Nidhi Hegde
@nhegde
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Currently @econliberties & @fightmonopolies . Opinions my own. Bangalore born and raised. Now in DC with a few pit stops on the way.
Washington D.C.
Joined April 2009
Perfectly illustrated on The Daily today when Barbaro was trying a gotcha w/ Bernie on culture stuff after he had spent the interview explaining how economic populism and civil rights went together. Bernie’s take “You didn’t listen to a word I said Michael. That’s impressive”.
We are at a critical point for the Dem Party. Neoliberals want to go hard right on culture—mostly by abandoning trans rights—to paper over the unpopularity of their corporate politics. While progressives want to embrace economic populism and not give away to culture wars hysteria.
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Democrats need to talk a LOT more about how they are fighting corporate power - banning noncompetes, ending junk fees, breaking up Ticketmaster, etc. It's popular but no one knows they are doing anything about it which is such a missed opportunity. Poll from @MorePerfectUS
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This. They never picked fights or sold their wins. When DOJ won its trial against Google, the WH did a tweet and Trump took credit in an interview! It’s not that Google is the top voter concern but naming villains and yelling when you vanquish them is basic political theater. 1/.
What kind of “populist leader” can’t communicate with the people, can’t identify villains for them to rally against, or can’t use state power to deliver immediately felt gains?.
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The best, nerdy kind of Friday evening in the Bronx watching two generational talents @RepAOC @linakhanFTC engage with people about how to fight and win against monopolies. LFG team antimonopoly 💥 💪🏾
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Rep AOC kicks off the town hall with @linakhanFTC breaking down monopoly power in groceries, housing, healthcare. She introduces her as a leader who has used creativity and is genuinely working to address corporate power. Says she has not seen an FTC leader like her. 🔥💯
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Forget the billionaires on tv hating on Khan, look at this big group of law students at our summer happy hour to be inspired by Jonathan Kanter and Lina Khan. One of the kids told me everyone is interested in antitrust now. The future of anti-monopoly is bright!!
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A “law-school based movement” that pulled in tens of thousands of workers, grocers, independent pharmacists, farmers, musicians, Hollywood writers, tech founders to speak out on noncompetes, junk fees subscription traps, mergers that raised prices &job losses, right to repair etc.
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This is a BFD. Top US antitrust cop says DOJ will overhaul how it reviews bank deals.
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Today it’s Starwood Property’s billionaire real estate investor (aka landlord / hotel owner) crying on TV about being investigated by the FTC for price fixing and then wish casting that Harris moves to the center.
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In honor of 100 WSJ grumbles about Lina Khan, a trip down memory lane of some of my favorites. Let’s start with a banger. Who doesn’t like higher gas prices?
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We have a new anti-monopolist in the House.
Decision Desk HQ projects Maggie Goodlander (D) wins the US House election in New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district. #DecisionMade: 8:51 PM EDT. Follow live results here:.
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Sec. Pete Buttigieg:
All Southwest flights heading in and out of Philadelphia International Airport have been canceled Wednesday morning as the airline’s travel woes continue.
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One thing that genuinely frightens me is water scarcity. I have lived it, waking up early to fill enough buckets of water to last for the day. This BS in one of the largest economies globally because of a greedy billionaire should make you very angry! Great reporting from MPU.
NEW: One billionaire couple owns almost all the water in California. In a series of secret meetings in 1994, the Resnicks seized control of California’s public water supply. Now they’ve built a business empire by selling it back to working people.
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Holy shit. Bangalore airport’s new Terminal 2 is stunning!!! Just a little water feature in the waiting area by the gates….
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First, we can all agree that this looks like the promo of a kickass Shonda Rhimes show called “Trustbusters”… i would 💯 watch it. Second, read this great article from @RollingStone on @JusticeATR’s Live Nation-Ticketmaster lawsuit.
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Lina Khan has been a transformational leader at the FTC opening its doors directly to consumers, SMEs and workers facing abuse by monopolists. The love for her in the replies below or on Twitch earlier this week shows what it meant to have a competent enforcer. Big shoes to fill!.
