Khan't Touch This: FTC Boss Drops the Antitrust Hammer

Lina Khan, the 35-year-old powerhouse running the Federal Trade Commission for the

past three years, has been stirring the pot. She's basically been trying to overhaul how the

government deals with big companies throwing their weight around.

Khan's been super busy. She's gone after the tech giants like Meta, Amazon and Microsoft — slapping them with antitrust cases. But it's not just tech - she tried to shut down Lockheed Martin and

Nvidia from making these huge, billion-dollar deals. Oh, and she's also trying to ban almost all non-compete clauses, which is a pretty big deal for workers.

Now, here's where it gets spicy: not everyone is a fan of her aggressive style. There's a powerful group of both Republicans and Democrats who think she's stretching antitrust law way too far. They're worried Khan is trying to redefine what counts as a monopoly.

But Khan and her crew? They're just trying to bring back what antitrust was supposed to do

all along. They believe the government's been letting big companies get away with too

much for too long, and it's hurting consumers and competition.

Some folks are totally on board with Khan. Consumer watchdogs are cheering her on, and even some conservatives like her populist approach. Like, recently, the FTC warned inhaler makers that they might be breaking the law with their patent loopholes. That kind of move is getting her some fans.

But here's the tea: some Democratic donors, especially those with ties to finance and tech, are not

happy. They're actually campaigning for Kamala Harris to give Khan the boot if she becomes president. Drama, right?

When Khan talks about her time at the FTC, she's pretty proud of what they've achieved. She mentions winning the government's first vertical merger case in over 50 years and making progress on privacy issues. She's all about making sure the FTC can keep up with all the new tech and business practices of the 21st century.

Now, Wall Street folks? They're not Khan's biggest fans. They think her approach might be messing with how mergers and acquisitions work. But Khan's not too bothered. She says she's more focused on the thousands of regular people who've told her how non-competes have messed up their lives.

Khan's got some interesting thoughts on how all this ties into inflation, too. She thinks that when you let companies get too big and powerful, it can make the economy more vulnerable to price spikes. Plus, she reckons it's easier for a few big players to jack up prices together.

As for what's next? Khan's playing it cool. She says she can't predict what'll happen after the election, and she hasn't heard any whispers about getting pushed out. But with all the buzz around her, you can bet people will be watching closely to see what happens next in the Lina Khan saga.