Justice Department antitrust suit against RealPage alleges collusion with landlords
(WASHINGTON) — The Justice Department and several state attorneys general filed an antitrust suit Friday against RealPage, alleging the real estate software company engaged in a complex collusion scheme with landlords that resulted in higher prices for renters across the country.
The lawsuit is the latest salvo in the Biden administration’s increasingly aggressive efforts to rein in powerful companies who they accuse of using their dominance in the markets to harm consumers.
The Justice Department’s suit, a result of what officials described as a years-long “painstaking” investigation, alleges the company unlawfully conspired with landlords who agreed to share with the company non-public information related to rental rates and lease terms that RealPage then entered into its algorithmic pricing software.
As a result, the lawsuit alleges, the software would generate pricing recommendations for properties based on the non-public information that in the usual course of business would not be part of normally competitive efforts between landlords to attract renters.
While the company has faced civil lawsuits before at the state level over allegations of collusion, officials said the suit appears to be the first federal one of its kind involving such an advanced algorithmic collusion scheme.
“Americans should not have to pay more in rent because a company has found a new way to scheme with landlords to break the law,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “We allege that RealPage’s pricing algorithm enables landlords to share confidential, competitively sensitive information and align their rents.”
The civil complaint against the company quotes extensively from internal documents and testimony from RealPage executives, including one instance where the company allegedly acknowledged how its software benefited landlords’ efforts to maximize prices — describing its software as “a rising tide raises all ships.”
While it’s not immediately clear what the department will ultimately demand of the company if a judge finds its actions violated antitrust laws, the Justice Department said in a release it will seek an order that RealPage cease in its alleged collusion with landlords “and restore competition for the benefit of renters in states across the country.”
RealPage did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit from ABC News.
(WASHINGTON) — In a debate that often turned heated over key issues, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump were at odds over abortion, a top concern for voters heading into the election.
Harris tried to label Trump’s position as extreme, pointing to his role in ending Roe v. Wade and accusing him of supporting a national ban and surveillance of pregnant women — claims he denied.
Trump, who appointed three of the five Supreme Court justices who overturned federal protections for abortion rights under Roe v. Wade, has at times softened his stance on abortion and said the six-week ban in Florida is “too short,” in an interview with NBC News in August.
“I think the six weeks is too short, there has to be more time,” Trump said on Aug. 29. The next day, he reversed his position, saying he would vote to keep the six-week ban
In the debate, Trump reiterated that he returned the regulation of abortion care to state governments and said it should be up to the states to decide, but he would not commit to vetoing a federal abortion ban if it came to his desk as president. Instead, he said that situation would not arise.
He also said Tuesday he supports exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.
During the debate, Harris accused Trump of supporting a national ban on abortion and said he plans to monitor pregnant women under the conservative plan known as Project 2025.
Harris said during the debate the plan “would be monitoring your pregnancies, your miscarriages,” adding, “I think the American people believe that certain freedoms, in particular the freedom to make decisions about one’s own body, should not be made by the government.”
Trump has denied any association with Project 2025, which he reiterated at Tuesday’s debate. Project 2025 is a 900-page policy blueprint published by conservative allies and former advisers to Trump looking to help a new Republican administration transition to power. Several former cabinet secretaries under Trump are among the notable authors.
Project 2025 was organized by the Heritage Foundation, a prominent right-wing think tank.
The document proposes the next conservative president act with Congress to protect life starting at conception and work to ban federal funding of abortion.
Among its proposals, the project recommends the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “eliminate” programs and projects that are not anti-abortion and ensure that it is not promoting abortion as health care.
The project doesn’t use the term “monitoring,” but it does state that CDC’s collection of abortion data is “woefully inadequate,” pointing to some states reporting data on a voluntary basis. It also says the Department of Health and Human Services should mandate states report how many abortions are provided, the stage of pregnancy, the pregnant woman’s state of residence and the method of termination.
Project 2025 also calls for the ending of federal funding for Planned Parenthood and all other abortion providers. Planned Parenthood provides a range of services, including testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, cancer screenings, prevention services and contraception services. However, federal funding is already withheld for abortion services at Planned Parenthood, with limited exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the mother, due to the Hyde Amendment.
After Democrats began attacking Trump over the document, he publicly denounced its substance as “seriously extreme” and developed by the “severe right.”
“I disagree with some of the things they’re saying and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal,” Trump posted on social media.