Congratulations to @AFergusonFTC on his selection as future FTC Chair. Americans deserve an @FTC that will continue to defend against corporate lawbreaking, stand up to illegal monopolies, and protect people’s pocketbooks and freedoms.
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Holding execs personally accountable is an important shift from enforcers. A big failure in the response to the 2008 crisis was not holding more sr. execs responsible. It sent a signal that you can get away w/ harmful biz practices just maybe lose a little money. Not anymore.
4. Because two senior executives were involved in overseeing, directing, controlling, or participating in Adobe's illegal business practices, they are named in the complaint. @FTC won't hesitate to hold individual executives accountable for violating the law.
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Boeing must be held accountable. Giving a company that has repeatedly failed on safety a sweetheart deal is not justice. The potential involvement of a senior DOJ official / former Boeing consultant in the deliberations is a bad look.
Three organizations have called on Deputy AG Lisa Monaco, a former Boeing consultant, to recuse herself from deliberations over whether to criminally charge the company for violating a 2021 settlement agreement with DOJ. But DOJ essentially said no:.
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“The results were surprising: 67% of voters said one of the biggest problems facing the country today is corporate power and a lack of government pushback. A solid majority — 58% — had a favorable opinion of government enforcement of the antitrust laws.”.
Antitrust actions by the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are viewed favorably by voters in some key 2024 battlegrounds, who see too much corporate power as a major problem
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No one has claimed antitrust is the silver bullet but poll after poll, town halls led by frontline democrats, comments to agencies all say that people want public officials to take on the giant corporations crushing them.Candidates who named that usually won. Harris stayed away.
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HUGE🚨🚨: The FTC is suing the three big pharmacy middleman for jacking up insulin prices. Insulin is the poster child for bad PBM behavior but this is common across drugs. Great to see the FTC led by Lina Khan take this action.
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Yes! I like this agenda on price gouging. It’s the FTC - DOJ Antitrust - CFPB work for the people.
Vice President Harris: On day one, I will work to take on price gouging and bring down costs. We will ban more of those hidden fees, we will take on corporate landlords and cap unfair rent increases, and we will take on Big Pharma to cap prescription drug costs for all Americans
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Honored to continue leading this amazing team that is such a joy to work with every day. And I am excited to work with the board on the next phase especially our new board members Zephyr and Todd who are brilliant antimonopoly fighters. We have so much to do. Let's go!.
NEW: We are excited to announce @nhegde has been named permanent Executive Director of Economic Liberties!. We're also thrilled to welcome @ZephyrTeachout and @Achilles4Idaho as members of our Board. Statement from Board Chair @rossbaird.👇
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Another day, another article on CEOs whining about Biden’s economic agenda - no junk fees, reducing drug costs for seniors, and fair contracts for all workers. A “spear in our heart” says Corporate America who can no longer gouge us and need to pay workers. Sorry, not sorry,
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Opening night speech and the problem of monopoly power on blast. Anti-monopoly is no longer “radical” just common sense Dem politics now.
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Nothing gets you up early and going on a Monday than the prospect of watching the CEO of a nearly $2 trillion monopoly testify. Here with @econliberties’ s @jjwyderko for #usvgoogle
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I am so old that I remember JD Vance saying that we need to break up Google. And now he’s standing in front of Pichai-Bezos-Zuckerberg-Cook-Musk as he takes his oath of office. Right wing populism folks!.
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Must be nice to run a extortion racket. I mean monopoly… and then write yourself a big fat check.
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Wall St can whine all they want about Khan and tell Harris’ lieutenants that they want her gone. But the fact of the matter is that the person delivering on the Harris promise to lower drug prices, especially insulin, and go after middlemen (in her policy page!) is Lina Khan.
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At today's @FTC budget hearing, Chair @linakhanFTC shares that for every dollar the FTC receives in funding, they return $14 in benefits to American consumers. That's a very good investment in our government for the people.
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So grateful for Lina Khan’s service. A courageous leader who showed up every day for American consumers, small businesses and workers. A model for everyone in politics and policy. Thank you, Chair Khan!.
