Headlines From The Times

After Ticketmaster botched sales for Taylor Swift’s upcoming concert tour, her die-hard fans, known as Swifties, did more than just whine on social media. They took political action, calling their representatives in Congress and flagging their concerns to other lawmakers across the country. Some Swifties even filed a lawsuit.This is far from the first time Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation, have been accused of unfairly monopolizing the ticket market. And after another debacle last week that left Bad Bunny fans stranded outside his sold-out concert in Mexico City, it’s clear it won’t be the last time either.Today, we look at whether the latest backlash is big enough to finally break Ticketmaster’s stranglehold on the live music market.Read the full transcript here. Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times reporter August Brown and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.More reading:More bad news for Swifties: Ticketmaster cancels Friday on-sale for Taylor’s Eras tourYou better lawyer up, Ticketmaster: Taylor Swift fans file Eras Tour lawsuitEssential Politics: Will Taylor Swift end Ticketmaster’s dominance?

Jessica Roy was hanging with friends at a piano bar when her wallet was stolen — and became a victim of identity theft. Roy filed the necessary reports and thought she’d be able to handle everything pretty quickly. That didn’t happen.Today, she shares her ordeal and explains why fixing identity theft is a never-ending nightmare and why recovering from it is so much harder than you think.Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: Assistant Utility Journalism team editor Jessica RoyMore reading:My wallet was stolen at a bar. Then my identity theft nightmare beganAre you the victim of identity theft? Here’s what to doIs identity theft protection worth it? Here’s what you should know

Keke Palmer has already racked up two decades in show business. She acts, sings, hosts a TV show and is the face of numerous memes — and she has big plans for more. Fresh off hosting "SNL" and starring in “Nope,” Palmer recently sat down with our sister podcast "The Envelope." She shares what it was like to work with Jordan Peele on his blockbuster sci-fi thriller, how she felt about being her family’s breadwinner during her childhood and the advice Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett gave her on the set of “Akeelah and the Bee.” Read the full transcript here. Hosts: Mark Olsen and Yvonne VillarrealGuests: Keke PalmerMore reading:Surprise! Keke Palmer announces pregnancy and SZA reveals album release date on ‘SNL’Is there anything better than Keke Palmer on a press tour? NopeReview: A superb Keke Palmer keeps underdeveloped ‘Alice’ mostly on track

The workload for graduate students, researchers and assistants who take on-campus jobs for their discipline is notoriously underpaid and endless. That’s why 48,000 of those workers throughout the University of California system have gone on strike, demanding better pay and conditions. The strike is happening even as finals loom.Today, we examine the background and what’s next. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times education reporter Teresa WatanabeMore reading:Nearly 48,000 UC graduate students poised to shut down many classes, labs and research with strikeUC postdoctoral scholars and researchers reach tentative deal but strike continuesChaos over grades, finals and ongoing classes erupts as UC strike continues

Mainland China is roiled by protests, the size of which have not been seen in a generation. People are calling for an end to the government’s strict “zero-COVID” restrictions. The moment has also brought rare public criticism of its architect, President Xi Jinping. Just months ago, he secured an unprecedented third term, but now is as vulnerable as he’s ever been.Today, we examine whether the zero-COVID policy could be Xi’s downfall. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times China correspondent Stephanie YangMore reading:‘Zero COVID’ is roiling China. But ending the policy may cause a massive health disasterProtests over China’s strict COVID-19 controls spread across the countryDreams of a Red Emperor: The relentless rise of Xi Jinping

This week, Congress passed a bill that effectively imposed an agreement between rail workers and their companies and prohibited a strike. Politicians feared that any work stoppage would cripple the U.S. economy for the holidays, costing the country billions of dollars.Today, we talk about the unique, violent history of rail workers trying to fight for better union contracts. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: University of Rhode Island history professor Erik LoomisMore reading:Senate moves to avert rail strike amid dire warningsBiden calls on Congress to head off potential rail strikeBig rail unions split on contract deal with railroads, raising possibility of a strike

Few people associate urban and suburban Southern California with floods anymore, mostly because many of its rivers were dammed up or transformed into concrete gulches long ago. But scientists say a megaflood could hit the entire state and would submerge cities, hitting communities of color particularly hard.The state is nowhere near prepared for that. Today, our Masters of Disasters talk about this upcoming flood, what it could mean for a rising sea and more. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times earthquake-COVID reporter Ron Lin, L.A. Times coastal reporter Rosanna Xia, and L.A. Times environmental reporter Louis SahagúnMore reading:Major flood would hit Los Angeles Black communities disproportionately hard, study findsRisk of catastrophic California ‘megaflood’ has doubled due to global warming, researchers sayMore than 400 toxic sites in California are at risk of flooding from sea level rise

For the last decade, about 800,000 individuals who came to the United States as children but have no legal status have been protected from deportation by a program commonly referred to as DACA. It has allowed them to legally work, apply for driver's licenses and even travel abroad. But the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to strike DACA down, leaving the individuals enrolled with no clear step on how to legalize their status.Today, we hear from DACA recipients who aren't going to wait to find out and have moved from the U.S.. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuest: L.A. Times immigration reporter Andrea CastilloMore reading: Why these DACA recipients traded living in the U.S. for other countries ‘I can’t keep fighting the system’: DACA recipients are leaving the U.S., disheartened by years of instability On the 10th anniversary of DACA, Janet Napolitano reflects on program she helped create

Right now, the eyes of much of the world is on the FIFA World Cup in Qatar as 32 teams fight for national pride. One team is Mexico, whose unique fanbase sets it apart from the world. With loyalties to both Mexico and the United States, it’s a representation of resilience, controversy and so much more.Today, we examine the phenomenon. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: Univisión News anchor León KrauzeMore reading:Watch “Al Grito de Guerra”Gracias Fútbol: Reliving our favorite World Cup memoriesThis soccer-mad L.A. Latina has attended seven World Cups. Qatar will make it eight

Grasshopper hunting has been going on in Mexico for thousands of years, but lately eating them has gained wider acceptance. Consumption of the jumpy little protein-packed insects is booming, and more and more restaurants are putting them on the menu ... and not just in Mexico.Today, chapulines, the world of harvesting and eating grasshoppers in Mexico. Read the full transcript here.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Latin America correspondent Leila MillerMore reading:Are grasshoppers as delicious as ham? Mexico’s insect hunters would like you to find outReview: ‘Bugs’ documentary explores insect-eating as a cure for world hungerThis pop-up dinner menu is full of bugs. Yes, those kinds of bugs