Live Nation May Have To Play By Some New Rules

US News

Live Nation May Have To Play By Some New Rules

What's going on: Since 2024, Live Nation and the federal government have been stuck in one of the most high-profile antitrust fights in decades — all over the company’s grip on the concert business through Ticketmaster. To keep its crown jewel, Live Nation said yesterday it settled with the Department of Justice. But this song and dance isn’t over yet: Some of the nearly 40 states that joined the lawsuit say they aren’t on board, and a judge still has to sign off.

How buying tickets could change: Right now, most tickets for Live Nation venues and artists flow through one gatekeeper: Ticketmaster. The deal could crack that door open. As part of the agreement, Ticketmaster will let third-party platforms (like SeatGeek and StubHub) sell primary tickets through a shared portal. That doesn’t guarantee cheaper seats overnight, but it could give you a better shot at landing those Beyoncé tickets. The settlement also hits Live Nation’s venue empire. The entertainment giant controls 78% of major US amphitheaters, but the deal forces it to sell up to 13 of them. Artists who perform at its venues would also be allowed to work with other promoters. Because in case anyone forgot, this is not an episode of The Sopranos. At the end of the day, we just want concert tickets that don’t cost a kidney.

Related: Doja Cat Isn’t Letting Timothée Chalamet’s Take on Ballet and Opera Slide (Entertainment Weekly)

The News in 5

🗞️ The war in Iran has unleashed the biggest oil disruption in history — with prices hitting $120 a barrel at one point — and the rising costs at the pump have the White House in a panic.

🗞️ The Anthropic-Pentagon breakup just got a lot uglier. This is not the bot battle we expected.

🗞️ TSA workers haven’t seen a paycheck since February, and the security lines at the airport are CVS-receipt long. Set that alarm earlier. 

🗞️ This daily habit might slow biological aging. We’ll never skip a day again.

🗞️ Eric and Donald Trump Jr. are in the drone business now, and can you guess whose contracts they want?

Reproductive Health

The Fertility Industry Goes Big-Box

What's going on: Costco is no longer happy just being the mecca for bulk toilet paper, Kirkland’s finest dupes, and $4.99 rotisserie chicken. Now, it’s getting into fertility care. Stepping into an industry awash with money, desire, and promise (but also over-promise), the main draw here is the discount. Costco says its program will mean 80% savings on fertility medications, Glamour reports. The big-box chain’s exclusive pricing suggests meds may go for around $1,640 to $2,296 per IVF cycle, rather than the general $3,000 to $6,000 self-pay averages or the $2,105 to $2,962 TrumpRx pricing.

What it means: About one in six Americans face fertility challenges, so lower drug prices could help. But medications are only a sheet-cake slice of the bill. One IVF cycle costs about $15,000 to $20,000, and many people need two or more. The program also enters a booming fertility industry that’s underregulated — and at times accused of selling false or over-stated hope. The Big Freeze: A Reporter’s Personal Journey into the World of Egg Freezing and the Quest to Control Our Fertility offers a roadmap. Beyond cost, the book recommends asking any clinic (Costco-approved or not) about live birth rates, embryo formation rates, age-specific success rates, lab safety protocols, and where eggs are stored. You can also check unbiased, crowd-sourced tools like FertilityIQ before choosing a clinic. All told, fertility treatment is far more intricate and personal than the classic warehouse formula — buy in bulk, save big? Not so much.

Related: Stigma & Delays: Study Outlines Cross-State Abortion Care Post-Dobbs (JAMA)

Food

MAHA vs. the Snack Economy

What's going on: Last week, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. learned you don’t mess with Boston after his criticism of Dunkin’ iced coffee sparked an uproar. But his plans aren’t just meeting opposition from caffeinated Bostonians — he’s also getting increased pushback from the food industry and little-treat-lovers in general. Food manufacturers are now lobbying President Donald Trump and Republicans to side with them over RFK Jr. and his MAHA movement — or at least give them a much larger seat at the table (preferably, upholstered). Industry groups argue that Kennedy’s health-focused policies strain their business and force costly changes.

Sounds like one big food fight: It is. Kennedy’s MAHA coalition of wellness influencers and anti-chemical activists has collided with another powerful force: Americans’ attachment to the foods they actually like to eat, from sugary cold brews to Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Unlike his stance toward vaccines, RFK Jr.’s approach to nutrition has received more widespread support (well, except for maybe that new food pyramid). But reform isn’t easy — just ask former First Lady Michelle Obama, whose school lunch changes sparked their own revolt. As we learned from The Wedding Planner’s Dr. Steve, who ate only the brown M&Ms, we may be willing to pick through our candy to avoid the artificial dyes, but giving it up entirely? You’ll have to pry it out of our cold, chocolate-stained hands. 

Related: These Common Foods Have More Microplastics Than You’d Think (The Washington Post)

On Our Calendar

A few things to jot down today…

🗓️ Georgia holds a special election for who’ll replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — and the ballot is pretty full.

🗓️ The deadline for the WNBA contract negotiations is here — and there’s a lot at stake.

🗓️ It’s the 150th anniversary of the first phone call — the one that changed how we work, connect, and occasionally avoid each other.

Psst…For more dates worth knowing this week, check out the Skimm+ calendar.

Tell Us

Uber just rolled out a women-only driver matching option nationwide. Would that make you more likely to book a ride?

Skimm'd by: Rashaan Ayesh, Mallory Simon, Molly Longman, Maria del Carmen Corpus, and Marina Carver. Fact-checked by Sara Tardiff.