Justice Department investigating the NFL over subscription fee concerns, sources say

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether the NFL is forcing football fans to pay too much in subscription fees, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.

In years past, football fans watched NFL games over broadcast TV, delivered free into their homes. The 1961 Sports Broadcasting Act allowed for sports leagues to get around some antitrust concerns and negotiate media rights.

But now, games are spread across many different platforms and channels. Some require paid subscriptions, as traditional TV and cable providers contend with cord-cutting and tougher competition from deep-pocketed tech companies and streamers.

The Justice Department’s investigation into the NFL is “about affordability for consumers and creating an even playing field for providers,” a government official said.

The Justice Department investigation is into antitrust and anticompetitive tactics, the person said. It comes after Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, the chairman of theSenate Judiciary subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, wrote a letter last month requesting a review of the NFL's streaming platform exemptions and wanted to know whether the streaming package fees violated the Sports Broadcasting act.

The NFL said in a statement Thursday that 87% of its games are free and that games are always free to the markets where teams are playing when they play.

"The NFL’s media distribution model is the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry, the spokesperson said. "The NFL has for decades put our fans front and center in how we distribute our content."

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The Justice Department didn't comment. The White House referred questions back to the Justice Department.The Wall Street Journal firstreported the investigation.

“To watch every NFL game during the past season, football fans spent almost $1,000 on cable and streaming subscriptions,” Lee wrote in his letter.

The package of NFL games is shared by CBS, NBC, ESPN and Fox, with Amazon Video streaming the Thursday night games. YouTube has the "NFL Sunday Ticket" to watch nearly every game on Sundays, which costs $240 for the season. Netflix, which streams NFL games on Christmas, declined to comment on the probe.

“Much has changed in sports broadcasting since 1961, raising new questions about the NFL’s antitrust exemption. I’m glad the DOJ is tackling this important issue, as I urged them to do last month," Lee said Thursday after news broke.

Following Lee's letter, the Federal Communications Commissionsaid it was seeking public responses abouthow viewing habits have changed across the modern landscape that depends increasingly on streaming services.

“The packaging of individual teams’ television rights was thought to be necessary to enhance the financial stability of the leagues by assuring equal distribution of revenues among all teams,” according to the FCC letter.

Commissioners wanted to know whether the current marketplace benefits or harms consumers, and the fragmented media landscape facilitates or restricts the ability of traditional media to broadcast work in the public interest, including in local news and reporting.

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 09, 2026

Justice Department investigating the NFL over subscription fee concerns, sources say

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether the NFL is forcing football fans to pay too much in subscr...

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Rory McIlroy tied for lead to begin Masters defense

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Rory McIlroy began the defense of his first Masters title with a 5-under-par 67 that gave him a share of the first-round lead with Sam Burns at Augusta National on Thursday.

It is only the third time in 18 Masters starts that McIlroy has broken 70 in the first round, and the second-lowest opening-round score he has posted, only trailing a 65 in 2011.

"Great, great start to the week, obviously. Felt like I got a lot out of my round today," he said. "I settled into the round nicely even when I wasn't hitting fairways."

Thursday's effort tied the 5 under posted by Burns earlier in the afternoon. Both players took significant advantage of the par-5s. Burns eagled the second hole and birdied the three others, while McIlroy birdied all four of them.

"I think historically people who have success here play the par-5s really well, and we were able to do that today. So, it's a good recipe around this golf course," Burns said.

They enter Friday with a two-shot lead over Jason Day, Kurt Kitayama and Patrick Reed. Another shot back are four major champions in Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler.

By the end of the day, only 16 of the 91 players in the field finished under par, while 10 posted scores in the 80s.

Like Burns, McIlroy made his turn in 2 under before carding a 3-under 33 on the back nine courtesy of three consecutive birdies from Nos. 13-15.

McIlroy acknowledged earlier this week that last year's victory took a "big weight" off his shoulders. And now he's in an excellent position as he attempts to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back Masters.

