Thread by @matthewstoller

The antitrust enforcement agency Federal Trade Commission has an open meeting, and it's starting now. You can watch it here. view.knowledgevision.com/presentation/a…

The first item is the stupid idea to stop requiring labels on clothes saying whether stuff needs to be dry cleaned. Everyone hates the idea except rando libertarians. ftc.gov/news-events/pr…

Really @CSWilsonFTC? The Republican commissioner is *still* complaining that there are open meetings. And whining that FTC staff temporarily can't speak on public panels with the corporate defense bar during a merger boom.

And now @CSWilsonFTC is talking about how having a rule saying that the labels on your clothes tell you whether it needs to be dry-cleaned chills innovation. The libertarian fear-mongering over regulations has jumped the shark.

And @RKSlaughterFTC says that updating dry-cleaning rules is just not very important in the antitrust/consumer protection world and shouldn't be a priority. @chopraftc expands on this point with the appropriate level of disdain.

"There are so many abuses that businesses are facing today and so many things that small businesses are looking to the commission to act on. Removing the required care labels on our clothing is just not one of them." - @chopraftc

And now the FTC is going to unanimously prioritize going after illegal right to repair restrictions on consumer goods. Bipartisanship! Relevant report here: ftc.gov/system/files/d…

And now the FTC is debating resurrecting an anti-merger tool called 'prior approval' in which aggressive firms trying to break the law face significant merger restrictions. mattstoller.substack.com/p/the-big-law-…

And @CSWilsonFTC says that trying to stop mergers by firms who are obviously trying to break the law is 'vindictive.'

Good points from @RKSlaughterFTC. Says the commission often sees 'frequent flyer' firms who come back and keep proposing illegal mergers. The FTC needs to find a way to send a message that trying to break the law is not ok.

"a misguided policy crafted during the Clinton administration" Democrat commissioner @chopraftc throws shade on Bill Clinton

Oh that's interesting. @linakhanFTC says the FTC will be accepting comments on what kinds of contract provisions might be unfair.

And now we are into the public comment period. A bunch of repair shop people are emphasizing the right to repair problem. view.knowledgevision.com/presentation/a…

And the first whiny biglaw lawyer makes an appearance at the FTC open hearing. Darren Tucker says the FTC is making mergers too difficult. Awwww. velaw.com/people/darren-…

* He has taught an advanced antitrust seminar as an adjunct professor at Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University

* Represented Google in its $2.1 billion acquisition of Fitbit, which closed in 2021 without opposition from the DOJ. velaw.com/people/darren-…

An acupuncturist from New Hampshire criticizes the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine for gatekeeping entrance to the profession.

And an angry and charming member of the public complains about some bullshit from Adobe software. She's probably right.

An ex-FTC staffer is calling for "more referrals for perjury and obstruction of justice and advocate the DOJ prosecute them. The DOJ declined to prosecute a pharmacy benefit manager despite the fact I had a tape that contradicted his testimony about his invitation to collude." 🔥

Cheerleading gym owner David Owens complains about Bain Capital's Varsity Brands cheerleading monopoly, and says that the Varsity monopoly has enabled sexual abuse of children. Also notes he told FTC in 2015 about Varsity's illegal merger with Jam Brands. dallasnews.com/news/crime/202…

Here's David Owens, owner of Rockstar Championships, talking about the Varsity brands monopoly over cheerleading.