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We are thrilled to welcome @ewwilkins to the team! Elizabeth’s work at the FTC has been critical in the fight against corporate power from noncompetes to junk fees to merger guidelines. Look forward to working together at @econliberties’ on the next set of challenges.
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Billionaires have become so emboldened and drunk on their own power that they are just going on TV and talking like they are actually the kings of America. At least now we know what they really think of democracy.
.@andrewrsorkin asks IAC Chairman Barry Diller if he would lobby Vice President @KamalaHarris to drop @LinaKhanFTC:. "Yeah, I would. I think she's a dope," said Diller.
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Appointment TV for this Sunday folks!.
Sunday on 60 Minutes: Lesley Stahl sits down with Lina Khan, the powerful chair of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
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On the last day of the Biden admin, Lina Khan files a second RPA case against Pepsi. This is an important action on behalf of consumers and small/medium retailers.
FTC sues PepsiCo for rigging soft drink competition. Pepsi’s illegal conduct has forced consumers, competing retailers to pay higher prices:
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Our @econliberties WSJ tracker of Lina Khan hate op-eds is at 99!! We need to celebrate the hundredth with a commemorative item. A mug saying "Filled with WSJ tears"? A t-shirt that says "On Wednesdays we wear pink and write mean Lina Khan op-eds? . An open call for ideas!.
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@ZephyrTeachout has said this again and again - tell people what you are fighting for, why, and WHO YOU ARE FIGHTING. When people are in an affordability crisis, you don’t get to pull out a chart and say actually your wages went up more than rent… .That’s condescending.
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.@matthewstoller on how the Biden admin is taking on corporate power yet the WH comms team has made a messaging choice to say “no comment.”He points out w/ receipts, if you don’t tell people you are fighting for them and winning they won’t give you credit.
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“Should be fired for what? For doing your job? I think she’s doing a good job. I think this is an indication of doing that job….I certainly have no reason not to be in support of the chairlady for this position.” - Rep Clyburn on FTC Chair Khan’s future.
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One of the best things that has happened to me is finding this band of fighters who can't stop and won't stop fighting powerful corporations. Pumped for the future!. P.S.: Reach out if you want to work with us or share your story of how a monopoly has ruined your job or business.
NEW: Exciting staffing updates at @econliberties. We're thrilled to announce that our own @nhegde will be Interim Executive Director.🔥🔥🔥. We've also made some key hires recently, with @MAKeliher joining our state & local team and @klowmn as our new comms associate.💪.
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This is a blunt assessment from Goldman Sachs head of M&A that corporate boards are baking in antitrust considerations when thinking about deals at the front-end. Proof that strong enforcement by @FTC and @JusticeATR works as a deterrent. "Certain deals just can't get done."
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“Some of the most important work the Biden administration did was to revitalize antitrust policy.The work they did to break up the big corporations. I wish the Harris campaign had talked more transparently on the way Americans are getting screwed by billionaires and corporations”.
I talked with @chrislhayes tonight about my belief that Democrats have to return to being an aggressively economically populist party that builds a wide tent, asking working class voters to come inside even if they don't align with us on every social and cultural issue.
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Striking how bold AAG Kanter has been at @JusticeATR. He’s not messing around the margins but going straight for the biggest corporations in each market - Google, Apple, Visa, LiveNation-Ticketmaster plus the investigations into United Health, NVidia! .
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Another horror story from a doctor dealing with United Healthcare’s terrible authorization process. She had to scrub out of surgery to call them. Ridiculous that doctors/nurses are spending time explaining their work to an insurance company instead of being able to focus on care
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People on their feet as CEO Hoey of @Commpharmacy welcomes @linakhanFTC to the stage. Hoey says this is the first FTC chair who cares about the issue of vertical integration in 40 years! #NCPA2022
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Great idea, James! Speaking of that…
James Carville to PBS on Harris: "i think she should announce when i'm president there's gonna be a justice dept task force to investigate price rigging and price gouging. now people are going to say 'ohh that's anti corporate that's anti wall st' well ok, go ahead, whine on."
