A Call-Up From the Anti-Monopoly Bench Former antitrust enforcer Reed Showalter is running for Congress to leverage his expertise in fighting corporate power.

Illinois congressional candidate Reed Showalter hopes to use his expertise in anti-trust enforcement to take on monopolies in Washington if he wins in November. From @ddayen.bsky.social: trib.al/qWZMpUT

A place-based economic development strategy to foster rural U.S. prosperity How a three-pronged, place-based strategy to spur economic growth in rural communities across the country boasts proven success.

Economic growth can elude America's rural communities, even as the national economy expands.

@gbenga-ajilore.bsky.social of @centeronbudget.bsky.social offers insights on why policymakers need a strategy to foster economic growth in rural areas.

equitablegrowth.org/a-place-base...

#EGEssaySeries

To Create Abundant Housing, Ignore the YIMBY Playbook | Washington Monthly In the last 5 years, Washington DC experienced a housing boom. It took a lot more than passive deregulation.

Washington DC, America’s bluest city, is building more homes per capita than Houston—not with bottom-up zoning reform but with top-down government action:

washingtonmonthly.com/2025/08/14/c...

Frogtown fun starts in 2 days!🐸The Calaveras County Fair & Jumping Frog Jubilee runs Thurs–Sun in Angels Camp, CA. Compete or just cheer on at the Main Stage or casual Lily Pad stage. Inspired by Mark Twain, this quirky Gold Rush tradition now draws 30K–50K visitors a year.

Actually Bob, Corporate America is MORE Wasteful than the US Government Dave Dayen and Matt Stoller are joined by Rich Ham, CEO of FineTune, specializing in corporate cost reductions, and strategies large organizations can use to reduce wasteful spending.

I LOVE this interview that @ddayen.bsky.social and I did with a corporate procurement expert on DOGE. It's amazing to see how absolutely bloated and fucked up big business really is.

Also CEOs you should give it a listen, you'll make more money. www.organizedmoney.fm/p/actually-b...

We need more of this: Economic policy that fights for working families bravely but smartly. No going back to a free trade agenda for billionaires; no going forward into a crash and burn trade agenda for … who knows who. Smart tariffs for workers and communities who are hurting.

Congressional Republicans’ Budget Plans Would Force America’s Working Class To Foot the Bill for Tax Cuts for the Wealthy New budget proposals envision a massive tax giveaway to those at the top financed by working-class Americans, including cuts to health care and food programs.

Congressional Republicans’ budget plans would make America’s working class foot the bill for wasteful tax cuts for the wealthy.

Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1.  Purpose.

I would like to note that USDA's Rural Development created a program - Timber Production Expansion Program in late 2024 to help small & medium size small diameter producers.

Of course, funding was frozen for it. Sometimes its good to leave well enough alone. 🤷🏿‍♂️
www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

When Government Works: A Conversation with Lina Khan Dave Dayen and Matt Stoller sit down to talk about corporate power and the future of antitrust with former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, the leader of the anti-monopoly movement.

Today on the Organized Money podcast, we talked to Lina Khan. This is as close as our pod gets to having on a celebrity, and it's a great discussion about a model for governing: paying attention to what the law says and actually enforcing it.
www.organizedmoney.fm/p/when-gover...

The CFPB Shutdown Is Entirely About Payment Apps Elon Musk and other Big Tech CEOs want to manage your money without any regulatory protections.

If the CFPB didn't decide last year that its mission required it to regulate Big Tech's entry into banking, it wouldn't be shut down today. We know that because Republicans in Congress are working now to make sure the agency can *never* go after Big Tech.
prospect.org/power/2025-0...

This is important today.

Alabama pharmacists stage walkout amid mass closures: ‘Struggling to keep doors open’ “Pharmacies are struggling to keep their doors open,” the organization said. "We continue to lose pharmacies across Alabama every month."

The populist revolt is here. When independent rural Alabama pharmacists are walking out in protest of big business coercion, you know it's not just Bernie making these arguments. www.al.com/politics/202...

Join the Farm to Farm Forum in SF on March 12 from 4:30-6:30 pm. Whether you’re a seasoned urban farmer or just starting out, this event offers expert guidance, solutions, and networking to elevate your farm.

RSVP promo code: FreebieSale-2025

www.eventbrite.com/e/farm-to-fa...

The New Antitrust Consensus The Trump administration is maintaining the merger guidelines that Lina Khan co-authored, and big business is angry.

