New Brief Reveals How UnitedHealth Group’s FDIC-Insured Bank Tightens “Death Grip” on Independent Physicians
December 18, 2025 – Optum Financial has grown into an essential component of UnitedHealth Group’s monopoly power, one that it uses to tighten an iron grip of control over independent physician practices, a new brief released by the American Economic Liberties Project today details. The analysis documents how UnitedHealth’s FDIC-insured industrial bank, something that has largely been overlooked in debates over health care consolidation, has become another lever the company uses to push independent practices toward financial dependence, closure, or sale, often during moments of acute distress and volatility.
Economic Liberties Senior Fellow Katherine Van Dyck to Testify Before US House Committee on How Private Equity is Gutting Youth Sports
December 16, 2025 – This morning at 10:00am EST, Economic Liberties Senior Legal Fellow Katherine Van Dyck will testify in front of the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education at a hearing titled, “Benched: The Crisis in American Youth Sports and Its Cost to Our Future.” The hearing will examine the growing role of private equity and financial consolidation in youth sports; the resulting rise in costs for families; declining access and participation; and the broader consequences for children’s health, safety, and community life.
Economic Liberties Calls on CPUC to Reject $4.4 Billion in Excessive Utility Returns
December 15, 2025 – Following an Administrative Law Judge’s proposed decision on the Authorized Cost of Capital for Utility Operations for PG&E, SoCalGas, SCE, and SDG&E for 2026 (“the proposed decision”)—which offers the utilities a combined $4.4 billion in excessive returns—the American Economic Liberties Project and a coalition of eight other organizations today sent a letter calling on the California Public Utility Commission (“the Commission”) to reject the proposed decision.
Trump Administration Attempts to Bully States on Behalf of Big Tech in New AI Executive Order
December 12, 2025 – Following a new executive order released by the Trump Administration yesterday aimed at challenging state-level legislation that protects communities from the harms of AI, the American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.
U.S. Trade Deficit Up, Manufacturing Jobs Down by 49,000, Other Manufacturing Growth Measures Mixed in First Nine Months of 2025
December 11, 2025 – Rethink Trade today published an infographic webpage compiling trade and manufacturing data that show in the first nine months of his second term, President Trump’s actions on trade have not accomplished his promises to quickly balance trade and revitalize U.S. manufacturing.