Krystal and Saagar discuss the Democratic base's discontent, European lifestyle, woke union busting, Democratic inaction, airline chaos, inflated phone bills, LIV Golf controversy, and more!
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Quick takeaways
The merger between Sprint and T-Mobile resulted in an end to the price war in the wireless industry and led to increased prices by major carriers.
T-Mobile's shift away from its consumer advocate and price leader position after the merger with Sprint has resulted in higher prices for consumers.
Starbucks' refusal to extend abortion travel benefits to unionized stores raises concerns about their use of the Roe decision for union busting and potential labor law violations.
Deep dives
The end of the price war
The merger between Sprint and T-Mobile in 2020 led to the end of the price war in the wireless industry. Prices, which had been decreasing due to competition, began to go up. AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all raised their prices on various plans, signaling a shift away from the price-focused strategies of the past.
The un-carrier strategy
T-Mobile's CEO, John Legere, had built a reputation for his un-carrier strategy, which aimed to disrupt the wireless industry with lower prices, transparent fees, and customer-friendly practices. However, the merger with Sprint changed the landscape, and T-Mobile, along with other major carriers, started increasing prices instead of continuing to compete on price.
The impact of the merger
The merger between Sprint and T-Mobile was facilitated by the Trump administration and led to a reduction in the number of national wireless carriers from four to three. Research shows that such consolidation generally leads to higher prices for consumers. This merger marked a departure from T-Mobile's previous positioning as a consumer advocate and price leader in the industry.
Starbucks Exploits Roe Decision to Engage in Union Busting
Starbucks, despite offering employees enrolled in their healthcare plan access to abortion travel benefits, refuses to extend those benefits to unionized stores, using the Roe decision to further their union busting tactics and potentially violating labor laws.
Democrats Criticized for Lack of Response to Roe Decision
Democrats have been widely criticized, even by Republicans, for their lack of action in response to the Roe decision. They have failed to pass legislation to protect women's reproductive rights or codify Roe, leaving many wondering why they have not seized the opportunity to advance legislation that could protect women's rights and split the Republican conference.
Krystal, Saagar, and friends talk about the Democratic base being angry, European countries, woke union busting, Dem inaction, airlines, phone bill, LIV golf, & more!