By Tim Lambert | Editor-in-chief
“Amazon secretly raised prices in auctions for advertisements on their website, preying on smaller businesses on tight budgets. We are hopeful that this lawsuit will provide restitution and relief for businesses purchasing ads on Amazon, and in turn, keep prices down for consumers.” — State Attorney General Dave Sunday, on joining a multi-state lawsuit against Amazon.
A good Tuesday morning to you and welcome to September. We are exactly three weeks away from the official start of fall.
September 1 has been a busy day in Pennsylvania history. What eventually would be known as the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia from England on this day in 1752. The first section of the Pennsylvania Railroad opened in 1849 — from Lewistown to Harrisburg.
In 1971 with almost no fanfare, the Pittsburgh Pirates became the first team in Major League Baseball to start an all-Black line-up. Finally, to support disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, 2,500 Pennsylvania Army and Air National members were mobilized and sent to the Gulf Coast.
Thanks for starting your day with us. As always, we deeply appreciate you reading, sharing and supporting our work. -- Tim
An Amazon warehouse near Newport, Delaware. The Federal Trade Commission and 22 states have sued Amazon over an alleged scheme to inflate advertising prices. (Photo by Jacob Owens/Spotlight Delaware)
By Alex Brown of Stateline
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from 22 states — including Pennsylvania — sued Amazon Monday, claiming the online retail company used artificial bids to inflate costs for advertisers, bringing in tens of billions of dollars.
The complaint alleges that Amazon used an “invented auction participant” to drive up prices for advertising placements and sponsored product spots on its online store. The lawsuit quotes a former company employee who said the system allowed the company to charge prices “beyond what [can] be achieved through advertiser competition.”
The complaint says that Amazon has carried out the scheme for more than seven years, increasing prices for more than a million brands and sellers, including small businesses and sellers in Pennsylvania.
Cattle farmers are concerned about Trump’s new beef imports. (Photo by Julie Grant/The Allegheny Front)
By Julie Grant of the Allegheny Front
Pennsylvania cattle producers are joining other beef industry leaders speaking out against President Trump’s effort to lower beef prices.
With the cost of ground beef at an all time high, Trump is allowing 300,000 metric tons of lean beef trimmings to enter the United States over the next three months, at a reduced tariff rate, and sold at 25% below market prices.
“It makes basically no sense,” said Bill Devore, who runs a cattle farm in Washington County and is president of the Pennsylvania Cattlemen’s Association, which represents 11,000 cattle and dairy producers statewide.
Eligible equipment owners can file claims in class action suit settlement with John Deere. (Photo by Lance Cheung/USDA)
By Cami Koons of the Iowa Capital Dispatch
Farmers who purchased and had to repair John Deere large agricultural equipment during a certain time frame may be eligible for a payment as part of an antitrust class-action settlement.
To receive the payment, however, farmers must file a claim in the newly opened Deere Repair Settlement website, by Dec. 31. Right to repair advocates argue that accepting the current settlement will give farmers a small payout and prevent them from future or more substantial settlements or damages.
The settlement is the result of a class-action antitrust lawsuit against Deere & Company that alleged the company “engaged in an anticompetitive scheme” to withhold certain repair tools from customers and independent repair shops and require customers to use Deere-authorized dealers for repairs and diagnostics.
Independent reporting on Pennsylvania state government that impacts communities statewide — free to read and republish.
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The remains of 12 students who died while attending the Carlisle Indian Industrial School will be disinterred and returned to their families and tribes. (Photo by Katie Knol/WITF)
By Katie Knol of WITF
The remains of 12 Native American and Alaskan Native children who died while attending Carlisle Indian Industrial School will be returned to their tribes following their disinterment.
The boarding school operated from 1879 to 1918, and at least 168 children died while attending. It was founded by Army Captain Richard Henry Pratt, who was known for his philosophy of “Kill the Indian, and save the man.” Students were forced to speak English, wear Anglo-American clothing, and act with “U.S. values and culture,” according to the National Park Service.
The disinterment process will start Tuesday, Sept. 1. Student graves that will be dug up are lined with white. Many have small flowers and stuffed animals laid in front of the tombstone as cars pass by on the street directly next to the cemetery.
TODAY IN THE CAPITAL-STAR
Judge calls Trump mail ballot rule ‘substantively unconstitutional’: A Massachusetts federal judge on Monday declined the Trump administration’s request to overturn the temporary restraining order she signed last week that blocks the U.S. Postal Service from carrying out a rule placing new restrictions on mail-in voting. The 14-day order published Aug. 27 was not appealable.
A summer of recalls exposes holes in the nation’s food safety net: A summer of food recalls, including the record-shattering cyclosporiasis outbreak tied to iceberg lettuce that has sickened thousands, has raised many Americans’ fears of contracting a foodborne illness. The recalls have focused attention on the Trump administration’s decision to cut funding and staff at several public health agencies.
LGBTQ+ adults more likely to miss or forgo healthcare, survey finds: Overall, 6 in 10 of the adults surveyed reported missing needed healthcare in the past year due to cost, being unable to find a provider with available appointments or other reasons, compared with 38% of non-LGBTQ+ adults. Transgender adults, who made up 9% of those surveyed, were the most likely to report missing care.
ICYMI
Bipartisan legislative proposals would limit the use of Flock cameras: As public sentiment sours on automatic license plate readers state lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are introducing legislation to curtail their use across the commonwealth. A trio of bills range from an outright ban on fixed cameras to stiffened penalties for unauthorized data access.
Rural hospital closures mean long drives for pregnant women: In 14 states, the closure of the closest rural hospital or its obstetric unit would force many Medicaid patients to drive an hour or more to get to another hospital that provides inpatient maternity care, according to an analysis released recently.
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