Ticketmaster Trial, Breast Cancer Declines, & Laughing at Yourself

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Adam Rogers
March 04, 2026

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The federal government and 39 states opened an antitrust trial yesterday in New York against Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster, accusing the entertainment giant of using its dominance to shut out competitors and harm artists, venues, and fans. If found liable, the companies could be forced to separate.
Ticketmaster controls roughly 80% of primary ticket sales in the US, while Live Nation manages more than 400 artists and owns or operates over 265 venues across North America. Prosecutors say artists are pressured to use Live Nation’s promotion and ticketing services to access its venues, and venues are pushed into long-term exclusive contracts. Live Nation denies the allegations, arguing competition in live events has increased since 2010.
The case follows years of backlash over ticket pricing and industry control, intensified by the chaotic 2022 Taylor Swift Eras Tour sales, which saw platform crashes, long queues, and soaring resale prices. A judge dismissed separate price-gouging claims in February, ruling prosecutors had not shown ticket prices exceeded competitive market levels, though broader monopoly allegations will proceed.

A Georgia jury found Colin Gray, 55, guilty yesterday on 27 counts, including second-degree murder and manslaughter, stemming from the September 2024 mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia.
Prosecutors argued Gray gave his son Colt an AR-15-style rifle as a Christmas present despite being warned the boy had an affinity for mass shooters and kept a shrine to the Parkland shooter in his bedroom. Colt Gray allegedly used the weapon to kill two students and two teachers and injure eight others. He is awaiting a separate trial as an adult. Taking the stand in his own defense, Colin Gray broke down and said of his son: "He's a good kid... I don't know if anybody would see that type of evil."
The conviction goes further than the Crumbley parents' involuntary manslaughter verdicts in Michigan, marking an escalation in holding parents criminally responsible for their children's access to firearms.

A major Lancet report covering 1990 to 2023 found breast cancer death rates in the US fell by more than 40% while new diagnoses dropped nearly 30%. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide — nearly one in four women diagnosed with cancer in 2023 had breast cancer. Five-year survival rates now reach 85-90% in high-income countries.
However, the gains mask a widening global divide. Death rates in Sub-Saharan Africa rose more than 80% over the same period, driven by inadequate screening that leads to later-stage diagnoses. Even within the US, Black women die from breast cancer at 1.4 times the rate of white women.
Researchers pointed to emerging technologies — including diagnostic blood tests and cancer-preventing vaccines — as potential tools to close the global gap.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein, after acknowledging he visited Epstein's island in 2012 but denying any wrongdoing. (More)

A small plane crashed into the Hudson River after an emergency, but both the pilot and passenger swam to shore safely and are being treated for minor injuries. (More)

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration illegally tried to kill New York City's congestion pricing program, allowing the tolls on Manhattan drivers to continue. (More)

China called for all sides to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic has dropped 60% after the US-Israeli attack on Iran. (More)

After Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, Israel struck Lebanon, killing 40 people, and sent troops in on Tuesday, as Hezbollah declared it was ready for open war. (More)

The US closed embassies in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Kuwait and urged Americans to leave the Middle East immediately after a drone hit an embassy in Saudi Arabia. (More)

US stock markets closed lower on Tuesday (S&P -0.94%, Nasdaq -1.02%, Dow -0.83%) as concerns of a prolonged Middle East conflict spooked investors. (More)

Blackstone shares fell 8% Tuesday after investors pulled nearly 8% from its $82 billion private credit fund last quarter. (More)

Gas prices jumped 11 cents overnight, hitting a national average of $3.11 a gallon, as war in the Middle East stranded oil shipments in the Persian Gulf. (More)

The Arizona Cardinals are releasing quarterback Kyler Murray next week, ending his six-year tenure with the team. (More)

The Indianapolis Colts placed the transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones, guaranteeing them the right to match any competing offer as Jones recovers from a season-ending Achilles tear. (More)

Warner Bros. is developing a Game of Thrones movie about King Aegon I Targaryen's conquest of Westeros, envisioned as a Dune-sized blockbuster, with HBO also working on a rival version. (More)

Left-handers are more competitive than right-handers and less likely to avoid competition due to anxiety, a new Italian study found. (More)

Yellowstone's Echinus Geyser — the world's largest acidic geyser — erupted again after five years dormant. Its acidity is mild enough that park officials compare it to orange juice or vinegar. (More)

Bacteria might survive asteroid impacts well enough to hitch rides between planets, Johns Hopkins researchers found, after shooting hardy microbes with pressure 24 times greater than the ocean's deepest point. (More)

Why laughing at yourself makes you more likable.

Crossing guard’s musings earn her $14K a month.

Fashion designer sculpts wedding dress from snow.

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