Sweethearts candies understood the assignment this Valentine’s Day.
This year’s messages include “split rent,” “buy in bulk,” & “share log-in.” Nothing says romance like Trump’s economy.
NEW from us & @TCFdotorg on this Valentine’s Day soaring prices 👇
Roses are Red 🌹
Consumers are Blue 😢
Thanks to Trump's Tariffs 💰
V-Day Prices Grew 💔
@Groundwork & @TCFdotorg released new analysis showing how Trump’s economic policies are driving up the price of love this #ValentinesDay.
More here: https://tcf.org/content/commentary/the-higher-price-of-love-valentines-staples-up-nearly-15-this-year/
I wouldn’t exhale with today’s job numbers. The job market remains fragile and highly vulnerable. Yes, payroll employment increased by 130,000 in January, but given the big downward revisions to history, there has been no job growth since last April (Liberation Day). Moreover,
We’ve all received a robocall or spam text promising us a $500 per day job or an investment that’s too good to be true.
We found that Americans get 4 BILLION scam & illegal marketing calls each month, or more than *130 million a day.*
Most politicians won’t touch the issue
Jobs Day! The White House will focus on the January beat, but the real story is the jobs collapse in 2025. Even with lower labor supply, the picture is bleak.
The economy added a surprising 130K jobs in January, but the other biggest headline is the revised job growth in 2025. Only 181K jobs created in 2025, down from the initially reported 584K jobs.
January may very well be a bright spot in an otherwise weak labor market.
Companies make it one click to sign up—and a full obstacle course to cancel.
Why? Because making cancellation harder can boost profits by over 200%, @nealemahoney & @ChadMaisel find in our new report.
Your frustration is part of corporations’ revenue model.
“You get home after work, you’ve got a couple hours with your kids, and you’ve got to navigate paperwork or wait on hold… that’s why I think this stuff is so resonant for people.” — @Groundwork Policy Fellow @ChadMaisel in the @newrepublic on Taking on the Annoyance Economy
We’ve all lived it: You need to call customer service. Instead, you’re in a black hole of hang ups, AI bots who can’t understand you, or looooooong waits.
That friction isn’t a glitch. It’s a business strategy for major corporations like CashApp, Comerica Bank, & Toyota
As usual, health policy is harming #Black communities the most.
Failing to extend the enhanced ACA premium tax credits is an attack on working-class Black families and major metro areas https://www.epi.org/publication/failing-to-extend-the-enhanced-aca-premium-tax-credits-is-an-attack-on-working-class-black-families-and-major-metro-areas/ CC: @BreyonWilliams @Groundwork @EconomicPolicy
Excellent read from @BharatRamamurti on what policymakers can do to help stem sports gambling’s widespread harm 👇
Americans bet ~$2B on the Super Bowl. Half of men 18-49 have an active online sports betting account. Lots of people (like me) enjoy sports betting, but ~5% of bettors suffer serious financial harms. My new piece with @AnuraagRoutray has some ideas for addressing those harms. 1/
New from @nealemahoney & @ChadMaisel: If everything feels harder than it should—canceling a subscription, fixing a bill, getting a refund, talking to a real-life customer service agent—you’re not imagining it.
We call that the Annoyance Economy, & it costs families $165 billion
Americans encounter bureaucratic friction in almost all consumer experiences, including subscriptions, insurance, and rentals—and “the American government doesn’t help the situation,” @AnnieLowrey argues:
1/ NEW: Being a consumer isn't just more expensive. It's more annoying. @AnnieLowrey digs into @Groundwork's new report by @ChadMaisel and @nealemahoney: Taking on the Annoyance Economy, $165 billion in wasted time, hidden fees, and daily hassles we pay to navigate modern life.
