Hal Singer
@halsinger.bsky.social
Economist, Dish washer, Jogger
Advocates will pounce on a Nobel prize in economics to promote their policy agenda. They find a strand of the work by the winners, spin it into their narrative, and voila, their pet theory is proven right. My latest on the meaning of this year’s Nobel prize.
www.thesling.org/deciphering-...
www.thesling.org/deciphering-...
Deciphering the Meaning of This Year’s Nobel Prize in Economics - The Sling
Advocates of all stripes will pounce on a Nobel prize in economics to promote their particular policy agenda. They find a strand of the work by the winning economist, or a snippet from the Nobel commi...
www.thesling.org
October 17, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Advocates will pounce on a Nobel prize in economics to promote their policy agenda. They find a strand of the work by the winners, spin it into their narrative, and voila, their pet theory is proven right. My latest on the meaning of this year’s Nobel prize.
www.thesling.org/deciphering-...
www.thesling.org/deciphering-...
Reposted by Hal Singer
In a new piece, Peter Carstensen, Emeritus U. of Wisconsin Law Professor, explains that if the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger is allowed, there should be separation between ownership of the tracks and operation of the freight services on those tracks.
www.thesling.org/to-preserve-...
www.thesling.org/to-preserve-...
To Preserve Railroad Competition, the STB Should Separate the Track from the Train - The Sling
Not only the UK, but many other countries have public ownership of their rail systems. Early in the development of America’s railroad system, states were often the owners of the lines that operating c...
www.thesling.org
October 16, 2025 at 1:26 PM
In a new piece, Peter Carstensen, Emeritus U. of Wisconsin Law Professor, explains that if the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger is allowed, there should be separation between ownership of the tracks and operation of the freight services on those tracks.
www.thesling.org/to-preserve-...
www.thesling.org/to-preserve-...
Reposted by Hal Singer
The latest Slingshot features Erik Peinert, professor of political science at BU and author of the new book, Monopoly Politics. We discussed whether antitrust enforcement will go dormant again, or whether anti-monopoly politics are here to stay. Enjoy!
www.thesling.org/video/slings...
www.thesling.org/video/slings...
Slingshot Episode 24 - The Sling
Erik Peinert, assistant professor of political science at Boston University, discusses his book, “Monopoly Politics: Competition and Learning in the Evolution of Policy Regimes” and recent LPB Blog Po...
www.thesling.org
October 15, 2025 at 1:10 PM
The latest Slingshot features Erik Peinert, professor of political science at BU and author of the new book, Monopoly Politics. We discussed whether antitrust enforcement will go dormant again, or whether anti-monopoly politics are here to stay. Enjoy!
www.thesling.org/video/slings...
www.thesling.org/video/slings...
I am on a mission to get the business press to stop blaming consumers for industrywide price hikes, and instead look at the companies actually setting prices. Or in the case of Vegas hotels, companies turning over their pricing decisions to a common pricing agent.
www.thesling.org/why-did-hote...
www.thesling.org/why-did-hote...
Why Did Hotel Rates Surge in Vegas? (Hint: It’s Wasn’t the Demand) - The Sling
If I had a dollar for every New York Times business story that attributed an industry-wide price hike in the post-Covid era to an outward shift in demand—that is, a story that blamed consumers for hig...
www.thesling.org
October 7, 2025 at 4:06 PM
I am on a mission to get the business press to stop blaming consumers for industrywide price hikes, and instead look at the companies actually setting prices. Or in the case of Vegas hotels, companies turning over their pricing decisions to a common pricing agent.
www.thesling.org/why-did-hote...
www.thesling.org/why-did-hote...
Reposted by Hal Singer
Wrote this for the New York Times today (hope this link works!)
W.N.B.A. is doing immensely well! Time to pay the players!!
Thanks to Sara Chodosh for asking me to write this (helping with the writing) and making the cool graphics!!
urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
W.N.B.A. is doing immensely well! Time to pay the players!!
Thanks to Sara Chodosh for asking me to write this (helping with the writing) and making the cool graphics!!
urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
Opinion | The W.N.B.A. Is Making More Money Than Ever. Why Aren’t the Players? (Gift Article)
Other professional sports leagues give their players roughly 50 percent of the revenue, but the W.N.B.A. players get less than 10 percent.
urldefense.com
October 3, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Wrote this for the New York Times today (hope this link works!)
W.N.B.A. is doing immensely well! Time to pay the players!!
