The Sling
@theslingutah.bsky.social
The Sling is a source for progressive antitrust and consumer protection law and economics. www.TheSling.org
In our latest Slingshot, @halsinger.bsky.social and Darren Bush interview @superwuster.bsky.social about his new book, The Age of Extraction, and Tim’s recent NY Times opinion piece on the Facebook-Instagram decision.
Go give it a listen—and then go read his book!
www.thesling.org/video/slings...
Go give it a listen—and then go read his book!
www.thesling.org/video/slings...
Slingshot Episode 26 - The Sling
Tim Wu, Professor at Columbia Law School, former advisor in the Biden White House is the author of the new book, The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future...
www.thesling.org
December 6, 2025 at 10:04 PM
In our latest Slingshot, @halsinger.bsky.social and Darren Bush interview @superwuster.bsky.social about his new book, The Age of Extraction, and Tim’s recent NY Times opinion piece on the Facebook-Instagram decision.
Go give it a listen—and then go read his book!
www.thesling.org/video/slings...
Go give it a listen—and then go read his book!
www.thesling.org/video/slings...
Reposted by The Sling
“[W]ith each unprofessional, craven political stunt Chair Ferguson pulls with the FTC…Chair Ferguson burns the FTC’s credibility.” I wrote in @theslingutah.bsky.social about the FTC’s recent comments about Judge Boasberg. www.thesling.org/the-attack-o...
The Attack on Judge Boasberg Burns the FTC’s Credibility - The Sling
With each unprofessional, craven political stunt Chair Ferguson pulls with the FTC—from investigating Elon Musk’s political opponents to threatening Google over allegedly “partisan” email filtering to...
www.thesling.org
December 5, 2025 at 4:23 AM
“[W]ith each unprofessional, craven political stunt Chair Ferguson pulls with the FTC…Chair Ferguson burns the FTC’s credibility.” I wrote in @theslingutah.bsky.social about the FTC’s recent comments about Judge Boasberg. www.thesling.org/the-attack-o...
Ted Tatos has a new piece in @theslingutah.bsky.social explaining why a 50-year mortgage, the new proposal from the White House, doesn't create more home owners, just maybe more mortgages and more interest payments.
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/a-50-year-mo...
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/a-50-year-mo...
A 50-Year Mortgage Is a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Idea - The Sling
Home affordability is a pressing issue. Young people often enter the workforce saddled with student debt, limited work options, and faced with exorbitant housing costs. For the millennial generation, ...
www.thesling.org
November 11, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Ted Tatos has a new piece in @theslingutah.bsky.social explaining why a 50-year mortgage, the new proposal from the White House, doesn't create more home owners, just maybe more mortgages and more interest payments.
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/a-50-year-mo...
Check it out!
www.thesling.org/a-50-year-mo...
Reposted by The Sling
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-...
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-...
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...
Reposted by The Sling
No, progressives aren't pushing degrowth.
Read our @dylangyauchl.bsky.social's latest in @theslingutah.bsky.social!
www.thesling.org/the-hollowne...
Read our @dylangyauchl.bsky.social's latest in @theslingutah.bsky.social!
www.thesling.org/the-hollowne...
The Hollowness of Growth as an Objective - The Sling
While degrowth as a framework has been around for a while, its extremely limited presence in the zeitgeist is a relatively recent phenomenon. Modern progressives are not anti-growth; they simply recog...
www.thesling.org
October 8, 2025 at 5:29 PM
No, progressives aren't pushing degrowth.
Read our @dylangyauchl.bsky.social's latest in @theslingutah.bsky.social!
www.thesling.org/the-hollowne...
Read our @dylangyauchl.bsky.social's latest in @theslingutah.bsky.social!
www.thesling.org/the-hollowne...
Reposted by The Sling
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...
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 The Sling
"Letting Google keep right on engaging in most of its harmful conduct entails real costs for consumers and society at large. This remedies opinion consciously chooses to inflict those costs based on a “hope” of good things happening in the future" 🙈
"A Judge Just Decided to Let Google Keep Breaking the Law," a new post by John Newman.
