Auquan's Weekly Wrap | 21st- 27th January: What you might have missed
Live Nation and Ticket Master under scrutiny by U.S. Senators, Drax Lobbying Efforts and more...
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Drax Environmental Risks
Drax is facing potential strike action by its workers in Scotland over a pay dispute, which could disrupt energy supplies to Scottish businesses. The company recently faced a fine of £6.12 million by Ofgem for submitting excessively expensive bids and breaching its Generation Licence. The company is also facing accusations by Greenpeace of distorting its stance on biomass burning and estimates that Drax could receive more than £30 billion in future subsidies. The outcome of the dispute and its impact on energy supplies and the overall operations of the company remains uncertain.
- Greenpeace accuses Treasury of distorting its stance on biomass burning
- Drax Lobbying Efforts Revealed in Internal Treasury Memos
- Drax slammed by National Resources Defense Council in new report
- The 'green' row over the UK's largest renewable power plant
Live Nation - Ticketmaster Antitrust Investigation
Live Nation and Ticketmaster, the dominant player in the live music industry, are under scrutiny by U.S. senators for their lack of transparency and inability to block bot purchases of tickets. The hearing was called after a major ticketing debacle involving Taylor Swift's upcoming concert tour. Live Nation's CFO testified at the hearing and acknowledged that the company could have done better in handling the ticket sales and setting fan expectations. The senators also criticized Live Nation's fee structure and called for better enforcement of existing laws or new legislation to protect consumers.
- Amy Klobuchar’s Scrutinized Live Nation and Ticketmaster for Years. Will a Major Senate Hearing Increase Breakup Calls?
- Ticketmaster Closes Down Customer Phone Lines, Throws “Disney on Broadway” Under The Bus
- Zach Bryan Flips Off Ticketmaster, Aims to Shut Down Scalpers on New Summer Tour
- Ticketmaster is letting fans down, one overpriced concert at a time
- Live Nation CFO to testify in Senate after Taylor Swift ticketing woes
Big Pharma Pricing Power
A new report from Global Health Advocates and StopAids has revealed that the pharmaceutical industry, companies including Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna had a disproportionate influence on EU institutions, leading to harm to public health, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report highlights the influence of the pharmaceutical lobby on EU institutions such as the European Commission and the Parliament and calls for increased transparency in future negotiations between the Commission and pharmaceutical companies.
- Big Pharma has ‘disproportionate’ influence on public health, new report says
- Vaccine controversies: Big bucks for Big Pharma
- How the pharmaceutical industry uses disinformation to undermine drug price reform
- How Big Pharma Actually Spends Its Massive Profits
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