Axios defends Kamala Harris' price controls, gets hit by Community Note on X
The Axios reporter's defense of the VP's proposal was met with scrutiny and a community note correction.
Vice President Kamala Harris' recent proposal to combat grocery price gouging has ignited a heated debate, with an Axios reporter's defense of the plan drawing particular attention and criticism.
Emily Peck, Axios Markets Correspondent, attempted to clarify the proposal, writing, "One of Kamala Harris' most controversial policy proposals is a ban on grocery price gouging — critics are conflating the idea with Soviet-style price controls, and calling the plan 'Kamunism.'" Peck argued that price gouging bans are already in place in most states, suggesting that if such measures were communist, "then the U.S. went Marxist long ago."
However, Peck's article faced immediate scrutiny when X users applied a fact check community note to Axios' post promoting the piece. The note pointed out that Peck had previously referred to similar policies as "price controls" in a 2023 article about the U.K.'s attempt to standardize prices on certain groceries.
Don’t call it price controls: How price gouging bans really work https://t.co/tyPKx1nayt
— Axios (@axios) August 20, 2024
Harris' proposal comes in response to significant increases in food prices over the past three years. Since 2020, staples like bread and ground beef have seen price hikes of around 50%, while dairy products have jumped more than 30%. Eggs and cereal have also experienced substantial increases, per Yahoo Finance.
Critics, including former President Donald Trump, have labeled the plan as "communist," warning it could lead to "food shortages, rationing, hunger, and dramatically more inflation." Even legacy publications like the Washington Post have expressed concerns, with columnist Catherine Rampell cautioning that such measures could result in "shortages, black markets and hoarding."
Peck's article suggests that Harris' plan would likely expand on existing state laws that prevent companies from raising prices on essential items during emergencies. However, she acknowledges that Harris has provided limited details, leading to "wild speculation" about its potential impact.
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