Revising History: Trump Takes On Smithsonian For Too Much Focus On Negative U.S. History, Like Slavery
Plus: Casual Dining Chains Defy Fast-Food Slump
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Good evening,
A ticket broker in Maryland is being sued for illegally purchasing and then inflating the prices to resell hundreds of thousands of concert tickets, including thousands of tickets for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour.
The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit on Monday against Key Investment Group in the District Court of Maryland.
According to the lawsuit, Key Investment Group bypassed Ticketmaster’s security measures to purchase tickets and resell them.
The FTC says the group used thousands of Ticketmaster accounts to bypass security measures and purchase the tickets, and used thousands of credit card numbers, spoofing IP addresses to hide the identity of the ticket purchaser.
Over 2,000 of those tickets were for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. The company made over $1.2 million in reselling those tickets.
The average ticket cost for the Eras Tour was $529. In some places, including in my home city of Toronto, the average price was over $2,000.
For just one show, the defendants allegedly used 49 different accounts to buy 273 tickets. The Eras Tour had a six-ticket purchase limit per customer, per event.
Jacked-up concert ticket prices aren’t just affecting Swifties. Tickets for Lorde at Madison Square Garden in October are so expensive that I’m thinking about making the schlep up to Montreal this fall for cheaper seats. Time to brush up on my français.
Sam
Associate Producer
🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING
Trump Orders Smithsonian To Review Its 'Negative' Portrayal Of U.S. History
President Trump directed his attorneys on Tuesday to review the Smithsonian museums in Washington, D.C, which are free to the public, criticizing them as being too “woke” and focused on negative themes like slavery rather than highlighting positive aspects of American history.
A White House official told CNN that the president “will explore all options and avenues to get the Woke out of the Smithsonian and hold them accountable.”
Trump signed an executive order this year that put Vice President JD Vance in charge of ending government spending on exhibits that don’t align with his agenda. He has also assigned aides to look for “improper ideology” at the Smithsonian.
BIGGER PICTURE
The move follows the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History removing references to Trump’s two impeachments from an exhibit in July, then reinstating them shortly after.
It comes as the Trump administration pushes to “celebrate American exceptionalism” ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday next July 4 — including audits at multiple museum locations.
In March, Trump issued an executive order targeting the museums for their alleged "distorted narrative driven by ideology."
The Trump administration has moved to roll back references to minority groups who achieved historic achievements. At the same time, it’s looking to restore monuments and names that some Americans associate with slavery and racism.
A Central Texas U.S. Army base reverted to its original name — Fort Hood (Not for Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood, but for Col. Robert B. Hood, a World War I officer).
The Pentagon renamed the USNS Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson.
Trump wants Washington’s NFL team to revert to the “Redskins," a name that was considered offensive to Native Americans.
Confederate statues in the D.C. area are being restored.
It’s not the first time members of the modern Republican Party have stirred controversy over slavery. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023 moved to downplay the history of racism in curriculum at his state's schools, even suggesting some Black people benefited from slavery by developing skills.
Bottom line: Trump has long criticized Democrats for using culture wars to change names and remove symbols that they find offensive; while others see them as an important part of American history. He’s now doing the same, just from the opposite vantage point.
🚨 ONE THING WE’RE FOLLOWING
Chili’s, Olive Garden, And Other Sit-Down Chains Defy The Slump In Fast Food Dining
There’s a clear winner in the latest restaurant wars: Casual Dining. Think: Chili’s and Olive Garden vs. McDonald’s and Sweetgreen. And it’s the opposite of what many analysts expected, as Americans have started to pull back on spending.
BABY BACK, BABY BACK: Chili’s has staged a remarkable turnaround, with a 24% increase in same-store sales in its most recent earnings report compared to the year before, and double-digit increases in the past five quarters. Other sit-down chains like The Cheesecake Factory, Applebee's, and Olive Garden also saw gains in the past few months.
AMERICANS WANT VALUE
Compare that to fast-casual and fast food chains like Sweetgreen, Cava, Pizza Hut, Popeye’s, and Wendy’s, which have been struggling as young people and lower-income Americans are cutting back.
Analysts say it’s all about value.
The cost of eating out is rising everywhere, but menu prices at sit-down chains have increased at a smaller rate, 34%, than at fast food restaurants, 38%.
That’s partly because sit-down chains are more centrally managed than fast-food restaurants, so management has more control over pricing, according to JP Morgan.
Chili’s, which is owned by the larger company Brinker International, also recently invested in better ingredients and restaurant technologies, and added staff hours, making for a better dining experience. Guest traffic increased by over 16% during the most recently completed quarter.
I Want You Back: Fast food chains are now offering better pricing to win back budget-conscious customers. McDonald's announced that it’s slashing combo deal prices, and Pizza Hut is rolling out “Crafted Flatzz,” a thinner version of its Personal Pan Pizza, for $5.
⏳ THE SPEED READ
🚨NATION
Judge: Texas can’t require the Ten Commandments in every classroom (MO NEWS)
Texas to vote on Republican redistricting plan (NBC)
Trump administration expands ‘good moral character’ requirement to become naturalized citizen (CNN)
Trump targets Smithsonian museums as 'WOKE' and ‘OUT OF CONTROL’ in post prompting heightened concerns (FOX)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
Israeli military will call up 50,000 reservists as it plans new phase of war in Gaza (AP)
Polish army believes drone that exploded in eastern Poland was launched from Russia (GUARDIAN)
Well-known rhinocerous breeder among 6 arrested in South Africa over $14 million rhino horn trafficking scheme (CBS)
‘Coolcations’ are booming again as tourists prioritize quieter, off-peak trips (CNBC)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
Target’s CEO is stepping down as customers turn away (CNN)
President Trump calls on Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook to resign (NPR)
UK inflation at 18-month high as food, transport costs soar (BLOOMBERG)
RFK Jr. attacks pediatric group after vaccine recommendations (THE HILL)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. deported to Mexico for alleged cartel ties and drug trafficking (AP)
Actor Aubrey Plaza opens up about grief after death of her husband on Amy Poehler’s podcast (CBS)
‘South Park’ takes aim at Trump’s militarized D.C. in new episode teaser trailer (ROLLING STONE)
Americans spend less time reading for fun over the past 20 years (ABC)
ICYMI FROM THE 📲
In case you missed it… Coldplay frontman Chris Martin is setting the record straight: it’s a jumbotron, not a kiss cam.
“I'm going to say this once and once only. It's not, never will be, and never was a kiss cam. … We put one couple and you're branded a kiss cam for the rest of your life. It's unbelievable,” Martin told fans at a concert in England on Tuesday.
REWIND: It was just a few weeks ago that Astronomer’s CEO and head of HR went viral when the “jumbotron” caught them canoodling at a Coldplay show in Boston, exposing their extramarital affair and eventually leading them to resign.