A jury has determined that Live Nation and its subsidiary, Ticketmaster, improperly controlled major concert venues, marking a defeat for the company in a legal battle initiated by numerous U.S. states and the District of Columbia. The decision highlights the company’s monopolistic influence in the live entertainment sector.

After four days of deliberation, a federal jury in Manhattan delivered its verdict on Wednesday in a high-profile case that has drawn considerable public attention. The trial provided a rare glimpse into the operations of an entity that wields significant power over live events both domestically and internationally.

Jeffrey Kessler, one of the attorneys involved, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, declaring, “It’s a great day for antitrust law,” as he exited the courthouse.

Earlier in the proceedings, the judge instructed the legal teams to collaborate with the United States in drafting a joint letter. This document is expected to outline a proposed timetable for motions and detail how the remedies phase of the case will proceed, with a submission deadline set for late next week.

During the trial, Live Nation’s CEO, Michael Rapino, took the stand, facing inquiries about various issues, including the notorious ticketing crisis for Taylor Swift’s 2022 tour. Rapino attributed the fiasco to a cyberattack.

The proceedings also aired a Live Nation employee’s internal messages to another employee declaring some prices “outrageous,” calling customers “so stupid” and boasting that the company was “robbing them blind, baby.” The employee, Benjamin Baker, who has since been promoted to a position as a ticketing executive, apologetically testified that the messages were “very immature and unacceptable.”

Live Nation Entertainment owns, operates, controls booking for or has an equity interest in hundreds of venues. Its subsidiary Ticketmaster is widely considered to be the world’s largest ticket-seller for live events. Its lawyers did not immediately comment as they left the courthouse, but said a statement would be issued shortly.

The verdict could cost Live Nation and Ticketmaster hundreds of millions of dollars, just for the $1.72 per ticket that the jury found Ticketmaster had overcharged consumers in 22 states. The companies could also be assessed penalties. In addition, sanctions could result in court orders that they divest themselves of some entities, including venues such as amphitheaters that they own.

The civil case, initially led by the U.S. federal government, accused Live Nation of using its reach to smother competition – by blocking venues from using multiple ticket sellers, for example.

“It is time to hold them accountable,” Jeffrey Kessler, an attorney for the states, said in a closing argument, calling Live Nation a “monopolistic bully” that drove up prices for ticket buyers.

Live Nation insisted it’s not a monopoly, saying that artists, sports teams and venues decide prices and ticketing practices. A company lawyer insisted its size was simply a function of excellence and effort.

“Success is not against the antitrust laws in the United States,” attorney David Marriott said in his summation.

Ticketmaster was established in 1976 and merged with Live Nation in 2010. The company now controls of 86% of the market for concerts and 73% of the overall market when sports events are included, according to Kessler.

Ticketmaster has long drawn ire from fans and some artists. Grunge rock titans Pearl Jam battled the business in the 1990s, even filing an anti-monopoly complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice, which declined to bring a case then.

Decades later, the Justice Department, joined by dozens of states, brought the current lawsuit during Democratic former President Joe Biden’s administration. Days into the trial, Republican President Donald Trump’s administration announced it was settling its claims against Live Nation.

The deal included a cap on service fees at some amphitheaters, plus some new ticket-selling options for promoters and venues – potentially allowing, but not requiring, them to open doors to Ticketmaster competitors such as SeatGeek or AXS. But the settlement doesn’t force Live Nation to split from Ticketmaster.

A handful of the states joined the settlement. But more than 30 pressed ahead with the trial, saying the federal government hadn’t gotten enough concessions from Live Nation.

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a release that the “landmark jury verdict in our case against Live Nation confirms what we have said since the start of our case: For far too long, Live Nation has illegally profited from its monopoly at the expense of hardworking New Jerseyans.”

“Live Nation’s illegal, anti-competitive practices have caused immense damage in our state, exploiting consumers by driving up the price of tickets and making it harder for fans to see their favorite artists,” she added.

New York Attorney General Letitia James called the verdict “a landmark victory in our ongoing work to protect our economy and New Yorkers’ wallets from harmful monopolies.”

After the victory, Kessler would not say specifically what the states will seek in the next phase of the litigation, which was expected to involve another lengthy proceeding with witnesses before penalties are decided on.

But he celebrated the moment.

“It’s a great day for consumers. This case is a tribute to the 34 states and the District of Columbia who carried this case forward,” he said.

Joy Harmon, the celebrated screen siren of the 1960s best known for her memorable role in “Cool Hand Luke,” has passed away at the age of 87.

Harmon, who captivated audiences as the alluring Lucille in the 1967 film alongside Paul Newman, died at her residence in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday. Her family confirmed that she was surrounded by loved ones during her final moments, according to a report by TMZ.

