Coverage archive- Page 2 of 14

EU Competition Chief says Bloc ‘Won’t Compromise Sovereignty’ in Talks with U.S., Criticizes American Big Tech Crackdown

European Commission competition chief Teresa Ribera dismissed reports that the EU might water down its digital antitrust rules in trade negotiations with the U.S. and criticized America’s own effort to rein in the power of Big Tech as slower and less effective than the bloc’s regime....

Jun 30, 2025 Read Now >

Omnicom/Interpublic: EC, CMA Reviews Set to Grapple with Truncated FTC Investigation, Novel Theory of Harm, Behavioral Remedies

The FTC’s move this week to clear Omnicom’s (OMC) proposed acquisition of advertising holding company rival Interpublic (IPG) through a truncated process culminating in an unusual complaint and consent order places European competition enforcers in unfamiliar, and largely...

Jun 27, 2025 Read Now >

Medicaid Policy: Approval Timeline for Tennessee’s 1115 Waiver Amendment Remains Uncertain, Could Be Complicated by Forthcoming Legislative Changes

Tennessee is waiting on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to approve an amendment to its Medicaid managed care program, TennCare III, that would authorize additional payments to hospitals that meet certain access and quality improvement benchmarks. While it remains...

Jun 27, 2025 Read Now >

FTC Staff Set to Vacate Constitution Center, Move to GAO Building by Year End

FTC staff are poised to depart their current Constitution Center offices for the U.S. Government Accountability Office building by the end of the year, sources familiar with the matter...

Jun 27, 2025 Read Now >

Life360: Family Safety App Selling Datasets Based on Users’ Personal Information on LiveRamp’s Data Marketplace

More than three years after family safety app Life360 (LIF) announced it would transition away from the sale of users’ precise geolocation data in favor of providing business partners with “aggregated” data analytics, the company appears to be creating thousands of audience...

Jun 26, 2025 Read Now >

EU Scrutinizing Google’s AI Summaries for Potential Digital Rules Breaches

The European Commission is asking industry players about Google’s (GOOG) integration of artificial intelligence features into its search engine as the EU builds up pressure on Big Tech firms to fall in line with its digital antitrust...

Jun 25, 2025 Read Now >

Apple Offering Last-Minute Steering Revamp in Bid to Dodge More EU Fines Under Digital Rules

Apple (AAPL) is preparing to offer changes to its rules for developers in Europe as soon as Thursday to avoid additional fines over its restrictions on apps seeking to steer users to promotions outside of its App Store, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the...

Jun 25, 2025 Read Now >

Keysight/Spirent: SAMR Poised to Start Phase 3 Review as Deadline Looms

China’s antitrust authority is set to start a phase 3 review of Keysight Technologies’ (KEYS) proposed 1.16 billion pound ($1.5 billion) takeover of rival Spirent Communications (LON: SPT), sources familiar with the matter...

Jun 25, 2025 Read Now >

Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company: Modified Coinsurance Transactions Obscure Company’s Financial Condition

Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company has reinsured nearly half of its in-force life insurance and annuity policies with an affiliate insurer in a series of transactions that have allowed it to upstream billions of dollars out of policyholders’ reach while maintaining the slimmest...

Jun 25, 2025 Read Now >

Universal Health Services: Problematic Hospital in California Did Not Consistently Report Patient Abuse to Regulators Because It ‘Would Be Reporting All the Time,’ Administrators Told State

Del Amo Behavioral Health, a psychiatric hospital in Torrance, California, owned by Universal Health Services (UHS), is not reporting severe physical and sexual assault of patients in its care, a Capitol Forum investigation has...

Jun 25, 2025 Read Now >

Influential Conservative Think Tank’s President Touts Legislation Targeting ACA, Medicaid Enrollment and Spending at House Hearing, Says Expansion Match Rate is Still a Problem

Brian Blase, the president of a conservative health policy group with links to the Trump administration, called on Congress at a June 25 House Budget Committee hearing to crack down on enrollments in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, de-incentivize states from expanding their...

