Monthly Monopoly Digest – May 2026
May 15, 2026 — May version of Economic Liberties' monthly newsletter that covers the latest with the federal antitrust agencies — the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division — and other big developments in competition policy.
Issue Brief: How the D.C. Council Can Lower Electricity Bills for Families and Businesses
May 12, 2026 — The American Economic Liberties Project released a new issue brief, “How the D.C. Council Can Lower Electricity Bills for Families and Businesses,” that explores the actionable moves local politicians can take to lower costs for Washingtonians.
Out of Practice: How Capital Costs and Corporate Power Are Destroying Independent Medicine
May 7, 2026 — This paper will explore the policy drivers of physician consolidation, the cost of capital for independent practices, and policy solutions to level the playing field. We propose a six-pronged approach to address the unequal burden that independent primary care practices face:
Issue Brief: How Congress and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Can Lower Electric Utility Bills
April 27. 2026 — The following issue brief offers a primer on state and federal regulatory authorities through the lens of a customer’s monthly electric bill, including background on FERC and recent developments in the transmission sector. It concludes with several federal policy recommendations.
THE NEW RENT SEEKERS: How Atlanta Became Ground Zero for Wall Street Single-Family Rentals, and What to Do About It
April 22, 2026 — This report analyzes the recent history of the Atlanta housing market, with a focus on single-family rental homes (SFRs) owned by large institutional investors, including a newer trend called build-to-rent (BTR) in which homebuilders construct single-family homes specifically for institutional owners to offer as rentals. It explores the policy choices that led to the SFR model taking root in Atlanta, examines the impacts on would-be homeowners and SFR tenants, and offers recommendations to ensure that land, credit, and homebuilding create more affordable homes rather than merely new asset classes for investors.
THE FAIR PLAY FACADE: How the American Sports Economy Became a Laboratory for Corporate Power, From Pee Wee to the Pros
April 16, 2026 — The Fair Play Facade examines how this happened, revealing a troubling pattern of anti-competitive conduct justified by appeals to sports’ “special nature.” Private equity firms have transformed youth sports into a financial instrument for investors. Professional leagues and the NCAA have successfully argued for relaxed application of antitrust and labor laws to suppress athlete compensation. Fan experiences have been degraded and monopolized. The result is an industry that thrives on wealth extraction, wage suppression, market allocation, and monopolistic pricing, turning the concept of fair play on its head.