilin's leak site and that the group claimed it obtained files from the agency. GalaxyWarden said it had not independently verified the group's assertions.
Fox News Digital reached out to the ATF and the Justice Department for additional information, including whether officials believe Qilin was responsible for the incident, whether any data was accessed or stolen and what prompted officials to designate the event a "major incident."
The ATF said senior Justice Department officials designated the cybersecurity event a "major incident" under applicable federal guidelines and that required notifications have been completed.
DOJ CHARGES 3 RUSSIANS IN ALLEGED $63M CYBERCRIME SCHEME TARGETING AMERICANS
The incident has not disrupted ATF operations or affected the agency's ability to carry out its missions, according to the agency.
The agency asked anyone with information related to the incident to contact the ATF Tipline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS, or 1-888-283-8477.
Hawley rips Flock’s sprawling surveillance web as Texas cities cut cameras over privacy and data fears
Sen. Josh Hawley is demanding answers from Flock Safety over whether its rapidly expanding network of AI-powered cameras has helped create a searchable national database of Americans’ movements as communities across the country pull the plug on the technology amid mounting privacy concerns.
"Flock has assembled an unprecedented national surveillance network," Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News Digital. "They boast more than 120,000 cameras across 49 states and more than 20 billion vehicle scans every month."
"I’m investigating Flock cameras to determine who has access to hundreds of millions of Americans’ data and what they’re doing with it," he added. "Americans deserve answers."
POWERFUL CRIME-FIGHTING SURVEILLANCE GROWTH SPURS LAWMAKERS TO ISSUE WARNING: 'ORWELLIAN'
Robert Frommer, director of the Institute for Justice’s Project on the Fourth Amendment, told Fox News Digital the core concern is not simply the use of cameras, but police being able to search a person’s past movements without first getting approval from a judge.
"The No. 1 reform that I think is needed here is a warrant," Frommer said. "Go to a judge, explain to the judge why you should be able to use this tool."
Frommer said police should still be able to act immediately in genuine emergencies, including cases involving imminent danger or missing people, but should be required to justify the search afterward if there was no time to obtain a warrant.
"Most law enforcement searches are things that happen within a few days of the crime," he said. "You don’t need to be keeping this gigantic database on everybody’s movements."
Hawley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, launched the investigation Wednesday in a letter to Flock CEO Garrett Langley.
The Missouri Republican said Flock’s camera network goes far beyond the discrete, local investigations for which law enforcement surveillance tools are traditionally used.
LICENSE PLATE CAMERAS AT HOME DEPOT AND LOWE’S SPARK PRIVACY FEARS
"Instead of serving discrete local investigations, as contemplated by our constitutional processes and safeguards, these camera networks harness artificial intelligence to pool what they capture into a national database that customers can search," Hawley wrote.
Flock’s automated license plate reader cameras capture passing vehicles and can log details, including a vehicle’s license plate, description, location and time. The Atlanta-based company markets its technology to law enforcement agencies, businesses and homeowners associations.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Flock Safety spokesperson Paris Lewbel said the company had received Hawley’s letter and would respond directly to the subcommittee’s questions.
"We look forward to working with Senator Hawley and the Subcommittee to provide additional context about how our technology works, the safeguards built into our platform and how law enforcement agencies use Flock to solve crime and find missing people," Lewbel said.
Hawley said law enforcement needs tools to catch offenders and keep communities safe but argued Americans should not have to surrender their privacy while carrying out everyday routines.
DAVID MARCUS: CHINA TRIP A GLIMPSE INTO THE SURVEILLANCE STATE AMERICA MUST NEVER BECOME
"Americans do not surrender their privacy rights when they drive to work, drop their kids off at school, or go to church," Hawley wrote. "The Supreme Court has recognized that a comprehensive, retrospective record of a person’s movements is different in kind from ordinary observation in public."
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, echoed Hawley’s concerns in a post Wednesday on X, arguing the Fourth Amendment "is not up for ‘compromise.’"
"Our Founders did not risk their lives so a CEO could trade our rights for profit and perceived ‘safety,’" Self wrote, invoking Benjamin Franklin’s warning against giving up essential liberty for temporary safety.
Axios first reported Hawley’s investigation.
Frommer said Flock’s position that agencies control their own data-sharing settings does not resolve the privacy issue when those agencies can be connected to far broader networks than they realize.
