WITH THE AGENCIES WHEN OPENING
ARGUMENTS BEGIN AND JOINS US NOW. TYLER: THE FTC IS SUING TO BLOCK WHAT
WOULD BE THE BIGGEST SUPERMARKET MERGER IN U.S.
HISTORY. ALLEGING IT WOULD RAISE PRICES
FOR CONSUMERS. I HAD A CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH
THE SENIOR OFFICIAL TODAY WHO TOLD ME THEY'RE PRETTY
CONFIDENT IN THEIR CASE. >> COMPETITION IS GOOD FOR
KEEPING PRICES LOW AND CONSOLIDATION IS HISTORICALLY
AND BASED ON EVIDENCE BAD FOR CONSUMERS ON PRICES, EVEN IF
THERE ARE CERTAIN SHORT-TERM BENEFITS FROM CONSOLIDATION.
I WOULD SAY LET THE BENEFIT OF COMPETITION FLOW THROUGH THE
ECONOMY, AND GROCERIES, IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRY
MAYBE OF ALL. TYLER: FOR THEIR PART, KROGER SAYS THE
MERGER WILL ACTUALLY BE GOOD FOR COMPETITION SO THEY CAN
COMPETE WITH NONTRADITIONAL GROCERS LIKE AMAZON AND WALMART
WHO ARE STARTING TO DOMINATE MARKET SHARE.
KROGER ALSO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED A PLAN TO LOWER CONSUMER COST I
$1 BILLION AFTER THE MERGER GOES THROUGH, AS WELL AS
ANOTHER BILLION FOR IMPROVING WORKER PAY AND BENEFITS.
THE FTC SAYS THEY DON'T BUY THE IDEA OF A MERGER IS NEEDED TO
LOWER GROCERY PRICES WHICH THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX SHOWS ARE
UP MORE THAN 20% FROM FOUR YEARS AGO. OUR POLL FOUND ITS A TOP ISSUE
FOR VOTERS. VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS RECENTLY
CALLED FOR A FEDERAL BAN ON PRICE GOUGING AT GROCERY STORES
TO COMBAT WHAT SHE'S CALLING CORPORATE GREED.
FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS CRITICIZE THAT POLICY IDEA. >> AFTER CAUSING CATASTROPHIC
INFLATION, COMRADE KAMALA ANNOUNCE SHE WANTS TO INSTITUTE
SOCIALIST PRICE CONTROLS. NEVER WORKED BEFORE. TYLER:
WE KNOW THAT THE ECONOMY AND PRICES HAVE BEEN A TOP ISSUE
FOR VOTERS AND HER PLAN DOES NOT HAVE MANY SPECIFIC SO IT'S
HARD TO SAY IF IT WOULD CONTAIN A HARD PRICE CAP, BUT HER
CAMPAIGN HE IS SAID SHE WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH CONGRESS TO
IMPOSE NEW RULES AND THE FTC TO ENFORCE THEM. ECONOMIST APPEAR MIXED ON THE
PLAN BUT THEY POINT TO A RANGE OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO THE
DECISION. KAILEY: IN THE MEANTIME, THE FTC STILL
HAS A COURT FIGHT THEY'RE GOING TO TRY AND WIN.
WHAT WILL YOU BE WATCHING FOR NEXT IN THIS TRIAL? TYLER:
WE ARE EXPECTING THE TRIAL TO GO ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
UNIQUE IN THE CASES THE EMPHASIS THEY'RE PUTTING ON
WORKER RIGHTS. AN ANTITRUST CASE IS TYPICALLY
FOCUSED ON THE CONSUMER. KROGER HAS ANNOUNCED A
DIVESTING PLAN TO THE VEST ABOUT 600 STORES FROM THE
MERGER AND INSTEAD GO TO A THIRD-PARTY RETAILER.
THE FTC IS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THAT, POINTING OUT THAT THE
THIRD PARTY IS REALLY A WHOLESALER.
FOR KROGER'S PART, THEY PUT OUT A STATEMENT PLEDGING TO PROTECT
WORKERS RIGHTS AND POINTING OUT THAT THEY'VE ACTUALLY CREATED
100,000 UNION JOBS SINCE 2012.