Thanks to Sara Chodosh for asking me to write this (helping with the writing) and making the cool graphics!!
urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
W.N.B.A. is doing immensely well! Time to pay the players!!
Thanks to Sara Chodosh for asking me to write this (helping with the writing) and making the cool graphics!!
urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
Had the pleasure to speak on Voices of Montana today about the harms of consolidation generally & the pending UP-Norfolk Southern railroad merger in particular. If you’re following this case, or just curious about how the merger will be evaluated, go check it out!
voicesofmontana.com/podcast/what...
voicesofmontana.com/podcast/what...
What could a proposed Rail Merger mean for Shippers in Montana? - Voices of Montana
What Could a Proposed Rail Merger Mean for Shippers in Montana? Join guest host Steve Arveschouh for an insightful discussion on how the potential merger between two of the top six Class 1 rail transp...
voicesofmontana.com
September 23, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Had the pleasure to speak on Voices of Montana today about the harms of consolidation generally & the pending UP-Norfolk Southern railroad merger in particular. If you’re following this case, or just curious about how the merger will be evaluated, go check it out!
voicesofmontana.com/podcast/what...
voicesofmontana.com/podcast/what...
Reposted by Hal Singer
New on The Sling:
Seth Frotman writes about the common interest of small business, workers, and consumers: Fighting corporate abuse.
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/standing-wit...
Seth Frotman writes about the common interest of small business, workers, and consumers: Fighting corporate abuse.
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/standing-wit...
Standing with Small Business in the Fight for a Fair Economy - The Sling
To reclaim our democracy from oligarchs and billionaires, we need to build a system that working people can believe in. That means reshaping an economy that is insurmountably stacked against working p...
www.thesling.org
September 22, 2025 at 3:09 PM
New on The Sling:
Seth Frotman writes about the common interest of small business, workers, and consumers: Fighting corporate abuse.
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/standing-wit...
Seth Frotman writes about the common interest of small business, workers, and consumers: Fighting corporate abuse.
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/standing-wit...
Reposted by Hal Singer
DDC Judge Sooknanan rightfully blocked the FTC’s CID to @mmfa.bsky.social as unconstitutional. The opinion is worth a read ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
August 19, 2025 at 6:53 PM
DDC Judge Sooknanan rightfully blocked the FTC’s CID to @mmfa.bsky.social as unconstitutional. The opinion is worth a read ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show...
Reposted by Hal Singer
Darren Bush writes about the history of the Tunney Act. And while not all of the cases are in the DC Circuit, the vast majority are, and other circuits rely on DC Circuit caselaw and experience.
Only one Tunney Act consent decree rejection. Ever.
www.thesling.org/no-the-tunne...
Only one Tunney Act consent decree rejection. Ever.
www.thesling.org/no-the-tunne...
No, The Tunney Act Won’t Save Democracy - The Sling
Is there a problem with Paramount making a major settlement with Trump and firing Colbert and then having its merger with Skydance approved? We’ll never know, because the courts will only review the c...
www.thesling.org
August 13, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Darren Bush writes about the history of the Tunney Act. And while not all of the cases are in the DC Circuit, the vast majority are, and other circuits rely on DC Circuit caselaw and experience.
Only one Tunney Act consent decree rejection. Ever.
www.thesling.org/no-the-tunne...
Only one Tunney Act consent decree rejection. Ever.
www.thesling.org/no-the-tunne...
Reposted by Hal Singer
PBM Nightmare! Venu Julapalli, a practicing gastroenterologist and recent UH Law grad, writes about PBMs, gives a concrete example of the health nightmares PBM consolidation has created.
Check it out:
www.thesling.org/prior-author...
Check it out:
www.thesling.org/prior-author...
Prior Authorization: A Consolidated PBM Nightmare - The Sling
On December 3, 2024, Chris Salinas officially entered a nightmare that would make Freddy Krueger proud—a nightmare in the medical industry known as prior authorization. Even I, as his gastroenterologi...
www.thesling.org
August 15, 2025 at 2:21 PM
PBM Nightmare! Venu Julapalli, a practicing gastroenterologist and recent UH Law grad, writes about PBMs, gives a concrete example of the health nightmares PBM consolidation has created.
Check it out:
www.thesling.org/prior-author...
Check it out:
www.thesling.org/prior-author...
Reposted by Hal Singer
Randy Kim's latest in the Sling: "The Abundance Movement’s Blindside: How Economic Concentration Fuels Political Capture in the Post-Citizens United Era."
Adding to the abundance of failures in the abundance movement.