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Fantastic thread on the interview. My favorite bit was the one on inhalers where Khan shows the tiny tweak that the companies claimed as a patent worthy innovation and keep prices absurdly high!.
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Great explainer from @MorePerfectUS on how Live Nation-Ticketmaster abuses the venue side of the business featuring our @econliberties’ sr. Legal counsel and music aficionado @LeeHepner .
NEW: Live Nation is destroying concerts. Ticketmaster is driving up ticketing fees and making live music unaffordable. But venues are getting squeezed too. Live Nation controls everything — and indie venue owners tell us they can barely survive.
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CNBC anchor right now “what a wonderful cast of characters here from the tech industry…. Wonder what industries are learning from this.” And then says wonder if other CEOs are thinking should have tried harder to be here. Pitch perfect for CNBC and our broligarchy.
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We recently put out a tracker on Corporations vs the Biden admin. Amazon, Tesla, Trader Joe’s were all on it for their suits challenging the NLRB. I did not expect a giant, “progressive” organization doing the exact same thing. Really you want to go after Abruzzo? Come on.
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.@linakhanFTC talks about how an intentional priority for her and the FTC is to hear from people across the country and not just big businesses who have traditionally been the ones who get heard in DC. *BIG APPLAUSE* from the crowd #NCPA2022.
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Excited to see @robyn_shapiro take on this new role and grateful for all her work in powering @econliberties impact since we started!
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Thread of a big coalition that shows how wide the support has been for this major step today by Lina Khan's FTC. And credit to @sandeepvaheesan for being so persistent about this for years! 👏.
Open Markets, @PublicCitizen, & over 20 major labor & public interest groups are urging the @FTC to get to work on a federal rule banning the use of non-compete clauses in employment contracts. 🧵1/3 @future_of_music @AFLCIO @SEIU @CWAUnion @UFCW400.
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On @FTC commission meeting a dad who lost his 22 year old asthmatic son a year ago shares a heartbreaking story of how he was denied his medication by the PBM. Breaks down as he says that he’s quit his job to fight for PBM reform full time & for the survival of local pharmacies.
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For all the journalists looking for a comprehensive accounting of the FTC’s accomplishments that underlie this *winning* record here is a factsheet we maintain.
There is a corporate PR campaign to lie about Lina Khan’s court record, and high-profile journalists like @mattyglesias are falling for it. Let’s clear this up. Chair Khan has won 90.3% of merger challenges that went to court. 🧵1/3.
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Wrapping up an outstanding day at #AMS2023 is @SecretaryPete talking about consolidation in the transportation and how that needs to change!
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Yes. 💯. Today's news is Apple but there has been so much work on drug costs, groceries, rent, privacy, noncompetes, junk fees, hearing aids, mergers in airlines / book publishing / drug development, PE rollups, etc. etc. etc.
The antitrust side of the Biden admin. is one of the under-the-radar elements in the 2024 campaign. It came through in parts of the SOTU. Broadly these efforts are part of the battle for the working voter who sees corporate America with growing skepticism, esp tech giants. .
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Sen Warren talking about how taking on corporate power should be a whole of government approach with @linakhanFTC and @chopracfpb leading the way! She’s also bringing the receipts on lagging departments like DOT, USDA and more…. 🔥🔥
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Proud to see @econliberties’ @WilliamJMcGee introduce Sec. Buttigieg announcing the new rule that will make it easy for passengers to get refunds. Bill has been relentless in his fight for passenger rights and it’s fantastic to see the impact of our work.
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The best enforcers in decades - @linakhanFTC and Doha Mekki - who took on the illegal monopoly of Big Tech monopolies are done in less than hour. And a bunch of broligarchs are going to stand right behind Donald Trump on the dias as he takes his oath of office. What a flip.
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It felt the same with many other things where there were folks in the admin fighting big villains but the WH wouldn’t really tout it. AZ AG Mayes told us how voters were asking about her Real Page case on rent collusion when Dems knocked on doors and if she was on the ballot! 2/.