"The fact that they technically control the data is a false promise when reality has shown that these things are often spread much further than agencies expected," he said.
The scrutiny comes as a growing number of cities and counties reconsider their relationships with Flock, citing concerns over data sharing, privacy and the potential for misuse.
On Tuesday, the Pflugerville City Council voted unanimously to end the Texas city’s agreement with Flock. City staff will turn off all 28 automated license plate reader cameras covered by the contract and disable access to the system, according to the city.
"Public safety and public trust have to go hand in hand, and recent revelations about the Flock system have fueled concerns throughout the community; we can’t engage with organizations we can’t trust," Pflugerville Mayor Doug Weiss said in a statement.
Pflugerville police had used Flock cameras since 2020. The city had considered a new two-year agreement that included updated privacy, security and data policies, but officials said they lost confidence in the company’s ability to meet the city’s standards.
FOREIGN ENEMIES HAVE A SHOCKINGLY SIMPLE WAY TO TRACK US TROOPS OVERSEAS, LAWMAKERS WARN
"ALPR technology is a valuable investigative tool, and we have seen firsthand its ability to help protect our community during critical incidents," Pflugerville Police Chief Willie Richards said. "But as useful as this tool is, we must have confidence that the safeguards and settings we put in place function exactly as intended. Unfortunately, we’ve lost confidence in the current system and the vendor’s ability to meet our data and privacy standards."
Lewbel said Flock respects Pflugerville’s decision and said the city had participated in Texas’ statewide sharing network, which she described as distinct from one-to-one sharing between agencies.
"Statewide sharing allows participating Texas agencies to search across the network using a full license plate," Lewbel said. "Agencies control their sharing settings and can change or revoke them at any time."
Lewbel said Flock’s audit logs showed statewide sharing had been enabled for Pflugerville since 2024, and that agencies receive monthly emails detailing their sharing relationships.
She said the company identified two out-of-state agencies that had been mistakenly categorized as Texas agencies and included in the statewide network.
"We take responsibility for that error, which was corrected months ago," Lewbel said.
In Hood County, Texas, the Commissioners Court voted to end its relationship with Flock and later unanimously directed that the county’s three cameras be disconnected and covered until they can be removed.
Constable John Shirley said his office carried out the court’s decision, sharing photos of the cameras unplugged and covered.
"Today is a good day for the Freedom of the people of Hood County," Shirley wrote in a Facebook post. "These cameras were constantly scanning and recording regular folks just going about their day.
"That kind of permanent, warrantless tracking doesn’t belong in a free society," he added. "Privacy isn’t optional, and mass surveillance isn’t how we do things here."
Shirley later stressed that he supports technology that helps police solve crimes, find missing people and locate dangerous suspects, but he said public safety cannot end the conversation about individual liberty.
"We can have good policing and still insist on boundaries," he said. "We can use technology without giving government unlimited surveillance capability."
Shirley said the cameras remain Flock’s property and that he was carrying out the Commissioners Court’s direction, not acting independently. He told the company to "come get your garbage out of my county."
Tempe, Arizona, has also turned off its Flock automated license plate reader system and will end its contract with the company, city officials said.
The cameras are no longer collecting license plate data, and Tempe said it does not plan to hire another company to replace the system.
While Tempe police said the cameras had helped solve crimes, the city cited recent misuse of automated license plate reader systems in Arizona and elsewhere as raising concerns about the risks associated with the technology.
Tempe police found no misuse of its own Flock system, according to the city. Flock will remove the cameras, and Tempe said previously collected data will be automatically deleted after 30 days unless it is tied to an ongoing case or investigation.
Frommer said the constitutional concerns extend beyond Flock to any provider of interconnected license plate reader technology.
"License plate readers, as a technology, are incredibly helpful. They can help solve crimes," he said. "But there have to be safeguards in place, constitutional safeguards in place — no matter whether it’s Flock or Axon or Motorola or another company."
Three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Za'Darius Smith stepped away last year after losing three family members
Within months of abruptly stepping away from the NFL last season, Za'Darius Smith lost his mother, his grandmother, and his father in rapid succession.
Now, after navigating unimaginable grief, the three-time Pro Bowl edge rusher is back on the field, using football as his sanctuary with the Atlanta Falcons.
After playing for six different franchises across 11 seasons, the 33-year-old was ready to hang up his cleats when he left the Philadelphia Eagles mid-season in October 2025.