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/the-abundanc...
Adding to the abundance of failures in the abundance movement.
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/the-abundanc...
The Abundance Movement’s Blindside: How Economic Concentration Fuels Political Capture in the Post-Citizens United Era - The Sling
There is intense debate between Neo-Brandeisians, antitrust centrists, and supply-side “abundance” liberals, regarding the economic benefits and political dangers of concentrated markets and dominant ...
www.thesling.org
August 11, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Randy Kim's latest in the Sling: "The Abundance Movement’s Blindside: How Economic Concentration Fuels Political Capture in the Post-Citizens United Era."
Adding to the abundance of failures in the abundance movement.
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/the-abundanc...
Adding to the abundance of failures in the abundance movement.
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/the-abundanc...
Reposted by Hal Singer
Choo choo! Choo choo!
Choo choo!
Choo!
-- History of Train mergers
In The Sling, @halsinger.bsky.social explains why "The Trump Administration Should Tap the Brakes on the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern Merger"
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/the-trump-ad...
Choo choo!
Choo!
-- History of Train mergers
In The Sling, @halsinger.bsky.social explains why "The Trump Administration Should Tap the Brakes on the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern Merger"
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/the-trump-ad...
The Trump Administration Should Tap the Brakes on the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern Merger - The Sling
Railroad mergers haven’t happened in a while, and that’s a good thing. During the Reagan era, the country witnessed a rapid consolidation of its railroad industry. In the two decades following the 198...
www.thesling.org
August 8, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Choo choo! Choo choo!
Choo choo!
Choo!
-- History of Train mergers
In The Sling, @halsinger.bsky.social explains why "The Trump Administration Should Tap the Brakes on the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern Merger"
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/the-trump-ad...
Choo choo!
Choo!
-- History of Train mergers
In The Sling, @halsinger.bsky.social explains why "The Trump Administration Should Tap the Brakes on the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern Merger"
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/the-trump-ad...
If Delta were implementing AI-based personalized pricing on its own, that would be bad for travelers. That Delta is using a common algorithm from an GenAI airline pricing consultant makes it even worse. My latest here:
www.thesling.org/deltas-ai-ba...
www.thesling.org/deltas-ai-ba...
Delta’s AI-Based Personalized Pricing Is Bad for Flyers. It Should Probably Be Banned. - The Sling
If there’s any doubt on the price effects from AI-based pricing, recall the boast from Delta’s executive—unit revenues are rising, which can’t happen if Delta is using the technology to drop prices on...
www.thesling.org
July 23, 2025 at 7:59 PM
If Delta were implementing AI-based personalized pricing on its own, that would be bad for travelers. That Delta is using a common algorithm from an GenAI airline pricing consultant makes it even worse. My latest here:
www.thesling.org/deltas-ai-ba...
www.thesling.org/deltas-ai-ba...
Reposted by Hal Singer
www.thesling.org/major-league...
My latest for The Sling is a classic story!
Nearly 20 years ago, we argued in The Wages of Wins that baseball doesn't need salary controls because money can't buy happiness.
And here we are again!
Good to be playing the old favorites!
@halsinger.bsky.social
My latest for The Sling is a classic story!
Nearly 20 years ago, we argued in The Wages of Wins that baseball doesn't need salary controls because money can't buy happiness.
And here we are again!
Good to be playing the old favorites!
@halsinger.bsky.social
Major League Baseball Owners Are Agitating (Again) for a Salary Cap. This Isn’t Good News for Players. - The Sling
Why do owners want a salary cap? The spending by teams like the Dodgers does bid up the cost of free agents. If the league could cap spending, players would generally be cheaper. And that would transf...
www.thesling.org
July 15, 2025 at 6:13 PM
www.thesling.org/major-league...
My latest for The Sling is a classic story!
Nearly 20 years ago, we argued in The Wages of Wins that baseball doesn't need salary controls because money can't buy happiness.
And here we are again!
Good to be playing the old favorites!
@halsinger.bsky.social
My latest for The Sling is a classic story!
Nearly 20 years ago, we argued in The Wages of Wins that baseball doesn't need salary controls because money can't buy happiness.
And here we are again!
Good to be playing the old favorites!
@halsinger.bsky.social
I have a new piece up at @theslingutah.bsky.social, co-authored with Gavin Sicard, that examines whether Big Tech and Microsoft in particular has shared any of the AI-based productivity gains with its workers in the form of higher wages. Lots of cool graphs.
www.thesling.org/microsoft-sa...
www.thesling.org/microsoft-sa...
