Groundwork Collaborative

Building an economy that works for all of us. #WeAreTheEconomy

Find us on Bluesky @ groundwork and Instagram @ groundworkcollab.

[Groundwork Collaborative @Groundwork]

NEW: Ever feel like everything takes longer, costs more, and leaves you more frustrated than it should? That’s not a coincidence.

We call it the Annoyance Economy, and it costs American families $165 billion a year in wasted time and money. 👇

https://t.co/MRS5vndyEK

[Groundwork Collaborative @Groundwork]

Walmart's leaders announced the number of users for their AI shopping bot, "Sparky," jumped by 100% in the last quarter alone. The same Sparky that drove customers to spend 35% MORE than average.

“It’s been a little surprising to me that there hasn’t been more conversation about this,” @owenslindsay in @politico 👇

[Lindsay Owens @owenslindsay1]

I enjoyed talking with @samjsutton for this incredibly important @politico story in MM, but loved reading it. @MarkWarner is clearly fired up about the potential harms of agentic commerce for consumers. This is a trillion dollar industry by 2030–Google has a Warner problem.

[American Economic Liberties Project @econliberties]

Already, Union Pacific executives are implementing massive price hikes. Why? Because they've eliminated the competition.
https://t.co/WcIAjajX8H

[Groundwork Collaborative @Groundwork]

We found that 75% of New Yorkers think surveillance pricing is unfair — even when lobbyists try to couch it as "targeted discounts."

As @owenslindsay1 told @politico: "If you get a discount and I don’t, I paid more than you. That’s no different than me being charged more than you.”

https://t.co/3tz4FQTWLt

[Columbia Institute of Global Politics @ColumbiaIGP]

How are American workers thinking about AI, and what do they want from AI policy?

This @ColumbiaIGP webinar will address some of the most pressing questions around AI labor market policies. Featuring expert speakers Mary Beech, @AlexSJacquez, @michelleimiller, @aijenpoo, and @awh, with opening remarks by @jenkleindc.

Tune in live August 5 @ 12pm ET: https://t.co/dF81fOGnUY

[Lindsay Owens @owenslindsay1]

For more on how to think about regulating agentic commerce head to @Capitol_Forum to read this piece from me and my colleague @NiaMLaw. https://t.co/go01jPH2eQ

[Groundwork Collaborative @Groundwork]

As our @owenslindsay1 warns 🚨

“The comprehensive nature of the types of information and dossiers it’s putting together is extraordinary.

People have never been able to put this level of information together.”

[Groundwork Collaborative @Groundwork]

Important new story from @bxchen in @nytimes: AI chatbots aren't just collecting your information.

They can use information users never shared to infer what you'll do, what you might buy next, & even pave the way for companies to overcharge you.

https://t.co/aBeFAjTGiX

[Elizabeth Pancotti @ENPancotti]

As the STB considers the proposed merger of the 2nd and 4th largest railroads, worth examining Union Pacific's earnings call this morning where they reported record earnings, driven by price hikes they can implement because there's virtually no competition in the industry.

[Groundwork Collaborative @Groundwork]

📅 IN 2 DAYS: How can we not only defend democracy, but expand it to meet our needs?

Join @IPS_DC, @WeBuildProgress, @thenation, & our @owenslindsay1 July 23 in D.C. or online for the FREE Henry A. Wallace Symposium.

Save your spot:

https://t.co/OqhjGK9wds

[Elizabeth Pancotti @ENPancotti]

Equifax CEO in the firm's earnings call this morning:

[Breyon Williams @BreyonWilliams]

Gas prices back on the rise, now a fresh round of taxes for American shoppers.

[Groundwork Collaborative @Groundwork]

Surveillance pricing uses your data to figure out the max you'll pay.

AI shopping assistants are the next frontier — steering you toward sponsored products, concealing better prices, & optimizing for the retailer's bottom line while you think you're getting independent advice.

https://t.co/u3KtCW19un

[Breyon Williams @BreyonWilliams]

Gas has crossed back over $4 per gallon

[Groundwork Collaborative @Groundwork]

FIFA's use of dynamic pricing was scandalous enough. But that's not the worst of it.

FIFA allegedly gave regular fans the idea they had a chance to sit by the pitch. Instead, FIFA secretly locked them out of the running, while allocating all the best seats to corporate VIPs.

https://t.co/EVwNMmBnoJ

[Groundwork Collaborative @Groundwork]

New data released this week showed the wealthy are doing just fine.

But working families are struggling just to maintain their standard of living amid rising prices & slowing wage growth. Debt levels are soaring while saving rates have tumbled.

@BreyonWilliams in @nytimes:

https://t.co/gA47rNN2cz

[Groundwork Collaborative @Groundwork]

FIFA's choice to use dynamic pricing means more & more passionate fans are excluded. It might be the most costly decision of all.

"How sustainable is that? If it's only a select few who can actually get the access that people need to stay engaged with the game?"

https://t.co/X6C8IQsuO6

[Breyon Williams @BreyonWilliams]

Consumer sentiment edges up in July driven by easing price pressures at the pump, but the new report also warns that “sentiment’s upward momentum may prove difficult to sustain if recent declines in gas prices continue to reverse course.”

[Groundwork Collaborative @Groundwork]

AI is coming for your health.

Health insurers are using AI to decide when patients are discharged from hospitals, whether they get diagnostic tests, or how many weeks of rehab they’re entitled to.

It's all about maximizing profit by minimizing care.

[Craig Caplan @CraigCaplan]

46-50: Senate along party lines defeated Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden's effort to repeal a CMS rule that allows the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model, a new AI-supported prior authorization program, to conduct prior authorization for certain medical items and services in Traditional Medicare. Senators Hagerty, McConnell, Murphy, and Wicker did not vote.

[Alex Jacquez @AlexSJacquez]

Republicans just voted to protect Dr. Oz's Medicare prior authorization program that uses AI to deny seniors care. The rollout, which began in January, has been, quote, "horrendous."

[Groundwork Collaborative @Groundwork]

One year into the GOP's tax law and billionaires are doing better than ever.

Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Tesla reported $315 billion in U.S. profits for 2025 (+30% from 2024) but they paid less than 5% of that in federal corporate income taxes.