In the first article, Drs. Stuart Gurrea and Nicolas Suarez explore how economists may approach class-action litigation claims of discrimina­tion involving AI-driven hiring and selection tools. They evaluate the circumstances under which such algorithmic systems might not form a common policy sufficient to support class certification and consider the implications for future AI-related class-wide litigation.

In the second article, Dr. Stephanie Khoury examines the proposed settlement in Epic v. Google, which includes revisions to the court-ordered injunction intended to open the Android app ecosystem to meaningful competition. The article highlights judicial and third-party concerns that the proposed changes may fall short of providing an adequate remedy and underscores the importance of market-wide economic considerations in shaping effective relief.

In the third article, Dr. Jéssica Dutra analyzes the evolving competitive landscape of the U.S. cannabis industry as more states adopt cannabis laws. She discusses how federal prohibition under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) alongside state-specific regulatory frameworks have produced fragment­ed markets with localized supply chains without interstate commerce. She also considers the implications for competition policy, including market concentration and geographic market definition in retail cannabis markets.

Finally, Dr. Kira Stearns examines how prior NIL and revenue sharing settlements in college athletics may have shaped economic incentives contributing to the recent increase in antitrust allegations against the NCAA.

We hope you find the articles and news featured in this issue insightful. You can stay up to date on the latest from Secretariat’s economists by following us on LinkedIn.