Microsoft Says AI Has Boosted Worker Productivity. Their Pay Doesn’t Reflect It. - The Sling
A recent working paper authored by Microsoft researchers and academics analyzes the productivity increases in (non-terminated) software developers who use AI tools. The authors find that developers us...
www.thesling.org
July 13, 2025 at 8:53 PM
I have a new piece up at @theslingutah.bsky.social, co-authored with Gavin Sicard, that examines whether Big Tech and Microsoft in particular has shared any of the AI-based productivity gains with its workers in the form of higher wages. Lots of cool graphs.
www.thesling.org/microsoft-sa...
www.thesling.org/microsoft-sa...
Reposted by Hal Singer
Are divestitures a bad thing?
@halsinger.bsky.social and Darren Bush brought
@econliberties.bsky.social's Laurel Kilgour onto the podcast to discuss this issue plus other remedies on the table in the Google search antitrust case.
www.thesling.org/video/slings...
Go give it a watch!
@halsinger.bsky.social and Darren Bush brought
@econliberties.bsky.social's Laurel Kilgour onto the podcast to discuss this issue plus other remedies on the table in the Google search antitrust case.
www.thesling.org/video/slings...
Go give it a watch!
Slingshot Episode 23 - The Sling
Hal and Darren discuss remedies in the Google search case with AELP’s Laurel Kilgour.
www.thesling.org
June 25, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Are divestitures a bad thing?
@halsinger.bsky.social and Darren Bush brought
@econliberties.bsky.social's Laurel Kilgour onto the podcast to discuss this issue plus other remedies on the table in the Google search antitrust case.
www.thesling.org/video/slings...
Go give it a watch!
@halsinger.bsky.social and Darren Bush brought
@econliberties.bsky.social's Laurel Kilgour onto the podcast to discuss this issue plus other remedies on the table in the Google search antitrust case.
www.thesling.org/video/slings...
Go give it a watch!
Reposted by Hal Singer
In that interview @halsinger.bsky.social mentioned @basel.bsky.social who wrote about the egg issue in 2023.
www.thesling.org/its-not-the-...
www.thesling.org/its-not-the-...
It's Not the Flu, Feed, or Fuel. Profiteering Is Driving Record Egg Prices. - The Sling
A deep dive into the data reveals that the avian bird flu and rising input costs are not driving egg prices. The culprit is profiteering.
www.thesling.org
June 18, 2025 at 4:53 PM
In that interview @halsinger.bsky.social mentioned @basel.bsky.social who wrote about the egg issue in 2023.
www.thesling.org/its-not-the-...
www.thesling.org/its-not-the-...
Reposted by Hal Singer
Something strange happened after the DOJ launched an antitrust investigation into the egg industry…
1/5
1/5
DOJ investigating major egg producers amid soaring prices: Sources
The Justice Department is in the early stages of investigating the major egg producers over soaring egg prices, source familiar with the matter told ABC News.
abcnews.go.com
June 18, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Something strange happened after the DOJ launched an antitrust investigation into the egg industry…
1/5
1/5
Reposted by Hal Singer
That’s not a coincidence. Economist @halsinger.bsky.social has just co-written a piece explaining how corporate behavior changes the moment regulators start to investigate.
3/5
3/5
Did DOJ’s Investigation of the Egg Industry Cause Egg Prices to Fall? - The Sling
Last September, then vice-presidential candidate JD Vance proclaimed in a Pennsylvanian supermarket, “Eggs, when Kamala Harris took office, were short of $1.50 a dozen. Now a dozen eggs will cost you…
www.thesling.org
June 18, 2025 at 3:57 PM
That’s not a coincidence. Economist @halsinger.bsky.social has just co-written a piece explaining how corporate behavior changes the moment regulators start to investigate.
3/5
3/5
In a new piece co-authored with Econ One’s Gavin Sicard, we explore whether DOJ’s inquiry into the egg industry, as reported by Capitol Forum on March 6, may have caused egg prices to plummet. If so, the implications would be big.
Highlights coming.
www.thesling.org/did-dojs-inv...
Highlights coming.
www.thesling.org/did-dojs-inv...
