Lina Khan, the youngest F.T.C. chair in history, reset U.S. antitrust policy by thwarting mega-mergers and other monopolistic behavior. This earned her enemies in some places, and big fans in others — including the Trump administration. Stephen Dubner speaks with Khan about her tactics, her track record, and her future.
Nov 2023
FTC Chair Lina Khan on Antitrust in the age of Amazon
When Lina Khan was in law school back in 2017, she wrote a law review article called 'Amazon's Antitrust Paradox,' that went kinda viral in policy circles. In it, she argued that antitrust enforcement in the U.S. was behind the times. For decades, regulators had focused narrowly ... Show More
30m 6s
Jun 2025
The Progressive Regulator Winning Over the Populist Right
<p>Is the key to freedom a life without Amazon? This week, Ross talks to Lina Khan, former Chair of the Federal Trade Commission about how unchecked corporate power has limited choice in our day-to-day lives, and how her fight against Big Tech unites left and right.</p><ul><li>02 ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2024
Unlocking Innovation Through Antitrust Enforcement — ft. Lina Khan
Scott and Ed open the show by discussing China’s stock market surge, Softbank’s investment in OpenAI, and why Gavin Newsom vetoed an AI safety bill. Then Lina Khan, Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, joins the show to discuss the need for regulation in big tech and the connec ... Show More
55m 19s
Aug 2025
The Dubious Legality of Trump's DC Takeover
<p>Kate and Leah recap the week's legal news, including argument calendars for the next SCOTUS term and President Trump's attempted federal takeover of Washington, DC. Then, it's our third annual State of The Uterus episode. Melissa and Leah talk with Alexis McGill Johnson, presi ... Show More
1h 51m
Nov 2023
Antitrust in America (classic)
Earlier this fall, the Federal Trade Commission filed a high-stakes lawsuit against Amazon.In that suit, the FTC claims Amazon is a monopoly, and it accuses the company of using anti-competitive tactics to hold onto its market power. It's a big case, with implications for consume ... Show More
40m 17s
Jan 2023
The story of "Monopoly" and American capitalism
Monopoly is one of the best-selling board games in history. The game's staying power may in part be because of strong American lore — the idea that anyone, with just a little bit of cash, can rise from rags to riches. Mary Pilon, author of The Monopolists: Obsession, Fury, and th ... Show More
22m 25s
Oct 2024
Mark W. Geiger, "Floor Rules: Insider Culture in Financial Markets" (Yale UP, 2024)
Are financial markets lawless and irrational? It may seem that way from the outside, but for market insiders there are multiples sets of rules that they break at their peril.
Official rules set by law or by the exchanges exist alongside unofficial rules, or floor rules. Between ... Show More
1h 13m