FALCONS COACH KEVIN STEFANSKI MAY POACH FORMER PRO BOWL PASS RUSHER FROM BROWNS TEAM THAT FIRED HIM
But when Atlanta came calling, Smith was navigating a heavy personal trial that ultimately brought him back to the game.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Smith opened up about heartbreak, healing, and his return to the field.
"I was in a dark place," Smith said.
He visited with the Cleveland Browns before reaching a deal with Atlanta, his seventh NFL team, saying football served as a much-needed outlet during a brutal stretch.
Smith’s signing gives Atlanta needed pass-rushing reinforcement following a season-ending ACL injury to Jalon Walker and an eight-game suspension for James Pearce Jr.
FALCONS SELECTED TWO PASS RUSHERS IN NFL'S 2025 DRAFT AND NEITHER MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO START 2026
"This is my happy place," Smith said. "Come back, play football. I was in a dark place, but, you know, coming out, running out on the field, the fans, not just the fans, man, the joy that I get from winning and just getting sacks."
"My mom, rest her soul, man, she always wanted me to be in Atlanta with the Falcons."
Since entering the league in 2015, the defensive end has put up consistently strong production, tallying 343 total tackles, 70.5 sacks, 16 pass deflections, 10 forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Smith will turn 34 near the start of the season.
Speaking on his career sack count, Smith added: "Now I'm trying to reach 100. However I need to do that, I'm going to try."
"I'm happy to be in Atlanta."
Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
'View' host Ana Navarro rejects Hunter Biden's assertion that Trump is 'already' a 'dictator'
"The View" co-host Ana Navarro appeared to disagree with former President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, after he accused President Donald Trump of being a dictator on her podcast Monday.
In the second half of a two-part interview on "Bleep! with Ana Navarro," Hunter Biden told Navarro the U.S. has "already" lost democracy under Trump regardless of who wins the midterm elections.
"He is a dictator ... in no uncertain terms," Biden said. "Everybody understands this. He has broken the system. It is gone. It is completely broken."
"They’re going through confirmation hearings right now of his personal attorney to be the attorney general of the United States," he continued. "He has used his position as president of the United States to jail, to attempt to jail journalists. He is prosecuting Don Lemon for following someone into … and we’re not all sitting here up in arms?"
Trump's former personal attorney and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was confirmed as attorney general earlier this month. Lemon has pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges stemming from his coverage of an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota. Lemon maintains he was there as a journalist.
"He goes on Air Force One, and he gets a question that he doesn’t like, and he looks at a veteran woman reporter and tells her to ‘Be quiet, piggy,’ and no one says anything," Biden added. "We have lost our democracy at this point."
"Can you imagine if your father had ever done that?" Navarro asked.
"I can't even remotely imagine," Biden said.
However, Navarro stopped short of calling Trump a dictator, though she said "he would like to be."
"I fled dictatorship," she said. "I fled the Sandinistas in 1980, and I live in Miami, where there’s a lot of Cuban-American exiles, a lot of Venezuelan-American exiles, a lot of Haitian-American exiles. I think he definitely would like to be a dictator and have no guardrails, have no pushback.
"I still have some hope in some of the courts. And I think we still have elections. And despite the fact that there's threats against the free press, we still do have the free press."
She argued that the larger problem was a lack of congressional oversight from Republicans to balance out Trump's power and questioned whether Democrats retaking the House and Senate could make a difference.
"I don't know that they have the stomach to do some of the s--- that Republicans do without any qualms," Navarro said.
Navarro's response on the podcast marked a stark departure from her past comments on Trump, when she warned of him behaving like a dictator and suggested his actions were dictatorial.
During her speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Navarro compared Trump to several communist dictators.
"Let me tell you what communist dictators do, and it's never just for one day," she said at the time. "They attack the free press. They call them the enemy of the people like Ortega does in Nicaragua. They put their unqualified relatives in cushy government jobs so they can get rich off their positions like the Castros do in Cuba.
"And they refuse to accept legitimate elections when they lose and call for violence to stay in power like Maduro is doing right now in Venezuela," Navarro continued. "Now, you tell me something. Do any of those things sound familiar? Is there anybody running for president who reminds you of that?"
DAN RATHER AMONG 200 JOURNALISTS DEMANDING TRUMP BE CALLED OUT AT WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' DINNER
As recently as May, Navarro accused Trump on "The View" of being a "wannabe dictator" or having "small dictator energy" after a golden statue of Trump was installed at Trump National Doral golf course after the PGA Tour's Cadillac Championship.