Did DOJ’s Investigation of the Egg Industry Cause Egg Prices to Fall? - The Sling
Last September, then vice-presidential candidate JD Vance proclaimed in a Pennsylvanian supermarket, “Eggs, when Kamala Harris took office, were short of $1.50 a dozen. Now a dozen eggs will cost you ...
www.thesling.org
June 13, 2025 at 2:31 PM
In a new piece co-authored with Econ One’s Gavin Sicard, we explore whether DOJ’s inquiry into the egg industry, as reported by Capitol Forum on March 6, may have caused egg prices to plummet. If so, the implications would be big.
Highlights coming.
www.thesling.org/did-dojs-inv...
Highlights coming.
www.thesling.org/did-dojs-inv...
Reposted by Hal Singer
Reposted by Hal Singer
And while the price gouging was taking place, you had the federal government withdrawing pandemic support programs and tge federal reserve jacking up interest rates.
Because everybody was listening to goddamn Larry Summers give economic counsel while vacationing in his beach shirt.
Because everybody was listening to goddamn Larry Summers give economic counsel while vacationing in his beach shirt.
June 5, 2025 at 7:22 PM
And while the price gouging was taking place, you had the federal government withdrawing pandemic support programs and tge federal reserve jacking up interest rates.
Because everybody was listening to goddamn Larry Summers give economic counsel while vacationing in his beach shirt.
Because everybody was listening to goddamn Larry Summers give economic counsel while vacationing in his beach shirt.
Reposted by Hal Singer
So with all the rigamaroll I my life these days, I got to finish that @halsinger.bsky.social @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social podcast:
bsky.app/profile/pitc...
where I learned a couple of things.
One - Hal talked to the Biden admin, and gave them advice. They just forgot to take it.
bsky.app/profile/pitc...
where I learned a couple of things.
One - Hal talked to the Biden admin, and gave them advice. They just forgot to take it.
If corporate price hikes aren’t backed by real cost increases, they're price gouging, and they should be held accountable.
Listen to our full interview with @halsinger.bsky.social at the following link or wherever you get your podcasts: bit.ly/Greedflation
Listen to our full interview with @halsinger.bsky.social at the following link or wherever you get your podcasts: bit.ly/Greedflation
June 7, 2025 at 8:57 AM
So with all the rigamaroll I my life these days, I got to finish that @halsinger.bsky.social @pitchforkeconomics.bsky.social podcast:
bsky.app/profile/pitc...
where I learned a couple of things.
One - Hal talked to the Biden admin, and gave them advice. They just forgot to take it.
bsky.app/profile/pitc...
where I learned a couple of things.
One - Hal talked to the Biden admin, and gave them advice. They just forgot to take it.
Reposted by Hal Singer
NEW: Why Big Oil and Big Tech Are Big Fans of Abundance
Trump’s unbridling of AI, crypto, and dirty energy should be understood as one inseparable process.
Big Tech has thrown Big Oil & Gas a lifeline by fabricating speculative justifications for fossil fuel expansion. ⬇️
Trump’s unbridling of AI, crypto, and dirty energy should be understood as one inseparable process.
Big Tech has thrown Big Oil & Gas a lifeline by fabricating speculative justifications for fossil fuel expansion. ⬇️
Why Big Oil and Big Tech Are Big Fans of Abundance - The Sling
Why would Trump, who received nearly $100 million from fossil fuel interests during the 2024 election cycle, encourage unlimited dirty energy production even though it could hurt the oil industry’s bo...
www.thesling.org
June 2, 2025 at 7:00 PM
NEW: Why Big Oil and Big Tech Are Big Fans of Abundance
Trump’s unbridling of AI, crypto, and dirty energy should be understood as one inseparable process.
Big Tech has thrown Big Oil & Gas a lifeline by fabricating speculative justifications for fossil fuel expansion. ⬇️
Trump’s unbridling of AI, crypto, and dirty energy should be understood as one inseparable process.
Big Tech has thrown Big Oil & Gas a lifeline by fabricating speculative justifications for fossil fuel expansion. ⬇️
Reposted by Hal Singer
New piece by @halsinger.bsky.social: the next Democratic campaign should focus on the replacement of lost government jobs and the creation of new government jobs, not government spending.
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/skip-the-spe...
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/skip-the-spe...
Skip the Spending Plans. Head Directly to Government Jobs. - The Sling
Aside from garnering votes, a jobs program would build human capital for workers to deploy in their future work in private or public sector. A jobs program critically would shift power balance in labo...
www.thesling.org
May 29, 2025 at 3:13 PM
New piece by @halsinger.bsky.social: the next Democratic campaign should focus on the replacement of lost government jobs and the creation of new government jobs, not government spending.
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/skip-the-spe...
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/skip-the-spe...