. Check it out!
www.thesling.org/a-judge-just...
. Check it out!
www.thesling.org/a-judge-just...
A Judge Just Decided to Let Google Keep Breaking the Law - The Sling
After nearly five years of intense litigation, the landmark United States v. Google antitrust trial is finally over. Judge Amit P. Mehta ruled last fall that Google illegally monopolized internet sear...
www.thesling.org
September 8, 2025 at 1:45 PM
"Letting Google keep right on engaging in most of its harmful conduct entails real costs for consumers and society at large. This remedies opinion consciously chooses to inflict those costs based on a “hope” of good things happening in the future" 🙈
Reposted by The Sling
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...
"A Judge Just Decided to Let Google Keep Breaking the Law," a new post by John Newman.
. Check it out!
www.thesling.org/a-judge-just...
. Check it out!
www.thesling.org/a-judge-just...
A Judge Just Decided to Let Google Keep Breaking the Law - The Sling
After nearly five years of intense litigation, the landmark United States v. Google antitrust trial is finally over. Judge Amit P. Mehta ruled last fall that Google illegally monopolized internet sear...
www.thesling.org
September 8, 2025 at 1:40 PM
"A Judge Just Decided to Let Google Keep Breaking the Law," a new post by John Newman.
. Check it out!
www.thesling.org/a-judge-just...
. Check it out!
www.thesling.org/a-judge-just...
Dan Hanley's latest in The Sling argues in favor of structural remedies in modern monopolization cases. Check it out!
www.thesling.org/antitrust-li...
www.thesling.org/antitrust-li...
August 18, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Dan Hanley's latest in The Sling argues in favor of structural remedies in modern monopolization cases. Check it out!
www.thesling.org/antitrust-li...
www.thesling.org/antitrust-li...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Reposted by The Sling
NEW: Our @dylangyauchl.bsky.social has a book review for Dan Wang's Breakneck out in @theslingutah.bsky.social. Give it a read!
www.thesling.org/on-the-optim...
www.thesling.org/on-the-optim...
On the Optimal Ratio of Engineers to Lawyers: A Review of Dan Wang’s Breakneck - The Sling
Breakneck is fascinating and surprisingly fun—with Wang’s piercing dry wit interspersed at a near perfect frequency. It’s also frustrating. While the character of the engineering state is superbly dev...
www.thesling.org
August 5, 2025 at 2:21 PM
NEW: Our @dylangyauchl.bsky.social has a book review for Dan Wang's Breakneck out in @theslingutah.bsky.social. Give it a read!
www.thesling.org/on-the-optim...
www.thesling.org/on-the-optim...
Reposted by The Sling
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
Reposted by The Sling
Warning: To prebut arguments from defenders of price-discrimination, I used figures and basic welfare concepts. Apologies in advance.
Delta’s execs told us this month that the AI-based strategy is *increasing* unit revenues. That really should end the debate on output effects.
Delta’s execs told us this month that the AI-based strategy is *increasing* unit revenues. That really should end the debate on output effects.
July 23, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Warning: To prebut arguments from defenders of price-discrimination, I used figures and basic welfare concepts. Apologies in advance.
Delta’s execs told us this month that the AI-based strategy is *increasing* unit revenues. That really should end the debate on output effects.
Delta’s execs told us this month that the AI-based strategy is *increasing* unit revenues. That really should end the debate on output effects.
Reposted by The Sling
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 The Sling
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...
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 The Sling
Here's my piece in @theslingutah.bsky.social on this investigation. www.thesling.org/the-ftc-shou...
The FTC Should Not Be Wielded as a Weapon of Authoritarianism - The Sling
The anti-monopoly community cannot continue to behave as if business-as-usual will continue at the FTC and DOJ. We cannot continue to segment anti-monopoly policy off from the rest of the Trump admini...
www.thesling.org
June 3, 2025 at 6:44 PM
Here's my piece in @theslingutah.bsky.social on this investigation. www.thesling.org/the-ftc-shou...