What’s Behind The FTC’s Suit To Block The Kroger And Albertsons Merger
The Federal Trade Commission sued to block a proposed merger between grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, saying the $24.6 billion deal would eliminate competition and lead to higher prices for millions of Americans. The FTC filed an administrative complaint against the companies Monday, which will be considered by an administrative law judge at the agency. It also filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court in Oregon requesting a temporary injunction blocking the merger. That lawsuit was joined by the attorneys general of eight states and the District of Columbia. Kroger and Albertsons, two of the nation’s largest grocers, agreed to merge in October 2022. The companies said a merger would help them better compete with Walmart, Amazon, Costco and other big rivals. Together, Kroger and Albertsons would control around 13% of the U.S. grocery market. Joining us to discuss is Phil Lempert, a supermarket and consumer behavior analyst with the Santa Monica-based publication SupermarketGuru.com and Christine Bartholomew, professor of law at University at Buffalo School of Law specializing in antitrust.
With files from the Associated Press.
Falling Behind In The Streaming Wars, Paramount Looks For A Buyer
The streaming wars have thrust legacy media companies into uncharted territory, and some have managed to navigate the industry’s seismic changes better than others. One of the most troubled is Paramount Global, a corporation that encompasses Paramount Studios, CBS, and the streaming service Paramount+, among many properties. Built by the legendary (and legendarily cantankerous) Sumner Redstone, its controlling shares are now in the hands of his daughter, Shari, and things aren’t looking so hot: the company has gone from a $30 billion valuation in 2019 to around $10 billion today. Redstone is reportedly looking to sell, and though a sale would present logistical and legal challenges, some suitors have emerged. Joining us to discuss how Paramount got to where it is today, and what a potential sale might look like is Lucas Shaw, managing editor, media & entertainment at Bloomberg. His newsletter is Screentime.
Should Americans Have The Right To Vote? A New Book Makes The Case For Amending The Constitution To Affirm It
For as many rights as The Constitution lays out, like the right to free speech, to peaceably assemble, to be free from unlawful search and seizure, the right to vote is not affirmatively laid out anywhere in our nation’s guiding document. In his new book “A Real Right to Vote: How a Constitutional Amendment Can Safeguard American Democracy” UCLA Professor of Law and Political Science Rick Hasen makes the case that there should be an amendment passed that would guarantee Americans a right to vote, and that codifying this in the Constitution would not only preserve this right, but also go a long way in ensuring election security and preventing voter disenfranchisement.
Today on AirTalk, Professor Hasen joins Larry to talk about why he thinks there should be a right to vote enshrined in the Constitution and the challenging legal and political path there.
What Job Cuts And Reduced Production Forecast At Rivian Say About EV Market At Large
Rivian Automotive Inc., once praised by investors for its potential to innovate the electric vehicle market, experienced a setback with a 10 percent reduction in its workforce and revised production targets. This news led to a significant drop in its stock price, marking its worst day in history with a 25 percent decline. The company's struggles reflect broader challenges within the EV industry, including declining demand among affluent consumers and skepticism from the general market about the suitability and affordability of electric vehicles. Joining us to discuss is Gil Tal, director of The Electric Vehicle Research Center at the University of California, Davis and Ivan Drury, director of insights at Edmunds.
What About Dating Apps Make Them Worth Paying For & How Do They Impact Our Social Behavior?
Earlier this month, a class-action lawsuit out of San Francisco was filed against Match Group claiming the design of its dating apps (its largest nowadays being Tinder and Hinge) has addictive qualities that keep people on these apps for longer than need or create “a perpetual pay-to-play loop” prioritizing profit over promises to help users find relationships. This case, whether successful or not, does get into an underlying aspect of dating apps… which is why they drive as much engagement as they do in younger generations. What is it about their designs that not only keep people on these apps but also impact their initiating of romantic relationships? Today on AirTalk, we dig into the topic with Thomas Germain, senior reporter for Gizmodo, and Leah LeFebvre, associate professor of communication studies at the University of Alabama.
With files from the Associated Press
‘20 Days In Mariupol’ Director Mstyslav Chernov Discusses His Oscar Nomination And His Struggle To Document The Atrocities Of War
An AP team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting atrocities of the Russian invasion. As the only international reporters who remain in the city, they capture what later become defining images of the war: dying children, mass graves, the bombing of a maternity hospital, and more. After nearly a decade covering international conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, for The Associated Press, 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL is Mstyslav Chernov’s first feature film. The film draws on Chernov’s daily news dispatches and personal footage of his own country at war. It offers a vivid, harrowing account of civilians caught in the siege, as well as a window into what it’s like to report from a conflict zone, and the impact of such journalism around the globe.