Allegheny County Council passed a bill prohibiting county police from assisting ICE.

Why it matters: ICE arrests have risen sharply since the start of President Trump's second term, including a growing number in Pittsburgh involving immigrants without local criminal charges — some with work permits or pending asylum claims.

Driving the news: County Council voted 11-3 with one abstention to restrict cooperation with federal immigration officials during a meeting last night.

Zoom in: Unless required by state or federal law, the bill bars county police and county workers from:

• Assisting ICE or Border Patrol with enforcement "in any capacity"
• Asking about residents' immigration status
• Contracting with federal authorities to share county data for immigration enforcement
• Retaining citizenship information on county documents for more than 60 days

Context: The county already has a policy limiting cooperation with ICE, but council members sought to codify those rules into law.

What they're saying: Councilwoman At-Large Bethany Hallam (D-North Side), who supports the ban, has said sheriff's deputies assisted ICE operations.

• "Policies are not laws, and resolutions are not laws. We got elected to make laws," said Hallam.

The other side: Amendments from Council Members Aaron Adams (D-Duquesne) and Suzanne Filiaggi (R-Wexford) to exempt the sheriff's office and add a Jan. 1, 2029, expiration date to the bill were voted down.

By the numbers: More than 800 immigrants were detained in Pittsburgh's ICE holding cells last year — an eightfold increase from the prior year. About 20% had a criminal record, per the Post-Gazette.

What's next: County Executive Sara Innamorato said she will sign the bill into law, per a statement.

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The U.S. Justice Department hailed a tentative settlement in its antitrust case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster as a win for consumers, but Pennsylvania and two dozen other states say the legal battle isn't over.

Why it matters: Pennsylvania's Republican attorney general, Dave Sunday, is among a coalition of state law enforcement officials refusing to sign the settlement — arguing it shortchanges consumers.

What they're saying: "Free markets require real competition," Sunday said in a statement. "For too long, Ticketmaster has leveraged its monopoly to drive up prices and fees while limiting choices for fans, artists and venues."

Zoom in: The live music giant agreed to cap service fees at 15% of face value and allow venues to partner with alternate ticket providers like StubHub, per the settlement.

• Live Nation's concert venues would be available for other promoters to book, and those promoters could decide how to distribute and sell up to half of the tickets.

By the numbers: There's no financial component to the settlement with the DOJ, but Live Nation set aside $280 million to pay damage claims brought by states.

Context: The government in 2019 found that Live Nation had repeatedly violated a 2010 merger consent decree and moved to extend and modify the agreement with stricter terms.

The other side: Live Nation said it has consistently maintained that the DOJ's allegations lacked merit and noted the settlement includes no admission of wrongdoing.

• The company in a statement added that the agreement will help improve the concert experience for artists and fans.

The bottom line: State AGs are increasingly stepping in as antitrust enforcers, and a bevy of recent examples show multistate efforts can be especially effective, Axios' Sara Fischer reports.

Go deeper

🥕 The Fresh Market high-end grocery store is taking over the former Whole Foods location on 5880 Centre Ave. in East Liberty. It will open on March 18. (TribLive)

🏛️ Pittsburgh City Council approved Mayor Corey O'Connor's picks for the city's planning commission, who could be key to shaping his development agenda. (WESA)

🥘 Titusz, a highly anticipated Austrian-Hungarian restaurant from chef Csilla Thackray, will open on April 2 in Lawrenceville at the former Merchant Oyster Co. on Butler Street. (Next Pittsburgh)

We're down to four fish fries in our quest to find the best.

Context: We put 16 churches, fire halls, social clubs and more head to head via reader nominations.

Zoom in: This round, Croatian National Hall Javor on the North Side takes on St. Elias Byzantine Catholic Church in Munhall.

• Swissvale Volunteer Fire Department competes against Allegheny Elks Lodge No. 339 on the North Side in a battle of two fan favorites.

Stunning stat: Defending champion Community Kitchen in Hazelwood was defeated last round, meaning readers will crown a new champion this year.

How it works: Vote in our tournament-style bracket each day this week to choose the region's best fry.

• Voting ends at 2pm, and winners will move to the final round tomorrow.

Vote here!

Pittsburgh's first big music festival this year is set to take the stage in about two months.

🎸 The intrigue: The Millvale Music Festival this week announced its lineup of over 300 musical acts that will take over the riverfront borough May 15-16.

🪩 Context: The two-day music fest closes off several of Millvale's streets and 28 stages take over the town's community centers, breweries, bars and outdoor spaces.

• It kicks off the region's warm weather festival season.

🥁 Zoom in: Local acts fill the lineup, including Liz Berlin of Rusted Root fame, and scores of others spanning nearly every genre.

• Dozens of visual artists, spoken-word performers and comedians will also perform.

📱 Check out the festival's social media pages for the full lineup and updates.