Congressman Pat Ryan has called for an FTC investigation into Collectors Holdings' aggressive acquisitions of major trading card grading companies, which has resulted in over 80% market share and raised concerns about monopolistic practices, conflicts of interest, and barriers to entry in the industry.
Shares of Instacart fell about 7% after reports that the FTC is investigating the company's pricing practices, particularly related to its AI-driven pricing tool, amid concerns over price variability and potential consumer impact.
A group used fake accounts and illicit software to buy and resell over 321,000 tickets for major concerts, including Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen, making around $5.7 million in profits. The FTC has accused the operation of bypassing Ticketmaster's security measures, using multiple accounts and repurposed credit cards, and reselling tickets at inflated prices. This comes amid ongoing scrutiny of Ticketmaster's practices and efforts to curb ticket reselling abuse.
A federal judge blocked the FTC's investigation into Media Matters, citing First Amendment rights, after the agency examined whether Media Matters colluded with advocacy groups to target Elon Musk's platform X, amid allegations of antisemitic content and advertiser boycotts.
Media Matters sued the FTC, claiming the agency's investigation into its activities is a form of political retribution influenced by the Trump administration and Elon Musk, aiming to silence its reporting on antisemitic content and online hate, while the FTC denies these allegations.
Media Matters for America has filed a lawsuit to block an FTC investigation they claim is retaliatory and violates their First Amendment rights, alleging it is part of a broader political effort by Elon Musk and allies to suppress dissent and target the organization for its reporting on X and Musk's companies.
Connecticut lawmakers, led by Democrats, are calling on major grocery stores to disclose their profits following an FTC investigation that revealed a spike in grocery store profits since the COVID-19 pandemic. They argue that rising prices at the grocery store may be due to excessive profits rather than ordinary market fluctuations, and are requesting detailed information from retailers to determine the cause of the increase in grocery prices. However, the Connecticut Food Association has pushed back, stating that there's no solid data to support claims against any Connecticut retailers, while the FTC concluded that additional study on the issue must be conducted.