With everything else going on, the fact that Lina Khan's merger guidelines have been retained by the Trump administration is a small miracle. I asked Lina about it: "I think it goes underappreciated...the degree to which there actually has been bipartisan consensus on some of these core issues."

2025 Budget Stakes: Rural Communities Would Be Hurt by Proposed Policies and Cuts | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities A range of proposals, including a menu of spending cuts that House Republicans are reportedly considering, would take away or reduce health coverage, help buying groceries, and other critical assistan...

A range of proposals, including a menu of spending cuts that House Republicans are reportedly considering, would take away or reduce health coverage, help buying groceries, and other critical assistance from people in rural communities. www.cbpp.org/research/fed...

As CAP has done before, it will develop an agenda to build a resilient coalition and take on the Trump administration’s assault on core American values and its harms to Americans from all walks of life.

STATEMENT: Neera Tanden Rejoins CAP as President and CEO

Today, the Center for American Progress announced that @neeratanden.bsky.social will be rejoining CAP as its new president and CEO.

Statement from CAP Board Chair John Podesta:

Clean Energy Was Lifting Manufacturing. Now Investment Is in Jeopardy. With the Trump administration reversing support for low-carbon power, the business case for making wind, solar and electric vehicle parts gets weaker.

I look at the cities listed here and it is not the SF/LA/NY/Boston, but smaller metros that need these resources to thrive. This funding would boost their economies.

Clean Energy Was Lifting Manufacturing. Now Investment Is in Jeopardy. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/20/b...

Tremendous hire! Gbenga fights for economic opportunity and security for every American.

Antitrust Action on the Way Out the Door, Biden Administration Finalizes Poultry Payment Rules and Sues John Deere and Pepsi — Food & Power In the final days of the Biden administration, antitrust enforcers filed several lawsuits and finalized rules to help farmers and independent retailers.

Feels like ages ago, but ICYMI, I summarized all the Food & Ag-related antitrust actions that the Biden administration took just before leaving office - it was a lot! www.foodandpower.net/latest/psa-r...

🗓️ Join us for a conversation with @andygreensf.bsky.social
on January 27th at 11:00 a.m. EST!

He'll discuss U.S. Department of Agriculture rulemakings from the past three years, their impact on agriculture markets, and more.

RSVP today: attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/349...

I had a hand in several of the aspects mentioned in the press release & proud of the work that me and my colleagues did.

It had an impact and made the lives of many people, including thouse in rural areas, better and made the communities more resilient.

USW, Partners Welcome USTR’S Comprehensive Indictment of PRC’s Unfair Maritime Trade Practices The United Steelworkers (USW) and its labor partners today welcomed the comprehensive report from the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on its investigation on commercial shipbuilding.

The USTR report lays it out clearly. Decades of unfair trade practices devastated these industries. Rebuilding U.S. shipbuilding and logistics starts with union jobs that create real opportunity for workers and strengthens our economy.

Biden-Harris USDA Renews Stability and Opportunity for Americans through Food System Transformation and a Focus on Rural Communities - U.S. Department of Agriculture Stories Biden-Harris USDA Renews Hope and Stability and Opportunity for Americans through Food System Transformation and a Focus on Rural Communities

Meaningful and lasting transformations of the food system— in favor of fairer, more competitive markets; more resilient local and regional food systems; rural opportunities; healthier food and better access for hungry kids; climate-smart. So much.

usda.exposure.co/usda-accompl...

Biden-Harris USDA Renews Stability and Opportunity for Americans through Food System Transformation and a Focus on Rural Communities - U.S. Department of Agriculture Stories Biden-Harris USDA Renews Hope and Stability and Opportunity for Americans through Food System Transformation and a Focus on Rural Communities

So proud of all that the Biden-Harris USDA, under Sec Vilsack’s leadership, has gotten done for the American people.
Check it out.

usda.exposure.co

It has been my honor to serve as Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs at the @ILAB_DOL @USDOL. We are proud of all we accomplished in 3.5 short years!
blog.dol.gov/2025/01/13/a...

How Four Years of Biden Reshaped Food and Farming A look back on the Biden administration’s most significant actions impacting food and farming during the president’s tenure.

An important piece from CivilEats highlighting all the work done at USDA through the Biden-Harris administration on behalf of the public. Article is long because we did a lot of positive things. (Biden announced the fertilizer program - FPEP - in that photo) civileats.com/2025/01/15/h...