Having transitioned from acting to entrepreneurship, Harmon ran a thriving bakery in Burbank, California. Unfortunately, she had been struggling with pneumonia for several weeks prior to her passing.

Despite her illness, Harmon was determined and hopeful for recovery, continuing her work at Aunt Joy’s Cakes up until the day before she was admitted to the hospital.

A family member shared with the publication that Harmon spent “one to two weeks in the hospital, followed by several weeks in a rehabilitation center, before returning home to spend her final days in hospice care with her family.”

1960s screen icon Joy Harmon, who wowed fans in Cool Hand Luke, has died aged 87 – pictured as car-washer Lucille in the film in 1967

Harmon passed away at her Los Angeles-area home on Tuesday, surrounded by her loved ones, a family member confirmed to TMZ – pictured 1972 in The Odd Couple

She also appeared in films including Village of the Giants, Angel in my Pocket, and One Way Wahine as well as TV roles on Bewitched, The Odd Couple and Batman. 

Harmon moved away from her Hollywood career to focus on raising her three children with her ex-husband Jeff Gourson.

Her family remembered Harmon as a ‘positive thinker full of life and vibrancy, and certainly had no problem spreading joy throughout her life.’

She is survived by her three children and nine grandchildren.

Born Patricia Joy Harmon in Queens in 1940, she became a newsreel model at the age of three and then her family moved to Connecticut, where she was raised.

As a teenager she made finalist in the Miss Connecticut pageant and began her stage career at a local playhouse in Bridgeport, kick-starting the process that led to her Broadway debut at the age of 18 in Make a Million, a comedy about a quiz show.

Groucho Marx saw her in the production and was so taken with her he brought her onto his actual quiz show You Bet Your Life, launching her in Hollywood.

He made her the announcer on his later quiz show Tell It To Groucho and often flirted with her on set, she recalled fondly on the podcast Vanguard of Hollywood.

‘He had the reputation of being flirty with women. He was very flirty with me when we were on set. But that wasn’t like him at all, because then he would be questioning me: “Where did you go last night? What were you doing? No, you don’t do that.” He was just like a dad to me, but I loved him very much and I went a lot to his house,’ she said.

In the 1960s she jobbed around on such beloved TV series of the time as The Beverly Hillbillies, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., That Girl and Burke’s Law.

However her best-remembered role was in Cool Hand Luke as a blonde called Lucille, who suggestively washes a car and prances around for the benefit of an increasingly overheated group of inmates doing prison labor nearby.

The three-minute scene at once made her an enduring pinup of the 1960s, heralding the increasingly open sexuality of the emerging New Hollywood.

When Harmon showed up to audition for the part, the movie’s leading man Paul Newman was taken with her looks, marveling: ‘Gosh, you have the bluest eyes.’

Before the filming of the car wash scene, the male cast playing the inmates – including Newman, George Kennedy, JD Cannon, Strother Martin and and Jo Van Vleet – were forbidden from bringing their wives or girlfriends to the set.

‘They wanted the guys not to be around women for a long time,’ Harmon explained. ‘So they couldn’t talk to me – the cast, you know. They just kept them separate, ’cause they wanted their reaction I guess.’

To the last years of her life, Harmon kept getting fan mail for the car wash scene, with customers at her bakery asking her to sign stills from the film. 

She married film editor and TV producer Jeff Gourson in 1968 and continued appearing on such programs as The Monkees and Love, American Style.

After a final guest shot on an episode of the 1973 flop sitcom Thicker Than Water starring Julie Harris, she retired from acting to focus on raising her children, and found her second act with her beloved Aunt Joy’s Cakes in Burbank. 

In a bold move, Donald Trump has set a 48-hour deadline to conclude the conflict with Iran, even as the Pentagon ramps up military presence by dispatching thousands of additional troops to the Middle East.

During a conversation with ABC News on Wednesday, the President hinted at an impending resolution, stating, “You’re going to be watching an amazing two days ahead,” suggesting that a significant deal might be on the horizon.

Trump further remarked, “They really do have a different regime now. No matter what, we took out the radicals. They’re gone, no longer with us,” underscoring what he claims is a transformative shift in the region’s leadership.

He also credited his leadership for global stability, asserting, “If I weren’t President, the world would be torn to pieces.”

Amidst these declarations, the Pentagon is reportedly preparing to bolster its military forces in the region, an effort detailed by the Washington Post, as tensions continue to simmer.

Approximately 6,000 troops aboard the USS George HW Bush and several other warships are expected to arrive near the end of the month. Trump’s new military surge will also include 4,200 Marines with the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group. 

The US had around 50,000 troops stationed around the Middle East before the fresh deployment that will bring the total force closer to 60,000. 

After peace talks with the Islamic regime collapsed over the weekend, the President launched a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil chokepoint through which roughly a quarter of the world’s supply flows.