Jun 25, 2025 Read Now >

‘Just Get on with It’: Growing Frustrations with EC’s Digital Rules Rollout

As the European Commission begins hearings on Big Tech’s compliance with the bloc’s digital antitrust rules, critics say the law is triggering unintended consequences and that the regulator has been too slow and soft when policing some of the world’s most powerful...

Jun 20, 2025 Read Now >

Under EU Pressure, Google Revamps Travel Search Page to Avoid Antitrust Fines

Google (GOOG) has proposed a new design of its search results page for travel queries in an attempt to dodge fines under the EU’s digital antitrust rules, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The Alphabet unit is also planning to...

Jun 19, 2025 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: CMA Signals Strong Enforcement Ahead of Apple, Google Digital Markets Rulings; Regulators to Eye Meta/Scale AI for Extra Scrutiny

The European Antitrust Agenda: CMA Signals Strong Enforcement Ahead of Apple, Google Digital Markets Rulings; Regulators to Eye Meta/Scale AI for Extra Scrutiny Welcome to The European Antitrust Agenda, written by Europe Executive Editor Javier Espinoza and Senior Correspondents Charley...

Jun 17, 2025 Read Now >

Draft Report: EC Says Boosting Scale of Defense Sector Crucial for Competitiveness

The European Union is seeking to boost its defense competitiveness by removing legal and bureaucratic barriers, stimulating investment, and making the sector more self-reliant, according to a draft communication obtained by The Capitol...

Jun 17, 2025 Read Now >

Qualcomm/Alphawave: Deal Could Become Flashpoint as Worries About UK’s Tech Economy Mount

Qualcomm’s (QCOM) proposed $2.4 billion acquisition of Alphawave Semi (LSE: AWE) threatens to undercut the UK plan to rebuild domestic artificial intelligence and semiconductor capacity while also exposing deep structural weaknesses in its tech economy, several international trade and...

Jun 17, 2025 Read Now >

BlackRock/Allete: PE Firm’s Attempted Utility Takeover Generates Opposition in Minnesota

A $6.2 billion deal that would hand BlackRock (BLK) control of Allete’s (ALE) Minnesota Power, the second-largest electric utility in the state, has prompted concerns that the private equity giant’s drive for returns would lead to higher rates, and less reliable and safe...

Jun 16, 2025 Read Now >

The Asia Antitrust Agenda: SAMR Warns of Risks in Semiconductor Materials, Patent Database Sectors; HKCC Ends Auto-Fuel Supplier Probe; Japanese Regulator Releases Generative AI Findings; KTFC Fines Temu

SAMR flags antitrust risks in semiconductor materials, patent database sectors. China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), the antitrust authority, warned in its annual report of potential risks in the semiconductor materials and patent database service provider sectors,...

Jun 16, 2025 Read Now >

Privacy Policy: New State Laws and Enforcement Actions Target Collection of Children’s Data, Precise Geolocation

Nearly halfway through 2025 a flurry of new state privacy laws and enforcement actions are taking aim at invasive data collection practices, including the sale of precise geolocation and minors’ data, amid the continued absence of comprehensive federal privacy legislation. While policy...

Jun 16, 2025 Read Now >

Tencent Music/Ximalaya: Deal That Could Create Spotify Competitor Will Be Submitted for SAMR Review

Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME), China’s largest online music and audio entertainment platform, plans to submit its proposed $2.4 billion acquisition of audio content platform Ximalaya to the country’s antitrust authority for review, sources familiar with the matter...

Jun 11, 2025 Read Now >

Mars/Kellanova Faces Key EU State-of-Play Meeting This Week, Sources Say

Representatives for Mars and Kellanova (K) are set to meet with European Commission officials this week for a critical discussion that could help the enforcer decide whether to clear the companies’ $36 billion proposed merger in phase 1 or push it to an in-depth investigation, according...

