Groundwork Collaborative's Lindsay Owens joins host Molly Jong-Fast to break down her new book, Gouged, which explains how corporate pricing has shifted from simple cost-plus models to a data-driven science designed to charge each customer the maximum they will pay. She describes Walmart's public pushback against her book, including open letters denying the use of pricing technologies the company has patented, such as a "tuna mayo" patent and an "appeasement engine" for deciding refunds. She lays out more examples of surveillance pricing, from Expedia charging more to users in wealthier areas and Princeton Review charging more in areas with more Asian American families to Target raising app prices once shoppers reached the parking lot. She also covers airline dynamic pricing, Delta's AI partnership with Fetcherr, dynamic pricing at museums and zoos, and algorithmic price coordination through RealPage and Calibrate. As bright spots, she points to Costco's capped margins and the Savannah Bananas' face-value ticket lottery. Owens closes by calling for congressional investigations, including subpoenaing Walmart's CEO, and for a 12-point Shopper's Bill of Rights that would ban surveillance pricing and guarantee easier refunds. The episode then moves to headlines on the DOJ accusing ex-FBI officials of lying to Congress about the Hunter Biden investigation, reports that Trump is considering mass pardons for junior staffers, a Fifth Circuit ruling denying bond hearings to ICE detainees, and California cities rejecting data centers. It ends with Rick Wilson's "moment of fuckery" about MAGA's overreaction to Barack Obama and Bill Clinton mocking Trump's White House decor.

<p>Groundwork Collaborative's Lindsay Owens joins host Molly Jong-Fast to break down her new book, Gouged, which explains how corporate pricing has shifted from simple cost-plus models to a data-driven science designed to charge each customer the maximum they will pay. She describes Walmart's public pushback against her book, including open letters denying the use of pricing technologies the company has patented, such as a "tuna mayo" patent and an "appeasement engine" for deciding refunds. She lays out more examples of surveillance pricing, from Expedia charging more to users in wealthier areas and Princeton Review charging more in areas with more Asian American families to Target raising app prices once shoppers reached the parking lot. She also covers airline dynamic pricing, Delta's AI partnership with Fetcherr, dynamic pricing at museums and zoos, and algorithmic price coordination through RealPage and Calibrate. As bright spots, she points to Costco's capped margins and the Savannah Bananas' face-value ticket lottery. Owens closes by calling for congressional investigations, including subpoenaing Walmart's CEO, and for a 12-point Shopper's Bill of Rights that would ban surveillance pricing and guarantee easier refunds. The episode then moves to headlines on the DOJ accusing ex-FBI officials of lying to Congress about the Hunter Biden investigation, reports that Trump is considering mass pardons for junior staffers, a Fifth Circuit ruling denying bond hearings to ICE detainees, and California cities rejecting data centers. It ends with Rick Wilson's "moment of fuckery" about MAGA's overreaction to Barack Obama and Bill Clinton mocking Trump's White House decor.</p>

Join noted author & pundit Molly Jong-Fast for irreverent humor that cuts right to the heart of our politics today as she discusses the top political headlines with some of today’s best minds. Known for being one of the few interviewers in politics to cut through the talking points, Molly reveals the personalities and issues tearing the country apart. She asks the questions no one else does, and gets the answers even her guests didn’t expect to give – and exactly what you want to know. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday & Friday for the funniest yet serious look at what’s ailing America.

<p>Join noted author &amp; pundit Molly Jong-Fast for irreverent humor that cuts right to the heart of our politics today as she discusses the top political headlines with some of today’s best minds. Known for being one of the few interviewers in politics to cut through the talking points, Molly reveals the personalities and issues tearing the country apart. She asks the questions no one else does, and gets the answers even her guests didn’t expect to give – and exactly what you want to know. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday &amp; Friday for the funniest yet serious look at what’s ailing America.</p>

Fast Politics with Molly Jong-Fast

The Real Reason Prices Are So High Now w/ Lindsay Owens

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a5946501-20af-48c4-877d-b4ee015558d7/transcript