Justice Department Calls Ticketmaster And Live Nation An Illegal Monopoly

The Justice Department filed a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation Entertainment on Thursday, accusing them of running an illegal monopoly over live events in America — squelching competition and driving up prices for fans. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, was being brought with 30 state and district attorneys general and seeks to break up the monopoly they say is squeezing out smaller promoters and hurting artists. The Justice Department accuses Live Nation of a slew of practices that allow it to maintain a stronghold over the live music scene, including using long-term contracts to keep venues from choosing rival ticketers, blocking venues from using multiple ticket sellers and threatening venues that they could lose money and fans if they don’t choose Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster, which merged with Live Nation in 2010, is the world’s largest ticket seller, processing 500 million tickets each year in more than 30 countries. Around 70% of tickets for major concert venues in the U.S. are sold through Ticketmaster, according to data in a federal lawsuit filed by consumers in 2022. The company owns or controls more than 265 of North America’s concert venues and dozens of top amphitheaters, according to the Justice Department.

Joining us to discuss is Josh Sisco, reporter for Politico.

With files from the Associated Press.

What Happens When Your Favorite Vegan Restaurant Starts Serving Meat?

With locations in Echo Park, Pasadena and Culver City, Sage Vegan Bistro has been a fan favorite since it opened in 2011. But last month, the restaurant owner Mollie Engelhart announced that the beloved plant-based restaurant would start serving meat and dairy and would operate under the new name Sage Regenerative Kitchen & Brewery. The announcement stirred an uproar amongst the restaurant’s devout followers. Engelhart says the decision is largely a financial one and she joins a handful of other formerly vegan restaurants that have begun offering non-vegan options for similar reasons. Joining us to discuss their recent decision to embrace meat is owner of Sage Vegan Bistro, Mollie Engelhart.

Summer Travel Tips With Rick Steves

Summer is here! Post-pandemic travel is booming and people are itching to get out and about. We've got suggestions for how to make it even better. Travel writer and author Rick Steves joins Larry to share some Europe travel tips ahead of summer vacations.

Getting To Know New Los Angeles Times Executive Editor Terry Tang

Terry Tang, who has been leading the Los Angeles Times newsroom since January on an interim basis, was formally named its executive editor last month. She is the first woman to hold the post in the newspaper’s 142-year history. Since being tapped for the interim role, Tang moved to reorganize the newsroom, form her own leadership team and place a heavier emphasis on traditional news reporting, the Times said in a report announcing the appointment. Tang replaces Kevin Merida, who abruptly left in late January after a 2 1/2-year tenure. Previously, Tang led the Opinion section for nearly two years after joining the Times in 2019 as deputy op-ed editor. Tang will continue to oversee Opinion. Tang, 65, has deep roots in Southern California. She was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and her family spent a few years in Japan before immigrating to Los Angeles when she was 6. She graduated from Yale University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and earned her law degree from the New York University School of Law. She served as a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University in the early 1990s. Before joining the Times, she worked for two years at the American Civil Liberties Union, where she served as director of publications and editorial. Before that, she worked at the New York Times for 20 years in a variety of roles.

Today on AirTalk, Tang joins Larry Mantle to talk about how she views her new role

With files from the Associated Press

New LAist Podcast ‘Inheriting’ Explores The AAPI Experience

Inheriting is a show about Asian American and Pacific Islander families, which explores how one event in history can ripple through generations. In doing so, the show seeks to break apart the AAPI monolith and tell a fuller story of these communities. In each episode, NPR’s Emily Kwong sits down with one family and facilitates deeply emotional conversations between their loved ones, exploring how their most personal, private moments are an integral part of history. Through these stories, we show how the past is personal and how to live with the legacies we’re constantly inheriting. New episodes will premiere every Thursday starting May 23. Listeners can subscribe to “Inheriting” on the NPR app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever podcasts are available. Today on AirTalk, Larry speaks with host of Inheriting, Emily Kwong.

With files from LAist.

TV-Talk: ‘Evil,’ ‘The Sympathizer,’ ‘Top Chef’ And More

Have you felt completely overwhelmed when deciding what new show to watch these days? Us too. There’s just so much content out there between network TV and numerous streaming platforms. Each week, we’re going to try to break through the noise with TV watchers who can point us to the must-sees and steer us clear of the shows that maybe don’t live up to the hype. This week, Larry talks television with Marcus Jones, awards editor for TV & Film at IndieWire, and Jen Chaney, television critic for Vulture.

This week’s shows include:

• Evil [Season 4] (Paramount+)
• The Sympathizer (HBO / Max) 
• The Jinx: Part Two [Season 2] (Max) 
• Top Chef [Season 21] (Bravo / Peacock)
• Gaga Chromatica Ball (HBO / Max)
• We Are Lady Parts [Season 2] (Peacock)