McIlroy shot an opening-round 72 in 2025 that left him in a tie for 27th, and his average opening score in 17 previous Masters was 71.7. Through what he called a shaky first seven holes, a low round didn't appear to be in the cards. Then a birdie at No. 8 led to playing his final 11 holes in 5 under.

"I feel like the way I played, 5 under sort of exceeded where I thought I would be or what I wanted to do," he said. "I think a fair score for me today would have been like 2 under maybe with some of the places I hit it. But again, I used my head and I didn't -- I got up-and-down when I needed to. I didn't compound mistakes.

"Again, that's just a learning curve that you have to go through around here, and I did it well today."

McIlroy said that in previous years he might not have been patient enough to overcome a shaky start, but last year's victory gave him the ability to keep swinging freely rather than tentatively.

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"I was nervous, I was anxious just like I always am on that first tee," he said. "It's the first round of the 16 most important rounds of the season. It would be worrisome if I didn't feel that way, because it still means something to me."

Earlier, Burns posted the best score of his Masters career in any round, besting the 68 he shot in the first round in 2023. In 12 rounds through four previous appearances at Augusta National, that had been the lone time Burns had broken 70 until Thursday.

But he doesn't plan on spending much time dwelling on the overnight leaderboard.

"I feel like you start thinking, you know, in the past or in the future, this is not really a golf course you want to do that," he said. "I think for me just trying to go out, execute, have a good process, commit to the shot and just be accepting of whatever happens."

Reed also reached 5 under by eagling both par-5s on the front nine to make his turn at 31, but the 2018 Masters champion gave a shot back at No. 10 before putting a ball in the water on the par-5 15th for another bogey to enter the clubhouse at 3 under.

"All in all, there was a lot of quality golf shots," Reed said. "I felt like I played a lot better kind of than the score today. I hit the ball pretty solid, gave myself a lot of good looks and made a couple of putts."

Rose, who lost in a playoff to McIlroy last year, was at 4 under before bogeys on each of his final two holes. Scheffler burst out of the gates with an eagle and a birdie to get to 3 under through three, but failed to pick up another shot the rest of the way while dropping one on the 11th.

"It got so firm late in the day. It was pretty challenging," he said. "Going out late is typically going to be harder than going out early, but that's just part of it. I get to go a little bit earlier tomorrow, so get home, get some rest, and start over."

Kitayama finished an eventful day at 3-under 69. He reached 4 under through 10 holes before a bogey on No. 11 and a double bogey on the short par-3 12th. He was able to card birdies on two of his final holes to get to the clubhouse among the early leaders despite having only six pars on his scorecard.

"Being able to make a lot of birdies helps especially because you're trying to avoid the big number, but it might happen," he said. "I just tried to hit it in the right spots, give myself a good look, the best look that I could from wherever I was, and give myself a shot at it."

Bryson DeChambeau, who is seeking to build on his best Masters finish of fifth place last year, was at even par entering the 11th through 13 holes, known as "Amen Corner." He put his approach shot on No. 11 into the bunker behind the green. DeChambeau then failed to get out of the bunker on his first two attempts and ended up carding a triple bogey on the hole.

"Bunker was softer than I anticipated," DeChambeau offered when asked about what happened on 11, adding that he hit a solid approach shot that flew 12 yards further than he wanted.

DeChambeau finished the day at 4 over following a bogey-birdie-bogey finish.

--Derek Harper, Field Level Media

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 09, 2026

Rory McIlroy tied for lead to begin Masters defense

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Rory McIlroy began the defense of his first Masters title with a 5-under-par 67 that gave him a share of the first-roun...

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Wegmans pulls jasmine white rice product off shelves. Here's why.

Wegmans has pulled a rice product off shelves thatwas recalleddue to the possible presence of "foreign material."

Two-pound bags of Lundberg Organic Jasmine White Rice are the focus of an ongoing recall, according to anApril 4 noticefrom the regional supermarket chain.