Jun 10, 2025 Read Now >

FTC Advertising Collusion CIDs Target Nonprofits, Raising Jurisdictional Questions

The FTC Bureau of Competition’s move last month to issue lengthy civil investigative demands (CIDs) to more than a dozen media tracking and advertising organizations—many organized as nonprofits—raises a host of important...

Jun 10, 2025 Read Now >

UnitedHealth/Amedisys: DOJ, Parties Engaging in Serious Talks to Settle Case; Number of Divestitures Under Discussion

Prospects are brightening for UnitedHealth Group’s proposed takeover of Amedisys as DOJ and the parties’ representatives engage in serious negotiations to settle the department’s suit to block the $3.3 billion deal, sources familiar with the matter...

Jun 10, 2025 Read Now >

Visa, Mastercard Probe: EU Should Enforce Fair Fee Split, Terminal Provider Says

The European Commission should force Visa (V) and Mastercard (M) to make banks, card terminal providers and retailers pay their fair share of fees to break the stronghold of the two giant credit card...

Jun 04, 2025 Read Now >

Omnicom/Interpublic Group: Unique Advertising Agency Dynamics Raise Market Concentration, Competitive Landscape Questions

Omnicom’s proposed $13.3 billion acquisition of Interpublic Group presents the FTC with an unusually complicated set of market definition and concentration questions given the unique market dynamics inherent to advertising agency competition, industry sources...

Jun 04, 2025 Read Now >

The European Antitrust Agenda: EC Appetite Grows for In-Depth Probes; EU Courts to Hear Major Big Tech Appeals

Brussels hungry for phase 2 reviews. With just one in-depth merger investigation opened so far this year, the European Commission is signaling a renewed appetite for phase 2 investigations, according to sources familiar with the commission’s thinking. “The bar is very low” to...

Jun 03, 2025 Read Now >

USTR Fees on Chinese Ships Likely to Lead to Increase in Orders for Korean, Japanese, and European Shipbuilders, Experts Say; Shipping Industry Cartel Could Raise Prices, Increase Profits

New fees on Chinese ships proposed by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) are likely to raise freight prices but are unlikely to generate significant revenue as companies will have multiple strategies available to avoid the fees, according to experts and industry members. ...

Jun 03, 2025 Read Now >

Getty Images/Shutterstock: Similar Pricing, Pay for Stock Photos Could Indicate Close Rivalry

If DOJ staff reviewing Getty Images’ (GETY) proposed $3.7 billion merger with Shutterstock (SSTK) want a general idea of how closely the two photo agencies compete, they need look no further than their base prices on stock...

Jun 02, 2025 Read Now >

Ametek/Faro: Faro Engaged Advisor to Explore Sale in January, Months After Announcing Plans to Sunset Overlap Laser Projector Line, Proxy Filing Shows

Faro Technologies in a securities filing Friday disclosed that it first engaged an investment bank to explore a sale in January—a timeline that could bolster arguments that its pending laser projector market exit isn’t an attempt to avoid U.S. antitrust scrutiny of its proposed $920...

Jun 02, 2025 Read Now >

EC Sees Digital as ‘Core’ to Boost Competitiveness: Draft Report

The European Commission plans to boost its digital influence as part of a broader push to sharpen its competitiveness and compete against China and the U.S., according to a confidential draft strategy seen by The Capitol Forum. The draft, and its annex, outline a sweeping plan… The...

Jun 02, 2025 Read Now >

Bancorp: Struggling Biotech Firm Steps in as Prospective Buyer of Foreclosed Aubrey Multifamily Property After Original Purchaser Twice Delayed Purchase

After The Bancorp (TBBK) failed to offload a 436-unit multifamily foreclosed property in Houston to the original prospective buyer, an unlikely purchaser—a flailing biotech firm—has acquired the right to close the...

