Supermarket wars: Albertsons sues Kroger after judges halt grocery merger
Albertsons is giving up on its merger with Kroger and it is suing the grocery chain, saying it didn’t do enough to secure regulatory approval for the $24.6 billion agreement. The move came the day after two judges halted the merger in separate court cases. U.S. District Court Judge Adrienne Nelson issued a preliminary injunction blocking the merger Tuesday after holding a three-week hearing in Portland, Oregon. An hour later, Judge Marshall Ferguson in Seattle issued a permanent injunction barring the merger in Washington after concluding it would lessen competition in the state and violate consumer-protection laws. Kroger and Albertsons in 2022 proposed what would be the largest grocery store merger in U.S. history. The companies said a merger would help them better compete with big retailers like Walmart, Costco and Amazon. Under the merger agreement, Kroger and Albertsons — who compete in 22 states — agreed to sell 579 stores in places where their locations overlap to C&S Wholesale Grocers, a New Hampshire-based supplier to independent supermarkets that also owns the Grand Union and Piggly Wiggly store brands. Today, we discuss the fallout of the merger, the lawsuit and more with Danielle Kaye, business reporter for the New York Times and Erik Gordon, professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, where he studies entrepreneurship, private equity and mergers.
With files from the Associated Press.
Is retrofitting old diesel trucks into EVs an affordable option in CA?
California is pushing the trucking industry to electrify — that’s because medium and heavy-duty trucks make up only 6% of the vehicles on the road, but they cough up about 35% of the pollutants that give Southern California its notorious smog as well as a quarter of vehicle pollution that gets into the atmosphere and heats up the planet, according to the California Air Resources Board. The effort so far has prioritized swapping out old trucks for shiny new electric ones, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. Today on AirTalk we look into the retrofitting of old diesel trucks into electric ones. Here to talk about this process is Erin Stone, LAist climate emergency reporter. Also with us is Jakson Alvarez, co-founder and co-CEO of Evolectric, a company headquartered in Rancho Dominguez that retrofits diesel medium-duty trucks to be all-electric. Have questions about the truck retrofitting process? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or e-mail ATcomments@laist.com.
The Black List founder Franklin Leonard on his new podcast ‘Nobody Knows Anything’
The inner workings of Hollywood is a dense subject— which is why The Black List founder and CEO, Franklin Leonard, is hosting a game show that pokes lighthearted fun at the development process in his new show NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING. A collaboration between The Black List, LAist Studios, and The Ankler, the podcast brings together creatives for multiple rounds of improvised games that are meant to mimic the industry they all love. Joining us to discuss NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is its host, Franklin Leonard.
Episode 1 of NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING is out now; it features Cord Jefferson, Natasha Lyonne, and Sherry Cola; listen here.
Hate crimes in LA County hit record highs in latest report
The LA County Human Relations Commission will release its annual Hate Crime Report for Los Angeles County for the year 2023. The report collects data from over 75 law enforcement agencies, school districts, and community organizations throughout the county. According to the commission, hate crimes increased in 2023 with the number of incidents for certain groups hitting record highs. Spikes were seen amongst targeted groups such as Jewish people, transgender folks, and Latino/as. 2023 also saw record numbers for anti-immigrant sentiments, events related to conflicts in the Middle East, and incidents with evidence of White supremacy.
Today on AirTalk, we'll bring you the LA County Human Relations Commission's press conference on the 2023 Hate Crimes Report live. We'll also discuss the report's findings with Brian Levin, founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino.
What are your perceptions of hate crimes today? How are they impacting you and your community?
Have you noticed an increase in hate crimes in your neighborhood? Tell us what you’re seeing.
L.A. County is detailing its latest analysis of hate crimes. The report provides hate crime data for the year based on race, sexual orientation, religion, gender, and disability. Some of the most targeted groups include African Americans, Asians, Jewish people, Latino/as, LGBT people. The report also includes the highest counts for anti-immigrant slurs, Middle East conflict-related crimes, and crimes motivated by White supremacist ideology. We want to hear from our listeners about their perceptions of hate crimes. Are you noticing increased feelings of fear or uncertainty? How does it impact your daily life, if at all? Give us a call at 866-893-5722 or e-mail ATcomments@laist.com.