At least 22 states currently have bans or restrictions in place on abortion care. Of those states, 14 states have ceased nearly all abortion services and four states prohibit abortions after six-weeks of pregnancy, before most women know they are pregnant.
Trump has said it’s “irrelevant” whether he supports prosecuting women who have abortions.
“It’s irrelevant whether I’m comfortable or not,” Trump said in April. “It’s totally irrelevant, because the states are going to make those decisions.”
(CHICAGO) —Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday unveiled her economic platform, her first major policy rollout since becoming the Democratic nominee.
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday held a press conference in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he said he’s “entitled” to insult his Democratic opponent because he doesn’t respect her and attacked her record on the economy.
Here’s how the news is developing:
Iran denies involvement in attempts to hack Trump, Biden campaigns
Iran is denying reports it was involved in attempts to hack the presidential campaigns of former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, the latter of which while he was still in the race.
In a statement, the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations, said that reports of attempted hacking, which came from Google and Microsoft, are “unsubstantiated.”
“Such allegations are unsubstantiated and devoid of any standing. As we have previously announced, the Islamic Republic of Iran harbors neither the intention nor the motive to interfere with the U.S. presidential election,” the statement read. “Should the U.S. government genuinely believe in the validity of its claims, it should furnish us with the pertinent evidence—if any—to which we will respond accordingly.”
-ABC News’ Pierre Thomas
7:32 AM EDT Bernie Sanders to speak at DNC on ‘lowering health care costs’
Lowering health care costs will be a central theme at the Democratic National Convention this week, campaign and convention officials said on Monday, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), confirmed as one notable program speaker set to focus upon the issue — specifically on “lowering Rx drug prices” and “taking on Big Pharma.”
Speakers throughout the week like Sanders, California Rep. Robert Garcia, Illinois Rep. Lauren Underwood and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham will highlight the support of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz for strengthening the Affordable Care Act, convention officials shared first with ABC News.
In a Friday speech setting out a string of economic proposals, Harris pledged to “lower the cost of insulin and prescription drugs for everyone.” She also said she’d “demand transparency from the middlemen who operate between Big Pharma and the insurance companies, who use opaque practices to raise your drug prices and profit off your need for medicine.”
-ABC News’ Isabella Murray
Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn and more to host DNC
Actors Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Mindy Kaling and commentator Ana Navarro will serve as hosts at the Democratic National Convention this week, convention officials confirmed to ABC News.
Each will host one night of the four-day convention, starting the programming with opening remarks and reappearing onstage throughout the night.
Goldwyn will host Monday night, Navarro on Tuesday and Kaling on Wednesday. Washington will host on Thursday, the night Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepts her nomination.
CNN first reported this news.
Harris and Walz debut new campaign buses and kick off tour ahead of DNC
Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz debuted their new campaign buses Sunday and kicked off a bus tour of southwestern Pennsylvania ahead of this week’s Democratic National Convention.
Upon their arrival on Air Force Two, a few hundred supporters greeted Harris, Walz and their spouses at a hangar where the new were buses parked.
Supporters told ABC News they were thrilled by Harris’ candidacy, with one saying she had not felt this excited about politics in years. Some said they had never volunteered for a campaign before signing up to work on Harris’.
“I was excited about Biden, but I am a million times more excited about Kamala,” Nicole Molinaro, a Pittsburgh-area mom, said. “I think that we need her leadership. We need her intelligence. We need her progressive, you know, stance. I think we need her experience. We need everything about Kamala.”
Another supporter, Edward Freel, said he was unsure about Harris at first, “but then, as I started listening better and following her, [I thought] this woman is going to be good for this country.”
Trump campaign releases counterprogramming schedule for DNC week
During the week of the DNC, Former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance will be out on the campaign trail, holding events in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.
Trump allies — including Sens. Ron Johnson and Rick Scott, and Rep. Byron Donalds — will travel to Chicago to host press conferences every day of the convention. The Trump team will also give a press conference on Thursday ahead of Vice President Kamala Harris accepting the Democratic party’s nomination.
“As they meet Americans where they are in battleground states across the country, President Trump and Senator Vance will remind voters that under their leadership, we can end inflation, protect our communities from violent criminals, secure the border, and Make America Great Again,” Trump Campaign Senior Advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Lalee Ibssa, Soo Rin Kim and Kelsey Walsh
Michelle Obama to speak at DNC this week
Former first lady Michelle Obama will speak at the DNC in Chicago this week, ABC News has confirmed with her office.
