In the News
On any given day, Groundwork's analyses, op-eds, reports, and commentary are featured in leading publications and on the most influential news programs and podcasts.
On any given day, Groundwork's analyses, op-eds, reports, and commentary are featured in leading publications and on the most influential news programs and podcasts.
There are several reasons to see what Google is doing as ominous. Pricing expert Lindsay Owens, who helped uncover the dynamic pricing scheme of Instacart, noted that this pricing engine could be a way of having Google help retailers analyze user data and then use it to “overcharge” consumers.
Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at the liberal Groundwork Collaborative, said: “At the end of the day, it’s the investors and billionaires at Davos who have his attention, not the families struggling to afford their bills.”
“At the end of the day, it’s the investors and billionaires at Davos who have his attention, not the families struggling to afford their bills,” said Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at Groundwork Collaborative, a liberal think tank.
“He’s not going to reap any benefits from just saying the words,” said Alex Jacquez, citing Democrats’ experience during President Joe Biden’s administration. “People’s costs will actually need to go down. You don’t get any credit for giving it the ol’ college try.”
“Twelve dollars could get you a lunch somewhere on the street — at least an apple and a sandwich,” said Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at Groundwork Collaborative, which released a report last year about price gouging at stadiums and airports. “But that is not even enough to get you snack mix.”
Prices are still too high for American families.
This week, the Federal Reserve released its January 2026 ‘Beige Book,’ which provides a detailed look at economic conditions in all 12 Federal Reserve Districts, including consumer spending, labor markets, and pricing patterns.
“People were generally enthusiastic because the core headline beat expectations, but if you zoom out a little bit, because of the government shutdown the shelter inflation readings are kind of artificially lowered for the next several months,” said Alex Jacquez.
Today’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for December shows inflation at 2.7% year over year, with core inflation unchanged at 2.6%, still well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target and likely artificially low due to the lingering effects of the government shutdown.
"This is going to be a huge deal, both as a policy matter and a political matter," said Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at the Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive economic think tank.