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Small Businesses — Sign our Petition to Break Up Amazon

Small Businesses — Sign our Petition to Break Up Amazon

Stacy Mitchell

October 27, 2020

A Congressional committee spent a year investigating Amazon’s monopoly power. Its findings signal that it's time for independent businesses to urge Congress to break up Amazon. Small Business Owners — Sign our Petition.  READ MORE


Policy Brief: Local and State Governments Have Marshalled $9.27 Billion for Small Business Relief

Policy Brief: Local and State Governments Have Marshalled $9.27 Billion for Small Business Relief

Kennedy Smith

October 19, 2020

Our research has found that cities, counties, states, and community organizations have established more than 800 programs to provide financial assistance to small businesses in the wake of the pandemic. These programs have deployed more than $9.27 billion in grants and loans. Yet the funds are running out. Congress should address the unprecedented crisis facing small business by quickly providing the resources local governments need to do this important work.  READ MORE


In The New York Times: Stacy Mitchell Makes the Case to Break Up Jeff Bezos’s Empire

In The New York Times: Stacy Mitchell Makes the Case to Break Up Jeff Bezos's Empire

Susan Holmberg

October 8, 2020

In reaction to Congress’s report on the monopoly power of Big Tech, Stacy Mitchell writes in the New York Times that Amazon’s enormous reach across the economy is not based on inventiveness, but illegal monopolistic and predatory tactics.  READ MORE


In the Washington Post: Why Antitrust History is So Important

In the Washington Post: Why Antitrust History is So Important

Susan Holmberg

October 8, 2020

In the Washington Post, Senior Researcher Ron Knox explains Congress's groundbreaking investigative report in terms of U.S. antitrust history.  READ MORE


Statement from Stacy Mitchell on Big Tech Antitrust Report

Statement from Stacy Mitchell on Big Tech Antitrust Report

Stacy Mitchell

October 6, 2020

This investigation has uncovered extensive and detailed evidence that Amazon has amassed outsized market power and is exploiting its dominance to crush competitors and monopolize markets.  READ MORE


Recent

In the American Prospect: Revoking Big Tech’s Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card

In the American Prospect: Revoking Big Tech’s Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card

Susan Holmberg

October 5, 2020

As debates ramp up about how Congress and watchdog agencies should address the monopoly power of Big Tech, ILSR legal fellow Shaoul Sussman argues in the American Prospect that we must prioritize revoking the liability shield these platforms enjoy.  READ MORE


ILSR’s Shaoul Sussman Testifies in Support of NY Antitrust Legislation

ILSR's Shaoul Sussman Testifies in Support of NY Antitrust Legislation

Zach Freed

September 17, 2020

ILSR’s legal fellow Shaoul Sussman testified before the New York State Assembly, in support of new state legislation, the Twenty-First Century Antitrust Act.  READ MORE


Hill Briefing: Breaking the Power of Big Tech

Hill Briefing: Breaking the Power of Big Tech

Stacy Mitchell

September 2, 2020

ILSR helped organize and participated in a briefing, cosponsored by more than 40 local and national economic and racial justice, small business, and antimonopoly groups, making the case for Congress to break up and regulate Big Tech. The event included  READ MORE


In The Atlantic: Amazon Is a Private Government. Congress Needs to Step Up.

In The Atlantic: Amazon Is a Private Government. Congress Needs to Step Up.

Stacy Mitchell

August 11, 2020

In The Atlantic, Stacy Mitchell explains why Congress must reign in the monopoly power of these companies in order to restore balance to both our economy and our democracy.  READ MORE


Stacy Mitchell is Profiled in the New York Times

Stacy Mitchell is Profiled in the New York Times

Jess Del Fiacco

April 20, 2020

ILSR Co-Director Stacy Mitchell was profiled in the New York Times for her analysis of Amazon's monopoly and work to build a broad coalition to advocate for policies to check its outsized power.  READ MORE


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In-Depth

Report: 26 Actions Local Leaders Can Take to Help Small Businesses Weather the Pandemic

Report: 26 Actions Local Leaders Can Take to Help Small Businesses Weather the Pandemic

Kennedy Smith

July 29, 2020

ILSR's latest report describes 26 actions that community leaders — including local governments, local business groups, nonprofit organizations, business improvement districts, and other entities — can adopt to help small businesses weather the crisis.  READ MORE


