@lindsayowens.bsky.social sat down w/ @mollyjongfast.bsky.social to explain why our Instacart study caught 🔥: “No one told me that if I signed on to purchase my groceries on Instacart, that I would be a lab rat & that I might end up paying a heck of a lot more than the person sitting next to me."

The auto market is becoming a snapshot of our K-shaped economy: households earning over $150,000 now account for 43% of new car purchases, while buyers under $75,000 are increasingly shut out. When the average new car tops $50,000, it’s a sign Trump’s economy is rigged. thehill.com/business/567...

Amazon has been accused of price gouging during the pandemic, & the evidence is pretty damning. Amazon hiked prices by: 💊233% on Aleve pain relief tablets 🧻 1,044% on Quilted Northern toilet paper 💪 1,523% on Arm & Hammer baking soda 😷 1,800% on some face masks

In his first few days, NYC Mayor Mamdani's 2 new EOs strike at the heart of today’s rigged economy: junk fees & hidden charges. “It is hard enough to live in NYC without having to worry all the time about whether you’re being ripped off,” he said. We’d say that’s true for most of America right now.

In just the past 5 years, the median income a family needs to afford a home has ballooned by nearly 50% - now up to $117,000! Our new brief lays out how the federal government can take targeted, concrete actions to reverse the affordability crisis.

Thanks to dynamic pricing & other pricing schemes, “many sports, live events, games, matches, are out of reach for many Americans.” “It is certainly the case that wealthier Americans are doing more in-person attendance at events,” @lindsayowens.bsky.social told @theathletic.com.

Unfortunately, Instacart’s predatory pricing is just one small piece of a much larger–and rapidly growing–economy of extraction, says @lindsayowens.bsky.social of @groundwork.bsky.social.

As 2025 comes to a close, Americans are taking stock of an economy that looks nothing like what Trump promised. We wrapped up Trump’s performance this year and the numbers are pretty rough (unless you’re a billionaire).

Read more about the results of our work with @groundwork.bsky.social and @consumerreports.org: apnews.com/article/inst....

This morning, Instacart announced it will end its use of AI-powered pricing experiments following our report with @moreperfectunion.bsky.social & @consumerreports.org.

This week’s jobs report made a few things clear: “Far from sparking a manufacturing renaissance, Trump’s reckless trade agenda is bleeding working class jobs, forcing layoffs, & raising prices for businesses & consumers alike,” our @alexsjacquez.bsky.social told @newsweek.com.

How much has your grocery bill gone up in the past year? 👀 And it's not just food - this year’s most popular holiday items rose an average of 26% since last year thanks to Trump’s economic agenda.

With prices for essentials still rising & consumer confidence freezing over, it is no surprise that a record number of Americans put Trump’s economic performance on the naughty list this holiday season. The data is clear: Americans are feeling frosty about Trump & his economic agenda.

The ACA premium tax credits save lives. For Black Americans in 10 metro areas, the expiration of these credits means: 📝 170,000+ losing health insurance 💰 $740M more in annual premiums 💀 200+ preventable deaths each year That’s the Republican health care agenda. New from us & @epi.org.

🧵: Fans have described FIFA World Cup ticket prices as “absolutely despicable.” Amid the backlash, FIFA announced they will offer lower priced tickets, but only for a tiny fraction of soccer fans.

As families plan their holiday meals, we’re tracking the cost of what’s on the table. Our grocery price tracker is updated, now including pork, corn, & steak. Republicans in Congress keep claiming prices are falling. Our bills say otherwise. We’ve got the receipts. 🍽️ Visit dontinflateourplates.com

If your budget is feeling extra tight this holiday season—that's the Trump tariff effect.

NEW: @unrigoureconomy.bsky.social is tracking rising grocery prices at dontinflateourplates.com You can literally watch the cost of pork, corn, and steak go up for the holiday season. But don't worry, I'm sure those tax breaks for corporations and billionaires will trickle down any day now.

The holidays are going to be tight for a lot of working families. This administration and Congress have the power to prioritize working people and an economic agenda that strengthens the middle class - time to do it. bsky.app/profile/grou...

Prices are climbing on everyday necessities like food, rent, medical care, & electricity - up nearly 7% over the past year. “Despite his promises to lower prices on day one, Trump has spent this year driving up costs and sticking consumers with the bill,” says our @alexsjacquez.bsky.social.

“I have a team to feed. I have rent to pay. People rely on us as a small business in this economy.” That’s a VA toy store owner on @ms.now discussing the impact of Trump’s economic agenda this holiday season. Toys & gifts are unaffordable for many families & businesses w/ prices going up by 26%.

Breaking news from last night 🚨 After we released our groundbreaking study with @moreperfectunion.bsky.social & @consumerreports.org, the FTC took notice. It’s time for Instacart to close the labs & stop using us as guinea pigs.

Millions of working families will lose coverage and millions more face sharply higher premiums if the ACA tax credits expire. New analysis from @kdoc-writes.bsky.social and @groundwork.bsky.social's Breyon Williams find Black Americans would face deep losses and financial harm.

Thanks to a major investigation from @groundwork.bsky.social, @moreperfectunion.bsky.social, and @consumerreports.org, the FTC is reportedly probing Instacart’s AI pricing tool, which charged shoppers up to 23% more for the same items, in the same store, at the same time.