Donald Trump is said to have imposed a 48-hour deadline to bring the war with Iran to a head

It comes as the Pentagon is preparing to send thousands of new troops to the Middle East, according to the Washington Post 

Some 6,000 troops aboard several warships are expected to arrive near the end of the month. Above, an F/A-18E Super Hornet launching from USS Abraham Lincoln

Trump imposed the blockade to push Tehran back to the negotiating table, with the President reportedly reluctant to resume the bombing campaign which has brought chaos to the Middle East. 

The Daily Mail has contacted the White House for comment. 

Trump’s remarks come after another phone call he had with the NYPost the day before in which he floated another round of negotiations in Pakistan. 

Additional peace talks ‘could be happening over next two days,’ the President teased. 

‘You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there,’ Trump said of Islamabad.

‘It’s more likely, you know why? Because the field marshal is doing a great job,’ he continued, lauding Pakistan’s top military official, Field Marshal General Asim Munir, who has played a central role in mediating US-Iran peace talks.

On Saturday, Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and the President’s son-in-law Jared Kushner negotiated for over 20 hours with with Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. 

Following the discussions, Vance indicated that Iran was unwilling or unable to meet the American cadre’s minimum demands, namely halting their nuclear ambitions. 

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a press conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran as Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for Peace Missions, listen, on Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan

A teddy bear amidst the rubble in a bombed out building in southern Tehran

There has been no formal announcement indicating a second round of negotiations between the Iranian and US delegations. 

The President has indicated repeatedly over the last weeks that the war is close to over – a claim he repeated in a Tuesday interview with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo.

‘I view it as very close to over… We’re not finished, we’ll see what happens,’ he told the host.

He has also claimed that the US has ‘won’ the conflict, noting that if he were to cease hostilities at this point Iran would need decades before it could rebuild its capabilities. 

He also told Bartiromo that he expects gas prices to fall before the midterm elections later this year after previously indicating that the fuel costs could remain elevated. 

‘‘I think they will be much lower,’ he told the host. 

In another statement posted on social media Wednesday, Trump declared that the Strait of Hormuz is now ‘permanently open.’

‘China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. I am doing it for them, also – And the World. This situation will never happen again.’

‘They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks,’ Trump continued, noting his upcoming trip to China in mid-May. 

A two week ceasefire announced by Trump last week after he backed off of his threat to destroy Iran’s civilization will expire on April 22. 

Elizabeth Banks recently shared that she underwent nearly ten rounds of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) before she and her husband, Max Handelman, welcomed their sons, Felix, 15, and Magnus, 13, through surrogacy.

During Wednesday’s episode of the “Modern Love” podcast, the actress recalled how her doctor initially suggested surrogacy but mentioned IVF as an option worth trying first.

“We decided to go through with it,” Banks, now 52, shared. “We went through nine procedures to bring our two sons into the world.”

Ultimately, the star of “Miniature Wife” chose a different path.

“My husband and I turned to gestational surrogacy to have our children, which essentially means we create the baby and another woman carries it for us,” Banks explained.

The “Hunger Games” actress shared that she has never been pregnant — which might have been a telltale sign from the start.

“When we were having trouble getting pregnant, the very first thing that the fertility doctor asked me was, ‘Have you ever been pregnant?’ And I thought ‘[what] a weird question,’” Banks continued.

The “30 Rock” alum added that while she started having sex at 15 she had never “had a scare.”

“Women get pregnant when they have sex for 20 years pretty consistently,” she mused. “And so, it was my first wake-up call of like, yeah, maybe something’s not totally right here.”

In 2011, Banks opened up about her fertility struggles while announcing Felix’s birth in a blog post on her website.

“The one true hurdle I’ve faced in life is that I have a broken belly,” the “Pitch Perfect” star penned. “After years of trying to get pregnant, exploring the range of fertility treatments, all unsuccessful, our journey led us to gestational surrogacy.”

Banks called her now-teenager a “miracle” baby — which is where his moniker comes from.

“Felix means ‘happy’ and ‘lucky’ in Latin,” she gushed. “And true to his name, Felix is a very happy baby and a blessing on our life.”

Just a year later, Banks took to her blog for a second time to welcome Magnus into the world.

“I have much for which to be thankful – personal, professional, and Presidential,” she wrote. “However, nothing can match the joy and excitement my husband and I felt when we recently welcomed our second baby boy.”

In the years since, Banks — who tied the knot with Handelman, 52, in 2003 — has largely kept her kids out of the spotlight.

In 2023, the Emmy nominee opened up about navigating motherhood and her on-screen career.

“I’m not sure that balance is, there’s no balance achievable,” Banks told People at the time. “For me, what I’ve come to is letting go of guilt. It’s societal. But you let go of it. And I trust my husband. My husband — just being like, ‘You got it.’”