The Capitol Forum Podcast

Hear senior policy analyst at Economic Liberties Shahid Naeem discuss his findings from a recent report on the proposed Capital One/Discover merger, which, if approved, would create the U.S.’s sixth-largest bank and No. 1 credit card issuer. Shahid evaluates the strength of Capital One’s “merge-to-compete” defense in an increasingly challenging enforcement environment.

On the latest episode of The Capitol Forum’s Second Request podcast, Executive Editor Teddy Downey speaks with one of the world’s best known and most respected antitrust/competition enforcers, Bill Baer. As the only person to have led antitrust enforcement at both U.S. antitrust agencies, Bill offers unique insight into how antitrust enforcement has changed over the years and what challenges and opportunities current enforcers face.

On this episode of Second Request, renowned antitrust expert Cristina Caffarra talks to Executive Editor of The Capitol Forum, Teddy Downey, about how the major shift underway in US antitrust is propagating across the globe. Listen to the podcast to learn what implications the shift has for antitrust, trade and industrial policy across the US, Europe and the Global South. They also cover developments that have come out of Cristina’s groundbreaking conference in Brussels: Antitrust, Regulation and the Next World Order.

On this episode of Second Request, The Capitol Forum’s Teddy Downey speaks with former FTC deputy director and DOJ trial attorney, John Newman, about the current antitrust landscape in the US. Currently a Professor of Law at Miami University, John is an expert on antitrust and competition law, with a primary focus on the economics and regulation of digital markets. Listen to the podcast to hear them discuss the latest FTC cases and how AI is shaping antitrust law. 

Experienced election analyst Michael Podhorzer talks to Executive Editor of The Capitol Forum, Teddy Downey, about the 2024 presidential election. Listen to the podcast to learn more about what polling and historical voting patterns can and can’t tell us about prospective outcomes. They also discuss the roles and responsibilities of the press during election cycles. 

404 Media co-founder and journalist Joseph Cox discusses his latest investigation into how hackers and fraudsters are illegally accessing sensitive drug ordering tools and then advertising some of the most tightly controlled drugs in the country, including fentanyl. Communicating directly with the hackers and fraudsters themselves, Joseph was able to uncover how they are gaining access to legitimate drug ordering services. Listen to the podcast to learn about the methods they use and why unsecure “credit header data” is at the root of many of these compromises. 

On this episode of Second Request, Executive Editor of The Capitol Forum, Teddy Downey, speaks to former Deputy Director for the National Economic Council Bharat Ramamurti about the White House’s approach to improving competition across all sectors of the economy. During his time on the National Economic Council, Bharat played a key role in developing the President’s Executive Order on Competition, which set forth 72 provisions for steps federal agencies can take to promote competition. Listen to the podcast to learn how the Executive Order reflects the president’s specific competition priorities and to hear about some of the successes that have already come out of it, including the newly established Competition Council.

On this episode of Second Request, executive director of Clean Virginia, Brennan Gilmore, discusses the biggest successes and challenges Clean Virginia has experienced working to advance clean government and clean energy. Listen to the podcast to learn about the history of Virginia’s monopoly utility regulation and the influence Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest utility, has had on how the state’s energy is structured. You'll hear why Clean Virginia blames a misaligned incentive structure and political influence for years of customer overcharges, poor energy efficiency, and lack of market competition and what they are doing to change it.

Jack Ryan, cofounder and CEO of the real estate brokerage REX, and Darren McCarty, lead lawyer in the current antitrust litigation for REX, discuss the recent litigation against the National Association of Realtors and what it means for the future of residential real estate.  

Legal expert Seth Bloom delves into the Google antitrust trial, amidst the current legal landscape, tech trends, and evolving regulatory environment. Analyzing the trial's dynamics, he and host Teddy Downey explore the role of Judge Mehta, potential outcomes, and the broader implications for the tech industry. The conversation extends to AI, cloud computing, and algorithmic accountability, touching on issues surrounding YouTube and children's privacy.