December’s CPI data made one thing clear: “One year into this administration, Trump’s ‘day-one’ promise to lower prices has officially fallen flat,” our @AlexSJacquez says.
See what else he had to say about Trump’s priorities 👇
Don’t get fooled by the “we beat inflation” headlines: “We are not meaningfully bringing inflation down to the levels at which we’d like to see them. It’s really been stuck in this range for over a year now.”
It’s a failure of Trump’s admin - whether he wants to admit it or not.
Spirit, Frontier, & Southwest airlines are quickly pivoting away from low-budget travelers, while other airlines are seeing their profits come from the very wealthy buying “premium tickets.”
Another example of our K-shaped economy, where the rich are doing well while everyone
Crazy stat from Delta’s 2025 earnings this morning:
The airline posted a $5 billion profit … despite selling $1.1 billion LESS in economy tickets than 2024.
Because premium ticket sales made up the difference. Says everything about where the money is in travel right now.
⚡Episode 17 of the Power Half-Hour at 12 PM TODAY. A fast-paced, biweekly labor roundtable hosted by
@MrSethHarris , featuring @AlexSJacquez @Groundwork ; @DavidMadland @amprog
& @alex__mar @prismreports
Join us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7414022097728929793/
A notable takeaway from producer price index report is that core PPI is now at 3.5.% YOY, it’s highest since March 2025.
Instacart says it’s ended its pricing games, but @NewYorkStateAG knows that’s not the end of the story.
"AI algorithms use information about you to decide how much you'll pay for items you need. It's unfair, and the Legislature must act," she said. We agree.
Big/bad news for consumers. Google is out today with an announcement of how they plan to integrate shopping into their AI offerings including search and Gemini. The plan includes “personalized upselling.” I.e. Analyzing your chat data and using it to overcharge you. 1/2
🧵Google’s building an NSA for capitalism.
By merging search history, conversational AI, and retailer data, their new 'Universal Commerce Protocol' could create the ultimate surveillance pricing squeeze. But instead of national security, the goal is extracting 'maximum lifetime
Some new polling on AI-driven dynamic pricing from
@MorningConsult:
"When asked about specific concerns related to AI-driven dynamic pricing, the answer was pretty clear: Everything."
Most Americans feel overcharged when they are pushed into more expensive products, however "premium" they may be.
But while I have your attention, a few follow-ups.
Can consumers take this as confirmation that Google's UCP, Gemini, and Search will never be used for experiments
An absolute must-watch 🔥👇
“Ongoing inefficiencies that we cannot seem to fix often exist because powerful people have captured the regulatory process."
From passing right to repair, improving hearing aid access and more — @SenWarren explains how leaders can improve efficiency & challenge corporate power.
Donald Trump has brought the job market to a screeching halt.
Young and low-income Americans already facing sky-high prices cannot find work, and Trump’s policies are only making it worse.
NEW from me:
Job growth has been functionally zero over the last five months, as the US sinks from a “low hire, low fire” labor market to a “no hire” one.
That slowdown is hitting young & low income workers the hardest 🧵
https://www.apricitas.io/p/the-no-hire-economy
If you think credit card companies will "voluntarily" lower their rates, you haven't been paying attention.
Trump’s latest proposal is a head-fake designed to hide his long history of killing real reform. Don’t be fooled.
Trump promised to cut energy bills in half.
Instead, utility debt is rising, electricity prices are surging, and his administration is slashing assistance for low-income households.
“This is going to be a huge deal, both as a policy matter and a political matter.” our
Google wants to turn your chats into a pricing tool—and use it against you.
Big/bad news for consumers. Google is out today with an announcement of how they plan to integrate shopping into their AI offerings including search and Gemini. The plan includes “personalized upselling.” I.e. Analyzing your chat data and using it to overcharge you. 1/2
