A new podcast from @ilsr.bsky.social takes listeners to the communities that the data center boom is upending. inequality.org/article/i-st...

Can you guess how much Amazon paid to sponsor the U.S. Small Business Administration's Small Business Week? Take a guess. Seriously. Before you read further, reply with your guess.

1. Amazon has built powerful pricing algorithms that have learned how to steer prices upward — not just on Amazon, but across the web. I have a new piece on how these algorithms work, and how they help sustain Amazon’s monopoly.

We organized a special issue w/ @liberation-gen.bsky.social "The Corporate Power of It All" — and it's now live! Seven conversations with organizers, researchers, and frontline leaders on how corporate power shapes our lives and how we fight back. Read it here: forgeorganizing.org/issues/corpo...

Who is the constituency demanding we let Live Nation and Ticketmaster keep robbing everyone with the ridiculous fees and terrible service? Kudos to the states for taking up the mantle and not selling the people out.

People around the world are hungry for economic systems change. Reclaim the Economy Week is a new moment for us to amplify and showcase the many ways we can redesign our economies. Find events near you, communication kits, and more at: www.reclaimtheeconomy.org #postgrowthalliance

1. New York’s affordability crisis flows from a deeper problem: essential systems — groceries, energy, Internet, banking, healthcare — have consolidated in the hands of distant corporations. Today, ILSR sent the Mamdani team a memo laying out policies to reclaim local control.

1. For at least 10 years, Pepsi has conspired with Walmart to force up grocery prices. That’s the shocking evidence made public today in an unsealed FTC lawsuit. The suit was abandoned in May by the Trump FTC just before it was to be un-redacted. We went to court to get it unsealed & won.

This morning, we drove around and checked the price of a 12-pack of Pepsi at three different places. At an independent grocery store in Columbus, Ohio, it was $11.99. At a nearby Kroger, it was $10.99. Then, at the closest Walmart, it was $7.28. No surprise, right? But why the discrepancies? 🧵 1/

In 2023, Amazon charged some schools $13 for a case of markers, while other schools paid $74 for the exact same product -- a difference of 469%. It's time for local gov'ts to break up with Amazon. RSVP for the Jan 8th webinar with @ilsr.bsky.social to learn how: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Too many state and local governments blindly trust Amazon to offer low prices on things like school supplies. In reality, the site's dynamic pricing means schools can pay wildly different prices for items purchased on the same day. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

1. Amazon has become a major force in how cities, counties & schools buy basic supplies. Our new report finds Amazon is using opaque pricing algorithms to drive up costs and eliminate transparency—while harming competition by pushing out better-performing independent suppliers.

Why did 19 rural communities in Western Massachusetts collectively create the most geographically dense cluster of municipal fiber networks in the United States, resulting in world-class Internet access, often at a fraction of the price charged by telecom monopolies? 🧵 1/

Longtime California bookstore chain Books Inc. filed for bankruptcy in January 2025. In September, Barnes & Noble announced plans to acquire Books Inc., keeping the store's brand identity intact and retaining employees. This is good news, right? Well, it's complicated. 🧵 1/

Our Local Energy Policy Toolkit is now available to all lawmakers and advocates who want to build clean energy economies in their community — without waiting for Congress. Check it out: ilsr.org/energy/local...

Students shouldn’t have to park outside McDonald’s to access WiFi. Reliable internet isn’t a luxury—it’s a basic need. Read our Q&A with @ilsr.bsky.social on "connection insecurity," the growing digital divide leaving too many college students behind. hope.temple.edu/hope-blog/ke...

As @wired.com points out in a new cover story, Big Tech has abandoned any semblance of progressive culture and politics in favor of bending the knee to the Trump administration. It's as if Facebook went from leaning in to bowing down. 🧵 1/ www.wired.com/politics-iss...

Are local governments capable of handling something as complex as building and maintaining broadband networks? If history is any indication, they absolutely are. For more than a century, local governments have managed and maintained significant engineering projects.

🌟 🌟 Congratulations to our co-director, John Farrell, on receiving @mnseia.bsky.social Melissa Hortman Lifetime Achievement Award — a recognition that carries deep meaning.

What does the Jimmy Kimmel saga have to do with corporate consolidation? Quite a bit, turns out. 🧵 1/

Superior, Wisconsin, recently launched its ConnectSuperior broadband infrastructure to bring more reliable, more affordable Internet connectivity to the city. How it works: Superior provides the infrastructure for the network, and private companies compete to provide customers with access. 1/

72 percent of electricity customers in the United States are served by monopoly investor-owned Utilities. Aside from being stuck with high rates and poor service, what else does electricity provided by an investor-owned utility get you? 1/

1. Today, ILSR filed a motion in federal court to unseal the FTC’s antitrust complaint against PepsiCo. The case bears directly on high grocery prices and food deserts — and would've marked a crucial revival of the long-neglected Robinson-Patman Act. But the public may never get to see it.

Deadline extended! Make sure to get your application in by Friday, August 1 ➡️ bit.ly/C4Cminigrants

A new law made it harder for low-income families to stay connected, cutting internet costs from SNAP eligibility. As @gbsohn.bsky.social says in @prospect.org: this bill forces families to choose between food and internet. More from @ilsr.bsky.social's Sean Gonsalves: prospect.org/health/2025-...

