Music megastars including Post Malone, Chris Brown, LeAnn Rimes and Nickelback reportedly received millions of dollars from a taxpayer-funded program intended to help venues and musicians struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, introduced in 2021, was operated through the Small Business Administration (SBA) and was designed as a lifeline for live entertainment business which had been decimated by lockdowns. It doled out $14.5 billion to institutions such as movie theaters, ballets, performing arts venues and talent agents - as well as artists. In comparison to the Paycheck ... (full story)