FTCWatch
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December 17, 2024
Calendar
Dec. 18 — The Federal Trade Commission is holding a virtual public workshop on “Competition Snuffed Out: How Predatory Pricing Harms Competition, Consumers, and Innovation.” It will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. For more information, go to: https://www.ftc.gov.
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December 17, 2024
Baer given 2024 John Sherman Award at DOJ event
A deputy to Bill Baer, the Justice Department antitrust chief from 2013 to 2016, likened him to a basketball legend during an awards ceremony at the agency last week.
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December 17, 2024
FTC nominee Meador signals continued headaches for Big Tech, consolidation
Mark Meador, an experienced antitrust lawyer and Washington insider who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the fifth seat at the Federal Trade Commission, believes there are societal benefits to limiting the concentration of power and doesn’t hide his criticism of Big Tech.
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December 17, 2024
Key congressional panels for FTC getting new leaders in January
Three of the four committees that have oversight over the Federal Trade Commission will have new chairs next year.
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December 17, 2024
On the Shelf: Books to carry you into 2025
Let’s call it an embarrassment of riches. Even if you follow the example of late president and trustbuster Theodore Roosevelt and read two books a day, there’s no way to get through all the great books published each year. To help you narrow your choices, here are some of the best books FTCWatch reviewed in 2024 that’ll take you into 2025.
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December 17, 2024
Shopping for AI toys online? Consumer group warns of serious threats
Buying Christmas AI-powered toys online is easier than ever, but it can also be dangerous, if they’re shipped directly from overseas.
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December 17, 2024
Ferguson, ‘a traditional enforcer,’ to take reins at FTC
Incoming Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson could keep the agency’s focus on pursuing Big Tech but do it with a lighter touch.
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December 17, 2024
Senators ask feds to investigate sports betting collusion
Senators Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, and Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat, called on the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission to look into potential collusion in the sports betting industry.
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December 17, 2024
Mulling update to old rule, FTC calls on funeral homes
“The American Way of Death,” an exposé published in 1963, detailed the big money behind unscrupulous practices in the funeral industry, and the book became a touchstone for advocates seeking change.
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December 17, 2024
The man behind the most famous lawsuit involving the FTC
This is the fourth in a series of articles marking the 110th anniversary of the Federal Trade Commission’s founding.
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December 17, 2024
Trump names seasoned enforcer Slater to steer DOJ antitrust enforcement
Abigail Slater, picked by President-elect Donald Trump to be the next chief of the antitrust division at the Department of Justice, boasts a stellar resume on antitrust and technology policy matters and comes from an impressive political pedigree. If confirmed, Slater will take charge of the division at a pivotal time in the agency’s history as enforcers seek to break up Google while fighting other court battles against another Big Tech platform, Apple.
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December 17, 2024
Price coordination on ethanol ‘unlikely’ nationwide, report finds
The Federal Trade Commission issued its annual report on ethanol market concentration, which found that coordination on price or output levels “is unlikely on a nationwide basis.”
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December 17, 2024
People — Antitrust veteran Wise jumps to Squire Patton Boggs
Michael Wise, who has worked on a variety of mergers and conduct cases, is now a partner at Squire Patton Boggs.
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December 17, 2024
Retailer GOAT fined over shipping violations
The Federal Trade Commission levied a $2.01 million fine against GOAT, an online retailer that sells shoes and apparel, for its inadequate shipping practices.
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December 17, 2024
Neil Averitt commentary: Looking back at 2024
The year 2024 was marked by a particular tension between old and new approaches to antitrust – between rigorous economic analysis on the one hand and more wholistic approaches that are open to other aspects of competition on the other.
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December 17, 2024
Evolv made misleading AI claims, FTC says
The Federal Trade Commission said Evolv Technology, which provides weapons screening at schools and stadiums, made misleading claims concerning artificial intelligence.
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November 26, 2024
Khan has options regarding the end of her FTC tenure
Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan isn’t expected to be reappointed by the incoming Trump administration, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she will step down promptly from the commission.
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November 26, 2024
Privacy Corner: Spy Museum’s Melton warns about supercharged risks with AI
The human weakness in intelligence gathering and sharing has been the subject of much of H. Keith Melton’s decades of work advising the US intelligence community since he graduated from the Naval Academy.
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November 26, 2024
GOP-controlled Congress could remove FTC’s antitrust powers
With the Republicans in control of the White House and Congress, momentum could build for legislation to give the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust powers to the Department of Justice.
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November 26, 2024
DOJ antitrust enforcer speaks in Morocco
A top Justice Department antitrust enforcer addressed a conference on “Competitive Neutrality and Market Access” held in Morocco earlier this month.
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November 26, 2024
Calendar
Dec. 18 — The Federal Trade Commission is holding a virtual public workshop on “Competition Snuffed Out: How Predatory Pricing Harms Competition, Consumers, and Innovation.” It will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. For more information, go to: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/11/ftc-announces-virtual-workshop-predatory-pricing?utm_source=govdelivery.
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November 26, 2024
People — Odette takes on chair of national antitrust task force
Elizabeth Odette, who manages the antitrust division in the Minnesota AG’s office, is the new chair of the National Association of Attorneys General Multistate Antitrust Task Force as of Oct. 1.
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November 26, 2024
On the Shelf: Kissinger’s last book on AI heralds new beginning
As a Harvard undergraduate in the middle of the last century, Henry Kissinger wrote his senior thesis titled (in part): “The Meaning of History.” For his final work, published posthumously this month, his co-authors selected a similarly heady title.
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November 26, 2024
Tempur Sealy merger trial outcome may hinge on CEO’s credibility
The winning side in the government’s move to block the Tempur Sealy-Mattress Firm merger is likely to be whichever legal team convinces the judge to accept its narrative about the motives of Tempur Sealy Chief Executive Scott Thompson and its prediction on how Thompson will likely behave if the deal is cleared in the US.
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November 26, 2024
As robocalls plunge, state AGs want more action
The Federal Trade Commission received more than a million complaints about robocalls in fiscal year 2024, but the agency said this number represents more than a 50 percent reduction since fiscal year 2021.