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Yep. There was a lot of mockery when many people on the left raised the problem with West being a close advisor saying like a PA voter knows who he is. It was never about that. it was about him making choices like this which sent a message on what the campaign cared about.
It was obvious to many of us on the outside that @tonywest was sabotaging @kamalaharris's campaign -- constantly lavishing billionaires and executives with access, sucking up to Silicon Valley, and pushing their agenda -- but to see it in print is still revealing and upsetting.
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"These days, when people talk about antitrust and monopolies, they’re usually talking about Big Tech companies. The truth is, dominant firms can be found everywhere. If we win in court, it will mean not just lower prices for farmers, but better and more innovative options.".
Last week @FTC & 10 state AGs sued @Syngenta and @CortevaUS, accusing them of illegally blocking cheaper pesticide products from the market. In @DMRegister I explain how our lawsuit could lower costs for farmers & consumers and deliver greater innovation:.
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Our Anti-Monopoly Summit, only in its second year, has gotten under the skin of the US Chamber of Comm. If you want to hear from small biz, CEOs, and workers along with the enforcers /policymakers who are building a fair, competitive economy, tune in:
Think you're excited about tomorrow's Anti-Monopoly Summit? The @USChamber just put out it's own post BURSTING at the seams about it. It's almost hard to be this unfunny, but corporate America's favorite slush fund for monopolists has found a way.
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Truly remarkable looking back at the administration’s competition accomplishments as @econliberties put together this pre-SOTU memo. 🧵. More work ahead, but in 3 short years we are seeing the tangible impacts of a whole-of-government approach.
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We have a fantastic paper on the US airline market. It goes beyond antitrust and offers a comprehensive new approach to an industry that has deep problems, gotten used to being bailed out while treating workers and customers badly. Flying can be wonderful again. Check it out! 🧵.
1/9 US airlines are broken. It's something I hear every day from doctors, accountants, barbers, boxing coaches. Everyone knows something is wrong with air travel. @econliberties decided to think big. So we partnered with @GaneshSitaraman on big solutions.
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INCREDIBLE NEWS! This is fantastic for America. Congratulations to @JusticeATR for an incredible win.
JUDGE MEHTA FINDS GOOGLE VIOLATED SECTION 2 OF THE SHERMAN ACT MY MAINTAINING ITS MONOPOLY OVER GENERAL SEARCH
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This point right here. It is absolutely self-defeating to build supply for a cartel to control.
It's cute but fundamentally unserious to assert that "build, build, build" solves everything. The RealPage suit provides a look under the hood, exposing a cartel of landlords who used "pricing advisors" and "hard floors" to artificially rise rents. But it's not just RealPage. .
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We couldn’t get everyone from @econliberties But honestly, this team is the most incredible group to work with. Post an inspiring and joyful day #AMS2023! So grateful to be in this community and ready to fight monopolies ALL. Day. Everyday. Day! #antimonopolysquad
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MSNBC anchor just said “Corporate America has been silent about this election. Are CEOs ready to speak out?” . 😂😂 Never change.
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Low key proud of the husband’s hater Halloween costume. “Trickle down economist”. Lecturing the dog who is cosplaying as the public.
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Today I heard from a friend in India that his dad got hospitalized for extreme heat stroke and passed away. He had other health issues too that complicated it. Not to add to the bad news timeline but India and Pakistan are a furnace and it is terrifying.
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Read this 🧵 and you will be even more furious about how deliberately Southwest and other airlines have ruined the holidays for so many people as Sec. Pete and DOT do nothing. But you can do something to #endairlinegreed . Sign this: .
1/13 In 37.5 years of airline flight operations, airline journalism, & airline passenger advocacy, I've never seen a worse service meltdown than what Southwest passengers are currently undergoing. Let's address—once and for all—how USDOT has failed us. 🧵.
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Inspired by the Australian break dancer, we will be entering Dosa in the tryouts for LA 2028.