The affected product was sold and later pulled from the shelves at Wegman stores across the country. Wegmans said it did not initiate the recall, telling USA TODAY on April 7 that the product has been recalled nationwide, not just in Wegmans stores.

Wegmans referred all inquiries to Lundberg Family Farms, a Richvale, California-based manufacturer.

Lundberg Family Farms confirmed to USA TODAY that it issued a voluntary Class II recall of approximately 4,500 cases of 2-pound Regenerative Organic Certified White Jasmine Rice pouches "due to the possible presence of foreign material" out of an abundance of caution.

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According to Lundberg Family Farms, no illnesses have been reported from consumption of the affected product. The recall, which is isolated to a single production run, has been reported to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

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Here's what to know about the ongoing recall, including what to do if you have the affected product.

Rice recall: Affected product, remedy

While all of the recalled products have been removed from Wegmans shelves, affected products may still be stored away in your pantry.

Though the risk of serious illness or injury from products that form part of a Class II recall is "remote," consumers with the recalled product may still experience "temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences,"according to the FDA.

Here are all of the relevant product details needed to determine if you have the recalled rice pouch:

• Number of units affected: 4,500 cases of 2-pound Regenerative Organic Certified White Jasmine Rice pouches

• Product name: Lundberg Organic Jasmine White Rice

• Universal product code: 073416- 040281

• Best by dates: 2/1/2027, 2/2/2027

• Lot codes: 260201, 260202

Wegmans customers who currently have the recalled product can return it for a full refund.

Customers with additional questions or concerns about the ongoing recall may contact Wegmans Food Markets by phone at 855-934-3663 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET daily.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Jasmine white rice sold at Wegmans has been recalled. Here's why.

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 08, 2026

Wegmans pulls jasmine white rice product off shelves. Here's why.

Wegmans has pulled a rice product off shelves thatwas recalleddue to the possible presence of "foreign material." Two-p...

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NFL Draft's most interesting teams: How can the Cowboys turn their picks into help for a playoff push?

The Dallas Cowboys have an extra first-round pick in the upcomingNFL Draft.It didn’t come for free.

The Cowboys’ own pick is 12th overall. The other selection will be 20th, coming from the Green Bay Packers as part of the Micah Parsons trade. Parsons is gone, but having the extra first-rounder makes Dallas one of the more interesting teams in this draft.

The Cowboys have to make those firsts count. They aren’t on the clock again until the 92nd pick, late in the third round. And if those picks help right away, it might make the difference in Dallas getting back to the playoffs.

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The easy answer for the Cowboys in the draft is picking defense, defense and more defense. Their offense is very good and set atpractically every position.But it’s often hard to figure out what Dallas will do in the draft. Many mock drafts over the years have whiffed on predicting its pick. But whatever the Cowboys do, they need instant impact players.

Cowboys have some urgency

Since trading Parsons, the Cowboys have operated like they want to win now.

Last season, even though making the playoffs was probably out of reach, Dallas traded a 2026 second-round pick, a first-round pick in a deep 2027 draft and defensive tackle Mazi Smith to the Jets for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. This offseason, the Cowboys traded a 2027 fourth-round draft pick for Packers edge rusher Rashan Gary. And while the Cowboys didn’t“bust the budget,”as team owner Jerry Jones said in his annual overstated proclamation that he doesn’t follow through on, they did sign safety Jalen Thompson to a three-year, $33 million deal and put thefranchise tag on receiver George Pickens.

Other than Pickens, the moves were to fix a dreadful defense that allowed the most points in the NFL last season. As was a coordinator change. The Cowboys brought in Christian Parker, who was passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach with the Eagles.

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So it seems obvious that the Cowboys will take two defensive players in the first round and keep improving that side. But Dallas is keeping its options open.

Cowboys could make a big trade up

Jones said the team will look at trading up or trading down in the draft, depending on how it unfolds.

"You should — when you've got the kind of assets or the kind of ammunition we've got in this draft, you should look at all machinations," Jones said last month,via the team’s site.

