NC AG Jeff Jackson Takes Live Nation to Trial Over Ticket Inflation
...and four more stories from March 1-7, 2026
NC AG Jeff Jackson Takes Live Nation to Trial Over Ticket Inflation
The trial for a bipartisan antitrust case against Live Nation launched by 30 attorneys general including NC AG Jeff Jackson and the US Department of Justice started this week.
Jackson joined 29 Republican and Democratic attorneys general and the DOJ in asking the court to stop Live Nation’s anticompetitive behavior and require the company, which Jackson called an “entertainment monopoly,” to divest from Ticketmaster.
“Live Nation is illegally driving up ticket prices,” Jackson said in a statement. “Live Nation owns the tickets, the venues and the tours, and uses its power to charge higher prices for tickets and tack on ridiculous fees knowing fans have no choice but to pay. We want to break up this monopoly and bring ticket inflation down.”
Jackson is alleging that Live Nation squeezed fans by charging inflated prices that include unnecessary fees; strong-armed venues by locking them into long-term, exclusive agreements and threatening them with losing access to Live Nation-controlled tours and artists if they attempt to sign with a rival ticketing platform; and cornered artists, forcing them to select Live Nation as their promoter over competitors by leveraging its dominant control over large amphitheaters.
Dan Wall, executive vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs at Live Nation, has responded publicly to the allegations with a breakdown of the DOJ’s claims on the Live Nation website.
NC DOT Delays Toll Lane Project, Opposition Not Impressed
The NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT) announced Monday that it will expand the community engagement period for the controversial I-77 South Express Lanes project, pushing back the planned request for proposals to late June 2026.
“This project design is in its very early stages, and we want the public to know there is significant time remaining for their voices to be heard,” said NCDOT Secretary Daniel Johnson. “We are committed to meeting with residents along the corridor, engaging with neighborhoods, and ensuring that community feedback is reflected in how this project moves forward.”
However, a coalition of 25 local community organizations that oppose the project quickly pointed out that, while they appreciate the decision, it “is not the meaningful pause Charlotte residents requested.”
A release from Sustain Charlotte on Monday read, “The agency’s statement makes clear that this additional time is intended for further community meetings on expanding this freeway with toll lanes — not for evaluating alternatives to adding toll lanes.”
The opposing organizers are asking that, before any more public funds are committed, planners carry out an independent review of alternatives to the proposed expansion.
“We are counting on Charlotte City Council tonight to stand firm in calling for a true pause and a thorough evaluation of better solutions for our region,” read Monday’s release.
Read more: Residents Voice Outrage After I-77 Toll Lane Design Selection
City Leaders Break Ground on Eastland Sports Campus
City leaders joined development partners and community members to break ground on the $67.1-million Eastland Sports Campus (ESC) on Monday morning, a big step for one of the most anticipated subdevelopments inside Eastland Yards.
Spanning 29 acres at Eastland Yards, the amateur sports campus will include six full-size multipurpose athletic fields and a 100,000-square-foot indoor center that will include courts for basketball, volleyball and other sports.
Other ESC amenities will include health and wellness offices, an academic learning center and STEM lab, food and beverage stations, walking and bike paths, and expansive green space
“Eastland Sports Campus represents an exciting new chapter for the Eastland Yards redevelopment, bringing new amenities, economic activity and vibrant energy to the area,” said Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles. “This new destination will drive economic impact while serving as a source of pride, not just for East Charlotte but for our entire city.”
The project is expected to generate an annual economic impact of $169 million, creating more than 500 jobs and 130,000 hotel room stays annually.
“This reflects months of collaboration and demonstrates what’s possible when public leadership, private partners and the community come together with a shared purpose,” said Robert Bolton, managing partner, Eastland Sports Campus.
“Youth sports are booming in Charlotte and across the country,” Bolton continued. “Eastland Sports Campus positions the city to build on that incredible momentum, giving local athletes and families access to first-class facilities while also strengthening Charlotte’s ability to attract regional and national tournaments that fuel economic growth and showcase our community.”
Eastland Sports Campus is expected to open in late 2028.
Annual Teaching Report Shows Slight Rise in Educator Attrition
The North Carolina State Board of Education (NC BOE) on Wednesday released the annual State of the Teaching Profession and School Administrator Report on Wednesday. Mandated by the North Carolina General Assembly, the report measures teacher attrition and vacancies between March 2024 and March 2025 for North Carolina’s 115 public school districts.
The attrition rate, which tracks how many teachers left their full-time teaching job in a given school year, rose from 9.88% in 2023-24 to 10.11% in 2024-25, representing 221 more teachers leaving their jobs than the previous school year.
While not in the top five worst districts for teacher attrition, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools did rate higher than the state average at 14.92%.
While the NC BOE emphasized that the slight increase marked a leveling off in attrition rates from the post-COVID high observed in the 2022-23 report, the NC Association of Educators emphasized its disappointment with the report, specifically data showing that attrition rates are highest for new teachers and for those with 30 or more years of experience.
“While we would have preferred to see more encouraging data in this report, the findings are not surprising,” stated NCAE President Tamika Walker Kelly in a release on Wednesday. “Our General Assembly has failed to invest in educators in ways that retain educators or attract new ones to the profession. Instead, lawmakers have enacted policies that push educators out — keeping wages stagnant so many must work multiple jobs to support themselves and their families, while also cutting benefits and limiting classroom resources.”
Walker Kelly continued, “If we want better outcomes for our students and our state, we must start by doing better for our educators.”
This news follows the recent Reason Foundation report ranking North Carolina 48th in the nation for teacher pay and the Education Law Center’s Making the Grade report placing the state last in per-pupil spending.
West Charlotte Selected for Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine Program
West Charlotte High School has been selected to join the Iovine and Young Center, a national education program launched by legendary rapper and producer Dr. Dre (Andre Young) and music producer Jimmy Iovine that aims to nurture the next generation of tech leaders.
Scheduled to launch in the 2026–27 school year, an existing classroom in West Charlotte will be renovated to house the new center, featuring state-of-the-art equipment and furniture. The center will provide hands-on instruction and coaching in design, technology, business and communications.
“West Charlotte High School has always been a school where talent and potential run deep, and this opportunity helps us match that potential with real-world, innovative pathways,” said West Charlotte Principal Paula Cook. “We are so excited to partner with the Iovine and Young Education Group to give our scholars access to hands-on learning, industry-aligned experiences and the confidence to see themselves as creators, innovators and future leaders.”
According to a CMS release announcing the selection this week, students who have gone through the academy, which launched in Los Angeles in 2022 and has since expanded to major cities across the country, have moved into roles at global companies like Apple, Google, Adidas, Adobe, Meta, Spotify, DreamWorks, Sony, Imagine Entertainment, and Verizon.
Alumni have also influenced the education, medical and nonprofit sectors, with academy entrepreneurs raising more than $120 million in investment.
West Charlotte High School is expected to receive around $2 million over five years to implement the program.
Read more: The 704 Way Project Tackles Youth Violence in Charlotte
