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☆ Biden to launch joint FTC-DOJ task force to crack down on 'unfair and illegal pricing'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan testifies before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Oversight of the Federal Trade Commission, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., July 13, 2023. Kevin Wurm | ReutersPresident Joe Biden on Tuesday will launch a new task force to take on "unfair and illegal" corporate pricing, which Biden sees as a major reason why consumers are not yet feeling the impact of cooling inflation rates and a strong economy. The task force will be jointly led by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, two agencies at the forefront of the Biden administration's aggressive regulatory agenda over the past three years. The announcements and the meeting are part of Biden's ongoing crusade against corporate pricing practices that he claims are unfair. Lael Brainard, vice chair of the US Federal Reserve, speaks during an interview in Washington, DC, on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022.

Persons: Lina Khan, Kevin Wurm, Joe Biden, Biden, Antitrust Jonathan Kanter, Khan, Kanter, Jonathan Kanter, Kevin Dietsch, Lael Brainard, inhalers, Brainard, Andrew Harrer Organizations: Federal Trade, Federal Trade Commission, Capitol, Washington , D.C, Department of Justice, Biden, Force, Antitrust, Justice Department, White, Competition Council, Economic, Consumer Financial, Agriculture Department, US Federal Reserve, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: Washington ,, Washington , DC, U.S

☆ Biden’s pro-competition agenda put to the test as net neutrality, tech trials take shape
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Shortly after that, the Federal Communications Commission chair announced a proposal to reinstate net neutrality rules, which prohibit internet service providers from favoring certain websites over others. It included appointing strong enforcers and starting the White House Competition Council. Even as several prongs of competition policy take shape, the Biden administration is up against the clock. That timeline may be particularly concerning for the ability to implement and uphold net neutrality rules, given that the FCC didn't have a Democratic majority able to advance the rulemaking until just this week. Wu and other net neutrality advocates have blamed the telecom industry for opposing Biden's initial FCC nominee, Gigi Sohn, holding up her nomination for well over a year until she ultimately withdrew.

Persons: Joe Biden, Department's, Anna Gomez, Biden, Tim Wu, Wu, Hannah Garden, Gigi Sohn Organizations: White, Federal Trade Commission, Amazon, Federal Communications Commission, Department of Justice, Google, Washington , D.C, FCC, Antitrust, Biden, Competition Council, FTC, Competition, Democratic, CNBC, Comcast Locations: Washington U.S, Washington ,

☆ US OKs state auto-repair law after raising hacking concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

After discussions with Massachusetts, NHTSA said the state had clarified that automakers could comply with the law using a "short-range wireless compliance approach, implemented appropriately." The Massachusetts attorney general's office said it appreciated "NHTSA’s clarification today that our state law is not preempted by federal law." Automakers now must comply with the state law, the office said. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing major automakers including General Motors (GM.N), Toyota Motor (7203.T) and Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) declined to comment but previously argued the state law would require automakers "to remove essential cybersecurity protections from their vehicles." The White House competition council engaged behind the scenes to help reach a resolution, a senior administration official said.

Persons: Brian Snyder, general's, Senators Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey, David Shepardson, Jonathan Oatis, Andy Sullivan Organizations: Boston, REUTERS, Rights, Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, General Motors, Toyota, Volkswagen, Senators, Massachusetts, House, Thomson Locations: Somerville , Massachusetts, U.S, Massachusetts

It has already taken aim at meatpacking, ocean shipping and consumer junk fees. "We cannot accept bad mergers that lead to mass layoffs, higher prices and fewer options for workers and consumers," Biden said. Hannah Garden Monheit, the new director of Competition Council Policy at the National Economic Council, told Reuters the administration would "use all the tools that we have" to curb anti-competitive practices. [1/2]U.S. President Joe Biden speaks as he convenes a meeting of the White House Competition Council in the State Dining room at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 19, 2023. Biden has repeatedly called for federal agencies, Congress and private companies to address surprise fees that can jack up consumers' cost by 20%.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, I've, Hannah, Monheit, Sean Heather, Evelyn Hockstein Morgan Harper, Harper, Elizabeth Warren, Andrea Shalal, Diane Bartz, Leah Douglas, Leslie Adler, Heather Timmons, Daniel Wallis, Diane Craft Organizations: White House Competition Council, WASHINGTON, White, Biden, House, Competition, National Economic Council, Reuters, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Competition Council, REUTERS, Consumer Financial, Bureau, American Economic Liberties, Big Tech, Google, Democratic, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Agriculture, D.C, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington , U.S, Washington

The White House will likely appoint Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard to run the National Economic Council and Jared Bernstein to lead the Council of Economic Advisers, sources familiar with the matter tell CNBC. The appointments are expected to be announced after incoming White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients assumes his role, as soon as next week. Bernstein is a member of the board he is expected to head, the White House Council of Economic Advisers. The White House is holding a ceremony on Wednesday to thank outgoing White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain and welcome Zients to the position. Current White House NEC Director Brian Deese is expected to depart imminently, sources said.

"These are junk fees," President Joe Biden told reporters at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The White House said the move could eliminate billions in banking fees. The agency said that both fees likely violate the Consumer Financial Protection Act's prohibition on unfair fees that are unavoidable to consumers. In a fact sheet, the White House noted that bank overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees accounted for an estimated $15.5 billion in revenue for banks in 2019. He cited processing fees for concert tickets and resort fees at hotels as two items his administration is examining.

"These are junk fees. The agency said that both fees likely violate the Consumer Financial Protection Act's prohibition on unfair fees that are unavoidable to consumers. In a fact sheet, the White House noted that bank overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees accounted for an estimated $15.5 billion in revenue for banks in 2019. He cited processing fees for concert tickets and resort fees at hotels as two items his administration is examining. There's tens of billions of dollars and other junk fees across the economy that I'm directing my administration to reduce or eliminate," Biden said.

☆ Biden wants to clamp down on airlines charging hidden fees, which can lead to families spending hundreds of dollars more than they planned
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

President Biden aims has announced new proposals to help customers find the best airfares. Under new proposals, airlines would have to tell customers the total ticket cost upfront. The proposals, announced Monday, aim to stop airlines charging passengers hidden fees. Airlines often charge customers additional fees to check baggage, choose seats, or alter flights after they have selected a flight based on its ticket price alone. The fees can lead to people paying hundreds of dollars more than they'd planned.

☆ Biden tells gas stations to bring down prices at the pump immediately, as he slams high profits and delays passing on cost cuts
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Zahra Tayeb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Biden urged gas station operators to cut prices at the pump to reflect declining global oil prices. The US president said "do it now", noting it takes a long time for lower prices to be passed on. He said Americans pay for the energy companies' record profits through the inflation they face. He has vowed to combat rising gas prices as inflation runs near 40-year highs in the US economy. Biden's remarks echo the criticisms he launched at oil and gas companies when energy prices prices peaked.

☆ Biden introduces administration's plans to increase competition across industries
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden announced his administration's plans to crack down on fees and increase competition across various industries on Monday. During a speech at a meeting at the White House Competition Council, the president said unnecessary hidden fees, or "junk fees" were weighing down families' budgets. The Competition Council was created by the Biden administration to "promote competition with a goal of lowering prices for consumers and raising the wages of workers and encouraging innovation in the economy," Biden said. The changes will put the government on track to lowering overdraft fees by $3 billion a year, Biden said. It doesn't go up when there's competition," Biden said.

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