May 29, 2025 Read Now >

Financials Friday: Flagstone’s Nonperforming Loan Level Referred to as ‘Frightening’; Crypto Threats Result in Democratic Support for Stablecoin Bill; Appeal to Vacate Real Estate Price-Fixing Settlement Alleges Widespread Circumvention as New Study Shows Commissions Remain High

Flagstar’s amount of nonperforming loans called “frightening.” U.S. banks reported billions more dollars in loans have gone 90 days or more without a payment, according to first-quarter data. These loans, categorized as “nonperforming,” span everything from car loans to credit...

May 23, 2025 Read Now >

Ametek/Faro: Target’s Pending Market Exit Poised to Complicate U.S. Antitrust Analysis of Deal to Combine Close 3D Laser Projection Competitors

Industrial giant Ametek’s proposed $920 million acquisition of Faro Technologies would unite two companies whose 3D laser projectors have competed closely over the past decade for use in a host of complex industrial applications, industry sources told The Capitol...

May 23, 2025 Read Now >

FICO: A Simple Change Could Widen Access to U.S. Mortgages. Why Won’t Fannie and Freddie Make It?

Lenders and mortgage industry watchers say a simple change to allow competition in credit scoring for U.S. mortgages could help more people get real estate loans, but government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FMCC) are dragging their feet. Veterans Affairs and...

May 21, 2025 Read Now >

U.S. Film Tariffs Could Violate WTO Agreement Prohibiting Tariffs on Digital Services, Inviting Retaliation and Complicating Efforts for Extension, Experts Say

Tariffs on foreign-produced films would violate a WTO moratorium on customs duties for digital services, known as the “e-Commerce Moratorium,” said Greg Shaffer, a professor of International Law at Georgetown University Law Center. While “e-Commerce” can sometimes refer to items...

May 21, 2025 Read Now >

Amid Soaring Hard Disk Drive Profits and ‘Healthy’ Supply-Demand Dynamics, Western Digital, Seagate Execs Tout Company, Industry ‘Discipline’ on Price, Output

Executives of Western Digital Corporation and Seagate Technologies have used recent public statements to call for industry-wide supply discipline and signal that they won’t undercut their rivals on output or price as demand rises, in language that could serve to facilitate...

May 20, 2025 Read Now >

Letta Calls for EU Defense and Telecom Consolidation Amid Geopolitical Shifts

The European Union must accelerate consolidation in its defense and telecommunications sectors to stay globally competitive and respond to rising geopolitical and economic pressures, Enrico Letta, author of a landmark report on the EU single market and former Italian prime minister...

May 20, 2025 Read Now >

In Win for Big Tech, Trump USTR, in Change from Biden Administration, Calls Canadian and Australian Laws Compelling Big Tech to Pay for News ‘Discriminatory Non-Tariff Barriers’

The Biden Administration’s approach to trade policy included a rethink of Big Tech’s role in establishing U.S. trade policy priorities. In contrast, the Trump administration, despite continuing major antitrust litigation against Big Tech, has been vocal in its criticism of European...

May 20, 2025 Read Now >

Mars/Kellanova: EC Taking Retailer Concerns Seriously in Deal Review, Sources Say

The European Commission is taking seriously the concerns of retailers about the bargaining power of Mars following its proposed $36 billion acquisition of Kellanova (K), as the agency kicks off its phase 1 investigation of the transaction, sources close to the matter told The Capitol...

May 19, 2025 Read Now >

The Asia Antitrust Agenda: SAMR Fines Pharma Suppliers for Price-Fixing; ACCC Kicks Off Omnicom/IPG Review; China’s Regulators Warn Food-Delivery Platforms Over Competition Concerns; Indian Supreme Court Issues Landmark Ruling in Abuse of Dominance Case

SAMR fines four pharmaceutical suppliers 354 million yuan for price-fixing. The Tianjin branch of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) announced on May 9 that it had levied a total of 354 million yuan ($49 million) in penalties on four pharmaceutical suppliers for...

May 19, 2025 Read Now >

European Commission Tests Microsoft Teams Remedies With Rivals: Sources

The European Commission is preparing the imminent market testing of Microsoft’s (MSFT) proposed remedies aimed at leveling the playing field between its Teams app and other chat tools for users of its workplace products, according to two sources familiar with the...

