These corporate giants have no plans to bring prices down anytime soon.
by Lindsay Owens & Elizabeth Pancotti
Many Americans are still experiencing the sticker shock they first faced two years ago when inflation hit its peak. But if inflation is down now, why are families still feeling the pinch? The answer lies in corporate profits — and we have the data to prove it. Our new report for the Groundwork Collaborative finds that corporate profits accounted for more than half — 53 percent — of inflation from April to September 2023. That’s an astronomical percentage. Corporate profits drove just 11 percent of price growth in the four decades prior to the pandemic. Businesses have been quick to blame rising costs on supply chain shocks from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine. But two years later, our economy has mostly returned to normal. In some cases, companies’ costs to make things and stock shelves have actually decreased. Let’s demonstrate with one glaring example: diapers. The hyper-consolidated diaper industry is dominated by just two companies, Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark, which own well-known diaper brands like Pampers, Huggies, and Luvs. The cost of wood pulp, a key ingredient for making diapers absorbent, did spike during the pandemic, increasing by more than 50 percent between 2020 and 2021.
Corporate profits accounted for more than half of recent price increases. To stamp out inflation once and for all, we need to crack down on price gouging.
But last year it declined by 25 percent. Did that drop in costs lead Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark to lower their prices? Far from it. Diaper prices have increased to nearly $22 on average.
These corporate giants have no plans to bring prices down anytime soon. In fact, their own executives are openly bragging about how they’re going to “expand margins” on earnings calls. Procter & Gamble predicted $800 million in windfall profits as input costs decline. Kimberly-Clark’s CEO said the company has “a lot of opportunity” to expand margins over time.
It’s not just diapers — while many corporations were quick to pass along rising costs, they’ve been in no hurry to pass along their savings. A recent survey from the Richmond Fed and Duke University revealed that 60 percent of companies plan to hike prices this year by more than they did before the pandemic, even though their costs have moderated.
Photo: Israel Albornoz/Unsplash
Among people with ischemic (clot-caused) stroke, those who began taking an antidepressant known as an SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) and/or an SNRI (serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) for the common conditions of post-stroke depression and anxiety, did not have an increased risk of hemorrhagic (bleeds) stroke or other serious bleeding. This included people taking anticoagulation medications. There was, however, an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke among stroke patients taking two anti-platelet medications, also called dual anti-platelet therapy or DAPT.
“Mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, are very common yet treatable conditions that may develop after a stroke. Our results should reassure clinicians that for most stroke survivors, it is safe to prescribe SSRI and/or SNRI antidepressants early after stroke to treat post-stroke depression and anxiety, which may help optimize their patients’ recovery,” said study lead author Kent P. Simmonds, D.O., Ph.D., a third-year physical medicine and rehabilitation resident at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “However, caution is needed when considering the risk-benefit profile for stroke patients receiving dual anti-platelet therapy because we did find an increased risk of bleeding among this group.”
The students named below earned recognition for their academic performance and attention to excellence at Unity High School. Congratulations to each on their exceptional scholastic effort last semester.
DALLAS – Powerful players in music, entertainment, fashion and philanthropy joined the American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, to celebrate progress towards health equity, while calling for a renewed commitment to investing in women’s heart health in a fashion-forward, musical kickoff to 
