Government sues Ticketmaster owner and asks court to break up company’s monopoly on live events
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has sued Ticketmaster and its parent company, accusing them of running an illegal monopoly over live events in America. The complaint filed Thursday in Manhattan asks a court to break up the system that squelches competition and drives up prices for fans. The sweeping antitrust lawsuit was brought with 30 state and district attorneys general. It seeks to dismantle the monopoly that they say is squeezing out smaller promoters, hurting artists and drowning ticket buyers in fees. Ticketmaster and its owner, Live Nation Entertainment, said the allegations were baseless and promised to fight the case.
Supreme Court finds no bias against Black voters in a South Carolina congressional district
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has preserved a Republican-held South Carolina congressional district, rejecting a lower-court ruling that the district discriminated against Black voters. The justices said Thursday the Republican-controlled state legislature did nothing wrong during redistricting when it strengthened Rep. Nancy Mace’s hold on the coastal district by moving 30,000 Democratic-leaning Black Charleston residents from the district. The state argued partisan politics, not race, and a population boom in coastal areas explain the map. A lower court had ordered South Carolina to redraw the district after finding it used race as a proxy for partisan affiliation. The case differed from one in Alabama, where the court ruled Republican lawmakers diluted Black voters’ political power.
Trump holds a rally in the South Bronx as he tries to woo his hometown
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is campaigning in one of the most Democratic counties in the nation Thursday, holding a rally in the South Bronx. He’s hoping to woo minority voters by appearing in one of the most diverse and impoverished neighborhoods in the city where he grew up. Trump opened his rally with an ode to New York as a glamorous capital of culture that “inspired the entire world” that is now a city in decline. Trump’s campaign said it was expecting a crowd of several thousand in Crotona Park. The rally comes during a pause in Trump’s criminal hush money trial after both sides rested their cases Tuesday.
Louisiana Legislature approves bill classifying abortion pills as controlled dangerous substances
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers have approved a first-of-its-kind bill that would classify two abortion-inducing drugs as a controlled and dangerous substances. The final Senate vote Thursday came despite widespread criticism from doctors, who note that the drugs have other critical reproductive health care uses. They say changing the classification could make it harder to prescribe the drugs, delaying crucial treatment for patients. The legislation now heads to the desk of conservative Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, who has expressed support for it previously.
Border bill fails Senate test vote as Democrats seek to underscore Republican resistance
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans are blocking for a second time a bill to clamp down the number of migrants allowed to claim asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. The bill failed 43-50. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer brought up the bill again to underscore Republican resistance to it. The bipartisan proposal was already rejected by most Republicans in February, but with immigration and border security becoming one of the top issues of this year’s election, Democrats are seeking to highlight Republican resistance to pursuing immigration legislation, along with other popular measures. Schumer is also planning to push forward a bill in June that would protect access to contraception.
How does this end? With Hamas holding firm and fighting back in Gaza, Israel faces only bad options
JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas is still putting up a fight after seven brutal months of war with Israel, regrouping in some of the hardest-hit areas in northern Gaza and resuming rocket attacks into nearby Israeli communities. Israel initially made tactical advances against Hamas after a devastating aerial bombardment paved the way for its ground troops. But those early gains have given way to a grinding struggle against an adaptable insurgency — and a growing feeling among many Israelis that their military faces only bad options, drawing comparisons with U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The other two members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s three-man War Cabinet are demanding that he come up with detailed postwar plans.
Dangerous brew: Ocean heat and La Nina combo likely mean more Atlantic hurricanes this summer
WASHINGTON (AP) — Get ready for what nearly all the experts think will be one of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record thanks to unprecedented ocean heat and a brewing La Nina. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says there’s an 85% chance that the Atlantic hurricane season that starts in June will be above average in storm activity. An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of which become hurricanes and three major hurricanes. About 20 other groups — universities, other governments, private weather companies — also have made seasonal forecasts. All but two foresee a busier, nastier summer and fall for hurricanes.
White House pushes tech industry to shut down market for sexually abusive AI deepfakes
President Joe Biden’s administration is pushing the tech industry and financial institutions to shut down a growing market of abusive sexual images made with artificial intelligence technology. New generative AI tools have made it easy to transform someone’s likeness into a sexually explicit AI deepfake and share those realistic images across chatrooms or social media. The victims — be they celebrities or children — have little recourse to stop it. The White House is putting out a call Thursday looking for voluntary cooperation from companies in the absence of federal legislation.
NBA great Dwyane Wade launches Translatable, an online community supporting transgender youth
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade has launched Translatable, a nonprofit online community dedicated to supporting transgender youth. Wade made the announcement Thursday at the Make Good Famous Summit after receiving the Elevate Prize Catalyst Award. His return to South Florida, where he spent much of his storied NBA career, was purposeful. He and his family felt they had to move California after his daughter, Zaya, came out as transgender in 2020. Wade says Zaya was inspirational in creating Translatable and share the award with her. He pledged that he would donate the $250,000 prize that comes with The Elevate Prize Catalyst Award for Translatable.
At 75, NYC Ballet is getting older. Its audience is skewing younger — and that’s the plan
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Ballet, one of the world’s premier dance troupes, has been celebrating its 75th anniversary all year. But while the company founded by George Balanchine is getting older, its audience is skewing younger. And that’s all part of the plan, to ensure the company’s future and, in a broader sense, the continued relevance of classical dance. In an interview, the troupe’s artistic leaders of the last five years — former dancers Wendy Whelan and Jonathan Stafford — said attracting younger fans has been one of their main goals. They say it’s been achieved in part by lowering ticket prices, especially for those under 30.
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