Antitrust

• Author Anik Bhaduri argues that current antitrust efforts against Big Tech are insufficient because they ignore the role of corporate governance and securities regulation in enabling economic concentration. • The piece asserts that meaningful constraints on tech giants require complementary reforms to address the financial foundations that sustain their market power. • This perspective highlights a critical regulatory "blind spot," suggesting that antitrust laws alone cannot dismantle the systemic influence of Big Tech without financial market oversight.

• Researchers from Carnegie Mellon and Northwestern Universities conclude insurer consolidation boosts health insurance premiums in US markets. • About 238 million Americans, or 78% of those insured, rely on private health insurance, increasingly concentrated with examples in Medicare Advantage drawing antitrust attention. • The analysis urges regulation and oversight to address market imperfections from asymmetric information and market power.

The US Department of Justice issued subpoenas to NVIDIA investigating alleged 'loyalty penalties' that deter customers from rival AI hardware makers like Grok and Cerebras. This probe targets NVIDIA's dominance in AI chips, dubbed the 'new oil,' amid warnings that such chips will stay US-based without foreign investment in American manufacturing. The action intensifies semiconductor sovereignty battles, potentially reshaping competition as AI infrastructure surges.