Report: Amazon’s Monopoly Tollbooth

Report: Amazon's Monopoly Tollbooth

Stacy Mitchell

July 28, 2020

Amazon’s dominance of online retail means that hundreds of thousands of small businesses must rely on its site to reach customers. In this report, we find that Amazon is exploiting its gatekeeper power to extract a growing cut of the revenue earned by these sellers. It's doing this by imposing ever-larger fees on them. This tactic is often dooming their businesses. It's also enabling Amazon to entrench its monopoly grip on e-commerce, while expanding its dominance into logistics and advertising.  READ MORE


Our Guide Gives State and Local Leaders Tools to Fight Corporate Monopolies

Our Guide Gives State and Local Leaders Tools to Fight Corporate Monopolies

Jess Del Fiacco

July 15, 2020

As state and local leaders grapple with how to create a true recovery — one that lifts wages, fosters small businesses, and rebalances power — combating outsized corporate power is a key strategy. Check out ILSR's guide to antimonopoly policies for states and cities.  READ MORE


Our Big List of Covid-19 Assistance Programs

Our Big List of Covid-19 Assistance Programs

Kennedy Smith

May 26, 2020

We are building an ongoing list of grant and loan programs that can help small, locally owned businesses weather the COVID-19 pandemic.  READ MORE


Report: Fewer Small Businesses are Receiving Federal Relief Loans in States Dominated by Big Banks

Report: Fewer Small Businesses are Receiving Federal Relief Loans in States Dominated by Big Banks

Stacy Mitchell

April 29, 2020

A significantly larger number of federal relief loans are reaching small businesses in states where small, local banks comprise a greater share of the market, compared to states where big banks are more dominant, an ILSR analysis has found.  READ MORE


Featured Audio and Video

On WBEZ’s Reset: How Can We Protect Small Businesses During The Pandemic?

On WBEZ's Reset: How Can We Protect Small Businesses During The Pandemic?

Jordan Ashby

September 30, 2020

On WBEZ, Kennedy Smith discusses the state of small businesses during this pandemic and the role thaREAD MORE


Now is the Moment to Advocate for Small Business: A Kauffman Conversation

Now is the Moment to Advocate for Small Business: A Kauffman Conversation

Susan Holmberg

September 9, 2020

Stacy Mitchell joined an online discussion with Jason Wiens, policy director for the Kauffman FoundaREAD MORE


On the “Who Is?” Podcast: Stacy Mitchell Explains How Jeff Bezos has Leveraged Government Favors to Amass Alarming Power

On the "Who Is?" Podcast: Stacy Mitchell Explains How Jeff Bezos has Leveraged Government Favors to Amass Alarming Power

Stacy Mitchell

September 3, 2020

On the "Who Is?" podcast, ILSR's Stacy Mitchell explains how Jeff Bezos built Amazon into the empireREAD MORE


Zephyr Teachout on Building an Antimonopoly Movement (Episode 108)

Zephyr Teachout on Building an Antimonopoly Movement (Episode 108)

Jess Del Fiacco

September 3, 2020

Zephyr Teachout, author of the new book Break 'Em Up, shares her thoughts on building an antimonopolREAD MORE


Canadian National Radio: Why It’s Crucial to Wrest Power From Corporations like Amazon

Canadian National Radio: Why It's Crucial to Wrest Power From Corporations like Amazon

Susan Holmberg

June 1, 2020

Stacy Mitchell talks to Canadian national radio about how to understand Amazon’s structural power anREAD MORE


How Cities and States Are Stepping up to Help Small Businesses in Crisis (Episode 101)

How Cities and States Are Stepping up to Help Small Businesses in Crisis (Episode 101)

Jess Del Fiacco

May 28, 2020

Host Jess Del Fiacco talks with Kennedy Smith, Senior Researcher with ILSR's Independent Business inREAD MORE


Small Businesses Wait for Help While Amazon Profits From Pandemic (Episode 99)

Small Businesses Wait for Help While Amazon Profits From Pandemic (Episode 99)

Jess Del Fiacco

April 30, 2020

Chris, John, Stacy, and Jess discuss the bumpy rollout of federal relief funding for America's smallREAD MORE


Watch Frontline Documentary on Amazon’s Reign Over Us — Featuring ILSR’s Research & Interviews with Stacy Mitchell

Watch Frontline Documentary on Amazon's Reign Over Us — Featuring ILSR's Research & Interviews with Stacy Mitchell

Susan Holmberg

February 4, 2020

FRONTLINE has drawn on ILSR’s research and interviews with co-director Stacy Mitchell to create a poREAD MORE


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