Fox News Digital reached out to Navarro for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle dismissed the suggestion that Trump was a dictator and mocked Hunter Biden in a statement.
"Just like sleepy Joe, Hunter Biden’s brains are fried potatoes. We wish him and his family well during this difficult time," Ingle told Fox News Digital.
HEAR IT: 911 call captures horrifying first moments of deadly shooting at Seattle’s Bite of Seattle festival
Newly obtained 911 calls shed new light on the deadly shooting at Seattle’s famed Bite of Seattle festival, capturing the frantic response as first responders raced to help with multiple people down.
"I’m losing blood," a caller who described being shot in the back told a dispatcher.
The caller did not know who had opened fire.
GUNFIRE SHATTERS TORONTO LATIN STREET FESTIVAL LEAVING AT LEAST 2 DEAD AND MULTIPLE WOUNDED
"I don’t know who did it. I took cover. I see the officers down here," the caller said.
The dispatcher tried to keep the wounded person calm as help was sent toward the water fountain where the caller was believed to be waiting.
"It’s OK. Just breathe. Breathe with me. I’m going to stay with you," the dispatcher said.
Moments later, the caller spoke of being with an officer.
Other emergency transmissions capture dispatchers and first responders working to assess the scope of the unfolding violence near the Seattle Center Armory.
"Multiple people down at this point," one dispatcher said when asked whether anyone had been shot.
TOLEDO POLICE FOLLOWING 'MULTIPLE LEADS' AS MANHUNT ENTERS 3RD DAY AFTER FESTIVAL SHOOTING
As reports continued to come in, another dispatcher requested "as many aid units as possible," saying there were at least two people down "but more than that."
Emergency crews initially treated the area as an active scene while officials worked to determine whether it was safe for responders to enter.
"Let’s treat that as an active scene for now," a dispatcher said.
A dispatcher later said there were "six confirmed gunshot wounds" amid the chaotic response.
MULTIPLE PEOPLE KILLED IN SHOOTING AT IDAHO IN-N-OUT RESTAURANT, SUSPECT DEAD
The calls come as Seattle police have offered few public updates on the investigation.
Fox 13 Seattle reported that interim Police Chief Andre Sayles said earlier this month that investigators had developed new information and expected to make an arrest, but he declined to disclose details.
SEATTLE MAYOR'S INTERVIEW CUT SHORT AS STAFF BLOCKS QUESTIONS ON GUN VIOLENCE, SURVEILLANCE
"I think the biggest thing is, you know, it’s going to cause a little bit of frustration, is the integrity of this investigation," Sayles said Aug. 7, according to the outlet. "There’s some information that we have. I want to make sure that we keep the integrity of that investigation close to the vest until we can make the appropriate arrest."
A 15-year-old suspect remains in custody in the shooting.
TWO TEEN SUSPECTS HELD AFTER 5 FAMILY MEMBERS KILLED IN 'TARGETED MASS SHOOTING'
The Mayor’s Office said in a statement to the outlet that the administration "continues to work closely with the Seattle Police Department to ensure information about critical events reach(es) the public."
The shooting erupted last month outside the Seattle Center Armory during the Bite of Seattle food festival near the Space Needle. Three people were killed, and four others were wounded, including a 2-year-old boy, authorities previously said.
The dead included a 19-year-old man and a 44-year-old man who were pronounced dead at the scene. A 56-year-old woman later died after she was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
Wilson called the shooting "an act of horrific violence."
"Impacted families are living through the worst moment of their lives, and an entire community is trying to understand how a gathering built around culture, connection and joy ended in gunfire," Wilson said at the time.
"No one should have to weigh the risk of being shot before attending an event, gathering with friends, or experiencing their city."
Wilson said officials believed a 15-year-old had opened fire into the crowd, though details remained under investigation. The teen was booked into juvenile detention on suspicion of gun violations and first-degree assault. No homicide charges had been filed as of the most recent update.
Former Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said investigators believed gunfire was exchanged outside the Armory after a conflict involving small groups believed to be at odds with one another, leaving bystanders caught in the crossfire.
Investigators initially believed two gunmen were involved. But a juvenile court document later indicated the detained teen and an acquaintance who was found dead at the scene may have exchanged gunfire with at least one other, unidentified suspect.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Seattle Police Department and mayor's office for comment.