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One reason why prices are too high whether it's oil or meat or hotel prices is collusion. Memorial Day's coming up, so if you are writing a story on the high costs of family roadtrips don't forget to include the impact of price fixing among oil producers or big hotel chains.
🚨ICYMI: @FTC released evidence confirming the high price of oil from 2021-2023 was due to collusion between US producers and OPEC. This HUGE conspiracy cost each American $500-1000 per year, according to our estimates. Our new factsheet breaks it down.👇.
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Sen. Klobuchar brought some righteous anger with this speech. DOJ is delivering tangible benefits and knee capping them is a surefire way to ensure monopolies control the economy.
🚨NEW: @SenAmyKlobuchar on the Senate Floor right now blasting appropriators for diverting ~$45 million away from antitrust enforcers at @JusticeATR. "They took the money and ran."
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Koch funded groups and the Chamber of Commerce don’t like it when a public official wants to check corporate power… they like it even less when that person is a young, woman of color. Shocking.
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Love how these enforcers won’t stop till the very last day fighting powerful interests. Acting AAG Doha Mekki not missing a beat as she runs through the tape.
NEW: Some BIG updates in @JusticeATR's case against RealPage, which now targets 6 of the largest landlords for engaging in algorithmic price setting and adds 2 state co-plaintiffs!. If you mess with the price of rent, be prepared to meet the DOJ on the other side of that scheme!
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Corporate shills are really mad that PUBLIC enforcers like AAG Kanter and Lina Khan are serving the American people and not treating corporations as favored clients. “Sir, this is a Wendy’s.”
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Pat Ryan took the approach of focusing on what he was hearing from voters and telling this fight story! And he won. and it wasn’t about being left or progressive or not.
I put affordability front and center every day. Most importantly, I told folks exactly who it was that was ripping them off, and I grounded it locally. It's the billionaires and big corporations making record-breaking profits while the rest of us struggle.
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“Boy, would you stay forever?” Stewart to Khan at the end.
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You’ve seen the mug. Come listen to them speak live at the Anti-Monopoly Summit 2024. Registration is open:
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From CNBC talking heads to CEOs and billionaires at Davos pretty clear that Wall Street prefers a Trump win because more mergers $$$ and less enforcement > democracy, rights, etc.
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“These corporations have become too powerful to be contained by democratic societies.We must work through our government to break them up and regulate our information commons,or they will end up becoming our government and choosing what we see and know about the world around us.”.
The great tech break-up has begun. My piece on the possible investigation of Google and FB by state AGs. Inspired by two of my favorite podcasters @profgalloway and @karaswisher.
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Good morning. The only people who should have oversight over Facebook is Congress. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.
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Grateful for incredible public servants like Khan, Chopra, Kanter & more who have served the American people with dedication these past four years. And shoutout to my colleagues @econliberties for their work. Special props to @jjwyderko & @klowmn for this thread of thanks. 🙏🏾.
This Thanksgiving, we’re joining the thousands of Americans who have expressed gratitude to @FTC, @CFPB, @JusticeATR, and @USDOT for populist rules and enforcement actions to protect our pocketbooks this year.🧵👇
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.@POTUS talks about the new economic playbook his admin executed - put workers first, ensure fair competition, and invest in America. Didn’t have support from elite economists but they pushed ahead! His economic legacy is a strong foundation for the next admin to build on.
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One takeaway from this election is that voters clearly saw the difference between the progressive economic populism that Fetterman and many other Dems offered and the fake, inconsistent populism that the GOP has been peddling these last few years.
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This is great news for Maryland. David Trone was a monopolist bully as an early @fightmonopolies ad showed and he was using his personal wealth to buy a seat.
I've seen enough: Angela Alsobrooks (D) wins the #MDSEN Dem primary, defeating David Trone (D).
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"I ask you to judge me by the enemies I've made.". Sign that Biden enforcers are on the side of the people? These lawsuits filed by Big Corps challenging any meaningful attempt to hold them accountable. @econliberties tracker: Corporations vs The People.
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The journey in four years for the anti-monopoly movement is something else.
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