May 16, 2025 Read Now >

Keysight/Spirent: Consent Negotiations Between Companies, DOJ Enter Final Stages

Keysight Technologies’ 1.16 billion pound ($1.5 billion) bid for testing and measuring equipment provider Spirent is advancing toward antitrust clearance in the U.S., sources familiar with the matter...

May 16, 2025 Read Now >

Safelite: Safelite Solutions Alleged Conduct to Steer Customers to Safelite Glass Shops Could Run Afoul of State Laws

Already facing a Department of Justice probe into alleged self-preferencing of company-owned glass repair shops by its third-party administrator (TPA) business, Safelite is also encountering scrutiny at the state...

May 16, 2025 Read Now >

Synopsys/Ansys, Keysight/Spirent: Optimism Grows That SAMR Will Approve Chip-Related Deals, Buoyed by U.S.-China Talks’ Progress

The prospect has grown that two high-profile semiconductors transactions—Synopsys’s proposed acquisition of Ansys and Keysight Technologies’ pending purchase of Spirent Communications—will be cleared by China’s antitrust authority after the Asian country and the U.S. over the...

May 14, 2025 Read Now >

The Trade Desk: Adtech’s Persistent Identifier Can Be Tied to Potentially Sensitive Information as Lawsuits Allege Unfair Data Collection Practices

Adtech company The Trade Desk (TTD) enables advertisers to target millions of individuals based on unique persistent identifiers that can potentially be associated with a host of sensitive information, from precise geolocation to data capable of inferring a consumer’s gender, ethnicity,...

May 12, 2025 Read Now >

EC Preparing Charges in Glovo-Delivery Hero No-Poach Cartel Probe

The European Commission is preparing formal charges against delivery food companies Glovo and Delivery Hero (DHER: DE) for allegedly agreeing not to poach each other’s workers, according to two sources with intimate knowledge of the matter. The rest of this article is currently locked...

May 12, 2025 Read Now >

Labor Thursday: California Sues Packers Sanitation Services/Fortrex Over No-Poach Agreements; Labor Department Drops Enhanced Independent Contractor Enforcement; Agri Stats Wins Bid to Intervene in DOJ Wage-Fixing Settlement Brawl

Labor Thursday is a weekly overview of competition and labor market issues and includes our analysis of the timing and priorities of the key agencies overseeing enforcement and rulemaking, including the FTC, DOJ, and NLRB. This week, The Capitol Forum looks at the California attorney...

May 08, 2025 Read Now >

Mars/Kellanova: Companies Prepare to File in EU Amid Portfolio Effects Questions

The European Commission’s investigation of Mars’ proposed $35.9 billion takeover of Kellanova (K) is focusing on whether the deal would give the U.S. snack food acquirer increased bargaining leverage with European retailers that stock Kellanova’s brands portfolio, including...

May 06, 2025 Read Now >

The Asia Antitrust Agenda: Indian Watchdog Settles Google Smart TV Case; SAMR Warns CK Hutchison/BlackRock Against Evading Port Deal Review; KTFC Ends Microsoft Probe; Singapore Regulator Clears Omnicom/IPG

Indian watchdog settles with Google. The Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) recent settlement with Google (GOOG) creates a path for other U.S. tech giants to come forward and resolve their cases with the regulator. On April 21, the CCI issued its first-ever settlement order. The...

May 05, 2025 Read Now >

Lenovo, NTT Data, Thales Could Face Closer Scrutiny Under New DOD Regulations, Boosting Fortunes for Domestic Government Contractors

Foreign-owned firms that are U.S. government contractors such as Chinese tech multinational Lenovo Group (HKEX: 0992), NTT Data Group (TSE: 9613) and Thales (ENX: HO) are likely to face heightened scrutiny under new Department of Defense (DOD) regulations. This regulatory framework will...

May 02, 2025 Read Now >

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