Concert Deals, Texas Lawsuits and School Rules: A Week of Big Moves

The week kicked off with a surprise for music fans: the Justice Department and Live Nation have come close to a settlement in a lawsuit that criticises their grip on concert tickets. The case, launched by the Biden team and joined by 30 state attorneys general, says Live Nation’s purchase of Ticketmaster in 2010 gave it a monopoly that drives up prices. A deal would let the company keep its control over venues and ticketing, a move that many state leaders say ignores fans’ complaints. Some officials, like New York’s attorney general, argue the settlement does not curb the alleged monopoly and will benefit Live Nation at consumers’ expense. In Texas, a new battle is brewing over the state’s Historically Underutilised Business (HUB) program. On December 2, acting comptroller Kelly Hancock issued an emergency rule that replaced HUB with a program called VetHUB, limiting eligibility to veteran‑owned businesses with service‑connected disabilities. The change wiped out over 15, 000 minority and women‑owned contractors who had relied on the program for public contracts. The owners have sued, claiming the comptroller’s rewrite violated state law and denied them their earned rights. The lawsuit is supported by civil‑rights groups that argue the executive branch cannot change statutes without a court order or legislative approval.Virginia lawmakers have just passed a bill that would shape how K‑12 schools talk about the January 6 attack and the 2020 election. The new law would forbid teachers from describing the protest as “peaceful” or suggesting widespread voter fraud. It reflects a push by some state officials to counter what they see as misinformation from the White House and the Trump administration, which continues to investigate election results in states like Arizona and Georgia. Republicans say the bill imposes partisan views on children, while supporters argue it protects students from false claims. The week also marked the passing of civil‑rights activist Bernard Lafayette Jr. , who helped organise voter registration drives and marches in Selma, Alabama. He was a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and later served as president of a Baptist college. His death was mourned nationwide, with many recalling his role in the struggle for equal voting rights. Meanwhile, the Trump administration ordered Arizona to hand over its 2020 voting records. The move follows a federal grand jury subpoena issued to Maricopa County, the state’s largest county. The request comes as the administration continues to pursue investigations into alleged election fraud, despite extensive court rulings that have found no evidence of widespread irregularities. The subpoena has sparked controversy, with some officials claiming they received no notice.