The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart From FTC to NYC with Lina Khan
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Nov 13, 2025 
Lina Khan, former Chair of the FTC and co-chair of Zohran Mamdani's transition team, dives deep into the interplay of federal and local economic policies. She discusses essential tools for supporting small businesses and consumer protection in NYC. Khan also tackles the critical issues of housing affordability and price discrimination affecting small enterprises. Additionally, she calls for embracing public options in essential markets, warns against unchecked corporate power, and emphasizes the need for economic reforms that prioritize working people.
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Buyer Power Can Mask Illegal Price Discrimination
- Large buyers can get prices below small-business wholesale rates, creating unlawful price discrimination.
- Revisiting the Robinson-Patman framework and new state laws can let city enforcers address buyer-power abuses.
Inventory And Use Forgotten Legal Tools
- Audit existing authorities thoroughly because tools unused for decades may still be legal and powerful.
- Use newly passed laws, like bans on algorithmic landlord price-fixing or junk-fee limits, and enforce them vigorously.
Use Public Options When Markets Fail
- Combine antitrust enforcement with public options or utility rules where markets won't yield fair results.
- Consider price caps, mandatory interoperability, or government-run alternatives to check private-market excesses.