Today’s Big Story

The Future of Online Ticket Sales

Antitrust battles, monopolies and scalpers

It’s been two years since the Taylor Swift ticketing fiasco riled up fans and policymakers across the country. And Ticketmaster is still fighting a multi-pronged battle against efforts to break it up and change the rules of the industry. The whole ordeal has become a multimillion-dollar and nationwide struggle over the future of online ticketing.

I can’t think of a company that has a worse reputation—from clever and catty headlines by The Onion to its measly one-star rating on the Better Business Bureau. Live Nation Entertainment is a huge company that not only operates Ticketmaster, but owns hundreds of event venues, and manages and promotes major artists through numerous subsidiaries. So it’s no surprise that it’s long been accused of running a monopoly.

Add in the fees that can often add more than 30% to the total cost, and it’s no wonder that the ticket buying process leaves us feeling … icky. The Biden administration worked to rein in what it called “junk fees”, but Ticketmaster’s lack of competition means that they’re still often less motivated to make the experience easier or affordable.

The New York Times reported that the DOJ had already started investigating Live Nation for potential antitrust violations, culminating in a May 2024 antitrust lawsuit filed by the DOJ and 30 state and district attorneys general. Live Nation railed against the Biden administration, blaming the lawsuit on “intense political pressure” and “a long-term lobbying campaign from rivals.” And in 2025, a new DOJ antitrust chief will take over the case. But amid uncertainty in Washington, a review of lobbying disclosures shows it’s spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in many states across the country, fighting legislation that could limit its power.

From Ticketmaster’s perspective, that’s not a battle to protect a monopoly; it’s a fight against what it dubs the real big problem with ticketing: resellers that jack up prices. In its telling, that includes rivals like StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats—who, according to The Verge, are spending even more to make their own case. In the past two years, more than half of all U.S. states have considered legislation concerning event ticket sales, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. It’s a tough call.

Live Nation argues blanket resale mandates take control away from artists and incentivize scalping, while resale players argue that enshrining resale rights gives audiences more choice. While Ticketmaster’s critics point to its alleged monopoly as a culprit for hiked-up ticket prices and occasionally chaotic buying experiences, the company places blame on “big resale sites” which they accuse of seeking laws that “fundamentally protect ticket scalping.” But consumers are still mad about the high price of tickets, whether scalpers or monopolies are to blame—and it doesn’t look like concert going will get any cheaper or easier anytime soon.

Government Shutdown Looms

Senate Democrats embrace hardball, while Republicans bank on them caving in eventually

Senate Democrats say they are prepared to vote to reject the Republicans’ government funding bill, threatening a shutdown if lawmakers do not strike a deal within days. Not enough Democrats support the bill to clear the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor Wednesday. This raises the chances of a government shutdown and puts Democrats in the unusual position of being willing to risk a shutdown to negotiate a better deal with Republicans.

According to Axios, Schumer is balancing his deep distaste for a shutdown against external pressure from the grassroots and Democratic voters to do more to stand up to President Trump. Democrats are now seeking a bill—known as a continuing resolution, or CR—to keep the government open through April 11 while the two parties complete work on their long-stalled spending bills.

Still, it is unclear whether the Democrats’ ultimatum will trigger a shutdown when government funding expires at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. The Washington Post reports that Democrats have not ruled out striking a deal with Republicans to prevent a shutdown by allowing votes on amendments in exchange for their support. “I’m not sure exactly what their demand is,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters after Schumer spoke. Democrats might just be seeking a vote on their funding bill and, once it fails, will back Republicans’ bill, he said.

EPA Announces Rollback of Environmental Regulations

Administrator Lee Zeldin said he will reconsider a list of core policies

Speaking of further chaos, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency announced a series of actions Wednesday that he called the “most consequential day of deregulation in American history.” The agency is reframing its purpose and rolling back landmark environmental regulations, including rules on pollution from coal-fired power plants, climate change and electric vehicles.

After repealing limits on pollution from tailpipes and smokestacks and protections for wetlands, administrator Lee Zeldin says the EPA would be reframing the purpose of the agency. In a two-minute-and-18-second video posted to X, Zeldin boasted about the changes and said his agency’s mission is to “lower the cost of buying a car, heating a home and running a business.” The prior mission was to “protect human health and the environment”. In all, Zeldin said he is rolling back 31 environmental rules, including a scientific finding that has long been the central basis for U.S. action against climate change.

Zeldin said he and President Donald Trump support rewriting the agency’s 2009 finding that planet-warming greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. The Obama-era determination under the Clean Air Act is the legal underpinning of a host of climate regulations for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources. Jason Rylander, legal director of the Climate Law Institute, told NPR that “this EPA is planning to take a wrecking ball to environmental law as we know it.” He added, “the intent appears to be to neuter EPA’s ability to address climate change and to limit air pollution that affects public health.”

Watch the Moon Turn Red Tonight

The good and bad news about total lunar eclipse viewing

A total lunar eclipse will flush the moon red tonight into Friday morning across the Western Hemisphere. During this phenomenon, the full moon will pass into Earth's shadow, but it won’t disappear from view (like a solar eclipse). Instead it will appear deep red—as any sunlight that's not blocked by the Earth during the eclipse will be filtered through a "thick slice of Earth's atmosphere" as it heads toward the moon's surface, according to NASA. This is where it gets the name “blood moon”.

This blood moon—the first to grace Earth's skies since 2022—will be visible to people in the lower 48 states and greater Americas unless clouds get in the way. Unlike a solar eclipse, lunar eclipses last for a long time and are visible to potentially hundreds of millions of people. During this coming eclipse, totality, wherein the entirety of the moon will turn reddish and rusty colors, will last for 65 minutes. “It’s a wider window. The whole country gets to see it, weather permitting,” Bob Larson, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, told Mashable.

Who has good odds of clear skies? There's a lot of good news, but not for everyone. A storm will center around the Rocky Mountains and Intermountain West over Thursday and Friday, making for a higher likelihood of poor viewing in that region, parts of the Northern Plains, and parts of the West Coast. But much of the nation is expected to have either fair or good sky viewing, particularly large swathes of Texas, much of the Midwest and large parts of the South.

Stronger Relationships Start With You

BetterHelp can help you build better relationships

Feeling disconnected from your partner? Struggling with family dynamics? Relationships can be complicated, but you don’t have to navigate them alone. A licensed therapist can help you develop better communication, set boundaries, and build deeper connections.

With BetterHelp, you can be matched with a therapist in just 48 hours and start sessions in a way that works best for you—by phone, video, or text. No long waits, no added stress—just the support you need when you need it.

You can even use your FSA or HSA funds to cover therapy, and for a limited time, you’ll save 30% on your first three months. Take the first step toward stronger, healthier relationships today.

Treat yourself.