Ninth Circuit Delivers Landmark Win for Small Businesses in Robinson-Patman Case, Cites Economic Liberties’ Scholar
February 25, 2026 – Yesterday, the Ninth Circuit issued a significant decision in L.A. International Corp. v. Prestige Brands, siding with mom-and-pop businesses who were challenging illegal price discrimination that advantaged Costco and kept prices high for American consumers. The ruling, which is grounded in the text of the statute, creates important precedent under the Robinson-Patman Act, an antitrust law designed to protect independent businesses and make groceries more affordable and accessible. The Federal Trade Commission revived RPA enforcement under Chair Lina Khan but has taken almost no action to enforce the law since Andrew Ferguson became Chair. In the opening sentence of its opinion, the court cited Senior Legal Fellow Katherine Van Dyck’s scholarship on RPA, Price Discrimination and Power Buyers, which originated from her work at the American Economic Liberties Project.
Warren Bill, Backed by 16 Senate Dems, Would Loosen Wall Street Grip on Housing
February 24, 2026 – In response to news that Senators Elizabeth Warren and 16 other Democratic Senators have introduced the American Homeownership Act of 2026, which would end major federal tax deductions and other benefits for Wall Street landlords and reinvest the savings in increasing supply and programs to help families become homeowners, while also increasing antitrust scrutiny, the American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.
DOJ Rubber Stamps Another Monopoly in Getty-Shutterstock
February 23, 2026 – In response to news that the Department of Justice Antitrust Division has given approval to the proposed merger of Getty and Shutterstock, the top two largest global stock image and video providers, the American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.
Supreme Court Limits Trump’s Power, Constraining His Ability to Unilaterally Punish Enemies, Reward Allies with Tariffs
February 20, 2026 – In response to today’s Supreme Court ruling on the consolidated cases challenging President Trump’s imposition of expansive tariffs using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Lori Wallach, Director of the Rethink Trade program at the American Economic Liberties Project, said: “A Supreme Court otherwise inclined to endlessly expand Trump’s authority just restricted his go-to tool, ruling that U.S. presidents do not have the power to unilaterally deploy tariffs and dole out punishment and favor to specific companies and economic sectors, friends and family, and entire countries.
Donald Trump Promised to Balance U.S. Trade to Rebuild American Manufacturing: That Is Not What Happened in 2025, New Data Show
February 19, 2026 – While on the campaign trail and in his presidential trade policy announcements since, Donald Trump has promised to rebuild American manufacturing and create more American industrial jobs by reducing the U.S. trade deficit. Today’s release of 2025 trade data and manufacturing indices that measure the first year of Trump’s second term allow us to begin measuring how his policies are affecting key trade and manufacturing outcomes.