The unemployment rate is at a 4-year high. Wages are growing at the lowest rate in years. American workers are having to stretch those paychecks even further to cover holiday expenses, as popular gift prices are up 26% - nearly 9x the overall inflation rate.

Both naughty & nice kids may find lumps of coal in their stockings this year. It might be all their families can afford. Trump’s economic agenda has raised prices on holiday gifts by 26%. 60% of voters blame Trump for this year’s stressful holiday. New from us, @tcfdotorg.bsky.social, & @aft.org.

Instacart’s response to our study has been to admit, then deny, then blame. “This is basically high-frequency dynamic pricing, completely untethered from managing scarce resources, & instead entirely done for the purpose of extracting consumer surplus,” @lindsayowens.bsky.social told @huffpost.com.

When we released our blockbuster study with @moreperfectunion.bsky.social & @consumerreports.org on Instacart last week, we called for investigations into the company's pricing experiments on unsuspecting shoppers. Seems like someone at the FTC was listening.

BREAKING: The Federal Trade Commission is investigating Instacart, according to Reuters. The probe follows our investigation with @consumerreports.org and @groundwork.bsky.social revealed the company is using AI algorithms to increase grocery prices.

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent or anyone else, everyone irrespective of zip code, circumstance or party will face higher prices this holiday season.

(1/2) Trump says the impacts of his economic policies haven’t kicked in yet. Unfortunately, they have. Hardworking families are facing skyrocketing prices as they shop for holiday gifts, with popular items costing 26% more than last year.

Our new polling finds that 75% of Americans are seriously stressed about affording the holiday season thanks to Trump’s economic agenda. A majority of Americans said “that they were going to change their behavior in one way or another, whether that be buying fewer gifts, or gifts for less people."

The mortgage process isn’t just expensive — it’s overwhelming. 📊 Over 80% of prospective homebuyers report anxiety about the process. We’re offering 4 practicable & sensible solutions to address the housing affordability crisis. @politico.com Morning Money with the scoop.

NEW from Hard Reset - @Ariella Steinhorn on the @groundwork.bsky.social Instacart study and how disconnected tech companies are from everyday life: www.hardresetmedia.com/p/instacarts...

We think if you like your mortgage rate, you should keep it. That’s what we’re proposing in our new paper laying out 4 practical solutions to the housing affordability crisis. The brief details how the federal government can lower housing costs & make the process fairer for families.

Same cart, different price. A new study from @groundwork.bsky.social, @consumerreports.org, and @moreperfectunion.bsky.social finds Instacart's AI-assisted pricing experiments could cost families about $1,200 a year.

Our new polling shows Americans are cutting back on gifts & blaming Trump for sky-high prices on everything from toys to tech. Tariffs are adding to already-expensive bills. That’s not “America First.” That’s American families last. New analysis from us, @tcfdotorg.bsky.social, & @aft.org.

What every kid has on their holiday wish list: socks, coffee, and diapers. That’s Trump’s “Golden Age” of America.

Holiday prices are up 26 percent. Toys, clothes, electronics all higher. Analysts point to Trump’s tariffs as a major driver of rising costs. Families feel it every time they shop. Trump’s trade policy is the Grinch trying to steal Christmas. #TrumpInflationCrisis

Behind the headline numbers are warning signs for workers: more people stuck in part-time jobs who want full-time work, rising unemployment claims, & small businesses holding back on hiring. “Trump’s economy is stalling out & American workers are paying the price,” says @alexsjacquez.bsky.social.

Holiday shopping will be a major expense this year thanks to Trump’s economic agenda. “1 in 4 households live paycheck to paycheck, & many households spend 95% of their income on basic necessities,” says our Breyon Williams. That’s tough to budget around when gift prices are up 26% this year.

Our @lindsayowens.bsky.social joined the Rossen Reports to discuss how Instacart is running experiments on us to figure out how much they can charge us for groceries. “This ain’t about discounts.”

What Instacart is doing “is arguably more deceptive than dynamic pricing," one of the authors of the report told me. www.huffpost.com/entry/instac...

😟 66% of Americans are stressed about holiday prices 🤏 37% say they plan to buy fewer items 🫵 +50% blame Trump’s economic policies With food prices rising, this will be a bah humbug holiday season for millions of working families. 🔗: www.forbes.com/sites/errols...

Consumers lose if either Netflix or Paramount buys Warner Bros, our @alexsjacquez.bsky.social writes for @marketwatch.com. “Consumers deserve fair prices and more choice, as well as not needing multiple apps just to watch their favorite shows.”

Kids these days… …are drowning in debt and are expected to spend hundreds of dollars less this year on gifts. And no surprise, as holiday gifts are 26% more expensive this year.

“Corporate practices like these increase prices for American families." "When prices are no longer transparent, shoppers can’t comparison-shop. When prices are no longer predictable, shoppers can’t properly budget.”

Dynamic pricing strikes again: this time Amazon is gouging schools and teachers just trying to buy basic school supplies - charging them roughly 17% more.

Online grocery delivery service Instacart used AI to charge different prices for the same item, up to 20% more for different shoppers, a new report says. https://ow.ly/IIpT50XJ7wp