-
Feb 26, 2024 | 
economicliberties.us | Shahid Naeem
This report is a competition policy and regulatory analysis of Capital One’s proposed acquisition of Discover. This deal would (1) allow Capital One to increase interchange revenue by increasing fees on merchants, (2) increase Capital One’s asset base so it gains access to a de facto government backstop, and (3) fortify Capital One’s market power in the credit card industry. We believe this deal is likely to face serious regulatory headwinds and is unlikely to be consummated.
-
Feb 13, 2024 | 
economicliberties.us | Sara Sirota
I. Introduction In December 2021, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform published a report on the rising cost of brand drugs.[1] The report showed a troubling dynamic in the market for glatiramer acetate, an essential medication used to treat relapsing multiple sclerosis. Despite the availability of cheaper generic alternatives starting in 2017, Teva Pharmaceuticals’ brand version of the drug, Copaxone, retained a dominant market position and high list price.
-
Jan 26, 2024 | 
economicliberties.us | William McGee |William Mcgee |Ganesh Sitaraman
Air travel in the United States suffers from serious problems. For passengers, the flying experience has become a source of frustration — from smaller seats and junk fees to delays and cancellations. Passenger fury is often taken out on airline and airport workers, some of whom are overworked and face unsafe conditions. Meanwhile, the industry itself is unhealthy. Boom-and-bust cycles are common, leading to bankruptcies and bailouts.
-
Nov 16, 2023 | 
economicliberties.us | Pat Garofalo
On September 23, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission and 17 state attorneys general filed a major antitrust suit against Amazon, the corporate conglomerate that owns everything from a dominant e-retail platform to a major web services provider to a film and television production studio.
-
Nov 14, 2023 | 
economicliberties.us | Krista Brown
In October 2022, Kroger announced a $24.6 billion deal to acquire Albertsons.
-
Oct 19, 2023 | 
economicliberties.us | Sara Sirota
Every hospital needs to have lidocaine injection in stock. Doctors use this local anesthetic to relieve the pain of patients who are in labor, receiving stitches, or having a catheter inserted. First discovered in the 1940s, lidocaine has been deemed so crucial that the World Health Organization includes it in its List of Essential Medicines. Yet in the U.S., lidocaine has been in continuous shortage since 2011.
-
Sep 13, 2023 | 
economicliberties.us | Shahid Naeem
This brief is about the Credit Card Competition Act, legislation that would mitigate a private sales tax of 2-4% levied through the credit card system on virtually every business, big and small. People pay for goods and services in different ways. Cash and checks are taken at 100% of their value. When you use a credit card, however, a percentage is siphoned off to the issuing banks and networks. This pays for administration and profit. In most countries, this percentage is very low.
-
Jun 14, 2023 | 
economicliberties.us | Krista Brown
The live event industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry that continues to grow every year. One of the key drivers of revenue for this industry is live concerts, especially for the artists who make the vast majority of their income touring. In 2010, touring made up 82 percent of artists’ income, and by 2022, it made up roughly 95 percent.
-
Jun 9, 2023 | 
economicliberties.us | Erik Peinert
American journalism is struggling. Since the mid-2000s, 2,200 local newspapers have closed, and the number of newspaper journalists has fallen by more than 50% since 2008.[1] The situation is dire for our democracy, given how an informed citizenry relies on a vibrant and commercially viable news industry at the local, regional, and national level. At the same time, a recent legal experiment in Australia has shown one way to reverse this trend.
-
Apr 26, 2023 | 
economicliberties.us | Sara Sirota
In 2019, HCA Healthcare, the country’s largest hospital chain, bought nonprofit hospital system Mission Health of western North Carolina. Mission’s CEO, Ronald Paulus, described the move as “a tremendous win for the people and communities we serve.”[1] The for-profit HCA has 185 hospitals and 1,800 clinics across the United States and United Kingdom, and its $1.5 billion acquisition included facility improvements, expanded charity care, and protections for rural communities.