The Cowboys’ clearest need heading into the draft is off-ball linebacker. Inthe latest mock draft from Yahoo Sports’ Charles McDonald and Nate Tice, Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood was the Cowboys’ pick at No. 20. Could Dallas move up and make a big splash for one of the projected difference-makers in the middle of the defense?

Ohio State’s Sonny Styles is going fourth overall in that mock draft, and after a remarkable workout at the NFL scouting combine he’s a tier above every other off-ball linebacker. Would the Cowboys entertain trading both picks to move up for Styles? Based onthe traditional trade value chart, picks Nos. 12 and 20 packaged together is pretty close to the value of No. 3 overall. Styles would be the type of instant impact player, a clear Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate, who could boost Dallas’ defense right away. It would be a costly move up, but it would make sense for the Cowboys. It would probably make sense for the Cardinals too.

The Cowboys have options due to their draft capital. They could stay put and draft two potential starters. They need a linebacker and perhaps another cornerback. Tice and McDonald had them taking an edge defender, Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, at No. 12. That would be reasonable too. They could move up for someone like Styles, who would be a splashy fix for a clear need.

Or, maybe the Cowboys surprise everyone if Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate or an offensive lineman they like falls. No position on offense is a glaring need, but two first-round picks gives Dallas flexibility to take the best player available. Perhaps there’s some deal cooking with a veteran defender. The Cowboys had reportedly been interested in Maxx Crosby earlier this offseason, and while that seems to be dead, it shows the Cowboys are willing to make that type of move.

All lanes are open for Dallas. If it figures out the right path, it might lead Jones and company back to the postseason.

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 08, 2026

NFL Draft's most interesting teams: How can the Cowboys turn their picks into help for a playoff push?

The Dallas Cowboys have an extra first-round pick in the upcomingNFL Draft.It didn’t come for free. The Cowboys’ own pick is 12th...

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Prosecutors move to subpoena Tiger Woods' prescription drug records after Florida DUI arrest

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors are seekingTiger Woods' prescription drug records from a pharmacy, a week afterhis vehicle crashedin Florida and he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Prosecutors in Florida on Tuesday said they planned to issue a subpoena seeking copies of all prescription medication records for the legendary golfer on file at Lewis Pharmacy in Palm Beach, Florida from the start of the year through the end of last month.

Prosecutors in Martin County, Florida, want the times the prescriptions were filled, the number of pills, the dosage amounts and any instructions that accompanied the pills, such as warnings about driving while taking them, according to documents in an online court docket.

Any objections to the subpoena must be filed with the State Attorney's Office within 10 days. Neither Lewis Pharmacy nor Woods' attorney, Doug Duncan, immediately responded to emails seeking comment.

Woods pleaded not guilty inhis driving under the influence casein Florida last week, hours after a sheriff’s report said deputies found two pain pills in his pocket and he showed signs of impairment after his SUV clipped a trailer and rolled over on its side.

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Woods was traveling at high speeds on a beachside, residential road on Jupiter Island with a 30 mph (nearly 50 kph) speed limit when the accident occurred, authorities said. The truck had $5,000 in damage, according to an incident report. Woods agreed to a Breathalyzer test that showed no signs of alcohol, but he refused a urine test, authorities said.

Woods said last week that he is stepping away to seek treatment.

It’s the second time Woods has taken a leave following a car crash. In 2009, after his SUV plowed into a fire hydrant and tree outside his home near Orlando, he took a leave of absence to work on being a better person. That lasted four months and he returned at the Masters.

He also was in a 2021 car crash in Los Angeles that damaged his right leg so badly he said doctors considered amputation.

Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky:@mikeysid.bsky.social.

byDaniel Coleman

in

April 08, 2026

Prosecutors move to subpoena Tiger Woods' prescription drug records after Florida DUI arrest

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors are seekingTiger Woods' prescription drug records from a pharmacy, a week afterhis vehicle crashed...

Read More