Public power advocates! @ilsr.bsky.social just released our Public Power Handbook, with step-by-step guidance on how to municipalize (take over) a private electric utility: ilsr.org/articles/pub...

Calling all climate advocates and activists! If you’re fighting for clean energy, energy efficiency, and climate legislation in your community, you’re probably facing resistance from a monopoly utility company. 1/2

A great time to re-up this article -- How to Break Up with Amazon: ilsr.org/articles/its... @ilsr.bsky.social @kennedysmith.bsky.social

Don’t miss @ilsr.bsky.social's July 17 webinar featuring climate activist @billmckibben.bsky.social on how electric utilities are using their monopoly power to block climate progress — and how to fight back. ilsr.org/articles/how...

Trump's "MAGA antitrust" enforcers seem more interested in unserious culture war grievances than enforcing the law. But don't worry: The states - our original trustbusters - are fighting for workers, shoppers and small businesses. New from me in @thenation.com www.thenation.com/article/soci...

A beautiful tribute to the late founder of @ilsr.bsky.social. He profoundly shaped how to think about the intersection of place, power, and policy. ilsr.org/articles/rem...

The research team at @ilsr.bsky.social point out: “Even though Amazon claims that roughly 60 percent of its sales are made by small businesses that sell products on its marketplace platform, it competes against them and charges them such exorbitant fees that some of them actually go broke.“

The social, environmental, and economic benefits of local composting can transform neighborhoods. That’s why we’re awarding $10,000 grants to up to 15 composting projects serving historically excluded communities in New England and NYC! Apply by July 25 ➡️ bit.ly/C4Cminigrants

By dismissing its price discrimination lawsuit against PepsiCo, the FTC has chosen to “abandon communities that depend on fair competition to maintain access to essential goods and services,” says @stacyfmitchell.bsky.social. Read the full statement ⬇️

Happy International Compost Awareness Week! 🌱 We’re kicking things off with a reminder that composting is more than a trend — it’s a powerful tool for building climate resilience, healthy soils, and community power. 1/2

@ronmknox.bsky.social’s new zine, out now from @microcosm.bsky.social, examines the growing movement to reject monopoly control and serves as a practical guide to help you — and your friends, neighbors, and coworkers — join the fight for a more democratic future. 1/2

1. If you’re feeling despondent about the state of the world, you’re not alone. But there are folks out there taking the fight to corporate oligarchs and monopolies, and winning - thousands of Davids beating back our economic Goliaths. I wrote a little book about it. Let me show you!

📢 ILSR is hiring! 📢 We’re looking for an Operations Associate to help manage day-to-day organizational functions and support a productive, efficient work environment. This is a full-time, remote, union position with excellent benefits. Apply now ⬇️

1. Walmart is set to be a big winner from Trump’s tariffs. It will gain even more market share, despite relying heavily on China imports. It will do this by flexing its power over suppliers — insisting that they give it deals while shifting the tariff costs onto other retailers.

For decades, dominant corporations have abused their size and power to bully rivals, suppliers, workers, and customers. Now, it’s time for states to strengthen monopoly laws and get enforcement back on track. Our new policy brief explains how. ⬇️

2. Today, ILSR is publishing a package of products that show how state enforcers and lawmakers can turn back the tide of outsized corporate power and support strong, equitable economies within their borders. ilsr.org/independent-...

📢 Starting soon! 📢 Don’t miss this timely discussion about how communities can maximize the benefits of clean energy through local ownership. Tune in at 3 p.m. ET: ilsr.org/articles/communities-taking-control-of-clean-energy-local-ownership/

President Trump’s illegal attempt to fire FTC Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter is “a corrupt bid to allow dominant corporations to prey on American consumers, workers, and small businesses with impunity,” says Stacy Mitchell. Read our full statement ⬇️

Trump just tried to fire FTC Democrats even though he doesn't have the authority to do so. Why? Well, as it turns out, the White House official who sent the letter is Trent Morse, an ex-corporate lobbyist whose firm repped Amazon on antitrust matters. www.thebignewsletter.com/p/why-trump-....

Trump's illegal attempt to fire FTC Commissioners Bedoya and Slaughter is a corrupt bid to allow Big Tech and other dominant corporations to prey on Americans with impunity. ILSR's statement:

The question of who owns, controls, and benefits from clean energy projects is too often overlooked in public conversation and policy planning. Join us next week to learn how local ownership can help your community maximize the benefits of clean energy. ⬇️

New report from @ilsr.bsky.social reveals a complicated patchwork of permitting red tape that can add weeks to a rooftop solar project and home battery project. Many Minnesota families pay thousands of additional dollars to navigate unnecessary and frustrating permitting requirements.  🔌💡

“If you follow the money, you can understand a lot about how our grid works. For-profit utilities like Xcel make their money by investing capital into infrastructure... Community solar poses a powerful competitive threat,” ILSR’s @johnffarrell.bsky.social tells @minnesotareformer.com. Read more ⬇️

New report from @ilsr.bsky.social reveals persistent and expensive barriers Minnesota families face when trying to #gosolar. We need solar to meet our growing energy needs – instant permitting will help cut costs and save time on each installation. Read more: https://vist.ly/3mw2hb8 🔌💡

Room for improvement: The @ilsr.bsky.social 2025 Community Power Scorecard surveyed how states are doing in 18 policy areas, revealing that states overall have not improved much since last year. While three fewer received failing grades this year, only one received an above-average score.