Her appearance, first reported by Essence Magazine, will be among a lineup of prominent Democratic leaders who are rallying in support of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Former President Barack Obama is also scheduled to speak at the DNC.
According to a source familiar with the planning, Michelle Obama will speak on Tuesday — the same day as the former president.
-ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart and Gabriella Abdul-Hakim
Former Democrat Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will help Trump prepare for presidential debate
Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard will assist Trump in preparing for his first debate against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“[Trump] does not need traditional debate prep but will continue to meet with respected policy advisors and effective communicators like Tulsi Gabbard, who successfully dominated Kamala Harris on the debate stage,” Trump campaign National Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote in a statement to ABC News, confirming a development first reported by The New York Times.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii and a one-time Democratic presidential candidate during the 2020 election, gained brief momentum during her presidential run after challenging Harris on the debate stage on topics like criminal prosecutions.
Since leaving the Democratic Party, Gabbard has been gaining traction among Trump supporters, and more recently she has appeared on Fox and other conservative news outlets attacking Harris.
– ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Soo Rin Kim, Kelsey Walsh, and Lalee Ibssa
Election 2024 updates: ABC News Harris-Trump debate to be held in Philadelphia
The first debate between Vice President Harris and former President Trump will be held by ABC News at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
The Sept. 10 debate will be moderated by ABC News anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis.
It will air live at 9:00 p.m. ET on the network and on its 24/7 streaming network ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu.
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are set to face off in their first debate of the 2024 election next week, moderated by ABC News.
With only weeks until Election Day, the debate is a crucial opportunity for both candidates to work to sway undecided voters in what’s expected to be a close contest.
The debate is a chance for Harris — who became the Democratic candidate after President Joe Biden left the race following his lackluster June debate performance — and Trump to explain their policies on key issues. It’s the first time the pair will meet in person.
Likewise, the debate is Trump’s first opportunity to attack Harris while laying out some of his own positions.
Here’s what to know about the debate and how to tune in.
How to watch or livestream the debate
There are several ways to watch the ABC News presidential debate, which is being produced in conjunction with the ABC-owned Philadelphia news station WPVI-TV.
It will air on ABC and stream on ABC News Live, Disney+ and Hulu. Viewers can also stream the debate on the ABC app on a smartphone or tablet, on ABC.com and connected devices.
ABC News Digital and 538 will live blog the latest from the debate stage as it happens and provide analysis, fact checks and coverage of the biggest takeaways from the night.
When and where is the presidential debate?
The debate will take place in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 9 p.m. EDT.
Who is moderating the ABC News presidential debate?
“World News Tonight” anchor and managing editor David Muir and ABC News Live “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis will serve as moderators.
The prime-time pre-debate special, “Race for the White House,” will be anchored by chief global affairs correspondent and “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz, chief Washington correspondent and “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl, chief White House correspondent Mary Bruce and senior congressional correspondent Rachel Scott. It will air at 8 p.m. EDT and stream on ABC’s platforms.
What are the ground rules?
Both Harris and Trump accepted the debate rules, which include that their microphones will be muted when the time belongs to another candidate.
The agreed-upon rules include:
The debate will be 90 minutes with two commercial breaks.
The two seated moderators will be the only people asking questions.
A coin flip was held virtually on Tuesday, Sept. 3, to determine podium placement and order of closing statements; former
President Donald Trump won the coin toss and chose to select the order of statements. The former president will offer the last closing statement, and Vice President Harris selected the right podium position on screen (stage left).
Candidates will be introduced by the moderators.
The candidates enter upon introduction from opposite sides of the stage; the incumbent party will be introduced first.
No opening statements; closing statements will be two minutes per candidate.
Candidates will stand behind podiums for the duration of the debate.
Props or prewritten notes are not allowed onstage.
No topics or questions will be shared in advance with campaigns or candidates.
Candidates will be given a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water.
Candidates will have two-minute answers to questions, two-minute rebuttals, and one extra minute for follow-ups, clarifications, or responses.
Candidates’ microphones will be live only for the candidate whose turn it is to speak and muted when the time belongs to another candidate.
Candidates will not be permitted to ask questions of each other.
Campaign staff may not interact with candidates during commercial breaks.
Moderators will seek to enforce timing agreements and ensure a civilized discussion.